【推荐1】Many years ago, I bumped into an old friend of mine. He had devoted his life to acting but had never been quite successful. In his middle age, he seemed defeated and sad.

I thought of his dogged (顽强的) perseverance. Was it smart or foolish? What could he have achieved? Had he quit his dream of acting and moved on? Our culture does not look kindly upon quitting. Failure is perfectly acceptable as long as it eventually results in success.

We chant (反复喊着) “Winners never quit” and “If at first you don’t succeed, try again. ” We lap up (欣然接受) stories of persistence, of the author who submitted stories for years before her novels were published or of the athlete who trained since childhood to win gold at the Olympics.

Persistence pays off when it is rewarded with success, but it does not reward every person. For every JK Rowling, there are thousands of aspiring writers who will never get published. For every Olympic athlete, there are innumerable (无数的) others who trained every day of their lives and never made the cut.

We all agree that doing the same things and expecting a different result is unwise. So why do we believe that persevering through failure after failure is a good idea? We consider quitting in the face of failure to be weak. We believe that perseverance is the key to success. Perseverance is only one part of success. You need talent or skill, as well as passion and drive. Luck and timing are also key to any great success.

Our society believes that anything is possible, as long as you “believe”. But not everyone can make it. Quitting when you’ re not ahead is sometimes the smartest thing to do. Obviously, if you enjoy a pursuit, regardless of its outcome, you should continue. If you knew your novel would never be published, would you want to write? If you could never be a champion swimmer, would you still train? Sometimes, it is wise to put your energy into something else.

Failure is not always the path to success. Sometimes, failure is the door to something new.

1. What do we know about the author’s old friend?

A．He was dissatisfied with his acting performance.

B．He switched his dream of acting to something else.

C．He failed in acting because of a lack of persistence.

D．He failed in all attempts to become a successful actor.

2. The author mentioned JK Rowling mainly to ______.

A．explain how she achieved success in writing

B．show that success doesn’t happen to everyone

C．prove that success favors those who are perseverant

D．encourage readers to hold onto their dream until they succeed

3. What is the meaning of the underlined phrase in paragraph 4?

A．Made out of their dreams.

B．Met the required standard.

C．Improved their performances.

D．Promised to be good players.

4. What does the author advise us to do if we’ve failed many times?

A．Make an effort to try new things.

B．Stick to your goal until we succeed.

C．Wait for the right time and good luck.

D．Ask friends or family members for help.

5. What is the author’s attitude toward perseverance?

A．It makes anything possible.

B．It is not necessary for success.

C．It is not the only part of success.

D．It works well regards of outcome.

【推荐2】“Tell me the story of me, Momma,” my daughter Sophie always asks when we sit on my grandmother’s rocking chair at the end of the day. “The first time I saw your beautiful face, it was nearly covered by a blue-and-white hat. You were surrounded by a soft blue blanket (毛毯). All I could see was a rosy face.” “And I looked like a tiny fairy baby?” she asks. “You did, and you weren’t older than a minute,” I always answer. “The nurse handed a tiny little girl to me, and I was so surprised because you felt so light. I thought if I threw off the blanket, I’d find no baby there at all, only air.”

From that moment, I became a mother. But that moment was just special and magical as if she’d come from my body directly into my arms. From that day on, she was my daughter in every way that mattered.

It’s easy sometimes to forget there was another mother out there with whom I share my title. Sophie’s birth mother, who was also my friend, lost her life to cancer not long after giving birth to Sophie. And I’ll never forget that it was her difficult decision — her tears and her pain — that made me a mom.

As my daughter grows, she will understand that sometimes life is a relay race (接力赛), and you never know who in this world will hand you your baton (接力棒). It could be someone you know for years, or it could be someone who you even never meet, someone you will never be able to repay for giving you the life you always wanted.

1. How does the author start the text?

A．By remembering her grandmother.	B．By asking her daughter questions.
C．By describing her past life.	D．By showing a conversation.

2. How does the author feel towards Sophie’s birth mother?

A．Disappointed.

B．Worried.

C．Thankful.

D．Surprised.

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

A．Taking up the baton	B．Being thankful for life
C．Two mothers’ love	D．The mystery of Sophie’s birth

【推荐1】There is distinction between reading for information and reading for understanding.     1    

The first sense is the one in which we read newspapers, magazines, or anything else.     2    Such materials may increase our store of information, but they cannot improve our understanding. And clearly we don’t have any difficulty in gaining the new information, for our understanding was equal to them before we started. Otherwise, we would have felt the shock of puzzlement.

The second sense is the one in which we read something that at first we do not completely understand. Here the thing to be read is at the first sight better or higher than the reader. The writer is communicating something that can increase the reader’s understanding.     3    Otherwise one person could never learn from another. Here “learning” means understanding more, not remembering more information.

What are the conditions in this kind of reading? First, there is inequality in understanding.     4       Besides, his book must convey something he possesses and his potential readers lack. Second, the reader must be able to overcome this inequality in some degree. And he should always try to reach the same level of understanding with the writer. If the equality is approached, success of communication is achieved.

    5    It is the least demanding and requires the least amount of effort. Everyone who knows how to read can read for entertainment if he wants to. In fact, any book that can be read for understanding or information can probably be read for entertainment as well.

A．Thus, we can employ the word “reading” in two distinct senses.

B．Such communication between unequals must be possible.

C．We can get access to the content of those materials easily.

D．The writer must be “superior” to the reader in understanding.

E．The writer should have a better communicating skill.

F．Besides gaining information and understanding, there’s another goal of reading—entertainment.

G．Reading for entertainment is capable of increasing our understanding for information.

【推荐1】One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path .That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (导航仪). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,” she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
1. What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident？

A．She was not familiar with the road.

B．It was dark and raining heavily then.

C．The railway workers failed to give the signal.

D．Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing.

2. The phrase “near miss” (Paragraph 2) can best be replaced by______.

A．close hit	B．heavy loss
C．narrow escape	D．big mistake

3. Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?

A．Modern technology is what we can’t live without.

B．Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.

C．Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.

D．GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident.

4. In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is _______.

A．one-sided	B．reasonable
C．puzzling	D．well-based

5. What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A．The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B．The relationship between human and technology.

C．The shortcomings of digital devices we use.

D．The human unawareness of technical problems.

【推荐1】Laungi Bhuiyan, a pensioner from the Indian state of Bihar, has become known as “Canal Man” after it was discovered that he spent 30 years of his life digging a 3-kilometer-long water canal, all by himself, using hand tools.

The remote village of Kothilawa had always suffered water shortages, with most of the rainwater falling in the nearby hills flowing into the river, instead of towards the village. This was one of the reasons why some villagers moved away, but Laungi Bhuiyan made up his mind to take matters into his own hands, so he stayed behind. No one offered to help, so for three long decades he dug the 4-feet wide and 3-feet deep canal himself, using only whatever hand tools he had.

Kothilawa is surrounded by forests and mountains. During the rainy season, the water falling from the mountains used to flow straight into a river flowing through the area, but ever since Laungi Bhuiyan completed his 3-km-long canal, it’ s been collected in a pond near the village, allowing locals to raise animals and even irrigate crops, without worrying about water shortages.

Ever since word of his impressive achievements started spreading on social media, Bhuiyan has been nicknamed “Canal Man”. A Twitter user shared his unbelievable story and called Indian billionaire Anand Mahindra, asking him if he would support the Kothilawa hero by making a tractor available to him. “I think his canal is as impressive a monument as the Taj or the Pyramids. I’ d consider it an honor to have him use my tractor,” the billionaire replied.

While many have taken to social media to praise Laungi Bhuiyan for his perseverance（毅力）, some said that had the Government done the job it was supposed to, the Kothilawa man needn’t have worked hard for decades, and locals would have benefited from the water canal much sooner. Others went as far as to suggest his work be recognized, and that he be provided with compensation.

1. Why didn’t Laungi Bhuiyan move away from Kothilawa with other villagers?

A．He didn’t want to have his way of life changed.

B．He had great difficulty making a living elsewhere.

C．He decided to fix the problem of water shortages himself.

D．He wouldn’t separate from the village he’ d lived in for decades.

2. What’ s the main function of the canal dug by Laungi Bhuiyan?

A．Irrigating crops and raising animals.

B．Channeling rainwater into the pond.

C．Transporting water from a nearby river.

D．Storing rainwater during the rainy season.

3. What do Anand Mahindra’ s words in paragraph 4 reflect?

A．He thought highly of Laungi Bhuiyan.

B．Laungi Bhuiyan’ s canal is a place of interest.

C．He would complete the canal with Laungi Bhuiyan.

D．His tractor would greatly ease Laungi Bhuiyan’ s labour.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Laungi Bhuiyan would be compensated with the help of social media.

B．There were different voices on Laungi Bhuiyan’ s decades-long work.

C．Laungi Bhuiyan’ s work was highly recognized by Indian authorities.

D．All people were not satisfied with Indian authorities’ performance.

【推荐2】Recently, I started my first day of high school. I was panicking because I knew ninth grade would have higher expectations than eighth, and I wasn’t sure how I would do at taking on that challenge. The one thing that kept me calm was that my best friend is actually at my new school, so I have someone to talk to.

My friend and I took the bus together and we talked the whole way there about how we thought the first day would turn out. When we entered the school, everyone was hugging and saying hi and I was awkwardly standing there and holding onto my friend’s bag through the crowd of people. When my friend and I had to separate, I didn’t want to go to class. When I did, I awkwardly stood at the door because I had no idea where to sit. I sat in the way back. My teacher seemed friendly so I was a little calm.

Movies make high school seem cool. But from what I’ve seen, that’s not true. Everyone seems so friendly. My teachers seemed really nice and not scary or mean. My math teacher had a lot of energy, and my history teacher made jokes the whole time. They told us about the high expectations for their school and I was kind of worried because I came from a school where I didn’t have too much work or high expectations. While getting from class to class I was freaking out because I had no idea where to go. But it wasn’t that hard to find my classrooms after I asked someone.

Overall, my first day wasn’t really what I expected. I expected strict teachers and work harder than I could take. I haven’t been in school too long, but so far the work has not been as hard as I expected. There was a lot of homework in the past few days. I didn’t think I could do this every night. It was really stressful for me to do it because I had little free time those nights. Even though there are a lot of challenges for me, I’m still only getting used to it.

1. Why did the author “hold onto my friend’s bag” in Paragraph 2?

A．Because only by this could he remove his confusion and fear.

B．Because he was helpless and didn’t know what to do at that moment.

C．Because he felt a bit curious about his new school and new classmates.

D．Because he was so attached to his friend that he was unwilling to be separated.

2. What does the underlined word “freaking out” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．adventurous

B．anxious

C．stressed

D．impressed

3. Which of the following statement is true?

A．The author felt desperate about the first day of school.

B．The author had difficulty adapting to new environment.

C．Nice and friendly teachers calmed and attracted the author.

D．The life of high school is the same as the author’s expectation.

【推荐3】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