【推荐1】While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. “English is easier for me. Chinese characters (汉字) have too many strokes (笔画),” said Piao. “But I want to learn it. I want to study at Beijing University when I grow up.” Piao is from Korea. He came to China in 2008.

In Korea, there are more than 300, 000 Chinese learners like Piao. Some Korean students begin to learn to write the language on their first day at school. To help students learn Chinese, Korea holds speaking competitions for high school students every year.

Chinese isn’t just popular in Korea. People from all the world want to learn it. The Ministry of Education of China says that nearly 130 million people from 85 countries are learning Chinese. This number will be increasing to 800 million in the coming years.

In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. Some American middle schools have Chinese classes. Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots (中国结). Some even try to write and draw in the Chinese way!

People want to learn Chinese because China is becoming such an important country. Foreign countries want to understand China better to help them with business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. It has sent more than 200 Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Many more Confucius Institutes (孔子学院) will be set up in the world. These institutes will teach Chinese to foreign students.

1. Which of the following is the topic sentence for the text?

A．Chinese has become popular among foreign kids.

B．Chinese can be more difficult to learn.

C．In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish.

D．Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots.

2. Where does Piao Chenglong come from?

A．China.

B．America.

C．Korea.

D．Spain.

3. According to the text, some American middle school students learn to do the following EXCEPT ________.

A．making jiaozi

B．writing and drawing in the Chinese way

C．tying Chinese knots

D．singing Chinese songs

4. Why do foreign people want to learn Chinese?

A．Because Chinese is getting more important in their schools.

B．Because Chinese characters have too many strokes.

C．Because the number of people learning Chinese will be 800 million.

D．Because China is becoming more and more important in the world.

【推荐2】Canada is a bilingual country with "co-official" languages. English and French enjoy equal status as the official languages of the country. This means that the public has the right to communicate with and receive services from federal(联邦的)government institutions in either English or French. Federal government employees have the right to work in the official language of their choice in bilingual regions.

Like the United States, Canada started as a colony. Beginning in the 1500s, it was part of New France but later became a British colony after the Seven Years' War. As a result, the Canadian government officially recognized the languages of both colonizers: France and England. The Constitution(宪法)Act of 1867 legally accepts the use of both languages in federal courts. Years later, Canada strengthened its commitment to bilingualism when it passed the Official Languages Act of 1969, which restated the constitutional origins of its co-official languages and set out the protections afforded by its dual-language status.

Recognition of both English and French protects the rights of all Canadians. Among other benefits, the 1969 Act recognized that Canadian citizens should be able to access federal laws and government documents, whether their native language was French or English. The general law also requires that consumer products feature bilingual packaging throughout the country.

The Canadian federal government is committed to advancing the equality of status and use of the English and French languages, within Canadian society. However, the reality is that some Canadians speak English, and of course, some Canadians speak the other language entirely.

Although the federal government theoretically guarantees bilingual services in all areas, there are many regions of Canada where English is the clear majority language, so the local government does not always seek services in French in those regions. Canadians use the phrase "where numbers warrant" to determine whether a local population's language usage requires bilingual services from the federal government.

While many Canadians are bilingual, they are not only speaking English or French. Statistics Canada finds that more than 200 languages that were not English or French, were reported as a language spoken by its people. About two-thirds of the respondents who spoke one of these languages also spoke either English or French.

1. The acceptance of two official languages in Canada is due to______________.

A．the language-using tradition caused by Canada's colonial history

B．the convenience for business dealings by using two languages in the country

C．the welcome attitude toward immigrates from all over the world.

D．the mastery of two languages of Canadians because of school education

2. In reality whether bilingual service provided by the federal government is necessary in different districts is decided by_____________.

A．the legal order from the federal government

B．the popularity of the language in the world

C．the number of schools teaching the language

D．the number of local people using the language

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．English has gained superior legal position to French because of bigger number of users in Canada.

B．The legal court usage of French and English was established in Canada in 1969.

C．Both French and English should be used on products in Canada according to federal law.

D．Canadian people speak either French or English in social communication.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The advantages of using multiple languages in Canada.

B．The history and current situation of two languages used in Canada.

C．The disadvantaged status of the French language used in Canada.

D．Canadians' advancement in balancing two languages in business world.

【推荐3】Millions of people all over the world use the word okay.In fact，some people say the word is used more often than any other word in the world.

It may be common，but no one can seem to agree on how the“OK”came to be.

Okay means“all right”or“acceptable”.It expresses agreement or approval.You might ask your brother，“Is it okay if I borrow your car?”Or if someone asks you to do something，you might say，“Okay，I will.”Still，language experts do not agree about where the word came from.

Some people say it came from the Native American Indian tribe known as the Choctaw.The Choctaw word“okeh”means the same as the American word okay.Experts say early explorers in the American West spoke the Choctaw language in the nineteenth century.The language spread across the country.

But many people dispute(不同意)this.

Language expert Allen Walker Read wrote about the word okay in reports published in the 1960s.He said the word began being used in the 1830s.It was a short way of writing a different spelling of the words“all correct.”Some foreign-born people wrote“all correct”as“o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t.”and used the letters O.K.

Other people say a railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly invented the word long ago.They said he put the first letters of his names—O and K—on each object people gave him to send on the train.

Still others say a political organization invented the word.The organization supported Martin Van Buren for president in 1840.They called their group，the O.K.Club.The letters were taken from the name of the town where Martin Van Buren was born—Old Kinderhook，New York.

Not everyone agrees with this explanation，either.But experts do agree that the word is purely American.And it has spread to almost every country on Earth.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．How the word Okay came into being.

B．The different meanings of the word Okay.

C．The dispute of the origin of the word Okay.

D．How widely the word Okay is used.

2. What does the underlined word Okay express in the 2nd example in Paragraph 3?

A．Promise.

B．Admission.

C．Permission.

D．Correctness.

3. How many explanations are given about the origin of the word Okay?

A．3.

B．4.

C．5.

D．6.

4. What do language experts agree on?

A．Okay is the most widely-used word.

B．It came from some Indian dialect.

C．It was invented by a politician.

D．It is first used by Americans.

【推荐1】Mr. Guo is a teacher from Xi’an. He asked his students to hand in their homework through a QR code(二维码). “We spent an hour or two in class learning how to generate (产生) the codes, and in the end everything gets easier” said Gao. “When students finish the homework, they keep it on WeChat. Then, each student makes his own QR code and gives it to me. So I can check their work everywhere using my computer or telephone.”

The QR codes can be sent to Mr. Guo by email, QQ and WeChat. When Guo scans(扫描)his students’ QR codes, their homework appears on his phone. He finds that their homework becomes more creative, with many pictures, music and even videos.

Guo’s students like the new way and think it is interesting. “We are living in the information age. Many students like to work with computers, which makes learning more fun,” said Tingting, a student of Guo’s.

“The paper is not easy to keep, but the code is easy to keep and share,” Guo said. “It is worth trying to use new technology in education. Education itself is a kind of creation. I don’t want my students to fall behind the times.”

However, some parents are worried. They are afraid that their children will spend too much time on computers and less time communicating with teachers. But in fact, it’s unnecessary. Students still need to look up information in books and write it down when they do their homework. They only use the code when they hand in their homework, which doesn’t take them too much time. Also for teachers, it allows them to check the Students’ work at any time. And it’s also an easy way to share homework with other students.

1. According to the passage, students can keep their homework on________.

A．WeChat

B．QQ

C．e-mail

D．blog

2. Guo’s students think the new way is________.

A．strange

B．boring

C．interesting

D．unnecessary

3. Some parents are worried, because they think their children will________.

A．talk with teachers face to face

B．spend too much time on computers

C．not like the new way of handing in homework

D．find the QR codes too difficult to use

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Teachers needn’t check homework any more.

B．Students needn’t hand in homework any more.

C．Using QR codes makes checking homework easier.

D．Some parents are worried about their children.

【推荐2】Could being a little overweight help you live longer? A new international analysis (分析) shows a surprising answer: while obesity (肥胖) increases the risk of dying early, being slightly overweight reduces it. These studies included almost 3 million adults from around the world, yet the results were clearly the same, the authors of the analysis said.

“If you have a medical condition, your chances, of living are slightly better if you are a bit on the heavy side,” says study author Katherine Flegal, “Several factors may contribute to this finding.”

“Heavier people may tend to see the doctor earlier,” she says, “and may be more likely to be treated according to the doctor’s advice. Obesity itself may protect the heart, or someone who is heavier might be better able to fight against a shock to the system.”

For the study, Flegal’s team collected data on more than 2.88 million people included in 97 studies. The researchers looked at the participants’ (参与者) body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat that takes into consideration a person’s height and weight.

The researchers found that, compared with people of normal weight, overweight people had a 6 percent lower risk of death. Obese people, however, had an 18 percent higher risk. For those who were the least obese, the risk of death was 5 percent lower than people of normal weight, but for those who were the most obese, the risk of death was 29 percent higher, the findings showed.

While the study found a relation between weight and the risk of early death, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Indeed, one expert warmed that body weight alone cannot tell health and the risk of death.

“There are other factors that play a role in health,” says Dr. William, a professor at Louisiana State University. “BMI simply is a parameter (参数); it doesn’t take family history, smoking, fitness, and other factors into consideration.”

1. What did Flegal’s team do for their study?

A．They interviewed almost 3 million adults.	B．They did 97 experiments with fat people.
C．They collected data on 2.88 million people.	D．They talked with doctors for medical conditions.

2. Compared with people of normal weight, the least obese people had a(n)______ risk of death.

A．5 percent lower

B．6 percent lower

C．18 percent higher

D．29 percent higher

3. Which of the following may Dr. William agree with?

A．Weight contributes to the risk of early death.

B．Weight has no relation with the risk of death.

C．BMI is only a factor to judge people’s health.

D．BMI alone can tell people’s health conditions.

4. What can be the suitable title for the passage?

A．Obesity kills	B．The thinner, the healthier
C．BMI counts	D．A bit overweight, a longer life

【推荐3】If you're reading this, you were probably born in the 2000s. The oh-ohs(00后）．The 21^st century. That would make you young,creative, connected, global,and no doubt smart. Maybe good-looking,too. Right? But what do other people think about your generation?

Some adults worry that you're more interested in the screen in front of you than the world around you. They think of you as the“face-down generation” because you use your phone so much and they wonder how you will deal with school, friends,and family. Are today's teenagers too busy texting and taking selfies(自拍）to become successful in real life-or“IRL”， as you would say?

Other adults worry that today's youth are spoilt(宠坏的）and don't want to face the challenges of adult life. Many children born in the 1990s and 2000s were raised by"helicopter parents” who were always there to guide and help them with a busy schedule filled with homework and extra-curricular activities such as dancing, drawing, or sports. With partners who do everything for them, today's youth seem to prefer to live like teenagers even when they are in their 20s or 30s.

Does the face-down generation need a heads-up?Well,probably not. The fact is that many of today's teenagers are better educated and more creative than past generations. They also seem to be enthusiastic(热情的）and willing to become leaders. More young people than ever volunteer to help their communities. There are also brave young people such as Malala Yousafzai,the teenager who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for pushing girls' rights to go to school.

So if you're one of the oh-ohs,there's reason to be hopeful about the future. Things are looking up for the face-down generation. Chances are that you will do GR8(great) and LOL（laugh out loud).

1. Today's teenagers are thought of as the face-down generation because

A．They are busy texting

B．They use their phones a lot

C．They deal with school and family with their phones

D．They become successful with their phones

2. What does"helicopter parents" mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Parents who prefer to live like teenagers

B．Parents who often fly everywhere for their business

C．Parents who do dancing, drawing or sports with their children

D．Parents who always guide and help children with homework and extra-curricular activities

3. What does the writer think about the face-down generation?

A．They are annoyed.

B．They are powerful.

C．They are spoilt.

D．They are positive.

4. What's the best title of this passage?

A．The face-down generation

B．The young generation

C．The generation gap

D．The future generation

【推荐1】Summer Camp Jobs

Looking to have the best summer experience ever? Our camps employ staff (员工) for a number of roles, including camp counselors (顾问), water and sports specialists, and arts, theatre and outdoor adventure specialists. It would be better if you have any experience in working with children! JCUSA (Jewish Camps USA) will work with you to find the most suitable role and camp for you.

What you are going to do

This is a job like no other; we personally get to know you and our most important thing is to make sure that you go to a camp that suits all of your situations.

★The right overnight camp-you can select this kind of camp to have a start. Don’t worry, you will feel comfortable and right at home.

★The correct role-At camp there are many different roles and we will decide together from your application and interview what will suit you best. We will look into your previous experiences and focus on what you need for your future to give you the chance to do something you love every day.

★Camp ready-you will have specific training for your role at camp so you will go fully prepared for your job. You will be part of a group going to camp and will know everyone before going.

What we offer

★You will get paid in your first year between $1,650 and $2,400 upon completion of your camp task.

★The chance to go with a group of JCUSA staff and to meet them before you arrive at your own camp.

★Travel around the USA for up to 60 days!

What we ask

★At least finished high school-you must be 18 by 2020.

★You are someone who is energetic, outgoing and looking for a cultural summer experience.

★You do not need to be Jewish to apply to work at a Jewish summer camp.

1. Which of the following experience is an advantage for an applicant to get the job?

A．Having a night job.	B．Working with kids.
C．Studying abroad.	D．Being a gardener.

2. What will the new staff get?

A．A new specific training card.

B．A salary of more than $2,400 a month.

C．A chance to travel around the world for 60 days.

D．A chance to work with a group of JCUSA staff.

3. Which is unnecessary for the new staff?

A．They must be 18 or older by 2020.

B．They should at least graduate from high school.

C．They need to be Jewish for a Jewish summer camp.

D．They should be outgoing and willing to camp.

【推荐2】

The Everyman

Watt

A wide-eyed stranger gets down from a country train. The destination（目的地）：Mr Knott’s house. The task: to serve. The story of a manservant in the home of his unseen master, Samuel Beckett’s 1953 novel comes to the stage in a one-man production starring one of the greatest interpreters（演绎的人）of the writer in the world—Barry McGovern．

Dates: Mar 10-12

Tel: 021 450 1673

Kilkenny

Queen of Technicolour—The Story of Maureen O’Hara

This one-woman show marks the centenary（一百周年）of Irish actress Maureen O’Hara who was born in 1920. Star of Hollywood’s golden age, she played roles that often showed her true character as a tough and courageous woman. Written and performed by Elaine O’Dwyer, this is a journey with Maureen, showing the person she was behind the stage．

Date: Mar 21

Tel: 056 776 1674

Town Hall Theatre

3 Hail Mary’s

A comedy taking Ireland by storm, 3 Hail Mary’s centres on three characters named Mary who have lived in a nursing home together for over 10 years and have become great friends. However, they are being moved to three separate nursing homes. The play is set around their last few hours together as they decide to celebrate them in style．

Dates: Mar 19-21

Tel: 091 569 777

Cork Arts Theatre

Julia

Presented by the Polish Arts Festival, Julia is the story of a women’s journey into her inner self through her life experiences. Her feelings onstage are shown in the form of a dancer and the voice of the soul is revealed by singing and music. The performance is bilingual (Polish-English). Also at the Cork Arts Theatre: Beyond the Curtain Mar 30-Apr 1

Date: Mar 22

Tel: 021 450 5624

1. Where is the performance that is based on a novel showed?

A．The Everyman．	B．Kilkenny．
C．Town Hall Theatre．	D．Cork Arts Theatre．

2. Which number may Maureen O’Hara’s fans call for information?

A．091 569 777．	B．021 450 5624．
C．021 450 1673．	D．056 776 1674．

3. What is special about Julia?

A．It will be showed in April．

B．It is performed in two languages．

C．It invites Polish musicians to play the music．

D．It is created based on the performers’ experiences．

【推荐3】Use your American Express Card to enjoy a one-day visit to any one of America’s greatest museums below, and you will not want to miss their exciting special exhibitions.

City	Museum	Exhibition time	Activity	Website
Boston	Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum	February 11 -- May 8, 2017	Italian furniture expert Fausto Calderai and Indian photographer Dayanita Singh present an exhibition of chairs from the museum’s collection and “chair photographs” from around the world. They are presented in a Venetian-style hall housing world-famous masterpieces.	gardnermuseum.org
New York	The Noguchi Museum	May 1 -- December 1, 2017	Noguchi’s long-term co-work with dancer Martha Graham is regarded by many   as a high point in the history of both modern dance and art. The exhibition highlights nine of the sets created through this co-work. For more information→	noguchi.org Philadelphia
Philadelphia	Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts	January 11--April 10, 2017	Founded in 1805,the Pennsylvania Academy has been home to America’s artists for more than 200 years. The Academy collects and exhibits a great number of works of famous American artists, and it is also well-known for training fine artists.	pafA.org
Seattle	Seattle Museum of Glass	March 7- May 7, 2017	This exhibition includes over 200 pieces of beautiful glass from Murano, the island of glass-blowers near Venice,Italy. Watch live glass-blowing shows in the Hot Shop and see other modern glass exhibitions.	museumofglass.org

1. Which of the following websites offers information about the furniture show?

A．www.noguchi.org	B．www.gardnermuseum.org
C．www.pafA.org	D．www.museumofglass.org

2. Who is   Martha Graham ?

A．a glassblower	B．a photographer
C．a dancer	D．a painter

3. Which museum should you visit if you want to know the history of American paiting?

A．Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts	B．The Noguchi Museum
C．Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum	D．Seattle Museum of Glass

【推荐1】For a while, my neighborhood was taken ever by an army of joggers(慢跑者). They were there all the time: early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces. “Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening. “You’ll feel great.”
Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army. I’m not alone in my opinion.
First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet a real pounding（追击）ruining down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn’t kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.
Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn’t my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.
And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn’t just the first week: it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn’t fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?
I don’t jog any more, and I don’t think I ever will. I’m walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I’m getting exercise, and I’m enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I’ve found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.
1. From the first paragraph, we learn that in the writer’s neighborhood ______.

A．jogging became very popular

B．people jogged only during the daytime

C．Alex organized an army of joggers

D．jogging provided a chance to get together

2. The underlined word “them”(Paragraph 3) most probably refers to _____.

A．heart attacks

B．Back problems

C．famous joggers

D．physical weaknesses

3. What was the writer’s attitude towards jogging in the beginning?

A．He felt it was worth a try.	B．He was very fond of it.
C．He was strongly against it.	D．He thought it must be painful.

4. Why did the writer give up jogging two months later?

A．He disliked doing exercise outside.

B．He found it neither healthy nor interesting.

C．He was afraid of having a heart attack.

D．He was worried about being left alone.

5. From the writer’s experience, we can conclude that______.

A．not everyone enjoys jogging

B．he is the only person who hates jogging

C．nothing other than jogging can help people keep fit

D．jogging makes people feel greater than any other sport.

【推荐2】School had just started in August when Conner began throwing up for no reason. It wasn’t long before the boy also began suffering terrible headaches. In February a 1.7-inch tumor was found in his brain and Conner was set to begin to receive radiation (放射疗法) treatments. Before treatments start, technicians make a white plastic mask (面罩) to keep patients immovable and protect unaffected parts of the brain while radiation is directed at the tumor.

It’s an unpleasant experience and a frightening time. The doctor Cook decided that the masks could at least be made to look like something fun — maybe Batman or Mickey Mouse. “I started thinking these masks are white and not fun at all for kids,” she told The Greenville News. “I felt like if we could make it a little more fun for them, they might be a little more excited about coming in for the treatment. Because the kids are afraid. While the treatment itself isn’t physically painful, it can cause a lot of anxiety (焦虑). And the treatment is required daily for up to six weeks. “

And the masks really make a difference. “The kids really like them,” Cook said. “It makes what is, let’s face it, a terrible experience, a nice experience because they get to choose something themselves.”

When new children come in for the treatment, Cook finds out what their favorite movies or cartoon characters are. Then she sets about creating the mask by drawing the image she wants onto paper, sticking it with glue, and once it’s dry, she applies the colors using paints. Each child can take the mask home once the treatment ends.

“Coming to the doctor always means fear and pain. I wanted to make it fun,” she said. “The kids really love it. It’s something they enjoy and can relate to. And it fills an interest I have. I get great pleasure from it.”

1. Why was the plastic mask used according to Paragraph 1?

A．To check the patient’s brain.

B．To reduce the patient’s headache.

C．To prevent the patient from throwing up.

D．To protect the patient’s brain during the treatment.

2. What can we know about the radiation treatment?

A．It can be received at home.

B．It has to be finished in a month.

C．It may make the patients feel worried.

D．It will cause huge physical pain for patients.

3. What does Cook do to help the children being treated?

A．Offer them some free masks as gifts.

B．Show them their favorite movies or TV shows.

C．Dress them up as cartoon characters.

D．Make the masks more interesting to kids.

4. What does the author want to show by telling this story?

A．Love can treat the terrible sickness.

B．Kindness can bring warmth and joy.

C．Health matters to everyone.

D．Creativity leads to success.

【推荐3】If you frequently travel for business，Staybridge Suites offer you a range of home comforts．Four recent visitors to Staybridge Suites explain why they booked，what they enjoyed and what made them want to return．

Claire Metcalf

“The concept is great，but the staff are the ones who really make it．”she says．“It takes a lot of discipline to always be friendly，but the staff at Staybridge Suites do that. They genuinely care about you．”

Andrew Roberts

“One of the best things is having my own kitchen．I often end up working late and I don’t fancy eating in a restaurant on my own，so cooking for myself is a big drawcard．”

“The main thing for me is being able to cook and have my own little flat．The staff are amazing．It is great to be recognized by them，”he says．

Pauline Robinson

“What I love about it is the way that you are treated by the staff,”she says．“Some of the staff have been there all that time and they do look after you well．As a woman staying on my own，it is reassuring that they look out for you，and recently when I was poorly depressed they even brought things I needed to my room．”

Ryan Ruckledge

“The fully-equipped kitchen is great．I always have a one-bed apartment so I have a separate kitchen and dining room and I’m able to relax and cook some meals．Eating out can feel a bit much when you do it day in and day out—it makes you hate what you do—and I don’t want that．”

1. What attracts visitors to Staybridge Suites?

A．A separate dining room.	B．A one-bed apartment.
C．A home away from home.	D．A lot of discipline.

2. What does the underlined word“drawcard”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Barrier.	B．attraction.
C．Honour.	D．difficulty.

3. Why does the author write the article?

A．To advertise Staybridge Suites.	B．To introduce four recent visitors.
C．To inform us of a new service.	D．To sing high praise for the staff.