【推荐1】Today, people who are deaf and blind can receive a standard education. Schools and organizations help them make the necessary adaptations.     1     At one time, educators had few ideas about how to teach children who were both deaf and blind.

Laura Dewey Bridgman may have been the first deaf and blind person to learn how to read and write. She was born in New Hampshire on December 21, 1829. Scarlet fever destroyed both her hearing and her sight at age two.     2     Only her sense of touch was not affected. A local handyman, Asa Tenny taught her to communicate using a system of signs. A professor heard about this and wrote a newspaper article about Laura.

    3     He was head of the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. Most educational experts believed it was impossible to teach a deaf and blind student reading, writing, or arithmetic. Dr. Howe wanted to meet a new challenge-teaching Laura. At age 8, Laura began living at the Perkins School. Dr. Howe needed to develop new methods of teaching because of Laura's deafness. He had Laura feel an item, such as a spoon, and then ran her fingers over a label that had the word spoon spelled in raised letters. Initially Laura struggled to understand the relationship between the item and the word.     4    

Laura learned to read words, and then she worked backward to learn the alphabet and numbers.     5     Previously, people had little knowledge of what went on in the mind of a deaf and blind person. Laura showed that she was as intelligent and capable as anyone. She helped show the world how intelligent and successful a deaf and blind person could be.

A．However, this was not always the case.

B．The article attracted the attention of Dr. Samuel Howe.

C．The illness also damaged her senses of smell and taste.

D．Finally, after several weeks, her face lighted up with human expression.

E．She had few ways of expressing her thoughts or interacting with other people.

F．Eventually she was able to keep a journal of her thoughts and experiences.

G．After three years, she returned to Perkins, where she lived for the rest of her life.

【推荐3】The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt：“The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place. Can’t you see things from my point of view?”I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth. I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.

“If you come by right now,” the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in.”

I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?

In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around. I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one.

When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don’t worry. The dentist is very good.”

“How long do I have to wait for him?” I asked impatiently.

“Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax, and enjoy the artwork.” The assistant said.

“The artwork? ” I was puzzled.

The chair went back, suddenly I smiled. There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling. How considerate the dentist was！At that moment, I began to understand what my friend meant by her words.

What a relief！

1. Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?

A．Cheerful.

B．Nervous.

C．Satisfied.

D．Upset.

2. What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?

A．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists.

B．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice.

C．The surroundings of the dentist’s office.

D．The laughing assistant of the dentist.

3. Why did the author suddenly smile?

A．Because the dentist came at last.

B．Because the chair went back.

C．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling.

D．Because the assistant kept comforting her.

【推荐1】I was 11 years old when asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the fallout of the recession(经济衰退). She said a polite "no".

That didn't stop me. I Googled the measurements for a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one - keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.

I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn't afford lessons again. I passed grade three, then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.

One evening, When I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I'd played for her. She was in shock.

My school didn't offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. The tryouts(选拔) were difficult. Some of the questions involved an estimation (评价) of the composer(作曲家) or when it was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement I was offered a place.

At Purcell, I spent two years working as hard as I could. I performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.

When I left Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud: it's been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I'm at one of the world's leading music schools.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano: What we call mental practice. The paper piano helped spark my curiosity about how music works, the building blocks that form the pieces.

1. Why did the author's mom buy him lessons at last?

A．She suddenly made a fortune.

B．She realized he meant what he said,

C．She had no doubt of his talent for piano.

D．She was shocked by his first performance.

2. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Honest.	B．Humorous.
C．Determined.	D．Rebellious.

3. The word “irony” in the last paragraph shows that the author was      .

A．surprised	B．proud
C．satisfied	D．curious

4. What's the author's main purpose of writing this article?

A．To introduce the method of mental practice.

B．To encourage people to stick to their dreams.

C．To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.

D．To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.

【推荐2】Hobbies

Hobbies play an important role in our life. Most people have a lot of free time available but seldom use it gainfully.     1     There are many hobbies from which you can pick and you can choose one that suits your talents.

Once you have decided to start a hobby, it will be wise to go through a list of popular hobbies and choose one that is close to your heart and can make you feel confident. Some of the most popular hobbies that people generally take to are reading, listening to music, gardening, fishing, sports, music, exercise and computer-related activities.     2     Once you start, you seldom think of giving it up.

Learning a new hobby is really a wonderful experience. As you progress, you will be living in a new world and learning new skills. You will begin to discover your hidden talents that you didn’t know. You will start reading more about your hobby, meeting other hobbyists with similar interests, exchanging views and building friend circles both near and far.     3     In these games you will get the opportunity to meet others on a regular basis and develop great relationship.

    4     They can help you keep good health and remain fit. On the other hand, if you are young and take a great interest in sports, you can develop your skills and finally get financially rewarded too. Similarly, gardening provides the hobbyist with enjoyable pastime and opportunity for relaxation. At the same time they get the rewards of their labor.

People take up hobbies for interest, enjoyment and relaxation. Over a period of time, you might develop outstanding skills and get financially rewarded.     5    

A．Each of these hobbies can give you great benefits.

B．This will change when you play games like golf, basketball or tennis.

C．Most importantly, the main aim of having a hobby is for personal satisfaction.

D．Physical hobbies like sports and gardening can be very rewarding.

E．This will be more so if you take up games like golf, basketball or tennis.

F．Although these hobbies can benefit you a lot, you may not keep them forever.

G．They would rather chat with their friends than use their talents and start a hobby.

【推荐3】Do you have a hobby? Something you look forward to spending your time with? Something you love to do?    1     Or making model airplanes. Sketching. Or making useful things out of waste material. It could be a musical instrument that you love playing. Or singing and dancing.

There are many things that a hobby can give you, apart from an enjoyable time. Sashay was a shy boy but through his interest in model airplanes he learned the value of sticking to a task until it was finished. His model airplane club brought him to get into touch with similar souls.    2    

Having a hobby helps you relax and get away from the routines of school.    3     You really need this well deserved one, too! It gives you focus, self dependence, confidence and builds your personality. This is an opportunity to lose yourself in an enjoyable activity, away from the pressure of school, so at the end of it, you feel relaxed and yet, mentally charged.

Your hobby defines you.    4    And it also shows you what you are good at, and how far you can go, when you apply yourself.

    5    .For a hobby is: Happiness: something which you look forward to doing. Opportunity: to nurture and develop your special and unique skills and celebrate them. Believe in yourself: makes you understand your strong advantages and improves your confidence. Best in you: brings out your best—for in each one of us there is a best that is only ours. YOU gives you a unique character, and makes you YOU!

A．So go ahead and develop a hobby.

B．It gives you a break.

C．It proves your ability.

D．Hobbies show your character.

E．It shows your special skills.

F．It could be collecting something.

G．He learned to make friends for the first time.