【推荐1】“No act of kindness,no matter how small,is ever wasted."

－Aesop

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.It's a day set aside to show extra kindness to the people around us-those we know and those we don't.Smiling and saying a few encouraging words is easy. But an act of kindness is something you actually do.A random act of kindness is usually unexpected and unplanned.Maybe you help someone carry groceries.Maybe you pay for a stranger's coffee.Or maybe send an encouraging note to a friend.

Caring for others is nothing new.In fact,the Bible tells everyone to"Love your neighbor as yourself."But who is your neighbor?There is an example in the story of"The Good Samaritan”。

It tells of a traveler who was robbed and beaten.A religious leader saw the man lying in the road but didn't stop to help.Another religious man also ignored him.But a Samaritan came along.He was a foreigner.He showed compassion and took care of the strangers' needs.He showed mercy.

Is helping strangers a thing of the past?Are people today too busy or too afraid to help someone they don't know?I know from experience that goodwill between strangers still exists.

One Sunday morning I was running late for church.As I started to drive off,I noticed an elderly lady.She was dragging a large piece of wood out of the rain.I was in a hurry,but I hesitated.Then I stopped my car,got out and helped her move the wood.

Months went by.Then one day,I saw some workmen cleaning out an old store.There in the pile of trash was a large Coca-cola cooler.How fun!A worker said I could have it,so I picked it up and started home.I didn't get very far.It was much heavier than I thought.Then out of the blue,the elderly lady appeared with a cart!I had helped her,and she was returning the favor.Go and help your neighbor today!

1. Which of the following is NOT a random act of kindness?

A．Smiling and saying a few encouraging words.

B．Helping an old man cross the street.

C．Paying for a stranger's breakfast.

D．Sending an encouraging note to a friend.

2. What does the underlined phrase"out of the blue"in the last paragraph mean?

A．Happily

B．Fortunately

C．Surprisingly

D．Excitedly

3. How does the author show that kindness between strangers still exists?

A．By making a comparison.	B．By giving an example.
C．By explaining reasons.	D．By stating opinions.

4. Which can be the best title of the passage ?

A．Love Your Neighbors	B．Random Acts of kindness
C．Random Kindness Pays Off	D．It's Never Too Late to Help Others

【推荐2】I was in the middle of a sweet dream when a noise startled me. Bam! Bam! It sounded like a hammer pounding on a tough nail. Bam! Bam! BAM! Who could be hammering at three in the morning? It must be Charlie again, making another invention.

Just as I was putting on my slippers and clothes, the noise changed. I sat at the edge of my bed and listened. Tick! Tick! Tick! It reminded me of my first wristwatch. Its regular pace had always helped mc fall asleep.

I started dozing off, dangerously leaning to the left, when the ticking stopped. It was now replaced by a buzz, similar to the noise coming from a beehive in midsummer, only louder. I shivered I’m allergic to bees ! Even just thinking about it or hearing a bee like sound makes me swell.

“That’s it!” I shouted, now wide awake, “I can’t take it anymore!” I marched to the next apartment and knocked. My neighbor immediately opened the door. His curly brown hair was sticking up every which way. He wore baggy striped pants and a loose shirt.

“Hi, there, Lucy! What’s up?” he asked.

I pointed at my noiseless watch. “Do you know what time it is?”

He grabbed my arm and glanced at my timepiece. “Oh, my! I didn’t realize it was that late. I’m busy working on a machine that can cure insomnia(失眠). It’s almost finished. You want to see it?” I should have known. His last invention was supposed to get rid of bad smells, but it was powered by rotten eggs.

1. What made the author sleepy again?

A．The ticking sound.

B．The coming of the bees.

C．The smell of the rotten eggs.

D．His neighbors silence.

2. What was Charlie doing?

A．He was inventing a wristwatch.

B．He was working with the bees.

C．He was making a new machine.

D．He was fixing a broken clock.

3. How did Charlie feel when he saw the author?

A．Scared.

B．Surprised.

C．Annoyed.

D．Disappointed.

4. What can we learn about Charlie’s last machine in the last paragraph?

A．It doesn’t work.

B．It makes a loud noise.

C．It gives give off terrible smells while working.

D．It is the latest machine that can cure insomnia.

【推荐3】Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake

With the Mid-Autumn Festival coming, the time for crabs is around the corner! Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake in China are believed to be the best freshwater crabs.

“They are delicious, because the bottom of Yangcheng Lake is hard and the crabs grow strong by walking on such a hard surface,” said one sales manager in Suzhou.

Li Lei, a crab lover from Beijing, said “It’s very delicious! But there are too many fake Yangcheng Lake Dazha Crabs”.

“Maybe the crabs from other regions can appear to be glistening green back, white belly after people wash them, but the golden fine hair on crab claws is still a point of pride and is exclusive to Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake,” said the manager.

The best time for enjoying them is during September and October of Chinese lunar calendar. “When the season for crabs arrives, the Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake are flown to various cities so that people’s appetites can be satisfied,” said the sales manager. “They are really expensive here, sometimes more than 320RMB/500g, 10% of my salary!” said Li Lei.

Dazha Crabs are usually steamed or boiled for within 20 minutes before they come on the dinner table. They are often enjoyed with vinegar mixed with minced ginger to add flavor and get rid of the cold. People who are particular about how they eat crabs also need to have high-grade Shaoxing rice wine to warm their stomachs.

There is much work required to eat crabs. So much shell!Most people use both hands and teeth while eating Dazha Crabs. “The eating way is not graceful or elegant,” said Huck. “However, some professionals of eating crabs can use tools to take all the meat out of the crab without damaging a single bite and the crab can be restored to its original shape if the empty shells are pieced together!” said Han Mei, another Dazha crab lover.

1. What do we know about Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake from the text?

A．They belong to seawater crabs.

B．You must use tools to eat them.

C．The best time for eating them lasts over three months.

D．Vinegar, ginger and rice wine can be enjoyed together with them.

2. The underlined word “exclusive” in Paragraph 4 probably means ___________.

A．expensive	B．unique
C．entire	D．similar

3. Which of the following is correct according to the passage?

A．The sales manager believes the living environment contributes nothing to the good taste of Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake.

B．Li Lei has mixed feelings about Dazha Crabs from Yangcheng Lake.

C．Han Mei thinks little of some professionalsof eating crabs.

D．Huck supports the way that most people eat crabs.

【推荐1】Jeremy Savage, aged 17, and Ian Marshall, aged 16, went to the Rocky Mountains with their parents for the weekend. On Saturday morning, the two boys decided to climb Cathedral Mountain by themselves while their parents relaxed at the campsite. After three hours, they reached the top with no problems.

However, trouble began when they started the climb down the mountain. On one very dangerous part of the path, Ian fell three metres off the side of the path. Jeremy was able to climb down to where Ian was. Ian was badly injured and could not move. Jeremy had to decide what to do. He needed help, but he did not want to leave his friend. He used water from his own bottle to clean the dirt and blood from Ian’s face and hands. He tried to help Ian stand up, but Ian’s right leg was hurting too much. They had to wait and hope that someone would come and help them.

When the boys did not return to the campsite that evening, their parents became very worried. They got in touch with park workers and began searching for the boys. Soon more than 20 people were looking for the boys.

As night fell, the boys were still missing. While they waited for help to arrive, Jeremy gave Ian his food and water and he let Ian lie on his jacket so he would be more comfortable. As the evening grew darker, Ian told Jeremy to leave him and go back to their parents, but he still did not leave. Jeremy thought it was too dangerous for Ian to be alone. The night was cold and windy, and Jeremy used his jacket and an extra shirt to keep Ian warm.

At sunrise, Jeremy decided that the only way to help his friend was to carry him. So, they started the long climb back to their parents. Sometimes Jeremy carried Ian on his hack. Sometimes he carried him in his arms. Finally, after four hours, they arrived at the campsite where their parents were waiting. “I will always remember what Jeremy did for me,” said Ian. “He saved my life. That is the greatest thing that a person can do for his friend.”

1. What happened to Ian on his way down the mountain?

A．Ian fell three miles off the side of the path.

B．Ian climbed down to where Jeremy was.

C．Ian was badly injured and could not move.

D．Ian decided what to do because Jeremy was injured.

2. Why did the boys’ parents get in touch with the park workers?

A．Because they knew the boys got injured.

B．Because they are worried about their own safety.

C．Because the boys returned to the campsite with wounds.

D．Because the boys did not return to the campsite that evening.

3. What did Jeremy do for Ian while they were waiting for help?

A．Jeremy had Ian’s food and water.

B．Jeremy left Ian alone to find help from their parents.

C．Jeremy let Ian lie on his jacket to make him comfortable.

D．Jeremy gave Ian his jacket and only shirt to keep Ian warm.

4. How long were the boys away from the campsite?

A．Four hours.	B．Almost one night.
C．Three hours.	D．About 24 hours.

【推荐2】Last night, on my way home I stopped because of being attracted by some hamburgers at a fast food restaurant. On my way in, a homeless man approached me and asked, “Do you have any bottles lying around?” I knew he would recycle them for a few cents, but I didn’t have any, so I said no. And again he asked, “Can you spare some change ?” I smiled, and said no again. He was very respectful; he smiled back and said, “OK, thank you.” Even though he didn’t have anything, he was still in good spirits. From the way he spoke I could tell he was smart.
Then I bought one hamburger and enjoyed my meal, but in the back of my mind I wondered whether the homeless man was hungry. After I finished my meal I decided to order another one for him. At this point I didn’t know if he was still around, but I tried anyway.
At the counter I ordered a hamburger and also a hot chocolate, because it was cold outside, and I thought it would help warm him up. They delivered me the hot chocolate first and as I waited for my hamburger, I noticed the homeless man was standing right beside me. I looked at him and smiled, “This hot chocolate is for you.” He replied like a gentleman, “Thank you so much. That’s very kind of you.”
I always believe no matter how ____ I am, there are always those who are worse off than I. When you help someone, it’s not always about money, it’s about love. The love you give today, someone might forget tomorrow. It doesn’t matter. Love anyway, because the greatest thing you can give is love.
1. What does the underlined phrase mean according to the passage?

A．Rich in money.	B．Short in money.
C．Generous.	D．Selfish.

2. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that the author _____.

A．was angry with the homeless man

B．was an old friend of the homeless man

C．decided to help the homeless man after his meal

D．finished his meal quickly to help the homeless man

3. We can infer from the text that the homeless man was _____.

A．old and sick	B．polite and friendly
C．sad and nervous	D．calm and confident

4. The author wants to tell us that _____.

A．love cannot be forced

B．money cannot buy everything

C．there is always someone that we can help

D．we shouldn’t forget those who once helped us

【推荐3】As a child， Obaida Omar fled the enemy's invasion of her native Afghanistan， walking for weeks through the mountains．

"During the day we had to hide in the villages because of the bombing，" said Omar， now a mother of three and Islamic Center of Rochester board member． "I walked on dead bodies． And up till today， it still troubles me a lot when I think back．"

Omar， who moved to the U．S． around 13， provided first﹣hand experience last Saturday of what it means to be a child displaced by war as the keynote speaker at the "Dinner for Peace，" hosted by the Student Association for the Development of Arab Cultural Awareness．

About 250 guests attended the dinner， the proceeds of which will go to education for children affected by the Middle Eastern refugee crisis．

"Children did not create this conflict， but they are its greatest victims，" said Alanoud Alzaid，the group's president， who gave the opening address at the dinner．

Junior Deema Abdo， co﹣founder of the non﹣profit Education for a Peaceful Middle East， helped explain the impact this dinner would have in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis．

"Tonight we have raised roughly ﹩3，000 in profit， which means over 1，000 children can get the education they deserve，" she said． "Without you， tonight would not have been possible．"

The Yellow Jackets kicked the night off with a selection of lively songs， designed to entertain their audience．

The Sihir belly dancing group﹣an Arabic dance also performed， with pride and authority in their costumes of shining gold and bright coral colors．

"We've been planning this for two months now． It feels wonderful to see such an amazing turnout，" said Alzaid． "It reminds me that there is still humanity in each and every one of us．"

On the whole， the dinner was a success． The audience was also full of praise．

"It's putting faces to the things we always hear about，" sophomore Gabby Stillman said． "It brings back that human element and makes you remember that we're all the same．"

1. What still makes Omar afraid till now？

A．Sheltering from enemy's bombing．

B．Having a hard life with three kids．

C．Fleeing for safety over dead bodies．

D．Walking in mountains in her childhood．

2. What does the underlined word "proceeds" in paragraph 4 refer to？

A．Obtained money．

B．Donated equipment．

C．Supported action．

D．Conserved energy．

3. What can we learn from the passage？

A．The outcome of the party is no better than expected．

B．The costumes of the performers help to convey Arab cultural awareness．

C．The move contributes to restoring public confidence in the US economy．

D．The children from Middle East and those in America receive the same help．

4. What is the main idea of the text？

A．Night witnesses generosity and humanity among the US guests．

B．Students make joint efforts to help set up a peaceful Middle East．

C．Dinner raises money for children displaced by Middle East Conflict．

D．Children receive voluntary donations from many American charities．

【推荐1】Silence is unnatural to man. He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness. In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world, and he fears silence more than anything else. Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence. If he is introduced to another person, and a number of pauses occur in the conversation, he regards himself as a failure, a worthless person, and is full of envy of the emptiest headed chatterbox ( 喋喋不休的人). He knows that ninety nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly, but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure (蜡塑人像).

The aim of conversation is not, for the most part, to communicate ideas; it is to keep up the buzzing sound. There are, it must be admitted, different qualities of buzz; there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito. But   at a   dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person. Most buzzing, fortunately, is pleasant to the ear, and some of it is pleasant even to the mind. He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take part in the buzzing with his neighbors.

Those who hate to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not   to know the reason why human beings wish to talk. Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new. Some of them are content if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears, though they have nothing to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel. At the end of an evening, during which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time, they just prove themselves to be successful conversationalist.

1. According to the author, people make conversation to _______.

A．exchange ideas	B．prove their value
C．achieve success in life	D．overcome their fear of silence

2. The underlined phrase “the buzzing of a fly” (Para.1),the author means _______.

A．meaningless talks	B．the noise of an insect
C．a low whispering sound	D．the voice of a chatterbox

3. According to the passage, people usually talk to their neighbors _______.

A．about whatever they have prepared	B．about whatever they want to
C．in the hope of learning something new	D．in the hope of getting on well

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To discuss why people like talking about weather.

B．To encourage people to join in conversations.

C．To persuade people to stop making noises.

D．To explain why people keep talking.

【推荐2】Kids’ cartoons are usually very popular among kids. Aimed at children, Kids’ cartoons are meant to be educational to some degree. The plot lines of kid’s cartoons are fairly simple and take place in everyday settings, such as schools and homes. The followings are some famous Kid’s cartoons.

King of the Hill

King of the Hill describes a middle-class family and their lives in a typical American town. It tells us about the Hills’ day-to-day-lives in the small Texas town of Arlen, exploring modern themes such as parent-child relationships, friendship, and justice.

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time is a French educational cartoon, created by Procidis. There are seven series, each focusing on different aspects of knowledge. Once Upon a Time focuses on the past events of mankind that happened a long time ago.

El Oso Yogui

Yogi Bear is a funny animal who has appeared in numerous comic books, television shows and films. He was created by Hanna-Barbera. The plot of most of Yogi’s cartoons centered on   his behavior in the Jellystone Park. Yogi, with his good friend Boo-Boo Bear, would often try to steal picnic baskets from campers in the park, which makes Park Ranger(管理员) Smith very angry. Yogi’s girlfriend, Cindy Bear, sometimes appeared and was usually against Yogi’s action.

Käpt’n Blaubär

Based on the comics by Walter Moers, this German cartoon series deals with the adventures of Blue Bear who prefers talking about his journeys on the Seven Seas with his grandchildren.

1. Children like Kids’ cartoons mainly because .

A．the stories are well organized	B．the lines are interesting
C．the settings are familiar to them	D．the characters are creative.

2. To get more knowledge of history, a kid may turn to .

A．King of the Hill	B．Once Upon a Time
C．El Oso Yogui	D．Kapt’n   Blaubar

3. Who probably enjoys sailing?

A．Blue Bear.

B．Yogi Bear.

C．Boo-Boo Bear.

D．Cindy Bear.

【推荐3】The following picture books are a wonderful way to improve the summer experience with kids.

Vampirina at the Beach by Anne Marie Pace

Vampirina and her best monster friend head to the beach during the full moon on a perfect summer night to   enjoy all the fun and festivities the beach has to offer. Along the way, Vampirina's beach adventures highlight the importance of beach safety to ensure a heroic adventure for all.

Available from Amazon,﹩11.50

Summer by Alice Low

Summer brings so many things to a spirited boy, an eager girl, and an excited little dog. The season is filled with adventure. With clever rhyming words, clever phrasing, and playful images, children will love following along as this energetic trio takes in all the sunshine, big beach waves, fireworks, and sweet treats of this truly memorable time of year.

Available from Amazon, ﹩6.23

Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein

Summer is the season of baseball, and there's no better way to celebrate summer than with the true story of Pumpsie Green's rise from the minors to the Boston Red Sox in 1959. As the final major league team to include black athletes, young Bernard and his family travel to Fenway Park to witness Pumpsie Green take the field in this inspirational tale of equality and progress.

Available from Amazon,﹩9.61

1. What benefit can children get from Vampirina at the Beach?

A．Enjoying the excitement of sports.	B．Making friends with pets more easily.
C．Strengthening the sense of shore safety.	D．Gaining the courage to enjoy summer camp.

2. Which of the following book is related to human rights?

A．Summer.	B．Waiting for Pumpsie.
C．Vampirina at the Beach.	D．The Night Before Summer Camp.

3. What do the three books have in common？

A．They tell what happens in the hot season.	B．They introduce camp adventures.
C．They describe sweet music.	D．They have the same price.

【推荐1】

Student Activities Assistant Bluegrass Community and Technical College Duties: $10 an hour Duties: This position will support the Student Activities Coordinator. Make Student Photo IDs and do general office work. Qualifications: High school diploma and one year of related work experience. Fun, dependable, and excellent customer service.

Weekend English Teacher Mosher Tech $30 an hour Duties: Teach English to young learners between 5-12 years of age through our platform. Teachers will be teaching classrooms with up to 4 students. Qualifications: English teaching certificates.   Prior teaching experience.

Reading/Math Tutor Butler Community College   $22.25 an hour Duties: The Reading/Math Tutor will be responsible for reading aloud and listening to students read in a group. They will tutor students by assisting with academic assignments for reading or math. Qualifications: Strong attention to details and problem solving skills. Ability to establish and maintain productive work relationships with staff and students.

Registrar Assistant The University of Chicago     $15.25 an hour Duties: This individual will work from December to March at approximately 20 hours per week. In peak periods, more hours may be available, and the assistant may be asked to work evening hours if needed. The assistant will create various reports on examinations, assist in exam administration and print course evaluations to help assure the department runs smoothly and efficiently during this period. Qualifications: High level of accuracy with repeated tasks. Minimum of 2 years of previous office experience required.

1. As a Registrar Assistant, you need to ______.

A．deal with general office work

B．write a variety of exam reports

C．give instructions on course evaluations

D．work 20 hours a week for a whole year

2. Which job doesn't require previous working experience?

A．Student Activities Assistant.	B．Weekend English Teacher.
C．Reading/Math Tutor.	D．Registrar Assistant.

3. We can probably read this passage from ______.​​​​​​​

A．a textbook	B．a school website
C．a travel guide	D．a science magazine

【推荐2】Language learning apps are very popular now and offer opportunities to learn vocabulary and practice grammar. But there has been a discussion about just how effective such apps can be.

Among the most popular apps are Duolingo and Busuu. A former research found positive results on the use of them. But it mainly concentrated on studies with learners who had signed up for language courses and these apps worked as an after-class support, so the results were not always reliable. A recent study of 4,095 Busuu users has been carried out to find out if users can actually learn a language with an app.

Busuu provides learning materials for 12 different languages. It offers special models where some contents are ready for use for free while some contents are not. We find that its users are an even mix of men and women. More than half consider themselves to be at the beginner level because there is a reduction in users as their language levels go up. Most people use the app because of personal interest, or because they want to study or live abroad. Female users are likely to use it less often but for longer periods of time than male users.

Feedback in the app is highly thought of. More than 92% of the users say that the app has met their expectations and 86% consider the app as very good or good. In fact, more than 80% of the users surveyed strongly agree that using the app has helped them improve their knowledge of the language they are learning.

Besides, language learning apps also create an environment where mistakes are only known to the users, and this can address the performance nervousness that many learners suffer from when asked to speak a foreign language. So language teachers should encourage their students to use them to do the grammar work, leaving precious class time for more language communication.

1. What's the reason why the results of the former research weren't always reliable?

A．It only considered users of a limited kind.

B．It just focused on positive results.

C．It was only carried out before class.

D．It used out-of-date methods.

2. What can we learn about the app Busuu from the text?

A．It's used by more advanced learners.

B．. All the contents are free to use.

C．Most users consider it satisfying.

D．It's more popular with female learners.

3. The underlined word"address"in the last paragraph can be replaced by_____.

A．cause	B．solve
C．increase	D．practice

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Language learning apps are very popular with most language teachers.

B．Students won't suffer nervousness in learning languages by using Busuu.

C．Language learning apps are effective and satisfactory to language learners.

D．Students should be required to use apps for homework after class.

【推荐3】They were a happy family：four daughters were all in the same school in different grades.The youngest，Janice，who was in my class，seemed to be glued(粘) to her mother’s skirts.The three older girls took the bus to school every morning，but Janice was always driven to school by her mother.

One Friday，Janice’s mother asked for a talk with me.She said in a soft voice，“My husband is going to Europe on business for two weeks，and he insists that I go with him.I have tried to explain over and over that Janice needs me here.But he thinks that she will be fine without me so I have no choice；I have to go.I have told the babysitter to drive her every morning.Will you please give Janice special attention and help her? I want to be sure everything goes well for her.”

I told her that we would make every effort to support Janice.I even volunteered to meet Janice at her car so she would see a familiar face.As a mother myself，I’d like to help.Janice’s mother thanked me for my understanding.

On Monday morning，expecting a tearful，anxious child，I planned a special program of fun and games.I waited outside to greet Janice，but just then the bus arrived and not three，but four girls got off.Janice skipped along joyfully，saying “goodbye” to her sisters as she ran with two friends into the classroom.I walked slowly into the classroom and called Janice over to ask how the bus ride went.Impatiently she said，“Oh，I always want to take the bus with the other kids，but Mother needs to be with me.You see there won’t be any more babies，so I have to be a baby a little longer.While she is away，I’ll just ride the bus every day.I am five，you know.”

1. Why did Janice’s mother want to have a talk with the author?

A．To ask her to help Janice with her homework.

B．To ask her to pick up Janice every day.

C．To ask her to give Janice more attention.

D．To ask her to meet Janice at her car.

2. What did the author not do for Janice?

A．Plan a special program of fun and games.

B．Wait for her outside the school.

C．Greet her when she got off the bus.

D．Ask about her bus ride.

3. What do we know from the passage?

A．Janice is too young to go to school by bus.

B．Janice likes taking a bus to school.

C．Janice doesn’t like her babysitter.

D．Janice is no longer a child.