【推荐1】Times are a little tough at our house right now. Neither of us makes a lot of money, but years of experience have taught us how to walk between the raindrops and make it from one month to the next with a fair amount of grace. I cook a lot at home, more when we’re facing difficult times. When I know that I have to keep us fed on not much money, I fall back on my grandmother’s recipes. She taught me to cook.

When I was a kid, my twin brother and I spent long summer weeks and Christmas vacations with my mother’s parents in the mountains of North Carolina. Rather than go hunting with my grandfather on mornings, I found myself more and more in the kitchen with my grandmother, watching her making a lemon cheese pie with her soft hands.

My great-grandmother died when my grandmother was 11 years old. As the eldest daughter, she was expected to take on all of the housework while attending school. Throughout the Great Depression, she learned how to make a little food go a long way. Vegetables were cheap, so she cooked a lot of them, mostly only using small amounts of meat for seasoning. Roast beef was a twice-a-month luxury, but there was nothing she couldn’t do with a chicken, every part of it. Nothing went to waste.

Now I understand that her food was sacred (神圣的). I feel connected to my grandmother and to hundreds of years of family when I’m in my kitchen making country food. In the delicious smells is a long tale of victory over hard times, of conquering starvation     of not just surviving, but finding joy and pleasure in every meal of every day.

From grandmother I learned to take real satisfaction in feeding people. My grandmother would beam with pleasure over a heavily laden table and say: “Do you know what this would cost at the restaurant?” I never knew what restaurant in particular she had in mind, but I knew that the question was totally not fair, because no restaurant anywhere can cook like a grandmother. But now, thanks to her guidance and years of practice, I can.

1. According to the passage, the author cooks a lot at home because _______.

A．she wants to try out her grandmother’s recipes	B．she is quite particular about food
C．the food in restaurants is unhealthy	D．she and her husband are embarrassed financially

2. According to the passage, the author’s grandmother _______.

A．learnt to cook because of the Great Depression

B．was good at cooking as well as careful in budgeting

C．preferred chicken to beef

D．had to walk a long way to learn cooking in a restaurant

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author _______.

A．liked to compare her grandmother’s food with that in restaurants

B．learnt something more precious than cooking from her grandmother

C．hasn’t found the joy in cooking though she can cook like her grandmother

D．feels connected to her grandmother when making country food in the kitchen

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Cook like my grandmother	B．My grandmother’s sacred food
C．My grandmother’s recipe	D．Joy and pleasure in cooking

【推荐2】You wake up,ready to seize the day,when an unexpected breakfast is served your way-a classic sandwich.Someone has decided to park their rust-bucket in your driveway,blocking you in.Is it illegal to park in front of a driveway?Yes,absolutely.But some folks love to"stick it to the man”.And now,you can stick it to them.We have a general disgust toward tow trucks( 拖 车 ),their drivers,and the industry as a whole.However,it's a necessary evil,and in certain applications,completely justified.This is one of those times.Take delight in it!

But remember this:if you want to have someone's car towed,call the police and have them handle it.Why call the police first?Because in the event that the owner loses his/her car and tries to sue(起诉)for damages or lost wages,you're removed of the situation and free of any responsibility.If you call a tow company directly,they may give the owner your information.And building a backyard Thunderdome(雷霆)to settle your differences in"the old-fashioned way”can be costly.

So,can you park in front of your own driveway?Unfortunately,parking in front of your own driveway is still technically illegal.The sidewalk and curb in front of your house is still city property,and determining who exactly is parking in front of the driveway is next to impossible for parking enforcement ( 执 法 ).There are reports of many neighborhoods only receiving a ticket for parking in a driveway if someone calls to report it,so it depends how risky you're feeling.Here in L.A.,I see a handful of cars on my block consistently block their own driveway.I have rarely seen them ticketed or towed,but if it were me,I'd keep searching for a real spot.

1. What's the tone of Paragraph 1?

A．Humorous.	B．Serious.
C．Sympathetic.	D．Modest.

2. What is advised to do when you find a car blocking your driveway?

A．Call the police.

B．Turn to a tow company.

C．Sue the owner.

D．Use the old-fashioned way.

3. Why do people park on their own driveway?

A．It is technically allowed.

B．It is not against the law.

C．They like taking risks.

D．Finding a parking spot is hard.

【推荐3】Something strange has been happening to me lately: Women in the street have been telling me I'm brave.

My act of courage isn't much-I just stopped coloring my hair. I had brown hair that started going gray when I was 30. So, like a lot of women, I started dyeing (染)it. It was expensive and time-consuming. And my hair grows fast, so I needed to go back to the hair salon(美发厅) every 5 weeks.

Many people seem to enjoy holding onto their youth for as long as possible, giving off the impression that they don' t have much wisdom or many accomplishments. But our hair starts to turn gray and suddenly we start spending $500 or more a year to cover something our male colleagues don’t need to cover.

Of course, People should do what they want with their own body -my mother is 91 and still has "blond" hair, and why not? I just wish more of us would feel that it was OK to be ourselves, because going gray has done more for me than saving me time and money.

I like my natural hair, just as it is. I like how it has got curly and full again. It is recovering after years of being damaged by chemicals. I also like that it has given me some needed attitude in a society that makes youth seem so important, while being against maturity. It reminds me that I'm not a kid anymore - and this isn't a bad thing. Not being a kid anymore means I read the books I want, and not the books i feel I should read. It means not wasting my time at events I don' t need to attend when I’d rather be with my family and friends.

When I see my hair in the mirror, it's a reminder that my time is limited, and I should spend it doing what matters. There's nothing shameful about growing older And pretending it's not happening is a way of giving up our power.

I see my gray hair as a little act of rebellion(反叛)against the idea that people lose value as they age, instead of gaining it. I see gray hair as my "flag" and I'm letting it fly proudly.

1. How does the author feel about coloring hair?

A．It shows people’s great courage.

B．It is a good way to hold onto youth.

C．It shows wisdom and accomplishments.

D．It is not worth the time and money spent on it.

2. What should we do when we grow old according to the author?

A．Give up our power.

B．Pretend to be still young.

C．Accept it and act positively.

D．Read as many books as possible.

3. What is the authors main purpose in writing this passage?

A．To explain why youth is valued.

B．To share her opinion on growing older.

C．To stress the importance of different attitudes.

D．To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of aging.

4. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．Holding Onto Youth

B．Dyeing Your Hair

C．Gaining Value With Age

D．Valuing Wisdom Of Age

【推荐1】Suppose you were promised $1,440 each day for your entire life-- at least $524,600 a year--that could never be reduced or changed as long as you live. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Actually , we all do get 1,440 a day—but in minutes, not dollars.     1     It is possible to get more money, but you can not make more time. We all know “ time is money” .Then are you a good steward of your time？    2    

Find out where your time is going now.     3    . Include work, cooking and   meals,   cleaning   and   personal   hygiene,   sleep   ,   family   time   and   mindless activities such as binge-watching TV and getting lost in social media.

Set limits. Use kitchen timers,phone reminders,apps or other timing devices to stay focused and work more productively.

    4     Putting things together is really helpful .When you have errands (差 事 )to run, instead of making three separate trips on three different days to grab groceries, office supplies or home store products , put things into one — hit all three stores in one trip. It is more efficient to finish “ one-off ” tasks in one swoop(突袭)rather than deal with one at a time throughout the day.

At the end of the day, week, month and year, take a look at how well you have managed your time. You will see where you could do better and where you have accomplished what you set out to do. It is similar to reviewing your annual financial statement.     5     Do that over and over and “it becomes habit” . Just like muscle memory, it is natural.

A．You can find your time passing by quickly .

B．Group small tasks into one job.

C．Write down everything you do in a day.

D．Time is our most precious and limited resource.

E．There are many benefits of managing your time properly.

F．Try these simple steps to take control of your clock and calendar：

G．Take   time   each   day   to   reflect   on   your   accomplishments   and   set   goals   for tomorrow.

【推荐2】The standing broad jump is an exercise where the jumpers must jump as far as possible. Unlike other classic Olympic events, the jumper cannot run to build up strength. This exercise takes great attention, and it can be difficult to improve.     1    

    2     Use a form to fill out the greatest distance you have reached every workout. You should also write down which techniques you have used so that you will know what actually works on you. Set a distance goal for a future date, and once you reach this goal, set a new one.

Throughout the jump, jumpers should always look forward, toward their goal distance.     3     Try to achieve a great distance without jumping very high at the takeoff and be sure that all of your energy is pointing forward rather than upward.

Using the power from your upper body to push yourself forward can help you achieve a great distance. This can be a great way to warm up before trying the jump. Start by standing in the correct position with your toes lined up and feet shoulder-width apart.     4     Now bend your knees and jump as your arms move forward again.

Having more strength in your legs will allow you to jump a greater distance. Practicing the standing broad jump will exercise your legs as well, but having strong leg muscles to begin with will help you achieve greater distances.     5    

A．However, improvement is well worth it.

B．This will set the direction they want the body to.

C．The best way to improve is to have a goal in mind.

D．Improving the standing broad jump requires great attention.

E．You must stand in one spot to jump without any kind of lead-in.

F．So you should exercise your legs as much as possible to build muscles.

G．Next, move your arms forward, then backward and up over your head.

【推荐3】Everyone has struggled with fitting in at school. You may be shy of going to a new school. There are different ways to meet people and find your place at your school.    1     Still, there are some methods that might help you shorten the process.

Put yourself out there. You are not the only person that is trying to fit in at school. Sometimes you have to take the first step to get the process started. Try talking to a person that is alone. It's much easier to talk to one person instead of a group of people.    2    

Build self-confidence. Everyone likes to be around confident people.     3    We are often hard on ourselves when we make mistakes or compare ourselves to others. While these negative thoughts are normal, you can replace them with more positive things.

    4    It is easier to bond with someone when you all have similar interests. It's agreat way to meet people who like the same things that you like. You will always have things to talk about with people who share the same interest with you.

Be a good friend. The best way to make new friends is to be a good friend yourself. Be loyal, honest, and fun to be around.    5    Well, those are the same things that will help you fit in with people at your school.

A．Join a club or an organization.

B．Find those who can interest you,

C．But you need to be patient fitting in takes time.

D．Think of all the qualities that you look for in a friend.

E．A person that's alone may also be in the same situation you are in.

F．Knowing what you are going to say already will make you less nervous.

G．It is important that you have positive feelings and beliefs about yourself,