【推荐1】The United States is a country of immigrants. It is a place where people from all over the world come to build a better life. Some immigrants bring their families. Some bring a few of their favorite things. Others come alone with nothing but determination. One thing that every immigrant brings with them is their culture.
American immigration began in 1607 with the colony (殖民地) of Jamestown. In 1620, another group of people left England to build a settlement in America. They wanted to go to a place where they could practice their religion freely. Then many more people left their homes in Europe to build a better life in America. Many also came to America from Africa. By 1770, more than two million people had moved to America. Later on, more people came to the United States than ever before.
In cities all over America, you can see different cultures that formed this country. Many things that you may think of as being “American” are actually from a foreign culture. Some of the best examples of this are the foods people eat. Pizza and spaghetti are foods that all Americans know and love. But both of them are from Italy. Baseball is an all-American sport. But the hot dogs that people eat during the game are a type of food that was brought to America by German immigrants.
Over time, pizza and hot dogs have become a part of what is considered to be American food. In the same way, different groups of people have come together to define what an American is. An American can be a person of any background. An American can be of any faith. An American can be of any skin color. They can speak English clearly. They can speak English with an accent. Each new immigrant adds something new to American culture. It will keep changing as more people come to this country.
1. Paragraph 2 is mainly about _____.

A．the history of American immigration

B．why people chose to move to America

C．the rapid growth of the population of America

D．what immigrants have brought to America

2. Several foods are mentioned in the text to show _____.

A．they have a long history in America

B．they are very popular with Americans

C．America is a country full of tasty foods

D．America is made up of different cultures

3. The author probably agrees that American culture is _____.

A．simple	B．strange
C．diverse	D．advanced

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

A．Immigrants and their American dreams

B．America: a melting pot of cultures

C．America: a land of opportunity

D．Life in the US: culture shock

【推荐2】Hanukkah(光明节) is a Jewish festival. It is celebrated on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev(犹太教历), which is usually sometime in December. It is often called the festival of lights. The festival celebrates the time, over 2,000 years ago, when the Jewish people fought against an emperor who would not let them follow their own traditions and religion. When the Jewish people won back their temple in Jerusalem, they found there was only enough holy(神圣的) oil to keep the holy light burning for one day. However, to their surprise, this small amount of oil kept the light burning for eight days and nights, until the people had time to make more oil.

At the center of the Hanukkah celebrations is a candlestick (called a Menorah) that holds nine candles. On the first night of Hanukkah the first candle is lit, and each day this candle is used to light another candle, until on the eighth day, the last day, all the candles are lit. During Hanukkah, people go to the synagogue(犹太教堂) to pray and to remember the miracle(奇迹) of the holy oil. Hanukkah is a time for family and friends to come together. People exchange gifts and greeting cards, and children go to parties. Parents often give their children money at Hanukkah. Potato cakes, called latkes, are a traditional Hanukkah food.

1. For how many days does Hanukkah last?

A．7	B．10
C．9	D．8

2. According to the passage, what is necessary when celebrating Hanukkah nowadays?

A．Oil	B．Candles
C．Money	D．Cards

3. What does the Menorah remind Jewish people about?

A．The war that they fought 2,000 years ago

B．The miracle of the holy oil that happened 2,000 years ago

C．The God that they honored best

D．The church they built 2,000 years ago

4. The passage mainly tells us about     .

A．the history of Hanukkah and how it is celebrated

B．why Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah

C．why Jewish people protect their traditions

D．the miracle of the holy oil in the Jewish temple

【推荐1】It’s peak cold and flu season, which means taking a lot of preventative measures. Frequent hand-washing is a must, as is avoiding co-workers or friends who are sick. But we humans are not the only animals that change behaviors to keep diseases at bay. So do ants.

“So there are the foragers (工蚁) and the nurses — it’s two different groups of work,” said Natha of the University of Lausanne. She and her colleagues observed ants to see their reaction to the presence of a disease.

“The nurses being made of young workers typically, stay inside the nest and take care of the eggs. And the foragers are all the workers spending most of time at outside of the nest to collect food and defend the territory.”

Forager ants are at greater risk of getting exposed to diseases because they leave the safety of the nest. So the researchers sprayed a common virus on a small group of forager ants and then followed their movements to see the way other ants reacted.

“We marked all ants in the colony with individual labels, which carries these two-dimensional bar code marks like QR code which is automatically detected and recorded using a tracking system.”

After the infection, the nurse and forager ants stayed within their working places and interacted less outside of their work group. The researchers also saw that forager ants spent more time outside of the nest. “They increase that amount by 15 percent, so by quite a large amount.”

Isolating behavior stops the spread of the virus. “Something that’s quite interesting in these ants that’s been shown by the study is that in their ability to avoid infecting other members of the community, ants may be more advanced than we are,” Natha said.

1. How did the researchers track the infected ants?

A．They labeled the movements of infected ants.

B．They used the QR codes to follow the ants’ movements.

C．They had some nurse and forager ants infected with the virus.

D．They applied a tracking technology to record the ants’ movements.

2. How did the ants act after being infected?

A．Forager ants stayed inside the nest more.

B．Infected ants tended to stay away from healthy ants.

C．The nurses stayed inside the nest, working and living as usual.

D．15% more forager ants stayed outside after they were infected.

3. What’s Natha’s attitude toward ants’ behaviors?

A．Doubtful.

B．Objective.

C．Appreciative.

D．Conservative.

4. What is true about ants?

A．They can change behaviours to prevent diseases.

B．They are highly cooperative and adaptable.

C．Forager ants have better resilience than nurse ants.

D．Ants societies are more advanced than human societies.

【推荐2】If you are finding it tough to land a job, try expanding your job-hunting plan to include the following strategies:

Set your target

While you should always keep your opinions open to compromise (妥协), you should also be sure to target exactly what you want in a job. A specific job hunt will be more efficient than a random one.

Schedule abundant interviews

Use every possible method to get interviews-answering ads, using search firms, contacting companies directly, surfing the Web, and networking. Even if a job is not perfect for you, every interview can make you learn from it.

Follow up

Even if someone does not hire you, write them a thank-you note for the interview. Then. some weeks later, send another brief letter to explain that you still have not found the perfect position and that you will be available to interview again if the original position you applied for-or any other position, for that matter-is open. Do this with every position you interview for, and you may just catch a break.

Make it your full-time job

You can’t find a job by looking infrequently. You have to make time for it. If you’re unemployed and looking for a job, devote as much time as you would to a full-time job. If you have a job while you’re looking, figure out an organized schedule to maximize your searching time.

Network vertically

In the research phase of your job hunt, talk to people who are on a level above you in your desired industry. They’ll have some insights that people at your own level won’t have, and will be in a good position to hire you or recommend you to be hired.

Keep your spirits up

Looking for a job is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do. Maintain your confidence, stay persistent, and think positively, and eventually you will get a job that suits you.

1. According to the author, your job-hunting plan had better be as_____ as possible.

A．random	B．clear
C．fixed	D．complex

2. The “search firms” are most probably _______ .

A．companies that have vacant posts available

B．companies that supply website-search service

C．companies that provide job-hunting service

D．companies that study job market and employment rate

3. When hunting a job, you’d better communicate with people on a level above you because________.

A．they will hire you soon

B．they will ask someone to hire you

C．you will benefit from their fame

D．you can learn from them

4. As indicated in the passage, in order to get a suitable job, you should　 _______.

A．always keep an optimistic spirit

B．mainly focus on a full-time job

C．apply for one job at one time

D．follow other people’s footsteps

5. What is the best title for this passage?

A．Interview Strategies	B．Interview Ceremony
C．Job-hunting Experience	D．Job-hunting Strategies

【推荐3】The winter solstice(冬至) is an important solar term in the traditional Chinese calendar, and means the coming of winter. It generally occurs between December 21^st and 23^rd. According to the traditional Chinese calendar, one year is divided into twenty-four solar terms. On this day, in the northern hemisphere(半球) the period of daytime is the shortest of the year and the period of night is the longest.

In northern China there is a custom of eating dumplings during the winter solstice. It is said that dumplings were invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a well-known doctor in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

One winter, he noticed that many people’s ears were frostbitten(冻伤的), which made him sad. In order to prevent and cure the freezing injury caused by cold, he asked his followers to boil mutton, chilies and other ingredients in a pot for fending off cold. After these were boiled, they cut them into pieces and then wrapped them in dough skins in the shape of ears. Afterwards, they put these into the pot to boil again.

On the day of the winter solstice, people whose ears were frostbitten were sent to eat the dumplings. People who ate dumplings felt warm from head to toe and had their cold injury healed. Thereafter, people ate dumplings every winter solstice.

Afterwards, Zhang Zhongjing died on the day of the winter solstice. In order to honour him, every year on the day of the winter solstice every household makes dumplings.

1. Which of the following should be the best title for the passage?

A．The Custom of Eating Dumplings

B．The Inventor of Dumplings

C．The Importance of Eating Dumplings

D．The Origin of the Winter Solstice

2. Which of the following description is TRUE?

A．The winter solstice is the most important among twenty-four solar terms.

B．Zhang Zhongjing boiled dumplings only for poor people.

C．If people don’t eat dumplings, they will have their ears frostbitten.

D．China has the shortest period of daytime on the winter solstice.

3. According to the passage, people make dumplings on the winter solstice because ________.

A．dumplings taste delicious

B．they want to honour Zhang Zhongjing

C．they want to celebrate the important solar term

D．they can feel warm and have their cold injury healed

【推荐2】(CNN) — No matter how you like your hot dogs prepared, with mustard (芥末酱), ketchup or chili, we can all agree on one thing — hot dogs have become part of American culture. And this year, more than ever, hot dogs are red hot; in March zksq, the data firm IRI reported that sales were up by as much as 127% ,and that was well before grilling season started. But while hot dogs may feel “all-American,” they’re something else.

Also known as the frankfurter (法兰克福熏肠), this specific style of cased sausage was originally thought to be from the town of Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany, but hot dog historians argue that sausage culture, native to Eastern Europe and, particularly Germany, has no specific town of origin.

“A good number of the early Germans came from the Palatines, which is a general area surrounding the actual city of Frankfurt, explains Dr. Bruce Kraig at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Frankfurt, Kraig said, refers to the region of origin, though the actual food does not necessarily come from Frankfurt itself.

The traditional German hot dog, when it arrived in the United States, was a mixture of both pork and beef; the all-beef hot dog, as we now know, takes its roots from Jewish-American butchers, who, due to Jewish restrictions in food choice, chose not to use pork in their meat mixture.

Brought over by German immigrants in the mid-1800s, hot dogs began their path into the American time spirit in New York City. Hot dog carts (手推车), where they were a natural fit for the sandwich-loving New Yorkers, who already preferred to eat on the go, were easy to spot on the street. “Germans have sausage culture, so they eat sausage from butcher shops,” Kraig said. “The moment they appeared with the first German immigrants, Americans became crazy with the German idea of sausage eating on the street.”

1. What can we learn about American hot dogs?

A．They are gaining more popularity.

B．They are red hot in all seasons.

C．They are cooked in American way.

D．They had their origin in America.

2. Why are hot dogs known as frankfurter?

A．People think they originated in Frankfurt.

B．All-beef hot dogs have a German tradition.

C．They are consumed much more in Germany.

D．Sausage culture is deeply rooted in Europe.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Hot dogs are traditional German food.

B．Hot dogs arrived in America in the 1800s..

C．Germans eat hot dogs from butcher shops.

D．Hot dogs have become part of American life.

4. Which can serve as the best title of the passage?

A．Hot dogs — all American.

B．What is behind hot dogs?

C．Americans love hot dogs.

D．What are hot dogs made of?

【推荐3】There’re plenty of popular activities for kids and teens to attend in the Syracuse area in the US during the summer holidays, including some great educational chances. Here are the top four.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo Camp

The zoo offers separate camps for kids. The camps for kindergarteners run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and cost $115 for zoo members and $135 for non-members. Kids entering 7th and 8th grades will have half a day from 1:00 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. The cost is $149 for members and $160 for non-members. All camps have educational activities and animal encounters. The camps run from August 14 to August 19. Registration starts from July 10 for members and July 15 for non-members.

Active Learning Services at Christian Brothers Academy

From August 1 to August 5, Christian Brothers Academy will host Active Learning Services. Topics of learning include Chess Camp (ages 5-15), and Video Game Creation Program (ages8-15). Chess Camp promises to improve chess skills through instructors’ using demo (演示) boards and historic games. Half-day sessions cost $250 for Chess Camp and $280 for Computer Camp. A full day of Chess costs $400, and a half day of Chess followed by a half day of Computer Camp costs $430.

Syracuse University Summer College

From July 5 to August 12, Syracuse University will host pre-college programs for high school students. The Summer College will offer a wide variety of programs, including architecture, engineering, computer science, public communications and eco-fashion. The programs are taught by teachers of Syracuse University and include hands-on activities. The costs range from $2322 to $7642.

The Sheldon Institute at SUNYOswego

The State University of New York will hold 2-week educational enrichment programs for students entering grades 2-4 from July 25 to August 7. Children will have a set of programs: art, science, technology, PE, cultural appreciation and writing. Tuition for the programs is only $320 and a downloadable application is available.

1. If two non-member pre-school boys attend Zoo Camp, how much should they pay?

A．$230.

B．$320.

C．$270.

D．$298.

2. What can be known about Chess Camp?

A．It will last for two weeks.

B．Whole-day sessions cost $250 for it.

C．Only children aged 8-15 can attend it.

D．Children can improve their chess skills there.

3. Where can children attend the largest number of programs with low costs?

A．Syracuse University.	B．The Sheldon Institute.
C．Rosamond Gifford Zoo.	D．Christian Brothers Academy.

【推荐1】He must have been completely lost in something he was reading because I had to tap on the car window to get his attention. “Is your car available?” I asked when he finally looked up at me. He nodded, then said apologetically as I settled into the back seat, “I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold. “I am not in a hurry,” I told him. “Go ahead and finish your letter.” He shook his head. “I’ve read it several times already. I guess I almost know it by heart.” “Letters from home always mean a lot,” I said.

“This isn’t family,” he replied. “Although it might just as well have been family, Old Ed was my oldest friend. In fact, we used to call each other ‘Old Friend’— when we’d meet. I’m not much good at writing.”

“I don’t think any of us keep up our correspondence (通信) very well,” I said. “I know I don’t, but I take it he’s someone you’ve known quite a while?”

“All my life. We were kids together, went to school together and all the way through high school.” “There are not too many people who’ve had such a long friendship,” I said. “Actually,” the driver went on, “I hadn’t seen him more than once or twice a year over the past 25 or 30 years because I moved away from the old neighborhood and you kind of lose touch even though you never forget.”

“You said ‘was’. Does that mean ?” he nodded. “A couple of weeks ago.” “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t say anything more, and we rode on in silence for a few minutes. But I realized that Old Ed was still on his mind when he spoke again, almost more to himself than to me. “I should have kept in contact with him.” “Well,” I agreed, “we should all keep in touch with old friends more than we do. But things come up and we just don’t seem to find the time.”

When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away. First I had to write a letter — and mail it.

1. The driver said sorry to the writer because ______ .

A．he didn’t want to take the passenger	B．he didn’t notice the writer
C．he had a cold and could not speak	D．he didn’t feel well

2. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that ______.

A．Old Ed was a member of the driver’s family

B．The driver never met Old Ed in the past

C．The driver seldom wrote to Old Ed

D．The driver often called Old Ed on the phone

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

A．The driver had been a friend of the writer

B．The driver didn’t like to read the letter

C．The driver’s friend must have passed away

D．The driver’s friend must be angry with him

4. Why did the writer write a letter and mail it right away when he got to the hotel room?

A．He had the habit of writing letters.	B．His family asked him to do so.
C．He missed his friends very much.	D．The driver’s story touched him.

【推荐2】Beijing’s super large new Daxing International Airport is officially open for business-just in time for celebrations marking the 70 th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st.

On Wednesday morning, President Xi Jinping entered the main concourse（大厅）just before noon, where he was greeted by airport officials. “I declare Beijing Daxing International Airport open,” he said. Later that day, the crowd watched as the airport’s maiden flight took off from one of the airport’s four runways. Flights from other airlines due to move to the airport, with a three-letter code PKX, were also scheduled for later in the day. Initially, the only flights making use of the airport are native. Customs and immigration are not yet working. Flights from Daxing will cover 112 destinations around the world by next spring.

Daxing’s official opening caps a long design and building process. Construction for the $11.5 project began in 2014, with more than 40,000 workers on site at its peak（高峰期）.Designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid and her Chinese partners, the airport is built for the future, with a terminal（航站楼）the size of 97 soccer pitches as well as customer-service robots that provide travelers with flight updates and airport information.

Nicknamed”starfish”by Chinese media for its shape of five concourses connected to a main hall, Daxing aims to reduce walking for passengers. The airport authority has promised a distance of no more than 600 meters(650 yards)-about eight minutes of walking-between security checkpoints and the farthest gates.

1. What does the underlined word“maiden" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Major.	B．First
C．Significant.	D．Grand.

2. What do we know about the airport?

A．Flights from Daxing cover 112 native destinations.

B．Over 40,000 workers were involved in the construction every day.

C．The design is a joint effort of experts from home and abroad.

D．Robots can update the flight and airport information.

3. What does the airport look like?

A．A cap.	B．A robot.
C．A soccer.	D．A starfish

4. What's the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce a newly-built airport.

B．To evaluate the success of an airport.

C．To describe the construction of an airport.

D．To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the PRC.

【推荐3】To walk is to be human. We' re the only creature that gets around by standing up and putting one foot in front of the other. In the more than 4 million years that humanity' s ancestors have been u-sing only two legs for walking, our ability to walk upright has allowed humankind to travel great distances and survive changing climates, environments and landscapes.

But walking is more than just transportation. It also happens to be really good for us. Countless scientific studies have found that this simple act can provide a number of health benefits and help people live longer. In fact, a walking routine-if done properly-might be the only exercise people need.

How much walking should one aim for? You’ve likely heard we need 10,000 steps a day. That’s about 5 miles. But contrary to popular belief, this recommendation doesn’t come from science. Instead, it stems from a 1960s advertising campaign to promote a pedometer(计步器)in Japan. Perhaps because it's a round number and easy to remember, it stuck.

Since the 1960s, researchers have studied the 10,000 - steps - a - day standard and have turned up mixed results. Although 10,000 steps is certainly a healthy and worthwhile goal, it’s not a one - size - fits - all recommendation.

For instance, a recent Harvard University study involving more than 16,000 senior women found that those who got at least 4,400 steps a day greatly reduced their risk of dying early when compared with less active women. The study also noted that these benefits continued up to 7, 500 steps before leveling off. This 7,500 mark isn't surprising: It’s in line with common public health recommendations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate (适度的) physical activity a week for adults.

Research has shown that picking up the pace might be a good idea, too-fast enough to raise your heart rate, even if just for a short burst.

1. Which statement will the author believe?

A．Walking 10000 steps a day fits us all who lack exercise.

B．Walking is the only exercise that unhealthy people need.

C．To be healthy, walking great distances is strongly suggested

D．The benefits of walking depend on frequency, intensity and duration

2. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．A walking routine	B．A round number
C．The popular belief	D．The pedometer Ads.

3. How much walking should one aim for according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

A．4,400 steps a day.	B．7,500 steps a day.
C．10,000 steps a day.	D．150 minutes a day.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．The Only Exercise You Need-Walking

B．10,000 - Step Goal Is More Marketing Than Science

C．Walking Is One Of The Best Exercises For Health

D．Walk Often, Walk Fast And Walk Long