【推荐1】In the UK, Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated on 5 November and the night skies are filled with color. It’s a special day in honor of a historic event.

In 1606 English Catholics were angry because the King of England, James I, was treating them badly. In protest (抗议), a group of men made a plan, known as the “Gunpowder Plot”, to blow up the House of Parliament in London. An huge explosion was planned for 5 November, the day the king was due to open parliament.

The group chose a man called Guy Fawkes to light the gunpowder. The plot did not succeed — the gunpowder was found before it exploded and all the men involved were arrested, beaten and executed. To celebrate his survival, King James ordered the people of England to have a bonfire on the night of 5 November.

On 5 November people remember the plot by celebrating Bonfire Night. All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes, made from clothes and filled with newspaper, which are burned on the fire. The fireworks are a reminder of the gunpowder that Guy Fawkes hid in the cellar of Parliament.

Children used to take home-made Guys onto the streets and ask for “a penny for the Guy” to collect money to buy fireworks. At the Edenbridge Display in Kent last year, a 9-meter “celebrity” Guy was burned of Wayne Rooney wearing Shrek-style ears and a Manchester United football shirt.

It’s normally quite cold in November in Britain, so on Bonfire Night people wear hats, scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside. Traditional Bonfire Night food is hot baked potatoes. There are also toffee apples and in the north of England they eat a special type of cake called parkin.

1. Why was 5 November chosen by “Gunpowder Plot”?

A．There would be a protest

B．There would be an explosion

C．James I would open parliament

D．James I would put Catholics to death

2. What does the underlined words “executed” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Scolded.	B．Punished.
C．Injured.	D．Killed.

3. What seems to attract children most on Bonfire Night?

A．Celebrities.	B．Fireworks.
C．Models of Guy Fawkes.	D．Bonfire Night foods.

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

A．Bonfire Night	B．Guy Fawkes
C．Gunpowder Plot Failed	D．Edenbridge Display Made It

【推荐2】Celebrate!

Birthdays in Mexico

In Mexico, children often get pinatas (皮纳塔) on their birthdays. Their parents put chocolates and other sweets inside the pinata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the pinata with a stick. It breaks and the sweets fall out onto the ground.

Business birthdays

A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the USA celebrate important birthdays, like 10, 50 or 150 years. Companies hold parties and send cards. Sometimes they make TV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.

Name days

As well as a birthday, many people in Southern and Eastern Europe also celebrate their name days. In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays. People have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come. People bring small gifts, often flowers or a box of sweets.

Islamic New Year

In Muslim countries across the world, people celebrate Eid. Eid means festival or celebration. During Eid, people visit family and friends, as well as people who are sick or in hospital. They give presents, such as sweets and food. Children receive toys, too. Children often wear special traditional clothes during the Eid celebrations.

Birthdays in China

In China, people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends, and the last dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin. You have to eat them in one piece. You can’t cut them. In Chinese culture, long noodles mean you will have a long life.

1. Where do people celebrate business birthdays according to the text?

A．In China.	B．In Mexico.
C．In America.	D．In Greece.

2. How do Greek celebrate name days?

A．Holding parties.

B．Visiting parents.

C．Sharing sweets and food.

D．Making TV advertisements.

3. Why do Chinese people eat noodles on their birthdays?

A．Noodles in China are delicious.

B．Noodles represent the reunion of family.

C．Noodles are a traditional and popular food.

D．Noodles symbolize longevity in Chinese culture.

【推荐2】Since 1993, Chicken Soup for the Soul has been a company that combines storytelling with making the world a better place. We tell the stories of all people through our efforts, always with an eye to furthering unity and understanding, and an appreciation for our differences.

Our Products

Books: At Chicken Soup for the Soul, we receive thousands of stories every year for our books. These stories are the foundation of everything we do. They have inspired our other products and established the values we run our company by. With these stories, our publisher puts out about a dozen new titles every year. Click here to see our over 250 books.	Pet Food: We’re also inspired by the thousands of stories we receive about the love between pets and people. These stories show that every moment matters between an owner and a pet. Our great pet foods are meant to help you turn your own moments into stories. To learn more about our pet foods, click here.
TV and Movies: Stories can be told in a variety of ways and today we’re branching out to what we call “visual storytelling.” Our first regular TV show aired weekly beginning October 2015 and our first Chicken Soup for the Soul feature film came out in 2016.	Apps: Chicken Soup for the Soul stories have inspired us and we’re sure they will inspire you, too. Our apps allow you to bring stories with you on the go and share them with friends and family.

Facts & Figures

• The Chicken Soup for the Soul book series of over 250 titles has sold more than 110 million copies nationwide. Our books have been translated into 43 languages, have been published in over 100 countries, and have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.

• In 2004, Chicken Soup for the Soul launched Pet Food, Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, which today can be found in over 5,000 independent pet specialty stores.

• In 2008, Chicken Soup for the Soul became the best-selling trade paperback series of all time.

• In 2013 Kerner Entertainment agreed to produce a film based on Chicken Soup for the Soul.

1. From the passage we can know that Pet Food is ________ .

A．a kind of food sold in pet specialty stores

B．a set of recipe books for pet owners

C．a series of stories between pets and people

D．a sort of value delivered by the pet lovers

2. The “facts & figures” shows that Chicken Soup for the Soul________.

A．has achieved worldwide success

B．has experienced ups and downs

C．has developed into a film company

D．has made the world a better place

3. We probably find this passage________.

A．on the Internet	B．on a poster
C．in a travelling guide	D．in a science report

【推荐1】The name England comes from the words “Angle land”. The Angles were people who came from northern Germany in the 5th and 6th centuries, after the Romans had left. The French name for England is Angleterre, which also means “Angle land”. There were also invasions (侵略) of southern England by Saxons and Jutes (people from another part of northern Germany). English people are sometimes called Anglo－Saxons. The Celts who used to live in this area were forced to move back into Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall and into Western France (the area known as Brittany).

England at first became a series of kingdoms, the strongest of which was Wessex (the name comes from West－Saxon). The names of many of the areas in England come from this period—for example, the name Sussex comes from South－Saxon, Essex from East－Saxon, and East Anglia from East－Angle. The Vikings then came from Denmark, and later the Normans invaded from France. Eventually England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were united, forming the United Kingdom.

The English language is the main language spoken throughout England, although there are many different accents. It can be difficult to know how to spell or to pronounce some English words, because the language has been influenced by Latin and Greek (languages used at the time of the Romans, and used in religion and education until recent times), German (the language of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes), French(the language of the Normans), Gaelic/Scots (Celtic languages) and Danish (the language of the Vikings).

There are now many people throughout the United Kingdom who speak a foreign language either as their first or second language, mainly due to immigration (移民) from Europe or the Commonwealth (countries which used to be part of the British Empire).

1. What's the first paragraph mainly about?

A．The origin of the name England.

B．The Celts used to live in England but left for some reason.

C．Southern England once was attacked by Saxons and Jutes.

D．Angles and Saxons came from different parts of northern Germany.

2. In the history of England, ________ once was the strongest kingdom.

A．Sussex	B．Wessex
C．Essex	D．East Anglia

3. What can we learn from the third paragraph?

A．English words are hard to spell and to pronounce.

B．England had been invaded by most of the countries of Europe.

C．The English language was influenced by several foreign languages.

D．It's hard for people who have different English accents to communicate.

4. Why do many people in the UK speak a foreign language nowadays?

A．Because they are required to learn a foreign language at school.

B．Because they plan to live outside the UK in the future.

C．Because they have moved from other countries.

D．Because they have worked in other countries.

【推荐2】Summer Leadership Programs for High School Students

Do you see yourself as a leader? Strong leadership skills are a great way to set yourself apart on a college application as well as in your future career. Below are four summer programs that will give you a head start on improving your leadership abilities. And if you know of another worthwhile leadership program, share it with other readers using the link at the bottom of the page.

The Brown Leadership Institute

Brown University's pre-college summer programming includes The Brown Leadership Institute, a two-week leadership training session for motivated and intellectually curious 9th through l2th graders. The program aims to apply leadership skills to social issues. Through case studies. group projects. field trips, and discussions and debates, students examine complicated global issues and learn to come up with effective solutions. Students also create and bring home an action plan, attempting to resolve a long-term issue that they care about.

Leadership in the Business World

Rising high school seniors interested inn exploring undergraduate business administration and leadership are encouraged to apply to this program, sponsored every summer by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Students attend lectures and presentations by Wharton faculty and guest speakers, visit successful business enterprises and work in teams to create an original business plan to be presented to a panel of experts and professionals. The month-long program is offered at both of Wharton's campuses in San Francisco and Philadelphia.

National Student Leadership Conference

Among its wide selection of summer sessions for high school students, the National Student Leadership Conference offers a five-day course on Mastering Leadership. It includes a series of interactive workshops that emphasize the Pillars of Effective Leadership", including goal-setting, group brainstorming. team building, people-convincing communication, and community service, as well as taking field trips, meeting with leadership professionals, and completing a day of service in the local community. Dates and locations vary.

Students Today Lenders Forever

Students Today Leaders Forever, a national non. profit student leadership association, offers this live-in summer experience for high school students entering grades 9-12. Students participate in leadership workshops and team-building activities with a focus on organization, teamwork, communication, and an overall commitment to effecting positive change. There are two six-day sessions hosted on the campuses of Hamline University.

1. Students who have strong leadership skills__________.

A．can get admitted to college without application as a necessary part

B．may distinguish themselves from others when applying for colleges

C．will achieve quite a different success in their future life

D．can separate themselves from others in their future work

2. You can choose to join in__________if you want to make an action plan to solve a social problem.

A．The Brown Leadership Institute.

B．Leadership in the Business World.

C．National Student Leadership Conference.

D．Students Today Leaders Forever.

3. What can students do in the program offered by Wharton School?

A．Attend two six-day sessions.

B．Participate in a day of community service.

C．Present a creative business plan with good teamwork

D．Take several field trips.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．All the four programs provide field trips.

B．All the four programs are intended for 9th through 12th graders

C．No program offers live-in summer experience.

D．National Student Leadership Conference last for the shortest period of time.

5. Which of the following is the passage probably taken from?

A．A high school newspaper.	B．A university guide book,
C．A website	D．A teens magazine

【推荐3】Four International Books Every Child Should Read

Konstantin, Gerda Wagener

Written in German, this book follows a shy crocodile named Konstantin who plays the instrument in secret in the jungle. The jungle’s other inhabitants are hiding and listening to him play. In the end, the shy and lonely animal finally finds friendship through his music.

Everyone Poops, Taro Gomi

Written in Japan, this book features the introduction of the toilet habits of a range of animals before explaining that everyone has to use the toilet. Designed to teach children that going to the toilet is nothing to be embarrassed about, the book helps kids to deal with toilet training.

Pettson and Findus, Sven Nordqvist

Pettson and Findus is a series about the adventures of an old man, Pettson, and his cat, Findus, living in the countryside. These stories are beloved in their home country of Sweden. The book describes lots of funny stories which will delight any child.

The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers was written in France in 1844. A young man named D’Artagnan who leaves home to pursue his dream of joining the Musketeers (火枪手) of the Guard. D’Artagnan isn’t accepted at first, but in the end manages to befriend three musketeers. This book is a must-read for any fans of action and adventures.

1. Which book tells of an animal who can play the instrument?

A．Konstantin.	B．Everyone Poops.
C．Pettson and Findus.	D．The Three Musketeers.

2. What does Everyone Poops characterize?

A．It helps children to deal with toilet training.

B．It helps children develop an interest in Japanese.

C．It begins by introducing the toilet habits of animals.

D．It stresses the importance of training children in going to the toilet.

3. What do Pettson and Findus and The Three Musketeers have in common?

A．Both of them were written in France.

B．Both of them were written in the 19th century.

C．They both contain adventures.

D．They both tell a story about an old man.

【推荐1】If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment.

Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other responsibilities that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.

Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of their invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!

Are there any people you could call right now and be sure to receive a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count onto help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?

If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?

If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that   you have got too busy，take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?

If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over spent because you never say “No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be appointed to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?

Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule adequate time for the things that are truly most important to you.

If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.

1. In this passage the author mainly discusses ______       .

A．how to balance friendship and work.

B．how to spend our spare time.

C．whether we should keep friendship.

D．whether we should invite friends to dinner regularly.

2. Which of the following doesn’t mean a good relationship?

A．You have someone to count on when you are in trouble.

B．You have someone to have close talks with.

C．You have fun when you are with someone.

D．You feel depressed with others in life.

3. The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following EXCEPT that_____.

A．you spend too much time seeking material toys in your life

B．you feel it difficult to keep friendship

C．you stick to doing everything all by yourself

D．you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do

4. Which would be the best title for the text?

A．Too busy for Friendship?	B．Too busy with work?
C．How to Spend Your Time	D．How to Make New Friends

【推荐2】According to related new research, tropical cyclones(热带气旋), ranging from hurricanes to typhoons, are moving more slowly across the planet than they did decades ago, meaning that they get more destructive power and last longer.

It may seem like a good thing that cyclones crawl at a slower speed, but in fact it’s quite the opposite. Although the cyclones are moving slower across the ground, they still get high wind speeds inside, which on the contrary makes hard rains stay longer over communities.

“Nothing good comes out of a slowing storm,” says James Kossin, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Center for Weather and Climate in Madison, Wisconsin. “It can increase storm surge. It can increase the amount of time that structures are subjected to strong wind. And it increases rainfall.”

According to Kossin’s findings, changing storm patterns are causing greater destruction in another way. He noted that the speed of global tropical cyclones slowed by an average of 10 percent from 1949 to 2016. The pace of the storms slowed even more as they made landfall in some regions. In the western North Pacific, it declined by nearly a third. That means there will be more time for a storm that may already contain much moisture (水汽) to release more of it in each spot.

Basing his research on the details of nearly 70 years’ worth of storms, Kossin did not try to determine the cause of the slowdown. Even so, the shift is, exactly as he and other cyclone experts said, the expected result of climate change.

Kossin’s work was considered to be “pretty convincing” by Christina Patricola, a scientist with the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division of California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

It is Kossin’s hope that a model demonstrating which communities are likely to be at the highest risk could be developed by scientists. Given that in some regions, the storms are moving poleward and gaining in strength as well, places not normally passed by could be affected by unusually heavy rainfall as a result. “These are not good things to be combining,” he says.

1. Why are cyclones more destructive when they crawl more slowly?

A．They get higher wind speeds inside.

B．They cause more serious climate change.

C．They move poleward and affect more regions.

D．They make rains and winds stay longer over a place.

2. What has Kossin found about the western North Pacific?

A．The speed of the storms there slows more.

B．It has much wetter air.

C．It has higher risk of being hit by storms.

D．The storms there cause less damage.

3. What’s Christina Patricola’s attitude to Kossin’s work？

A．Ambiguous.

B．Cautious.

C．Critical.

D．Approving.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Entertainment.

B．Science.

C．Health.

D．Education.