【推荐1】Onceupon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the sea to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he waswalking along the shore. As he looked down at the beach, he saw a human figuremoving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone woulddance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he wasreaching down to the shore, picking up something and throwing itinto the ocean. As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are youdoing?’’
The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwingstarfishes(海星)in theocean.”
“I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfishes in the ocean?”
“The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die”
“But, young man, don’t you realize thatthere are miles and miles of beach and starfishes all along it. You can’tpossibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, and said, “It made a difference for that one.” There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all beengifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, we will gain through the strength of our vision the power(力量) to shape the future.
We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the world will be better.
1. One day, the wise man saw a young man _______.

A．dancing along the beach	B．walking with a dancer
C．picking up starfish for sale	D．trying to save as many starfishes as possible

2. The underlined words “something very special” refers to ________.

A．the gifts from friends	B．the strength of making decision
C．our own starfish	D．the ability to make a difference

3. From the last two paragraphs, we can learn that ________.

A．the wise man realized something new and important

B．the wise man thought it was foolish of the young man to throw starfishes in the ocean.

C．the young man had the ability to make a difference

D．it is necessary for us to save starfish on the beach

4. The writer told this story to show us _____.

A．how and where we can write a good article

B．everyone can do something for the future

C．wise men are sometimes stupid

D．young men are in fact wiser than old people

【推荐2】Getting late for a meeting, “I need to run,” he said, as he put his coat over the shoulder and rushed out of the house. As he drove away, she came running down the stairs two at a time. “Wait, wait,” she shouted, but he had already left.

“He forgot to give me a goodbye kiss,” she said in a low, sad voice that shook under the weight of the hurt. She called him and said, “You left without giving me a kiss.” “I am sorry, sweetheart,” he said, his voice shaking. “It is okay,” she said, trying to be all grown-up as she cut the call.

She ate her breakfast quickly, put on her shoes, picked up her school bag and started to walk out of the door. Her shoulders were slumped(耷拉) and her eyes were filled with tears. As she climbed down the steps, a car came to a stop outside the house. He got out of the car. She ran to him.

“I am sorry I forgot,” he said, as he picked her up and hugged her. She said nothing. Her jaw ached from smiling.

Fifteen years later, no one would remember he was late for a meeting, but a little girl would never ever forget that her father drove all the way back home just to kiss her goodbye!

What is more important, work or family? Some parents always put work before everything. But some put family first. Remember, the company will run the same without you and your colleagues(同事) may forget you soon after you leave. But you are everything to your children.

1. The girl ran down the stairs fast to ________.

A．go to school on time	B．go to a meeting on time
C．get a goodbye kiss	D．say goodbye to her father

2. How did the girl probably feel after she cut the call?

A．Frightened.

B．Disappointed.

C．Worried.

D．Angry.

3. The passage is meant to suggest that parents ________.

A．put their children first

B．pay less attention to work

C．work hard to support the family

D．keep a balance between work and family

【推荐3】There are plenty of mindless activities to keep a child busy in this information age. Yet despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Alice wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition which she won last year.

As a writer, I know about winning contests—and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection letter from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and destroyed hopes can resurface in our children.

A revelation(启示）came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied. “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”

I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地）told them. Telling myself that I was an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.

Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借鉴) my daughter’s experience.

While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.

1. The underlined sentence probably means that the author was __________.

A．trying to let her daughter enjoy her own life

B．helping her daughter develop real skills for writing

C．making sure that her daughter would win the contest

D．trying to get her daughter to do the thing as the author wished

2. Why did Alice want to enter this year’s writing contest?

A．She wanted to share her story with readers.

B．She had won a prize in the previous contest.

C．She believed she possessed real talent for writing.

D．She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.

3. The author took great pains to improve her daughter’s stories because _________.

A．she was afraid that Alice’s imagination might run wild while writing

B．she did not want to disappoint Alice who needed her help so much

C．she wanted to help Alice realize her dream of becoming a writer

D．she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance

4. What does the writer mean to tell us in the last two paragraphs?

A．Children need more room to develop.

B．Parents should co-opt children’s experience.

C．Children should be provided enough help.

D．Parents need to remind their children of their own choices.

【推荐1】Harry is eighteen now.He studies in a middle school.His parents like him very much and hope he can become a famous man.So they often tell him to study hard and they do all for him.They call him at six in the morning, after breakfast his father takes him to school in a car and in the afternoon, as soon as the young man comes back, the supper is ready.Of course, he never washes his clothes or goes to buy something in the shops.

Once Harry's father was sent to London on business.He would stay there for half a year.When leaving, he told his wife to take good care of their son.

The woman had to get up earlier and did all what her husband did before.And two months later she was so tired that she was ill in bed.Now the young man got into trouble.He couldn't do any housework.He had to do as his mother told him.Even he didn’ t know where to get on the bus!

Yesterday Harry’s mother found his shoes were worn out and told him to buy a new pair in the shop.But he didn’t know how to choose.The woman had a sigh（叹息）and gave him a shoe pattern（样品）and told him to buy a pair of shoes himself.It’s Saturday today and Harry doesn’t go to school.With a policeman’s help, he found a shop.The shopkeeper was friendly to him.The man brought a lot of shoes and asked him to choose.When he was trying on a pair, suddenly he remembered something and took them off.The man was surprised and asked, “What’s the matter young man?” “I’m sorry, I’ve left the shoe pattern at home!”

1. _______always does some housework in the morning.

A．Harry’s father	B．Harry’s mother
C．Harry	D．Nobody

2. Harry’s parents do all instead of him because_______.

A．he’s too young	B．he has poor health
C．he’s busy with his studies	D．they hope he spends all time on studies

3. The woman had to look after her son by herself because________.

A．her husband wasn’t at home	B．she was stronger than her husband
C．she knew the young man well	D．she was freer than her husband

4. When the man was in London, ______.

A．Harry had to stay at home	B．Harry didn’t find the bus stop
C．Harry fell behind in his class	D．Harry wouldn’t go to school

【推荐3】In the cold and plain living room, Matt is sitting in his chair. His eyes don’t shine anymore. His skin is wrinkled (有皱纹的) and pale. He looks extremely old and weak. Today is his birthday, and he is by himself. The only thing that he has been doing all day is thinking about how sad and lonely his life is. As he was looking at some old pictures, he found one special with him and his friends from college. This picture brought back the days when he had friends and his life was full of happiness. Also, it brought him a sad memory. This memory happened forty years ago, during his last year of college.

Through college, Matt has a friend named Mark. Mark was tall and thin. He wore a thick glass. He was shy, smart and responsible. Also, Mark didn’t have as many friends as Matt did. He considered Matt as his best friend. As good friends, Matt and Mark went bowling together, they knew everything about each other, and they hung out. Also, they overcame many problems together. They were really good friends.

On his twenty-fourth birthday their life changed. On the night before Matt’s birthday, Mark called Matt, but his voice sounded strange. He said, “I have an important project to work on. I am having some problems with this. Maybe, you could come over and help me with it. Could you?” Matt asked, “What time?” Mark kept in silence for a minute, then he said, “Is 8 p.m. good for you?” Then Matt answered, “OK! See you later.” At the night, it was Matt’s birthday. So, he didn’t want to spend his birthday helping Mark with his project. Matt went to a club with some other guys.

1. Why was Matt sad on his birthday?

A．Because his friend didn’t buy him gifts.

B．Because no friend accompanied him.

C．Because his friend had quarreled with him.

D．Because his friend didn’t remember his birthday.

2. Which words can describe his friend Mark?

A．Small and shy.	B．Tall and shy.
C．Clever and weak.	D．Near-sighted and foolish.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Once Matt had many friends.

B．Once Mark had many friends.

C．Matt went to a club with Mark.

D．Matt didn’t know everything about Mark.

4. When Mark asked Matt to help him, Matt____________.

A．accepted his request happily

B．refused his request immediately

C．accepted his request but didn’t turn up

D．told Mark to spend his birthday with him

【推荐1】Architecture Summer School

Course overview

It will be an interesting design experience at the Royal College of Art School of Architecture. The Architecture Summer School offers a challenging and attractive programmer of design studio experience, visits, lectures and skill training.

Admission criteria

Participants must:

<>have an undergraduate degree in design or a creative background;

<>have a good level of English language;

<>be 18 years or over.

How to apply

We do not accept applications at the moment. The below information does not apply until the course is live again. To apply, please complete our online application form. This online form requires you to;

<> submit your Curriculum Vitae (简历);

<> submit a 300-word statement of interest outlining your relevant experience or practice and why you would like to join the Architecture Summer School.

If your application is accepted, you will be emailed with a booking link so that you can make payment of the course fee. The place will be held until the payment deadline, and if you do not make payment by this date then your place will be offered to another participant.

If your application is unsuccessful, we will inform you by email. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide personal feedback due to the great number of applications that we receive.

If the course is fully booked and your application is successful, we will add your name to a waiting list.

Application deadlines

Applications will be assessed by the RCA course team every two weeks or until the course is fully booked. We will inform all applicants by email within two weeks after they submit an application. Participants are advised to apply early to avoid disappointment as places are strictly limited.

1. What's the requirement if you want to apply for Architecture Summer School?

A．Applying on line now.

B．Being at least 18 years old.

C．Holding a graduate degree, in design.

D．Having a good command of foreign languages.

2. What should you do when you complete the online application form?

A．Submit your design work.

B．Pay 300 pounds in advance.

C．Mail the school your course fee

D．Describe your reason for joining the school.

3. What if you don't pay by the payment deadline?

A．You may not get the place.

B．You may get a personal feedback.

C．You will have to pay a double fee later.

D．You will find your name on the waiting list.

【推荐2】There should be a waterfall at the end of every hike. Here are some waterfalls you need in your life.

Vernal Fall, Yosemite, California

This 317-foot fall is on the Merced River and runs all the year, though it is the weakest at the end of summer and most splendid during spring. You’ll likely get wet from the waterfall mist. So you may as well wear some waterproof clothing.

Ruby Falls, Chattanooga, Tennessee

America’s deepest cave and largest underground waterfalls, Ruby Falls, hidden underground within a cave, are a popular tourist attraction in Tennessee. For the brave, Ruby Falls offers lantern tours on Friday nights, where tourists are led to the falls by a lantern-lit path.

Sliding Rock, Pisgah Forest, North Carolina

Sliding Rock is one of the most interesting waterfalls in the world. The family-friendly landmark offers an interactive adventure. If you’re traveling with children, your safest bet is to visit during summer weekends, when there is often a lifeguard on duty. The gentle incline (坡) makes this a fun and safe activity for the little ones.

Alamere Falls, Bolinas, California

Located along the Point Reyes National Seashore within Marin County, Alamere Falls is a tidefall — meaning it runs directly into the ocean. You can enjoy the falls all four seasons, but it is the best after winter and spring rainfall. After parking your car, you’ll hike along the Crest Trail to Wildcat Camp, where many visitors choose to stay overnight. If you’re visiting during warm months, take a dip in the nearby Bass Lake.

1. What is special for Ruby Falls?

A．People can enjoy swimming there.

B．They are the largest falls in the world.

C．There are more tourists than the other three falls.

D．The brave can enjoy lantern tours deep in the cave.

2. Where is the fall suitable for a family with small children?

A．Bolinas.	B．Yosemite.
C．Pisgah Forest.	D．Chattanooga.

3. What do Vernal Fall and Alamere Falls have in common?

A．Water runs the whole year.

B．Summer is their best season.

C．They are both close to the sea.

D．They provide free parking lots.

【推荐3】A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders (想知道): Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?             Certainly! there are some differences between British and American English. „There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital!” and “Do you             have a pen?”. Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound the“ir”s in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in             spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British, “color” and honor” are American. These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American             English are the same language.
1. American English and British English are different in ___ _____.

A．spelling	B．pronunciation
C．grammar	D．all of the above

2. What is not mentioned (提及) in the passage?

A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English.

B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two.

C．How the differences between British English and American English came about.

D．How important the differences are.

3. Most _____ say “Do you have a watch?”

A．British people	B．Americans
C．children	D．teachers

4. According to this passage, British people and Americans have _______ difficulty in understanding each other.

A．little

B．much

C．some

D．great

【推荐1】On Tuesday, the Amazon Company introduced Amazon One, which connects your palm(手掌) print to a stored credit card so you can place your hand above a sensor to enter and leave easily after buying at checkout-free Amazon(AMZN) Go stores.

Dilip Kumar, Amazon’s vice president told CNN Business that Amazon One had been used since long before the COVID-19. But the timing could be a positive for Amazon: Customers may find such payment convenient, and businesses also find it hopeful.

Yet the use of the Amazon One could raise eyebrows, too. Amazon has once come under fire from people who care about its facial-recognition software. When it comes to Amazon One data, Kumar said all palm pictures are coded and Amazon stores them online.

“I encourage people to try it, see how they like the experience,” Kumar said. You can hold your palm above an Amazon One scanner to enter the store. Then, anything you take will be automatically (自动地) charged to the credit card connected to their palm. Amazon One will make shopping faster and more convenient. Before trying it, users must place a credit card in an Amazon One device and hold a palm above it, facing down, so it can be scanned. The camera in it takes many pictures of the fine lines of the palm, and catches some details, which can’t be seen in typical photographs.

Amazon One now can be bought at two of the Amazon Go stores in Seattle, at 7th Avenue and Blanchard Street, and in the South Lake Union neighborhood.

1. Why is Amazon One introduced?

A．To ensure the safety.	B．To have a test.
C．To see credit cards.	D．To pay easily.

2. Which of the following best explains “under fire” in paragraph 3?

A．Being quite hot.	B．Receiving ill comments.
C．Getting on fire.	D．Gaining wide recognition.

3. Which of the following is not true about Amazon One?

A．It was not used until the outbreak of COVID-19.

B．It is convenient for customers .

C．It connects the credit card to one’s palm.

D．Its device takes the pictures of the palm.

4. What was Kumar’s attitude to Amazon One?

A．Doubtful.

B．Objective.

C．Supportive.

D．Unclear.

【推荐2】It was 1504, and Columbus was making another trip to the New World. Columbus and his men needed fresh water and food after three months at sea. They saw an island and went to the shore. On the island there were unfriendly Indians who refused to give food and water to them. Columbus’ men were afraid of the Indians, but he had a clever plan. He used gesture language to tell the Indians about his mysterious power to turn off the light in the sky. He knew about a lunar eclipse (月食) the next night because the information was in his almanac. Columbus told the Indians, “Tomorrow night I’ll turn off the light in the sky.” But they didn’t believe him. When the eclipse began the next night, the Indians became very frightened. They begged Columbus to turn on the light again, and they quickly gave him all the food and water he wanted. Immediately Columbus and his men hurried back to the ship and sailed away in the moonless night.

1. Columbus and his men stopped at the island because .

A．they wanted to meet the Indians there

B．they hoped to get supplies of food and water

C．they had never been on the island before

D．they had planned to visit it

2. The Indians Columbus and his men.

A．were glad to see

B．were kind to

C．welcomed

D．were hostile to

3. Columbus to tell the Indians that he had mysterious power.

A．used sign language

B．spoke in the language of the Indians

C．drew a lot of signs

D．wrote in the language of the Indians

4. “The light in the sky” here means .

A．the sun

B．the moon

C．the stars

D．the daylight

5. The Indians gave Columbus food and water because they .

A．believed Columbus was a man with mysterious power

B．were interested in Columbus’ trip

C．wanted to help Columbus

D．were clever

【推荐3】If there is one piece of advice I have for people today to experience more joy in life, it is to travel more. Making the journey out to somewhere you’ve never gone before with an open schedule, to let life show you what are waiting for you.

As Danny Kaye once said, to travel is to take a journey into yourself. As you travel you get close to more new people, cultures, and lifestyles than those in your homeland all the time. With all the newness in your life, you’re also opened to new thoughts, ways of seeing the world and living.

Saint Augustine said “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” When you travel, you may realize how kind and friendly strangers can be. Beyond that, you have the whole world to learn about with every place you discovered, every person you met and every culture you experienced.

Tim Cahill claimed that a journey is best measured (测量) in friends, rather than miles. One of the first things you can learn from traveling is how easy it is to make friends. Something magical happens when they’re open to express themselves without feeling judged. That’s how you can become best friends with people when you’ve only known them for a few hours.

Helen Keller thought that life is either a brave adventure or nothing. Life is a wonderful gift. You can experience it and take action from now rather than say “I wish I had”, so you can say “I’m glad I did”.

1. The purpose for the author to write this text is to ______.

A．talk about his travel experience

B．explain the benefits of traveling

C．give advice about how to travel

D．introduce some famous travelers

2. According to Danny Kaye, going on a journey can ______.

A．increase your chances of reading books

B．encourage you to make many new friends

C．help you know more about your inner heart

D．ensure you feel your whole life is worth living

3. Why can you become best friends with people within a few hours?

A．You can realize how friendly strangers are.

B．You can measure people’s features carefully.

C．You can perform magic tricks during the trip.

D．You can express your true self to other people.

4. What might be the author’s attitude to Helen Keller?

A．supportive.

B．curious.

C．patient.

D．doubtful.