【推荐1】“Serena, don’t forget your promise to me that you will mow (割) Mrs. Martin’s yard this weekend, " said Dad. “Don’t let me down.”

Serena was the oldest child in the family, and one of her tasks was to mow their yard. Mrs. Martin, their elderly neighbor, was unable to take care of her yard, so Serena’s dad had volunteered Serena for this job. Since Mrs. Martin’s yard was not very big, Serena knew the job would go quickly. However, she still resented her dad’s promise.

“Why didn’t you ask me first?” Serena had complained.

“Did you ask me first when you volunteered me to be in the school festival last fall? asked Serena’s father.

“Well, no, I didn’t ask you first, but you would have done those things anyway. You’re always willing to help.”

“I try when I can, " Dad answered. “Serena, we have known Mrs. Martin for a very long time. She has often helped our family. Now we can do something for her. Besides, the feeling you get from helping someone makes you wonder who is really helping whom.”

“I don’t know, Dad,”said Serena. “the only feeling I get from mowing our yard is tired.”

“Just you wait and see,” said Dad.

After breakfast, Serena made her way to Mrs. Martin’s yard. She was good at her job and soon had Mrs. Martin’s yard looking tidy. Mrs. Martin came outside with a big glass of orange juice and offered it to her. Serena stopped her work and thankfully enjoyed the drink, while Mrs. Martin talked to her about all of the flowers in her yard. Seeing the joy in Mrs. Martin’s eyes, Serena began to understand how much the yard meant to Mrs. Martin.

After finishing her drink, Serena returned to work with a new attitude. A warm feeling began to spread through her body. Her dad was right. It was hard to tell who was helping whom!

1. What does the underlined word “resented”in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Felt happy about.

B．Felt angry about.

C．Welcomed.

D．Broke.

2. Which of the following best describes Serena’s dad?

A．Honest and thankful.	B．Demanding and humorous.
C．Kind and considerate.	D．Brave and determined.

3. How did Serena feel when mowing Mrs. Martin’s yard after her drink?

A．Surprised.

B．Tired.

C．Annoyed.

D．Pleased.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．Mrs. Martin shared her love for the yard with Serena.

B．Mrs. Martin and Serena did the yard work together.

C．Serena likes the job of mowing her family’s yard.

D．Dad volunteered himself to take part in the school festival.

【推荐2】When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners’ good luck didn’t last.
Then, I realized I was not alone after all.
A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.
Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug(地毯) on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The joy in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said affectionately, “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”
One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. “She always does that,” he explained, “It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child’s hair after she has brushed it. I don’t know why I do it. I just do it.”
As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. The man stared at the picture. “Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday,” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.”
That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.
Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you mustn’t do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so.”
Saturday finally came.   
I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.
Henry’s friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. “Drop that! Take the other.” he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew paler and paler. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.
In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go, gentlemen. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, “She? Poor thing, she’s been dead nineteen years!” “Dead?” I whispered. “That or worse.” he said.
“She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry ______ He thinks she is still alive. When June comes, he thinks she has gone on her trip to see her parents. Then he begins to wait for her to come back. We drop in here, three days before she’s due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. On Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We’ve done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he’s all right for another year.”
The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau.
1. You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.

A．Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislau.

B．There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor.

C．There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers.

D．A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman.

2. Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.

A．he was getting older and older

B．he was moved by the loving messages in the letter

C．he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife

D．he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late

3. Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because ______.

A．there was not enough whiskey for Henry	B．he didn’t want me to get drunk
C．that glass of whiskey was drugged	D．it was for Henry’s wife

4. The underlined phrase “went insane” probably means “lost his______”.

A．hope

B．mind

C．heart

D．temper

5. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen

B．Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times

C．the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost

D．the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories

6. The story is mainly about ______.

A．ever-lasting love	B．lifelong friendship
C．an unforgettable experience	D．charming Stanislau

【推荐3】School bus drivers have to keep the kids safe on their way to and from school. But one driver, Patricia Reitz, goes way above and beyond. She has made it her mission to give each child a handmade hat to keep them warm in the winter.

Miss Patty—the name students, teachers and parents call her—has given away more than 7,000 hats in the nearly three decades she worked for the Clarence Central School District in New York, reported WGRZ.

“She cares about her students,” third grade teacher Deborah Bosworth told WGRZ. “Any student that has been on Miss Patty’s bus gets a hat, and they also get a friend. Miss Patty is one of the favorites.”

This tradition began when Reitz took up crocheting(针织). She would work on items while she waited for students to get on the bus after school. One boy got on the bus, and he asked what she was doing. He said wearing a hat would be great going down ski slopes(斜坡). So Reitz asked him what color he liked. “That started everything,” said Reitz. And it snowballed from there.

Reitz specializes in Santa hats, but she will make other hats too. The hats are two colors that the students choose and always have two tassels(流苏). Reitz buys all needed for the hats but she also receives gift cards from families especially around Christmas. This is a gift that comes from the heart. Despite the amount of work involved, Reitz has no intention of stopping. In fact, she has already began working on next year’s hats. “I’m going to do it until I can’t do it anymore,” she said.

While other school bus drivers will purchase hats and gloves for their charges, a homemade gift made with love brings warmth even during the coldest winter days.

1. What did Patricia Reitz do for the students?

A．She gives away hats to students on her bus for free.

B．She made hats for students in exchange for gifts.

C．She gives away hats to students with low charges.

D．She made crocheting items on school bus

2. What do students get along with a hat from Miss Patty?

A．The way to make friends.	B．The chance to help others.
C．Love and warmth in cold winter.	D．A different experience on school bus.

3. Which of the following can best describe Miss Patty?

A．Generous and absent-minded.	B．Addicted and energetic.
C．Calm and warm-hearted.	D．Loving and determined.

4. What can we learn from Paragraph 5?

A．Students have no choice of the hats.

B．Making the hats demands great efforts.

C．The hats are of the same color and style.

D．Reitz has no intention of continuing the tradition.

【推荐1】Tired of working in IT and staying the same in Australia, Paulo Cattanco decided to make a change. In 2015 he started a strict budget so he could save up enough money to buy his dream KTM1190 motorbike, a camera, and enough funds to support himself for a few years.

Then he gave up his job, packed his things, and set off on an adventure, travelling the world on his motorbike. Paulo,39, has spent the last four years biking through Australia. South America, North America, and Europe, riding up to 12 hours a day and spending his nights in his tent under the stars.

“Australia for me was my first experience riding long distance and I was mind-blown by the beauty of the old continent.” Paulo wrote on his travel journal, “Traveling through Latin America, I explored the rainforest and learned Spanish and Portuguese. Mexico has some of the best food I ever had and Peru is an interesting place where I can enjoy the unique local Indian culture, also called Inca civilization.”

Paulo has managed to keep his travels going by keeping his budget tight, so he hasn’t had to get a job for his travels. To keep costs low, he seldom looked for accommodation in hotels and went camping instead. Thankfully, the motorbike, which Paulo bought second hand in Australia, has not required any major repairs since he set off. The journey isn’t always easy, but Paulo has never looked back.

Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to his travels in Greece when he traveled around Europe, and Paulo has had to spend the last few months in Italy, his homeland. Once the world is back up and running, he plans to return to life on the road and explore Asia and Africa.

1. What did Paulo begin to do in 2015?

A．He switched his occupation.	B．He started a travel adventure.
C．He carried out a saving plan.	D．He purchased travel equipment.

2. What do we know about Paulo’s journey?

A．He enjoyed the best food in Peru.	B．The motorbike often troubled him.
C．He got a job to support his travel.	D．The view in Australia appealed to him.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Paulo?

A．Determined and adventurous.	B．Intelligent and economical.
C．Ambitious and idealistic.	D．Humble and knowledgeable.

4. Where is the text probably from?

A．A fitness magazine.	B．A travel journal.
C．A lifestyle website.	D．A sports column.

【推荐2】Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.

Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.

Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn’t want to mess with that.

Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway. And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.

This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who “ruined” it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured (捕捉) and frozen on some stranger’s bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don’t even know has been immortalized (使……永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.

Perhaps we all live in each other’s spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.

That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.

1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?

A．Her camera stopped working.	B．A woman blocked her view.
C．Someone asked her to leave.	D．A friend approached from behind.

2. According to the author, the woman was probably ___________.

A．enjoying herself	B．losing her patience
C．waiting for the sunset	D．thinking about her past

3. The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ____________.

A．the need to be close to nature	B．the importance of private space
C．the joy of the vacation in Italy	D．the shared passion for beauty

4. The passage can be seen as the author’s reflections upon ___________.

A．a particular life experience	B．the pleasure of traveling
C．the art of photography	D．a lost friendship

【推荐3】I’d never thought of flying as something I would ever actually want to do in my free time until my family bought me what’s called a ‘flying experience day’ as a birthday present. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t like some of my friends, who would start shaking with fear at the thought of going in a plane of any size. I’d actually always looked forward to flying off somewhere on holiday, especially that feeling you get when the plane’s just taking off. But flying a plane was something other people did, not me.

I started researching the experience day online straight away. The little aircraft I was going to fly in could only go up to 3, 000 meters, which is quite low when you realize big jets fly closer to 10, 000 meters. I found out there was a half-hour talk from the instructor(教练) about safety and the controls. This seemed more than enough to me, as I was only going to be in the air for about the same amount of time, which I couldn’t quite believe. My parents were amazed that something like that was available for a twelve-year-old girl, but I’m very pleased it was.

On the day, I was quite nervous but Sheena, my instructor, was very calm, which helped a lot.

She took the controls as we took off, of course. It appeared to take ages to get high up, but it was only actually a minute or two, and then I took the controls. I was so excited, I wasn’t really listening to what Sheena was saying. I was hoping to see my house but it was hard to work out where everything was from the air. Even though we were flying at 280 kilometers per hour, you could hardly tell we were moving when you looked down.

I’m now so into flying that I’m considering it as a career. I’ll need to get a pilot’s license, of course, and I’m happy to save up for more classes to do this. It was such fun that I’d love to do it every day and get paid for it, too. The company that organizes experience days keeps sending emails about train driving and other things, but I only want more of one particular kind of experience now!

1. How did the writer feel about flying before she did the flying experience day?

A．Scared of flying in a small plane.

B．Confident that she would be good at it.

C．Uninterested in taking it up as a hobby.

D．Uncertain about what it would feel like.

2. What surprised the writer as she was researching the flying experience day?

A．How young the pilot can be.	B．How long the flight will take.
C．How high the plane would reach.	D．How much training is needed.

3. What does the writer say about being in the air?

A．The plane appeared to travel very slowly.

B．Seeing where she lives was fantastic.

C．It was too noisy to hear the instructor.

D．The plane seemed to climb very quickly.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．A 12-year-old girl’s rise to fame.

B．Preparation work needed for flying a plane.

C．Process of controlling a flying plane.

D．A12-year-old girl’s first flying experience.