【推荐2】Tess was eight years old. Her little brother Andrew was very sick and their parents were completely out of money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother, "Only a miracle can save him now."

Tess took her money and made her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store.

"And what do you want?" the chemist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen for ages."

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really sick. He has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the chemist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I can help you." The chemist's brother was a well-dressed man. He asked Tess, "What kind of miracle does your brother need?"

"I don't know," Tess replied. "Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago. "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more, if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence (巧合)," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents － the exact price of a miracle for your little brother. Take me to where you live. Let's see if 1 have the kind of miracle you need."

That man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon in neurosurgery (神经外科). The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well．

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost… one dollar and eleven cents… plus the faith of a little child.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Tess's brother would recover because there was a miracle.

B．Tess's brother would die because his family had no money to treat his illness.

C．Tess's family would look for a miracle to treat Andrew's illness.

D．Andrew should go to hospital for a miracle.

2. Why did the chemist get annoyed first？

A．Because he was a nervous man．

B．Because Tess didn't buy his medicine.

C．Because Tess had bothered him and his brother.

D．Because Tess was poorly dressed.

3. What can we learn about Dr. Carlton Armstrong?

A．He was a stone－hearted man.

B．He cared for only a little money.

C．He never helped others unless given a lot of money．

D．He was a kind gentleman and ready to help others.

4. What can be the best title？

A．A dying boy and her sister	B．A miracle of $ 1.11
C．A kind doctor and his brother	D．A poor girl and a doctor

【推荐3】Throughout life, we come across many people who impact us in a way. The person who left a great impact on me is my dad.

Three months after turning fourteen, my life was great. I was getting settled into a high school; my grades were already starting off greatly and I was making friends. One day as I came home from school, I walked into our living room, finding my mom and dad talking. My parents turned to me and told me to sit down because there was something important they had to tell me. I soon found out that my dad’s liver (肝脏) was failing and he needed an immediate transplant. I was shocked and confused. He was working and never looked sick. My parents told me not to worry because everything would be fine. Four months had passed and my dad still had not received a new liver; he was progressively getting worse. His body seemed to be getting weaker, but he constantly said he was fine.

It was getting hard for my family and me. My dad had to quit his job leaving my mom to be the only provider. I had to take on the responsibility of cleaning the house, cooking meals and checking on my dad while my mom was at work. I had to cut back on hanging with my friends because my dad was beginning to go in and out of the hospital. My focus for school was starting to slip. So were my grades. Two nights before my school spring break, my mom received a call from the hospital that my dad had been in a car accident and that he was in hospital. Surprisingly, my dad hadn’t received a scratch on him. Then next night my mom received a call from the doctor stating that there was a liver that matched my dad’s body and that he needed to get to the hospital immediately.

My mom and I rushed to the hospital and my dad was brought into surgery. We were waiting anxiously outside. After what seemed to be a long time, his doctor came out and informed us that the surgery was successful, but my daddy couldn’t leave the hospital for at least a month. During my daddy stay in the hospital and his adapting to his new liver, my father still tried to comfort us, saying that everything would be OK.

Having to take on so many responsibility at home and constantly worrying about my daddy have helped shape me into the person I am today. I become more responsible for my family and even for everything. Seeing my daddy remain positive and strong throughout his journey has taught me not to take my life for granted, but still positive about life. Also, having seen my dad in hospital for months has inspired me to go into the medical field as a doctor. Thus, I can do everything in my power to help those in need.

1. 第一节 根据文本内容从方框中选择恰当的词并用其正确形式填入文本图示中，每词限用一次。

power     immediately     greater     responsible     positive month     hospital     comfort     doctor     remain
My life was __________
↓
Three __________ after 14, Dad needed an __________ liver transplant.
↓
I took on the __________. Seeing my dad __________ positive Seeing Dad in __________ for months Dad tried to __________ us.		I work as a __________. I am __________. I do everything __________ to help those in need.

2. Who left a great impact on the author?
_________________________________________________________________
3. What responsibility did I have to take on after my dad was ill?
_________________________________________________________________
4. What happened two nights before the author’s spring break?
_________________________________________________________________
5. What helped shape author into the person today?
_________________________________________________________________
6. Why did author go into the medical field as a doctor?
_________________________________________________________________

【推荐2】Growing up, Arielle Rivera, a North County High School student, watched her father work his way through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. Although finally he was successful, Arielle said she saw her father had to work harder than others around him to advance, because he didn't have a college degree. Seeing this resulted in Arielle's becoming a great student. She said she wanted to be successful more easily, unlike her father's struggle.

Arielle has joined in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics magnet program at North County. This selective program requires students to go through an application process and makes selections based on their middle school performances. Since her arrival at the high school, Arielle has impressed her teachers and classmates with her good performances of study, as well as her character.

Toula Patti, Arielle’s teacher, has known her for three years. She describes the teen as "always having a smile on her face". "She does everything to perfection," Patti said, "She's just amazing."

Patti also noted how willing Arielle is to help her school. She said, "She's always helpful to the students and the teachers. She'll come around at the beginning of the year and ask if we need help in setting up the classrooms.”

Helping others is at the heart of Arielle's interest in the engineering and medical fields. She found herself loving serving her community when she began volunteering at a food bank four years ago. She said, “Feeling that I'm possibly making lives of the food bank's people a little easier is part of why I love community services.”

Inspired by her volunteering experiences, Arielle, who is president of her schools National Honor Society, created service opportunities for the group, including volunteering at food banks and organizing clothing drives. Arielle also works weekly at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and Anne Arundel Medical Center.

1. What does the underlined word "this" in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．That her father had no college degree.

B．That her father became a successful person.

C．That lack of education made her father’s life harder.

D．That she had a bad relationship with her father.

2. What do we know about the program at North County?

A．It is available to everyone	B．It is managed by Arielle
C．It mainly focuses on community service	D．It requires applicants' middle school performances.

3. What made Arielle create service opportunities for her group?

A．Her love for healthy food.	B．Her experience of volunteering.
C．Her interest in college courses.	D．Her teacher's encouragement.

【推荐1】My husband Scott used his legs to win downhill ski scholarships in April and climb to the top of Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Then, without warning, a tumor (肿瘤) was discovered in Scott’s spinal cord (脊髓). The doctors said death or physical disability could be the result, and told us to prepare Scott of life in a wheelchair.

Our three children, aged from seven to two, didn’t really understand all the “bad things” going on. They were the biggest cheerleaders and the best teachers and never bored with what their dad couldn’t do. They stood on the pedals of his wheelchair and shouted with joy as her raced down quiet hospital corridors (走廊). When he fell on the grass, they laughed with him and strongly told their dad to “try to stand up”.

But I would think about the camping trips we’d never take and the mountains Scott would never climb.

During all these changes in our lives, I took a drawing class at a local college. The teacher told us we couldn’t draw things but spaces between them. One day, sitting under a big pine tree drawing the spaces between branches, I began to see the world as Scott and kids saw it. I didn’t see the branches as obstacles (障碍) stopping a wheelchair from travelling across the grass. I saw all the spaces that would allow wheelchairs, people and even small animals to get through. When I wasn’t focused on the branches - or the obstacles of life - I began to appreciate all the spaces. Strangely enough, whether you draw the spaces or the branches, the picture looks pretty much the same. It’s just how you see it that is different.

When I joined my family in looking for the “space”, a new world opened up. It wasn’t the same. Sometimes we were frustrated - but it was always pleasant because we were working together. As we tried all these new adventures, Scott began to stand up and then walk with the use of a cane. He still has no feeling in his lower body and legs, he can’t run or ride a bike, but he enjoys so many new experiences.

1. The kids were actually        while their father was in hospital.

A．too sad to realize their dad’s situation	B．old enough to take care of their father
C．too young to know what a tumor means	D．friendly with the doctors and nurses

2.        led the writer to change the sense of her husband’s situation.

A．Her drawing experience	B．The practical condition
C．The doctor’s warning	D．Her energetic children

3. The passage is mainly about       .

A．what the children did after their father fell ill

B．whether we should draw branches or spaces between them

C．how the husband turned a sick man from an excellent climber

D．how the writer changed her attitude to life in face of difficulties

【推荐2】The last time you got angry, did you stop and listen to what your mind was telling you?

Ryan Martin, psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, has spent his career doing just that. It turns out, the thoughts that we have in response to the first flare（爆发） of anger are what can send us over the edge—or help us control the emotion for good, Martin says.

Despite the trouble that it can cause, anger is not actually bad for us. From an evolutionary perspective, it plays an important role in our survival, Martin says: “It helps alert us to the fact that we’ve been wronged. ” When your heart starts to pound and your face gets hot, that’s anger increasing your blood flow in preparation for a showdown (决战). “It’s our fight or flight response, used to energize us to deal with injustice,” he explains．

Anger only becomes a problem when we can’t manage it. Managing your anger, it turns out, is all about managing your thoughts. While anger may inform us of a threat—even if it’s just to our reputation—it’s the thoughts that determine how we respond. That’s why strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy, which teach people healthier thought patterns, can be so successful.

Rather than ignore our anger, Martin wants us to see what our anger is telling us. If anger alerts us to possible injustice, for example, it’s not helpful to simply dismiss it. “What I really want is for people to have accurate thoughts, thoughts that accurately reflect what’s going on in the world around them,” Martin says．

1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce a topic.

B．To raise a question.

C．To make a comparison.

D．To put forward an argument.

2. What is the positive side of anger?

A．It makes us full of energy.

B．It urges us to fight with others.

C．It warns us if we are treated unjustly.

D．It helps us survive in a dangerous situation.

3. What determine(s) our action when we are threatened？

A．Our anger.

B．Our thoughts.

C．Our determination.

D．Our strategies.

4. According to Martin, what should we do when we are angry?

A．Seek medical treatment.

B．Simply ignore the anger.

C．Focus on the world around us.

D．Notice the message anger tells us.

【推荐3】John White,a typical teenage boy,is keen on hiking and photography.He also lives in a large zoo.

John,the son of the late"Crocodile Hunter"star Steve White,is now taking center stage in"Crikey!It's the Whites,"a new series on Animal Planet."We've worked on quite a few different TV projects,but this is actually the first time my whole family has come back to Animal Planet together,so it's pretty unusual,"says John. Premiering(首映)at 8 p.m.on Sunday,"Crikey!"follows the Whites as they run the 100-acre Australia Zoo,founded by Steve White's parents.Steve owned and ran the zoo before he died in 2006."We've always grown up in front of a camera.Bindi,my sister, and I were both filmed for some of the original' Crocodile Hunter' documentaries(纪录片)，”says John.

“I'm very lucky in the way that I've had so much of my life captured(拍摄)on camera,so as the memories you have of Dad start to fade,you can always look back at the old footage(镜头)and relive those special moments,"he says.

“Crikey!It's the Whites"has some footage of Steve.The most exciting part of the premiere involves John leading the"Croc Show"at the zoo's"Crocoseum",a 5,500-seat stadium Steve built to give crocodile performances and educate visitors about crocodile behavior.

Of course, running a zoo doesn't leave much time for school,so John participates in Distance Education,a program similar to homeschooling."School can be difficult for me to fit in,"he says."But I've actually got a classroom that's set up at Australia Zoo and a teacher that travels with us wherever we go,so I can fit in all of my studies." John continues,"I'm learning as much as I can about all of the animals and all of the work at Australia Zoo. I feel really honored to be following in Dad's footsteps.I love continuing that work."

1. Why is the new series special to John?

A．It includes his whole family.

B．It is being filmed in a large zoo.

C．It is the first documentary he made.

D．It allows him to work with his dad.

2. What does John think of being captured on camera?

A．It helps increase his popularity.

B．It encourages him to work hard.

C．It helps strengthen his ties to his dad.

D．It encourages him to care about animals.

3. How does John keep up with his schooling?

A．He is taking unique education.

B．He is home-schooled by his mom.

C．He goes to school whenever he has time.

D．He asks some teachers to teach him at home.

4. What's John's dream job in the future?

A．Feeding animals.

B．Running Australia Zoo.

C．Becoming a crocodile expert.

D．Becoming a wildlife photographer.

【推荐1】There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours-you don’t need that “refreshment break ( 恢复性休息)” as much as you may think.

Scientists have long assumed that willpower is a limited resource, which is why you feel the urge to have a rest, have a snack and come back to a task when you are feeling better. They argued that the only way to restore willpower is by recharging our bodies with rest, food or entertainment.

But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is all in your head. They found that a person’s mindset ( 心态) and personal beliefs about willpower determine how long and how well they’ll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. “If you think of willpower as something that’s limited, you’re more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task ,”said Professor Veronika Job. “But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily depleted, you can :go on and on.

The researchers designed a series of four experiments to test the students’ beliefs about willpower. After a tiring task, those who believed or were led to believe that willpower is a limited resource performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over. They also found that leading up to final exam week, students who believed the limited resource theory ate junk food 24 percent more often than those who believed they had more control in resisting temptations (诱惑).

Mr. Job said, “Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their powers of concentration are limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges.”

The findings could help people who are batting with distractions or temptations: people trying to overcome addictions, and employees facing a tight deadline, etc. Willpower isn’t driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think. The belief in it is what influences your behavior.

1. What should we do if we meet challenges in life according to the text?

A．Leave them alone.	B．Believe in our willpower.
C．Recharge our bodies with rest.	D．Tolerate them until we feel better.

2. The underlined word “depleted” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_______”

A．used up	B．set aside
C．absorbed in	D．taken in

3. The text is mainly intended to

A．persuade us to ignore willpower

B．show us how to build strong willpower

C．convince us of the importance of willower

D．encourage the students to face challenges calmly

4. What can we conclude from the text?

A．Willpower won’t affect our life and work.

B．People do need a break to restore the willpower.

C．There’s no way to change people’s willpower.

D．Willpower is an unlimited resource.

【推荐2】We know more about the surface of the planet Mars than we know about what is at the bottom of Earth’s oceans. Until recently, scientists had mapped only about 20 percent of the sea floor. But our knowledge of the deep seas is changing because of information from satellites. Scientists have produced a new map that provides a detailed picture of the oceans.

The new map is twice as detailed as the map made 20 years ago. David Sandwell is a geophysics professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California. He and other scientists worked on the mapping project. He says they turned to space to look deeper into the ocean.

“The way we’re doing that is to use a satellite altimeter(测高仪), a radar to map the topography(地形) of the ocean surface. That is because the ocean surface topography is different because of gravitational(引力的) effects.”

The scientists collected and studied information from two satellites. One was the European Space Agency’s Cryo-2 satellite that was placed in Earth’s orbit to watch sea ice. The other satellite is the American space agency’s Jason-1, studying the surface of the oceans. Scientists combined the satellite data with images gathered by equipment on ships. The equipment works by sending sound waves through the water. When the sound waves hit an object, its presence is confirmed.

The new map shows the sea floor as it has never been seen before. It shows thousands of underwater mountains and places where continents pulled apart. It shows where earthquakes were active many years ago. In one place, three mountain ridges(山脊) join at the same area. “It’s called the Indian Ocean Triple Junction. It’s one of my favorite spots in the ocean. You have three plates-the African plate, and the Indo-Australian plate and the Antarctic plate-all connected at this one point in the center of the Indian Ocean,” says David Sandwell.

The map is a powerful tool for those interested in protecting the environment and for oil exploration. It also can help ships travel safely and improve scientific projects worldwide. Of course, scientists will make many more discoveries as they examine the new map and the information it provides.

1. We can owe the success of the new mapping project to________.

A．the details of the old map

B．Europe’s cooperation with America

C．Scientists’ continual measuring work under the sea

D．The application of radar and sound wave measuring equipment

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?

A．They hoped to use space technology to map the ocean floor.

B．They wanted the satellite to produce the map.

C．They had never explored the deeper ocean.

D．They decided to search the outer space.

3. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 4?

A．The function of sound waves.	B．The difference of two satellites.
C．The difficulties of mapping the oceans	D．The process of mapping the ocean floor.

4. The fifth paragraph is used to______.

A．show the discovery through the new map

B．Prove the earthquakes were active under the ocean

C．Explain how the ocean floor developed

D．Introduce what the underwater mountains were like

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

A．How to Explore the Deep Sea

B．How to Get Pictures of the Ocean

C．Scientists Create New Maps of Ocean Floor

D．Much of the Sea Floor Waits for Exploration

【推荐3】When did you last buy something? Maybe you are looking forward to a shopping trip at the weekend, but will it make you happy? In the short term, the answer might be yes. However, some people think it might not be good for our health and happiness in the long term.

One of the busiest shopping days of the year in the USA is Black Friday (the fourth Friday of November), which has spread around the world. However, not everyone will be queuing for a bargain. In 1992, Buy Nothing Day started in Canada and now more than sixty countries take part. Their message is simple: “Participate by not participating.” For twenty-four hours on the fourth Friday of November, people do not buy anything at all. Some people choose to spend time with friends and family instead. Others join protests. But what’s the point?

Every single purchase that you make has some kind of an effect on the planet. Making the products and transporting them to the shops use a lot of natural resources. When they are no longer in fashion, the products will end up in the dustbin. All this contributes to air and water pollution, the destruction of our environment and social inequality.

The social influence of our spending habits is also serious. People in consumerist culture are more likely to suffer from financial problems and stress. In order to buy expensive products, people work long hours and therefore spend less time with family and friends.

Critics of Buy Nothing Day say it’s meaningless because people will just buy more the following day. But the organizers argue that Buy Nothing Day makes people think about the consequences of consumption and maybe make some changes to their life style.

1. Why is the question “When did you last buy something?” asked?

A．To remind us of the approaching of Black Friday.

B．To attach importance to our health and happiness.

C．To introduce the topic of shopping too much.

D．To encourage us to participate in Buy Nothing Day.

2. How can people participate in Buy Nothing Day?

A．By not participating in any advertisement for Black Friday.

B．By not buying anything on four Fridays of November.

C．By spending time shopping with friends and family.

D．By not going shopping on Black Friday.

3. What’s NOT the point of Buy Nothing Day?

A．Saving time spent on working.

B．Saving the environment and our earth.

C．Saving money for charity.

D．Saving our relationship with friends and family.

4. What’s the organizers’ opinion on Buy Nothing Day?

A．It can make a difference in some way.

B．It won’t have a lasting effect.

C．It can help people choose goods more reasonably.

D．It can cure people’s shopping addiction.