【推荐1】When I was younger, I thought that boys and grown men shouldn’t cry, much less show that they can be reduced to tears. The tears were signs of being weak, which a man isn’t supposed to be, supposedly. This was even strengthened in my young mind by a song, Boys Don’t Cry, in the early 1980s.

But just this last June, I discovered that courage isn’t all about trying to keep all the pain inside in check. Courage isn’t all about trying to hide the tears. It’s the opposite — the tears strengthen the heart’s courage. And I saw this in my father.

Our beloved grandfather passed away suddenly and with it, I saw how vulnerable my father’s heart was. My siblings and I were used to seeing him as an imposing figure and an iron-willed, authoritarian father. For three days after my grandfather’s death, he wouldn’t talk. He would just sit quietly outside our house in the dark. On the fourth night, I sat beside him and asked him to tell me what he feels about everything.

It has been years since I have laid my hand on my father’s shoulder as we have drifted farther and farther apart while I was growing up. That night though, I sensed my father trying to control his pain and I wanted him to be able to let it out. We have all cried over what happened except him. All of us except him. The simple touch and my words, “Dad, it’s not your fault” broke my father’s dam. In the darkness, he began to cry.

I understood then why he preferred to be in the dark. By being there, he hoped to spare his family of a father’s pain. His tears, though we didn’t see them before that night, were there all the same. I saw his courage, that night when my father cried with my hand on his shoulder, and understood his pain.

1. When the author was young, what did he think of an adult male crying?

A．Shameful.

B．Adorable.

C．Innocent.

D．Respectable.

2. Why did the author’s father burst into tears emotionally in the end?

A．Because the whole family were expecting him to overcome sadness soon.

B．Because he didn’t want to hide his sadness in front of his family anymore.

C．Because the author’s company and comfort helped him let out his sadness.

D．Because he wanted the author to know it was brave for a man to shed tears.

3. Which of the following best describes the author?

A．Selfless and reliable.	B．Thoughtful and caring.
C．Talkative and friendly.	D．Modest and sympathetic.

4. In which column of a website can the text probably be found?

A．Book reviews.	B．Business insight.
C．Life philosophy.	D．Parenting stories.

【推荐2】I remember as a young child bringing a bunch of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother. It didn’t matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed（诅咒） the presence of these flowers in the lawn. I thought they were beautiful!

And there were so many of them! We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers. But the supply of dandelions (蒲公英) never ran out. My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawnmower (割草机) at least once a week, but that didn't stop these hardy wonders.

And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawnmower, there was another level of existence. The soft roundness of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless laughter of delight as we unconsciously spread this flower across the yard.

As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven（避风港） for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers, I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed.

And I thought, if only I had the staying power of a dandelion. If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn’t separate me completely from the source that feeds me life. If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse, purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me. If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.

The lawns at my parents' home are now beautiful green blankets. The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human interference couldn’t. I hope you and I can be different. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can't reach our souls. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness.

1. The author’s parents probably viewed the dandelions in the lawn as ________.

A．supplies of seeds	B．beautiful wonders
C．unwanted weeds	D．unexpected luck

2. What does the author mean by “another level of existence” in paragraph 3?

A．The flowers were meant as a joyful gift to her mother.

B．The flowers developed into a stronger species because of frequent mowing.

C．The flowers were tough enough to spread new lives themselves.

D．The flowers that some called a weed were difficult to recover.

3. What can we learn from the article?

A．The author’s family enjoyed the dandelions as much as she did.

B．The author purposefully replaced some dandelions with crops.

C．The dandelions were never successfully removed from the lawn.

D．The author felt sorry but encouraged by the fate of the dandelions.

4. Through the article, the author mainly wants to ________.

A．share the inspirations and she acquired from the plain dandelions

B．arouse public awareness to pay close attention to the beauty in life

C．show the importance of considering things from diverse angles

D．express the regret that few people could figure out the beauty of the dandelion

【推荐3】“I'm going to fail !"My best friend cried. She and I had this conversation almost every day while we were in high school.

The truth was that my friend never failed in any subjects. I just think that she can't accept failures because she lives her life as a perfectionist (完美主义者). What she fails to understand is that a lot of good can come from failures.

For example, failure can help build relationships. Once was cooking dinner for a friend. I was tired, and several dishes I tried to make turned out bad. I grew more and more upset until my friend told me that I shouldn't worry. She cared more about our friendship than the dishes. That day, I learned that failure doesn't always make people dislike you. In fact, after she said those words to me, I grew closer to her.

Failure can make success ever more exciting. Every few years, there would be an important test in the PE class at our school. Students had to run a mile within eight minutes. I was never good at running , so I failed every time until the third year at school. Then I began working out regularly, and yet I still failed that year. A few days later, however, the teacher gave me and some other students another chance to run and I got a pass finally!, You can 't imagine how excited I was after that. I felt the memory of the success was as sweet as honey, because I had to overcome failure to reach it.

Now it's clear to see that failure can teach us good lessons. It's not an end — it can be a beginning.

1. What can we learn about the author's best friend from the first two paragraphs?

A．She liked taking tests.	B．She was afraid of failures.
C．She often failed in study.	D．She knew how to be perfect.

2. What did the author finally get from a failed cooking?

A．Bad feelings.	B．Worries.
C．A closer friendship.	D．More experience.

3. Why did the author feel excited after the running test?

A．Because she could work out regularly.

B．Because she received honey as a reward.

C．Because she got another chance to take the test.

D．Because she achieved success after many failures.

4. The underlined word overcome in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to       .

A．successfully deal with	B．quickly respond to
C．narrowly escape from	D．eagerly come up with

5. The author wrote this passage        .

A．to show the negative effects of failures

B．to point out her best friends fear of failures

C．to encourage the readers to face failures bravely

D．to introduce different types of failures

【推荐1】Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favorite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go and visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o'clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（节拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o'clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realised that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.
1. When his wife left home. Brad expected to           .

A．go out for a walk in the park

B．watch TV talk show with his children

C．enjoy his first day off work

D．read the newspaper to his children

2. Which of the following did Randy do?

A．Drawing on the wall	B．Eating apple jam
C．Feeding the fish.	D．Reading in a room

3. Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?

A．Because he wanted to clean up his house.

B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office

C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys home.

D．Because he had to take his wife back

【推荐2】When I first entered high school, I knew no one at my school. All my friends in middle school went to other schools. I wanted to make some new friends. However, I was shy and wasn’t good at making new friends.

On my first day at school, I looked at others who were walking in groups happily. How I wish I were one of them! I guess I was very lucky then. At lunch in the dining hall, when I was eating at a table alone, a girl came to me. “Excuse me, is this seat taken？” she asked. I immediately shook my head. She smiled and sat down opposite (对面) to me. I felt a little awkward and didn’t know what to say at all, but I really wanted to communicate with her. It was a good opportunity(机会) to make friends with her. When I looked up, I found she was smiling at me. Her smile calmed me down. “I really like this school. It's beautiful, but I don't know anyone here. All my friends went to other schools,” said the girl. Hearing her words, I immediately said, “My friends are not here, either. Can we be friends？” I was surprised. I couldn’t believe I would say something like that, and to my surprise, that girl immediately said “Yes”. We both smiled. We became very good friends.

Now it’s the beginning of a new term again. Many students may have no friends at their new schools. If you are also as shy as I used to be, please don’t be afraid to talk to others. You may get a surprise and make a new friend. After all, others want to make new friends, too.

1. We know on her first day at school, the author(作者) ________.

A．hoped she could go to her old friends’ schools

B．only knew a few people at her school

C．hoped she could make some new friends

D．met some old friends at her new school

2. The underlined word “awkward” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．tired	B．happy
C．interested	D．embarrassed(尴尬的)

3. After the girl sat down opposite to the author, the author ________.

A．immediately shook her hand

B．immediately said something to keep calm

C．wanted to talk with her

D．wanted her to go away at once

4. What did the girl do after the author asked if they could become friends?

A．She agreed at once.

B．She thought for a long time.

C．She felt a little down.

D．She sat down in no time.

【推荐3】One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem — inability to read.

In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room.” I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.

There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.

Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together.

My mother’s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.

I never told my mother about my “miraculous” (奇迹般地) experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.

1. The author’s mother told him to borrow a book in order to_____.

A．encourage him to do more walking	B．let him spend a meaningful summer
C．help cure him of his reading problem	D．make him learn more about weapons

2. The book caught the author’s eye because_____.

A．it contained pretty pictures of animals

B．it reminded him of his own dog

C．he found its title easy to understand

D．he liked children’s stories very much

3. Why could the author manage to read the book through?

A．He was forced by his mother to read it.

B．He identified with the story in the book.

C．The book told the story of his pet dog.

D．The happy ending of the story attracted him.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The author has become a successful writer.

B．The author’s mother read the same book.

C．The author’s mother rewarded him with books.

D．The author has had happy summers ever since.

5. Which one could be the best title of the passage?

A．The Charm of a Book	B．Mum’s Strict Order
C．Reunion with My Beagle	D．My Passion for Reading

【推荐1】My sister Jeanne and I were born only 14 months apart, but by the time we were teenagers we had lost touch. By age 19, I had moved away from our home in Wisconsin to live on my father's horse farm in Virginia. Jeanne got married at 18 and moved to Chicago. We lived separate lives, and our connection somehow ended.

Fast-forward about five years. I was 24 and on a trip with my fiancé to New York City, a place I had never been. It was overwhelming. I was used to riding my horse to the comer store where everyone knew everyone and everything going on in the quiet little town of Driver, Virginia. We went to Little Italy, the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, and several Manhattan clubs. I had never seen so many taxicabs in one spot in my life.

During a day of sightseeing, we were crossing a very busy street loaded with people. Everyone was in a hurry, hustling and bustling. I had laughed at something my fiancé said, and I suddenly heard my name yelled from somewhere behind me: “Cheryl!” I froze in my steps in the middle of the road. Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes. I knew without a doubt that it was my sister Jeanne. I yelled back before even turning to look, “Jeanne?”

It was her. “Oh my God!” I screamed, and I began pushing people out of my way to get to her. The crowd started to part—even by New York standards, we must have seemed crazy. And there we were, standing in the middle of a Manhattan street, facing each other and smiling.

I later asked how she'd known it was me—she never saw me! She said it was my laugh. I wouldn't say my laugh is all that unusual, but I guess to a family member it's infectious. It hits your heart and echoes in your mind.

Since that time, my sister and I have never been separated. We both moved back to Wisconsin. We talk daily. Many years have passed, and we are now in our 50s. Our meeting by chance wasn't just a sign. I see it as more of a lesson, a reminder not to lose touch with loved ones.

1. What can we infer about the author according to Paragraph 2?

A．Riding was her favorite way of travelling.

B．She was shocked to see the scenes in New York.

C．She was a big figure in the little town of Driver.

D．The sightseeing didn't leave her a deep impression.

2. The author mentions “even by New York standards" in Paragraph 4 to          .

A．compare different people's reactions	B．emphasize how excited they were then
C．show how crazy people are in New York	D．state she has known more about the city life

3. In the author's eyes, why could her sister recognize her laugh?

A．Because the street was quiet enough.	B．Because it had some particular features.
C．Because it stayed in her sister's memory.	D．Because they were apart for only 14 months.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．Life: A Journey Full of Wonders	B．Family: A Source of Happiness
C．Laugh: The Most Familiar Sound	D．Hometown: The Destination of Our Life

【推荐3】I work as the reception manager at my hotel.

A booking came in a few weeks ago with a note attached that a guest would be travelling with her deaf father. This note helped us in preparing for their arrival. As they would be here for a number of days, his daughter wanted to make his trip to Ireland as smooth as possible.

Upon seeing this note and knowing I would be the one to check them in, I decided to learn some very basic sign language. I greeted the guest in my usual fashion, asking for the surname on the booking. Once I heard the name，I immediately realized who was standing in front of me.

I had been learning for two weeks how to say: “Welcome to Ireland. My sign language is terrible, but please, if you need anything during your stay, just let me know and we will help you.”

I smiled at the father and daughter in front of me. Turning to the father, I greeted him in ASL (American Sign Language) and began the bit I had learned for him. His daughter broke down crying and told me I was sweet. But the father just smiled and was so happy. Honestly, seeing his reaction was enough for me. It was absolutely worth the last few weeks of learning basic ASL.

Sadly, I wasn’t working the day they checked out, but they left a gift for me, a small box with some chocolates and a book on ASL. Inside was a note saying: “Thank you very much for what you did. My father has been in amazing spirits from the time you checked us in and insisted we get you a gift before we left. You have no idea how much this meant to my father and me, and we can’t thank you enough. You've made his trip very special with one simple gesture.”

I cried for a solid five minutes when I came into work the next day and found this gift in my locker.

1. The daughter left a note when booking the hotel in order to __________.

A．ask for special service for herself

B．give some useful advice to the hotel

C．express gratitude to the hotel manager

D．make her father’s trip more comfortable

2. Seeing the father’s reaction during check-in, the author probably felt __________.

A．thankful

B．satisfied

C．disappointed

D．regretful

3. From this passage, we can know that __________.

A．the author made the daughter’s check-out smooth

B．the author was deeply moved by an unexpected gift

C．the daughter cried for five minutes before they left

D．the daughter asked the author to learn sign language