【推荐1】D It was about midday．I’d left work early in the morning to cash a check．I walked along to the bank and found there were only about ten or eleven customers in there, a pretty unusual number for those central banks．
I waited until it was my turn, walked up to the desk and started talking to the bank clerk．He had a really strange expression on his face—just sort of a blank stare．I thought he was looking at me until I realized he was staring over my shoulder．
I began to turn round to see what he was looking at and at the same moment, the outside bank guard, the one with the machine gun, came flying through the door and lay face down on the floor．Following him through the door were three absolutely frightening men wearing those horrible stocking masks．They were carrying guns; at least the one in front was carrying a pistol．
Whether or not they said anything I can’t remember to this day, or whether people just automatically put their hands up I don’t know．I put my hands up but I just didn’t know what to do．For a few moments there was just total silence, suddenly broken by the telephone ringing．I remember wondering who was on the other end of the line．Nobody answered the telephone, so it just kept on ringing and ringing, in this otherwise deathly quiet．
Then two of the masked men went to the counter, jumped over it and got the cashiers and bank clerks to start filling their bags with cash．While the two were getting the money, the one at the door covering us with the gun obviously got a bit of an anxiety attack and started swearing at them, telling them to hurry up and get a move on．
They jumped back over the counter．One of them lost his balance when he landed on the floor and fell over．The other two swore at him again．Then they left through the door, warning us, “Don’t move．Stay like that with your hands up for ten minutes．” Then they just disappeared and there was total silence．
1. What could make the writer sense that something was about to happen?

A．The small number of customers．

B．The total silence in the bank．

C．The bank clerk’s unusual behavior．

D．The constant ringing of the phone．

2. What was the outside bank guard’s reaction to the armed robbers?

A．He was frightened to death by the robbers．

B．He organized the bank clerks to fight back．

C．He shot at the robbers with the machine gun．

D．He flew through the door to catch the robbers．

3. The man covering us with the gun at the door swore at the other two because ________．

A．he was afraid of getting less money

B．he was too anxious to leave the bank

C．one of his fellows slipped on the floor

D．the phone kept ringing at the moment

4. From the passage we can know that ________．

A．there were usually less customers in the midday hour

B．the writer didn’t follow like sheep to put his hands up

C．the bank clerks were too busy to answer the telephone

D．three armed men robbed the central bank in broad daylight

【推荐2】One day newly wedded Nancy lost her ring while helping to plant potatoes. Friends were called and the field was searched long but in vain(徒劳). Later, when the potatoes were harvested, Everyone looked out for the ring but it remained lost. Another year came round and all the farmers working in the field kept their eyes open. The following year was the same. And year after year, whoever had business in the field always had Nancy’s ring in his mind.
Then the farm changed hands but it went no farther than to cousins. So the memory of the lost ring remained alive until thirty-eight years had passed. Then came a spring day when a man was ploughing the field behind a pair of horses. Even after thirty-eight years he still looked out for the ring, and knew just which part of the field Nancy had lost it in. At this time, when he came there, he found it .He picked it up, put it carefully into his pocket, left his horse, and ran all the way down to the village and placed it into Nancy’s hand.
1. How did Nancy come to lose her ring?

A．She lost it while helping to harvest tomatoes in the field

B．She lost it while watering the plants in the field.

C．She lost it while working in the field.

D．She lost it while helping to plant potatoes in the field.

2. Why did people keep looking for the ring even after the farm changed hands?

A．It was a very expensive ring	B．They all wanted to solve the mystery.
C．They all loved Nancy.	D．Everybody wanted to have this ring.

3. What did the ploughman do after finding the ring?

A．He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

B．He ran back to tell everybody in the village.

C．He placed it in a secret spot.

D．He returned it to the owner.

4. . What can you infer from the story?

A．The ring was invaluable.

B．People on the farm were honest and helpful.

C．The ring’s disappearance was the work of supernatural power.

D．Nancy no longer expected that her ring would be found again.

【推荐3】I’d been trying for weeks to come up with an idea for my next book. And then suddenly the idea came: Why not write about a celebrity reporter signing up as a hospital volunteer so she could gain access to a movie star who was a patient of the hospital? The heroine would be motivated totally by her career until she learned that in helping others, we help ourselves.

Sounded like a romantic comedy with uplifting message, but first, there was the matter of research. I’d have to observe hospital volunteers. I headed over to my nearby hospital and asked the director of volunteers if I might hang around for a day or two just to research my story. Her answer, “No. If you really want to see what it’s like to be a volunteer, you should become one.”

Become a volunteer? I was not wild about being in close to people with germs (细菌). I would just skip the research, I thought, then reminded myself that I did need to spend quality time at the hospital if I wanted to write credibly about my heroine’s journey. So I signed up, was given my uniform and ID badge (徽章), and reported for duty. My “job” was to wheel a magazine cart throughout the large facility and, in the process, be a shoulder to lean on.

At the beginning, my focus was on my novel. And then a funny thing happened: I stopped researching and started realizing that I might actually be making a difference in people’s lives. A woman who’d just been diagnosed with lung cancer thanked me for brushing her hair and applying her lipstick. A man who was wasting away from AIDS called me his “angel”, simply because I took twenty minutes to note down the letter he dictated to his mother.

Now long after finishing my book, I continued to volunteer. Friends would ask, “Isn’t it depressing at that place?” “On the contrary,” I’d say and mean it.

1. Why did the author want to observe hospital volunteers?

A．She intended to write stories about them.

B．She was preparing for her volunteering jobs.

C．She hoped to gain access to a movie star.

D．She wanted to make her heroine’s story realistic.

2. What can we infer from paragraphs 3&4?

A．The author was determined to become a volunteer in the beginning.

B．The author was meant to shoulder the responsibility of the patients.

C．The patients the author met and the appreciation she received changed her.

D．The patients relied on the author to help them survive in the hospital.

3. In what way is the author similar to the heroine of her book?

A．Motivated by their career, they succeed.

B．By lifting other’s spirits, they lift their own.

C．Being volunteers, they spread uplifting messages.

D．By providing support to others, they are appreciated.

4. What can be a suitable title of the passage?

A．My Turn: Life as a Hospital Volunteer.

B．My Discovery: I Can Make a Difference.

C．My Investigation: Celebrities in Hospital.

D．My Identity: a Volunteer in a Hospital.

【推荐1】A couple of years ago,before a trip to China,Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (显著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.

“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,”said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球),Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s.She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics,Lang,48,who is from Beijing,had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：While the US team was playing in a packed gym,at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said.“They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country,but they love her so dearly that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday,when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match,but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won,since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli,a spectator.“We also cheered for
Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet.“It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players,said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,”she said.“The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous.The whole event has been unbelievable.”
1. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Staying professional.	B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer.
C．A match between China and the US.	D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach.

2. Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.

A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy

B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to

C．disliked to be with her fans

D．didn’t want to disturb public order

3. What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?

A．destroyed completely	B．tore into pieces
C．spread out to the wind	D．rolled up

4. What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”？

A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team.

B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams.

C．She just tried to stay professional.

D．The results of each match will be the same.

5. What impressed the US team players most?

A．The tolerance of Chinese people.

B．The popularity of volleyball in China.

C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills.

D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese.

【推荐2】Aaron Fotheringham has been an amazing person with backflips(后空翻) and other skateboarding tricks throughout his teens. And his famous backflip has won worldwide notice in the form of Record. Why did his particular backflip earn such a reputation? Aaron was the first person to successfully perform a backflip in a wheelchair.

Aaron was born ill. He has been in a wheelchair since the age of 8. Since then, he has even developed a new extreme sport in which wheelchair-bound athletes use their chairs like skateboards or bikes to do tricks. Now Aaron's friends call him "Wheelz", and he says it's huge praise.

Though Aaron makes his stunts(特技表演) look easy, doing tricks in a wheelchair is very different from using a skateboard or bike. It's a completely different skill set.

If a skateboarder goes into a backflip like Aarons and doesn’t start out with enough rotation (旋转), he or she can bend his or her body to speed up. This allows a skateboarder to make complete rotation in time for a successful landing. But Aaron can't bend his body any more than it is already.

That means Aaron has to have everything perfect before going into a backflip. He needs to launch himself to just the right height. If he doesn't, he could fall on the ground completely. "My rotation is so quick that I don't have much time to think," says Aaron.

Aaron's stunts take a lot of practice. He tries to make it to the skate park every day to work on his backflip and try out new tricks. Even though he's an excellent athlete, Aaron doesn't always land his stunts perfectly. But Aaron says he doesn't let bad landings stop him. He gets right back up and goes for his backflip again.

1. What do we know about Aaron?

A．He can do backflips as a disabled person.

B．He is an excellent skating athlete.

C．He has had to sit in a wheelchair since birth.

D．He has developed a new game by using chairs.

2. Being called "Wheelz", Aaron felt________________.

A．disappointed

B．happy

C．angry

D．ashamed

3. What is the most important thing for Aaron to perform a backflip?   

A．Starting out with enough rotation.

B．Bending the body to speed up.

C．Reaching a suitable height.

D．Having enough time to think.

4. What would be the best title for this text?

A．A Disabled Teen Competes in Adventure Games

B．A Teen Performs Excellent Stunts

C．A Disabled Teen Wins Respect from Others

D．A Teen Performs a Backflip in a Wheelchair

【推荐3】Guinness World Records Set by Kids

♦ The youngest club DJ

Oratilwe A J Hongwane likes putting in more efforts when playing music for a crowd. In 2012, he became the youngest club DJ—he was five when he played a one- hour set to 100 people at a bar in South Africa. Known in the business as DJ Arch Jnr, he broke the record previously held by a six-year-old in Japan.

♦The most viewed video game-unboxing video

Kids love watching someone unbox a new purchase—especially if it's something they can't get themselves. Maybe that's why more than 25 million people have watched YouTube HD. What's really cool about Evan is that he actually donates most of the toys to those in need. He also uses his popular YouTube channel to draw people's attention to worthy organizations for helping the poor.

♦The youngest drummer

The rules of Guinness World Records say a drummer must record a real song and be paid for his skills and that the drummer must give at least 20 concerts of 45 minutes or longer within five years. At the age of just four Julian Pavone met all those qualifications.

♦The fastest assembly (组装)of 10,000 Lego pieces and the longest Lego chain

A group of school kids in New Jersey went for their world records to increase public awareness about a fellow student who is suffering from a rare and deadly disease. The group put together 10,000 Lego pieces in just three hours, breaking the old one by five hours. They also set the record for the longest Lego chain, which ended up at 947 meters, beating the old record by 40.

1. Who is devoted to charity?

A．Oratilwe A J Hongwane.	B．Evan.
C．DJ Arch Jnr.	D．Julian Pavone.

2. What do we know about the youngest drummer?

A．He has recorded 20 real songs.

B．He gave at least 20 concerts at five.

C．He must earn a lot of money by recording.

D．He was qualified for the Guiness World Reords at four.

3. Why did the school kids set the world record?

A．To help a sick schoolmate.

B．To inspire team spirit.

C．To prevent a rare disease.

D．To make their school famous.

【推荐1】It was 3:21 a.m. when nine-year-old Glenn Kreamer awoke to the smell of burning. Except for the cracking (爆烈声) of flames somewhere below there was not a sound in the two-storey house at Baldwin Long Island.

With his father away on night duty at a local factory, Glenn was worried about the safety of his mother, his sister Karen, 14 and his 12-year-old brother Todd. He ran downstairs through the smoke-filled house to push and pull at Karen and Todd until they sat up. Then he helped each one through the house to the safety of the garden. There, his sister and brother, taking short and quick breaths and coughing, fell down onto the lawn.

The nine-year-old boy raced back into the house and upstairs to his mother’s room. He found it impossible to wake her up. Mrs. Kreamer, a victim of the smoke, was unconscious, and there was nobody to help Glenn carry her to the garden. But the boy stayed calm and, as a fireman said later, "acted with all the self-control of a trained adult."

On the bedroom telephone, luckily still working, Glenn called his father and, leaving Mr. Kreamer to telephone the fire brigade and ambulance service, got on with the task of saving his mother.

First he filled a bucket with water from the bathroom and threw water over his mother and her bed. Then, with a wet cloth around his head he went back to the garden.

He could hear the fire engine coming up, but how would the firemen find his mother in the smoke-filled house where flames had almost swallowed up the ground floor?

Grasping firmly a ball of string (线) from the garage, Glenn raced back into the house and dashed upstairs to his mother’s room. Tying one end of the string to her hand, he ran back, laying out the string as he went, through the hall and back out into the garden.

Minutes later he was telling fire chief John Coughlan, "The string will lead you to mother." Mrs. Kreamer was carried to safety as the flames were breaking through her bedroom floor.

1. Why did Glenn run downstairs first?

A．He wanted to find out what was happening.

B．He was worried about his mother’s safety.

C．He wanted to save his sister and brother.

D．He went to see if his father had come back from work.

2. Who called the fire brigade and ambulance service?

A．Glenn.	B．Glenn’s father.
C．Glenn’s sister.	D．Glenn’s neighbor.

3. Which of the following can replace “unconscious” in Paragraph 3?

A．unfortunate	B．confuse
C．terrified	D．senseless

4. Glenn saved his family because ______.

A．his father had taught him to do so on the phone

B．he had learned something about first aid

C．he had dealt with the emergency calmly and wisely

D．he had followed his mother’s instructions

【推荐2】Taj Mahal (泰姬陵), one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Exploring the beauty of this cultural relic along with the first rays of the sunlight, you’ll find yourself in a fantastic view. People have described the entire relic as a polished (抛光的) jewel in the morning sunshine.

Here is a route for you to enjoy the beautiful relic. The lowest price guarantee (保证) is $29.00.

Stop at: The hotel in New Delhi

Pick up from the hotel in New Delhi at 3:30 am and drive to Agra.

Duration (时长): 4 hours

Stop at: Taj Mahal

Note: Taj Mahal remains closed on Friday.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop at: Agra Fort

After visiting Taj Mahal, go on to visit Agra Fort, which was built in 1565 A. D. by Great Mughal Emperor Akbar.

Duration: 1.5 hours

Stop at: Mughal Spicy Restaurant

After the end of Agra fort, move towards Mughal Spicy Restaurant to have lunch. It provide you with delicious food of this city.

Duration: 1 hour

After the trip, our assistant will drive you back towards Delhi.

For more information, you can visit our website www. viator. com.

1. Taji Mahal is closed on ________.

A．Friday	B．Thursday
C．Wednesday	D．Monday

2. How long does it take to visit Agro Fort?

A．4 hours.	B．1.5 hours.
C．2 hours.	D．1 hour.

3. Where does this text most probably come from?

A．A geography textbook.

B．A historical report.

C．A travel website.

D．A design magazine.

【推荐3】A study published in the journal Science reveals that since 1970, bird populations in the United States and Canada have declined by 29 percent, or almost 3 billion birds. The results show tremendous losses across diverse groups of birds and habitats — from iconic songsters such as meadowlarks to long-distance migrants such as swallows.

“These data are consistent with what we’re seeing elsewhere,” said co-author Peter Marra, former head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. It’s urgent to address ongoing threats, both because the domino effects (多米诺效应) can lead to the decay of ecosystems that humans depend on for our own health and livelihoods and because people all over the world cherish birds in their own right. Can you imagine a world without birdsong?”

Evidence for the declines emerged from detection of migratory birds in the air from 143 NEXRAD weather radar stations across the continent in a period spanning over 10 years, as well as from nearly 50 years of data collected through multiple monitoring efforts on the ground. Citizen-science participants also contributed a lot, for the analysis included citizen-science data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey coordinated by the Canadian Wildlife Service—the main sources of long-term, large-scale population data for North American birds.

The study noted that the largest factor driving these declines is likely the widespread loss and degradation of habitat, especially due to agricultural intensification and urbanization. Other studies have documented death from predation (捕食) by domestic cats; collisions with glass, buildings, and other structures; and pervasive (普遍的) use of pesticides associated with widespread declines in insects, an essential food source for birds. Climate change is expected to compound these challenges by altering habitats and threatening plant communities that birds need to survive.

“It’s a wake-up call that we’ve lost more than a quarter of our birds in the U.S. and Canada,” said co-author Adam Smith from Environment and Climate Change Canada. But the crisis reaches far beyond our individual borders. Many of the birds that breed in Canadian backyards migrate through or spend the winter in the U.S. and places farther south — from Mexico and the Caribbean to Central and South America. What our birds need now is an historic, hemispheric effort that unites people and organizations with one common goal: bringing our birds back.”

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

A．improvement	B．worsening
C．changed	D．threat

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．New findings of the research.

B．Applications of the research.

C．Data sources of the research.

D．Methods of the research.

3. What Adam Smith said mainly implies that ________.

A．bird populations in America and Canada dropped by a quarter

B．the bird population crisis is not just within individual borders

C．there is little individuals can do to help increase bird populations

D．the solution to solving the crisis needs international cooperation