【推荐1】While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had an experience which occurred merely two feet away from me.

Trying to locate my friend among the passengers coming through the jet way, I noticed a man walking toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he kissed his three children one by one and said, “It’s nice to see you. I missed you so much!” Then he hugged his wife, “I’ve saved the best for last!” giving her the longest, most passionate (热情的) kiss I ever remember seeing. They stared at each other’s eyes, smiling at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be.

Full of admiration, I asked, “Wow! How long have you two been married?” “Being together for fourteen years total, married twelve of those.” He replied, without breaking his stare from his lovely wife’s face. “Well, then, how long have you been away?” I asked. “Two whole days!” “Two days?” I was astonished. By the intensity (热烈) of the greeting, I had thought he’d been gone for at least several weeks — if not months. I knew my expression gave away me, so I turned away my eyes and said quietly, “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after so long!”

The man suddenly stopped smiling and looked at me straight in the eye. With forcefulness he told me something that left me a different person. “Don’t hope, friend…decide!” Then he smiled again, shook my hand and said, “God bless!”

With that, he and his family turned and walked away together.

I was still watching that man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, “What are you looking at?” Without hesitation, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, “My future!”

1. The best title of the passage may be________.

A．Long Loving Hugs	B．My Future
C．Love Is Everywhere	D．Don’t Hope, Decide

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．It was fourteen years since the couple had got married.

B．After being away for several weeks, the man missed his family very much.

C．The man replied to the author, with his eyes still fixed on his wife’s face.

D．Their three kids reminded the author of newlyweds.

3. By saying “my expression gave away me” （in Paragraph 4）, the author means that ________.

A．he failed to express his ideas to the man

B．his expression was not faithful to him

C．he didn’t believe in his expression any more

D．the man sensed his real feelings from his expression

4. From the passage, we can infer that ________.

A．the author will live a passionate life from now on

B．the experience may be easily forgotten by the author

C．the author will be away from his family and hug them passionately upon his return

D．Americans prefer to save the best for last

5. What did the writer see at the airport?

A．He saw a happy family with four children.	B．He saw his future wife.
C．He saw the man give the best kiss to his wife.	D．He saw a newly-married couple.

【推荐2】Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help people feel relaxed and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, "At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question, but it will get things going." From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.     
Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively. Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the moment of parting. If you're saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, "I've really enjoyed meeting you." If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life.
1. Asking questions might be a quite good and suitable way _______.

A．for you to make more and more new friends

B．to begin your business talks

C．to get the conversation going smoothly

D．for you to make a deep and lasting impression on others

2. After having asked somebody a question, it'll be polite of you to _______.

A．make clear what kind of person he is

B．listen to his reply attentively

C．wait quietly and patiently for his answer

D．go on asking him more questions

3. Generally speaking, good talkers are persons who _______.

A．are good at making any topic interesting

B．never talk too much or too little

C．always speak in a gentle way

D．know how and when they should change the topic of the talk

4. If you really want to meet someone again, _______.

A．you may take him as your lifelong true friend

B．it seems necessary for you to let him know it

C．it's proper for you to give him a second handshake

D．it'll be helpful for you to have further understanding of him

【推荐3】There was a group of people who took the same bus every morning into the city. No one ever talked to each other.
One morning, an old man who was usually sad and alone got on the bus, smiled and said in a loud voice, “A very good morning to you all!” Some of us looked up and said “good morning”.
Over the following weeks our new friend came dressed in an old suit and tie. He said good morning to us every day and we all gradually began to talk to each other more.
One morning he had some flowers in his hand. The driver turned around and asked, “Do you have a girlfriend, John?” He said yes shyly. The other people on the bus smiled.
Every morning after that, John always brought flowers. Some people even brought flowers for him. Everyone was happy and became friends.
But one morning John wasn’t waiting at his stop. And he wasn’t there for the next few days. When the bus came to an old people’s home, one of the people on the bus asked the driver to wait while she was going in. The staff(工作人员) said that old gentleman was fine. But one of his close friends had died over the weekend.
Next Monday, John was waiting at but stop, looking very sad. We were silent as he walked onto the bus. No one mentioned his friend, but we each handed him a flower. We wanted to be there for this man who brought us together that summer.
1. According to the story, we learned that __________________.

A．people on the bus knew each other well at first

B．few people replied to John’s greeting

C．other people on the bus didn’t like John

D．John was a friendly old man

2. Who did John bring flowers for?

A．The people on the bus.	B．The driver.
C．His girl friend.	D．Himself.

3. Why did the people on the bus each hand John a flower?

A．Because John liked flowers.

B．Because they wanted to help John save money.

C．Because they wanted to cheer John up.

D．Because there were many flowers in summer.

4. What does the story want to tell us?

A．When you care for others, you may get more love from others.

B．Taking a bus is a good way to make friends.

C．Laughter is the best medicine.

D．Talking to strangers on the way will help you kill time.

【推荐1】Do you know the benefits (益处) of potatoes? It is nearly the king of all the vegetables and all the food.

As we know potatoes were first grown (种植) in Africa. Africa is the hometown of potatoes. Later potatoes were grown all over the world. First people only ate (吃) them uncooked. As the time passed, people learned to cook them delicious.

Now potatoes have become delicious food or cooked vegetables at table. Men and women, young and old enjoy eating them very much. It is said potatoes can be cooked into 400 kinds of cooked vegetables.

In the past some people thought (认为) they could make people fat and they were afraid of (害怕) eating them too often. But in fact, they do not make people fat but keep people thin. So you can enjoy them if you like.

1. ________ is the hometown of potatoes.

A．Asia (亚洲)

B．Europe (欧洲)

C．America

D．Africa

2. It is said potatoes can be cooked into ________ kinds of cooked vegetables.

A．400

B．300

C．200

D．100

3. Which of the following is right?

A．Potatoes were first grown in Asia.	B．Potatoes can make people fat.
C．Potatoes can make people sad.	D．First people ate potatoes uncooked.

【推荐2】When traditional Chinese food baozi and the pizza meet together, what will probably happen?

These days a kind of new food called “Baozza” is getting popular online. In Beijing, many local people and a number of foreigners are the fans of the food. Why?

The new food has the features (特点) of Chinese baozi and western pizza. It has included the tastes of the two kinds of food. The restaurant, located in Beijing, serves all kinds of tastes of Baozza such as margherita and BBQ chicken.

The inventors of the food are a few American businessmen. They used to travel to southern China for business meetings. After they saw and ate baozi made of pork or vegetables many times, they came up with the great idea of creating Baozza.

Alex Cree, one of the inventors, said, “We were talking about the idea of making a kind of special baozi with more traditional western tastes like that of hamburgers and pizza. And then we called it ‘pizza baozi’.”

“There are a lot of people who only order one or two Baozza for the first time. They worry that the food doesn't taste so good,” Loren Heinold, another inventor, said. However, they will ask immediately for more when they turn around.”

1. What is Baozza according to the passage?

A．A kind of traditional Chinese food.	B．A kind of traditional western food.
C．A new invention of food.	D．A new restaurant in Beijing.

2. Who was Baozza invented by?

A．Some local people in Beijing.	B．A few Americans in Beijing.
C．Some Chinese people in America.	D．A few businessmen in South China.

3. Why do some people only buy one or two Baozza for the first time?

A．Because they don’t have enough money.	B．Because they don’t like the special taste.
C．Because they worry that it isn’t healthy.	D．Because they worry that it isn’t delicious.

4. Which of the following is TRUE about Baozza?

A．It’s exactly a kind of pizza.	B．It’s sold only in South China.
C．It’s loved by more and more customers.	D．It’s made of pork or vegetables.

5. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．A kind of new food called Baozza.	B．American businessmen in Beijing.
C．The differences between baozi and pizza	D．Delicious traditional Chinese food.

【推荐1】

Many people have attended lots of virtual (虚拟的) meetings these years. Some studies suggest that these types of meetings may not affect work efficiency (效率). However, a new study shows that the results are not like what people think.

In the study, 602 participants (参与者) were paired freely and asked to come up with creative uses for a product. They were also chosen to work together either in person or virtually. Among the groups, virtual pairs thought of much fewer creative ideas than the face-to-face groups.

“We ran this experiment based on feedback (反馈) from companies,” said lead researcher Melanie Brucks. “Unlike other forms of virtual communication, like phone calls or e-mail, video conferencing (会议) copies the in-person experience quite well, so I was surprised when we found meaningful differences between in -person and video conferencing for forming new ideas.”

When different objects were placed in both the virtual and physical rooms, the virtual pairs of participants spent more time looking directly at each other rather than focusing on the whole environment on the screen. Eyeing one’s whole environment and noticing the different objects made your brain more active. On platforms, the screen draws our attention, so we stared at the person on the screen. “Looking away might come across as rude,” said Brucks, “so we have to look at the screen. Just like while we are talking to someone in person, we wouldn’t walk to another room.”

So, although the video conferencing has some advantages, like facilitating communication and saving time and costs, it does limit (限制) people’s creativity indeed.

1. What can we learn about Brucks’ experiment?

A．602 people were divided into two groups.

B．Virtual groups came up with more creative ideas.

C．Some companies carried out the experiment.

D．It didn’t turn out as people think.

2. At first, lead researcher Melanie Brucks might think that _________.

A．video conferencing can’t compare with in-person meetings

B．participants should make eye contact in an online meeting

C．video conferencing works just as well as in-person meetings

D．in-person meetings are better for forming new ideas

3. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A．Different objects have an influence on one’s creativity.

B．Why are virtual meetings bad for creative ideas?

C．In-person meetings are better than virtual meetings.

D．Virtual meetings have different environments from in-person meetings.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Virtual Meetings Affect Work Efficiency

B．In-person Meetings Increase Creative Thinking

C．Some Disadvantages of Virtual Meetings

D．Meetings Online Limits Creativity

【推荐2】Life is like four seasons. Now I am very old, but when I was young, it was the spring of my life. I was born, I played a lot, and then I started school. I learnt many new things. Like a flower, I grew bigger every day. There were happy days andsorrowfuldays: some days the sun shone, and some days it didn’t.
In my twenties, I had a good job. I was strong and happy. Then I married and had a child. In those days, I didn’t have much time to think. Every day I was busy and worked very hard. And so, I started to get some white hair. The summer of my life passed quickly.
Then the days got shorter. Leaves fell from the trees. My child was a university student, and then an engineer. My home was much quieter. I started walking more slowly. One day I stopped walking. I had more time. I understood this was my autumn, a beautiful time when the trees change color and give us delicious fruits.
But the days kept getting shorter and colder. Winter has come. I am getting older and older. I know I do not have many days left, but I will enjoy them to the end and try to make my winter a warm one.
1. The writer started walking more slowly in the ________ of his life.

A．spring

B．summer

C．autumn

D．winter

2. According to the passage, which of the following ages is during the summer of the writer’slife?

A．14.

B．27.

C．61.

D．89.

3. What does the underlined word “sorrowful” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Sad.

B．Exciting.

C．Wonderful.

D．Bored.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The writer was an engineer.	B．The writer has a garden with flowers.
C．The writer was always happy as a child.	D．The writer is old and weak, but he still enjoys his life.

5. The best title for the passage can be ________.

A．My life

B．Four seasons

C．Four seasons in a year

D．Four seasons in my life

【推荐3】A yearbook is a tradition of high school life in the United States. The book includes the name, photo, and signature(签名) of each student in your final year, so that you can remember who you went to school with. A 15-year-old girl Catherine Cook and her brother David wanted more than this. They thought, “Why not have a yearbook online? You could learn about people’s music tastes, the movies they like, and so on.”

Catherine thought of the name−−myYearbook.com, and the logo(标志). To advertise the website, Catherine and David wore T-shirts with the website logo to school and soon hundreds of their schoolmates became fans of the website. She spent many evenings talking on the phone to programmers in India, and collecting ideas from her schoolmates. Then her older brother Geoff came up with the money to start up the website.

My Yearbook users can join in the fun by sending messages and “collecting” friends. They can watch the same videos from films and TV programs, and share music, photos, homework and study guides. Some teens feel they can make friends easily online. Chatting online helps some shy people not to feel left out.

Users can also make “Lunch Money” by doing activities on the website. They can then spend their Lunch Money on gifts, or donate it to charities. They have saved 0.3 km² of rainforest, cleaned up million kg of CO₂, sent 22,000 books to Africa, and bought 20,000 kg of rice for people without enough food.

Running the website did not stop Catherine and David from finishing their schoolwork successfully, and going on to university where they still spent 50 hours a week on the website.

1. Who got the idea of setting up myYearbook.com?

A．Geoff.	B．A US high school.
C．Catherine and David	D．Indian programmers.

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “left out”?

A．已离开

B．在左边

C．受冷落

D．受欺骗

3. Which of the following is the right order according to the story?
a. start up the website                           b. think of the name and logo
c. collect ideas from schoolmates              d. go on to university
e. wear T-shirts with the website logo

A．e-c-a-b-d

B．b-e-c-a-d

C．d-b-c-e-a

D．c-b-d-e-a

4. In Paragraph 4, the writer uses many numbers, such as 0.3 km², million kg, 22,000, 20,000 kg, in order to show that ___________ .

A．there is so little rainforest on earth	B．there is so much CO₂ in the air
C．users can buy a lot of books and rice	D．users have done a lot for charities

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Cooks	B．Lunch Money
C．A yearbook online	D．US high school life

【推荐1】

Our uncle was a silent man, much given to fishing; and it was one of the pleasures of our young life to live with him in the countryside.

I remember my first fishing experience clearly. I have been happy many times in my life, but never more strongly so than when I received that first fishing pole (鱼竿) from my uncle’s hand. It was a still, sweet day of early summer.

My uncle, who knew the best place to catch pickerel (小梭鱼), placed me at the most favorable point. I threw out my line as I had so often seen others, and waited anxiously for a bite. Nothing came of it. “Try again,” said my uncle. Suddenly the bait (鱼饵) sank out of sight. “Now for it,” thought I, “here is a fish at last.”

I made a strong pull, and brought up some plants. Again and again I threw out my line, but drew it back empty. “Try once more,” he said, “we fishermen must have patience.”

Suddenly something pulled my line, and swept off with it into deep water. Jerking it up, I saw a fine pickerel. “Uncle!” I cried, looking back in uncontrollable excitement, “I've got a fish!” “Not yet,” said my uncle. As he spoke, the scared fish shot into the stream, my hook (鱼钩) hung empty from the line. I had lost my prize.

So, overcome with my great and bitter unsatisfactory, I sat down, and for a time refused to be comforted, even by my uncle’s encouragement that there were more fish in the stream. He refitted my bait, and, putting the pole again in my hands, told me to try my luck once more.

“But remember, boy,” he said with a smile, “never brag (炫耀) of catching a fish until he is on dry ground. I’ve seen older folks doing that in more ways than one, and so making fools of themselves. It’s no use to brag of anything until it’s done, nor then, either, for it speaks for itself.”

How often since I have been reminded of the fish that I did not catch. When I hear people boasting of a work as yet undone, I call to mind that scene by the riverside, and the wise caution of my uncle: Never brag of your fish before you catch him.

1. The writer felt               when he had the first bite.

A．tired

B．bored

C．excited

D．relaxed

2. Which is the correct order in which these happen?
a. I pulled some plants out of the water.       b. I received a fishing pole from my uncle.
c. I learned a lot from the fishing experience.   d. I lost a fine pickerel that had been hooked.

A．a-b-c-d

B．b-a-d-c

C．c-a-d-b

D．d-c-a-b

3. According to the story, the writer’s uncle was            .

A．wise and patient

B．quiet and strict

C．shy and difficult

D．friendly and talkative

4. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7 mean?

A．Well begun is half done.	B．Never do things by halves.
C．Actions speak louder than words.	D．Pride goes before, and shame comes after.

【推荐2】Here are the twin sisters, Lily and Lucy. They are in Miss Gao’s class. They are two new students. They’re eleven. This is their room. It’s a nice room. There are two beds in the room. One is Lucy’s and the other is Lily’s. They look the same. Their coats are on their beds. We can’t see their shoes. They’re under their beds.
The twins have two desks and chairs. Their clocks, books and pencil boxes are on the desks. Their schoolbags are behind the chairs.
1. What kind(种类) of room is it?

A．It’s a classroom.	B．It’s a bedroom.
C．It’s a big room.	D．It’s a nice room.

2. Which one is NOT TURE?

A．Lily’s coat is on her bed.

B．Lucy’s shoes are under her chair.

C．There are two beds in the room.

D．They are students.

3. Lucy and Lily are ________.

A．cousins

B．sons

C．sisters

D．brothers

4. Where’s Lucy’s schoolbag?

A．On thechair.	B．In thedesk.
C．Behind the desk.	D．Behind thechair.

5. Where are their books?

A．On the desks.	B．In the beds.
C．Under the beds.	D．Behind the chairs.

【推荐3】For several years, Americans have enjoyed teleshopping—watching TV and buying things by phone.Now teleshopping is starting in Europe (欧洲).In a number of European countries, people can turn on their TVs and shop for clothes, jewelry, food, toys, and many other things.
Teleshopping is becoming popular in Sweden, for example.The biggest Swedish company sells different kinds of things on TV in 15 European countries, and in one year it made ＄100 million.In France there are two teleshopping channels, and the French spend about ＄20 million a year to buy things through these channels.
In Germany, until last year teleshopping was only possible on one channel for 1 hour every day.Then the government allowed (允许) more telepshopping.Other channels can open for telebusiness, including (包括) the largest American teleshopping company and a 24hour teleshopping company.German businessmen are hoping this new teleshopping will help them sell more things.
Some people like teleshopping because it allows them to do their shopping without leaving their homes.With all the problems of traffic in the cities, this is an important reason.But at the same time, other Europeans do not like this new way of shopping.They call teleshopping “junk (垃圾) on the air”.Many Europeans usually worry about the quality (质量) of the things for sale on TV.Good quality is important to them, and they believe they cannot be sure about the quality of the things on TV.
The need for high quality means that European teleshopping companies will have to be different from the American companies.They will have to be more careful about the quality of the things they sell.They will also have to work harder to sell things that the buyers cannot touch or see in person.
1. Teleshopping is ____ in Europe.

A．not popular

B．growing

C．not possible

D．cheap

2. People like teleshopping because it is ____ .

A．American

B．cheaper

C．easier

D．more popular

3. Some Europeans don’t like teleshopping because they ____ .

A．don’t like to buy things

B．don’t watch TV

C．believe the things sold on TV are expensive

D．think the things sold on TV are bad quality

4. In Germany, teleshopping may ____ .

A．help businessmen get more money	B．keep the shops open longer
C．have fewer buyers	D．bring better TV programmes

5. The best title of this passage is ____ .

A．American Teleshopping	B．Teleshopping Companies
C．Teleshopping in Europe	D．Teleshopping—Junk on the Air