【推荐2】It was such an extremely freezing day that I decided to get a cup of hot drinking first after       work．As my colleague，Ricky，and I were making our way to a coffee shop，I noticed an old       gentleman rather poorly dressed sitting on a bench nearby．Obviously he was frozen，seemingly one of the homeless or someone like that．
We joined the 1ine and waited to be served．Ricky handed the server a twenty-dollar bill，       ordered three cups of hot coffee，and gestured the server to give one to the old gentleman outside on the bench as a favour．The server looked at Ricky，a little perplexed，without full comprehension of the request．Afterwards，there was a wonderful exchange between the server and the old man in need of some attention．I only wish I had taken a photo of the smiles on the both faces.
As I was thinking about this event later on，I wondered to myself why Ricky didn’t perform this act of kindness himself．I suspected that deep down in his heart he was hoping that this act of kindness might inspire others to do something for this old man as well．Absolutely beautiful!
There are many ways of thinking when we meet someone as the old man in need of kindness and attention．Perhaps he needs a little helping hand and thank God for my colleague who inspired the others to goodness as well．Oh，by the way，the last words Ricky told the server were，“There go I，but for the Grace of God．”
1. What was the author’s impression of the old gentleman?

A．He was a greedy man．

B．He took on a sign of poor manners.

C．He was in poor health．

D．He needed some kind of human care.

2. Why didn't Ricky give the favour to the old gentleman himself?

A．He didn’t know the old gentleman．

B．He was too shy to speak to strangers．

C．He tried to influence others to be kind．

D．He feared the old man would refuse his help．

3. What the author really thinks absolutely beautiful is that_________.

A．an act of kindness could go widespread

B．a cup of coffee could warm the old man

C．the server was very kind to customers

D．Ricky had created good impressions

【推荐3】When I was five or six years old, I remember watching TV and seeing other children suffer in other parts of the world. I would say to myself, “ When I grow up, when I can get rich, I will save kids all over the world.”

At 17, I started my career here in America, and by the age of 18, I started my first charity organization. I went on to team up with other organizations in the following years, and met, helped, and even lost some of the most beautiful souls, from six-year-old Jasmina Anema who passed away in 2010 from leukemia (白血病)—her story inspired thousands to volunteer as donors, to 2012 when my grandmother lost her battle with cancer, which is the very reason and the driving force behind the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF). We’re all human. And we all just want a chance: a chance at life, a chance in education, a chance at a future, really. And at CLF, our mission is to impact as many lives as possible, but it starts with just one.

People make it seem too hard to do charity work. The truth is, you don’t have to be rich to help others. You don’t need to be famous. You don’t even have to be college-educated. But it starts with your neighbor, the person right next to you, the person sitting next to you in class, the kid down the block in your neighborhood. You just do whatever you can to help in any way that you can. And today, I want to challenge each of you to make a commitment to help one person, one organization, one situation that touches your heart. My grandmother always used to say,“If you’ve got a dollar, there’s plenty to share. ”

1. What did the author want to do at a young age?

A．Watch TV.	B．Grow up quickly.
C．Help other children.	D．Become wealthy.

2. What directly caused the author to create and develop the CLF?

A．Her grandmother’s death of cancer.	B．A six-year-old kid’s request.
C．Many volunteers’ inspiration.	D．Other organizations’ encouragement.

3. What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A chance.	B．A task.
C．An organization.	D．A life.

4. What does the author suggest people do in the last paragraph?

A．Challenge their friends to offer help.	B．Work hard to get a college education.
C．Do little things to help those around them.	D．Do charity work when you are rich.

【推荐1】Recently I read Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel by George Orwell set in a totalitarian (极权主义的) state where even the language they use is controlled. Adjectives are forbidden and instead they use phrases such as “ungood”, “plus good” and “double plus good” to express emotions.

As I first read this I thought how impossible it would be in our society to have such vocabulary. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized in its own way it was already happening. I type messages to my friends and alongside each is an emoji (表情符号). I often use them to emphasize something, or to not seem too serious, or because this specific GIF conveys my emotions much better than I ever could using just words. And I wonder, “with too much use of emojis, are we losing the beauty and diversity of our vocabulary?”

English has the largest vocabulary in the world, with over one million words, but who’s to say what it’ll be like in the future? Perhaps we will have a shorter language, full of saying “cry face” if something sad happens or using LOL (laugh out loud) or BRB (be right back) instead of saying the full phrase. So does this mean our vocabulary will shrink? Is it the start of an exciting new era?

Yet when you look back over time, the power of image has always been there. Even in the prehistoric era they used imagery to communicate, and what’s even more incredible is that we are able to analyse those drawings and understand the meaning of them thousands of years later. Pictures have the ability to go beyond time and language. Images, whether they are cave paintings or emojis, allow us to convey a message that’s not restrictive but rather universal.

1. What is the reason for the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four being mentioned?

A．To introduce the following topic.	B．To recommend this book to readers.
C．To show the author’s special interest.	D．To show the diversity of languages.

2. Why does the author often use emojis while typing messages?

A．They are easy to type.	B．They are amusing to use.
C．They can better convey emotions.	D．They reflect the diversity of languages.

3. What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．English vocabulary will become smaller.

B．A new language era has come into being.

C．English will be replaced by a short language.

D．Short forms of words are popular nowadays.

4. What might be the author’s opinion?

A．We shouldn’t use emojis too much.	B．Emojis can be understood universally.
C．Languages will be replaced by emojis.	D．We have to learn several languages.

【推荐2】In a movie, a woman reads a storybook to her friend’s daughter. As they approach the last page, she reads, “...and Cinderella and the prince lived happily together ever after.” She closes the book and looks at the young girl, adding, “You know, things don’t always happen like this in real life. I just think you should know that now.”
We were all raised on fairy tales with glass slippers, brave princes and magic! It didn’t take too long to realize that stories like that aren’t necessarily true. In the life, you learned that glass slippers are really uncomfortable, no prince is perfect and magic doesn’t always work.
So what do you do when the way you planned things is not the way they turned out?
Know that parts of your fairy tale have already been written, and sadly, there’s not a whole lot you can do about those first few chapters.You didn’t get the best start.Your trust was unexpectedly betrayed. You didn’t get the job. Whatever falls and failures that happened in your past are just that in your past. There’s still more to the story.
While your life has a lot of contributors(投稿者), you are the editor-in-chief. You take what’s there and create the masterpiece. All the good pages and the bad can come together to make a beautiful adventure.
When you find yourself wishing your life was more like the fairy tales, remember that in some ways it already is. There will be dragons, bad witches, great romances, winding roads and friends to help you along the way. So, keep rewriting your story every day that you’re alive. Whether it’s a comedy, tragedy or a little of both, the pen is in your hand. How it all ends is up to you.
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To help the readers to live a good life.

B．To encourage the readers to write their own stories.

C．To advise parents to tell the fairy tale to their kids.

D．To describe the difficulties in today’s education.

2. Which of the following may NOT often appear in the fairy tale?

A．Glass slipper.	B．Winding roads.
C．Sad ending.	D．Bad witches.

3. According to the fires paragraph, we know the woman is ________.

A．wise

B．cruel

C．brave

D．stupid

4. Why does the author mention the question in Paragraph 3?

A．To express the doubt to life

B．To compare different ideas.

C．To introduce a point for discussion.

D．To describe the conditions in life.

【推荐3】I recently attended a Little League Baseball game in Nasau County. Or at least what I thought was just a Little League game. It turned out to be a tutorial (指南) on how not to parent a Little Leaguer.

I’d gone to watch a family friend play ball. School was winding down, and it made sense that stress levels would be low, especially on the ball field. These kids were supposed to be having fun.

But why did they look so angry? Why were the parents so tense? These were 11-and 12-year-old children, not professionals. But it didn’t seem as if the adults were aware of that.

Some of the kids looked miserable(悲惨的), Both coaches were riding their players. With every pitch(投球), every catch and every swing of the bat came sounds of, “No, not like that!” or “Better keep that up, son!” After a while, it seemed to take a toll on the kids. In the fifth inning (局), after a player missed a play on the infield, a man told the boy to “Pay attention to the action!” and to “Get your head in the game!” The player responded, “Dad, it’s just a game, and I’m exhausted!”

I thought to myself how embarrassing that must have been for both of them. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the field, but I played in many different sports leagues as a kid. I recall how competitive some parents were when it came to watching their children. And it’s fine to want your children to win. Winning is important.

But, my God, it’s not everything. Is that the message you want to get across to your child—to win at all costs, and to put fun second? Because that is certainly what it seemed like, and that’s not the healthiest environment for a kid, not in Little League, anyway.

1. According to the passage, the parents on the ball field ________.

A．valued fun over winning	B．lacked competitive spirits
C．cared about the result more than their kids	D．thought much of the feelings of their kids

2. The underlined phrase “take a toll on” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.

A．teach a lesson to	B．leave an impression on
C．bring encouragement to	D．have a bad effect on

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

A．Fun Is Everything for a Game	B．Let Kids Be Kids
C．The Miserable Kids Players	D．To Be Competitive in Ballgames

【推荐1】I grew up in a Midwestern town where the popular wisdom was to only talk about what was pleasant and to keep secrets， if necessary， to make that happen.

This meant staying mum when someone offended you， rarely expressing unpleasant feelings and smiling slightly more than is necessary. It also meant zero room for airing any sort of dirty laundry，especially not the kinds of personal secrets that keep people up.

Many of us like to believe that hiding unpleasant truths might make them eventually go away. Instead， keeping secrets— especially heavy ones— can spin an even more complicated web of loneliness and deception（欺骗） . So why do we do it？

The truth can hurt. But in many situations， it’ s better to get it out and let the recovery start， rather than allowing it to be more harmful.

The burden of holding in the truth doesn’ t just disappear. It hides in the back of your mind and can cause disorder to your life and health.

“ If the situations in your daily life are regular reminders of the secret， and you find it stressful to keep it， then yes， it can have emotional（感情上的） and physical consequences， ” says Dr. Dean McKay.

“ Some people also find keeping secrets stressful out of a general concern they will ‘ slip’ ， and this frequent thought of the secret can in itself be stressful. ”

This difficulty is especially worse if you feel trapped by the secret， or if it brings up other unpleasant feelings like guilt， shame or anxiety.

If you do decide that your secrets took your joy away and would be better off being let out into the world， and if that secret doesn’ t put other people in physical danger， there are healthy ways to share it.

1. What is considered wise for most people in the Midwestern town？

A．Expressing feelings freely.	B．Keeping unpleasant truths secret.
C．Answering violence with violence.	D．Sharing private matters with friends.

2. What is a suggested way to deal with the unpleasant situations？

A．To hide your feelings.	B．To tell a white lie.
C．To make no response.	D．To expose the truth.

3. What can be inferred about secrets in the text？

A．They are bad for your health.	B．They are hardly accepted by people.
C．They bring up more positive feelings.	D．They help prevent disorder in your life.

4. What will probably be talked about in the paragraph that follows？

A．Reasons for holding secrets.	B．Ways to share secrets.
C．Doubts about breaking secrets.	D．Tips on keeping secrets.

【推荐2】Iceland Yoga Retreat (度假村) with Sagrada in the Golden Circle

April 8-12, 2020 Spring Yoga Retreat

Deposit for Iceland Yoga Retreat April 8-12,2020： $600.00

What’s Included

4 nights accommodations at the beautiful boutique hostel in the heart of the Golden Circle

·all delicious and healthy gourmet nordic cuisine meals (北欧美食)

·8 yoga classes

·3 qi gong classes with Eva Inglizian L.Ac.

·3 evening meditation (冥想) classes

·1 entrance fee to Fontana hot springs, sauna and steam

What’s Not included

·airport shuttle

·additional tours and trips

·wine, beer, and other alcoholic drinks

What To Bring

lots of warm layers; warm scarf, hat, gloves, wool socks, warm jacket, bathing suit, towel; yoga carpet; camera; water bottle. Iceland has the best tasting water on the planet!

Rate for 4 night yoga retreat (Prices are per person)

·1 person shared sharing with shared bathroom US $1195

·1 person Twin sharing with shared bathroom US $1295

·1 person Single room with shared bathroom US $1630

·Double Deluxe room with private bath US $2150 SGL / $1345 DBL

Cancellation Policy

Deposit is non- exchangeable.

Deposit is exchangeable to another attendee.

Full balance is due 30 days before start date of retreat.

If cancellation takes place more than 60 days prior to the retreat start date, any payments made will be refunded, minus your deposit.

If cancellation takes place between 30-60 days before the retreat start date, 50% of the trip price will be forfeited (没收).

1. What does your deposit include?

A．Airport shuttle.	B．Soft drink.
C．Additional tours.	D．One chance to Fontana hot springs.

2. If you want to keep a bathroom to yourself, how much will you pay?

A．US $1195

B．US $1295

C．US $1345

D．US $2150 SGL

3. What can we learn about deposit?

A．It costs $ 900.00 in all.

B．It can be exchanged according to cancellation dates.

C．It can’t be exchanged.

D．It can be used by none other than yourself.

【推荐3】We all need to eat, and when we go to buy food at the supermarket, we’re offered many choice. But we often buy food that’s been produced in huge amounts and that’s traveled many miles before it ends up on our plate. So for some, growing their own food is a better choice – and it tastes good too!

From growing vegetables in little pots on your balcony to taking care of a small plot of land, there are many ways to produce home-grown food. It can be backbreaking work digging, weeding and watering the soil, but the result is fresh, home-grown fruits and vegetables, helping us keep a ‘five-a-day’ diet.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic lock-down means demand for homegrown food has seen a comeback in the UK. Miriam Dobson from the University of Sheffield, told the BBC that some people have been spending a lot of their time on their plots, growing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables – which, at times, have been challenging to buy in supermarkets. She says “Coronavirus has reminded people of the weakness within our global food system. In such a difficult time, interest in self-support rises.”

But for those with limited space, a solution to grow your own vegetables lies closer to home – using pots. Sheila Brand lives in a third-floor flat in Rotterdam. She has managed to grow tomatoes and eggplants and is already harvesting raspberries. She told the BBC watching the plants grow “is very exciting: 'Oh it's got a new leaf!' ”

As well as the benefits of saving money and enjoying tasty food, growing your own from a balcony or window ledge not only improves your well-being and immediate environment, you can actually grow a lot of vegetables. So, maybe it’s time for us all to get planting and develop our green fingers!

1. A “five-a-day” diet (Para. 2) probably refers to a diet that include__________ every day.

A．Five meals	B．Enough fruits and vegetables
C．Five kinds of rice	D．Plenty of water

2. According to Para 3, home-grown food is getting popular again in the UK recently because _____.

A．It’s more interesting, cheap and delicious.

B．our global food system is doing harm to us.

C．It saves the time and money on transportation.

D．it can be hard to buy fresh food during the pandemic.

3. According to the writer, where can you grow your own food if you live in a small flat?

A．In a pot.

B．On a plate.

C．In a garden.

D．On the roof.

4. What does the writer imply in the last sentence?

A．Growing your own food can do good to your health.

B．Growing your own food can make your fingers green.

C．Growing your own food can improve your gardening skills.

D．Growing your own food can bring your family more happiness.

【推荐1】There are over one million superstitions, and most people believe at least one or two of them. Many people are superstitious about numbers. They think that there are lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. The number 13 is often considered unlucky. In some parts of the world, buildings have no 13th floor and streets have no houses with the number 13.In Japan “4” is considered unlucky because in Japanese the word “four” is pronounced the same as the word “death”. The Japanese never give gifts of four knives, four napkins, or four of anything.

What are the lucky numbers? Seven is a lucky number in many places, and “8” is considered a lucky number in Japan and China. In China, businesses often open on August 8, and many couples register to get married at eight past eight on August 8. Superstitions about numbers are so widespread that some people called numerologists make a living by giving advice about numbers. In 1937, when the Toyoda Family of Japan wanted to form a car company, they asked a numerologist if “Toyoda” would be a good name for the company. The numerologist said it would not be. He explained that “Toyota” would be a better name for the company. The family took his advice. As a result, millions of people drive “Toyotas” and not “Toyodas.”

There are many other kinds of superstitions. There are superstitions about eating, sleeping, sneezing and itching. There are superstitions about animals and holidays and horseshoes.

There are even superstitions about superstitions. Those superstitions tell people how to reverse bad luck. When the Japanese bump (撞) heads, they immediately bump heads again.

According to a Japanese superstition, the first bump means their parents will die, but the second bump “erases” the first bump. To reverse bad luck in general, people turn around three times, turn their pocket inside out, or put their hats on backwards.

1. It can be inferred that superstition about numbers are ________.

A．popular all over the world

B．accepted by many people in the world

C．valuable to businessmen

D．dangerous to common people

2. The underlined word “reverse” in the last paragraph means ________.

A．cause to go in the opposite direction

B．bump heads again

C．prevent their parents from dying

D．make sth. worse

3. If we see a Japanese bumps his head once again, we know that he is ________.

A．mad

B．angry

C．superstitious

D．foolish

4. What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To persuade us to believe superstitions.

B．To warn us not to believe superstitions.

C．To show us some facts about superstitions.

D．To show us the magic power of superstitions.

【推荐2】You should see the photo. I’m sitting in red dirt, wearing an ugly purple T-shirt. My face is pink and my hair is wet with sweat. Flies buzz around my head. I’m in the Outback of Australia’s Northwest Territory, on a school trip with 20 parents and 20 kids.

It was an odd choice for a holiday. I like sitting by the pool with a cola, not flies and frogs. I like being alone and quiet, not a busload of kids. I like freshly washed sheets, not dirty-looking blankets.

But here’s the thing about that photo: I am smiling!

The trip sounded good when I signed up. Guides would take us into the heart of the place, and I would see a new part of Australia, learn about local culture and bond with my youngest daughter. I would also bond with 40 strangers. I just hoped there would be good coffee.

In Darwin, we were herded onto a bus. It quickly became tiresome. The kids were loud and I hate making small talk. But later, when I looked out at the vast, empty land, I was surprised at and moved by its beauty. Our guide told us about the land and his culture. I felt far from home.

At a national park, we enjoyed a natural swimming hole. Kids and parents had a great time.

Then we got to the outback. The cabin I shared with my daughter was a brick cell, full of geckos (壁虎) and crickets (蟋蟀), but too dark to see them.

It didn’t matter. The next nine days were packed: waterfalls, lakes, community visits and a trip around Katharine Gorge. We even saw giant crocodiles and baby wallabies.

On our last night, a water pipe broke. We awoke to a mess. Usually, I would have complained and asked for a refund, but it just seemed normal to be dirty.

Indeed, it was impossible to stay clean. We were hiking in red dirt, with temperatures of 35 degrees. Still, I felt a kind of energy I hadn’t experienced in years.

Yes, the coffee was bad, but I was too focused on keeping crickets off my face.

I love that photo of me in the dirt. I look messy, but also happy. Sometimes, it’s another way of traveling. There is beautiful scenery, there is dirt. There was always someone to talk to, someone to laugh with.

1. What were the author’s previous trips like, according to the article?

A．Cheap.

B．Adventurous.

C．Peaceful and comfortable.

D．Packed with outdoor activities.

2. What do we know about the author’s trip with her daughter?

A．Their journey was relaxing without too much sightseeing.

B．Their living conditions were fairly poor during the trip.

C．The scenery on the trip disappointed them.

D．The parents seemed to enjoy themselves more than the children.

3. How did the author feel during the later part of the trip?

A．Impatient.	B．Positive.
C．Disappointed.	D．Exhausted.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this article?

A．To warn readers to choose their trips wisely.

B．To share the benefits of traveling with children.

C．To tell about her latest trip and explain what she learned from it.

D．To show the advantages of going to different places.

【推荐3】For most people today, their GPS (Global Positioning System) has become a lifeline, giving directions to the nearest bathroom or restaurant. But the price we pay for the convenience could be our sense of direction.

“I do think GPS devices cause our navigational skills atrophy.” said Nora Newcombe, a psychologist at Temple University in the US who studies how the human brain navigates. “The problem is that you don’t see an overview of the area and where you are in relation to other things.”

To understand the risk, you first need to understand how our brain keeps us from getting lost. Through experiments, researchers have found that our navigational strategies usually fall into two groups. The first involves a spatial map inside your brain. As you explore an area, you think about how the streets fit together and the best way to get between different places. Eventually, the map lets you navigate between any two points in the area. The second involves a series of landmarks and steps: turn right at the gas station, and your school is on the left. It’s quick and reliable, but less flexible—it doesn’t help you get from your school to a totally new place, even if it’s nearby.

These two methods might not sound all that different, but according to Nora Newcombe, a psychologist at Temple University in the US, people who are bad at navigation have trouble with the first strategy – creating spatial maps. What’s more, people’s ability to create maps is decided by how often we use the skill.

That helps explain what happens when people trust themselves with GPS devices. According to Professor Veronique Bohbot of McGill University, people depending on GPS show more activity in the part of the brain that is good at following directions—but less activity in the part which creates the spatial maps.

It turns out that our sense of direction isn’t the only thing we could lose. One more thing that could go is our connection to the environment we travel through. Researchers have found that when people rely on GPS while driving, their memory of their trip is of a route on a screen, rather than the landscape they traveled through. Moreover, researchers believe that active navigation improves the type of thinking used in all kinds of spatial processes. “It’s things like urban planning, and looking at a map to see where resources are. That’s not replaceable by your phone.” Newcombe said.

1. ______is what we may lose for the convenience of using GPS.

A．The ability to read maps	B．The sense of feeling the sun
C．The chance to do urban planning	D．The connection to where we travel

2. The underlined word “atrophy” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to______.

A．become weaker	B．become stronger
C．become more useful	D．become less important

3. What may be Veronique Bohbot’s purpose in his research?

A．To explain why people use navigation

B．To prove what happens when we use GPS devices.

C．To find out people’s ability to create the spatial maps.

D．To tell the differences between the first strategy and the second direction.

4. What may be the writer’s attitude towards people relying on GPS devices?

A．Objective

B．Ambiguous

C．Negative

D．Indifferent