【推荐1】Every year on April 1, April Fools' Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. In France, it's called "Poisson d^’Avril" or "Fish of April”. In Scotland, the holiday is often called "Gowkie Day". In Iraq, the holiday is called "Kithbet Neesan” or "April Lie".

History experts say people have celebrated April Fools^’ Day for a long time. Some believe April Fools' Day comes from the ancient Romans more than two thousand years ago, which was a day of playing games and pretending to be someone else.

Others say the day for fooling began in France in 1564. when King Charles changed the yearly calendar. He moved New Year's Day from April 1 to January I Many people did not know about the change because of communication problems then. Some people continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Other people called them April Fools and played jokes on them.

In the United State, April Fools' Day is just a day of joking and playing tricks on friends. These kinds of jokes are also called pranks （恶 作 剧）.These jokes typically end in the prankster shouting “April Fools”!

Simple pranks, like telling a friend a funny lie or making prank phone calls, are still common. But major companies also get in on April Fools' Day in a much bigger way. A few years ago, on April 1, Starbucks announced it was introducing new coffee cup sizes-plenta and Micra. The very large cups, bigger than a human head, remained useful for customers even after finishing all that coffee. According to Starbucks, the cups could be used as a rain hat, a pot for plants, or a lampshade.

It did not take long for customers to catch on to the prank. More and more people use media or smartphone apps to play pranks on their friends on April Fools' Day. One very annoying smartphone app, Cat Facts, sends funny facts about cats to your friends⁵ phones every day.

1. Why did some French people keep the old New Year's Day?

A．They liked the old celebration.

B．They did not know the change.

C．They wanted to be different from others.

D．The king wanted to play plank on the people.

2. Americans celebrated April Fools' Day to ________.

A．escape the stress of their work

B．find a chance to give children gifts

C．improve the friendship between them

D．have fun and play jokes on others

3. What is the   meaning of the underlined words "get in on” in Paragraph 5?

A．Join in	B．give away
C．stick to	D．break away from

4. What is the author's purpose of writing the text?

A．To introduce a new festival.

B．To tell a story on April Fools'   Day.

C．To introduce April Fools' Day.

D．To explain the misunderstanding of April Fools' Day.

【推荐2】Then comes the July, and with it are examinations; but these are soon finished and with them ends the school year. Boys and girls have nearly two months holiday before them as they leave school by train and car to return home to their fathers and mothers.

The summer holidays are the best part of the year for most children. The weather is usually good, so that one can spend most of one’s time playing in the garden or, if one lives in the country, out in the woods and fields. Even if one lives in a big town, one can usually go to the park to play.

The best place for a summer holiday, however, is the seaside. Some children are lucky enough to live near the sea, but for others who do not, a week or two at one of the big seaside towns is something which they will talk about for the whole of the following year.

In England, it is not only the rich who can take their children to the seaside; if a factory worker or a bus driver, a street cleaner or a waiter wants to take his wife and children to Southend or Margate, Blackpool or Clacton, he is usually quite able to do so.

Now, why do children like so much about the seaside? I think it is the sand, sea and sun more than any other things. Of course, there are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat, and exciting things to do, but it is the feeling of sand under one’s feet, of salt water on one’s skin, and of the warm sun on one’s skin, and of the warm sun on one’s back that make the seaside what it is.

1. Summer holidays start _______.

A．with July	B．as soon as the examinations are over
C．in mid----June	D．in August

2. After the examinations, all the pupils leave for home -_____.

A．by train only	B．by car
C．by bike	D．by either train or car

3. The summer holidays last ______.

A．nearly three months	B．more than three months
C．one and a half months	D．about two months

4. Children like the seaside so much, because they can ____.

A．swim in the sea	B．play with the sand
C．take a sunbath	D．do all of the above

【推荐1】Do you think Great Britain and the United States are alike? Winston Churchill once joked that the people of Britain and the people of America are separated(分离) only by their language. Do you think that is true? The British and the Americans both speak English as the official language. However, each uses some different words. We Americans are similar to the British. After all, our country was once owned by Great Britain, so we have a lot in common. But there are many differences between us.

Great Britain has a king or queen, and the leader of the government is the Prime Minister. The United States has no kings or queens. Our leader is the President.

Both the British and Americans use pounds and ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons. Both use miles, yards and feet. Our money is different, though. The British use pounds and pence. Americans use dollars and cents.

Driving in a car is very different in England. They drive on the left side of the road. We drive on the right. What we call the hood of the car, the British call the “bonnet”. British cars run on “petrol”, which we call gasoline.

In our everyday lives, we do many of the same things as the British. But we describe them differently. A young mother here might push a baby in a baby carriage. A British mom pushes a “pram”. The British watch the “telly”, while we watch TV. We like to eat French fries, but the British call them “chips”. Millions of Americans drink coffee, but most British prefer tea.

So we are different in many ways. But we stay friendly anyway.

1. Winston Churchill’s words mean that ____________.

A．Britain and the US are very similar

B．the people of Britain and the US are friendly

C．the languages of Britain and the US are the same

D．there are many differences between Britain and the US

2. Which of the following is used by the British?

A．TV.

B．Pram.

C．Hood.

D．French fries.

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．We stay friendly

B．A common language?

C．English as the official language

D．Differences between Britain and the US

【推荐2】Earth's forests are emptying.

Half of their inhabitants(栖息动物) have disappeared in the last 40 years, according to a latest report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The report tracked populations of 268 species of forest-dwelling birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles worldwide between 1970 and 2014(the most recent year for which data is available). The results show that forest animal populations have declined by 53% worldwide, and humans are to blame.

More than 80%of all land animal, plant, and insect species call forests home. However, a combination of habitat destruction, hunting, the spread of invasive species, climate change, and diseases are killing off forest animals, the researchers said.

Without those animals, forests can't perform the functions we rely on, since animals pollinate(授粉) forest plants, spread seeds, and nourish the soil with their waste.

“Forests depend on a complete animal world to perform. functions essential to life,” Susanne Winter, a program director at the WWF, told Eco Watch.

One of the most critical roles forests play is in easing climate change. Trees suck enormous amounts of carbon dioxide out of the air and embed (吸纳) the carbon in their wood and the soil. A recent study found that planting new trees over an area the size of the US could suck away two-thirds of all the carbon dioxide emissions that humans have pumped into the atmosphere.

“Without animals, it is harder for forests to absorb carbon, as tree species important for protecting the climate could be lost without animals,” Winter said. Without them, those trees would have difficulty reproducing and forests would lose their best carbon-storing trees.

“Forests are our greatest natural ally in the fight against global warming,” Winter said. “If we want to reverse the worldwide decline in biodiversity and prevent the climate crisis, we need to protect the forests and the species living there.”

1. What do we know from the passage?

A．Half of earth's forests have emptied.

B．268 forest-living species have died out.

C．The number of forest animals has decreased.

D．80% of forest animals have lost their homes.

2. How many reasons are mentioned for the extinction of forest animals?

A．Five.

B．Four.

C．Three.

D．Two.

3. What is the key function of forests mentioned in this passage?

A．Nourishing the soil.	B．Producing carbon dioxide.
C．Pollinating forest plants.	D．Easing climate change.

4. Which of the opinions may Susanne Winter agree with?

A．Forests will disappear eventually.

B．We can't reverse the decline in biodiversity.

C．Forests can suck away all the carbon dioxide emissions.

D．Animals are vital to forests when it comes to reproducing.

【推荐3】Jack Green is 75 years old. He is not in good condition. "I think I'm ill," he tells his wife, "I feel awful. I've got a headache and I don't feel like eating."

"You've put on a lot of weight recently. You should see the doctor," his wife says, "ask him how to lose weight. It's not good for your health."

"OK," says Jack. He goes to see a doctor.

The doctor checks his heart and weighs him. Then he says, "You are too heavy. You need to do some excercise to lose about 30 kilograms. Run two miles a day for the next 100 days. Then call and tell me your weight."

A week later, the doctor receives a call from Jack. "Doctor, I ran two miles every day and I feel much better. But I have a new problem."

"What's that?" asks the doctor.

"I'm 14 miles away from home, and I can't find my way back."

Choose the right answer according to the passage.

1. Why does Jack feel awful?

A．Because he is in good condition.

B．Because he feels like eating.

C．Because he has a headache.

D．Because he works hard.

2. Who suggests that Jack should see a doctor?

A．His wife.	B．His son.
C．His daughter.	D．His mother.

3. What's Jack's new problem?

A．He forgets how many miles to run.

B．He runs for such a long time.

C．He loses a lot of weight.

D．He can't find his way back home.

【推荐1】Organic food is very popular. It is also expensive. Some organic food costs twice as much as nonorganic food. Some parents and pet owners pay up to 200 percent more for organic food while some people think organic food is a waste of money.

There is one main difference between organic and non-organic food. Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides (杀虫剂). This makes sure that the products are natural.

Some people think “organic” means “locally grown”. At the beginning, this was true. Over time organic farming became more difficult. The demand for organic food grew larger than the supply. Small companies had to sell out to large companies. There weren’t enough organic materials. This made it difficult for many organic companies to stay in business. Today, many large companies have an organic line of products.

Is organic food more nutritious? This is part of the debate. Many farmers and consumers believe it is. They think agricultural chemicals cause health problems, such as cancer. Many health experts disagree. Few studies prove that organic food prevents health problems. Health experts worry more about bacteria. These can come into contact with organic and non-organic food. Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully.

Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better. Is tastier food worth the extra money? This is a matter of opinion. Whether it is healthier or not may require more research. However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.

1. Which is the NOT the advantage of organic food for most people?

A．safe.

B．cheap.

C．healthy.

D．tasty.

2. What is the doctors’ suggestion?

A．Reduce the use of pesticides．	B．Wash the food very carefully．
C．Grow organic food on your own.	D．Buy large companies’ products．

3. Which of the following problems about organic food do people debate on?

A．It is more nutritious.	B．It tastes better．
C．It contains more fat．	D．It has more bacteria．

4. Where does this text probably come from?

A．A chemistry paper．	B．A restaurant menu.
C．An advertisement．	D．A health magazine.

【推荐2】It doesn’t matter when and how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Herpin. Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.

Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw him sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.

The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.

1. The main idea of this passage is that_____.

A．large numbers of people do not need sleep.

B．a person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep.

C．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive.

D．people can live longer by trying not to sleep.

2. The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting_____.

A．to cure him of his sleeplessness.

B．to find that his sleeplessness was not really true.

C．to find out why some old people did not need any sleep.

D．to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping.

3. After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Herpin_____.

A．needed some kind of sleep.

B．was too old to need any sleep.

C．needed no sleep at all.

D．often sleeps in a chair.

4. One reason that might explain Herpin’s sleeplessness was _____.

A．his mother’s injury before he was born.

B．that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit.

C．his good physical condition.

D．that he hadn’t got a bed.

【推荐3】Europe’s most beautiful places

Europe is an amazingly varied place. The old continent's historic cities and its Mediterranean beaches draw many of its visitors, but the best destinations are sometimes its more remote corners, known mainly to locals and a few brave travelers.

Lake Inari, Finland

High above the Arctic Circle and close to Finland's border with Russia, Lake Inari is a year round paradise. Dark, snowy winters make it ideal for catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis. Its tree-lined banks glow a burnt orange during autumn and in summer, you can swim in its chilly shallows. The center of local Sami culture, it's as remote and traditional as Finland gets.

Unst, Shetland Isles, Scotland

The most northerly occupied island of the British Iles, Unst is a wild, rugged place where seas crash into the dramatic Muckle Flugga sea stacks.

The later are a harbor for gannets (塘鹅) during breeding season, with birdwatchers also treated to the sight of searching skuas (贼鸥).

Yorkshire Dales, England

Its narrow lanes lined with drystone walls cry out to cyclists seeking marvelous adventures while its moody hill continually attract walkers, no matter the weather Geological wonders such as the limestone spectacles of Malham Cove and Gordale Scar make it perhaps the most beautiful part of the British Isles

Loire Valley, France

Chateau de Chambord and Chateau de Chenonceau are the most famous, filled with classic viewing towers, formal gardens and boating lakes.

Throw in a tour of its graperies, where some of the world's finest wines are produced, and its glamour is impossible to ignore.

1. According to the passage, the best destinations in Europe are _____.

A．historic cities and Mediterranean beaches

B．known to people around the world

C．familiar to only a handful of people

D．similar to each other with no obvious differences

2. If you are a cyclist interested in adventures, you'd better choose ______.

A．Unst, Shetland Isles, Scotland	B．Yorkshire Dales, England
C．Loire Valley. France	D．Lake Inari, Finland