【推荐1】When my friend suggested going to the thrift shop, instantly I thought “I hope no one I know sees me”. It was the same when my cousin commented on my new furniture and Japanese fine-bone-china bowls and asked where I got them. They were from the local thrift shop but instead I said “from the antique shop”.

Many people in my Greek-Cypriot community would despise me if I said I shopped at the thrift shop. They may pity me, consider me poor, a failure. Immigrants sacrificed their families and homes for a better life. Buying a house and having enough money to live comfortably, to educate your children and see them also live comfortably, are a big part of the immigrant dream. But has this dream made us materialistic at the cost of our own planet?

Our love for purchasing the latest trendy clothes or furniture, then donating them when we are tired of them has become normal. I was once like this. But after watching the documentary The True Cost I learned donated clothes that don’t get sold are sent to developing nations, many of them ending up in landfills (垃圾填埋地). In addition, your new dress requires electricity and materials to make. But if you buy a second-hand dress, that’s one less dress in a landfill and one less new dress to be made.

A friend introduced me to the thrift shop only a few years ago. My first item was a dress she gifted me. It was lovely and I loved it. Nobody could tell it was second-hand. This opened me up to purchasing more second-hand high quality branded clothes. Once I dropped in on a friend and was impressed by how she decorated her apartment. “It’s all second-hand.” she said. I couldn’t believe it. The truth is a lot of things sold at the thrift shop are in new or almost new condition. That’s when I made the decision to only buy second—hand things.

Selling second-hand things isn’t anything new but what the planet needs is more buyers. There is so much excess production in the world. So stop feeling ashamed, and let’s get shopping.

1. What does the underlined word “despise” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Think highly of.	B．Look down upon.
C．Get away from.	D．Keep up with.

2. Which following statement is true about people in Greek-Cypriot community?

A．They want to pursue a high standard of material life.

B．They all prefer wearing the latest fancy clothing.

C．They think highly of children’s education.

D．They get along well with their neighbors.

3. What changed the author’s mind to go to the thrift shop?

A．The great variety of the goods in the thrift shop.

B．The low cost of the goods in the thrift shop.

C．The persuasion of the author’s friends.

D．The wasted resources of new products and good quality of the thrift shop.

4. What’s the author’s main purpose in writing the text?

A．To introduce a new trend of buying at the thrift shop.

B．To persuade more people to buy at the thrift shop.

C．To encourage more people to pursue the latest fashion.

D．To raise people’s awareness of reasonable shopping.

【推荐3】Here is something about Christmas. Every year just after Christmas the January Sales start. All the shops reduce their prices for two weeks, and they are full of people looking for bargains. My husband and I do not normally go to the sales as we don’t like crowds and are short of money as we have to buy lots of Christmas presents.
Last year, however, I took my husband with me to the sales at the large shop in the center of London. We both needed some new clothes and were hoping to find a television set. When we got to Oxford Street, it was so crowded that we decided to split up and meet again at the underground station. So I left my husband and started looking around the shops. Unfortunately all the clothes were in very large sizes and so were not suitable for me. But I did buy a television at a very low price, so I felt quite pleased with myself.
When I arrived at the station, my husband was not there. So I sat down in a nearby cafe to have a cup of tea. I quickly finished my tea when I saw my husband and went out to meet him. He looked very happy. Then I saw he was carrying a large and heavy cardboard box. “Oh, dear!” I thought. Yes, we had no new clothes but two televisions. We shall not go to the sales again.
1. In January ________.

A．lots of people go shopping for something cheaper

B．people have a lot of money to spend after Christmas

C．all the shops close for a two-week Christmas holiday

D．people don’t have enough money to buy new clothes

2. The husband and the wife in the story ________.

A．wished to buy a TV

B．went to the sales the year before

C．often went to the sales to buy clothes

D．were usually not short of money after Christmas

3. The underlined phrase “split up” in the second paragraph probably means ________.

A．break apart	B．cause to break
C．break into pieces	D．go in different directions

4. After their day’s shopping, they ________.

A．were happy with their bargains

B．had got everything they wanted

C．got more than they had hoped for

D．had to go back to the sales the next day

【推荐1】If the food in the supermarket is not fresh anymore or is near the “sell-by-date”, it goes into trash bins. Every day, a large amount of food is wasted.

To cut down on food waste, France passed a new law last month. It forbids supermarkets to throw away unsold food. Instead, they must donate it to charities. For food that isn’t safe for humans to eat, it can be used as animal feed. If not, the supermarkets will face fines of up to 75,000 euros (around 542,200 yuan) or two years in prison. The law also encourages educational programs for schools and businesses about food waste.

France is the first country to make a law that forbids wasting food, but it is actually a worldwide problem. According to the United Nations , each year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted all over the world, and just 25 percent of that food could feed all the hungry people in the world.

The good thing is that people around the world are trying different things to deal with the food waste problem. Galdakao, Spain, put a public fridge in the center of town. Anyone can drop off food and anyone can come and take them. A supermarket in Canada, Loblaws, encourages people to buy “ugly food” by selling them at lower prices, so they won’t end up being wasted. In China, we also have the “clear your plate” campaign. This means you should eat everything on your plate or take away the food you haven’t eaten up.

1. The underlined words “sell-by date” in Paragraph 1 mean ______in Chinese.

A．销售期	B．购物节
C．保质期·	D．制造商

2. According to the new law, how do supermarkets deal with their unsold food?

A．They should throw it away as soon as possible.

B．They can donate it to poor people.

C．They can take the food home and cook it for dinner.

D．They must give it away to charities.

3. In Spain, a public fridge is put in the center of town in order to _______.

A．help people not to waste food

B．encourage people to buy “ugly food”

C．have people clear their plate

D．keep food to feed animals.

4. From the last paragraph, we can learn that________________

A．the food waste problem is becoming more serious.

B．People’s attitude towards wasting food is changing

C．every country should make a law to forbid wasting food.

D．a large amount of food is wasted every day.

【推荐3】As you are students of English, it’s very possible that you’ll be interested in England. That’s where the language was first spoken. But England is often called by other names. This often confuses people and I wonder if you know what these names mean. So, now I would like to tell you about this matter of names. I believe that you have heard people use the names—England, Britain or Great Britain. Let’s see what each of these names means.
If you look at a map of Europe, you’ll see a group of islands--one larger island off the northwest coast, one smaller and many tiny ones. These make up what is called the British Isles. The largest island of the British Isles is Britain. It is also called Great Britain. The smaller island is Ireland.
Britain is divided into three parts: Scotland, Wales and England. But sometimes the word “England” is used instead of “Britain”. Why so?
In ancient times, what is Britain now used to be three different countries. People in these different countries spoke different languages. Over many years the three countries became one. England is the largest and richest of the three and it has the most people. So the English people take it for granted that their own name stands for the whole island.
There’s another thing that confuses people: sometimes you may hear people say “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. That is the official name of the country. Northern Ireland is only one sixth of the island of Ireland. The rest of the island is an independent state, called the Republic of Ireland. So we have the names of “England”, “Britain”, “Great Britain”, and “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. Now do you know what each of them means?
1. English was first spoken in ____.

A．Britain

B．England

C．Great Britain

D．Ireland

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．Wales is the richest of the three.

B．Scotland is the largest of the three.

C．Sometimes England is used instead of Britain.

D．Britain is the only name of the largest island of British Isles.

3. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is _____.

A．part of Britain

B．part of British Isles

C．the official name of the whole country

D．the largest country of all mentioned in the passage

4. Which of the following is the best title?

A．Students of English

B．Different Names of England

C．Different Languages Spoken in England

D．The Republic of Ireland

【推荐1】As smog forced students to stay home, the online learning industry saw a sharp increase in consumers.

During the air pollution red alert from Dec. 8 to 10 last winter, the Beijing Commission of Education ordered all kindergartens, primary schools and middle schools to suspend classes (停课). But the commission urged that, "Teachers should guide students to make full use of digital materials and conduct online learning at home".

According to the China Education and Research Network, the number of new users of 17zuoye. com, an online homework platform, tripled (增至三倍) on Dec. 8 compared to the previous day.

Online courses companies also adopted special measures to meet students' demand for Internet learning during the red alert period. For example, New Oriental offered free online English classes for three days for school students as well as online question answering services.

Recent years have seen the popularity of online courses increase sharply in China. Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC), for example, originated in the United States but have become widespread in China since 2013. Some Chinese universities, including Tsinghua University and Peking University, have started their own MOOC platforms. "MOOCs have enlarged the time and space of teaching, fired up learners' interest, helped more people benefit from high quality educational resources and accelerated reform in many aspects of teaching," an official at the Ministry of Education told China Daily.

1. What were the teachers required to do during the red alert period?

A．Start MOOC platform.

B．Reform their way of teaching.

C．Guide students to learn via the Internet.

D．Work at home answering phones.

2. Who offered free online courses during the red alert?

A．New Oriental.	B．The Ministry of Education.
C．Tsinghua University.	D．Peking University.

3. The underlined words "fired up" in the last paragraph can be replaced by.

A．displayed	B．inspired
C．explained	D．destroyed

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Teach Online Courses

B．Stay Home, Get Online to Learn

C．Take Measures, Stop Air Pollution

D．Speed up Education Reform

【推荐2】India has a very vast history and heritage（遗产）. The country has witnessed some of the most important events in the past and every event has an effect of its own on the culture, religion, lifestyle, and economy of the country. This is one of the leading reasons why tourists prefer India to travel and explore. Historical tours in India provide everything that a traveler expects from his/her journey. These historical tours give an opportunity to study and explore Indian history.

Historical tours of India generally consisted of four phases: ancient, medieval（中世纪的）, modern India and contemporary（当代的）India. Some of the historical travel packages are:

Forts and Palaces

The rich cultural past of India is reflected in the countless（无数的）forts and palaces across the country. Most of the forts were constructed as a defense device to keep the enemy away and palaces were made on the names of the kings and queens. Some of the famous forts and palaces are: Agra Fort (Agra), Fatehpur Sikri (Agra), Hawa Mahal (Jaipur), Amber Fort (Jaipur), City Palace (Jaipur), Gwalior Fort (Gwalior), Mysore Palace (Mysore), Red Fort (Delhi), etc.

India Heritage Tours

The main purpose of India Heritage tours is to make Indians as well as tourists familiar with the rich Indian legacy（遗产）. The heritage of the country is at least 5000 years. Some of the heritage tours are: medieval heritage, Rajput heritage, Golden Triangle, splendid Gujarat, etc.

South India Historical Tours

The Southern India is known for its diversity and there are many places, which attract tourists, not only from the country but also from all around the world. The famous tourists’ destinations（景区）in South India include Goa, Cochin, Kerala, Munnar, Periyar, Kottayam and the list goes on and on.

1. The main purpose of this passage is               .

A．to report some important events in the history of India

B．to introduce some tours that can explore the history of India

C．to help study the culture and history of India

D．to tell us how to explore the history of India

2. Many tourists prefer to travel to and explore because               .

A．modern India has little to study

B．Indian people have an interesting lifestyle

C．its culture is greatly influenced by its history

D．India’s history is longer than that of any other country

3. Most forts were built in order to               .

A．honor the kings	B．act as a palace for queens
C．keep enemies away	D．attract tourists

4. According to the passage, Rajput heritage               .

A．is a famous fort in India

B．is one of the heritages in India

C．has a history of no more than 200 years

D．lies in South India

【推荐3】People in many parts of the world celebrate Arbor Day. They often celebrate by planting Iices. Many of the trees people plant on Arbor Day might live for 100 years or more. Some might live much longer.

Giant Sequoia

The giant sequoia is the world’s largest tree. One giant sequoia is also one of the oldest known trees. It is 3,500 years old. Giant sequoias grow on mountain slopes in eastern California where summers are dry and winters are snowy. The sequoias are one of redwoods.

Bristlecone Pine

The bristlecone pine is a long-living tree found in high mountains of the southwestern United States. The oldest bristlecone pine is 4,700 years old which makes it the oldest tree in the world. The tree is in California, but its exact location is kept secret because an even older bristlecone pine was cut down 45 years ago.

Sugi

The sugi, which grows in Japan, is often called the Japanese red cedar. It can grow to be 230 feet tall. It looks similar to a giant sequoia, but it has harder bark and longer leaves. The sugi is often planted along roads. Many sugis planted along those roads centuries ago are still living today. The oldest is 3,000 years old.

Huon pine

The huon pine grows in the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is a slow growing and long-living tree. The oldest one is 2,500 years old. For many years, the huon pine was cut down for its beautiful golden wood. Today, however, laws protect the huon pine from being cut down.

1. Which tree is the oldest in the world?

A．The huon pine.	B．The sugi.
C．The bristlecone pine.	D．The giant sequoia.

2. What can we know about the Sugi?

A．It’s the national tree of Japan.	B．It looks like a giant sequoia.
C．It is often planted in schools.	D．It prefers wet and cold winter.

3. Why was the Huon Pine cut down?

A．Its wood was attractive.	B．It grew too slowly.
C．Its bark was harder.	D．It was common.

【推荐1】As parents continue trying to figure out what to expect with the upcoming school year, some parents are considering alternative education options for their children. While homeschooling is a growing interest to some parents due to the risk of COVID-19, they may not have the resources or time for it.

This is where a method called micro-schooling comes into play. Kansas learning Academy and Preschool owner Sherry Staving who teaches traditional school topics has adopted micro-schooling, which allows parents to choose the curriculum（课程） they want their children to learn.

She said a few parents have asked her if she could homeschool their children in the fall because they have COVID-19 concerns. She's been working with a teacher in the community to put together a micro-schooling plan that she said is essentially a mix between homeschooling and private school.

With micro-schooling children would be out of a traditional classroom, but also not stuck at home. With the concept, a small group would meet at a home. With the method locally, Staving would monitor and facilitate the curriculum parents want for their children.

"I was researching micro-schooling and it is really a great concept because parents still have control over their kids' education," Stavig said. She believes the recent increase in interest in home-schooling results from fear of the unknown." People don't know what to do, so they're scared, worried, and nervous." Stavig said. "So I think that's why people are looking more towards home-schooling because they know what they can control."

With her role facilitating curriculum for micro-schooling, Stavig said she won't require masks but will have temperature checks and daily sanitation（卫生设备）. Students with COVID-19 symptoms won't be able to return without a doctor's note.

1. What can we learn about micro-schooling?

A．Parents can select the curriculum for kids.

B．Kids will learn in traditional classrooms in groups.

C．The concept has been poorly received recently.

D．The idea will replace traditional schools in the future.

2. What is Stavig's attitude towards micro-schooling?

A．Tolerant.	B．Unwilling.
C．Unconcerned.	D．Positive.

3. What are students required to do in micro-schools to ensure safety?

A．Wear masks.	B．Avoid studying together.
C．Take the temperature.	D．Avoid touching each other.

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

A．To stress the importance of the curriculum.

B．To warn people of the risk of COVID-19.

C．To introduce a rising trend of learning.

D．To encourage parents to teach kids.

【推荐2】Bum rate is the speed at which a startup business consumes money. My rate would be $ 50,000 a month when my new media company started. So, I began looking around for individuals who would be my first investors. “Angel money” it was called. But when I reviewed my list of acquaintances to find those who might be able to help, I found the number got small.
　　With no other choices, I began meeting with the venture-capital companies. But I was warned they took a huge share of your company for the money they put in. And if you struggled, they could drop you cold.
　　As I was searching for “angel money”, I started to build a team who trusted me even though I didn't have money for paychecks yet.
　　Bill Becker was an expert in computer programming and image processing at a very famous Media Lab at M. I.T. With his arrival, my company suddenly had a major technology “guy” in-house.
　　Katherine Henderson, a filmmaker and a former real-estate dealer, joined us as our director of market research. Steve White came on as operating officer. He had worked for the developer of a home-finance software, Quicken. We grabbed him.
　　We had some really good people, but we still didn't have enough money. One night, my neighbor, Louise Johnson, came for a visit. She and I were only nodding acquaintances, but her boys and ours were constant companions. She ran a very good business at the time.
　　Louise was brilliant and missed nothing. She had been watching my progress closely. She knew I was dying for money and I had prospects but could offer no guarantees of success.
　　She told me that her attorney had talked to mine and the terms had been agreed upon. She handed me an envelope. Inside was a check for $ 500,000.
　　I almost fell down. I heard her voice as if from heaven.
　　“I have confidence in your plan,” she said. “You' 11 do well. You're going to work hard for it, but it' s satisfying when you build your own company.”
　　Who would have thought I'd find an angel so close to home? There were no words sufficient for the moment. We just said good night. She left and I just stood there, completely humbled and completely committed.
1. For a newly-established business, bum rate refers to___________.

A．the salary it pays to its staff

B．the interest it pays to the bank

C．the way in which it raises capital

D．the speed at which it spends money

2. By "Angel money", the author refers to__________.

A．the money borrowed from banks

B．the money spent to promote sales

C．the money raised from close friends

D．the money needed to start a business

3. To get help from a venture-capital company, you may have to__________.

A．put up with unfair terms	B．change your business line
C．enlarge your business scope	D．let them operate your business

4. The author easily built a team for his company because__________.

A．they were underpaid at their previous jobs

B．they were turned down by other companies

C．they were confident of the author and his business

D．they were satisfied with the salaries in his company

5. Louise decided to lend money to the author because__________.

A．she wanted to join his company

B．she knew he would build a team

C．she knew his plan would succeed

D．she wanted to help promote his sales