【推荐3】Michelle Obama has started her campaign against childhood obesity in the US, saying that it is a problem that concerns her both as First Lady and as a mother. She said that the campaign was designed to encourage people to live healthier lives, but admitted that she herself was not immune to the temptations of junk food.

“I love burgers and fries. And I love ice cream and cake. And so do most kids，” she said. But she added, “We're not talking about a lifestyle that excludes (排斥) all that. The question is how we help people balance that out so that they're not facing life­threatening, preventable illnesses, but they're enjoying their food and vegetables, they're playing and still have time to get a good, fun meal every once in a while.”

One in three American children is overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of developing diabetes (糖尿病), high blood pressure, high cholesterol (胆固醇) and other illnesses. Billions of dollars are spent every year treating obesity­related conditions. “None of us wants this future for our kids，” Mrs. Obama said.“We have to act, so let's move.”

Her campaign has four parts: helping parents make better food choices, serving healthier food in school cafeterias, making healthy food more available and affordable, and encouraging children to exercise more.

The ambitious campaign, which Mrs. Obama hopes will be seen as her legacy (遗产), is aimed at solving the childhood obesity problem in a generation, so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight. “This isn't like a disease where we're still waiting for the cure to be discovered. We know the cure for this，” she said.

President Barack Obama praised his wife for dealing with what he called one of “the most urgent health issues facing the country”. “This has enormous promise in improving the health of our children, and in giving support to parents to make the kinds of healthy choices that are often very difficult，” he said.

1. Why did Michelle Obama launch the campaign?

A．She was strongly persuaded by other mothers with obese children.

B．She wanted to help the President with his work.

C．She has found that her own children are also obese.

D．She aimed to call on people to lead healthier lives.

2. It can be inferred from what Michelle Obama said that ________.

A．she hates junk food but can't resist it

B．junk food should be rejected by children

C．people should balance healthy food and junk food

D．people are too cautious about junk food

3. According to the author, obesity ________.

A．must be caused by eating junk food

B．leads to a great loss of health and money

C．is certain to make people develop illnesses

D．results from the rich life in developed nations

4. President Obama thinks highly of the campaign because ________.

A．it contributes to the improvement of childhood health in America

B．he realizes that the obesity problem is the most urgent global issue

C．he thinks his wife is helping by sharing his concerns

D．he really understands how tough it will be to carry out the campaign

【推荐1】Just over a decade into the 21st century, women’s progress can be celebrated across a range of fields. They hold the highest political offices from Thailand to Brazil, Costa Rica to Australia. A woman holds the top spot at the International Monetary Fund; another won the Nobel Prize in economics. Self-made billionaires in Beijing, tech innovators in Silicon Valley, pioneering justices in Ghana—in these and countless other areas, women are leaving their mark.

But hold the applause In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to drive. In Pakistan, 1,000 women die in honor killings every year. In the developed world, women lag behind men in pay and political power. The poverty rate among women in the U.S. rose to 14.5% last year.

To measure the state of women’s progress, Newsweek ranked 165 countries, looking at five areas that affect women’s lives: treatment under the law, workforce participation, political power, and access to education and health care. Analyzing data from the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, among others, and consulting with experts and academics, we measured 28 factors to come up with our rankings.

Countries with the highest scores tend to be clustered in the West, where gender discrimination is against the law, and equal rights are constitutionally enshrined (神圣化). But there were some surprises. Some otherwise high-ranking countries had relatively low scores for political representation. Canada ranked third overall but 26th in power, behind countries such as Cuba and Burundi. Does this suggest that a woman in a nation’s top office translates to better lives for women in general? Not exactly. “Trying to quantify or measure the impact of women in politics is hard because in very few countries have there been enough women in politics to make a difference,” says Anne-Marie Goetz, peace and security adviser for U.N. Women.

Certain conclusions are nonetheless clear. For one thing, our index backs up a simple but profound statement made by Hillary Clinton at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “When we liberate the economic potential of women, we elevate the economic performance of communities, nations, and the world,” she said. “There’s a stimulative effect that kicks in when women have greater access to jobs and the economic lives of our countries: Greater political stability. Fewer military conflicts More food. More educational opportunity for children. By harnessing (利用) the economic potential of all women, we boost opportunity for all people.”

1. What does the author think about women’s progress so far?

A．It still leaves much to be desired.	B．It is too remarkable to be measured.
C．It has greatly changed women’s fate.	D．It is achieved through hard struggle.

2. In what countries have women made the greatest progress?

A．Where women hold key posts in government.

B．Where women’s rights are protected by law.

C．Where women’s participation in management is high.

D．Where women enjoy better education and health care.

3. What does Anne-Marie Goetz think of a woman being in a nation’s top office?

A．It does not necessarily raise women’s political awareness.

B．It does not guarantee a better life for the nation’s women.

C．It enhances women’s status.

D．It boosts women’s confidence.

4. What does Hillary Clinton suggest we do to make the world a better place?

A．Give women more political power.	B．Stimulate women’s creativity.
C．Allow women access to education	D．Tap women’s economic potential.

【推荐2】I remember clearly the last time I cried. I was twelve years old, in the seventh grade, and I had tried out for the junior high school basketball team. I walked into the gym. There was a piece of paper on the wall.

It was a cut list. The boys whose names were on the list were welcome to keep on practicing. The boys whose names were not on the list had been cut. Their presence was no longer desired.

I had not known the cut was coming that day. I stood and stared at the list. The list had not been made with a great deal of consideration. The names of the best players were at the top, and the other members of the team were listed in what appeared to be a descending (下降的) order of basketball skills. I kept looking at the bottom of the list, hoping that my name would appear if I looked hard enough.

I held myself together as I walked out, bat when I got home I began to cry. For the first time in my life, I had been told officially that I wasn't good enough. Sports meant everything to boys of that age. If you were on the team, it put you in the desirable group. If you were not, you might as well not be alive.

All these years later, I remember it as if 1 were still standing right there in the gym. I don't know how the mind works in matters like this. I don't know what went on in my head following that day of cut. But I know that my determination has been so strong ever since then. I have known that for all my life since that day. I have done more work than I had to be doing and pat in more hours than I had to be spending, I don't know if all of that came from a determination never to allow myself to be cut again—never to allow someone to tell me that I'm not good enough again—but I know it is there. And clearly it's there in a lot of other successful men too.

1. From the text we learn that the cut list had names of pupils __________.

A．who were cut out	B．who were still on the team
C．who were the old players	D．who were not good enough

2. Why did the author react so strongly to the cut?

A．It hurt his pride deeply.	B．It was open to the public.
C．It listed his name at the bottom.	D．It forced him to change the team.

3. We can infer from the text that the author __________.

A．has made friends with many other men

B．has never learned the truth of the cut

C．has become quite successful in life

D．has learned to play basketball very well

【推荐3】Scientists in Mexico have just begun a new study of one of the world’s biggest pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun, north of Mexico City. They’re putting lots of small, high-tech machines under the pyramid to try to unlock some of its secrets. For thousands of years, people have tried to uncover the secrets of the pyramids.
The people who built the pyramids made lots of secret doors and rooms to stop robbers from finding the treasures inside. However, there always have been some smart thieves in history. Now, almost all of Egypt’s pyramids have been robbed, including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest pyramid in the world. It is the only one of the ancient wonders of the world that is still standing.
In AD 820, an Arab king named Abdullah AL Manum got a group of workers to dig their way into the Great Pyramid and have a look. Inside the pyramid, they found three rooms --- the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber. But to their surprise, the men didn’t find the treasures they wanted. The Queen’s and King’s Chambers were both empty! Where were the King’s mummy and his treasures? Had someone already taken them away? The huge stone doors at the pyramid’s entrance were still closed when AL Manum’s men went inside. How had the thieves got in and out?
Since then, many people have gone inside the Great Pyramid to have a look or to try to take things. But still, no other chambers or walkways have been found.
In 2002, an American team made the most recent visit to the Great Pyramid. Scientists sent a robot into the pyramid, but they only found a mysterious locked stone door.
1. The first two paragraphs were written to show that ________.

A．the Pyramid of the Sun is an unusual historic building

B．ancient Egyptian emperors were cruel

C．construction workers led a hard life in ancient Egypt

D．the secrets of the pyramids remain to be uncovered

2. Which of the following is NOT true to the Great Pyramid of Khufu?

A．It is the largest pyramid in the world.

B．It is the only one of the ancient wonders that is still standing.

C．Abdullah AL Manum took the King’s mummy and his treasures away.

D．Scientists found a mysterious locked stone door to the Great Pyramid.

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

A．The Pyramid of the Sun

B．The Great Pyramid of Khufu

C．A Mysterious Locked Stone Door

D．Unlocking the Doors of History

【推荐1】It was a normal school day for senior Solymar Solis until an unexpected visitor arrived . Her dad, Solis Melendez, surprised her by coming home early from Kuwait and visiting her unannounced at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina.

After serving in Kuwait for nine months, Melendez returned home a week earlier than his daughter expected . He held balloons and flowers in a classroom as he sat at a student’s desk to blend in with the crowd. “ It came across my mind like, ‘How is she going to react?’, he recalled the heartwarming moment.” Is she going to be happy and run to me and hug me, or cry? That was all going on through my mind .

As unsuspecting Solymar entered the classroom, she was soon overcome with emotion, immediately bursting into tears and covering her mouth. She didn’t talk. She was just crying. She was overwhelmed with everything. She thought it was a dream.

Melendez was a single parent so while he was deployed (调度), he got his sister to live with his daughter. When he was coming back and talking to his sister, both of them came to the conclusion that they should do something special for his daughter. Melendez and his sister got in touch with the school and they planned this whole being -in -the-classroom thing,and it turned out perfect.

The two are very much looking forward to some daddy-daughter time now that he’s home. “It means everything,” Melendez said of being able to surprise his daughter this way. “After all the sacrifices she’s made, she deserves all the special arrangements and special occasions and celebrations. I’ll do anything for my daughter. I believe I’m doing good parenting!”

1. How did Solymar feel at first when entering the classroom ?

A．She was eager to hug her father

B．She felt everything was as usual

C．She got excited at seeing her father .

D．She was surprised by what she saw.

2. What was Melendez’s attitude to the surprise?

A．Satisfied	B．Astonished
C．Touched	D．Disappointed

3. Why did Melendez plan the surprise for Solymar?

A．To get involved in her school life

B．To teach her a lesson in a special way

C．To build a strong emotional bond with her

D．To make up for what she lost in her growth

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

A．Father’s love for his daughter

B．Girl expecting the returning of her dad

C．Girl surprised at school by her dad’s return

D．Father and daughter’s long -time separation

【推荐2】You’re probably aware of the basic trends. The financial rewards to education have increased over the past few decades, but men fail to benefit.
In elementary and high school, male academic performance is lagging. Boys earn three-quarters of the D’s and F’s. By college, men are clearly behind. Only 40 percent of bachelor’s degree go to men, along with 40 percent of master’s degree.
Thanks to their lower skills, men are dropping out of the labor force. In 1954, 96 percent of the American men between the ages of 25 and 54 worked. Today, that number is down to 80 percent. In Friday's jobs report, male labor force participation reached an all-time low.
Millions of men are collecting disability benefits. Even many of those who do have a job are doing poorly. According to Michael Greenstone of the Hamilton Project, annual earnings for average prime-age males have dropped by 28 percent over the past 40 years.
Men still dominate (主宰) the top of the corporate ladder because many women take time off to raise children, but women lead or are gaining nearly everywhere else. Women in their 20s outearn men in their 20s. Twelve out of the 15 fastest-growing professions are dominated by women.
Over the years, many of us have employed a certain theory to explain men's economic decline. It is that the information-age economy rewards qualities that women are more likely to possess.
To succeed today, you have to be able to sit still and focus attention in school at an early age. You have to be emotionally sensitive and aware of context. You have to communicate smoothly. For genetic and cultural reasons, many men are not good at these.
But, in her fascinating new book, The End of Men, Hanna Rosin suggests a different theory. It has to do with adaptability. Women, Rosin argues, are like immigrants (移民) who have moved to a new country. They see a new social context, and they flexibly adapt to new circumstances. Men are like immigrants who have physically moved to a new country but who have kept their minds in the old one. They speak the old language. They follow the old customs. Men are more likely to be rigid; women are more fluid.
This theory has less to do with born qualities and more to do with social position. When there’s big social change, the people who were on the top of the old order are bound to stick to the old ways. The people who were on the bottom are bound to experience a burst of energy. They are going to explore their new surroundings more enthusiastically.
Rosin reports from working-class Alabama. The women she meets are flooding into new jobs and new opportunities — going back to college, pursuing new careers. The men are waiting around for the jobs left and are never coming back. They are strangely immune (免疫的）to new options. In the Auburn-Opelika region, the average female income is 140 percent of the average male income.
Rosin is not saying that women are winners in a global gender (性别) war or that they are doing super simply because men are doing worse. She's just saying women are adapting to today’s economy more flexibly than men. There’s a lot of evidence to support her case.
A study by the National Federation of Independent Business found that small businesses owned by women outperformed male-owned small business during the last recession (衰退). In finance, women who switch firms are more likely to see their performance improve, whereas men are likely to see theirs decline. There's even evidence that women are better able to adjust to divorce. Today, more women than men see their incomes rise by 25 percent after a marital breakup.
Forty years ago, men and women stuck to certain theory, what it meant to be a man or a woman. Young women today, Rosin argues, have abandoned both feminist (女权主义者）and prefeminist preconceptions. Men still stick to the masculinity (大男子主义的）rules, which limit their vision and their movement.
If she's right, then men will have to acknowledge that they are strangers in a strange land.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Male labor force participation has declined by 80% since 1954.

B．More men than women take time off to raise children now.

C．Good communication is one of the qualities that women possess.

D．Men are still taking most top and fastest-growing professions.

2. In Hanna Rosin’s opinion, male performance is falling behind because _______.

A．men are less likely to sit still and focus in school at early age

B．men are more rigid and less able to adapt to new circumstances

C．women are doing better for genetic and cultural reasons

D．it is more and more difficult for men to get bachelor’s degree

3. What is the passage intended to convey?

A．The differences between men and women.

B．The reasons why men do no better than women.

C．The social status of men and women.

D．The reasons why men fail compared with women.

【推荐3】British triathletes (铁人三项运动员) Jess Learmont, and Georgia Taylor-Brown were disqualified from an Olympics qualification race in Tokyo on August 9,2019, because they crossed the finish line while holding hands.

The pair had a huge lead on the rest of their competitors in the event, and after surviving extreme temperatures during the race in the 2020 Olympics host city, they held hands as they finished. At first, Learmonth was considered the champion and Taylor-Brown the second place, but they technically broke competition rules and were punished for it.

As the BBC explained, International Triathlon Union (ITU) competition rule 2.11 states that “athletes who finish in an abnormal tie situation, where no effort to separate their finish times has been made, will be disqualified”.

Looking at the video, they don’t appear to be purposefully attempting to tie, and since Learmonth was the original winner, what does it matter? It looks like they’re both simply trying to support each other after finishing a race during which the temperature was pretty high that the running section was cut from 10 kilometers to five. Safety during a heat wave has been a serious concern, as 57 people in Japan have died since late July, according to Reuters, because of the extreme temperatures.

An appeal against the result was refused, the BBC reported, so Bermuda’s Flora Duffy was declared the champion with Italy’s Alice Betto promoted to second and Britain’s Vicky Holland to third.

1. Why did the two triathletes hold hands as they finished?

A．To fight against the extreme heat.

B．To be both winners in the race.

C．To carry out their plan made before the race.

D．To probably show support to each other.

2. What added difficulty to the race?

A．Hot weather.	B．Long running section.
C．New competition rules.	D．Powerful competitors.

3. What’s the author’s attitude to the result?

A．Supportive.	B．Disapproving.
C．Indifferent.	D．Worried.

4. What does the last paragraph tell us?

A．Jess Learmonth dropped to four.

B．ITU didn’t change the final decision.

C．The two triathletes agreed to the result.

D．The two triathletes will race in the Olympics.