【推荐3】Li Bai is regarded as the greatest romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty and a representative of the High Tang culture, combination of realistic Northern culture represented by Confucian philosophy and romantic Southern culture represented by Taoist philosophy. But he could neither realize his Confucian ideal to serve the country nor find spiritual freedom in Taoism, so he could only chant poetry and drink wine to drown his sorrow as described by Du Fu in Eight Immortal Drinkers.

Here we see the tragedy of a genuine staying lonely on earth like an angel fallen from Heaven. His try is marked by male greatness in the Waterfall in Mount Lu Viewed from Afar, in which we see the mountain cloud from down below and the Silver River, Chinese name for the Milky Way, fall from on high, and heaven and earth seem to merge into one, that is the Chinese way of communion with nature. In his poetry, we can find his love of nature, of freedom, of the people, of his friends, in short, of truth, goo and beauty.

Li Bai is best known for the extraordinary imagination and striking Taoist imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for liquor. Like Du Fu, he spent much of his life travelling, although in his case it was because his wealth allowed him to, rather than because his poverty forced him. He is said to have drowned in the Yangtze River, having fallen from his boat while drunkenly trying to embrace the reflection of the moon.

1. According to the passage the statements are about Li Bai EXCEPT ______.

A．he is a representative of the combination of realistic and romantic culture

B．he could not put his ability to good use in serving his country at that time

C．he had a depressed mental state and only drunk wine and chanted poetry

D．he made the poems in which complaints and dissatisfaction could be shown

2. In his poetry Li Bai mainly described ______.

A．relationship between different classes	B．criticism of social realism
C．beautiful nature and feelings	D．cruelty of the officialdom

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Li Bai enjoyed drinking more tea than anything else.

B．Li Bai spent much time on travelling as well as Du Fu.

C．Li Bai had a more extraordinary imagination than Tao.

D．Li Bai had to do that because he was very poor.

4. In which column of the newspaper may the passage appear?

A．Literature.

B．Health.

C．Sports.

D．Fashion.

【推荐1】It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up the shop when I hurried into the flower shop. “Now, what is it you want? ” Mr. Rocco turned to me. “I want the most beautiful flower you have” I replied. “And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower? ” I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter. “I can give you this one for 35 cents, ” he said. “Aw, gee, ” I protested, “it looks like a weed (草)!” About 18 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper. “Now trust me, boy-I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower,” said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it.

It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mum was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed(踮起脚走) in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother’s Day.

The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through the kitchen window as I looked into Mum’s room and glanced over at the table where the plant was. My goodness! There were three big yellow trumpet(喇叭) shaped blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said -the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mum, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged me till it hurt. Then, remembering her contagious(传染性的) condition and that she wasn’t supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go.

My dear mum died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I’d always know how much she loved me.

1. The author didn’t like the plant at first sight because he thought ______.

A．it was too cheap to be a gift

B．the plant couldn’t bring out beautiful flowers

C．the plant was actually a weed

D．Mr. Rocco was reluctant to do the deal with him

2. What’s the mother’s reaction when she saw the flower?

A．She was in great shock at the flower.

B．She was deeply moved by the precious gift.

C．She took it for granted on Mother’s Day.

D．She praised the author for the beautiful flower.

3. When the mother hugged the author tightly, it showed that ______.

A．she appreciated what had been done for her

B．she liked being given gifts on holidays

C．she was aware of the arrival of Mother’s Day

D．she was happy about the growth of her children

4. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．Low Price, High Value	B．A Son and His Mother
C．Flower of Love	D．A Special Mother’s Day

【推荐2】In a post shared on Twitter last Monday, the woman, Amy Clukey, explained that her dad, Rick, a beekeeper, died of lung cancer about nine years ago. But, before passing away, he wrote a note that he hoped one of his children would later find, and finally after so long, her little brother, who is now 16 years old, found it in his father’s beekeeping clothes.

The note said, “I hope one of my children is curious about beekeeping. Beekeeping is actually pretty easy and you can learn everything online. Bees make more products than just honey; it can be a source of extra income. So don’t be afraid, have courage. Good luck. Love Dad.”

The bee population in 2019 consisted primarily of wild bees, and North Dakota has the highest honey production with over 38 million pounds.

Clukey explained that her father bought a farm when he was in his 40s, and it was then that he took up beekeeping and other hobbies like raising cattle and horses. She added, “When he was diagnosed (诊断) with stage 4 lung cancer, the doctors told him that he had 18 months to live. He was a fighter: He lived 5 years and a week after his diagnosis.”

The post has attracted a lot of readers on the platform and has received over 42,800 likes, 2,333 comments, and 749,000 re-shares in less than 24 hours, and in the comments, the woman added that while she doesn’t do beekeeping herself, two of her brothers are interested in it.

One user commented, “I lost my dad in 2018. This post makes me cry.” And another user said, “My dad is in the last few weeks of his life battling cancer. I’ll come back to the post in a couple of months when I need it again.” And one also shared the story of her personal loss, writing, “I lost my husband half a year ago. He used to leave little notes all over the house. I can’t bring myself to move anything.”

1. What did the father wish according to the text?

A．His children could make big money.

B．One of his children could find the hidden note.

C．One of his children could be interested in keeping bees.

D．His children could make great contribution to the honey production.

2. What kind of person was Amy’s father?

A．Hard-working and brave.	B．Wealthy and healthy.
C．Easy-going and intelligent.	D．Generous and wise.

3. What is the common part of the readers?

A．They are all beekeepers.	B．They are all moved by the note.
C．They all lost their loved ones.	D．They all found the family member’s notes.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．A father’s death touched people’s hearts.

B．People made comments on a father’s death.

C．A father’s note posted online attracted attention.

D．Beekeeping is important for many families.

【推荐3】When I was an official of a school in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as the educationally handicapped and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents knew his difficulties, but they always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper.
“Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known that the last time I had talked to him would be the last time. If I had only known that, I would have said to him, ‘Jim, I love you and I’m always so proud of you.’ I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he had brought to the lives of the people who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, his laughter, and his genuine love to other people.
“When I put all the good things on the scale and try to balance them with all the irritating (恼人的) things such as the radio that was always too loud, the haircut that wasn’t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., I find that the irritations really don’t amount to much.
“I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear as if it may be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the morning of the day when he died. He called me to say, ‘Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. You have to go to work now. Bye.’ That day, he gave me something to treasure forever. ”
If there is any purpose at all for Jim’s death, maybe it is to make others appreciate life more and to tell people, especially family members, that they should take the time to let each other know just how much they care. You may never have another chance. Do it today!
1. Who was Jim?

A．The child of the Tyners’.	B．The writer’s relative.
C．The president of a school board.	D．An official of a school.

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “the educationally handicapped”?

A．The learning difficulty.	B．The physical problems.
C．The psychological problems.	D．The communication difficulty.

3. According to the writer, which of the following about Jim is TRUE？

A．He was always sad about his school marks.

B．His parents always scolded him about his bad school marks.

C．His study needed more attention from his parents and teachers.

D．He was killed in a car accident.

4. The purpose of Polly’s letter is to                           .

A．memorize her son

B．teach parents to appreciate their children

C．teach children how to be good boys

D．give some advice on how to deal with children’s problems