【推荐1】“Every life is a boat, the dream is the boat sail.” Every child has a dream of what they want to be. When Renee Butts was little, her dream was to become a volunteer firefighter because her father was one. Sadly, when she was 14, her beloved father died and she was never able to do volunteer work with him. However, Renee’s story didn’t end there. She was determined and never gave up, which makes for a good firefighter.

Now Renee is a member of the Carme l Fire Department, where she is required to be an Emergency Medical Technician. She should also be ready to deal with any emergency, like fighting a fire, dealing with a car accident or helping someone who’s sick. Sometimes she is in the driver’s seat or using the water pump. Renee works nine to eleven days a month on 24-hour shifts. She also has a family to care for, as her husband is also a busy firefighter. Dealing with housework and working so much can show her great determination.

When I asked Renee what the best part of her job was, she replied, “Helping people and saving lives.” I think that shows signs of being a true hero. She’s always willing to do anything for anyone in need. Renee says that her job is frightening at times, but extremely exciting. “The worst part of my job is that I see death. Actually, sometimes people die in the accident, for which I am very sorry.” With 140 people in her station, Renee is one of the only three women, but that doesn’t bother her. She says everyone can get a fair shot and do the same jobs.

I was inspired by this because I knew I would be very scared to do her job and didn’t know if I could handle seeing people die. We would never live without people like her who have the courage to risk their lives. Renee’s determination rubs off on me and makes me believe that I can do anything.

1. What happened to Renee when she was fourteen?

A．She dropped out of school.	B．She got lost in a boat sailing.
C．Her dream to be a firefighter came true.	D．Her father passed away.

2. Why does the author believe Renee Butts is a true hero?

A．She is one of the only three women in her station.

B．She always tries her best to help anyone in need.

C．She feels sorry for the people dying in the accident.

D．She has been a firefighter for a long time.

3. How does Renee think of her job?

A．Frightening but exciting.	B．Simple and pleasant.
C．Challenging but promising.	D．Relaxing and comfortable.

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The author feels very scared to do Renee’s job.

B．Renee’s story is an inspiration to the author.

C．Renee encourages the author to risk the life.

D．The author could handle seeing people die.

【推荐2】If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Dreaming about whether you would want to read minds, see through walls, or have superhuman strength may sound silly, but it actually gets to the heart of what really matters in your life.

Every day in our work, we are inspired by the people we meet doing extraordinary things to improve the world.

They have a different kind of superpower that all of us possess: the power to make a d^erence in the lives of others.

We're not saying that everyone needs to contribute their lives to the poor. Your lives are busy enough doing homework, playing sports, making friends, seeking after your dreams. But we do think that you can live a more powerful life when you devote some of your time and energy to something much larger than yourself. Find an issue you are interested in and learn more. Volunteer or, if you can, contribute a little money to a cause. Whatever you do, don't be a bystander. Get involved. You may have the opportunity to make your biggest d^erence when you're older. But why not start now?

Our own experience working together on health, development, and energy the last twenty years has been one of the most rewarding parts of our lives. It has changed who we are and continues to fuel our optimism about how much the lives of the poorest people will improve in the years ahead.

1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Your heart for life really counts.	B．Your life experience is necessary.
C．Your life value makes a difference.	D．Your lifestyle plays an important role.

2. How do the people around make author inspired every day?

A．They are making the world better.

B．They possess d^erent superpowers.

C．They have got the power to change the world.

D．They have great influences on the author's life and work.

3. Which of following can be best concluded in Paragraph 5?

A．Trying your best to help the poor.

B．Working hard to get the bigger opportunities.

C．Learning more and contributing more to a cause.

D．Getting yourself interested and improved to help others.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．People's efforts have been materially rewarded.

B．The lives of the poorest are supposed to get better.

C．The work on health is the most valuable experience.

D．Much more progress will be made in the near future.

【推荐3】This is a true story that happened in Japan. In order to ____the house, a Japanese tore open the walls. Japanese houses normally have a empty space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard(蜥蜴) stuck there because a nail from outside was hammered into one of its feet. He saw this, feeling pity and curious. When he checked the nail, he found it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built.
What happened? The lizard had survived in such a position for 10 years! It has been in a dark wall partition (夹层) for 10 years without moving! Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years without moving a single step—since its foot was nailed! So he stopped his work and observed the lizard: What has it been doing? What and how has it been eating? Later, he didn't know from where another lizard appeared, with food in its mouth. Ah! He was astonished and touched deeply. The free lizard had been feeding the stuck one for the past 10 years.
Such love, a beautiful love! Such love happened with this tiny creature… What can love do? It can do wonders! Just think about it: one lizard had been feeding the other one untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner. If a small creature like a lizard can love like this, just imagine how we can love if we try.
1. The underlined word “renovate” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.

A．tear open

B．repair

C．tear down

D．paint

2. How did the Japanese feel when seeing the stuck lizard?

A．Frightened

B．Enjoyable

C．Confused

D．Usual

3. What can we learn from the free lizard?

A．It teaches us never to abandon our loved ones.

B．It teaches us to give more help to our loved ones.

C．It tells us to take pity on the stuck lizard.

D．It encourages us to live even longer.

4. Why did the Japanese stop his work?

A．To watch how long the lizard can still live here.

B．To take out the nail and set the lizard free.

C．To have a rest by watching the lizard.

D．To find out why the lizard had survived here for 10 years.

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A Wonder	B．Two Lizards
C．Such a Story	D．Lizard Love

【推荐2】The problem of global warming has caused a lot of people to try their best to protect the environment. Unluckily, there are still many people who think it is hard to go green. In fact, it is very easy to be green in our daily life.

You can make a great start by learning to recycle (回收利用). While this looks really simple, there are many people who still throw glass bottles into their common garbage. Almost all cities offer a recycling bin (垃圾箱) for these items. If you put them in the recycling bin instead of throwing them away, you will be on the path to save the earth.

One good thing to recycle is newspaper. But there are still some people who just put their newspaper in the garbage when they finish reading it. As we know, there are many other things we can do with an old newspaper. For example, we can use it to clean our windows.

Another thing that could help you to start to live green is to begin walking a bit more. Many people think nothing of getting in their car and driving one mile to get drinks at the local store. If you walk to the store, not only can it take less time, because you won’t have to try to find a parking place, but you will be saving money on gas and helping to protect the environment. If you wish to save even more on gas, take the opportunity to car pool (拼车) each time you can, which has become popular in many countries.

There really are many means by which people can start living green. They only have to make some changes in their lifestyle to improve our environment.

1. What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To advise people to learn to live green.

B．To express worries about global warming.

C．To show the importance of living green.

D．To tell readers that many people are living green.

2. According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?

A．. Driving can cause trouble sometimes.

B．Newspaper is being recycled by some people.

C．Car pooling is not allowed in some countries

D．Many people can’t recycle glass bottles properly.

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．Going green is much simpler than we think

B．Why do we need to live a green life?

C．Global warming is becoming worse

D．What is causing global warming?

【推荐3】Apply for a Library Card

Any person who lives, works or attends school in New York State is qualified to receive a New York Public Library card free of charge.

Adult and teen users may either apply online or in person at any New York Public Library location. Applications for children aged 11 and under must be completed in person, and require the signature of a parent or guardian.

When you apply for a card online, you will receive a 7-digit temporary barcode(条形码). This allows you to set a PIN (Personal Identification Number).

After you receive your permanent barcode, which is required to borrow materials, search library databases, or reserve a computer, you must validate your card.

Renew or Validate Your Card

All adult, teen and child library cards for cardholders in New York City and areas of New York State outside of New York City expire(期满) and must be renewed every three years. New library card applicants who applied for a card online must validate their card before full cardholder privileges can be extended.

Cardholders in New York City must visit any New York Public Library location to present the required forms of identification in order to renew or validate their card.

Cardholders from areas of New York State outside of New York City may email scans or copies of the required forms of identification to patronaccounts@nypl.org.

Forgot Your PIN?

If you provide the library with a valid email address, you can click on the Forgot Your PIN? Link on the login(登录) screen of either Biblicisms or the Classic Catalog. A link with instructions on changing your PIN will be sent to the email address on your account, giving you a brief period of time to update your information. You must select a 4-digit numeric PIN, with no repeating or obvious characters(e.g.1234 or 2222).

If you have not provided us with a valid email address, you have to visit a library location with valid identification to have a staff member reset your PIN for you.

1. If a 10-year-old boy wants to receive a New York Public Library card, he ___________.

A．can either apply online or in person

B．can ask his parents to apply for him

C．has to visit a library location in person

D．has to apply in person with a parent or guardian

2. Which is different for cardholders in New York City and those from areas of New York State outside of New York City?

A．The full cardholder privileges.

B．The way they renew or validate their card.

C．The period of validity of their card.

D．The way they apply for a card.

3. A cardholder who forgot his PIN and didn’t provide the library with a valid email address ____________.

A．can reset his PIN by letter

B．has to apply for an email address

C．can call the library to reset his PIN

D．has to go to the library to have his PIN reset

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．How to apply for a Library Card.

B．The way people renew their card.

C．The time people can keep the card.

D．The money people have to pay for a card.

【推荐1】Every superhero, no matter how small, needs a cape (披风). That was Robyn Rosenberger’s motivation when she started sewing superhero capes for kids with cancer, heart defects, and other serious diseases.

It all began when she was making a cape as a birthday present for her nephew. Rosenberger heard of a girl named Brenna who was battling a potentially deadly skin condition called harlequin ichthyosis (丑角样鱼鳞病). Anyone going through what she was going through had to be tough. “I had an aha moment,” Rosenberger says. “Brenna was a superhero! She needed a cape.”

So Rosenberger sent her one, and Brenna’s mother was delighted. Rosenberger found ten more kids online and sent out ten more capes. Before long, she quit her job at a software company to dedicate herself full-time to tinysuperheroes.com, a website where people can buy handmade capes for brave kids facing illness and disability.

Since 2013, Rosenberger and her small paid staff have sent more than 12, 000 handmade capes to kids in all 50 states and 15 other countries. The capes come in pink, blue, purple, or red and can be decorated with the child’s initials or specialized patches, including a heart, a rocket, or a lightning bolt. One recipient was eight-month-old Gabe, who was born with imperfection, which causes distinct facial features. Rosenberger sent him a red cape with a bright yellow G in the center. It was a hit. Gabe is now a fixture on the company’s social media posts. “The Tiny Superhero community has been a wonderful connection to have,” says Gabe’s mom, Kate Glocke. In fact, two years later, “we still bring Gabe’s cape with us to every hospital appointment.”

1. Why did Rosenberger start sewing superhero capes for kids?

A．Because she was good at sewing superhero capes.

B．Because she wanted to show bravery of the kids.

C．Because she planned to give kids superhero capes as gifts.

D．Because she thought their parents couldn’t afford capes.

2. What do we know about Rosenberger and her small paid staff?

A．They made over 12, 000 handmade capes each year.

B．They met kids from 50 states and 15 other countries.

C．They provided capes in different colors and styles.

D．They had made a lot of money by selling capes.

3. What words can be used to describe Rosenberger?

A．Hardworking and wealthy.

B．Warm-hearted and loving.

C．Strong-willed and ambitious.

D．Talkative and athletic.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To advertise a website selling handmade capes

B．To call on more people to help the sick kids.

C．To describe different superhero capes.

D．To introduce a kind woman helping sick kids.

【推荐2】My father was always a good gardener. One of my earliest memories is standing without shoes in the freshly tilled (翻耕的) soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground.

As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Dad pushing the tiller (耕作机) ahead in perfectly straight lines. Dad loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions，watermelons almost as big as me, rows of yellow com, and our favorite—red tomatoes.

As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t get so excited about gardening with Dad. Instead of magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of prison. As Dad grew older, his love for gardening never disappeared. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still took care of his garden.

But then, the cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body. I had to do the things he used to do. What really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. The rows and rows of multicolored vegetables were gone. Too tired to weed them, he simply let them be.

For the first few years after he died, I couldn’t even bear to look at anyone’s garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden and started out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, after breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the comer of my eye and I had to smile. It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, happily playing in the freshly tilled soil.

1. Why did the author like the garden when he was a child?

A．He wanted to be a garden-crazy like his father.

B．He loved being in the garden with his father.

C．The garden was full of his favorite food.

D．The garden was just freshly tilled.

2. When all the kids started their own families，the author’s father       .

A．stopped his gardening

B．turned to other hobbies

C．devoted more to gardening

D．focused on planting tomatoes

3. What happened to the garden when the author’s father was seriously ill?

A．There was a great harvest.

B．The garden was almost deserted.

C．No plant grew in the garden at all.

D．The author’s son took charge of the garden.

4. Why did the author start his garden with tomatoes?

A．He wanted to honor his father.

B．His son liked the fields of tomatoes.

C．He only knew how to grow tomatoes.

D．He thought tomatoes were easy to manage.

【推荐3】“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating that George Bush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened-I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute (降落伞), and then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1. What happened to the author in 2001?

A．She flew an airplane.	B．She entered a competition.
C．She went on a hot air balloon ride.	D．She moved into a retirement community.

2. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to ______.

A．build up her own reputation	B．show her admiration for him
C．compare their health condition	D．make her argument persuasive

3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A．Excited.

B．Scared.

C．Intense.

D．Regretful.

4. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A．The beautiful clouds.	B．The wonderful view.
C．The company of Jay.	D．The one-minute free fall.