【推荐2】Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his high school team, I started to feel sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity (逆境) — it was the opponent’s home gym filled with their supporters, and Nathan’s team was left behind for three quarters of the game.

As for me, I had been fired earlier in the day. I was prepared for it as I had experienced the same thing 14 years earlier, but, just like a punch in the mouth, the blow is never softened because you were expecting it.

As I watched the adversity on the court that my son was experiencing, I recalled my earlier events, packing up everything in a box and waving goodbye to a great group of colleagues with whom I’d had the pleasure of working. During my driving home, I kept telling myself “Just like that time, I will find work again in a short time—I am confident in my experience and abilities.” It was the same belief that I tried to teach my son.

The basketball game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing.   As Nathan and his teammates fought back, I saw the focus and determination on him, as well as his teammates’faces. Then, with a tie game and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball. There was no room for self-doubt. With skill and confidence he was able to tune out all that could drive his attention away and make the throw as if he had done it a thousand times. The joy on his face, the cheering from the crowd, and the silence on the other side of the gym—it was a moment that would make any parent proud.

As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me that I had taught him determination in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses, at this moment.

1. What did the author intend to show by mentioning his experience 14 years ago?

A．He quit a job again.	B．He disliked working with the colleagues.
C．He made a right career choice.	D．He had confidence in his abilities.

2. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Nathan’s teammates couldn’t focus on the play.

B．The author was never worried about his son’s team.

C．Nathan’s team lost the game at last.

D．The game was in a tie at one time.

3. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．A blow from losing a job.	B．A lesson on the court.
C．The importance of teamwork.	D．The rise and fall of a game.

【推荐3】Paracutin was born in Mexico in February, 1943. At the end of one week Paracutin was 500 feet high, and it is now over 9,000 feet high. Today Paracutin is asleep.

What is Paracutin? It was the first volcano(火山) in the world which was seen from its birth right up to the present day. On February 20, 1943, a peasant and his wife set out to work in their corn fields from the Mexican village of Paracutin. They were surprised to find the earth warm under their feet. Suddenly they heard noises deep in the earth and a small hole appeared in their field. In the afternoon there was a sudden loud noise and stones were thrown high in the air. The peasants ran from the field and turned to watch. They saw the birth of a volcano.

Large quantities of stone and lava(岩浆) broke out and a little hill began to form. By evening this hill was 100 feet high and hot ashes(灰烬) were falling on the village. At night the strong light of the hot lava lit up the countryside. The trees near the village were killed and the villagers had to leave their houses. When the village was destroyed, its name was given to the volcano. The news quickly reached Mexico City, far to the east. Many people came to watch the scene. The volcano grew and grew for ten years and hundreds of square miles of forest were destroyed. Then Paracutin went to sleep.

1. Paracutin was once the name of                 .

A．a peasant	B．a village
C．an old mountain	D．a Mexican

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Paracutin is not active now.

B．Paracutin is the first volcano in the world.

C．Paracutin did not exist until the early 1940s.

D．It took Paracutin 10 years to grow to its present size.

3. What was destroyed in the growing up of the volcano?

A．The little hill of stone.

B．The villagers living close by.

C．The forest and fields around Paracutin.

D．The Mexican peasant and his wife.

4. In this passage the writer is trying to                 .

A．tell us an interesting happening

B．explain a scientific theory

C．make us believe something

D．make up an interesting story

5. What can we learn about volcanoes from this passage?

A．New volcanoes may appear in places where people do not expect them to be.

B．Volcanoes are always growing.

C．Volcanoes are active from time to time.

D．New volcanoes are active for only ten years.

【推荐1】Squirrels eavesdrop on (窃听) the chatter of songbirds to work out whether the appearance of a predator (食肉动物) is cause for alarm, researchers have found. Animals including squirrels have previously been found to tune in to cries of alarm from other creatures.

But the latest study suggests animals may also keep an ear out for everyday chitchat among other species as a way to assess whether there is trouble afoot.

Writing in the journal Plos One, researchers reported on how they made their discovery by observing 67 grey squirrels as they pottered about (晃悠) different areas in the residential regions of Oberlin.

After 30 seconds of observing a squirrel, researchers played it a recording of the call of a red-­tailed hawk, which lasted a couple of seconds — and their behaviour in the next 30 seconds was monitored. The squirrels were then played a three-minute recording of several different species of songbird chattering on a feeder.

The results revealed that in the 30 seconds after hearing the hawk call the squirrels increased the percentage of their time spent “vigilant” (警惕) compared with before the call, while they also looked up more often to scan the environment. Squirrels that were played bird chatter raised their heads less often during the recording and the number of these “look­ups” dropped off faster over time.

“Recognition of bird chatter as a sign of safety is likely adaptive, as squirrels that can safely reduce their vigilance level in the presence of bird chatter probably are able to increase foraging (觅食) success,” the authors wrote.

The team suggested that with levels of human­made noise increasing, squirrels may find it harder to eavesdrop on birds, meaning they may have to spend more time being alert and less time foraging.

Dr. Jakob Bro­Jorgensen, co­author of the study from Oberlin College, said: “The study calls attention to how animals can gather information from their environment by using cues that may at first glance seem irrelevant,” he said. “And it makes you wonder how the more and more pervasive (无处不在的) impact of human activities on natural soundscapes may reduce survival of wildlife in ways we haven’t thought of.”

1. What does the new research find about squirrels’ eavesdropping?

A．It lacks scientific evidence.	B．It is more widespread and broader.
C．It needs to be further investigated.	D．It is contradictory to previous findings.

2. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The subject of the experiment.	B．The findings of the experiment.
C．The process of the experiment.	D．The purpose of the experiment.

3. Why is recognition of bird chatter as a sign of safety important for squirrels?

A．They can escape from potential risks.

B．It helps them to forage food successfully.

C．It is safe for them to play with their mates.

D．They can adapt to a new environment quickly.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about concerning the research?

A．It’s possible effects.	B．Its appeal to the public.
C．Expectations for further study.	D．Scientists with new awareness.

【推荐2】One of the ocean’s noisiest creatures is smaller than you’d expect-snapping shrimp (鼓虾). They create a widespread background noise in the underwater environment, which helps them communicate, defend territories and hunt for food. When enough shrimp snap (发出劈啪声) at once, the noise can dominate the soundscape of coastal waters.

Aran Mooney, a biologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, suggested that with increased ocean temperatures, snapping shrimp will snap more often and louder than before. This could raise the background noise of the global ocean. “They make a sound by closing a claw so fast. This makes a bubble (泡泡) and when that bubble explodes, it makes that snapping sound,” said Mooney.

Mooney detected a strong relationship between warmer waters and deafening, more frequent snapping shrimp sounds after experimenting with the shrimp in tanks in the lab and by listening to the shrimp in the ocean at various water temperatures. “As the temperature rises, the snap rate increases,” he said. This makes sense because shrimp are essentially cold-blooded animals, meaning their body temperature and activity levels are largely controlled by their living environment. “We can actually show in the field that not only do snap rates increase, but the sound levels increase as well.”

How the louder snapping shrimp would bother or benefit the surroundings remained to be seen. “We know that fish use sound to communicate,” Mooney said. “If the environment gets noisy, it has the potential to influence that communication. That’s something we have to follow up on.” There is also the possibility that the change of snapping shrimp disturbs instruments humans use to detect mines, which could have implications for national defense.

1. What can we know about the snapping shrimp’s sound?

A．It has multiple uses.	B．It is vital to the ecosystem.
C．It is hard to be detected.	D．It aims to protect the shrimp.

2. How does Mooney reach the conclusion?

A．By observing snapping shrimp in the field.

B．By recording the snap rates in the lab.

C．By analyzing the way shrimp make noise.

D．By comparing shrimp’s sound in different places.

3. What might Mooney research next?

A．Applications of shrimp’s sound.

B．Impacts of the noise on other creatures.

C．Means of communication among fish.

D．Methods of preventing shrimp’s snapping.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．Underwater World Is No Longer Quiet

B．Small Animals Make a Big Difference

C．Warming Oceans Are Getting Louder

D．Snapping Shrimp’s Noise Speaks Much

【推荐1】The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Denmis’s Swamp creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp (沼泽).

“So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name? ”

“Are you sure you want to hear it? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.

“Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”

“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began this tale. “Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in. In those days, the area looked quite different—it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.”

“You are clearing too much land,” warned one old man. “The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it.”

“Silly fool,” said Dennis to himself. “If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’s just jealous!”

Dennis continued to chop down trees. Smal animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping (渗出) to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.

“What happened?” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.

“The land hit back--just as the old man warned,” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”

“What a stupid story,” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t .” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted. The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.

1. The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to_______.

A．courage

B．assistance

C．instruction

D．challenge

2. Why did Dennis ignore the warning of the old man?

A．The old man envied him.	B．The old man was foolish.
C．He was too busy to listen to others.	D．He was greedy for more crops.

3. Why did Tom scream and faint?

A．He saw Dennis’s shadow.

B．He was scared by a plant.

C．His friends played a joke on him.

D．The weather became extremely cold.

4. What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis?

A．Grasp all, lose all.	B．No sweat, no sweet.
C．It is no use crying over spilt milk.	D．He who makes no mistakes makes nothing.

【推荐2】British chemist David Evans has become an overnight celebrity on Chinese social media. His chemistry experiments have attracted over 2 million followers in just a few months. Evans is a chemistry professor at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology. The 60-year-old always wears a white lab coat, a pair of safety goggles(护目镜），and smiles often.Some web users say he looks just like the "grandpa of KFC".

Evans has posted videos of various experiments. His most popular experiments have attracted millions of hits on video-sharing apps. Excited children's cheers and shouts can be heard in his videos. “I hope my experiments can arouse people's interest in science,” he says.

Evans has been interested in China since childhood.In the early 1970s, before the reform and opening-up,he viewed it as a “country full of mysteries". He first visited the Chinese mainland in 1987 to attend a chemistry conference in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province. He quit his job in the United Kingdom and moved to Beijing in 1996. Many of his friends thought he was crazy. But Evans says they just saw China's challenges but not its potential.

Since 2011, Evans has turned to the Internet to popularize science. He learned short-video apps are also popular in small cities and rural areas. And he realized this enables him to reach more students, who lack opportunities to perform fun experiments. But even a one-minute video requires a considerable amount of work. Still, he thinks it's worth it to fulfill his responsibility to popularize science.

His experiments always fill schools' lecture halls with laughter. Some viewers call him "a Harry Potter-like magician”, but he disagrees. “A magician never tells the secrets behind his tricks, but a scientist always gives an explanation.” He sees himself as a teacher. He performs experiments to spread knowledge, inspire thinking, remove misunderstandings and show that science can create change. Evans says he looks forward to more "chemical reactions" with China.

1. Who is David Evans according to the passage?

A．A film celebrity.

B．A chemistry teacher.

C．A manager of KFC.

D．A British magician.

2. Why did Evans begin to post videos of experiments on the Internet?

A．To popularize science.

B．To rise to fame.

C．To apply short-video apps.

D．To make a fortune.

3. Which of the following statements is true according to paragraph 3?

A．Evans considered UK to be a country full of mysteries.

B．Evans first visited Chinese mainland in his childhood.

C．Evans went to China for a chemistry meeting in 1987.

D．Evans moved to Beijing with the support of his friends.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Evans knows exactly how a magic works.

B．Evans was a serious scientist and barely smiled.

C．Evans will continue to post videos of experiments in China.

D．Evans' students like to interrupt his experiments with laughter.

【推荐1】How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times”.
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule：almost all common troubles eventually go away！Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little！I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1. How did the author get to know America?

A．From her relatives.	B．From her mother.
C．From books and pictures.	D．From radio programs.

2. Upon leaving for America the author felt ________.

A．confused

B．excited

C．worried

D．amazed

3. For the first two years in New York, the author ________.

A．often lost her way	B．did not think about her future
C．studied in three different schools	D．got on well with her stepfather

【推荐2】“Alexa, what’s 5 minus 3?” A 6-year-old boy recently asked that question in a video, which was popular on Twitter. Alexa, Amazon’s voice-started assistant, delivered a quick answer: 2.

It’s cute, but it raises a question that’s been on the minds of many parents and educators lately: How do virtual assistants like Alexa affect children’s learning experiences?

Clint Hill, an English teacher, says in his classrooms he often sees “children quietly talking into their phones and asking Google or other services to spell some complicated words that they don’t know.” But Hill says he doesn’t mind. “I struggle with spelling, and spellcheck on my word processing has been a lifesaver for me.” he says. “I think being able to use those technological aids is not hurting anybody,” Hill adds.

But some experts say it’s not just about learning basic math or spelling. “One of the best gifts we can give our children is doing that kind of problem-solving together,” says Diane Levin, a professor of applied human development. Levin says it’s important for children to learn to struggle—even just a little—with challenges. “They will use those skills that they’re learning for all kinds of things that come along,” Levin says.

How much concern should parents have over Alexa and their children? Every new wave of technology, from calculators to TV sets, causes a panic about its effect on children, and nostalgia (怀旧) for the past, says Dimitri Christakis, an expert in child health, behavior and development.

But he says that a child watching television is having a completely passive experience. Because new technology is interactive, “it helps understand how the world works,” Christakis says. “But while watching television, you play no role in the content,” Christakis says.

Still, he agrees that this debate is about much more than knowing what 5 minus 3 is. It’s also about developing the patience to solve problems. “That ability to stay focused,” he says, “is one of the most important developmental skills that children acquire.”

1. What can be inferred from Hill’s words?

A．Technological aids are helpful.

B．His students don’t use their brains.

C．His students aren’t focused in class.

D．Spelling is really difficult for small children.

2. What can we learn about technological aids in Levin’s opinion?

A．They fail to solve problems.

B．They give children challenges.

C．They present a threat to teachers at school.

D．They are harmful to children’s development.

3. Which of the following would Christakis agree with?

A．New technology affects children most.	B．New technology tends to cause worries.
C．Television has been a thing of the past.	D．Today’s parents are too concerned.

4. What does Christakis stress about children in the last paragraph?

A．Their ability to interact with others.	B．Their ability to learn from the past.
C．Their ability to study technology.	D．Their ability to pay attention.

【推荐3】People have always been defined by their generation. We had the baby boomers of the 1960s, followed by Generation X and then Generation Y, often referred to as millennials, and the new kids on the block are Generation Z - aged between 16 and 22. It's easy to classify these young people as all being the same, sharing the same attitudes towards life—but is that fair?

People from Generation Z, informally called "Z-ers", may be viewed by others as digital natives, incapable of real-world friendships. But they actually view themselves as hardworking, ambitious and about to change the world for the better. The previous generation, born between the mid-1980s and late 1990s - the millennials were also thought to have these characteristics. But many people view this new generation as “mini-millennials" because Z-ers are different and they have their own set of values and preferences which consumer brands need to cater for.

It's true to say that technology is playing an important part in the lives of Generation Z, particularly in the area of social media. In fact, they have not known life without it and using it to communicate, share ideas and campaign is second nature. It means they have more of a say on what we eat, drink and buy than any generation before them. These young people certainly need to be listened to by retailers （零售商） and businesses - they are the people with time on their hands and money.

But being a Z-er comes with pressure. One young person says "Many people in Generation Z have mental health issues because they're unsure what the future will bring." The future always brings uncertainties but maybe there is pressure for this generation to be the most successful ever.

1. When was a Z-er likely to be born?

A．In 1964.	B．In 1975.
C．In 1987.	D．In 1999.

2. What do Z-ers see themselves as?

A．Diligent and ambitious.	B．Hardworking and incapable.
C．Promising and different.	D．Stressed and successful.

3. What're Paragraphs 2&3 trying to argue?

A．Z-ers have known life without social media.

B．Z-ers pay too much attention to digital devices.

C．Z-ers and the millennials have the same personality.

D．Z-ers become a key driving force in the consumer market.

4. What docs the author think is the real cause of the Z-ers' pressure?

A．Their ambition to be the best.

B．Their uncertainty of the future.

C．Their addiction to digital devices.

D．Their lack of real-world friendship.