【推荐1】What makes a good school?
I'm a parent of two elementary students．The experience that my children are going through now in the elementary school is so different from mine when I was at their age．What I think of a good school is communication between teachers．students and parents．    1    Parent-teacher communication guarantees that a child is educated in the same way and in turn a child will build special bonds in communication between their teachers and parents．
    2    My children return home telling me that their teachers ignore their questions when they raise their hands and don’t talk much．On the other hand，I feel the same when I write notes to school．    3    This is telling me there is a lack in communication from the school teachers nowadays as their life is so overwhelmed by the over-crowded schools we have in the US．
However．choosing a career in education is not just for a good job．A teacher should really have heart in touching every child’s life．    4    Even now，I still remember all my elementary school teachers’ names．    5    The answer lies in the fact that they spent every minute of their precious time helping me and answering all my questions with patience．When you have teachers who are willing to spend time for any child and communicate with parents，it is what I consider a GREAT school for a child to attend，not just GOOD．

A．I don’t get any response from the teachers to my questions，not even a one-word response．

B．There are different ways of communication, according to different cultures．

C．Why is that?

D．Strong communication is very important to a child’s education．

E．I feel that schools nowadays don’t communicate with parents enough and neither is involvement．

F．My elementary school teachers all touched my life．

G．What do you think of it?

【推荐2】How to Live a Happy Life

Happiness is what we need most with the increase of pressure in modern life.     1     Fortunately, this is not the case. Everyone has the ability to hang on to happiness with his own efforts. The following methods may lead you to long-lasting happiness.

• Take exercise. Other than health benefits that are too numerous to mention, exercise makes you smarter, happier, improves sleep, and makes you feel better about your body.     2     Keeping in touch with nature can help you reduce stress, make you more creative, improve your memory and may even make you a better person.

•     3     Relationships are worth more than you think. Not feeling socially connected can make you stupider and kill you. Loneliness can lead to heart attack, stroke(中风) and diabetes (肥胖症). On the other hand, studies have shown that the longest lived people on the planet all place a strong emphasis on social engagement.

• Challenge Yourself.     4     Music lessons increase intelligence. Challenging your beliefs strengthens your mind. Increasing willpower just takes a little effort each day and it’s more responsible for your success than IQ. Not getting an education or taking advantage of opportunities are two of the things people look back on their lives and regret the most.

• Laugh. Laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart rate and the rate of breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and the feet. It can even reduce the effect of pain on the body. Humor is a good way to cause laughter.     5    

A．Life is always full of hope.

B．Spend time with friends and family.

C．However, sometimes it seems far away from us.

D．It would be better if you take exercise in nature.

E．Do something kind for the people you care about.

F．Learning another language can keep your mind sharp.

G．Just thinking about funny moments or things can help a lot.

【推荐3】How to Choose a College Major

When it’s time to starting making solid decisions about enrolling in college, many people have questions about how to choose a college major.    1    , but also what you’ll need to be happy in the future. While it would be nice to have an interest in one of the highest paying college majors, it’s also important to choose a college major that will ultimately lead to a career you want in a place you want to live.

    2    

The best advice we’ve found for how to choose a college major is just to ask questions. Talk to your high school guidance counselor, or if you’re already in college, consult your academic advisor or a career center counselor. Ask friends and family members about how they chose a college major or career. Finally, engage in some serious self-reflection and ask yourself questions about your past, present, and future.

Some factors to consider when selecting a college major include:

What did you learn about what you like and dislike from your past work experience?

What are your interests?

Which subjects did you enjoy studying the most in high school?

What type of skills do you have?

Do you have any hobbies that you would like to pursue as a career?

Think About Careers

    3     For example, if you held part time positions in retail while in high school and you absolutely hated the work, you can immediately scratch retail management off your list. However, if you enjoyed the part of the job that involved setting up product displays, you might seriously want to consider a major in visual merchandising (视觉营销).     4    

Don’t Panic

    5     It is not uncommon for college students to change majors one or more times after they enroll in college. Do your research, keep an open mind, and be honest with yourself, and you can choose a college major that will steer you down the path to success.

A．Ask Questions

B．Engage in self-reflection

C．You have to not only look at your interests, abilities and goals

D．What you are supposed to do is to clarify your interests, abilities and goals.

E．The answers to these questions can help guide your selection of a college major.

F．Selecting a college major is an important decision, and it is not one that should be made lightly.

G．The college major that you select impacts the types of jobs you will be qualified for upon graduation.

【推荐1】Olivia Ries was just seven years old when she and her eight-year-old brother Carter adopted a cheetah(猎豹) in South Africa.

''When my sister and I first learned back in 2009 that species like the cheetah may be extinct in the wild by the time we have kids, it scared us. We knew we had to do something to help them, '' says Carter. ''There are so many people (young and old alike) who just don’t know what is happening to so many species, just like we didn't. Olivia and I want to make sure we reach as many people around the world as possible and help them to understand how serious the situation really is. ''

To do that, the kids started One More Generation (OMG), an organization with the motto: ''Preserving endangered species for one more generation and beyond. ''

Now, ten years later, Olivia and Carter have traveled all over the world spreading their message. They've been interviewed on national television, participated in marches and fundraisers and won awards for their work. In 2015, they were invited to Vietnam by the United States Embassy to participate in a program to save rhinos. All that they've accomplished for animals and the environment is much too long to list!

''Our number one message to everyone we meet is 'Remember, anyone can make a difference... if we can, you can too, '' says Olivia. ''We want all people to understand that what Carter and I are doing is not necessarily something special; it is something that we all should be doing. You can start small by simply adopting an animal. Do some research on the species you are interested in, and find a good organization offering adoptions. My brother and I take our birthday money and allowance money and adopt animals all the time. ''

1. How did Olivia and Carter feel when learning cheetahs faced extinction?

A．Angry and guilty.	B．Shocked and concerned.
C．Anxious and helpless.	D．Hopeful and determined.

2. What does the underlined ''that'' refer to in Paragraph 3?

A．Helping endangered species survive.

B．Telling people the situation cheetahs face.

C．Making the situation of dying species known.

D．Calling on people to adopt endangered species.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell about Olivia and Carter?

A．They organized activities to raise money.	B．They took measures to save rhinos.
C．They made efforts to list extinct species.	D．They contributed a lot to dying species.

4. What do Olivia's words suggest?

A．Anyone can help by starting small.

B．Anyone can do something special.

C．Anyone should do research on species.

D．Anyone should donate to adoption organizations.

5. If you're to offer Olivia a gift, which might she expect most?

A．''Adopting a panda in name of both her and me. ''

B．''Making her a furry dog with my own hands. ''

C．''Buying her a doll of the latest style. ''

D．''Mailing her a handmade postcard. ''

【推荐2】Being a teenager can be hard, for you have to face a lot of difficult problems, but a new program called Nfusion is working hard to help teens with mental health needs. Nfusion gives teenagers classes where they study or discuss some troubling subjects. Drugs and bullying (欺凌) are just a few of the topics that are discussed during the class on Saturday.

“I had a bad attitude,” said 17-year-old Titeana Davis. Davis went through the Nfusion Program last year. The teen, who once had trouble with her attitude towards others, says the program has changed her life, “They taught me that a bad attitude is not going to get you anywhere. It doesn’t matter if other people treat you wrong; you still treat them how you want to be treated and it helped me a lot” said Davis.

Nfusion is a new program that meets teens’ mental health needs and provides help for their families. The program is designed to help teens aged 14-21 live through a difficult period. “They’re still growing, still developing and still there are a lot of things they don’t know how to address. So this is a good program for them to be a part of,” said Lakicha Jernigan, who worked for the Nfusion Program.

Teens like Davis are just a few who have come through the program successfully. Now, thanks to Nfusion, Davis says she’s looking forward to a bright future. “After I graduate from college, I want to work at a primary school and I want to be a second-grade teacher,” added Davis.

Nfusion is a System of Care initiative (倡议) and is working with the Mississippi Transitional Outreach Project, a project of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. The System of Care provides community-based services to help youth with serious mental health needs and their families.

1. What’s the purpose of Nfusion?

A．To provide teens with some programs.

B．To help teens fight for a better career.

C．To help teens receive a good education.

D．To meet the mental health needs of teens.

2. What can we know about Titeana Davis before Nfusion?

A．She didn’t go to school as often as her parents expected her to.

B．She often had fights with her classmates and neighbors.

C．She didn’t take a right attitude towards people around her.

D．She often forgot things and misunderstood her parents.

3. What does the underlined word “address” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Look for.	B．Deal with.
C．Cut out.	D．Learn from.

4. What happened to Davis after going through Nfusion?

A．She became a teacher.	B．She worked for Nfusion.
C．She went back to school.	D．She got along with others.

【推荐3】Surviving Hurricane Sandy (飓风桑迪)

Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,” she says.

On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city’s bridge closed.

When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.

In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.

“My mom tells me that I can’t control what happens to me,” Natalie says. “but I can always choose how I deal with it.”

Natalie’s choice was to help.

She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick’s collection was replaced.

In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.

Today, the scars (创痕) of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can’t imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,” Natalie declares. “My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.”

1. When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane, she found ______.

A．some friends had lost their lives.

B．her neighborhood was destroyed.

C．her school had moved to Brooklyn.

D．the elderly were free from suffering.

2. According to paragraph 4, who inspired Natalie most?

A．The people helping Rockaway rebuild.

B．The people trapped in high-rise building.

C．The volunteers donating money to survivors.

D．Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people.

3. How did Natalie help the survivors?

A．She gave her toys to the kids.

B．She took care of younger children.

C．She called on the White House to help.

D．She built an information sharing platform.

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Little people can make a big difference.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．East or West, home is best.

D．Technology is power.