【推荐3】Alex Elman runs a big business—something hard to imagine after she lost her sight in her twenties. But Elman says that losing her sight helped her focus on finding success.

Elman’s father planted a hillside vineyard in western Massachusetts in 1981. It’s where Elman fled during the darkest period of her life. When she was 27 years old, she went blind due to complications from juvenile diabetes (幼年型糖尿病) 17 years ago. She recalled, “I hid in my home. I hid in the place, to me, that was the safest place in the world.”

Elman is now the founder of Alex Elman Wines, a growing portfolio (股份) of organic wines from all around the world: Chianti from Italy, Torrontes from Argentina. Elman doesn’t work alone. Her assistant a guide dog named Hanley, is something of a wine snob, and quite a beggar. Hanley travels to all of the wineries that Elman does, from South America to Europe.

At first, Elman resisted the idea of a seeing-eye dog. Now it’s hard to imagine her life, or her business, without him. She said, “When someone tells me something is organic and I don’t really believe it because I taste something funny on it, I’ll put it in front of his face and if he likes the wine, he’ll actually go in and sniff (嗅) it. If it’s not right, he’ll turn his head away...He gets in the dirt with me. He scratches around. He makes sure that we see earthworms and butterflies. That’s how we know that the soil is actually organic, that there are no chemicals.”

Elman told CBS News she believes the loss of her vision was a gift. She said, “It allowed me to pay attention to what I thought was important and also to be able to teach people that the broken hang nail is not a big deal, you know what I mean? Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t sweat the big stuff either.”

1. Elman hid herself in her father’s vineyard probably because she ________.

A．suffered from juvenile diabetes

B．was extremely painful for her blindness

C．would like to help her father with the work

D．expected to recover her sight sooner or later

2. We can learn from Paragraph 3 and Paragraph 4 that Elman ________.

A．has earned a large amount of money

B．plans to operate organic wine companies

C．has become successful with Hanley’s help

D．has travelled around the world with Hanley

3. The underlined phrase “the broken hang nail” (in Paragraph5) probably refers to ________.

A．a nail which is of no use	B．a disadvantage you have in your life
C．a person who is hard to deal with	D．a task that is not easy to accomplish

4. This passage is mainly to tell us that ________.

A．Alex Elman leads a miserable life

B．Hanley brings Alex Elman much fun

C．Alex Elman gets along well with her pet

D．a blind woman tastes success in wine business

【推荐2】Kept inside on a rainy day? Take the kids to your closest children’s museum, where they can learn about their world while having a fantastic time.

Please Touch Museum It can make your children’s life rich and colorful by offering play and hands-on（亲身实践）programs… Address ² 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia Hours & Admission ² Tuesday—Sunday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ² CLOSED: Mondays ² Under the age of 2: FREE ² Children and adults: $15 each For more information, visit www.pleasetouchmuseum.org	Madison Children’s Museum In this green museum, kids can get hands-on learning about nature… Address ² 100 N. Hamilton Street, Madison, WI 53703 Hours & Admission ² Tuesday—Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ² CLOSED: Mondays ² Under the age of 1: FREE ² Children and adults: $12 each For more information, visit www.madisonchmuseum.org
National Museum of Play It is an exciting, hands-on place to play, learn, dream, wonder, and… Address ² Manhattan Square, Rochester, New York Hours & Admission ² Monday—Thursday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ² Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ² Sunday: Noon to 5 p.m. ² Under the age of 2: FREE ² Children and adults: $15 each For more information, visit www.childrensmuseums.org	Children’s Museum of Phoenix It is a fantastic place of imagination, creativity and fun with over 300 hands-on activities and many kinds of classes and programs… Address ² 215 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034 Hours & Admission ² Tuesday—Sunday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ² CLOSED: Mondays ² Under the age of 1: FREE ² Children and adults: $18 each For more information, visit www.childmusephx.org

1. Which museum opens on Monday afternoon?

A．Please Touch Museum.

B．Madison Children’s Museum.

C．National Museum of Play.

D．Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

2. If Mr. Moor takes his one-year-old son to Please Touch Museum, they will pay       .

A．$12

B．$15

C．$18

D．$30

3. If Adam would like his children to learn more about nature, he can go to        for more information.

A．www.childrensmuseums.org

B．www.childmusephx.org

C．www.pleasetouchmuseum.org

D．www.madisonchmuseum.org

4. Which of the following about the four museums is TRUE?

A．They all offer children hands-on activities.

B．They are all open on weekdays.

C．They are all closed after 5 in the afternoon.

D．They are all in the city of Phoenix.

5. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A science textbook.	B．A news report.
C．A museum guide.	D．A tourist map.

【推荐3】Kirby Wildlife Park — Keeper Experience

Due to the large number of inquiries from people interested in working with animals, Kirby Wildlife Park has set up the unique ‘Keeper Experience’ package. The fantastic experience is available to anyone over the age of 18 who is reasonably fit. We regret that for health and safety reasons, participants who are pregnant, in a wheelchair or suffering from illnesses cannot take part.

A typical day

9:15             Arrival

9:30               Health and Safety Briefing

10:00             Apes and Monkeys

While cleaning out the enclosure (围场) you will find out about how enclosures are enriched with novel items and new smells to stimulate (刺激) the animals’ senses and imitate their natural environment.

12:00            Lunch

14:00             Big Cats

On the highlight of most volunteers’ day, you will feed the cats and learn about their nutritional needs. The keeper will give you an introduction to how cat behaviour can be read to get an idea of their welfare and health.

16:30             Meet the Team

Meet more of the staff and learn how you can get further involved with work at the park. Learn about our animal adoption plan, what it takes to be a good keeper and where to obtain the right qualifications for a career in animal welfare.

Booking and cancellation

The Keeper Experience is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year, and must be booked at least two weeks in advance. Full payment is needed when booking.

Cancellations must be made more than fourteen days before the event, or you won’t receive a full refund.

1. What kind of people can experience working with animals in Kirby Wildlife Park?

A．A boy over 18 sitting in a wheelchair.	B．A man who is quite healthy.
C．A woman carrying a baby in her arms.	D．A girl under the age of 18.

2. When can you know something about an animal adoption plan?

A．At 12:00.	B．At 9:30.
C．At 10:00.	D．At 16:30.

3. What is the requirement of cancelling a booking of the Keeper Experience?

A．The cancelling is available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

B．Anyone can cancel a booking throughout the year.

C．A booking must be cancelled over two weeks before the event.

D．You can cancel a booking with a full refund at any time.

【推荐1】Jennifer Mauer has needed more willpower than college students to pursue her goal of earning a nursing degree. That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Jennifer, of Edgar, Wisconsin, grew up on a farm of 10 children. Her dad worked at a job away from the farm and her mother ran the farm with the kids. After high school, Jennifer attended a local technical college, working to pay her tuition (学费), because there was no extra money set aside for a college education. After graduation, she worked to help her sisters and brothers pay for their schooling.

Jennifer now is married and has three children of her own. She decided to go back to college to advance her career and to be able to better support her family while doing something she loves: nursing. She chose the UW- Eau Claire program at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield because she was able to pursue her four- year degree close to home. She could drive to class and be home in the evening to help with her kids. Jennifer received great support from her family as she worked to earn her degree: her husband worked two jobs to cover the bills, and her 68-year-old mother helped take care of the children at times.

Through it all, she remained in good academic standing and graduated with honors. Jennifer sacrificed to achieve her goal, giving up many nights with her kids and missing important events to study. “Some nights my heart was breaking to have to pick between my kids and studying for exams or papers,” she says. However, her children have learned an important lesson witnessing their mother earn her degree. Jennifer is a first-generation graduate and an inspiration to her family-and that’s pretty powerful.

1. What did Jennifer do after high school?

A．She helped her dad with his work.	B．She ran the family farm on her own.
C．She supported herself through college.	D．She taught her sisters and brothers at home.

2. What did Jennifer sacrifice to achieve her goal?

A．Her health.	B．Her good name.
C．Her time with family.	D．Her chance of promotion (提升).

3. What can we learn from Jennifer’s story?

A．Time is money.	B．Hard work pays off.
C．Education is the key to success.	D．Love breaks down misunderstandings.

【推荐2】Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn't soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If grumbled, he'd say in his loudest father voice, "That's what your legs are for!"

The walk didn't bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn't seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.

It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.

A row of hedges(树篱) edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedges because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedges had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedges, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father's head. Then I knew, each time I'd come home, he had stood behind the hedges, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.

On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. "So, my son, it's you!" he'd say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.

I replied, "Yes, Dad, it's me. I`m home."

1. What does the underlined word "grumbled" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．accepted happily	B．explained clearly
C．agreed willingly	D．spoke unhappily

2. What made the author feel upset was________.

A．the tiredness after long hours in labs

B．the fear of seeing something moving

C．the feeling of being less than valued

D．the loneliness of riding the bus home

3. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．My Father's Secret	B．My College Life
C．My Terrible Journey Home	D．Riding the Bus Alone

【推荐3】The story is about two old people named David and Rosy Jackson. Both of them had very bad memories. For example, Rosy would forget to cook dinner or take vegetables home after paying for them. David would show up for work on Sundays, thinking it was Monday. One winter they were to take a long plane trip. When they arrived at the airport, there were only ten minutes left. In that situation, anyone would get into the plane right away. But David and Rosy didn’t do so. They went to buy some flight insurance(保险) instead. Immediately after they put a two-pound note into a machine, their policy (保险单) came out.
“Who would get the money if the plane crashed, I wonder?” asked Rosy. “My mother, of course,” her husband replied. “We should post the policy to her. Now, be quick! Give me a stamp, will you?” he said to Rosy. “The plane is going to take off in another minute.” David put the stamp on the envelope, dropped it into a postbox, and suddenly he let out a cry.
What do you suppose happened to him? He had posted their plane tickets to his mother.
1. Rosy is David’s ______.

A．friend

B．mother

C．sister

D．wife

2. This passage tells us that David and Rosy ______.

A．were always short of time

B．always did everything in a great hurry

C．were very forgetful

D．usually worked on Sundays

3. David meant to post his mother _____.

A．two plane tickets	B．a two-pound note
C．the flight insurance	D．an empty envelope

4. Mr Jackson made such a foolish mistake because ______.

A．he was worried about his mother

B．he had forgotten to buy a stamp

C．he was worried about this flight

D．his memory was poor and he posted the letter in a great hurry

5. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．A forgetful old couple.

B．Two plane tickets.

C．A pleasant flight.

D．A plane crash.

【推荐1】Desperate to protect his farmland from a group of monkeys that were always destroying his crops, a farmer in Karnatakas India decided to paint his dog to look like a tiger in the hope that it would scare the monkeys away.

Srikant Gowda, a farmer from Karnatakas Shivamogga region, recently made interactional news headlines after it was reported that he used hair dye to paint his watchdog in the characteristic stripes of a tiger. The dog already had a reddish hair color, so all he had to do was add the black stripes and some white to give it the tiger look. It wasn't that Gowda had always wanted to own a tiger, but that he hoped the disguise(乔装) would help the dog drive away the monkeys destroying his crops.

The Indian farmer told reporters that he got the idea four years ago when he visited Uttara Kannada and came across a farmer in Bhatkal who was using a fake tiger doll to scare away monkeys. It seemed silly, but he tried the idea himself and was surprised to see that it actually worked. However, he was convinced that the toy tiger wouldn't fool the monkeys for long, so he decided to try something else as well.

The trick, strange as it might seem, has worked well and the dog has been able to actually scare off the monkeys.

This year Gowda not only used hair dye to make his watchdog look like a small tiger, but he also placed large posters of real tigers and his own fake tiger all over his farmland, hoping that they would keep the monkeys at bay. The paint job actually doesn't harm the dog. It’s actually hair dye(染发剂) and lasts up to a month before fading away.

1. What did the fanner decide to do to protect his crops?

A．Raise some tigers	B．Draw a dog like tiger
C．Set traps for the monkeys	D．Make up his dog as a tiger.

2. Where did Srikant Gowda get his inspiration?

A．From a trip.	B．From a friend
C．From a toy.	D．From the Internet

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The dye can do harm to dogs.

B．The “paint job” will last for only a month.

C．More dogs are likely to be painted like tigers.

D．Monkeys will never stop destroying crops.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Farmer Is Friendly to Animals

B．Farmer Is Good at Drawing Tigers

C．Farmer Protects His Crops from Animals

D．Farmer Paints His Dog as a Tiger to Scare Away Monkeys

【推荐2】Once there was a king in England.His officials were always saying that he was the greatest man in the world.

“You're the greatest man that ever lived，” one would say.

Then another would say，“Great king，there's nothing you can't do.”And another would say，“Oh, king！Everything will obey your orders.”

The king was very clever. He grew tired of hearing such foolish words.

One day he was sitting in a chair by the sea, and his officials were with him.They were searching for good words to tell the king, as they usually did. He thought that now he would teach them a lesson, and so he asked them，“Am I the greatest man in the world？”

“Oh, king！”they cried，“there is no one so great as you.”

“Do all things obey me？”he asked.“Oh, certainly, certainly, my king，” they said.

“Will the sea obey me？”he asked, and he looked down at the water.

The foolish officials were afraid to say   “No.”

“Tell it what to do, oh, king！And it will obey，” said one.

“Sea，” cried the king, “Stop moving！”

But the sea went on coming and going. Then the king turned to his officials.

“You see, the sea doesn't obey my orders. You foolish men! Don't tell me such things again, or I'll drive all of you into the sea! ”

1. The officials said______would obey the king's orders.

A．nothing	B．all things
C．most things	D．something

2. The king______.

A．believed them	B．was very happy
C．didn't believe them	D．wasn't happy

3. The king ordered the sea to______.

A．come and go	B．make a noise
C．be quiet	D．listen to the officials

4. From this story we know that even a great man______.

A．can't do everything

B．can do everything

C．can be foolish

D．is glad to have foolish officials

【推荐3】Who is the best foreign cross-talk（相声）comedian? People have always wondered how the Canadian with his standard Mandarin pronunciation, practised skills on Chinese expressions and special humour with a Beijing accent, Dashan has become a household name across China.

The Canadian can be so skillful in the Chinese language even though it is considered by many as one of the most difficult languages in the world. But to Dashan, the great challenge was a piece of cake due to his deep interest, proper method and the excellent environment he created for himself.

"Interest is the best teacher." That is a universal principle. Even if the 20-year-old Mark Rowswell—Dashan's real name—hadn't fully realized what attracted him to the Chinese department at the University of Toronto in Canada, he was already deeply interested in Chinese culture when he decided to have further studies in Beijing.

Entering the Chinese department of Peking University in 1988, Dashan felt like a duck to water. Study is always a hard job, no matter how much interest you have. Therefore, effective ways are necessary to improvement. "Learn for life and learn in life" is Dashan's belief.

As a freshman at the University of Toronto, the student did study textbooks, with especially aimed on foreign Chinese learners. They did help him build a solid foundation.

However, that's far from enough to grasp the Chinese language. Starting in his junior year, Dashan began to read original Chinese novels, Chinese newspapers and even the Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping. "Only the material for Chinese native readers could give me a proper sense of the language," he said.

The language that is the daily means of communication is the principle that Dashan always keeps in his mind. What you have really learned depends on what you can use, not necessarily your mastery of textbooks.

To learn in daily life requires a favourable language environment, which is also necessary for improvement. Dashan admits it is hard for Chinese English learners to be brought into a good English speaking environment, but insists, "to listen and speak as much as possible does help."

To help Chinese English learners develop a favourable environment, Dashan took part in a VCD programme— "Travel with Dashan" — to teach daily and up-to-date English in real-life situations.

1. What can we learn from this text?

A．Dashan thinks Mandarin is the most difficult language in the world.

B．Dashan's reading Chinese in the original helps him build a solid foundation.

C．Dashan's VCD programme "Travel with Dashan" helps Chinese learn English.

D．Dashan began to show interest in Chinese culture when studying in Peking University.

2. The underlined sentence "Learn for life and learn in life" in Paragraph 4 means "       ".

A．learn things in our daily life

B．learn more to lead a better life

C．practice the language frequently

D．learn to live and learn in our daily lives

3. Dashan read the Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping         .

A．to kill the time	B．to get a proper sense of Chinese
C．to admire the former leader	D．to learn more of the spirits of Chinese

4. What is this text mainly about        ?

A．why Dashan came to China to learn Chinese

B．what is the best way to learn a foreign language

C．how Dashan has become a household name across China

D．how Dashan teaches English through VCD in real life situations