【推荐1】You may think that having less water is because of having less rain, but it is now a problem in southern China, an area in which it rains often.

The government said that Shenzhen was facing its most serious water shortage ever. Other cities in the southern part of China, like Chengdu and Guangzhou, are also becoming “thirsty” though they have more rain and are close to more rivers and lakes, The Paper reported. So why are they still short on water?

In these big cities, populations are growing fast. As a result, people and factories need more water.

Climate change is making the water problem worse. Most cities in Guangdong province depend on the Dongjiang River as their main source of water. In 2021, the river was reported to be drying up.

Water pollution also makes it harder to get clean drinking water. Factories and farms don’t use water well. Some cities have enough rain but don’t have big lakes or reservoirs (水库) to store water, so the water goes out into the sea.

But there is a hidden water resource (资源) right under our feet. That’s “groundwater”. We can’t see it. However, it plays an important role in our lives. About 98 percent of Earth’s fresh water is groundwater. It is 60 times as plentiful as the fresh water in lakes and rivers. But in many places, people overuse and pollute groundwater. We should pay more attention to this hidden water resource.

1. Why are Chengdu and Guangzhou becoming “thirsty”?

A．They are in south China.	B．They are short on water.
C．They are close to rivers.	D．They are having less rain.

2. What made the water problem worse in Guangdong province?

A．Climate change.

B．Population growth.

C．Water pollution.

D．Hidden resources.

3. For what purpose did the author write this article?

A．For showing the result of more factories.	B．For explaining how to solve the pollution.
C．For facing the water shortage problem.	D．For introducing how to use groundwater.

4. How is the above text organized?

A．

B．

C．

D．

【推荐2】What’s the best way to remember our happiest moments, like a birthday or festival? I bet you would answer , “Take lots of photos!” Well, here is a great surprise. People who always take photos may actually be harming(伤害) their memory, because they’re not concentrating on the event itself. That’s according to new research by Fairfield University, Connecticut, in the US. They call this the “photo-taking impairment(损害) affect”.
“People so often take out their cameras almost mindlessly to catch a moment, to the point that they are missing what is happening right in front of them,” Henkel and her team decided to perform an experiment. They wanted to find out whether taking photos in a museum weakened(减弱) a visitor’s memory of what they had seen. So they simply told a group to look around the museum, and either take photos of the items on display, or try to remember what they had seen. In addition(另外), the amount(数量) of detail(细节) they remembered was worse than those who didn’t take photos. “These results show how the mind’s eye and the camera’s eye are not the same,” said Henkel.
But don’t put your camera down just yet. Other studies have found that looking back at old photos helps us remember an event, compared to just taking a photo and forgetting about it. So next time you’re thinking of taking a photo, just think: is it better to look at the beauty around you with your own eyes, or behind the eye of the camera?
1. When we take photos, we _________.

A．fail to focus on the event itself

B．can’t record the details

C．remember what we have seen

D．are likely to have a poor memory

2. Which of the following is NOT true about the experiment?

A．People who didn’t take photos did better in the experiment.

B．They asked a group to try to remember what they had seen.

C．The experiment aimed to learn what people were interested in at the museum.

D．People who took photos in the museum could remember less details.

3. According to the passage, we’d better _________.

A．never use our cameras

B．remember an event by heart

C．always remember an event with the help of a camera

D．see everything only with our own eyes

4. What do the results of the experiment show us?

A．The mind’s eye and the camera’s eye are not the same.

B．People remember happiest moments by taking photos.

C．Looking back at old photos helps us remember an event.

D．People don’t like taking photos.

5. Where can we probably read this passage?

A．The entrance of a museum.

B．A guidebook on how to take good pictures.

C．An instruction of how to use a camera.

D．A scientific report.

【推荐1】At 8,844,43 meters high, Mount Qomolangma is the tallest mountain on Earth. While it is famous for its beautiful views, parts of the mountain are facing a problem: rubbish. Every year, thousands of visitors throw away tons of rubbish, such as bottles and plastic bags.

According to the UN, over 140 tons of rubbish has been left on the mountain. To reduce rubbish, China is limiting (限制) the number of people who are allowed to climb up the north side of the mountain. Only 300 people will be allowed to climb it, and only during spring.

Local people cleaned the mountain last year, removing rubbish at a height of 5,200 meters. They collected about 8.4 metric tons (公吨) of rubbish.

This year, the local government plans to spend 4 million yuan on a new clean-up activity. The local government is also setting up stations to sort (分类), recycle and break down rubbish collected from the mountain. A group of artists will also try to turn the rubbish into art works. They will show these works of art to remind people not to leave rubbish when climbing the mountain.

根据短文内容，选择正确答案。
1. What problem are parts of Mount Qomolangma facing?

A．Air pollution.

B．Rubbish.

C．Noise.

D．Water pollution.

2. How many people will be allowed to climb up the north side of the mountain during spring?

A．140.

B．5,200.

C．4 million.

D．300.

3. The underlined word “removing” in Paragraph3 probably means ________.

A．taking away

B．bringing to

C．putting on

D．using up

4. The artists will show their art works in order to ________.

A．teach people to make works of art

B．help people to know about Qomolangma

C．remind people not to throw rubbish on Qomolangma

D．encourage people to clean up Qomolangma

5. What kind of writing is this?

A．A notice.

B．News.

C．A story.

D．An advertisement.

【推荐2】Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Most Chinese hotels often provide guests with things like disposable(一次性的) toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and slippers.

Many guests like the idea because they don't have to bring their own. But if you travel to Beijing, remember to bring these things of your own. That's because some hotels in Beijing have no longer provided guests with these disposables (一次性用品). Many disposable things are made of plastic. People throw them away after only using them once. It's a waste of natural resources (资源) and is very bad for the environment.

In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and 1,320 tons of lunch bowls every year!

Plastic can take 100 to 400 years to break down. So the less plastic we throw away, the better environment we will have.

So, wherever you travel, bring your own things and use them again and again. Back at home and school, you can also do something to make our world a better place. Try to do these things in your daily life:

Use cloth shopping bags, not plastic ones.

After using a plastic bag, wash it out and let it dry. Then use it over and over again.

Do not use paper cups.

At your school canteen (餐厅), use your own bowls and chopsticks instead of disposable ones.

1. Many guests like to use disposable things because they are very________.

A．cheap

B．expensive

C．renewable

D．convenient

2. Some Beijing hotels have no longer provided guests with the followings free EXCEPT ________.

A．toothbrushes

B．slippers

C．Wifi

D．shampoo

3. The underlined phrase"break down "means________.

A．破裂

B．分解

C．崩溃

D．故障

4. How can we deal with a used plastic bowl or bag?

A．Wash it out and let it dry for reusing	B．Throw it away at once
C．Burn it	D．Give it to your neighbors.

5. What can we learn from this passage?

A．Many disposable things are harmful because they can be used only once

B．In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and 1, 320 tons of lunch bowls every month

C．We'd better use either cloth shopping bags or plastic ones in our daily life.

D．We should bring disposable toothbrushes and toothpaste wherever we travel

【推荐3】When the air is polluted, we wear masks(口罩) to protect ourselves. What about bees and butterflies? They can’t wear masks.

New Scientist magazine recently reported findings from James Ryalls and his team at the University of Reading, UK. Their study found that air pollution is harmful to pollinators(传花粉者)-insects like bees and butterflies. They can’t smell flowers because of the pollution.

Pollinators are important. They spread pollen among plants with flowers. This helps the flower produce seed and fruit. Without pollinators, farms cannot make food. We all need pollinators.

To do their study, Ryalls’ team built eight areas. Then, they put nitrogen oxide and ozone(氧化氮和臭氧) into six of these areas. The other two areas had normal air. They were the control group.

“The results were much more severe than we thought,” said Ryalls. In their tests, the levels of pollution in the six areas were similar to “road traffic pollution”. In such conditions, 70 percent fewer insects entered the areas. Once they were there, they didn’t hang around. Visits to flowers dropped by 90 percent.

Scientists explained that gases like nitrogen oxide and ozone can break down the smell of flowers. This makes it hard for insects to find their food.

Maybe the most frightening thing is that the researchers created pollution levels that could be allowed in the UK. But Shannon Olsson, a scientist in India, thought the results were important because the study showed the level of pollution can keep pollinators away.

“Air pollution is another stress on insects,” said Ryall. “That adds to all the other stresses… causing their numbers to decline(减少).”

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. Which of the following animals can work as pollinators?

A．Snakes.

B．Ants.

C．Butterflies.

D．Ducks.

2. How is the pollution harmful to the pollinators?

A．The polluted air is bad for their lungs.

B．The polluted air can make them die.

C．The polluted air can break down nitrogen oxide and ozone.

D．The polluted air prevents them from smelling the flowers.

3. What does the underlined word “severe” mean in Chinese?

A．严重的

B．严肃的

C．严厉的

D．严格的

4. What’s the purpose of the experiment in the text?

A．To tell us that farms can’t make food without pollinators.

B．To prove that air pollution is harmful to pollinators.

C．To prove that nitrogen oxide and ozone are harmful to people.

D．To tell us that visits to flowers dropped by 90%.

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

A．Methods of protecting insects	B．Some knowledge about pollinators
C．The pressure of the scientists	D．The influence of air pollution on pollinators

【推荐3】Most children don’t enjoy doing housework. They like playing computer games rather than cleaning the rooms. But in Australia, Jim and Robert’s mother, Mrs Black, have good and proper ways to get their children to do housework.

Here is an example.

“Mum, have you worked out next week’s housework? Let Jim and me choose the cards. I can’t wait. It’s fun!”

When Robert shouted out, his mother had already put ten cards on their big table. On the cards, there are some words like these, “sweep the floor, clean your bedroom, help mum cook, wash vegetables, make beds, feed the fish, cut the wood, clean the bathroom” and many others, Jim and Robert chose two cards for each day from Monday to Friday. Then they would hang them on the weekday task board. Jim likes to clean the bathroom, so he picked up the card “clean the bathroom”. Robert loves to make the bed so he picked up his favorite card. Jim again picked up “wash vegetables” and Robert chose “feed the fish”. Soon the two boys were happy to take away all the cards.

To help the children do housework, their mother thought hard and came up with this idea. Of course, the parents did the housework on the weekends and left Jim and Robert two days free.

1. From the passage we know that most children like ________.

A．doing housework	B．playing computer games
C．playing cards	D．doing homework

2. Jim and Robert chose ________ cards for the weekdays from Monday to Friday.

A．two

B．four

C．eight

D．ten

3. Jim likes to ________.

A．clean the bathroom	B．make the bed
C．feed the fish	D．sweep the floor

4. Who did the housework on the weekends?

A．Jim

B．Robert

C．The parents

D．The whole family

【推荐2】Jake is a 5-year-old boy. He lives in a small city with his mother. Mary King, Jake’s aunt, lives in London. Jake and his mother wait to see Mrs. King today. They take a taxi to the airport.

“It’s my first plane trip,” little Jake says to the taxi driver happily. “That’s great!” the taxi driver says.

Soon Jake and his mother get to the airport. Jake’s mother takes her big bag. Jake takes his small bag. After waiting for an hour at the waiting hall, they get onto the plane.

Little Jake says to the flight attendant(空姐), “_____________”

“Welcome to this flight,” the flight attendant says.

Jake and his mother find their seats(座位). Then Jake takes out a toy panda from his small bag.

“It’s my first plane trip,” little Jake says to the toy panda.

A few minutes later, the plane takes off. Then whoosh! On the ground, cars, buses, houses and schools all look like toys.

“Guess what, Panda!” little Jake says. “Flying is great fun!”

1. Which of the following can be put into the blank(空白处)?

A．Let’s join.

B．Here you are.

C．Have a good day.

D．It’s my first plane trip.

2. What does Jake take onto the plane?

A．A toy bus.

B．A toy car.

C．A toy plane.

D．A toy panda.

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

A．Jake and His Toy	B．Jake Loves His Mom
C．Jake’s First Plane Trip	D．At the Airport

【推荐3】根据短文内容，判断下列句子的正（A）与误（B）。

When I have something difficult to do, I always ask my mom, “Could you help me?” But she always says, “Do it yourself, dear.” Then I get so sad. I think she is a lazy mother.

For example, one day, I invited some friends to my home. My bedroom was out of order. Books are all over the table and the ground. I forgot to make my bed. So I asked my mother to help me clean it. But she said seriously, “Do it yourself, girl.” So I did it myself.

Because of my “lazy” mother, I am supposed to wash my clothes and clean my room. I even have to go to the dentist by myself if I have a toothache. It’s really hard to do everything on my own, but I have learned a lot.

From now on, I understand my mother. It’s her “laziness” that makes me clever and hard-working. Just as my mother always says, “A lady can’t be lazy or she’ll be crazy. Work can make you sunny.”

1. When the girl has difficulties, her mother always asks her to do it by herself.
2. The girl asked her mother to help clean bedroom that day because she had no time to do it.
3. When the girl had a toothache, her mother always took her to see the dentist.
4. The girl has learned to clean, wash clothes and see the dentist because of “her lazy mother”.
5. From the passage we know the girl is clever and hard-working and the mother is a good teacher.