【推荐1】It was 2012, and somewhere on a cassava (木暑)and banana farm in rural Tanzania, there were four of us standing in a circle: me, two farmers named Joyce and Elijah, and the former secretary general of the United Nations，Kofi Annan.

Elijah and Joyce did most of the talking. They told us how this farm was unlike any they had worked on; how there were improved crop varieties and new tools to process the harvest. There was even a daycare centre near the farm. This way, women could spend more time selling what they grew* I rattled off (不假思索地说出)some questions. Do you sell your cassava only here一or do you ship it somewhere else? How far is the market? Have you seen a difference in your yields? Kofi, though, mostly listened.

Later, after we left the fields and walked towards the daycare centre where there was a bigger crowd, Kofi started talking. He was telling jokes, trying to put everyone at ease, and doing a very good job of it. The man had the deepest, most infectious laugh I’ve ever heard and an incredibly commanding voice. He sounded like an actor playing himself.

Kofi and I had attended a lot of the same UN events, and he’d visited our foundation’s offices in Seattle a few times, so I’d seen him charm a room before. But this day on the cassava farm was different. He was completely at home here. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised: Kofi Annan, of all the world leaders I had met, had spent the most time thinking about how to help places like this farm and people like Joyce and Elijah.

When my husband Bill and I started our foundation in 2000，we still had so many questions about the best ways to fight poverty and disease, and Kofi, it seemed, already had the answers. That year, he’d written a manifesto (宣目)about the UN’s role in the 21st century. In its final pages, he’d included a set of targets around poverty and disease reduction that he wanted the world to achieve by 2015. These became known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and at first, critics dismissed them immediately. Cut extreme poverty in half? Stop the spread of HIV, malaria and TB, the three greatest killers in poor countries? At best, it was overly optimistic.

Kofi wasn’t satisfied with just setting the goals, though. He wanted to push the world to achieve them. No other secretary general was so able to connect the UN’s heart with its brain, its mission to lift up the sick and the poor with an effective plan for doing so. He was a master，too, at bringing world leaders along for the ride.

Today, there are 27 million people alive who would have otherwise died from HIV-related illness, TB or malaria And they live, in large part, because Kofi gathered the world to establish the Global Fund, which pays for medicines and things that prevent those diseases from spreading, such as mosquito nets. The world met its goal of halving the global poverty rate by 2015; in fact, it did so five years ahead of schedule, in 2010. “Development experts，” one observer wrote, “are still rubbing their eyes.

When he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001，Kofi said that “today’s real borders are not between nations, but between the powerful and powerless”. He saw Africa’s small farmers as part of the latter camp and wanted to give them a way to lift themselves out of poverty. This was what led us to that cassava farm back in 2012.

I remember that after our visit that day, Kofi thanked me for the foundation’s work. He was generous in his praise，and then he gave me a nickname. “Mama Melinda，’’ he called me.

It was a term of respect, typically given to an elder, and I felt honored but surprised. Mama Melinda? If there was one person who deserved such an honour, I thought it wasn’t me.

1. Kofi Annan’s inspection of the farm is mentioned to .

A．introduce the carefree lifestyle of African people

B．illustrate his close relationship with African farmers

C．emphasize the gravity of poverty in African countries

D．show his concern for the poverty-relief work in Africa

2. We can know from the passage that the MDG .

A．failed to win support from leaders of the world

B．was too ambitious and optimistic to be successful

C．focused more on the goals than effective measures

D．revealed Kofi ’ s extraordinary wisdom and capability

3. What can we infer from the underlined part in Para.7?

A．It was hard to see where the hope lay.

B．The success of the MDG was unbelievable .

C．The development experts were moved to tears.

D．The long-term commitment made people sleepy.

4. We can learn from Kofi’s words in Para.8 that .

A．the powerful people rule over the powerless masses

B．the powerful nations often occupy their powerless neighbors

C．the gap between the rich and the poor separates the world apart

D．the rich and the poor countries should compromise on border issues

5. Which of the following can be used to describe Kofi Annan?

A．Charming, aggressive and stubborn.	B．Ambitious, easy-going and dutiful.
C．Conservative, humorous and positive.	D．Bureaucratic, sympathetic and generous.

6. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Mama Melinda: a nickname with great honour.

B．The UN: an organization full of different voices.

C．Africa: a land blessed with considerable opportunities.

D．Kofi Annan: a statesman devoted to global development.

【推荐2】More than four decades ago, British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that ground－breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF(体外受精) and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

The prize for Dr. Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a ￡900，000 cheque. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as “a milestone in modern medicine”.

With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester－born physiologist developed IVF — leading to the birth of the world's first test tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility(生育) treatment and given hope to millions of couples.

It was a scientific breakthrough that changed the lives of millions of couples. They said, “His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes humans unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind, including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.”

Professor Edwards, who has 5 daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955.He once said, “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.” With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridgeshire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30, 000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11，000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.

But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was “unethical and immoral”.

Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive(生殖的) sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said, “We couldn't understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted — this is the cherry on the cake for him.”

Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was “thrilled and delighted”.

1. What is Robert Edwards' contribution to science?

A．Challenging a disease which stops couples having a baby.

B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing.

C．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life.

D．Helping couples with infertility to have test tube babies.

2. What does the underlined word “afflicting” in Paragraph 4 most probably refer to?

A．Troubling.	B．Developing.
C．Improving.	D．Frightening.

3. It can be inferred from Paragraph 6 and Paragraph 7 that ________.

A．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded

B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards' work

C．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough

D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards

B．Preparations for Having a Baby

C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards

D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab

【推荐3】I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch (大牧场) in San Isidro. He lets me use his house to hold events to raise money for youth at risk programs.

The last time I was there he greeted me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of a poor horse trainer who would go from stable (马厩) to stable, farm to farm, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school was continually interrupted (打断). One day in the last year of high school, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to do when he grew up.

“He wrote a seven-page paper about his goal of owning a horse ranch in great detail. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and even drew a detailed floor plan for the dream ranch. Then the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. But he got a low mark with a note that read, ‘See me after class.’

“The boy went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive a low mark?’”

“The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from a poor family. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, ‘If you will rewrite this paper, I will reconsider your mark.’

he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’

“Finally, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He wrote, ‘You can keep the low mark and I’ll keep my dream.’”

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Monty Roberts?   (     )

A．He was born in a poor family.

B．He received a good education.

C．He is raising money for the poor.

D．He is a horse trainer who owns a big ranch.

2. From Paragraph 3, we know Monty Roberts _____.

A．was just a daydreamer

B．had a great plan for his future

C．decided to follow his father’s example

D．expected the teacher to praise him

3. The teacher thought Monty Roberts’s dream was _____.

A．strange	B．great
C．pleasant	D．impossible

4. From the end of the text, we can infer that Monty Roberts was very _____.

A．determined	B．clever
C．careful	D．active

【推荐1】The Wonderful World of Makeup

As a busy mom, my makeup routine has changed significantly. Unless it’s a special occasion, I won’t spend much time on it. However, despite my speedy routine, makeup is fun.     1     I also enjoy freebies (赠品) very much. You too? Thought so. Let’s get started.

Be realistic. Are you a person who likes simplicity?     2     Besides time, how much money are you willing to invest in products? Do you know your skin type? Knowing how your skin reacts is important. Once you have a realistic idea of what you want to do, your skin type, and how much money you are willing to spend, you’re on your way.

Research. Think about your budget and check out different brands online. One of the very best websites and beauty retailers online is Sephora. The Sephora website gives you detailed information on each brand. Want to go green? Sephora has a great deal of information on green and natural products suited for every budget.

    3     Once you’ve got an idea about brands, try it out. Sephora’s in-store product samples are enough and you are allowed and encouraged to give makeup a test. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

    4     When you make a purchase from Sephora, you always get to choose three free samples. If you join its Beauty Insider program, you will earn reward points that can be redeemed (兑现) for more samples, other products, and a free beautiful gift on your birthday.

A word on expensive brands. Some of the expensive brands really do have superior staying power and last a long time.     5     Personally, I like to mix things up (higher end with drugstore brands).

A．They are investments for our skins after all.

B．When time allows, I love playing with different colors and trying new products.

C．There’s no pressure to buy — just come and learn.

D．Don’t be shy away from drugstore brands.

E．Take advantage of freebies.

F．Try before you buy.

G．Do you prefer the 5-minute or less routine?