【推荐2】In ancient times, people tracked the seasons by following the lunar months. Many times, the names of the moons were related with what features the seasons had.    1    It is a special name with a history dating back to Native American tribes (部落). The name is also thought to have a Celtic origin, brought over to North America by European settlers.

Regardless of where the name Wolf Moon comes from, wolves howl (嚎叫) to communicate over long distances both in North America and in Europe. It is a way of saying “here I am” to the rest of the pack or “stay away” to enemies.    2    As the late summer moves towards fall, wolves call more and more to neighbors and enemies.

    3    However, howls by a pack can last from 30 to 120 second, and longer during the breeding (繁殖) season. As a result, wolves are particularly loud in the first month of the year.    4    

Science has not shown that the Moon phase (月相) plays any particular part in the calls of wolves, but wolves are animals that are in general more active at night.    5    They point their faces toward the sky because projecting their howls upward carries the sound farther.

A．They are energetic in January.

B．Wolves howl in the direction of the Moon.

C．In spring and early summer, wolves howl to seek mates.

D．An average howl from a single wolf lasts from 3 to 7 seconds.

E．That is probably why people related January with howling wolves.

F．It doesn’t quite fit in with the traditional Full Moon naming system.

G．January’s Full Moon in North America is known as the Wolf Moon.

【推荐1】Abraham Lincoln is considered one of the greatest leaders of America by many Americans. Yet people alive when Lincoln was elected in 1860 would probably be surprised by modern-day opinions about him. He had little formal education or government experience. During the presidential campaign, people made fun of his appearance and his simple way of talking.     1    

Born in a poor family, Lincoln taught himself by reading books and eventually became a lawyer. He was known for being tall and strong. And he was honest.     2     After he became a politician, Lincoln believed slavery violated the American Declaration of Independence, which said all men had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Due to his political beliefs, the support of anti-slavery northerners gave him the presidency.     3     In response, 11 southern states withdrew from the Union and formed a new government. Then the American Civil War broke out between the South and the North. Neither side expected the fighting to last very long—a few weeks or maybe months.     4    

The war involved the entire country. At least four million men fought in it. Among the soldiers were African-American and Native-American men. The conflict divided families.     5     And hundreds of thousands of people died. However, the war changed the country. It completely affected American politics, economics, and society. Abraham Lincoln was the US president through all of it.

A．As promised, Lincoln sent the supply ships.

B．Brothers, fathers, and sons fought against each other.

C．The people he defended in the court called him “Honest Abe”.

D．But the southern, slave-holding states did not support him.

E．To everyone’s surprise, the American Civil War lasted more than four years.

F．Some of his opponents-—especially in southern states—had even bigger concerns.

G．They warned that he was not very intelligent and would harm the nation’s image.

【推荐2】People of San Francisco and visitors now have a place to learn and study the largely forgotten history of Chinese workers who helped build the US’ first transcontinental (横贯大陆的) railroad.

The Chinese Railroad Workers History Center, near the southern entrance of San Francisco’s Chinatown, is expected to serve as a “gathering place” for people to learn about Chinese Americans’ heritage (遗产) in the US, according to the founder, Florence Fang, a Chinese community leader in the Bay Area. “The center’s purpose is to remember the Chinese railroad workers’ contribution to this country. The goal is to give voice to the voiceless, and the spirit is to remember the past and inspire the future,” said Fang.

The building of the Transcontinental Railroad, originally known as the Pacific Railroad, was completed on May 10, 1869．It was considered one of the most remarkable engineering achievements of the 19th century. The railroad greatly changed the nation as it not only expanded the American economy but also increased national confidence.

The Chinese workers made up more than 80 percent of the railroad workforce. “What is important to remember is the sweat and the tears and sometimes the lives of the Chinese workers who built the most treacherous, difficult part of the Transcontinental Railroad,” said California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, “Now it will go down in history along with so many other unbelievably important contributions of Chinese Americans.”

Kounalaki s and other elected officials in the state and the city joined community leaders on Wednesday at the center to commemorate the 154th anniversary of the completion of the railroad and pay tribute (致敬) to the Chinese workers.

“This center joins several other institutions in San Francisco, like the Chinese Historical Society and the Chinese Culture Center, to attract visitors and to teach Chinese American history and culture,” said Peskin, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

“It comes at a critical time for us. It comes as Chinatown and the home of San Francisco have experienced three very difficult years, Chinatown in particular, not only with the economic harm, but with the rise of Asian hate,” he said. “The center will help teach future generations and make San Francisco proud,” said Peskin. “It will help promote the economy of Chinatown.”

1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．The inspiration of designing the center.	B．The intention of opening the center.
C．The process of building the center.	D．The cost of building the center.

2. What is the possible meaning of the underlined word “treacherous” in paragraph 4?

A．Unimportant.

B．Interesting.

C．Expensive.

D．Dangerous.

3. Why does the center come at a critical time, based on Peskin’s words?

A．There is an increasing feeling of dislike for Asians.

B．The economy of Chinatown is developing at a faster speed.

C．Other institutions such as Chinese history and literature are being damaged.

D．Americans in San Francisco begin to appreciate the Chinese workers’ contributions.

4. What is a suitable title for the news report?

A．A railroad transforms American history into what it is today

B．Chinese workers help build US’ first transcontinental railroad

C．San Francisco has a new center to remember Chinese railroad workers

D．People commemorate 154th anniversary of US’ first transcontinental railroad

【推荐2】Jim Halsey, 83, has traveled to Japan and South Korea, through Europe and Central America. One recent day, he lowered his body by bending knees in a narrow, wooden boat and watched as an elephant walked heavily through a wetland in Botswana.

Halsey, who was a lawyer before he retired, didn't have to leave his wheelchair at Powhatan Nursing Home to make the trip. He and several other residents at the retirement home wore virtual-reality goggles（护目镜）and journeyed to the country in southern Africa, as well as to Antarctica.

Carleigh Berryman, 22, moved from side to side between wheelchairs to fit virual-reality goggle headsets（耳机）on the residents of the retirement home. Her company, VivaVita, was designed to bring virtual-reality experiences to men and women who are at an advanced age and with limited mobility.

Berryman created Viva Vita while still a student at George Washington University. She obtained $ 5,000 from the schools' New Venture Competition for budding entrepreneus（初露头角的企业家）.

Berryman entered the competition as a senior—advancing through several rounds while studying for exams and preparing for graduation—and won the runner-up（亚军）cash prize in April The money has helped pay for equipment and cover costs associated with registering the company. Since 2009, the university has given more than $ 2.3 million in cash prizes to about 2,000 student entrepreneurs, said Lex McCusker, director of student entrepreneurship programs at GWU.

Berryman's idea of setting up VivaVita didn't come out of nowhere. If you have a chance to be exposed to the high rates of anxiety and depression among older Americans, you will be surely surprised by the figures. Their symptoms of anxiety or depression go unnoticed and are an accepted part of aging. In 2017, adults aged 85 and older had one of the nation's highest suicide rates: 201 deaths per 1,000,000 people. The national average among all age groups is 140 deaths per 1,000,000 Americans.

1. Why does the author mention Jim Halsey in the first two paragraphs?

A．To present the good services of his nursing home.

B．To tell about his unique way of making his trip.

C．To show his passion for travelling.

D．To mark his outstanding achievement.

2. Viva Vita's tours hold most appeal for people who _______.

A．are enthusiastic about taking photos of natural scenery

B．are fond of self-driving tours

C．are energetic and enjoy travelling

D．are old and have trouble in touring around

3. Which of the following words can best describe Carleigh Berryman?

A．Humorous and knowledgeable.	B．Cooperative and generous.
C．Competitive and caring.	D．Strict and responsible.

4. Where is the text most probably taken?

A．A magazine.	B．A biology textbook.
C．An economic newspaper.	D．A guidebook.

【推荐3】Businesses are finding more uses for Virtual Reality(VR) as the technology develops.

VR is no longer only for gaming or enjoyment. An American company called Blue Goji is using VR to improve one’s health by making exercise more fun.

Blue Goji has offices in Austin, the capital of Texas. The company showed its workout machine, called the Infinity treadmill (跑步机) at the recent South by Southwest festival. A person using the treadmill wears a virtual reality headset when exercising. Before starting, the user is connected to a belt to prevent falls. Then, the user plays a VR game while running on the machine. The game can transport the user into the virtual world, where he or she can be racing against virtual people.

The cost of the hardware and computer software program is $ 12,000.That is a lot of money for most people. But Kyra Constam of Blue Goji says the virtual reality treadmill is ideal for places where people go to exercise, like high-end gyms or recreation centers.

Recently, Leonardo Mattiazzi tested the Infinity treadmill. He thought the experience was surprisingly realistic. Mattiazzi said he had a strong feeling to actually get running and do something that pushed his limits. He said the experience was more interesting than running inside the gym without actually going anywhere.

Lots of VR experiences cause motion sickness because people are in motion during the game, but not moving in real life. But when the user is moving on the treadmill and in the game, the chances of motion sickness are reduced, Constam said.

After carefully studying the users’ experiences, Blue Goji plans to begin selling the Infinity treadmill to the public in 2019.

1. After running on the Infinity treadmill, what are users most likely to do?

A．Make more new friends.

B．Gain more useful skills.

C．Be more fond of exercising.

D．Find the games more enjoyable.

2. What do we know about the Infinity treadmill?

A．Users can not run on it.

B．It is too expensive for most people.

C．Users can race against their friends.

D．It can be bought in high-end gyms.

3. How did Leonardo Mattiazzi find the Infinity treadmill?

A．He. was content with it.

B．He was a bit disappointed with it.

C．He fell in love with it almost at once.

D．He thought it realistic to sell it to the public.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To promote a new product.

B．To call on people to take more exercise.

C．To introduce a new application of virtual reality.

D．To discuss the relationship between life and modern technology.