【推荐1】Politeness is the practical application of good manners, the goal of which is to make all of the parties relaxed and comfortable. It's a flexible management of words and actions, by which we make other people have a better opinion of us and themselves. It seeks to build a positive relationship.     1    .

However, in the rush of daily life being polite is social behavior that we find rare nowadays.     2    . They don’t even take the time to look around. This has led to the loss of simple social rules some might take for granted and that are particularly powerful.

    3    , people become less and less attentive to others’ feelings, for human interaction (互动) is almost lost. Take for instance the rudeness we tolerate when a person is looking at his phone when talking to us.

Being polite is not just a simple social elegance.     4    . These days “Please” and “Thank You” are forgotten. And not many people are aware that these two simple words can easily open or close any door to us. Unfortunately, they often forget to say these words.

Hope is not lost. There are many ways we can improve our behavior to achieve skills in politeness. There are simple things we can do to be considered as a polite and well-mannered person.    5    , they will respect you back. Just make a change in our behavior to start. Use simple words like “Excuse me”, “Please”, and “Thank you” every day. Be kind to receive kindness. Care and politeness will get you far in all aspects of life.

A．As technology progresses

B．People have become more self-absorbed

C．As long as you show your politeness for people

D．Since for many people being polite remains a challenge

E．Many languages have specific means to show politeness

F．It aims to respect a person’s need to be liked and understood

G．It’s also about being kind, caring and respectful to another person

【推荐2】Have you ever lost your temper (脾气)? Did you scream or want to hit someone?

    1    . You may get angry when something doesn't go your way. Maybe you get mad at yourself when you don't understand your homework or when your team loses an important game. Maybe your teacher gave you too much homework. Or maybe a friend borrowed your favorite video game and then broke it. That made you angry!

There are different ways people feel anger.    2    . Are you breathing faster? Is your face bright red? Do you want to break something or hit someone? Anger can make you scream at those around you, even people you like or love.

Some people keep their anger buried deep inside. If you do this, you might get a headache or your stomach might start to hurt. You may start to cry.    3    . You should find a way to let it out without hurting yourself or others.

Don't lose control if you get angry    4    . Instead, admit to yourself that you are angry and try to know why. What can you do to keep the situation from happening again? If your little sister gets a toy and you don' t, it's not OK to break that toy. Maybe you can ask her to share it with you.

It helps to talk about your anger with an adult, such as a parent, teacher, or relative.    5    .

A．It's not good to hide your anger.

B．Anger can even be a good thing.

C．Taking it out on others never solves anything.

D．Many things may make you angry.

E．Usually your body will tell you when you are angry.

F．Once you talk about anger, those bad feelings usually start to go away.

G．When someone you know is angry, he or she may stop talking to you or become quiet.

【推荐3】How to Keep a Relationship Healthy and Strong

Are you new to experiencing relationships? Well, let me give you advice on having a healthy and possibly long­term relationship.

    1     Don’t hide things from them; don’t lie. Getting them to trust you is the most important element in any relationship. So please be honest and they’ll learn to open up to you.

Make sure you give them respect. Now respect isn’t just simply treating her or him nicely. There’s a lot more to it. You have to learn to adjust to their liking.    2     Don’t just think about yourself; think about what your partner needs out of it as well.

    3     Always be willing to help them and give them honesty and positiveness at the same time. Make them feel you are someone they can really count on and build a future with. This is an important step in a relationship. Your partner has to be able to count on you when needed.

Make sure you have a good sense of humor with them. Laughter is the key to happiness. Laugh a lot with them, joke with them. Laughter may seem silly, but it’s the secret to a lot in life. It will keep the sparks alive.    4    

Make sure the communication is good. This goes along with trust, but always communicate how you feel, even if it’s something that upsets you. Instead of screaming, talk to them.    5     It’s important to communicate this to them, not keep it bottled up.

A．Show them your personality.

B．Be an honest person with them.

C．Make sure you are encouraging to your partners.

D．Laughter keeps the relationship strong and lasting.

E．Don’t start to neglect them and make them feel unwanted.

F．Basically, learn to study your partners’ moods, wants and needs.

G．If they did something that made you unhappy, tell them about it in a respectful manner.

【推荐2】“Long time no see” is a very interesting sentence．When I first read this sentence from an American friend’s email，I laughed．I thought it was a perfect example of Chinglish．
Obviously，it is a word-by-word literal translation of the Chinese greetings with a ruled English grammar and structure! Later on，my friend told me that it is a standard American greeting．I was too thrilled to believe her．Her words could not convince me at all．So I did a research on Google．com．To my surprise，there are over 60 thousand web pages containing “Long time no see．” This sentence has been widely used in emails，letters，newspapers，movies，books，or any other possible places．Though it is sort of informal，it is part of the language that Americans use daily．Ironically，if you type this phrase in Microsoft Word，the software will tell you that the grammar needs to be corrected．
Nobody knows the origin of this Chinglish sentence．Some people believe that it came from Charlie Chan’s movies．In the 1930s，Hollywood moviemakers successfully created a world wide famous Chinese detective named “Charlie Chan” on wide screens．Detective Chan likes to teach Americans some Chinese wisdom by quoting Confucius(孔子)．“Long time no see” was his trademark．Soon after Charlie Chan，“Long time no see” became a popular phrase in the real world with thanks to the popularity of these movies．
Some scholars refer to America as a huge pot of “stew”．All kinds of culture are mixed in the stew together，and they change the color and taste of each other．American Chinese，though a minority ethnic（少数民族的成员） group in the United States，is also contributing some changes to the stew! Language is usually the first thing to be influenced in the mixed stew．
You can have some other examples than adoptions from Chinese，such as pizza from Italian，susi from Japanese，and déjà vu from French etc．There is a long list! Americans do not just simply borrow something from others．They will modify it and make it their own，so you would not be surprised to find a tofu and peanut butter hamburger in a restaurant，or to buy a bottle of iced Chinese green tea with honey in a grocery store．Since Americans appreciate Chinese culture more and more nowadays，I believe more Chinese words will become American English in the future．In this way the American stew keeps adding richness and flavor．
1. The writer himself felt surprised at ______．

A．the Chinglish expression “Long time no see”

B．“Long time no see” used as standard American English

C．so many literal translation of the expressions used in America

D．finding out Americans use the expression every day

2. The word “stew” in the 4^th paragraph probably means ______．

A．mixture literature

B．Confucius’ words

C．a kind of cooked dish

D．American changing cultures

3. According to the passage，it can be inferred that ______．

A．detectives translate the phrase “Long time no see”

B．Hollywood made “Long time no see” popular

C．the huge pot of stew greatly affects all kinds of languages

D．cultures can be changed in the huge pot of stew

4. The main idea of the passage is that ______．

A．some Chinese expressions are introduced into English

B．you’ll not be surprised at a tofu in a restaurant in America

C．some American expressions can be used in China

D．American English keep being enriched from different cultures

【推荐3】A school in North Carolina has banned skinny jeans and other excessively (过度地) tight-fitting trousers unless worn with a top or dress that must cover the bottom in its entirety. The school board introduced the ban because it says some girls were bullied (欺凌) when wearing tight-fitting trousers. Some parents think the ban is ridiculous and that more time should be spent on monitoring student behavior instead of banning clothing choices.

As a former teacher and a current parent of two girls, I have my opinion on the issue. Non-educators often seem to think “monitoring student behavior” is something as easy as putting on a pair of shoes, and that if teachers “just did their jobs better,” 99-100% of student discipline issues would never happen. The truth is that teachers can’t possibly monitor and control every single moment of a student’s life during the school day.

This is where my view as a parent of girls comes in. Girls of middle-high school age are dealing with their own bodily development, what TV and movies tell them a girl should dress and look like “to be pretty”, and what other girls at their age say they should look like and wear “to be pretty.” This means there isn’t a flawless outfit (套装) that some other girl won’t find “something wrong with” and then make fun of. Assuming we’re talking about girls in public schools, what they wear should be comfortable but also follow common sense. Wearing something that’s too tight probably isn’t that comfortable, but if it is, having some way to cover up certain areas accented (突出) by the tight clothing is a good idea.

Modern fashions might disagree, but psychology tells us tight clothes only cause a distraction.

School isn’t a fashion show. It’s a place of learning with some social interaction, and for those things to happen and also succeed, everyone needs to work together.

1. Why are some parents against the school ban?

A．It is not the proper time to introduce it.	B．It will influence student behavior.
C．It is none of the school’s business.	D．It will put girls at a disadvantage.

2. Which of the following about “monitoring student behavior” would the author agree with?

A．It is unfair to students.	B．It’s a difficult job for teachers.
C．It can solve most student discipline issues.	D．Teachers shouldn’t devote much time to it.

3. What does the underline word “flawless” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．tight	B．perfect
C．casual	D．comfortable

4. What should be the principle of dressing for school girls in the author’s opinion?

A．Modesty.	B．Fashion.
C．Neatness.	D．Prettiness.

5. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How to monitor students’ behavior?

B．How to prevent campus bullying?

C．Should parents require their children what to wear?

D．Should “skinny jeans” be banned in school?

【推荐1】Alida Monaco doesn’t spend her summers doing the usual teenage work, like working at the shop. Instead, she’s studying.

It used to be that a summer job was considered a teenage thing. Today, Monaco, who has never had a summer job, is part of growing trend (趋势) teenagers focusing on their studies, even during the summer. That’s down from 72% of Americans aged 16 to 19 who worked in July of 1978, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Fierce competition, older workers returning to the workforce (劳动力) and weak economic growth are all adding to the decrease of teenagers in the workforce. But as schoolwork grows increasingly heavy and homework eats up more time, data (数据) suggest the biggest reason why some teens won’t be working this summer is that they simply don’t have time.

For college-bound (准大学生)tem, some teachers even advise students not to waste time on a summer job. “Some of my students only have about six weeks off in the summer,” said Shannon Reed, a lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh and a former high school English teacher. “I could never advise that they get jobs during that short break. They should rest.”

Young people who don’t work may miss out on valuable skills that they’ll need later in life. Early work experiences teach honesty, financial intelligence, self-control and help people learn to deal with adult (成年人的) situations. But Monaco, who plans to attend Harvard, doesn’t worry about her lack of work experience. “Maybe I have missed out on a couple of life skills,” she said. “But I don’t think it will harm me in any way.”

1. What is the trend of American teenagers?

A．They are becoming lazy.

B．They are becoming interested in doing holiday jobs.

C．They are focusing more on studies than on jobs.

D．They are becoming particular about holiday jobs.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The reasons for teenagers giving up work.

B．The fierce competition teenagers face.

C．The structure of America’s work force

D．The effects of America’s weak economy.

3. What’s Shannon Reed's attitude towards the new trend?

A．Uncaring.	B．Worried.
C．Agreeable.	D．Doubtful.

【推荐2】One day, Ahmed’s mother decided to send him to learn to do business from his only uncle, who lived in another country. She sold some of her ornaments（首饰）to collect money for Ahmed’s journey. As Ahmed was very small, his mother worried that the money would get stolen. So she stitched（缝）a small pocket beneath the right sleeve of his shirt near his underarm and hid the money there. She hugged him with love and said, “Whatever the situation, tell the truth and be brave.”

Keeping in mind all the advice given by his mother, Ahmed set out for the journey. Admiring the beauty of the nature and the beautiful creatures in the sea, he enjoyed the blue sea beneath him.

Suddenly, there was a great hustle-bustle behind him. He turned back and noticed that a group of robbers had jumped in from a small boat nearby. The leader was ordering his companions to rob the passengers quickly. He suddenly saw Ahmed, took the bag from Ahmed and dropped down. “No money?” asked the leader. Suddenly, Ahmed cried out bravely, “________”

He directed his fingers beneath his right sleeve. Shocked, the leader checked and found the money. He was amused by Ahmed. He fell over his knees, and said, “Why did you tell me about the money? You could leave with your money.”

Seriously, Ahmed replied, “Sir, my mother has taught me to be honest, truthful and brave in every situation. I couldn't let my mother down by lying to you.”

Tears rolling down, the leader said, “Being a 9~10 years old boy, you are so truthful and honest. I feel ashamed of robbing you.”   

Saying this, he apologized to everyone in the ship, returned their belongings and left with his companions. The passengers praised Ahmed. Later Ahmed became a very well-known and respected businessman. His mother was very proud of him.

1. Why did Ahmed go on the journey?

A．To collect money for education.	B．To sell his mother’s ornaments.
C．To learn business from his uncle.	D．To experience a different life.

2. Which of the following can be put in the blank?

A．I do have money. It’s here.	B．How can you be a robber?
C．You can take the bag here.	D．Stay away from my money.

3. What can we learn from the story?

A．Man’s nature at birth is good.	B．Who knows most says least.
C．It’s never too late to mend.	D．Honesty is the best policy.

【推荐3】Germany—87-year-old Hubert Frilling died quietly in his sleep a year ago. The village beer hall he owned and also ran for more than 60 years，"Schanko"，set to die with him. Schanko—Mr. Frilling’s nickname—had served Handorf-Langenberg, a village of 1,500 in northwest Germany, as a community center. It is an extended living room for countless birthdays, gatherings with family or friends.

"We risked losing not just our last bar，but a cultural asset (资产)as well, "said Mr. Escherhaus. Many businesses are interested in Schanko’s space. The German beer hall will be increasingly endangered, a victim of an aging population society which has abandoned villages. Urbanization (城市 化)has drawn young people away. More people are turning to social media to exchange stories and to share news.

At a time when Germans have restarted a debate about their identity after taking in more than one million refugees (难民)since 2015，most from Middle East and Africa，the fate of traditional beer halls has even become a political issue. To try to save them, the government passed a $ 35 million package of financial support aimed at helping owners of beer halls and restaurants in rural areas survive.

Such funds won’t help owners in Lower Saxony，where Schanko sits. This is an area where the sandy soil means neither wheat nor trees grow very high. Nevertheless residents’ roots—in addition to their pride —run deep. Mr. Escherhaus and his friends turned to another German tradition, the cooperative.

By September they had sold more than 1,000 shares to more than half the residents. The oldest shareholder was in his 80s；the youngest, Anna, was just born. Katrin Robbern, 49, and her daughter Katharina each bought shares. The mother sought to preserve the place where she sang from the children’s choir. She later met the man she would marry at this place. Her daughter wanted to secure a place for such memories to be made. "This is important for our future, " said the 24-year-old.

1. Which of the following about Schanko is correct?

A．People in Handorf-Langenberg still like the beer hall.

B．Financial support from the government will more or less help its owner.

C．Social media is a new way to advertise Schanko by exchanging stories and sharing news.

D．All people refused to stay in the village where the beer hall sits because of the urbanization.

2. Why would the government like to help owners of beer halls in rural areas survive?

A．Because they suffer a lot from poverty.

B．Because people like their beer halls so much.

C．Because their beer halls are important to the local economy.

D．Because their beer halls stand for a cultural identity of Germany.

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Young people are abandoning traditional beer halls in Germany.

B．The endangered beer halls are damaging the economy of Germany.

C．Villagers of Handorf-Langenberg are buying shares to save their local beer hall.

D．The endangered German culture is calling for immediate help from the government.

【推荐1】High blood pressure, a common condition, rarely has noticeable symptoms, which make the condition difficult to identify, and that is why many people don't know they have it. The best way to find out whether you have the condition is to have your blood pressure（BP） checked with a monitor.

This is important because spotting any problems as early as possible reduces the risk of complications（并发症），which include cardiovascular disease such as stroke（中风），heart attack and heart failure, and kidney disease.

So how often should we check your blood pressure to find out whether you have the condition?

Dr Sarah Brewer, medical director of Healthspan, said if you haven⁹1 had your blood pressure checked in the last year, make this a priority.

She explained, "If the reading is below 130/80 mmHg, then you go forward and have your blood pressure checked at least once every 5 years as it tends to increase slowly with age. If your BP is on the high side of normal （130/85mmHg to 139/89mmHg） or if you are aged 40 or over, it's best to have an annual check. If your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or higher, see your doctor for advice on high blood pressure."

How often should you check your blood pressure if your BP is high?

If you have hypertension（高血压），check your blood pressure as often as your doctor tells you to, said Dr Brewer.

She added, "Guidelines suggest your doctor review you every 3 to 4 months until your blood pressure is well controlled. Once your blood pressure is stable on medication, you may be reviewed less often, every 6 months or annually. It's a good idea to check your blood pressure with a home monitor so you can ensure it isn't increasing or affected by changes in diet, lifestyle and stress?"

1. Why are many people unaware they have high blood pressure based on the passage?

A．Because its symptoms are difficult to identify.

B．Because they don't consider high blood pressure risky.

C．Because the way to identify high blood pressure is not found yet.

D．Because it is difficult to get a monitor used to check blood pressure.

2. Noticing high blood pressure in time is important because.

A．it is impossible to spot it as time goes by

B．patients won't have to see a doctor regularly after that

C．uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to serious health problems

D．it will take doctors less money to treat patients with high BP by doing that

3. Which of the following will be supported by Dr Sarah Brewer?

A．A 41-year -old adult should have BP checked at least once a month.

B．BP will never change if you have it checked with a monitor.

C．It is good for you to consult a doctor if your BP is 140/90 mmHg or higher.

D．You don't have to worry about BP if your age is below 40.

4. Which column in a magazine could this passage belong to?

A．Health.

B．Style.

C．Life.

D．Sport.

【推荐2】"Keep your eyes open. This is where the Ewoks live.'' The one-hour drive outside of San Francisco, covered in clouds along windy roads, has inspired my husband to say this sentence at least a dozen times.

We finally arrive at Muir Woods National Park. I explain the strange green stuff on trunks of trees as we pass by--mos (苔藓), something my 5-year-old son Cole has never seen in the desert where we live.

"Mom, are Ewoks real? I think they maybe aren't real. " There's a question in Cole's voice,like he's trying on this idea.

We've been down the road of pretending versus reality before, what with all the talk of superheroes and such around our house. "I think you are right. Ewoks are just in the movies. But it would be cool if they were real, right ?"

Cole's silent for a while, thinking. "I just saw an Ewok’s ear back there!" Coles spotted an additional Ewok arm and one full body of the tiny hairy creatures. It does indeed look like we are in the Ewok forest of Star Wars.

Cole's imagination is more than I can understand. What do plants eat? Which is the best planet? Which rocks float? He loves life. He loves his inner world and outer existence equally.

I hear a lot of worry from parents about media sucking the souls from our children, taking away their time for creative play. For us, this hasn’t been the case. Cole and his brother are quite knowledgeable in the realities of life when it comes to Angry Birds, Curious George, and the adventures of Indiana Jones. These characters, and others of their own invention, live in my home like visitors, joining us on walks and outings. I appreciate them, though not all the time, for the company they give my sons and their busy minds.

I think of media characters as an add-on to already busy minds, by carefully monitoring who gets invited into our lives, they become part of the parenting team. They teach loyalty adventure, curiosity--lessons I'm trying to convey, but in a much cooler way than I can.

Pretence is awesome. It provides practice for real life without the ordinary interfering.

1. Where are the family heading for?

A．The cinema.

B．A park.

C．San Francisco.

D．A desert.

2. What can we know about Cole from the passage?

A．He is proud of himself.	B．He is full of curiosity.
C．He is courageous.	D．He is considerate.

3. What do many parents think of their children playing via media?

A．It wastes children's time.

B．It can make their children relaxed.

C．It can engage their children in learning actively.

D．It can accompany their children in their absence.

4. What's the authors attitude to the media characters in parenting children?

A．Indifferent.

B．Critical.

C．Supportive.

D．Disapproving.

【推荐3】Thanks to its harsh environment, Antarctica remained largely untouched by humans for many millennia, allowing a thriving ecosystem to evolve. However, since the 1990s, the last true wilderness on the planet is becoming an increasingly popular destination for adventure-seeking tourists. Now, a new study declares that the visitors may be leaving behind harmful bacteria which could devastate the area's native bird population.

Humans can infect animals with illnesses such as the flu. Researchers, however, believed that the Antarctic animals were immune to the danger due to the continent's extreme weather. However, microbiologist Marta Cerda-Cuellar was not convinced.

She and some colleagues decided to examine waste samples from Antarctic birds for evidence of human bacteria. To ensure the waste was not polluted, the scientists had to collect it from the birds themselves.

The results of their study revealed the presence of several types of human bacteria in the bird waste. This included a common strain (品种) of bacteria that causes food poisoning in humans. The researchers say the bacteria strains were resistant to commonly-used human antibiotics, indicating they were brought in by the visitors, rather than migratory birds (候鸟).

“These strains, which are a common cause for infections in humans and livestock, do not usually cause death outbreaks in wild animals," says Gonzalez-Solis. "However, the emerging or invasive pathogens (病原体) that arrive to highly sensitive populations could have severe consequences and cause the local collapse and extinction of some populations." The researcher also fears the presence of these bugs could foreshadow the arrival of other, more deadly, pathogens as the number of tourists people increases.

Experts believe the only way to prevent the mass destruction of the birds is to impose stricter regulations or, at least, put the ones already in place into effect. For example, while the Antarctica Treaty requires visitors to carry their waste back home to safeguard the pristine environment, the regulation is rarely enforced. Nowadays, some officials are taking steps to save the vulnerable birds before it's too late.

1. What problem is Antarctica facing according to Paragraph 1&2?

A．The increasing number of tourists.	B．The worsening wilderness.
C．The replaced native bird population.	D．The spread of infectious illnesses.

2. What does the underlined word "devastate" mean?

A．Destroy.

B．Increase.

C．Protect.

D．Benefit.

3. Why did the scientists need to catch some Antarctic animals?

A．To treat their illness.	B．To get their waste.
C．To raise them as pets.	D．To study their lifestyles.

4. What did the scientists prove in their study?

A．Bacteria can be killed by human antibiotics.

B．Extreme weather keeps Antarctic animals healthy.

C．Humans bring bacteria to Antarctica.

D．Antarctic animals are immune to human bacteria.

5. What is the author's attitude towards the prospect of bird population in Antarctica?

A．Indifferent.

B．Doubtful.

C．Ambiguous.

D．Optimistic.

6. In what section in a newspaper can you find the passage?

A．Entertainment.

B．Travel.

C．Nature.

D．Education.