【推荐1】The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago, my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine. I was amazed. The sad truth is, great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100, 000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, “Job means‘ just over broke (破产)' ”. And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because school does not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers“ ___________”. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald's?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald's makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald's is excellent at business systems. The reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on bui1ding a better hamburger and know little or nothing about business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
1. The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that     .

A．he is just one of the talented people

B．he is ready to help others

C．he has a sharp sense of hearing

D．he knows little about car repairing

2. The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by       .

A．spend more than they can afford

B．do in their own way

C．live in their own circle

D．live within what they earn

3. Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?

A．They don't work hard enough.

B．They lack financial intelligence.

C．They don't make full use of their talents.

D．They have no specialized skills.

4. The success of McDonald's lies in its       .

A．skills at making hamburgers.	B．good business systems
C．talented workers	D．excellent service

5. The main purpose of the author is to tell us       .

A．how young people can find a satisfactory job

B．what schools should teach students

C．why so many talented people are poor

D．how McDonald's makes much money

【推荐2】Many people tend to complain about not having good friends in their lives. Sadly, they seem to think that their own company is not enough to make them happy. Nothing could be further from the truth though. In order to get along with others, the first thing you need to do is learn to get along with yourself. Only in this way will you succeed in developing healthy, solid relationships with others.

Listen to your inner voice. Remember that inner voice that keeps whispering to you what you really want and need as well as what you do not really want and need. It is about time you started listening to it. In order to get to know yourself in depth, it is important to learn and accept what you want and what you do not want.

Learn to enjoy your own company. You will be surprised to find out how many things you can do by yourself and actually have fun in the process. Reading romantic novels, poetry or science fiction is only a few of the things that you can do by yourself, which not only can offer you hours of enjoyment, but also the chance to get to know yourself better.

Satisfy yourself. Pay special attention to your personal hygiene(卫生). Do your hair and nails often and experiment with new styles. Follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly to stay in good shape. No matter how busy your daily schedule is, always find at least an hour per day for yourself, when you can either relax doing absolutely nothing, or doing something that you enjoy most.

Learn to respect your own boundaries. Find out what your boundaries are and learn to respect them. You are the only one who knows what you can accept and what you cannot.

1. If you want to have a good relationship with others, you should first _____.

A．get into the habit of living alone

B．learn to be your own best friend

C．always tell the truth

D．make many friends in society

2. What is the purpose of listening to your inner voice? _______

A．To keep a good state of mind.

B．To know more about yourself.

C．To enjoy the time by yourself.

D．To form a relationship with others.

3. In order to please yourself, the writer gives some suggestions EXCEPT _______.

A．eating healthily

B．exercise regularly

C．experimenting with new hair style

D．keeping on cleaning the house

4. What is the structure of the passage?

A．	B．
C．	D．

【推荐3】This is the moment a cleaner at a British university burst into tears after students raised $ 2,063 to send him to Jamaica on vacation to see family.

Herman Gordon, who has worked at Bristol University for more than a decade, is described as “one of the most loved” members of its cleaning staff. He is so well liked that a group of students raised money to give him a holiday. A video shows a student hands an envelope of cash to the surprised Gordan with tears rolling down his cheeks. He wipes away tears with a cleaning cloth and hugs the student who gave it to him. Gordan said: “I want to thank every one of you and God bless every one of you.”

The group of students started the fundraising because they liked Gordon so much. A post said: “The Jamaican cleaner in the biomedical library is the jolliest man I have ever met; he makes me smile even when I’m in the deepest depths of sorrow, if you want a reason to smile, go talk to him for a minute or two.”

Anyone who has been to the biomedical library knows who Herman the cleaner is. Simply put, Herman is the epitome（典范）of happiness, “All year round, this man works hours on end to provide us with a clean working space in which to study. But most importantly, his everlasting positive attitude has managed to turn many students’ dark days into positive ones filled with joy,” said a student. Whether you’re just feeling generally down or stressed out due to exams, Herman is always there to encourage you.

This legend proves that happiness is not about what you own, what job you have or how much money you’ve got, but about appreciating what you currently have in life even if it’s small.

1. What was Herman Gordon’ reaction when receiving the fundraising?

A．grateful.

B．stressed.

C．delighted.

D．astonished.

2. What does the underlined word “jolliest” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．most miserable.

B．most cheerful.

C．most generous.

D．most glorious.

3. In which aspect do students benefit most from Herman?

A．Building confidence.	B．Developing exam skills.
C．Learning self-control.	D．Gaining biomedical knowledge.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A biomedical library cleaner. .	B．A group of warm-hearted students.
C．Money-raising to send a cleaner on vacation.	D．The most loved cleaning staff.

【推荐2】What is funny? The short answer is: Who knows? The joke that causes a burst of laughter from one listener might be met with a puzzled look from another.
In general, you should avoid jokes at any business or social gathering where there are more than two people in your conversational group. If there are only two people — and they consist of you and your best friend — go ahead and tell it.
Admittedly, a few people possess a perfect sense of timing, appropriateness, and joke delivery. You are probably not one of them. You might be quite funny and have many great jokes. But there’s a place for jokes — over dinner with family, hiking with friends, but business or social affairs with colleagues and acquaintances (熟人) are not it. It takes a whole other level of joke-telling ability to put a joke into the more formal conversations.
The best jokes come into the conversation so that by the time listeners realize a joke is in progress, the punchline that produces humour is being delivered — to their surprise and delight.
Jokes don’t translate well when you’re in a group with mixed backgrounds: those whose first language is not English, those who might not understand a special term or an “in” expression, young people who wouldn’t catch a reference to some bit of culture familiar to older people — and vice versa (反之亦然).
Never joke about another person in the group — about their name, habits, hometown, profession, appearance, or past. It’s not a question of whether the joke is cheery or appropriate. No one enjoys being singled out this way. When you are the subject of the joke, the laughter doesn’t feel good no matter how hard you try to tell yourself they’re not laughing at you. Because that’s what it feels like.
What do you say if you realize your joke upset someone? Apologize as briefly and as sincerely as you can, and hope that someone changes the subject. Try saying: “I’m sorry. I should have known better” or “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
What do you do if people don’t get your joke or don’t appear to find it as funny as you do? First, do not retell it, only louder this time, hoping the point of the joke will be seen. Second, don’t try to push people to get it. People do not like people whose jokes they don’t understand. They feel stupid and need to blame someone. If you want to leave with the goodwill of your listeners, say something to make them feel less foolish. You could say: “I don’t know why I tell jokes when I’m so poor at it.”
The world needs laughter, and good humour is a success wherever it goes, so this caveat (告诫) about joke-telling is not meant to dampen high spirits or to advocate dull conversation. If you’re a gifted story-teller and you know people love your jokes, go for it. We need your kind. The rest of us will save our jokes for family and close friends.
1. According to the passage, it might be appropriate for you to tell a joke at a business or social gathering if ______.

A．the joke is well chosen

B．you have complete confidence in your listeners’ sense of humor

C．only you and your best friend are involved in the conversation

D．the audience consists of your colleagues and acquaintances

2. Why do some jokes fail to work?

A．Because the punchline is too long to catch.

B．Because the joke-teller uses wrong words and expressions.

C．Because the joke-teller and listeners don’t share the same background knowledge.

D．Because the jokes are not properly translated into the listeners’ native language.

3. How will people feel when they are joked about?

A．They will feel happy if the joke is a pleasant one.

B．They will be upset no matter what kind of joke it is.

C．They will enjoy the joke when realizing that people are not laughing at them.

D．They will panic because it makes them the center of attention.

4. When people do not understand a joke they hear, they tend to ______.

A．believe it’s the joke-teller’s fault	B．get someone to retell the joke
C．ask for explanation	D．say something foolish

5. Which of the following best describes the writer’s opinion on joke-telling?

A．Nobody knows what makes a joke funny.

B．We should not tell jokes unless we are asked to do so.

C．Joke-telling is a very complex thing.

D．Jokes should be told only to friends and family members.

【推荐3】“Selfie” (自拍) joins ranks of dictionary words.
In 2002, an Australian man went to his friend’s 21st birthday party. He got drunk, tripped on some steps and cut his lip. He took a picture of his injuries and shared it with his friends on an online forum. “And sorry about the focus,” he wrote, “it was a selfie.” That was the first recorded use of the word “selfie”, according to linguistic experts at Oxford Dictionaries.
On Nov 19, Oxford Dictionaries declared “selfie” Word of the Year for 2013, in honor of the term having taken over the world thanks to millions of smart phone self-portraits and the resulting shares on social media.
So what does the choice of the word say about our culture? Mary Elizabeth Williams, writing in Salon magazine, says the word reminds us that contemporary culture is defined by our narcissism(自恋).Megan Jackson from a local newspaper points out a selfie may only focus on appearance.
Selfies invite judgment based on appearance alone. What kind of cultural influence does this have on women? Erin Gloria Ryan on Jezebel says selfies teach young woman to obsess over their appearance and judge themselves on the basis of beauty rather than accomplishments. “They’re a reflection of the warped way we teach girls to see themselves as decorative,” said Ryan.
In Slate magazine, Rachel Simmons has the opposite view. She argues that selfies are an example of young women promoting themselves and taking control of their own self-presentation. Think of each one, she says, as “a tiny pulse of girl pride —a shout-out to the self”.
1. Which of the following is true about the first use of “selfie”?

A．The Australian man created it to celebrate his friend’s 21st birthday.

B．The Australian man created by chance when he got drunk and shared his photo online.

C．The Oxford Dictionary used it to thank the creation of smart phone.

D．The social media were so advanced that they made the word transmitted.

2. The underlined word “tripped” in the first paragraph probably means “________”.

A．traveled	B．stepped lightly
C．fell down	D．made mistakes

3. Who holds a positive opinion towards selfie in the life of women?

A．Mary Elizabeth.	B．Megan Jackson.
C．Erin Gloria Ryan.	D．Rachel Simmons.

4. The text is mainly concerned with ________.

A．the introduction of the word “selfie”

B．the choice of the word “selfie”

C．the history of the word “selfie”

D．the characteristics of the word “selfie”

【推荐1】Every April I am troubled by the same concern that spring might not occur this year. The landscape looks dull, with hills, sky and forest appearing grey. My spirits ebb, as they did during an April snowfall when I first came to Maine. “Just wait,” a neighbour advised. “You’ll wake up one morning and spring will just be here.”

And look, on 3 May that year I awoke to a green so amazing as to be almost electric, as if spring were simply a matter of flipping a switch. Hills, sky and forest revealed their purples, blues and greens. Leaves had unfolded and daffodils were fighting their way heavenward.

Then there was the old apple tree. It sits on an undeveloped lot in my neighbourhood. It belongs to no one and therefore to everyone. The tree’s dark twisted branches stretch out in unpruned (未经修剪的) abandon. Each spring it blossoms so freely that the air becomes filled with the scent of apple.

Until last year, I thought I was the only one aware of this tree. And then one day, in a bit of spring madness, I set out to remove a few disorderly branches. No sooner had I arrived under the tree than neighbours opened their windows and stepped onto their porches(门廊; 走廊). These were people I barely knew and seldom spoke to, but it was as if I had come uninvited into their personal gardens.

My mobile-home neighbour was the first to speak. “You’re not cutting it down, are you?” she asked anxiously. Another neighbour frowned as I cut off a branch. “Don’t kill it, now,” he warned. Soon half the neighbourhood had joined me under the apple tree. It struck me that I had lived there for five years and only now was learning these people’s names, what they did for a living and how they passed the winter. It was as if the old apple tree was gathering us under its branches for the purpose of both acquaintanceship and shared wonder. I couldn’t help recalling Robert Frost’s words:

The trees that have it in their pent-up buds

To darken nature and be summer woods

One thaw led to another. Just the other day I saw one of my neighbours at the local store. He remarked how this recent winter had been especially long and complained of not having seen or spoken at length to anyone in our neighbourhood. And then, he looked at me and said, “We need to prune that apple tree again.”

1. By saying that “my spirits ebb” in paragraph 1, the author means that _______ .

A．he feels relieved	B．he is tired
C．he is surprised	D．he feels blue

2. The apple tree mentioned in the passage is most likely to _______ .

A．be appealing only to the author

B．have been abandoned by its original owner

C．be regarded as a delight in the neighbourhood

D．have been neglected by everyone in the community

3. According to paragraph 4, why did the neighbours open their windows and step onto their porches?

A．They wanted to get to know the author.

B．They were concerned about the safety of the tree.

C．They wanted to prevent the author from pruning the tree.

D．They were surprised that someone unknown was pruning the tree.

4. It can be inferred that the author’s neighbour mentioned in the last paragraph most cared about _______ .

A．when spring would arrive	B．how to pass the long winter
C．the pruning of the apple tree	D．the neighbourhood gathering

【推荐2】I’d done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip. As always, I’d bring back nothing more some mud on my boots. A hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.

The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home’s dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family’s temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I’d ever seen, she yelled, “Ma, Ma, they really came!” I didn’t know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.

Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair — her grandmother, we’d soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire-damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times, I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.

By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change.

Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room — so much, in fact, that she’d begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn’t quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before — Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother.

Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.

Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn’t until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she’d made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls — one much taller than the other — and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her, and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn’t control myself anymore — I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither of us could let go.

By early afternoon, we finished Dakota’s bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.

I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my Jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too—a greater appreciation for all or the blessings of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.

1. What did the author expect before taking this mission trip?

A．A routine result.

B．An exciting experience.

C．A special memory.

D．A surprising change.

2. The underlined part means that the little girl ________.

A．desired to approach me

B．feared to talk with me

C．resisted accepting me

D．enjoyed meeting me

3. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know ________.

A．she formed a bad living habit

B．she hoped for a better education

C．she was an innocent and lovely child

D．she was strong and calm in the inner world

4. What were probably written on the bottom of the paper?

A．Enjoy your help.

B．Please don’t leave.

C．Help me, please.

D．Hug me close.

5. How did the author feel after unfolding the piece of paper?

A．She worried about the little girl’s future.

B．She decided to keep helping the little girl.

C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl.

D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift.

6. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．One must learn to share life experiences.

B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life.

C．One occasionally benefits from the poverty.

D．One should be more grateful for the gift of life.

【推荐3】While doing some grocery shopping one day, I realized I had spent close to, 30 minutes just in the produce section, meticulously (一丝不苟地) choosing the best - looking apples, bananas that were ripe but not spotted and ears of corn with perfectly neat rows of kernels (谷粒). However, I bet I'm not the only one that rejects the slightest imperfections in fruits and vegetables.

I've also seen how my pursuit of perfect produce has influenced my children, When I pack their lunches, I make sure I include fleshy tomatoes, crisp blueberries, and cucumbers without any scratches. But one day when my daughter refused to eat a pear that was turning slightly brown, I knew I had to change my way. I realized I was unconsciously teaching my children to accept society's standards of perfection and that these perceptions (感知能力) could have a disastrous impact on our environment.

In the US, up to 40 percent of food is wasted every year. Most of this waste ends up in landfills that creates dangerous greenhouse gases. Around 20 percent of food waste is produced directly at the farm, for the so - called“ugly”food may not meet certain standards set by grocery stores, though the food is still perfectly consumable.

On a recent night in San Francisco, I attended a dinner party to raise awareness about this growing problem. It was the brainchild of food waste activist Josh Treuhaft, which was an intimate gathering of 16 people dining on a table made from recycled wood. The chef, Pesha Perlsweig, prepared a six - course meal with food, which was purchased from Imperfect Produce that specifically sells “ugly”fruit and vegetables. The organic twisted carrots or knobbly sweet potatoes can be bought at this market for 30 to 50 percent of the price.

I was blown away by Perlsweig's creative, delicious dishes made from the “ugly” food. Before each dish, Perlsweig offered guests tips on how we can reduce our food waste. For example, if you cut off the end of a limp carrot and place it in water, it will become firm again.

After the evening's dinner, I became inspired to rethink the way I shopped for and consumed food, and to accept the imperfect. Though looking ugly; the food contains no less nutrition than normal food. Furthermore, it's cheap at the price. My actions inspired my daughter to think differently as well. One morning, while she was helping prepare her school lunch, I noticed her choosing a handful of cherry tomatoes with slight flaws, “They're special,” she said.

I'm hoping that these small changes in our perception can make a big difference to our world.

1. Why did the author spend about 30 minutes buying produce?

A．She was very picky about produce

B．She had lots of spare time that day

C．She is addicted to grocery shopping

D．She had difficulty in making a decision

2. What does the author mean by saying “I had to change my way” in paragraph 2?

A．She would pay less attention to the details of produce

B．She would change her way of educating her children

C．She would no longer do everything for her children

D．She would choose food for her children more carefully

3. What can we learn about the private gathering?

A．Lots of food went to waste that day

B．The guests got some tips at the gathering

C．Most of the dishes were made from organic food

D．It aimed to recommend a chef cooking “ugly” food

4. Which of the following is NOT the reason why the author accepted the imperfect food?

A．It is more delicious after creatively cooked

B．It is cheap and as nutritious as perfect food

C．It can always help to protect the environment

D．It can have a good effect on children's growth

5. What is the author's purpose in writing this text?

A．To offer tips on how to reduce food waste

B．To introduce a new market for “ugly” food

C．To share her experience of educating children

D．To show how she fell in love with “ugly” food.