【推荐1】I believe in getting lost. Lost in the text of the novel that is particular to your thoughts and feelings that you consider special. The song that reminds you of your childhood summers, where you close your eyes and lose yourself reliving a memory; feeling the warm wind brushing against your arm, the smell of the dusty sand that you stir up as you ride your bicycle, murmuring the tune of that song. Like the unprepared Sunday Drive, with no destination. You’re free to wander, take paths that you’ve never noticed, discover places you haven’t been. Then falling off on the path to lead you back home, leaving you to test directions and alertly absorb your surroundings in order to find your way back; that kind of lost.

I get lost daily; whether it’s in thought, or the unplanned drive I just decided to go on. Getting lost is an adventurous learning experience that trains you how to be more aware of your surroundings. A few of my most favorite memories involve physically getting lost. That one late night trip back to Ludington from Grand Rapids I took with a few friends. We finally realized we were going the wrong way when we hit South Haven, almost three hours out of our way. There was also the time where I got lost in the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids after the President’s Ball and then the parking garage for a solid two hours. I felt like my life was that one scene of an American television situation comedy, minus the air conditioner. At the time, these are nervous experiences that get your anxiety pumping. You’re fearful that you won’t be safe, but it always works itself out in the end. Physically losing yourself prepares you for how you manage when you emotionally or mentally lose yourself.

You don’t always have to be lost in a literal sense to “get lost” and some of the time, losing yourself may not be a positive experience. There are times where I lose sight of who I am. While lost, I test out metaphorical paths and sometimes they turn out to be the right direction and other times they were a wrong turn. I make note of these wrong turns, so I can avoid them further on up the road of finding my way back to who I am.

In Walden, Henry David Thoreau wrote “Not till we are lost, in other words not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.” Getting lost fuels my curiosity and teaches me lessons on finding my way back to the right track. I believe in getting lost through day dreams, a misplacement, adventures, and difficult times where you make discoveries about yourself and the atmosphere around you. In order to truly find yourself, I believe that you should put down the map and get wonderfully lost.

1. In the first paragraph, the author mainly expresses that ______.

A．lost in a novel is a special feeling	B．songs remind us of past experiences
C．wandering is a wonderful discovery	D．getting lost brings us benefits

2. The author mentions the experiences of physically getting lost (in paragraph 2) in order to say _____.

A．physically getting lost is most difficult to deal with

B．we can enjoy trips while physically getting lost

C．people are easy to get physically lost in our daily life

D．we realize our surroundings while physically getting lost

3. Words from Henry David Thoreau (in the last paragraph) imply that getting lost________.

A．enables us to look within and to see outward

B．pulls people back into the previous moment

C．enables us to remind ourselves of adventures

D．helps us enjoy ourselves wherever we are

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．I Once Was Lost	B．Wonderfully Lost
C．Physically Getting Lost	D．Mentally Getting Lost

【推荐2】I’ve been taking time this week to smell the roses. I bend over in my neighbors’ front yard, check that nobody is watching, then bury my head in the flowers.

I’ve also been walking into bakeries and walking around without buying anything.

After having surgery on my broken nose 18 months ago, I haven’t been able to smell or taste things. This week, however, my nose is back in business.

I’ve been fascinated by smells, and it’s given me a new way of thinking. Smell is just one of the little bits and pieces that make life enjoyable, but which we often ignore. I remember once, when my son was 5 months old, I was carrying him down the street. Wind swept through and almost tipped us over. He threw his little head back and giggled (傻笑). He’d never felt the wind on his face. When is the last time I laughed at the weather?

The first time I ate bacon, I rushed home to my parents, determined that we ate this deliciousness at every meal. My father smiled and agreed.

Do you recall when you learned that the voice actors of Mickey and Minnie Mouse were married in real life? Do you enjoy sleeping in new, clean bed sheets?

We don’t write postcards about the small things. We don’t frame them in photographs.

They aren’t that great or grand, but without them, life is altogether too loud. These quiet experiences give us a chance to enjoy the simple fact of being alive.

As my sense of smell returns to me, it’s like I’m smelling things for the first time. They’re full of memories and magic. Food tastes better, and the air is indeed sweet. I know what the poets mean now. It almost makes my broken nose worthwhile. Now, I am waiting for this bandage to come off. There’s an itch (痒) I can’t reach!

1. What does the writer try to do in the first two paragraphs?

A．Discuss new ways to enjoy leisure time.

B．Show that she loves doing secret things.

C．Give examples of how she kills time.

D．Get readers to wonder about her behavior.

2. What does the underlined part “a new way of thinking” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．The ability to discover the joy of small things.

B．The habit of overcoming ignorance.

C．The ability to fully use our limited attention.

D．The habit of making personal reflections.

3. What did the author take for granted before?

A．Memories and magic.	B．Valuing being alive.
C．Her sense of smell.	D．Laughing at the weather.

4. Which word can be used to describe the writer’s feeling while writing the passage?

A．Depressed.	B．Pleased.
C．Disturbed.	D．Annoyed.

【推荐3】A few years ago，my husband and I were on an island for a long week with our two little daughters.As we talked about what to do next，our daughters jumped in and told us exactly what they wanted to do.We agreed.

As soon as we walked into the main area of the butterfly museum，we saw thousands of beautiful butterflies.They all flew with their colorful wings.My girls were jumping up and down，and I knew we had made the right decision to come to the museum.They were having so much fun.

I turned to our guide and asked curiously(好奇地)，“How long do butterflies live？”

She said，“About ten days.”

“What can butterflies do in ten days？”

The guide stopped，looked at me，and said，“They make the world a more beautiful place.”

After we said goodbye，I couldn’t stop thinking about what the guide had said.She was right.We all have something to offer the world with the time we have.If we spend the time doing what we can for others，we all can make the world a better place.

1. What did the girls want to do?

A．Go to visit an island.

B．Make the world beautiful.

C．Listen to the tour guide.

D．Visit the butterfly museum.

2. What made the writer think they had made the right decision?

A．She knew how long butterflies live.

B．They were welcomed in the museum.

C．Their daughters were having a good time.

D．She saw thousands of beautiful butterflies.

3. What does the writer mainly tell us in the last paragraph?

A．When they said goodbye to the guide.

B．Why they went to the butterfly museum.

C．What she learned from the guide’s words.

D．How she would make her home a better place.

4. Which is the proper time order of what happened?
a．The family were staying on an island.
b．The family went to the butterfly museum.
c．The writer kept thinking about the guide’s words.
d．The girls enjoyed themselves in the butterfly museum.

A．a→b→c→d	B．a→b→d→c
C．a→d→b→c	D．b→a→c→d

【推荐1】Having worked at a 7-Eleven store for two years, I thought I had become successful at what our manager calls “customer relations”. I firmly believed that a friendly smile and an automatic “sir”, “ma’am”, and “thank you” would see me through any situation that might arise, from comforting impatient or unpleasant people to apologizing for giving out the wrong change. But the other night an old woman shattered (粉碎)my belief that a simple and plain response could smooth over the rough spots of dealing with all kinds of customers.

The moment she entered, the woman presented a sharp contrast to our shiny store with its bright lighting and neatly arranged shelves. Walking as if each step were painful, she slowly pushed open the glass door and hobbled(蹒跚) down the nearest aisle. She coughed dryly, wheezing(气喘吁吁)with each breath. On a forty-degree night, she was wearing only a faded dress, a thin sweater too small to button, and black slippers with the backs cut out to expose calloused(满是老茧的)heels. There were no stockings or socks on her blue-veined legs.

After wandering around the store for several minutes, the old woman stopped in front of the rows of canned vegetables. She picked up a can of corn and stared with a strange intensity at the label. At that point, I decided to be a good, polite employee and asked her if she needed help. As I stood close to her, my smile became harder to maintain; her red-rimmed(边缘红的)eyes were partially closed by yellowish crusts(痂);her hands were covered with layer upon layer of dirt, and the stale (陈腐的)smell of sweat rose from clothes.

“I need some food,” she muttered(喃喃低语)in reply to my bright “Can I help you? ”

“Are you looking for corn, ma’am?”

“I need some food,” she repeated, “Any kind.”

“Well, the corn is ninety-five cents,” I said in my most helpful voice.

“I can’t pay,” she said.

For a second, I was tempted to say, “Take the corn.” But the employee rules flooded into my mind: Remain polite, but do not let customers get the best of you. Let them know that you are in control. For a moment, I even entertained the idea that this was some sort of test, and that this woman was someone from the head office, testing my loyalty. I responded dutifully, “I’m sorry, but I can’t give away anything for free.”

The old woman’s face collapsed a bit more, and her hands trembled as she put the can back on the shelf. She shuffled(拖着脚走)past me toward the door, her torn and dirty clothing barely covering her bent back.

Moments after she left, I rushed out of the door with the can of corn, but she was nowhere in sight. For the rest of my shift, the image of the woman haunted (萦绕)me. I had been young, healthy and proud. She had been old, sick and desperate. Wishing with all my heart that I had acted like a human being rather than a robot, I was saddened to realize how weak a hold we have on our better instincts.

1. How did the writer feel about his job at 7-Eleven before the old woman came?

A．He was quite satisfied with the way he served customers.

B．He found room for improvement in developing customer relations.

C．He was patient enough to deal with different situations.

D．He considered himself successful in dealing with all interpersonal relations.

2. The detailed account of the old woman is intended to show ________.

A．she presented a sharp contrast to the other customers

B．the writer felt sorry to deal with a customer like her

C．the writer didn’t expect to see such an unusual person.

D．she lived a miserable life and truly deserved help

3. Why didn’t the author manage to help the old woman at last? Because ________.

A．the old woman lacked appropriate manners

B．the stale smell of sweat really annoyed the author

C．the author stood firm with the employee regulations

D．the old woman was testing his loyalty to his company

4. What does the phrase “get the best of” mean according to the passage?

A．To feel sympathy for.	B．To keep company with.
C．To bring out the best of.	D．To win an advantage over. . .

5. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．What For

B．If Only

C．How Come

D．Never Ever

【推荐2】Then the servant knocked in a very guarded manner; the door was opened on the chain; and a voice asked from within, “Is that you, Poole?”

“It’s all right ,”said Poole,” Open the door.”

The hall, when they entered it , was brightly lighted up/The whole of the servants ,men and women, stood crowded together like a flock of sheep .At the sight of Mr. Utterson, the housemaid broke into crying hysterically but softly; and the cook , crying out” Bless God! It’s Mr. Utterson,” ran forward as if to take him in her arms.” What, what? Are you all here?” said the lawyer impatiently.” Very irregular, very unseemly; your master would be far from pleased.”

“They’re all afraid,” said Poole.

Blank silence followed , no one protesting; only the maid lifted her voice and now wept loudly.

“I told your tongue!” Poole said to her, with a violent accent that proved his own anxiety; and indeed , when the girl had so suddenly raised the note of her mourning, they had all started and turned towards the inner door with faces of dreadful expectation.” And now,” continued the servant, addressing the knife-boy,” reach me a candle, and we’ll get this through hands at once.” And then he begged Mr. Utterson to follow him, and led the way to the back garden.

“Now , sir,” said he ,“you come as gently as you can . I want you to hear, and I don’t want you to be heard. And see here , sir, if by any chance he was to ask you in ,don’t go.”

Mr. Utterson’s nerves gave a jerk that nearly threw him from his balance; but he recollected his courage and followed the servant to the foot of the stair. Here Poole signed to him to stand on one side and listen ;while he himself, setting down the candle and making a great and obvious call on his determination, went up the steps and knocked with a somewhat uncertain hand on the red baize of the cabinet door.

“Mr. Utterson, sir, asking to see you ,”he called; and even as he did so ,once more violently signed to the lawyer to give ear.

A voice answered from within:” Tell him I cannot see anyone,” it said complainingly.

“Thank you ,sir,” said Poole, with a note of something like triumph（胜利）in his voice; and taking up his candle, he led Mr.Utterson back across the yard and into the great kitchen.

“Sir,” he said, looking Mr. Utterson in the eyes, “Was that my master’s voice?”

“It seems much changed,” replied the lawyer, very pale, but giving look for look.

“Changed? Well , yes, I think so ,”said the servant, “Have I been twenty years in this man’s house, to be deceived about his voice? No , sir; master’s killed; he was killed eight days ago. when we heard him cry out upon the name of God; and who’s in there instead of him ,and why it stays there , is a thing that cries to Heaven, Mr. Utterson!”

“This is a very strange tale, Poole; this is rather a wild tale, my man,” said Mr. Utterson, biting his finger,” Suppose it were as you suppose ,supposing Dr. Jekyll to have been--well, murdered what could cause the murderer to stay ? That won’t hold water; it is not reasonable.”

“Well, Mr. Utterson, you are a hard man to satisfy, but I’ll do it yet,” said Poole. “All this last week（you must know）him , or it , whatever it is that lives in that cabinet ,has been crying night and day for some sort of medicine . It was sometimes his way--the master’s, that is --to write his orders on a sheet of paper and throw it on the stair. We’ve had nothing else his week back; nothing but papers, and a closed door, and the very meals left there to be taken in secretly when nobody was looking .Well, sir, every day ,ay, and twice and there times in the same day, there have been orders and complaints ,and I have been sent flying to all the wholesale chemists in town .Every time I brought the stuff back, there would be another paper telling me to return it , because it was not pure. This drug is wanted bitter bad, sir, whatever, for.”

1. Why did the servants have such a sharp response upon seeing Mr. Utterson?

A．Because they expected Mr.Utterson to find out the truth.

B．Because Mr. Utterson knew what had happened to their master.

C．Because Poole hadn’t told them why Mr. Utterson was sent for.

D．Because they thought they could please their master in this way.

2. Why did Poole advise Mr.Utterson not to enter the master’s room even if invited?

A．Because the master didn’t like being disturbed.

B．Because Mr.Utterson was nervous and lost his balance.

C．Because Poole knew very well his master was too cruel.

D．Because they thought the man in the room might be the murderer.

3. The underlined part in Paragraph 11 implies that____.

A．Poole’s conversation with his master was not interrupted

B．Poole was convinced of his master’s survival in the room

C．Poole was grateful for what his master had answered him

D．Poole was sure that the man in the room was not the master

4. Why did Mr.Utterson say “That won’t hold water” in the last paragraph but one?

A．Because the tale Poole made up was far too strange and wild.

B．Because there was no chance that Dr.Jekyll had been murdered.

C．Because Poole didn’t have enough water for his master to drown in .

D．Because a murderer was less likely to stay on the crime scene for so long.

5. Poole thought his master had been murdered for the following reasons except that ______.

A．the food was taken in with nobody noticing it

B．the man in the room complainingly responded to Poole

C．Poole was sent many times to buy and return some kind of drug

D．the servants got nothing but papers from their master without seeing him

6. Poole was a ____ servant according to the passage.

A．loyal but violent	B．cautious and loyal
C．Careless but determined	D．violent and careless

【推荐3】As we drove along, my spirits went up again, and I turned, with pleasure, to the thought of the new life which I was entering. But though it was not far past the middle of September, the heavy clouds and strong north-easterly wind combined to make the day extremely cold; and the journey seemed a very long one, so that it was nearly one o'clock before we reached the place of our destination. Yet when we entered the gateway, my heart failed me, and I wished it were a mile or two farther off. For the first time in my life I must stand alone: there was no retreating now. I must enter that house, and introduce myself among its strange people. But how was it to be done? True, I was near nineteen; but, thanks to the protecting care of my mother and sister, I well knew that many a girl of fifteen, or under, was gifted with a more womanly address, and greater ease and self-possession, than I was. Yet, anyway. I would do very well, after all; and the children, of course, I should soon be at ease with them.

“Be calm, be calm, whatever happens,” I said within myself; and truly I was so fully occupied in steadying my nerves and keeping down the rebellious beat of my heart that when I was admitted into the hall and into the presence of Mrs. Bloomfield, I almost forgot to answer her polite greeting; and it afterwards struck me that the little I did say was spoken in the tone of one half-dead or half-asleep.

With due politeness, however, she showed me my bedroom, and left me there to take a little refreshment for a little while and led me into the dining-room. Some beefsteaks and potatoes were set before me; and while I dined upon these, she sat opposite, watching me (as I thought) and trying to keep something like a conversation— consisting chiefly of commonplace remarks. In fact, my attention was almost wholly absorbed in my dinner: not from appetite, but from the toughness of the beefsteaks, and the numbness of my hands.

“I have had so little time to attend to their education myself, but I think they are clever children, and very willing to learn, especially the little boy; he is, I think, the flower of the flock— a generous, noble-spirited boy, one to be led, but not driven, and remarkable for always speaking the truth.” “His sister Mary Ann will require watching,” continued she, “but she is a very good girl on the whole, though I wish her to be kept out of the nursery as much as possible, as she is now almost six years old, and might acquire bad habits from the nurses. I have ordered her bed to be placed in your room, and if you will be so kind as to look after her washing and dressing, and take charge of her clothes, she needs to have nothing further to do with the nursery maid.”

I replied I was quite willing to do so; and at that moment the children entered the room. Tom Bloomfield was a well-grown boy of seven. Mary was a tall girl, for her age of six, somewhat dark like her mother. The second sister was Fanny, a very pretty little girl, looking little younger than Mary. The remaining one was Harriet, a little broad, fat, merry, playful thing of scarcely two, whom I had more desire for than all the rest — but with her I had nothing to do.

1. Which of the following statements best describes how the writer felt when she entered Mrs. Bloomfield’s home?

A．She was nervous, dissatisfied with her manners but still confident.

B．She was cold, hungry but eager to see all the children in the family.

C．She was frightened, nervous and regretful about her decision.

D．She was calm, confident and very happy with all the family.

2. What job would the writer take in Mrs. Bloomfield’s home?

A．A nursery maid.	B．A house cleaner.
C．A home cook.	D．A family teacher.

3. Which of the following was TRUE according to the passage?

A．The writer had some difficulty with her lunch because of the tough food and the cold.

B．The delicious food took the writer’s attention away from Mrs. Bloomfield’s words.

C．All the children were well educated before the writer came to the family.

D．All the children in the family were looked after by Mrs. Bloomfield herself.

4. From the passage, we can infer that ______.

A．Mrs. Bloomfield would treat the writer kindly and help her a lot

B．the youngest girl Harriet would be the writer’s favorite student

C．the writer would take on more responsibilities than she should

D．Tom Bloomfield would be the cleverest of all the children

【推荐1】We were five minutes into a severe winter storm — approaching Boston’s Logan International Airport when I turned to the woman next to me and said, “Hey, would you mind chatting with me for a few minutes?” My seatmate seemed friendly and I suddenly felt desperate for a human connection.

“Sure. My name is Sue,” the woman replied, smiling warmly. “What brings you to Boston?” I started to explain that I was on a business trip. Then the plane trembled violently, and I blurted out, “I might need to hold your hand too.” Sue took my hand in both of hers, patted it, and held on tight.

Sometimes a stranger can significantly improve our day. A pleasant meeting with someone we don’t know, even an unspoken exchange, can calm us when no one else is around. It may get us out of our own heads — a proven mood lifter — and help broaden our vision. Sandstrom, a psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Essex, has found that people’s moods improve after they have a conversation with a stranger. And yet most of us resist talking to people we don’t know or barely know. We worry about how to start, maintain, or stop it. We think we will keep talking and disclose too much, or not talk enough. We are afraid we will bore the other person. We’re typically wrong.

In a study in which Sandstrom asked participants to talk to at least one stranger a day for five days, 99 percent said they had found at least one of the exchanges pleasantly surprising, 82 percent said they’d learned something from one of the strangers, 43 percent had exchanged contact information, and 40 percent had communicated with one of the strangers again.

You don’t even have to talk to complete strangers to obtain the benefit. Multiple studies show that people who interact regularly with passing acquaintances or who engage with others through community groups, religious gatherings, or volunteer opportunities have better emotional and physical health and live longer than those who do not. One person took up the cell phone after chatting with a woman on the subway who was carrying one. Another recalled how the smile of a fruit salesman from whom he regularly bought bananas made him feel less lonely after he’d first arrived in a new city.

When Sue took my hand on that scary flight to Boston, I almost wept with relief. “Hey, this is a little bumpy, but we will be on the ground safely soon,” she told me. She looked so encouraging, and confident. I asked her what she did for a living. “I’m a retired physical education teacher, and I coached women’s volleyball,” she said. Immediately, I could see what an awesome coach she must have been.

When we said goodbye, I gave Sue a big hug and my card. A few days later, I received an e-mail with the subject line “Broken hand on Jet Blue.” “I have to admit that I was just as scared as you were but did not say it,” Sue wrote. “I just squeezed your hand as hard as I could. Thank you for helping me through this very scary situation.” She added that when she’d told her friends about our conversation, they teased her because they know she loves to talk. I told my friends about Sue too. I explained how kind she was to me, and what I learned: It’s OK to ask for help from a stranger if you need it. Now if I mention to my friends that I am stressed or worried, they respond, “Just think of Sue!”

1. The writer struck up a conversation with her seatmate because ________.

A．they were heading for the same city on business

B．she was in urgent need of emotional comfort

C．the plane’s abrupt movement was unbearable

D．the woman was friendlier than other passengers

2. What benefit does a pleasant exchange with strangers bring us?

A．It lights up our otherwise unsuccessful life.

B．It saves us the trouble of talking too much.

C．It lifts our spirits up and expands our mental horizons.

D．It guarantees us a lasting feeling of happiness.

3. Why does the writer mention the study conducted by Sandstrom?

A．To present the benefits of interacting with acquaintances.

B．To show it lifts mood to make and meet with new friends.

C．To introduce some ways to associate with unknown people.

D．To relieve the anxiety about communicating with strangers.

4. What does the underlined sentence imply?

A．The writer was impressed with Sue’s ability to inspire others.

B．The writer herself could have been a volleyball placer.

C．Sue possessed obvious characters of a qualified PE teacher.

D．Sue became the coach of the writer as a consequence.

5. How did the writer probably feel while reading Sue’s e-mail?

A．Regretful.

B．Surprised.

C．Disappointed.

D．Satisfied.

6. What might be a suitable title for the passage?

A．The flying experience with strangers

B．The interesting small talk with strangers

C．The surprising boost you get from strangers

D．The expected friendship you established through chatting

【推荐3】Going to college was not optional. In my family, it was just another step toward the American dream. As soon as I graduated, I enrolled in the English Department of Colorado State University. I went on to earn two scholarships, and membership in the National Honor Society. I truly believed the hard work was worth it.

It wasn’t until a few months ago that I realized how clueless I was. I had been combing through the classifieds when my eyes fell upon my dream job: “National College Magazine looking for writers.”

Thrilled, I spent the weekend composing a resume. Needless to say, I was stunned when the interviewer barely took one glance before throwing it aside.

“No experience”, he said flatly.

I felt like screaming, “What do you mean, no experience? Look at these grades.”

I was left to absorb the shock of rejection, thinking that nobody ever told me that a 4.0 student would be turned down for a job.

Didn’t all of my hard work count for anything?

I see plenty of demands for two years of experience at a print publication, but none requiring extensive knowledge of how to write academic papers. Yet 95% of my energy in school went toward the latter, leaving me little time to devote to anything else. If career preparation is supposed to be the point of college, then why isn’t it the focus?

Has a college degree just become another societal status symbol like fancy cars or designer clothes?

Given my experience, I feel that a college degree would be a lot more valuable if students were required to get some outside experience to supplement their in-class knowledge. Instead of requiring four science classes, why not three science classes and an internship? In my college career, I took one class that taught me how to write and submit essays for publication. This ever so brief taste of the real world was like holding an ice cream sundae in front of a child and only giving her a small bite.

1. Why did the author study so hard at college?

A．To maintain a family tradition.

B．To land an ideal job.

C．To fulfill parents’ expectations.

D．To pay for the tuition.

2. What accounted for the author’s failure in job hunting?

A．His fancy resume.

B．His misjudgment in high scores.

C．His lack of experience.

D．His poor performance in the interview.

3. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph imply?

A．Academic writing is a small part of college life.

B．College education always covers unimportant things.

C．Competition in college is not as fierce as that in the real world.

D．The author feels held back by his lack of real-world experience.

4. What does the author want to tell us by writing this article?

A．Get a college degree and you will go far.

B．College students should make the best of their time.

C．Career preparation is a necessity for college education.

D．Landing a successful career is better than a college degree.