【推荐1】As a teacher we all have those memories of students—we wonder if we were able to teach or reach those students who had a need to get out of their seats every five minutes or so.

I recently received an e-mail from one such student, Paco. Paco’s e-mail brought back memories of one particular (特别) class.

In our high school’s first year, our classes were 80 minutes long instead of the traditional 40 minutes. On this particular day, I was being observed by two college professors. Of course, I was proud of the fact that the class was conducted entirely in Spanish and the students felt comfortable expressing themselves in Spanish.

On that day, Paco came running through the door with a toasted cheese sandwich in hand, saying “Senora Mike. I’m hungry and I hope you don’t mind if I just quickly eat this great toasted cheese sandwich.” I said, “Go ahead, Paco.” Paco sat down and finished his sandwich. Paco had now noticed our two visitors. Of course, our two visitors noticed Paco the minute he ran through the door.

The lesson was going along quite well, and all the students were working in their groups. Suddenly, Paco raised his hand and said, “Senora, esta lloviendo en mis pantalones.” (“Mrs. Mike, it is raining in my trousers.”) Now, being Paco’s Spanish teacher, I understood what he wanted. I knew that it was his way of requesting to go to the bathroom. You could just imagine the laughter from the other students.

I always wonder just how much Spanish Paco learned in that class, but I know he learned more than just Spanish based on an e-mail he recently wrote to me:

I know I didn’t behave myself but you actually cared. You knew I had potential (潜力). So even though I messed up a lot, you never gave up... I’m deeply thankful to you for everything you taught me about Spanish. My attitude and life will stick with me the rest of my day...

You see, Paco was my student ten years ago.

1. What can be inferred about Paco?

A．He did well in his lessons.	B．He didn’t behave well enough.
C．He didn’t see the two professors.	D．He showed no respect for his teacher.

2. Why did Paco raise his hand in class?

A．To have his classmates laugh.	B．To give a suggestion.
C．To answer a question.	D．To make a request.

3. Why did Paco write an e-mail to the author?

A．To express his thanks.	B．To ask for help.
C．To make an apology.	D．To tell him his success.

4. What does the author intend to tell us by writing the text?

A．How to teach a successful lesson.	B．How to get on well with students.
C．A teacher’s influence on students.	D．Students’ attitude to their teachers.

【推荐2】Craig Blackburn, a father and car fan, built a Batmobile for his son's hope for using the vehicle to brighten the lives of sick children. And now he hopes to use it for more than just his son's hope after seeing the children's reaction to the Batmobile.

Based on the number of failures he had seen in car groups, be estimated that only about one in 50 attempted constructions was actually finished and he realized what an incredible opportunity he had.

Mr. Blackburn started the project at the beginning of 2018 after hearing a friend in the US was doing the same thing. It started with importing an outer shell overseas, before picking brains of a friend who had a background as a worker in a car factory to gain knowledge of how to build the car. With the help of his friend, Mr. Blackburn built the Batmobile in 18 months with the cost reaching six figures.

Mr. Blackburn hoped to add a flamethrower (喷火器) onto the back of the vehicle and said he had thought about building the more recent Batman Tumbler from the series film Dark Knight. Though Mr. Blackburn encountered plenty of difficulties to get over during the construction, in September 2019 the car made its first show at the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba, before being used by Blackburn's son for his hope.

“It was great. It was so good to see the kids' and adults' excitement at seeing the Batmobile.” Mr. Blackburn said. As a result, the car lovers hope to make the car work on the roads as soon as possible, so he can visit sick children and take them out with his son.

1. What is Craig Blackburn's initial purpose of making the Batmobile?

A．To realize his son's dream.

B．To donate it to sick children.

C．To pay his respects to the film Dark Knight.

D．To show off at the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba.

2. How did Blackburn feel about the car-making at first?

A．Hopeful.	B．Confused.
C．Impossible.	D．Unsure.

3. How did Blackburn's friend help him?

A．By making an outer shell for him.

B．By offering him financial support.

C．By sharing the knowledge of building cars.

D．By telling him the background of the car factory.

【推荐1】In United States history, only four presidents have ever been assassinated (暗杀). While any death causes misery, the death of a president is extremely painful as it affects the lives of millions. After the killing of Abraham Lincoln, the country was in a state of social disorder.

On April 14th, 1865, actor John Wilkes Booth gathered his group together. Before they parted, Booth reminded them of their missions for the night: former Confederate prisoner of war Lewis Powell was to kill Secretary of State William Seward, George Azterodt was to shoot Vice President Andrew Johnson, and David Herold was to help the actor in his getaway. And Booth was to murder Lincoln. Booth had learned of Lincoln’s upcoming visit to Ford’s Theater to watch Our American Cousin only days before and was eager to murder Lincoln. In the past, Booth had thought about killing Lincoln. Booth considered Lincoln’s trip to the theater as the perfect opportunity to carry out his plan.

That night, Lincoln and his wife Mary arrived merrily at Ford’s Theater and were seated in a top balcony. During a very noisy part of the play, Booth slipped into the president’s box and fired a gun into the back of Lincoln’s head. Moments later, Booth jumped onto the stage and shouted, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” the Virginia state motto meaning “Thus ever to tyrants (暴君)!”At first, the crowd thought the unfolding drama to be part of the production. However, upon hearing Mary’s shocking screams, the audience realized they had witnessed a violent action.

Although Booth broke his leg in the fall, he managed to leave the theater and escape from Washington on horseback. Soon, Charles Leale, a 23-year-old doctor found the president in his chair, struggling to breathe. A few soldiers carried Lincoln to a house across the street and placed him on a bed. When the surgeon general arrived at the house, he concluded that Lincoln could not be saved and would die during the night.

Many reasons motivated Booth to assassinate the president. Most importantly, Booth opposed nearly all of Lincoln’s political views; he blamed Lincoln for the collapse of the Confederacy (美国南部邦联的瓦解) and the emancipation (解放) of slaves.

1. David Herold’s mission was to       .

A．kill William Seward	B．help Booth get away
C．shoot Andrew Johnson	D．murder Abraham Lincoln

2. The audience knew something terrible had happened when       .

A．they heard Mary’s screams	B．they heard Booth’s words
C．Booth fired at Lincoln	D．Booth jumped onto the stage

3. On the night Lincoln was murdered, Booth       .

A．got away by car	B．escaped uninjured
C．was killed in the theater	D．successfully left the theater

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．How Booth was found.	B．Booth’s political views.
C．Why Booth hated Lincoln.	D．Lincoln’s main achievements.

【推荐2】Winston Churchill is well-known as a statesman, politician and as the British Prime Minister during most of the Second World War. He is especially famous for his speeches which many believe made people even more determined to defeat the enemy. Many of these speeches contained lines which are remembered even today.

Churchill made one of his greatest speeches in 1940. The country had been at war for over eight months, and he knew that it would suffer many great defeats before it would begin to win the war. Soon 13 May 1940 he promised the House of Commons: "I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined the Government, 'hare nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.' "

A month later, the Germany army had advanced across northern Europe, and the British Army had withdrawn to the coast of the English Channel. But Churchill encouraged people that this was only a temporary defeat in a speech which included the words, "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the field and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender."

On 18 June 1940, Churchill gave another fine speech when he drew attention to the courage of everyone defending Britain. "In years to come,"" he said, "men will say, 'This was their finest hour.' "

The Germans continued their attacks on Britain from the air. A small number of pilots resisted the much larger German Air Force. Germany lost many airplanes, and was to forced to change their strategy. Britain was no longer threatened by an early invasion, and on 20 Augusts 1940, be said, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Many people believe that Churchill's leadership inspired people to remain brave in the face of Nazi Germany. His speeches are still remembered and quoted to today, and remain some of the finest examples of spoken English.

1. What does the underlined word "surrender" mean?

A．Catch on	B．Give in.
C．Take over.	D．Look ahead.

2. What is the intention of Churchill's speeches?

A．To strengthen his leadership.

B．To cheer up the British at war.

C．To call on more citizens to join the army.

D．To expose the cruelly of Nazi Germany.

3. In which paragraph can we find Churchill's words to show his respect for the soldiers?

A．In paragraph 2.	B．In paragraph 3.
C．In paragraph 4.	D．In paragraph 5.

4. Which of the following best describe Churchill's speeches?

A．Ambiguous.	B．Humorous.
C．Caring.	D．Inspiring.

【推荐3】TEN-YEAR-OLD Barack Obama was one of the only three black students at his school in Hawaii, US. He felt very different from most other students. White girls wanted to touch his hair. A white boy asked him whether his father ate people.
“I lied to them that my father was a Kenyan prince. But I kept asking myself who I am,” said Obama.
However, 37 years later, the boy made history. Last year Obama became the first black president in US history.
Obama was born in 1961, to an African father and a white American woman from a small town in the US. He grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii. This unusual background made him wonder who he was. He once turned to alcohol to help forget this question.
With help from his friends, Obama finally turned his life around at college. His hard work made him a star at Harvard. Later, he became only the third black senator (参议员) in US history. During his race to the highest post in the US, Obama talked about his background. He called for a United States of America, rather than a white America or a black America.
“Obama’s success has made Martin Luther King’s dream come true. That is: A man should not be judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character,” wrote ABC news.
1. When Obama was ten years old, he was in _______.

A．Hawaii

B．Kenya

C．Africa

D．Indonesia

2. When Obama became president of the US, he was _______.

A．37

B．48

C．47

D．38

3. Why did Obama lie to his classmates that his father was a Kenyan prince?

A．Because he was uncertain about his background then.

B．Because he dreamed of becoming a Kenyan prince.

C．Because he was afraid of being laughed at by his classmates.

D．Because he was told his father was a Kenyan prince.

4. Which of the following statements is right?

A．Obama is optimistic all his life.

B．Obama was brought up in Africa.

C．.According to Luther King, a man should be judged by the content of his

D．Obama didn’t work hard at Harvard, but he finally turned president of the US.

【推荐2】Diana was out shopping in a busy department store after work one evening. Just five minutes before closing time, she heard a staff member saying, “someone is having a seizure (癫痫)”: Walking quickly towards the staff member, Diana saw a fellow shopper on the ground. She had fallen and was lying on the floor, jerking uncontrollably. A small group of people had gathered to help the woman and a staff member called an ambulance. Dian a knew that she could use what she had learned on her first aid course to help as well.

Knowing it was important to keep the woman safe, one of the employees brought over a staff jacket and they put it under the woman’s head so she wouldn’t injure herself. “The seizure probably lasted only a few minutes, but it seemed much longer while it was going on,” Diana said. “When the jerking stopped, a man helped turn the woman on to her side. I then tilted her head back to help her keep breathing. After the seizure, the woman seemed not to be able to understand what we were saying and couldn’t speak. Luckily, I had learned that this can happen after a seizure and it may take some time for people to get back to normal.”

“It was such a comfort when she very tentatively answered that she was OK. By this time, the ambulance was on its way, the store had closed for the night and the other shoppers who had helped at first had left.” “We all a-greed that the woman was in safe hands with the first aider and a nurse who had also stopped to help, so I started to make my way out of the store.”

“As I was leaving, one of the store’s employees said, ‘thank you for your kindness’”. “I was very touched by her words, and I told her that I’d learned first aid in case something like this ever happened, and now it had. Even though the incident left me feeling very shaken, I was glad I knew what to do to help.”

1. What did Diana do to help the woman suffering from a seizure?

A．She called an ambulance for her.	B．She helped turn the woman to one side.
C．She brought over a staff jacket to keep her warm.	D．She made sure the woman could breathe easily.

2. How did Diana feel after the incident?

A．Grateful.

B．Relieved.

C．Anxious.

D．Regretful.

3. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Diana stayed to help when the ambulance arrived.

B．The woman could not answer their questions because of pain.

C．It was essential to learn some knowledge of first aid.

D．The employee was too frightened to offer a helping hand.

4. Which proverb can be applied to Diana’s actions in this situation?

A．Actions speak louder than words.	B．Constant dropping water wears the stone.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed.	D．Where there is a will, there is a way.