【推荐1】阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animals. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness discloses the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.

From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others. Often, we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.

Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning (按喇叭) or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty-four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.

No more angry shouts and no more horns!

When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.

Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.

1. When will people feel happy as the author has discovered ? (No more than 7 words)
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2. Why does the author feel sad sometimes in Paragraph 2? (No more than 12 words)
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3. What did the other drivers do when they saw the flashlights? (No more than 6 words)
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4. What does the underlined the sentence in the last paragraph probably mean?(No more than 5 words)
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5. What can we learn from the author’s experience? (No more than 20 words)
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【推荐2】“Dad,” I say one day, “Let’s take a trip. Why don’t you fly and meet me?”

As a manager from IBM, my father’s job filled his day, his thought, his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I had fun under the Eiffel Tower. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.

My father sees me travelling without a purpose, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down (安定下来), but now I want him to explore the world.

He agrees and we meet four weeks later in Rapid City.

“What is our first stop?” asks my father.

“What time is it?”

“Still don’t have a watch?”

Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he looks up at sculptures of the four Presidents in granite(花岗岩), his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of little boy.

“Amazing,” he says, “How was this done?”

A film in the information center shows sculptor(雕塑家) Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculptures.

We look up and I ask myself, “Can I devote my life to anything?”

No directions, no purpose. I always used to hear those words in my father’s voice. Now I hear them in my own.

The next day we’re at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic.

“Did you ever travel with your dad?” I ask.

“Only once,” he says. “I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other---but never said it. Whatever he could give me, he gave.”

The last sentence---it’s probably the same thing I will say about my father. And what I want my child to say about me.

In Glacier National Park, my father says, “I’ve never seen water so blue.” I have, in several places of the world. I can keep traveling. I realize--- and maybe a fixed job won’t be as boring as I think.

Weeks after our trip, I call my father. “The photos from the trip are wonderful,” he says. “We have got to take another trip like that sometime.” I tell him I’ve decided to settle down and find a fixed job, and I’m wearing a watch.

1. We can learn from Paragraphs 2 and 3?

A．The father followed the fashion

B．The father got bored with his job

C．The father was unhappy with the son’ lifestyle

D．The father liked the author’s collection of stamps

2. From the underlined paragraph, we can see that the author__________.

A．wants his children to learn from their grandfather

B．begins to understand what parents’ love means

C．learns how to communicate with his father

D．hopes to give whatever he can to his father

3. What can we infer(推断) about the author and his father from the end of the story?

A．The call makes them sad.

B．The son has found a job.

C．They decide to learn photography together.

D．They begin to change their thoughts about life.

4. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．Love Nature, Love Life	B．A Son Lost in Travelling
C．A Journey with Dad	D．The Art of Travel

【推荐1】I lost my phone when I was on holiday four months ago. With no phone to use on my way back to Milan, I decided to buy a book at the airport before boarding the plane. There was a discount on Stephen Hawking’s Brief Answers to the Big Questions, and while not necessarily an easy read for the non-reader I was at the time, it touched on some of the subjects I m most passionate(感兴趣的) about so I decided it was worth the £5.99. I paid for it. To my great surprise, I read the whole book on that two-hour return flight — and so my love for reading began. I was confused. Before then, I used to buy books fairly often, hoping I’d read them, knowing months would go by and I wouldn’t even open them. So I wondered. What was different this time? After carefully analysing the situation, I came up with an explanation.

Now I realise, most books on my reading list as a child came from one of three places: suggested books, school books, and “to read before you die” books. As a kid, I didn’t have much experience when it came to books or reading. So when I decided to pick up a book, I thought these were the ones I should read and I believed I would surely enjoy them. Then I ended up thinking of myself as someone that simply didn’t like reading.

It is obvious, in hindsight(在事后看来), that I actually really enjoyed reading. The few times I got to skim through a book that felt right, I would devour (如饥似渴地读) the whole thing in a matter of hours.

Many people approach reading in the wrong way, so they finally end up disliking it the way I did. Keep on reading books you don’t like, and you’ll eventually convince yourself it is reading you don’t like. So just make sure, you are reading books that touch on subjects you are actually passionate(热爱) about — don’t be scared to create your unique bookshelf.

1. What surprised the author?

A．He lost his phone.	B．The book was very cheap.
C．The book was easy to read.	D．He finished reading the book.

2. What does the author intend to do in paragraph 2?

A．Explore ways to create a reading list.

B．Introduce his particular taste in books.

C．Explain why he used to be a non-reader.

D．Analyze how children’s books are classified.

3. What books does the author advise people to read?

A．Those that attract their interest.

B．Those that enrich their knowledge.

C．Those that are popular among readers.

D．Those that are written by best-selling authors.

4. What is the best title for text?

A．Learning from a great book	B．How I fell in love with reading
C．Creating a successful study tour	D．How I developed a reading habit

【推荐2】The playing field is never even or equal. Your skills and attitude play a major role in the outcome. Knowing what you can do to have an advantage can make the difference between success and failure.

My kids tell me it's unfair to play with the big children. I tell them that's right. Unfairness is a good thing. There is more to be gained by the effort when things seem unfair. It is true that many things in the world are unfair. But unfair things usually can be a boon to you. For example, the early bird catches the worm. It is unfair that the bird that sleeps in misses out on breakfast but it is nice to know that if it gets up early it is sure to get the worm.

I always try to explain to my kids that complaining about how unfair something is will get them nowhere. Instead, make the most out of it and get on the other side of it. Once you do that you are in the advantage. Above all, you have to focus on gaining that unfair advantage and in order to do that, build your inner strength, When you empower （武装） yourself, you are gaining skills or abilities, confidence and self-esteem （自尊）.

You should look at your place in the world. Where do you want io be financially, spiritually, emotionally, and physically ? You are creating your own story when you empower yourself.

You can build all the advantages that you need to live the life that you want. If you haven't yet, you need to make a list of all the things you want to experience in your new life. This will help you focus on building advantages so that you never have to say that it's Not Fair. When you do this then you will be able to realize that unfairness is a good thing and you will want to teach those around you to see unfairness in this way too.

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

A．Something that is very terrible.	B．Something that is very helpful
C．Something that is very kind	D．Something that is very scared

2. What can we infer from the example of the playing field used by the author?

A．The author wants to introduce his topic

B．The author wants to support his opinion

C．He wants tell us that having an advantage is needed

D．He wants to show skills and attitudes are important in playing games

3. What is the best way to deal with unfairness according to the author?

A．Just accept it.	B．Thy to change it.
C．Simply ignore it.	D．Make good use of it.

4. You are told to look at your place in the world in order to ________.

A．make yourself better	B．be proud of yourself
C．have more confidence	D．know others' advantages

5. What is the text mainly about?

A．The way to live a happy life.	B．The right attitude to unfairness.
C．Being patient enough to succeed.	D．Staying calm when treated badly.

【推荐1】Do you know the following expressions?

Homeric laughter

The “Homer” in this expression is the Greek poet who wrote The Iliad and the Odyssey. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. “Homeric laughter” refers to laughter of the latter (后者) kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer’s classics.

Faustian bargain

According to most stories, Faust was a German scholar who was rather unhappy with his life. The devil( 魔 鬼 ), Mephistopheles, promises him that in return for his soul, he will give Faust unlimited power and knowledge. Faust agrees and experiences all kinds of pleasures, but, in the end, his soul is condemned to the hell (下地狱). A “Faustian bargain” therefore is a deal that finally results in one's ruin. It means a bargain made for temporary gain without taking future consequences into consideration.

A three-ring circus (马戏团)

When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that   they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the “ring”. In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different “rings”. The audience had to decide which “ring” they wanted to focus on.

In the swim (of things)

When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in “I've been ill, but soon I'll be back in the swim of things.” In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word “swim” to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot of fish, where would you be? You would be “in the swim”!

1. According to the text, Homeric laughter _______.

A．was the way Homeric laughed

B．means nervous, silent laughter

C．is a way to show disagreement

D．comes from a Greek poet’s works

2. If a person makes a Faustian bargain, _______.

A．he might come to a bad end

B．he would be considered clever

C．his life would become satisfying

D．he would gain power and knowledge

3. What does the underlined word “simultaneously” most probably mean?

A．All of a sudden.	B．Little by little.
C．At the same time.	D．One after another.

4. What do we learn about the expression “in the swim (of things)”?

A．It means having a lot of things to do．

B．It has nothing to do with swimming．

C．Originally it was used to refer to "going fishing"．

D．Patients use it to express their desire for health.

【推荐2】14 days. That’s the time Chinese scientists took to identify the full genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus (新冠病毒) since its outbreak. It was shared with the WHO immediately, and has now become an important foundation for global researchers in the fight against the COVID-19. But first, let us turn the clock back 17 years, when it took months to identify the SARS virus. From months to 14 days, what changed? It turns out AI played an important part.

The scientists first obtained bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid (支气管扩张灌洗液) samples from patients, isolated (分离) the DNA and RNA, then sequenced the genetic material by comparing them. AI’s advantage is its ability to recognize patterns among a flood of data.

Let me put it in a simple way. Sequencing the coronavirus genome (基因组) is similar to looking for a needle in a haystack (干草堆)---looking for genotypes (基因型) with specific characteristics from a huge gene pool. That’s where search algorithm (算法), a branch of modern AI, comes in. Think of it as an efficient search engine, which can find the needle in the haystack. This search algorithm can shorten months-long genetic sequencing to weeks or even just a few days. Combined with macro-genomic sequencing and a virus library, this AI technology can also be used in tracking virus mutation (突变).

AI doesn’t just support scientists. It can also help patients by improving the efficiency of diagnosis (诊断). China launched a Genomics Service, which can run multiple virus gene comparisons and produce a detailed report within 60 seconds. This algorithm has been put into use in China and shared to the world for free.

1. AI’s advantage is that it can ________.

A．slow down the spread of coronavirus	B．separate DNA from RNA
C．identify specific genotypes rapidly	D．obtain samples from patients quickly

2. The search algorithm helps shorten the time of genetic sequencing by __________.

A．finding a needle in a haystack	B．serving as a search engine
C．combining with a virus library	D．tracing virus mutation

3. What do we know about the Genomics Service in the last paragraph?

A．It has been widely used in the world.	B．It is mainly based on blood test.
C．It is for fast diagnosis of COVID-19.	D．It is used to track COVID-19 patients.

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

A．14 Days---China Made it!	B．AI Assists in COVID-19 Fight
C．Search Algorithm, Best Choice	D．China’s Genomics Service

【推荐1】Choosing to forget something might take more mental effort than trying to remember it, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin discovered through neuroimaging (神经成像).

These findings, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that in order to forget an unwanted experience, more attention should be focused on it. This surprising result continues previous research on intentional forgetting, which focused on reducing attention to the unwanted information through redirecting attention away from unwanted experiences or holding back the memory’s retrievals (恢复).

“We may want to get rid of memories that cause nonadaptive responses, such as upsetting memories, so that we can respond to new experiences in more adaptive ways,” said Jarrod Lewis-Peacock, the study’s senior author and an assistant professor of psychology at UT Austin. “Decades of research has shown that we have the ability to voluntarily forget something, but how our brains do that is still being questioned. Once we can figure out how memories are weakened and design ways to control this, we can design treatment to help people rid themselves of unwanted memories.”

Using neuroimaging to track patterns of brain activity, the researchers showed a group of healthy adults images of scenes and faces, instructing them to either remember or forget each image. Their findings not only confirmed that humans have the ability to control what they forget, but that successful intentional forgetting required “moderate (适中的) levels” of brain activity in these sensory and perceptual areas (感官区域)—more activity than what was required to remember.

“A moderate level of brain activity is critical to this forgetting mechanism. Too strong, and it will strengthen the memory; too weak, and you won’t change it,” said Tracy Wang, lead author of the study and a psychology postdoctoral fellow at UT Austin. “Importantly, it’s the intention to forget that increases the activation of the memory, and when this activation hits the ‘moderate level’ sweet spot, that’s when it leads to later forgetting of that experience.” The researchers also found that participants were more likely to forget scenes than faces, which can carry much more emotional information, the researchers said.

“We’re learning how these mechanisms in our brain respond to different types of information, and it will take a lot of further research and replication (重复) of this work before we understand how to control our ability to forget,” said Lewis-Peacock, who has begun a new study using neurofeedback to track how much attention is given to certain types of memories.

"This will make way for future studies on how we process, and hopefully get rid of, those really strong, sticky emotional memories, which can have a powerful effect on our health and well-being," Lewis-Peacock said.

1. Previous studies on intentional forgetting researched ______.

A．the pattern of brain activity

B．the process of recovering a memory

C．the way to reduce attention to unwanted information

D．the amount of attention required by intentional forgetting

2. According to Tracy Wang, forgetting is possible when ______.

A．people respond to new experiences in an adaptive way

B．the activation of the memory reaches a certain level

C．people have the strongest intention to forget

D．the information involves more emotion

3. Lewis continues his study to find out ______.

A．how to control people’s ability to forget

B．where to apply the findings of his team’s latest study

C．what effects upsetting memories have on people’s health

D．if different types of information requires different levels of attention

4. What is the best title of the article?

A．Where does forgetting take place?

B．How does attention affect memory?

C．Forgetting uses more brain power than remembering

D．Forgetting is far more difficult than we once imagined

【推荐2】So many of us hold on to little resentment (不满) that may have come from an argument, a misunderstanding, or some other painful event. Stubbornly, we wait for someone else to reach out to us — believing this is the only way we can forgive or rekindle a friendship or family relationship.

An acquaintance (熟人) of mine whose health isn’t very good, recently told me that she hasn’t spoken to her son in almost three years, “Why not?” I asked. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn’t speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out, she resisted initially and said, “I can’t do that. He’s the one who should apologize.” She was literally (简直) willing to die before reaching out to her only son. After a little gentle encouragement, however, she did decide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement, her son was grateful for her willingness to call and sincerely said sorry to her. As is usually the case when someone takes the chance and reaches out, everyone wins.

Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn the “small thing” into the “big thing” in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. However, they are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person, you must understand that being right is to let go, and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn’t mean that you’re wrong. Everything will be fine. You’ll experience the peace of letting go as well as the joy of letting others be right. You’ll also notice that as you reach out and let others be right, they will become less defensive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But if for some reason they don’t, that’s okay too. You will have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world and certainly you’ll be more peaceful yourself.

1. What happened to the author’s acquaintance after she called her son?

A．She was literally willing to die.	B．She received her son’s apology.
C．She was encouraged by the author.	D．She realized her mistakes.

2. What does the author want to explain by taking her acquaintance as an example?

A．That a little gentle encouragement will be helpful to solve the problem.

B．That it is beneficial for both sides to reach out first.

C．That painful events should be forgotten.

D．That parents and children are easier to make peace.

3. What can we infer from the third paragraph?

A．Happiness matters more than preventing the embarrassment at reaching out first.

B．To be peaceful is more important than to be right in any disagreement.

C．To avoid arguments and misunderstandings means seeking for happiness.

D．Holding on to the right position leads to resentment.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．When you take the chance first to say sorry, you will win.

B．You won’t feel angry if you don’t turn “small thing” into “big thing”.

C．Letting others be right will definitely make them reach back.

D．It’s good to be the first one to reach out to break little resentment.

【推荐3】The art of storytelling has long been an honored skill and an important tradition in many cultures. Over the course of history, the elder in a community and their stories have been considered as a treasure of society's knowledge and history. Older members of a community were encouraged to share their stories with the young, keeping the tradition alive. But today, medical and social science researchers are interested in more than just the importance of storytelling as a way of teaching and having fun, but also cognitive health.

There have been studies that have looked at the ability to tell attractive stories as something that may have provided some survival advantages in human development. Some researchers made a study on the old people with dementia, and they found the old are getting advantages from taking part in group-based community storytelling, or reminiscence therapy.

Studies of the use of reminiscence therapy with people suffering from other similar diseases looked at the influence the therapy had on cognitive health. And that appeared to be positively influenced by the use of directed personal storytelling. They felt more confident in their ability to express themselves, which in turn made them feel relaxed and less worried.

While there is still research required to fully understand how reminiscence therapy may be used to help all aging populations, the studies so far have suggested there are several advantages of storytelling from improved memory to better interpersonal relationships.

Unluckily today too often we just pick up the phone to talk with someone without thinking of what we have to say. Try giving your brain a workout and building up your relationships by telling stories.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To tell us the importance of storytelling.	B．To add some background information.
C．To show the influence of storytelling.	D．To honour the art of storytelling.

2. What happened to those who experienced the reminiscence therapy?

A．They felt shocked at the results.	B．They felt better about themselves.
C．They had a better attitude to their suffering.	D．They were good at getting on well with others.

3. What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?

A．Ignore what others say.	B．Avoid talking on the phone.
C．Share our stories with others.	D．Find ways to exercise our brain.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The development of storytelling.	B．The methods of improving brain health.
C．The ways to keep the tradition of storytelling.	D．The influences of storytelling on cognitive health.