【推荐1】Small talk is a good way to make friends. If you travel to other countries or have friends from abroad, do you know how to use small talk to make conversation?

In Britain, the best topic is the weather. British weather is changing all the time.     1    

Besides weather, it's good to talk about gardens with British. You could say "Those roses look really beautiful, don't they?'*     2     So it's also nice to start with "What a lovely dog! What is his name?”

In America, people like to talk about sports news, such as American football and basketball.     3     So you might say "It's a nice shirt! Where did you get it?" Weather is a safe topic there, too.

    4     Don't ask people "How old are you?" Never ask: "How much money do you make?"It makes people uncomfortable. Don't ask strangers weather they are married.     5     There are others in our daily life.

A．English people love their pets.

B．Americans also talk about clothes.

C．Politics or religion is not a good topic.

D．Only a few topics are not used for small talk.

E．There are also a lot of topics to avoid during small talk.

F．You can start chatting by saying "It's a lovely day today, isn't it?"

G．Friends are important to us all, but how to make friends is a problem.

【推荐2】You will read about how you are a citizen (市民)in your school,community and nation.     1     You are a citizen of the community where you live and the nation where you are born.

Citizens Have Rights

As a citizen,you have rights that the government protects.A right is something you may do.As a citizen,you have a right to speak freely and to practice your religion.    2     That means you may decide what to show or tell someone and what not to tell.

Citizens Have Responsibilities

Along with rights,citizens have responsibilities.A responsibility is something that you should do.For example,you should follow the laws.     3     Laws keep people safe and help them get along well with one another.When people follow the traffic laws,they help keep others safe.When you follow laws in a park,you help others enjoy the park.

    4    

Good citizens care about people’s rights.They try to make things fair and safe for everyone.Good citizens work together to solve problems.Children can be good citizens by solving problems together in their school or community.     5     First,name the problem.Then,list ways to solve it.Next,choose the best way.And finally,find out if the problem is solved.

A．A law is a rule that everyone in a community,state or country must follow.

B．They may follow proper steps to deal with problems.

C．You also have the right of privacy.

D．How to be a good citizen?

E．Being a Good Citizen

F．A citizen is a person who belongs to a place.

G．We are all good citizens.

【推荐3】In the eyes of many foreigners, Chinese are the best hosts (主人) and the worst guests in the world. They’re not really bad guests, but because the guest-host relationship in China is much different than in some western counties, it appears they are not nice guests. And western guests sometimes look rude (粗鲁的) in the eyes of Chinese guests.

In China, guests are almost like gods. Whenever I enter a Chinese person’s home, there is always fruit on the table for me, and someone is quick to bring me a cup of tea or water. In the west, generally the guest is not a god. Acting according to the host’s way of doing things is usual behavior for a guest.

My wife’s mother, a very kind elderly Chinese lady, doesn’t smoke. When I see some of her guests smoking in her house, as a non-smoker, I feel unhappy. Usually I want to stop them directly, but I must realize that in China, to be a good host, she must not do that. In most North America homes, if you are a guest, and the hosts are not smokers, you should not smoke in their house. At the very least, you could ask, “Is it OK if I smoke” “But, don’t be surprised if they say, “No, you can’t smoke.” In our culture, if you smoke in their home, you are a bad guest, but if they don’t allow you to smoke in their house, they are not a rude guest.

Guests in China also have special habits. Some western people may not adapt to these habits very soon. Thankfully my wife is Chinese, so whenever we visit a Chinese family she tells me to buy them a gift. However, giving a gift to a host is not always necessary in my country. So, if you invite international guests to your home, don’t be too surprised if they don’t bring you a gift.

In China, you probably won't need to change the guest-host relationship very much because you will probably only be the host, and Chinese are naturally very good hosts. If western hosts invite you to their house, try not to be too surprised if their style of treating you is not what you have expected.

1. When a western guest visits a Chinese family,he often___________.

A．buys some fruit

B．feels like a god

C．wants some gifts

D．takes a cup of tea

2. If the writer's guests want to smoke in his house, what will he probably say?

A．It's OK if you smoke here.

B．Let's smoke together.

C．Sorry, you can't smoke here.

D．Smoking is a bad habit.

3. The underlined phrase “adapt to“ means "____________" in the passage.

A．think back to

B．get used to

C．look forward to

D．keep close to

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Foreigners should learn from Chinese.

B．Hosts must do things in the guests' way.

C．Western hosts are always nice to guests.

D．People should understand cultural differences.

【推荐1】As a foreigner , I often hear the Chinese calling me laowai ” . If I could not speak Chinese or if I had no understanding of Asian customs , I might be angry when I am called a “ laowai ” . But having lived in the Philippines and China’s Taiwan Province teaching English for several years , I have come to China with a different view from most other foreign teachers here . In such situations , I just answer back in standard Chinese : “ Ni zenmo zhidao wo shi waiguoren ?( How do you know I’m a foreigner ? )” When I hear people shout out “ hello ” in a more impolite way and then laugh , I reply in Chinese with “ Ni de yingyu bi wo de hao .(Your English is better than mine .)”

Speaking Chinese is a way of living an easier life in China . As an English teacher at Hubei University in Wuhan , I was once invited by a student to spend the weekend with his family . Because I can speak Chinese quite freely , I was able to talk with my student’s entire family . From my personal experience , I knew that the Chinese have a “ gift ”for making foreigners in China feel right at home . That fun-filled weekend I spent with my student’s family in Caidian , a small suburb of Wuhan , just showed that my idea was right . It was an experience I will never forget .

Americans have a saying : If you can’t beat them , then join them .The secret to feeling at home with the Chinese people isn’t to try to make them change over to Western ways . The secret is to become one of them . Just go with the flow , or don’t take things too seriously . In this way you will surely feel at home in China .

If you no longer emphasize (强调) our differences from the Chinese , you will be more willing to concentrate on what “ big noses ” and “ small noses ” have in common .

1. The reply “Ni de yingyu bi wo de hao ” shows _______ .

A．the author really think so	B．the author isn’t angry
C．the author likes to talk with the Chinese	D．the author likes to speak Chinese

2. Which of the following is NOT true ?

A．The author has known Chinese customs fairly well .

B．The author is difficult to get along with .

C．The author doesn’t mind being called a “ laowai ” .

D．The author can speak Chinese very well .

3. Shouting out “ hello ” to a strange foreigner is usually considered _ by foreigners .

A．rude

B．curious

C．friendly

D．brave

4. The phrase “ go with the flow ” here means _______ .

A．feel at home	B．take things easy
C．flow with the river	D．when in Rome , do as the Romans do

【推荐2】Paris is the city of dreams, the city of love. If you are thinking of heading to Paris for a study period, then perhaps a little reality check is in order. But my experience was a romantic one.

I paved my path to Paris through an exchange program. On arrival in Paris, I was constantly reminded of the official processes I was required to complete — forms to be filled in, meetings to attend, the list seemed endless. Perhaps it was due to my well organizational habit, but somehow this endless list of to­do’s was completed in little more than a week.

Then the real work began. Once classes were underway, I found myself volunteering to do oral presentations and assignments first, rather than last. This method proved to be very helpful.

Once I had finished class for the week, I had an ever-increasing list of museums to visit, neighborhoods to explore, and cafes to sit in and parks to run around. Read as many books about Paris as you can. Talk to as many locals and other foreigners living there as you can. But the one thing that reading a book or talking to someone cannot do is to provide you with the experience of wandering Paris on foot. I discovered some of my favorite places in Paris by wandering. The people watching, the sounds of the city, the colors as the seasons change, they all add to the ecstasy that I experienced in Paris as an exchange student.

After spending five months wandering through the charming neighborhoods, I fell in love with the atmosphere that came out from every open door, and with every spoken word. There is something comforting about walking to the market each Sunday to be faced with the beautiful display of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. There is warmth in saying bonjour to the passers-by.

On my last day in Paris, I confidently said, “Bonjour Monsieur,” as I passed the little store down the street. I guess no matter how hard I tried I was always going to be an outsider, a tourist. The best part about going on exchange in Paris is falling in love with the city in your own way. Everyone’s experience of Paris is different. I know mine is unique and special to me, my own little pieces of Paris.

1. What does the underlined word “ecstasy” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Courage.	B．Imagination.
C．Happiness.	D．Reputation.

2. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．An exchange student’s life.

B．Charming neighborhoods.

C．An exchange program.

D．A traveling experience.

3. Beyond reading books, which experience would the author treasure most?

A．Enjoying coffee in his spare time.

B．Greeting people in French in the street.

C．Buying vegetables in the market.

D．Hanging around in Paris.

4. According to the passage, what left the author the deepest impression?

A．The friendly people he met in Paris.

B．The special culture he experienced in the city.

C．The academic achievement he made in his study.

D．The presentations and assignments he did in class.

【推荐3】In Fairfax, Virginia, the couple team Christopher Pei and Zhang Guifeng are training their students while observing their emotions before their USA Wushu Kungfu Federation National Team Trials (选拔赛).

“They are so nervous because they are experiencing competition anxiety, ” says Peigy, co-founder of US Wushu Academy. “The anxiety allows me only an hour of sleep every night during the competition.”

Wushu is a sport that combines elements of performance and martial arts. The US AWKF National Team Trials happen every two years. Coaches and students get up at 7 a.m. each day to practice for the trials.

Pei, moved to the United States from China with his family in 1972. “ When we moved to Vestal, New York, I did not know any English and started learning English from alphabets,” Pei says. “ So I figured it might be a better idea to start learning Wushu in case I got into a fight and could protect myself.” But he later realized Wushu is composed of two Chinese characters, “zhi” (止) and “ge” (戈) which means to stop fighting.

The couple opened their first academy in Virginia in 1988. Students start as kindergartners and many continue all the way to college.

Chinese culture emphasizes mastering both literacy and martial arts in order to become a complete person. Zhang believes Wushu helps youth develop concentration because its two main principles include focus and respect. “Many parents who grew up in the U. S. as second - or third-generation Chinese need their children to not only learn traditional Chinese culture but also the correct way to become a better person,” Peigy says.

1. How does Peigy feel during the US AWKF National Team Trials?

A．Excited.

B．Stressed.

C．Relaxed.

D．Inspired.

2. What is the true meaning of Wushu?

A．Winning fights.	B．Defending ourselves.
C．Loving peace.	D．Showing power.

3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 6?

A．Many young people lack literacy skill.

B．It is important to become a better person.

C．Wushu is a way to cherish Chinese culture.

D．More and more people are interested in Wushu.

4. Where are you likely to read the passage?

A．On a newspaper.	B．On a guidebook.
C．On a training handout.	D．On a travel brochure.

【推荐1】When Kevin Durant gave his tearful MVP speech m 2014, the NBA star made sure to thank one person who had been there with him from the very beginning: his mother. His heartfelt words about the sacrifices she made for Durant and his brother led to a lifetime movie about her journey as a single parent, The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story.

Today, the NBA superstar’s mom travels the country as a motivational speaker and philanthropist (慈善家). On Monday, she spoke at Thomson Reuters’ in New York about her personal struggles to achieve financial stability and shared the financial advice she gave her son when he entered the league with CNBC.

“I wanted him to realize he has worked hard,” she says, “And it is OK for him to enjoy himself because of his hard work. But it is also imperative that he prepares for his future.” While she advised him to enjoy the rewards of his labor, she also wanted to make sure that her son knew the importance of financial planning.

She told the audience that when she found herself a single parent to two children at 21, she couldn’t follow the financial principles. Rather than planning for the future, she focused only on how her money could make ends meet for that moment.

Recently, Durant has teamed up with Laurene Powell Jobs for a new philanthropic program called College Track which is aimed at helping disadvantaged kids attend college. As part of the program, Durant has committed to donating $10 million to his hometown’s public school system.

Durant’s mom says that in addition to his financial decisions, she is proud of his philanthropic work and his desire to help the community, “I thought giving back was always very important, and so we talked about that and he had seen that from us as a family and it’s one of the things that I taught him,’’ she says.

1. What is The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story mainly about?

A．Durant’s career path.

B．Durant’s hard childhood.

C．Durant’s mother’s struggling to be independent.

D．Durant’s mother’s devotion to the family.

2. What does Durant’s mother do as a motivational speaker?

A．To share experience of her life and education on her son.

B．To make Durant realize the importance of financial planning.

C．To give the audience advice on how to achieve financial stability.

D．To explain that we can enjoy rewards by working hard.

3. What does the underlined word “imperative” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Enjoyable.

B．Important.

C．Unusual.

D．Hopeful.

4. What are the financial principles of Durant’s mom?

A．Enjoying now and planning for the future.

B．Sharing rewards and creating a charity program.

C．Spending less money and saving for the emergencies.

D．Donating money to the charity and helping more schools.

5. What made Durant pay attention to the charity program?

A．His kind heart.	B．His poor hometown.
C．His mother’s teaching.	D．His difficult life experiences.

【推荐2】Sun Ruifeng, a mother in Beijing, changed some of her plans for her 8-year-old son’s summer vacation. She looked for an English tutoring course, but in the end, she changed it to a swimming training class. “Due to the stricter regulations (章程) on subject-tutoring classes, many parents like me choose sports or other projects for developing interests instead,” Sun said.

Sun’s choice is part of the result of the government’s growing efforts to lighten the academic pressure on young students. On July 24, Chinese authorities introduced a guideline to ease the burden of too much homework and off-campus tutoring for primary and junior high school students. It lists requirements in areas such as reducing the amount and the difficulty of homework and improving the quality of education and after-class services provided by schools. For example, homework for children below the third grade is not allowed, while homework for junior high school students should take no longer than 90 minutes to finish.

According to the guideline, tutoring institutions (辅导机构) cannot teach students content that is too advanced for the school curriculum (课程). No tutoring courses can be taught on weekends, national holidays or during winter and summer vacations. The moves aim to bring education back as public welfare and guide the educational training industry to focus on improving students’ all-round quality, Chen Xianzhe, a professor at South China Normal University, told Xinhua.

According to Global Times, more than 75 percent of Chinese urban children, from grade 1 to grade 12, are enrolled (报名参加) in tutoring programs. However, some training institutions take part in anxiety marketing, selling unnecessary programs that increase the burden on students. This has led to many social problems such as students’ falling levels of physical fitness, more mental health problems and huge family costs, said Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher with the National Institute of Education Sciences.

Many parents showed their support for the new moves. “Subject learning is enough at school and we hope to improve the children’s overall quality of life during holidays,” a parent in Guangzhou told Xinhua. However, there are also some concerns. Another parent in Shanxi said that although she agreed with the new moves, she worried about what her son would do after school if both parents have no time to be with him.

According to the guideline, primary and middle schools are asked to offer after school services, including homework tutoring, sports, arts, reading and interest groups.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce a topic.	B．To explain a reason.
C．To give an example.	D．To make a suggestion.

2. What leads to Sun Ruifeng’s choice?

A．Her concern for her son’s health.

B．Schools’ reduced requirements for grades.

C．Her son’ passion for after-school activities.

D．The government’s effort to reduce academic pressure.

3. According to the guideline, what are tutoring institutions allowed to do?

A．Design courses intended for students’ all-round quality.

B．Provide tutoring programs increasing students’ pressure.

C．Teach students content far ahead of the school schedule.

D．Offer students courses on weekends and summer vacation.

4. What benefits will the guideline bring in the long term?

A．Some families will not spend money educating their children.

B．The subjects in school will be more popular among students.

C．Students will be physically and mentally healthier than before.

D．Parents won’t be worried about their kids’ academic performances.

【推荐3】If Confucius were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or strong wind to help him put them out.

While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.

So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well. Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

1. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to         .

A．attract the readers' interest in the subject

B．provide some key facts about Confucius

C．show great respect for the ancient thinker

D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations

2. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Forgotten Wisdom in America	B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language
C．Chinese Culture for Westerners	D．Old Thinker with a Big Future

3. The passage is likely to appear in          .

A．a biography	B．a newspaper
C．a history paper	D．a philosophy textbook

【推荐1】Getting good at a sport is difficult enough. Mastering one and then reinventing yourself after moving halfway across the world is another story, but Abigail Fernandes is doing just that. The 17-year-old student was a good shooter while studying in Britain. But when she moved back to Hong Kong, China, life suddenly felt a little empty without the eight hours a week of shooting training she’d become used to.

“I decided to go for a sport that might help me get fitter and allow me to protect myself in the future,” she explains. With its high intensity exercise, and chances to build strength, boxing fit the bill perfectly.

“Boxing teaches you patience, but best of all, a hunger to learn,” she said. “The values and lessons the sport teaches you can all be used in both your day-to-day life and education.”

Now, she has been boxing for just a little more than three years and loves the challenges that this sport offers. She trains 10 hours a week with her coach Jim, who has helped her to grow as an athlete (运动员) and a person.

Though she has made great progress, she thinks being able to deal with hits in the ring is her biggest challenge. “When you get hit in the ring, it’s so easy to burst into tears and give up, but this gets you nowhere,” she says. “I want to be able to take hits and accept them. These are skills that can only be learned through countless sessions of sparring (轻拳出击). The first time I sparred I cried, so I’m proud of myself for never turning down a sparring session,” she says.

Abigail says that though her training is pretty boring, she’ll keep practicing as she looks for a competition where she can put her skills to the test. “I have a long way to go,” she says, “but I want to learn everything this sport has to offer!”

1. When did Abigail start boxing?

A．When she studied in Britain.	B．Before she became a shooter.
C．After she came back to China.	D．While she traveled half the world.

2. Why did Abigail decide to box?

A．To protect her family.	B．To prove her athletic ability.
C．To earn a living in the future.	D．To make her healthy and strong.

3. What is Abigail’s opinion on boxing?

A．It is too dangerous.	B．It is a waste of time.
C．It changes her values.	D．It helps her in many ways.

【推荐2】The chance of a snowy holiday season in most American cities is practically impossible this year,so any festive atmosphere to be enjoyed will have to be the imaginary sort. Luckily, there are books for that.

The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Any reader of fairy tales knows Andersen's responsible for the snowy scenes in The Snow Queen,the story of children Kay and Gerda,who must face the goddess­like woman who controls all snowflakes after Kay is kidnapped.

Family Life by Akhil Sharma

It's a beautiful yet tragic novel about an Indian family immigrating to America,only to face entirely new hardships.Sharma's novel isn't entirely set in the wintertime, but his poetic descriptions of winter weather as lovely yet isolating make it a great choice for a December read.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Go ahead and give up the movie adaptation that has been produced recently and read or re­read the classic itself.You know the story:a scientist driven by his ambition discovers a method for creating life, and spends two years cobbling together a living creature, who later feels angry with him.

An American Childhood by Annie Dillard

Dillard's first book is,as its title suggests,about her change from being a self­centered child to being an adult more concerned with the world around her than with her own personal concerns.Her parents are key figures in the story.One famous scene takes place during what the author calls “a big snow”,in 1950.

1. Who wrote a novel about The Snow Queen?

A．Annie Dillard.	B．Mary Shelley.
C．Akhil Sharma	D．Hans Christian Andersen.

2. Which novel is about an Indian's family?

A．The Snow Queen.	B．Family Life.
C．An American Childhood.	D．Frankenstein.

3. What do we know about Frankenstein?

A．It has been adapted for movies.	B．It's about the secret history.
C．It's about an Indian family.	D．It's a fairy tale.

4. From An American Childhood, we know the main characters are ________.

A．self­centered children	B．adults
C．scientists	D．Dillard's parents

【推荐3】Against the supposition that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.

This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.

This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.

Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.

“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.

1. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.

A．result in a warming climate

B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently

C．lead to a longer fire season

D．protect the forests and the environment there

2. The following are all the immediate effects after a forest fire EXCEPT _________.

A．large amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere

B．the levels of ozone which is a type of oxygen increase

C．snow on the ground mirrors more sunlight back into space

D．ashes from the fire fall on the ice surface and take in more radiation from the sun

3. Earlier studies about northern forest fires _________.

A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate

B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere

C．suggest that people should take measures to protect the environment

D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming

4. The underlined phrase “soak up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.

A．released	B．absorbed
C．created	D．distributed

5. From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.

A．warm the climate as the supposition goes

B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate

C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice

D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy