【推荐1】Someone said that encouragement is simply reminding a person of the “shoulders” he's standing on, the heritage he's been given. That's what happened when a young man, the son of a star baseball player was chosen by one of the minor league teams. Hard as he tried, his first season was disappointing, and by mid-season he expected to be released any day.

The coaches were puzzled by his failure   because he possessed all the characteristics of a superb athlete, but he seemed to have become disconnected from his potential.

His future seemed darkest one day when he had already struck out his first time at bat. Then he stepped up to the batter's box again and quickly ran up two strikes. The catcher called a time-out and trotted (快步走) to the pitcher's mound for a conference. While they were busy, the judge, standing behind the plate, spoke casually to the boy.

Then play resumed, the next pitch was thrown and the young man knocked it out of the park. That was the turning point. From then on, he-played the game with a new confidence and power that quickly drew the attention of the parent team, and he was called up to the majors.

On the day he was leaving for the city, one of his coaches asked him what had caused such a turnaround. The young man replied it was the encouraging remark the judge had made that day when his baseball career had seemed doomed.

“He told me I reminded him of all the times he had stood behind my dad in the batter's box, the boy explained.” He said I was holding the bat just the way Dad had held it. And he told me, I can see his genes in you; you have your father's arms. After that, whenever I swung the bat 1 just imagined I was using Dad's arms instead of my own."

1. The young man couldn't succeed at first probably because_________.

A．he received little support

B．he failed to realize his potentials

C．he had no confidence and power

D．he didn't accumulate enough experience

2. What does the underlined word "doomed" refer to in the last but one paragraph?

A．limited

B．transformed

C．ruined

D．progressed.

3. What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To tell us encouragement may change one's life.

B．To stress athletes especially need encouragement.

C．To predict the young man will have a bright future.

D．To caution people can never succeed without encouragement.

【推荐2】Losing a parent is one of the most painful parts of life. No matter how old we are when they leave us, it can be a painful experience. Our memories are all that is left of them and happy reminders of their love turn into our most valuable treasures.

That's how Mara Soriano feels about a very special teddy bear she lost in her recent move to a new apartment.

The toy bear didn't cost a lot, but it contained a recording of her late mother's voice telling her that she loved her and was proud of her. The bear, called "Mama Bear," was in a backpack that contained electronics like an iPad and a Nintendo Switch. When the bag was missing last week during the move, the 28-year-old, was heartbroken—not for the electronics, but for Mama Bear.

So she posted online about the item lost and the story behind it. Luckily, Mara's search soon became a hit. Meanwhile, Mara was out searching. She put up posters, dug through dustbins, and communicated with others online, following any lead she could.

Actor Ryan Reynolds posted an appeal for its safe return. "I think we all need this bear to come home," he wrote. Along with the message, he also set a price of $5,000 for the return.

Then on Tuesday night, Mara's special bear came home. It's a bit of a modern-day wonder that would never have happened without social media. Mara said she got an email from someone who told her they had the bear.

Mara is getting married next summer and the bear is going to have a special seat at the ceremony—the one her mother would sit in. For now, she's keeping "Mama Bear" close and sending thanks to those who helped with the happy reunion.

1. Where was Mama Bear when it was lost?

A．In a backpack.	B．In the old apartment.
C．In a dustbin.	D．In an electronics store.

2. Why did Mara spare no effort to recover her Mama Bear?

A．It contained expensive electronics.

B．It recorded her wedding memories.

C．It was a present for her 28th birthday.

D．It had happy reminders of her mom's love.

3. What did Ryan do to help Mara?

A．He put up posters across the city.

B．He sent an message to comfort Mara.

C．He bought an alternative bear for Mara.

D．He offered a reward for the return of the bear.

4. The special seat at the wedding ceremony will be intended for        .

A．the bridegroom	B．the toy bear
C．a famous actor	D．an honored guest

【推荐3】At noon that day, I drove back to my house after the performance. Just as I entered the living room, I heard a gentle sound coming from the bedroom upstairs — it was the sound of my favorite violin.

“Thief!”

I dashed upstairs. Sure enough, as expected, a boy of about 12 years old was petting my violin. The boy had messy hair and a thin face, his oversized coat seemingly filled with something. At first glance, I found a new pair of shoes missing. It seemed that he was surely a thief.

Then, I saw his eyes full of fear and despair. My anger was immediately replaced by a smile. I asked, “Are you Mr. Ram’s nephew, Michael? I’m his housekeeper. Two days ago, I heard his nephew living in the countryside will come. It must be you. You’re really like him!”

Hearing my words, the boy was first astonished, but then quickly said, “Has my uncle gone out? I think I’d better first go out for a walk and visit him again in a while.”

I nodded and asked the boy who was preparing to put down the violin, “Do you like to play the violin so much?”

“Yes, but I’m so poor that I can’t afford it,” the boy replied.

“Then, I give this violin to you.” The boy looked at me questioningly, but he picked up the violin. Going out to the living room, he suddenly saw on the wall my huge color photo I performed in the Sydney Opera House. He trembled(颤抖) for a moment and ran out without looking back.

I was sure that the boy had understood what happened because no one would decorate the living room with the housekeeper’s photo.

A few years later, at a music competition of senior high school students in Melbourne, I was invited to judge the final. Finally, a violin player called Merritt won the first prize with his strength!

After the award, Merritt ran to me holding a violin box, excited, asked, “Mr. Brian, do you still know me? You have given me a violin, which I have been treasuring until today! Today, I can give back this violin to you without regret…” It turned out that he was “Mr. Ram’s nephew Michael”!

Tears welled up in my eyes.

1. Why did the author address the boy “Mr. Ram’s nephew, Michael”?

A．Because Michael is the boy’s name.

B．Because he mistook the boy for Michael.

C．Because he wanted to protect the boy’s self-respect.

D．Because he would like to make friends with the boy.

2. Who is the author?

A．The housekeeper.	B．The house owner.
C．The boy’s uncle.	D．The boy’s teacher.

3. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Kind and devoted.	B．Thoughtful and generous.
C．Humorous and selfless.	D．Warm-hearted and energetic.

4. What message does the story convey?

A．Music has a strong power.

B．Being kind can get rewarded.

C．Practice makes a good musician.

D．Small kindness can make a difference.

【推荐1】When Tony took up running as a hobby, he was 42 years old. Now 42 years later he’s a national champion and a world record holder.

He never imagined at the age of 84 this is where he’d be, but then he doesn’t meet many people in their 80s who are out training four times a week.

“I can see it’s a bit unusual, yes. But it’s been my life, ” he told the reporter.

The retired officer runs at a track near his home in Leeds.

At an event in Italy last month he set a world record in the 80 metres hurdles (跨栏) with a time of under 17 seconds. But he sees no reason to slow down and his ambition is still to be competing when he passes a hundred.

“I probably won’t be doing a crouch start (蹲式起跑), but it’s only 16 years away,” he joked. Like anyone his age, he’s had health problems. He’s had a string of severe heart attacks, but doctors have told him as long as it makes him feel good, he should carry on running.

“I can’t let my heart get in the way of my training. When I am sprinting, I have to give it my absolute all. My heart is the last thing on my mind.” he said.

He trains every other day, dances and plays hockey and he recently cuts down on alcohol and chocolate. He said, “I’ve heard alcohol can lead to dementia and I don’t want that. I’ve cut down to one glass of wine every other day. I now have to stay as fit as I can be to keep up my lifestyle.”

Tony’s next birthday is next September. And the first thing he wants to do is to become the world’s fastest 85-year-old.

1. What will Tony do after the competition in the Italy ?

A．He decides to slow down.

B．He decides to retire as an officer.

C．He plans on running until he’s 100.

D．He plans to compete in the 100 metres hurdles.

2. What do the doctors suggest to Tony?

A．Trying to run as fast as he can.

B．Continuing to run if he feels good.

C．Cutting down on alcohol and chocolate.

D．Stopping running to treat his heart disease.

3. Which of the following best describes Tony?

A．Imaginative.

B．Positive.

C．Caring.

D．Self-centered

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．A National Champion.

B．The Fastest Man in the World.

C．The World’s Fastest 85-year-old.

D．Granddad Crowned Fastest 84-year-old in the World.

【推荐2】Billionaire Bill Gates has offered the many thousands of graduates some career and life advice. Over a series of 14 tweets in his Tweeter posted last Monday, the world’s richest man used the words “impact”, “happiness” and “progress”. He did not mention money. Instead, he told the graduates what jobs he would be looking for if he started out today.

“AI (artificial intelligence), energy and bio-sciences are promising fields where you can make a huge influence”, he wrote. Earlier this year, Gates---who famously dropped out of Harvard to found Microsoft---said that artificial intelligence had “ phenomenal” potential, and “anything connected with that would be an exciting lifetime career.” In the same speech at Columbia University, he said there is a huge growing demand in the energy field to develop reliable, cheap and clean energy.

As well as urging new graduates to surround themselves with people who challenge you, teach you, and push you to be your best self, Gates reminded them to think of others, especially the less fortunate.

He wrote that it had taken him decades to learn about the world’s worst unfairness and described this lack of early understanding as his one big regret. “You know more than I did when I was your age,” he wrote, “ You can start fighting unfairness, whether down the street or around the world sooner.”

He finished by asking graduates to consider the progress human has already made, saying that he believe the world is getting better. “ That matters because if you think the world is getting better, you want to spread the progress to more people and places.”

1. Who has been given life advice by Gates recently?

A．High school students.	B．New employers.
C．Unemployed persons.	D．College graduates.

2. What words mentioned in Gates’ tweets?

A．Impact, happiness, money.

B．Impact, happiness, progress.

C．Happiness, progress, money.

D．Progress, impact, money.

3. What does the underlined word “that” in Para 3 refer to?

A．AI.

B．Energy.

C．Bio-sciences.

D．Microsoft.

4. What was Gates’ great regret about unfairness?

A．Not fighting with it.

B．Few people realized it.

C．Having too little early understanding of it.

D．Spending too little time learning about it.

【推荐3】After 13 years with the Royal Mail, you might think Peter Willis could happily spend his retirement（退休）without ever seeing another post box.

But the postman has decided to keep himself busy by photographing as many of Britain's 115, 000 post boxes as possible.

The 67-year-old man has covered thousands of miles taking pictures of 2,500 post boxes since he started this great activity five years ago.

Mr Willis, who worked as a Royal Mail manager before he retired, said, “It started out as a bit of a hobby but has developed into a bit of an obsession（痴迷）. There is something wonderful about discovering a post box which is in a strange location or is particularly old but is still being used by people to communicate with each other. When I've taken a picture of a post box, I will remove it from the list. I'm not sure whether I can get round all 115,000. I’ve done around 2,500 boxes and I'm always looking out for the next one. ”

He takes his wife Dianne, 64, with him along the way. "She often stands guard if I’m in the middle of the road taking pictures as I get down on my hands and knees to record the bases, which have details of the producers on them. She is usually telling the passing public that I’m not actually mad. I suppose she gets a bit bored sometimes. Sometimes she’ll let me go off on my own. ” said Mr Willis.

Over the past years, Mr Willis has photographed post boxes in Inverness, Dublin and across England. His photos include unusual locations, such as several post boxes at the top of hills and even one inside a theatre.

When he finds a new post box, Mr Willis photographs the base to record the producer's name and gives a grid reference（坐标参考）on a map.

1. What's Peter Willis hobby?

A．Searching for special post boxes.

B．Photographing beautiful post boxes.

C．Collecting and sending letters for free.

D．Taking pictures of post boxes.

2. What has Peter Willis done in the past 5 years?

A．He has pictured 2, 500 post boxes in Dublin.

B．He has been to theaters to see movies about post boxes.

C．He has been abroad to produce post boxes.

D．He has taken photos of post boxes in different places.

3. Why does Peter Willis need his wife to go with him?

A．She may make certain that he is safe.

B．She helps to communicate with the post box producers.

C．She has a huge database of post boxes.

D．She helps to record the names of post box producers.

【推荐1】Craig Blackburn, a father and car fan, built a Batmobile for his son's hope of using the vehicle to brighten the lives of sick children. And now he hopes to use it for more than just his son's hope after seeing the children's reaction to the Batmobile.

Based on the number of failures he had seen in car enthusiast groups, he estimated that only about one in fifty attempted constructions was actually finished and he realized what a slim chance he had.

Mr. Blackburn started the project at the beginning of 2015 after hearing a friend in the US was doing the same thing. It started with importing an outer shell overseas, before he picked a friend's brains who had a background as a worker in a car factory to gain knowledge of how to build the car. With the help of his friend, Mr. Blackburn built the Batmobile in 18 months with the cost reaching six figures.

Mr. Blackburn hoped to add a flamethrower（喷火器）to the back of the vehicle and said he had thought about building the Tumbler, a vehicle that was used by Batman in the film The Dark Knight. Though Mr. Blackburn encountered plenty of difficulties to get over during the construction, in September 2016, the car made its first show at the Carnival of Flowers in Toowoomba.

“It was great. It was so good to see kids' and adults' excitement at seeing the Batmobile,” Mr. Blackburn said. As a result, the car lovers hope to make the car work on the roads as soon as possible, so Mr. Blackburn can visit sick children and take them out with his son.

1. What is Blackburn's initial purpose of making the Batmobile?

A．To realize his son's dream.

B．To donate it to sick children.

C．To show his respect for the film The Dark Knight.

D．To show off at the Carnival of Flowers.

2. How did Blackburn feel about the car-making at first?

A．Hopeful.	B．Confused.
C．Impossible.	D．Unsure.

3. How did Blackburn's friend help him?

A．By making an outer shell for him.

B．By offering him financial support.

C．By sharing the knowledge of building cars.

D．By telling him the background of the car factory.

4. What is the car lovers' expectation of the Batmobile?

A．It will be driven soon on the roads.

B．It can be displayed around the world.

C．It can change the lives of sick children.

D．It will appear in the next film about Batman.

【推荐3】It was late, about 10:15 pm, when Janice Esposito jumped into her minivan(小型货车)and began the 20-minute drive home. Having traveled the route so many times, she practically drove on autopilot: a left onto Station Road, then a left on Montauk Highway, and then-wham! A car crashed into Esposito's minivan, forcing her backward some 100 feet onto the railroad tracks. She sat in the minivan, shocked by the impact and by the vehicle's airbags.

As it happened, Pete DiPinto was getting ready for bed. He’d just closed his book and was crawling under the covers when he heard the high-pitched noise of metal on metal coming from not far outside his bedroom window. DiPinto, a volunteer firefighter and once a teacher, 64, never stopped to think. He took a flashlight and ran out the door. “Any firefighter would have done what I did,” he told MyNBC5. “We’re always on duty.”

Once DiPinto concluded the car driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Esposito’s minivan resting on the railroad tracks. And then he heard the sound of the alarm bells signaling an oncoming train. “The gates were starting to come down,” he told Newsday. “I see the headlight of the train.” DiPinto hurried to Esposito’s minivan and banged on the driver’s side window. She just looked at him, her eyes unfocused. But she seemed unhurt.

DiPinto shouted, “I have to get you off right now!” He pulled the handle, but the door was jammed shut. The roaring train, traveling at 65 miles per hour, was heading toward them. DiPinto ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. He pushed aside the deflating airbags, grabbed Esposito’s arms, and pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until he could help her out and speed-walk her to safety behind a signal box a few feet away. Within six seconds, he estimated, the train plowed into the minivan.

1. What do we know about the car accident?

A．The car driver was to blame.

B．Esposito was seriously injured.

C．The minivan was badly damaged.

D．It happened right on the railway tracks.

2. What was DiPinto?

A．A railway worker.

B．A former educator.

C．A traffic policeman.

D．A professional firefighter.

3. How was Esposito successfully rescued?

A．The train was signaled to stop.

B．The car driver helped her out.

C．DiPinto broke open the driver’s side door.

D．She was rescued across the passenger seat.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．A brave firefighter.

B．A timely rescue.

C．A lucky driver.

D．A severe accident.

【推荐1】I walked up to the counter. Behind it was a lady with glasses on the tip of her nose and gray hair on her head.

"Excuse me," I said. She looked up. "You're that Clements kid," she said."I'm Miss Bee.Come closer and let me get a look at you." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "I can describe you to the police if something goes missing from the store."

"I'm not a thief!" I was shocked. I was seven, too young to be a thief!

"From what I can see, you're not much of anything. But I can tell you've got potential." She went back to reading her newspaper.

"I need to get these." I said, holding up my list. "So? Go get them."Miss Bee pointed to a sign on the screen door. "I'm not your servant,so I suggest you get yourself a basket and start filling."

I visited Miss Bee several times a week that summer. Sometimes she short-changed me. Other times she overcharged. "That can of beans is only twenty nine cents" I corrected her one afternoon. I had watched the numbers change on the cash register closely, and Miss Bee had added 35 cents. She didn't seem embarrassed. She just looked at me over her glasses and fixed the price.

But she ever let me declare victory. All summer long she found ways to play tricks on me. No sooner had I learned how to pronounce bicarbonate of soda(小苏打)and memorized its location on the shelf than Miss Bee rearranged the shelve and made me hunt for it all over again.

One day before I left, she said, "I know what you think of me, but I don't care! Each of us is put on this earth for a reason.I believe my job is to teach every child I meet life lessons. When you get older you'll be glad our paths crossed!" Glad I met Miss Bee? Ha! The idea was absurd...

Until one day my daughter asked me to finish her math problems. "If I do it for you, how will you ever learn to do it yourself?" I said. Suddenly, I remembered the lady Miss Bee.

1. The girl felt       when Miss Bee implied she could be a thief.

A．surprised	B．shocked
C．puzzled	D．annoyed

2. We can infer from Paragraph 6 that Miss Bee       .

A．showed no care about her mistakes

B．made the girl learn to double-check

C．was always playing tricks on the girl

D．was careless and dishonest to do business

3. It can be learned from the passage that Miss Bee       .

A．knew her job was to help every child she met

B．asked the girl to shop by herself to test her honesty

C．taught the girl many lessons but she didn't understand

D．rearranged the shelves to teach the girl to be changeable

4. Which is NOT the lesson the writer learnt from shopping?

A．Treat others kindly and politely.

B．Don't be so quick to judge others.

C．The best teachers aren't only in school.

D．Try our best though the task seems beyond us.

【推荐2】Shortly after the war，my brother and I were invited to spend a few days with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented a cottage in the country，although he rarely spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture（家具）in it；many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked（渗漏），making the whole house terrible.

On our first evening，we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories which our uncle had to tell of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed；but I could not stand missing any of my uncle's exciting stories.

He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash from the bedroom above，the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.

"It sounds as if the roof has fallen in！"cried out my uncle，with a loud laugh.

When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door，we could see nothing at first because of the thick clouds of dust which filled the room. When the dust began to clear，a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen down，falling right onto the pillow（枕头）on my bed.

I was glad that I had stayed up late to listen to my uncle's stories，otherwise I should certainly have been seriously injured，perhaps killed.

That night we all slept on the floor in the sitting room downstairs，not wishing to risk our lives by sleeping under a roof which might at any moment fall down on our heads. We left for London the very next morning and my uncle gave up his cottage in the country. This was not the kind of adventure he cared for either！

1. Why did the uncle seldom spend much time in the country cottage？

A．Because the roof of the cottage had fallen.

B．Because the cottage was in bad condition.

C．Because he was used to living abroad.

D．Because the rooms were too small to live in.

2. When the author and his brother opened the bedroom door，they could see nothing at first because.

A．it was completely dark inside

B．there was too much dust in the air

C．something strange stopped them

D．it was a mess inside

3. The author felt glad that he had stayed up late because.

A．he did not miss the exciting stories

B．he spent more time with his uncle

C．he had a lucky escape

D．he saw a strange sight

4. Which of the following can best describe the writer's uncle？

A．Adventurous and good at storytelling.

B．Humorous and good at making jokes.

C．Dependable and generous with money.

D．Thoughtful and sensitive to danger.

【推荐3】Satellites(卫星) are an important part of our ordinary lives．For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite．Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving．Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls．
Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to us through satellites．Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location．
We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another．They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator（赤道）．Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place．This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed that the earth rotates．A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天线)facing the earth．Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit（轨道），So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position．This usually happens about every five or six days．
Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired．Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time．This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash（撞）into each other．
1. Which of the following is NOT done by satellites according to the passage?

A．Sending information for weather forecast．

B．Taking photographs of the Earth．

C．Sending TV pictures．

D．Providing food for airplane pilots．

2. What’s the speed the earth rotates at?

A．35,880 kilometers per hour．

B．335,880 kilometers per hour．

C．11,000 kilometers per hour．

D．110,000 kilometers per hour

3. Why does the satellite move around the world at the same speed as the Earth rotates?

A．In order to take photographs．

B．In order to stay in a certain position in the orbit．

C．In order to move away from its orbit．

D．In order to send television pictures．

4. What does the underlined word “This” in the 3rd paragraph refer to?

A．A satellite．

B．A little rocket．

C．A satellite seems to stay in the same place in the sky．

D．The satellite puts the rockets in the right position．