【推荐1】Are you satisfied with your life? How often do you think of reasons why everyone around you is successful though they are not usually better than you? What do you do wrong? Here are some things you should stop doing to be successful.

    1    

Different people may interpret “success” in different ways: some of them measure it by money, other ones in positive changes to people around them and the world.     2     And do not worry about what other people think but come after what makes you happy.

Do not believe anything without questioning it.

    3     They are critical thinkers, and they understand that we are all ruled by our prejudices; so, they will always question new information.

Do not worry about all unpredictable things that may happen to you.

If you want to be successful, stop thinking about everything that may happen to you.     4     Be ready to change your deeds and decisions when things suddenly don’t go according to your plan.

Do not care about what other people think of you.

    5     Your attempts to become “good” for everyone will turn into nothing but new worries, stresses, and problems. Successful people do not concentrate on quantity of people to please, but worry about their quality and focus on developing friendships with people they really care about.

Success is good, but you should understand that life will get depressing without friendship and love.

A．Do not wait for the “right time” to do anything.

B．Do not let others decide what “success” is for you.

C．Successful people do not just accept any new information to be true.

D．As far as we all know, it’s impossible to please all the people who surround us.

E．If you want to be successful, do not let others force their interpretation of success on you.

F．Successful people never ignore or avoid problems, no matter how big and awful they seem.

G．Try to feel comfortable with the reality and accept the fact that your future can’t be predicted.

【推荐2】Someday, umbrellas may do more than just keep people dry. A researcher in the Netherlands has designed a simple sensor(传感器) that “listens”to rain. And that sensor can turn an umbrella into a rain-measuring expert.

Tools like this can let anyone gauge the weather. That can help scientists make sure that satellites and radar(雷达)systems that track storms are doing a good job.

“Rain radar is a beautiful way of seeing where rainfall is up in the air. But you never know where it hits the ground, "says Rolf Hut. He designed the umbrella sensor.

Researchers want to know how much rain makes it to the planets surface. Not all rain that falls from a cloud reaches the ground. And it can be difficult for radar and satellites to measure that rain, particularly in cities. A host of big buildings can change how air and rain move during a storm. “It also explains why a single, expensive sensor-the kind that might be found at an official weather station-won’t give accurate( 精确的 )city-wide data, Hut says. But by putting a low-cost rain measuring tool into people's hands, scientists can learn more about how much rainfall differs in these and other hard-to-measure places.

On the inside of the umbrella is a small, yellow disk (磁盘). It is the rainfall sensor. The sensor is attached to a black Bluetooth headset that sends the collected data to a smartphone.

Hut came up with the idea to stick the same type of sensor on an umbrella when he was talking to kids about science. He showed them a photo of a policeman who was holding an umbrella and talking to a crowd in a microphone. Why not put the two together? He thought it could make a cool rainfall sensor .

When a storm came through, Hut compared the umbrella’s new“ear”for rain to official rain measuring equipment. And to his delight, he found the umbrella's measurements were“pretty good. ” His next step is to improve the umbrella sensor to be more accurate

1. The purpose of this passage is to_______

A．promote a unique umbrella	B．inform us of a new invention
C．make readers interested in science	D．praise a researcher for his Invention

2. The underlined word“gauge”in Paragraph 2 most probably means______

A．change	B．control
C．measure	D．sense

3. Why can it be hard for official weather stations to measure the rain in cities?

A．Big buildings influence the move of air and rain

B．They are lacking in weather measuring equipment

C．Rainfall differs hugely depending on various areas

D．Their collected data cannot be sent to smartphones

4. What do we know about Huts new invention?

A．Hut is not satisfied with his new invention at all

B．Hut's invention is something useful but expensive.

C．He got the idea when talking to kids about science

D．A policeman in the rain helped Hut with the invention

【推荐1】If there is one thing I'm sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people, a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.

The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives-and the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do-as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.

It's quite possible that in the next century, newspapers will be transmitted electronically from the Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I'm pretty sure that is how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read-say, sport and international news.

I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresee that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it's never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Best Way to Get News	B．The Changes of Media
C．Make Your All Newspaper,	D．The Future of Newspaper

2. In the writer's opinion, in the future        .

A．newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer

B．more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news

C．newspapers will cover more scientific research

D．more and more people will read newspapers

3. From the passage, we can infer        .

A．newspapers will win the competition among the different media

B．newspapers will stay with us together with the other media

C．television will take the place of newspapers

D．the writer believes the media will die out

4. The underlined words "feed off" in the last paragraph means         .

A．depend on

B．live on

C．fight with

D．kill off

【推荐2】A four-wheeled pod shaped like a space capsule on riverside roads trundles slowly among people who run, walk, cycle and lead dogs. At a maximum speed of 10 mph, the car beeps as it moves regularly between the Inter Continental Hotel in the west of the peninsula and apartment blocks in the east.

The biggest surprise about the vehicle is not its futuristic appearance but how it is controlled. While current safety rules require a human to monitor the vehicle’s performance and step in to avoid crashes, the pod largely drives itself. It is one of several experiments worldwide aimed at exploring how autonomous vehicles might mesh with city transport systems. All are looking at how a technology being developed mainly for US highways can work in the more confined, chaotic space of city streets.

At the heart of these efforts is an attempt to work out whether driverless vehicles will ease or worsen the impact that private car travel has had on many cities following the highway-building craze of the mid-20th century.

Some fear the technology could prompt more journeys by private motor vehicles rather than more space-efficient public transport. If the technology provides comfortable, stress-free, private journeys, it might also prompt people to commute daily from further afield, generating yet more traffic.

Experts concerned about such impacts on behaviour argue it is vital that the roll-out of autonomous vehicle technology goes hand-in-hand with a rethink of how it is used.

David Begg, a former chairman of the UK’s Commission for Integrated Transport, accepts that autonomous vehicles will use road space more efficiently but says the problem remains that cars take up too much space for the people they carry. On average, most vehicles contain little more than one person — the driver.

“There’s no doubt autonomous vehicles can allow us to squeeze more vehicles into a given amount of capacity because they’re bumper-to-bumper and side-by-side,” prof Begg says. “Unless we can increase vehicle occupancy up from 1.1, we’re moving too much fresh air and not enough people.”

1. What do we know about driverless vehicles?

A．Driverless vehicle travels at an average speed of 10 mph.

B．Driverless vehicle drives itself to a great degree.

C．Driverless vehicles’ appearance is the same as common cars.

D．Most driverless vehicles contain more than one person.

2. What does the underlined word "confined" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．deserted

B．tidy.

C．straight.

D．narrow.

3. What is the David Begg's attitude to the future of driverless vehicles?

A．Disapproving.

B．concerned

C．Positive.

D．Sympathetic.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．Health.

C．Education.

D．Science.

【推荐3】It’s a safe bet that a robot made your car and made your computer. Pretty soon, they could be making your bed and breakfast too.

Increasingly, engineers are saying that robots are going to move out of research departments and into your home. Companies including General Electric are working on designs for small robots. Products like the Roomba, a robot that can clean floors, are flying off the shelves.

What’s behind this new robot revolution? It’s partly a matter of technology. Devices that can recognize and respond to a human voice have been developed. There are now a few different ways for robots to move around. They can walk, crawl or ride on wheels. Robots are being made smaller and smaller. They are also becoming more and more able.

A bigger part of the story is on the demand side. From the day the television remote control was invented, people around the world have searched for new ways to be lazy. Take into consideration that more and more people can afford robots, and the time seems ripe to introduce robots to the ordinary family.

To be sure, robots that walk on two legs and talk like people are still a long way off. However, robots that do basic housework such as cleaning or gardening are sure to come out soon. One thing is certain—when these robots do come into our homes, it will change things forever.

1. The underlined part “flying off the shelves” in the second paragraph means ________.

A．Selling well.	B．Cleaning the shelves smartly.
C．Flying freely.	D．Dropping onto the floor.

2. Which plays a more important role in revolutionizing the robot?

A．Science and technology.	B．Rapid development of companies.
C．Effective marketing means.	D．Great demand from the buyers.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Robots have already come into every home.

B．Technology is the only basis of the development of robots.

C．General Electric is not interested in designing small robots.

D．Robots that can walk on two legs and talk like people are still far from us.

【推荐1】America used to have a strong college education system for prison inmates (prisoners). It was seen as a way to rehabilitate men and women in prison by helping them go straight when they got out.
Those taxpayer-supported college classes were put to an end in the 1990s. But New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would like to bring them back in the state, setting off a fierce new debate.
A number of lawmakers in New York have promised to kill Cuomo’s proposal (提议).
Cuomo says reintroducing taxpayer-funded college classes in New York’s prisons is a common-sense plan that will reduce the number of inmates who commit new crimes.
“You pay $ 60,000 for a prison cell for a year,” Cuomo responded. “You put a guy away for 10 years, and that’s $600,000. Right now, chances are almost half. Once he’s set free, he’s going to come right back.”
Cuomo says helping inmates get a college education would cost about $ 5,000 a year per person. He argues, “It’s a small amount of money if it keeps that inmate from bouncing back into prison.”
But even some members of the governor’s own party hate this idea. State Assemblywoman Addie Russell, whose upstate district includes three state prisons, says taxpayers just won’t stand for inmates getting a free college education, while middle-class families struggle to pay for their kids’ college fees.
“That is the vast majority of feedback (反馈) that I’m also getting from my constituents (选民)，” she says. “You know, ‘Where is the relief for the rest of the population who obey the law ?’ ”
“I was very disappointed that the policy had been changed,” says Gerald Gaes, who served as an expert on college programs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the 1990s. In 1994, President Clinton stopped federal student aid programs for inmates.
Gaes says research shows that college classes actually save taxpayers’ money over time, by reducing the number of inmates who break the law and wind up back in those expensive prison cells.
“It is cost-effective,” he says. “Designing prisons that way will have a long-term benefit for New York State.”
1. The underlined word “rehabilitate” probably means “         ”.

A．let people know more about prisoners.

B．help someone have a normal life again.

C．allow prisoners to experience the world.

D．encourage someone to help other people.

2. What is the debate about ?

A．Lawmakers’ rights in New York.

B．College classes for New York’s citizens.

C．Higher education in New York’s prisons.

D．Punishments given to New York’s criminals.

3. Cuomo does the calculations to prove           .

A．almost half of prisoners are likely to come back into prison.

B．college classes for inmates can save taxpayers’ money.

C．the costs of running prisons in the US are on the rise.

D．it is very difficult to reduce the number of inmates.

4. Most of Russell’s constituents believe Cuomo’s proposal           .

A．is unfair to middle-class families.

B．will benefit citizens obeying laws.

C．will be useless for improving prisons.

D．is based on most taxpayers’ feedback.

【推荐2】The United States seems to have become extremely enthusiastic about competition. The famous Scripps National Spelling Bee—an annual spelling contest—now allows kids who last in regional competitions but whose parents agree to pay an entry fee (费用) along with their own food and accommodation to compete. And while some kids are working for what they call a spelling “career”, others are approaching chess competitions, dance competitions, cooking or other passions that previous generations developed somewhat later in life.

I’m disturbed by the phenomenon (现象), which seems to be getting worse and more intense.

My teacher always warned us that competition is a destructive quality; that the goal is never to beat anyone else. I think he’ll be cheered by author Peggy Noonan’s idea that a lot of us are running our own races, trying to rise to the occasion and beat some past and limited conception of ourselves by doing something great.

I heartily agree. Instead of paying attention to the accomplishments or possessions of others, we need to focus on our own potential, our own growth and take pleasure in our own particular set of circumstances. The battle for life is not against anyone else but against the darkness inside that tries to bring us down. I wish you only well. Your good doesn’t reduce mine. Your bad gives me no pleasure

Ms. Noonan also suggests that “you’re running your own race alongside others running theirs, and in the same direction. You’re doing something great together.” If we stop worrying about what our neighbor is earning or driving, the size of his house, the success of his marriage, the accomplishments of his children, we can sit back and enjoy our own lives. And if we all focus on what we each can achieve, regardless of anyone else, we have a chance of working as one, of actually being united.

Competition divides us. There are winners and losers. But that’s a very limited picture of reality. It may apply to spelling bees and soccer matches and even in some college classes, but life isn’t about triumphing (战胜) over someone else; it’s about triumphing over ourselves. The only acceptable competition is one where we encourage each other to be the best human being possible, and that’s the only game where “everyone is a winner”.

1. What does the author worry about?

A．Youth competition is fierce.	B．Youth competition is expensive.
C．Youth competition lacks fairness.	D．Youth competition lacks diversity.

2. What do you know about Peggy Noonan?

A．She’s also a student of the author’s teacher’s.

B．She thinks competition is a destructive quality.

C．She taught the author how to understand competition.

D．She and the author’s teacher have similar views on competition.

3. What should we do in the battle for life according to the author?

A．Know our competitors well.	B．Leave everything to chance.
C．Get rid of the bad things inside us.	D．Learn from others’ successes and failures.

4. How does Peggy Noonan describe the way people live their lives?

A．People take turns to lead the race.

B．People follow parallel paths to each other.

C．One man’s loss is another man’s gain.

D．No one goes in the same direction as anyone else.

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

A．Your Real Competition Is With Yourself

B．Everyone Is a Winner in the Battle for Life

C．Competition Is a Good Thing, But Not to the Youth

D．Through Competition, We Become Better Ourselves

【推荐3】There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy(等级)of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.

Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friends don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been living at least 20 years longer than you.”

This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughter shave always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of work and technology, which may bring them even closer together.

Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. Sometimes this is not an equal relationship. Daughters don’t always feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. But mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers always “trump” friends.

1. What does the underlined word “preclude” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Differ.

B．Benefit.

C．Prevent.

D．Change.

2. What can we learn from what Marina said?

A．Her mother is anything but her best friend.

B．Best friends will not remind her of important issues in life.

C．Her mother is wiser on account of her age.

D．Best friends will not spend money on her wedding.

3. Why can a mother and a daughter build a closer relationship according to Paragraph 3?

A．Because they share advanced technology with each other.

B．Because they work together to support the whole family.

C．Because they experience the same values and traditions.

D．Because they have common experience in life and work.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．A mother-daughter relationship can be replaced by friendship.

B．A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship.

C．It’s impossible for Marina to develop relationship with her mother.

D．A mother-daughter relationship goes beyond best friendship.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to Be a Good Mother and Daughter

B．Generation Gap between Mother and Daughter

C．Can a Mother Be a Daughter’s Best Friend?

D．Daughters Be Independent from Mothers