【推荐1】Rebel Talk
Jane Hutcheon

Journalist, author and former foreign correspondent (通讯员) Jane Hutcheon knows a thing or two about conversations, and in Rebel Talk she draws on her rich experience in the art of guided conversations to help us begin and nurture conversations. Rebel Talk looks at ways to: transform poor conversation habits; speak up about problems; generate energy, passion and optimism; stop lecturing and giving uninvited advice; and most importantly, learn by humble listening.

From Earth: Create Your Own Natural Apothecary (药剂师)
Charlotte Rasmussen

The makings for simple skincare and medicinal home treatments can be found in your own garden or kitchen. From Earth's recipes employ pure and natural ingredients such as lily and rose and will inspire you to enlarge your herb knowledge. Beautifully photographed, this step-by-step guide explains how to use carrier oils, butters and dried flowers and is the perfect guide for anyone wanting to find a more comprehensive way of life.

Burning Questions
Margaret Atwood

Fans of Margaret Atwood, the creator of The Handmaid's Tale and more than 50 other works of fiction, poetry and essays, will be interested in her collection of essays and occasional pieces from 2004 -21. Full of wit and wisdom, Atwood focuses on subjects such as the climate crisis, freedom, debt, tech, the rise of Trump and a pandemic. Other topics include: When to offer advice to the young? (only when asked); So what if beauty is only skin deep?

Here Goes Nothing
Steve Toltz

If you like your fiction left-of-centre, then this book's for you. Angus Mooney struggles for most of his life, until he meets his wife, marriage celebrant Gracie (whose wedding ceremonies are anything but traditional). Just when things are starting to work out, an old guy with a terminal illness breaks into their house and asks to stay until he dies. When Angus does some research on their ‘guest’, he wakes up the next day in the ‘afterlife’.

Whose book will a flower lover be interested in?

A．Jane Hutcheon.

B．Charlotte Rasmussen.

C．Margaret Atwood.

D．Steve Toltz.

【推荐2】I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.

My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.

As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.

I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .

Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.

As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.

What does the underlined phrase “an added meaning” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Pleasure from working in the library.

B．Joy of reading passed on in the family.

C．Wonderment from acting out the stories.

D．A closer bond developed with the readers.

【推荐3】We journalists live in a new age of storytelling, with many new multimedia tools. Many young people don’t even realize it’s new. For them, it’s just normal.

This hit home for me as I was sitting with my 2-year-old grandson on a sofa over the Spring Festival holiday. I had brought a children’s book to read. It had simple words and colorful pictures — a perfect match for his age.

Picture this: my grandson sitting on my lap as I hold the book in front so he can see the pictures. As I read, he reaches out and pokes (戳) the page with his finger.

What’s up with that? He just likes the pictures, I thought. Then I turned the page and continued. He poked the page even harder. I nearly dropped the book. I was confused: Is there something wrong with this kid?

Then I realized what was happening. He was actually a stranger to books. His father frequently amused the boy with a tablet computer which was loaded with colorful pictures that come alive when you poke them. He thought my storybook was like that.

Sorry, kid. This book is not part of your high-tech world. It’s an outdated, lifeless thing. An antique, like your grandfather. Well, I may be old, but I’m not hopelessly challenged, digitally speaking. I edit video and produce audio. I use mobile payment. I’ve even built websites.

There’s one notable gap in my new-media experience, however: I’ve spent little time in front of a camera, since I have a face made for radio. But that didn’t stop China Daily from asking me last week to share a personal story for a video project about the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province.

Anyway, grandpa is now an internet star — two minutes of fame! I promise not to let it go to my head. But I will make sure my 2-year-old grandson sees it on his tablet.

Why did the kid poke the storybook?

A．He took it for a tablet computer.

B．He disliked the colorful pictures.

C．He was angry with his grandpa.

D．He wanted to read it by himself.

【推荐1】When reading, my mother likes to slice a paragraph or a sentence out and attach it to the wall of her kitchen. She picks boring sentences that puzzle me. But I prefer copying favorite bright lines into a journal in soft, gray No. 2 pencil, word by word.

She doesn’t know any of this. There’s nothing shocking: for our chatting. We seldom begin certain conversations though we talk on the phone weekly, sometimes making each other laugh so hard that I choke and she cries. But what we don’t say could fill up rooms. Fights with my father. Small failures in school. Anything that really upsets us.

My mother has never told me “I love you, Lisa.” — as if the four-word absence explains who I am — so I carry it with me, like a label on me. The last time she almost spoke the words was two years ago, when she called to tell me a friend had been in hospital. I said, “I love you, Mom.” She stopped for a while and then said, “Thank you.” I haven’t said it since, but I’ve wondered why my mother doesn’t until I’ve found a poem that supplies words for the blank spaces I try to understand in our conversations:

Don’t fill up on bread. I say absent-mindedly. The servings here are huge.

My son, middle-aged, says: Did you really just say that to me?

What he doesn’t know is that when we’re walking together, I desire to reach for his hand.

It’s humble, yet heartbreaking. After copying it down in my journal, I emailed it to mom, adding “This poem makes me think of you.” My mother doesn’t read poetry — or at least, she doesn’t tell me, and I felt nervous clicking “Send”.

She never mentioned the poem. But the next time I went home for vacation, I noticed something new in the kitchen fixed to an antique board: the poem. The board hung above the heater, the warmest spot in the kitchen. The poem still hangs there. Neither my mother nor I have ever spoken about it.

What’s the function of paragraph 1?

A．To stress the theme.	B．To establish the setting.
C．To represent the characters.	D．To create the atmosphere.

【推荐2】[课文原文]

“WELCOME，XIE LEI！”BUSINESS STUDENT BUILDING BRIDGES

Six months ago,19­year­old Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends and boarded^① a plane for London. It was the first time that she had left China.“I was very excited but also quite nervous. I didn't know what to expect, ” Xie Lei recalled.

Xie Lei is studying for a business qualification at a university in China and has come to our university on a year­long exchange programme. “I chose the exchange programme because I wanted to learn about global business and improve my English. My ambition is to set up a business in China after graduation, ” she explained.

At first, Xie Lei had to adapt to life in a different country. “You have to get used to a whole new life, ” she said. “I had to learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things I didn't know the English names for. When I got lost, I had to ask passers­by for help, but people here speak fast and use words I'm not familiar with. I ask them to repeat themselves a lot!”

Although some foreign students live in campus accommodation, Xie Lei chose to live with a host family, who can help with her adaptation to the new culture.“When I miss home, I feel comforted to have a second family,” Xie Lei said. “When there's something I don't know or understand, I can ask them. They are also keen to learn about China. Laura, the daughter of my host family, wants to study in China in the future. We take turns to cook each evening. They really love my stir­fried tomatoes and eggs! Laura says she always feels hungry when she smells it, so I taught her how to cook it, too.”

Another challenge for Xie Lei is the academic requirements. The first time that she had to write an essay, her tutor explained that she must acknowledge what other people had said if she cited their ideas, but that he mainly wanted to know what she thought! Xie Lei was confused because she thought she knew less than other people. Her tutor advised her to read lots of information in order to form a wise opinion of her own.

Xie Lei also found many courses included students' participation in class as part of the final result. Students need to generate ideas, offer examples, apply concepts, and raise questions, as well as give presentations. At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say, but what surprised her was that she found herself speaking up in class after just a few weeks. “My presentation on traditional Chinese art was a great success, which boosted my confidence,” she said. “I'll use these skills back home for presentations. They'll help me build a strong business in the future.”

Now halfway through her exchange year, Xie Lei feels much more at home in the UK. What seemed strange before now appears quite normal to her. “Engaging in British culture has helped,” she said. “As well as studying hard, I've been involved in social activities. British people are fascinated by our culture and eager to learn more about it, so I'm keen to share my culture with them. While I'm learning about business, I'm also acting as a cultural messenger building a bridge between us.”

We will follow Xie Lei's progress in later editions, but for now, we wish her all the best.

1. What does the text talk about?
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. What's the purpose of the text?
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. Xie Lei was very nervous when she left for London because         .

A．she was too young

B．she was a shy girl

C．she didn't know what to expect

D．she didn't know where to go

4. Who have helped Xie Lei most since she came to England?

A．Her classmates and tutors.

B．Her tutors and her family.

C．A host family and her family.

D．Her tutors and host family.

5. According to the passage, we can know that       .

A．idioms are not so difficult to understand

B．all students need one year to prepare their majors

C．foreign tutors admire the autonomous learners

D．it is impossible that you read it from China Daily

6. Which of the following will be talked about?

A．Her study in the UK.

B．Her return to China.

C．Her other challenges in the UK.

D．Her achievements in the UK.

7. .Complete the form according to the text.

Leaving for London	Xie Lei wants to learn about global business and improve her English. Her ________is to set up her own business.
Living in London	The challenge is how to ________the new life.
Studying in London	Another challenge is to get used to the academic requirements, such as how to give________.
At present	She feels much more________in the UK.

8. Analyse and translate the sentences.
①Although some foreign students live in campus accommodation, Xie Lei chose to live with a host family, who can help with her adaptation to the new culture.
_______________________________________________________________________________
②The first time that she had to write an essay, her tutor explained that she must acknowledge what other people had said if she cited their ideas, but that he mainly wanted to know what she thought!
_______________________________________________________________________________
③At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say, but what surprised her was that she found herself speaking up in class after just a few weeks.
_______________________________________________________________________________

【推荐3】A 12-year-old girl, Eleanor Woods, has created a green backpack that filters (过滤) out air pollution. Her innovative bag won the award of the “Backpack to the Future” competition.

The competition was launched to encourage students to combine an interest in fashion with a career in science, technology, engineering or maths.

Powered by green energy from solar power and a dynamo-a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy-the backpack filters polluted air before fanning out cleaner air nearby.

Air pollution was always Eleanor’s concern. Meanwhile, spending a lot of time with her asthmatic (患哮喘病的) mum, Eleanor especially focused on how pollution affects a person’s health and the spread of diseases. “We have an air filter at home because my mum has mild asthma. But what if she wants to go out? It would be inconvenient and dangerous! My Breathe Better Backpack is about keeping those like my mother safe using an air filter. It looks cool and will help get them outside and fight off colds,” Eleanor said.

The girl added, “My generation has really realized pollution, and we have lessons on it at school. This is another reason why I designed this, because we need to do something.”

1. Who will most probably benefit from the backpack?

A．Students living in poverty.	B．Those suffering from asthma.
C．People working in an open way.	D．Judges worried about pollution.

2. Which of the following best describes Eleanor Woods?

A．Humorous and modest.	B．Ambitious and selfless.
C．Confident and fearless.	D．Creative and considerate.