【推荐1】When you begin a letter in English, you always put "Dear" before the name of the person you are writing to. If it is a friend of your own age, you just put their first name after "Dear"，but for adults you do not know very well, it is more polite to put Mr., Mrs. or Miss before their family name. If you do not know whether the woman is married or not, you should use Ms. instead of Mrs. or Miss. When you write an official letter to someone whose name you do not know, you begin with "Dear Sir or Madam".

There are various phrase you can use at the end of a letter before you sign your own name. For friends and relatives you can put "With love from" or just "Love". For people you know less well "Best wishes" or "Kindest regards" may be more appropriate(合适的). At the end of an official letter you use "Yours sincerely" if you know the person's name and "Yours faithfully" if you do not.

When you address the envelope, be sure to include the postcode, so that the letter will be delivered(递送) as quickly as possible. Finally, do not forget to stick a stamp on the front!

1. Where should you put Mr., Mrs. or Miss?

A．Before family name.

B．After family name.

C．After given name.

2. What should you end up with if you write to your uncle?

A．Yours faithfully.

B．With love from.

C．Yours sincerely.

3. What does the underlined word "various" mean in Chinese?

A．各种各样的

B．相反的

C．相似的

4. What don't you need to do on the envelope?

A．Write down the postcode.

B．Put a stamp on the front.

C．Write down your own name.

5. Which of following sentences is true according to the text?

A．At the end of the letter, you can just write your name.

B．If the woman is married, you can only use Mrs. before her family name.

C．When you write an English letter, you should begin with "Dear".

【推荐2】In America when people meet each other for the first time, they talk about things like weather, family, work, school, or sports. They ask questions like “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” “Where do you work?” “What school do you go to?” and “Do you like sports?” They also ask questions like “Where do you come from?” and “Where do you live?” These are polite questions, not personal questions.

But some things are personal or private, and questions about them are not polite. People don’t ask questions about a person’s salary(薪水). They don’t ask how much someone paid for something. It is OK to ask children how old they are, but it is not polite to ask older people about their ages. It is also not polite to ask people questions about politics(政治) or religion(宗教) if you don’t know them very well. People don’t ask unmarried people “Why are you single(单身)?” and they don’t ask a married couple with no children “Why don’t you have any children?”

1. The writer wants us to ________.

A．be very friendly to people from America

B．find out a lot about America

C．know what questions are polite in America

D．talk freely with an American

2. According to this article, when you meet Americans, it is OK to ask them about their ________.

A．average salaries

B．favourite sports

C．religious beliefs

D．ages

3. When you meet Americans for the first time, the question such as ________ is NOT polite.

A．“Do you come from a big family?”

B．“Do you like playing baseball?”

C．“How much did your shoes cost?”

D．“Where do you come from?”

4. In America, it’s OK to discuss politics with ________.

A．married couples

B．children

C．older people

D．good friends

【推荐3】Welcome to our idiom (习语) corner!



1. Picture _____ can be chosen to express “to do something without thinking”.

A．

B．

C．

D．

2. We can’t believe Robert won this watch. He’s really _______.

A．a walking man

B．a trigger

C．a dark horse

D．an egg

3. The Chinese meaning to the idiom “to walk on air” is probably “________”.

A．一无所有

B．欢天喜地

C．愁眉苦脸

D．不假思索

4. The writer didn’t use _______ to help the readers understand the idioms above.

A．explanations (解释)

B．pictures

C．examples

D．results

【推荐1】Starting April 1, many of the high buildings in Philadelphia (费城) will be going dark at night. Though the move will cut down on energy use, the main goal of the effort is to help protect migrating birds.

Many birds migrate (迁徙) twice a year. In the northern half of the world, many birds fly north in the summer and south in the winter, looking for food and better conditions. These migrations are hard, and many birds die along the way. Some of these deaths are the result of human actions. One of the biggest troubles for migrating birds comes from things humans have built. Buildings are a great challenge for migrating birds. Experts say that as many as one billion birds may die every year in the US alone as a result of flying into buildings. The windows of buildings can reflect things like the sky or trees, causing birds to fly directly into the glass.

For birds migrating at night, bright city lights add another difficulty, confusing (迷惑) birds that might usually be guided by the stars. Philadelphia got a sad warning last October, when thousands of migrating birds were killed in one night. It may have been connected to the low clouds over the city at the time as well.

Now the city is beginning a program called Lights Out Philly. It asks building owners and people to turn off all outside lights that aren’t needed between midnight and 6 in the morning twice a year (from April 1 to May 31, and from August 15 to November 15). Many of the city’s best-known buildings like the Comcast towers will take part.

1. Birds migrate ________.

A．to avoid human actions	B．in search of more energy
C．to look for tall buildings	D．for the purpose of a better life

2. The underlined word “reflect” in Para 2 means ________ in Chinese.

A．mirror (v.)

B．hurt (v.)

C．guide (v.)

D．change (v.)

3. From Para 4, we can know that ________.

A．it is easy for people to kill birds at night

B．migrating birds prefer cloudy night to sunny days

C．low clouds may warn migrating birds of the bad weather

D．birds may easily mistake the city lights for stars on a cloudy night

4. The program is run for about ________ in Philadelphia every year.

A．four whole months

B．five whole months

C．six whole months

D．seven whole months

5. Which can be the best title of the passage?

A．Darker Philadelphia, Brighter City Life	B．Birds Migration in Winter
C．Philadelphia Going Dark to Protect Birds	D．Birds’ Deaths in Philadelphia

【推荐2】Many people like to watch 3D movies at the cinema (电影院). But do you know the students in the USA can watch 3D movies in class? They can learn a lot from these movies.

In the USA, some students can watch 3D movies in math and science lessons. The 3D lessons show a special world (特别的世界) to the students. They can help the students understand the knowledge (知识) better. These classes turn learning into an adventure (冒险). The students can remember the knowledge easily.

The students like 3D lessons very much. They say, “It’s easy to learn, because you can remember all the things in the movies, and it’s fun to learn.”

根据短文内容，选择正确答案。
1. Which lesson can the students watch 3D movies in the USA?

A．History.

B．English.

C．Chinese.

D．Math.

2. The students think it’s ________ to learn in 3D lessons.

A．useful but boring

B．difficult but interesting

C．difficult and boring

D．easy and interesting

3. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A．In England, students can watch 3D movies in lessons.

B．The 3D lessons can help the students understand the knowledge better.

C．The students can learn a little from 3D movies.

D．The 3D lessons turn adventure into learning.

【推荐1】阅读理解。
Someday in the future we may not need to have money in our pockets. Is life easier when people don’t need to carry any money at all? Is money heavy to carry? Is it safe to carry money? Maybe in the future each of us will have only one small credit card(信用卡). We will use it instead of money to buy all the things.
Of course we may still have some of the same problems with cards we now have with money. For example, we lose money from time to time. Maybe we will lose the cards. Maybe someone will take the cards. Someone may even make a card that looks like our cards. Since we can’t buy anything without our cards, the credit cards may be no better than money.
Is there something easier to use than credit cards? Each of us has a thumbprint(拇指指纹). No two thumbprints are the same. Maybe someday the government will keep people’s thumbprints with a number. When you want to buy something, you will put your thumb on a machine or a computer. Each store or business will posses one. Everyone’s thumbprints will be in the computer. It will be difficult to lose our thumbprints! It will be difficult for someone to steal it or to make one like it.
1. The writer probably agrees that credit cards are ________ to carry than money.

A．heavier

B．easier

C．more difficult

2. What may be a problem with credit cards in the future?

A．We may lose the cards from time to time.

B．We won’t be able to make enough cards.

C．We may not know how to use the cards.

3. Someday the government may keep people’s thumbprints with a ________.

A．sign

B．note

C．number

4. The underlined word “posses” probably means “________” in English.

A．lend

B．have

C．sell

5. In the writer’s opinion, it’ll be the best way to buy things with ________ in the future.

A．money

B．credit cards

C．thumbprints

【推荐2】Matt Mason has seen the future—and it's fun. Mason likes thinking about how machines can make our lives easier by doing the work we hate, such as cleaning. He shows a hard floor cleaning system that's built into the wall: it will blow dirt to a part of the room where it will be collected by a vacuum (吸尘器). Then the system will drop some cleaner on the floor and an arm will mop (用拖把擦) it up. "This may trouble you," says Kara, an expert in Mason's company. "But you can program it to come on at 3 a. m., and it will just wet-mop the floor for you."

When it comes to the kitchen, Bruce Beihoff, another expert at Whirlpool, is sure that in a few years, robots will be doing most of the boring work, freeing us to relax. "More than just fun, future kitchens will be environmentally friendly," he says. "A new system will be built in the house which can recycle energy lost from your kitchen to make the whole home warm."

"The fridge will be the center of the home," says Daniel Lee, a market expert. The fridge will have a touch screen where you can watch TV, surf the Internet, check your e-mail, keep a shopping list and order vegetables. "Your fridge is the first place you go in the morning and the last place at night," says Lee.

Ever wonder why a 1.9-meter man and a 1.6-meter woman have to cook meals on counters (工作台) of the same height. "The height was decided over 50 years ago, according to the height of ordinary women," says Jane Langmuir, an expert of cooking machines. "But times have changed. We have made a new counter where you press a button and it moves to whatever height you want." At the same time, Ted Selker at MIT's Counter lab has made the Dishmaker which lets you make dishes and bowls out of plastics at home. After each meal, the dishes are changed straight back into plastics.

1. How many inventions are mentioned in the passage?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

2. In future, if you want to clean your house, you will ________.

A．have a recycling system built in the wall	B．get up early to start your cleaning system
C．use your fridge to give orders to a cleaner	D．leave the work to a kind of cleaning machine

3. What is future kitchen work like?

A．Terrific and relaxing.	B．Easy and interesting.
C．Enjoyable and exciting.	D．Funny and amazing.

4. From the passage, we know ________.

A．people will have more and more time enjoying themselves

B．future kitchens can provide all the energy for our life every day

C．the fridge can be found in the center of a future house

D．people must be expert at computers to use these inventions

【推荐3】

Youth(《芳华》） Place: Huanqiu Cinema Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday Price: Adults(成年人): ¥45 Children: ¥16 Note: Children under(小于) 10 years old can’t come in

1. The name of the film is _________.

A．Red Star

B．Saturday

C．Huanqiu

D．Youth

2. You can watch the film at _________.

A．Guangming Cinema	B．Huanqiu Cinema
C．Hongxing Cinema	D．Youth Cinema

3. You can see the film __________.

A．at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday	B．at 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Monday
C．at 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Sunday	D．at 6:30 – 8:30 a.m. on Saturday

4. Mr and Mrs. Read have two sons. They are both 12. If they four want to see the film, how much should they spend?

A．122 yuan.

B．77 yuan.

C．106 yuan.

D．61 yuan.

5. Kate is nine years old, Jim is eleven years old and Simon is thirteen years old. Who can’t go to see the film?

A．Jim.

B．Kate.

C．Simon.

D．All of them.

【推荐1】Do you feel stressed (有压力的) sometimes in your daily life? If so, you should learn something about stress. Actually, stress is a natural part of everyday life. A little bit of stress can give us more energy and excitement to achieve dreams successfully. Without stress, we may feel very happy with life but lose the power to find new things. Then we will lose our passion (激情) for life. In fact, no matter how we relax ourselves in our own way, it finally depends on (取决于) our opinions and feelings.

If you really feel stressed, what should you do to relax?

First, take a step back. Remember to do the most important tasks first, so you’ll feel a real sense of success. Leaving the less important things until tomorrow is often fine.

Second, most of us are more likely to do our work in the morning than later in the day. So get an early start, and try to be as hard-working as possible before lunchtime. This will give you the confidence (信心) you need to get you through the afternoon and go home feeling relaxed.

What’s more, recent studies show that we are far more hard-working at work if we take short breaks. Give your body and brain a rest by stepping outside for a while and doing something you enjoy.

Last, if you find something you love, doing outside of the office, you’ll be less likely to bring your work and stress home. Make sure it’s a relief (宽慰) from daily stress rather than another thing to worry about.

1. What is the advantage (益处) of feeling stressed?

A．Stress is a natural part of everyday life.

B．A little stress can help us pick up hobbies.

C．A little stress can help us achieve our dreams.

D．We are sure to get happiness in a life without stress.

2. What is the key point to relax ourselves from stress?

A．Have a good attitude (态度) to it.	B．Exercise every month.
C．Keep healthy.	D．Be more excited.

3. How many ways are mentioned in the passage to relax?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．Five.

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．We can’t leave any work till tomorrow.

B．We should do more important work in the morning.

C．People need to take some rest while working.

D．Having hobbies can help us to relax.

【推荐2】Going to college means a lot of changes in their lifestyle for most students. Living in a dormitory remains a major challenge as it means learning how to share space with others who are total strangers.
While some can live together peacefully, others may face conflicts (矛盾) that need to be worked out. According to a recent survey of students in 12 different universities in Wuhan, only 40 percent of them are satisfied with their dormitory friendships and 35 percent said they kept away from conflicts in the dorm.
For those living in a dorm for the first time, sharing things, such as a computer or paper towels, can be a source of conflict. Another common conflict is related to different habits. What they are going to do, such as going to bed, watching movies or studying, will also cause a conflict. Sometimes roommates may also have problems when welcoming guests, especially those of the opposite sex.
However, there are more effective methods to solve problems than screaming at each other. The best way is to talk about an issue before it even becomes a problem. You should treat roommates honestly and directly, and try to work out a solution. And you can also set up rules that everyone can obey. These rules can be written down in an agreement and be put up in a visible (看得见的) place. Students can also outline which items to share and which are for personal use. They can regulate cleaning duties, agree on a time to sleep, and decide on how to receive guests.
In any discussion it is important to talk with your roommates in a positive way. For example, you could mention your roommates good personality. This can help them understand you better and make them more willing to compromise (妥协).
1.        of the students in the survey get on well with their roommates in the dorm.

A．12%

B．40%

C．35%

D．25%

2. For those living in a dorm for the first time, their conflicts may come from sources.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．four

3. The Chinese   meaning of the underlined word “effective” is         .

A．有效的

B．积极的

C．合理的

D．肯定的

4. In order to solve problems, the best order is         .

A．issue→problem→solution→rules	B．problem→issue→solution→rule
C．issue→problem→rules→solution	D．problem→issue→rules→solution

5. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．The author did a survey of the students in 12 different universities in Hunan.

B．The girls in the same dorm may face conflicts when a girl goes to visit them.

C．The rules you make can be put up on the door.

D．Talking about others’ bad personality can help them understand you better.

【推荐3】In England, it often snows in winter. When it snows, our garden looks very beautiful under the snow, and it is very nice to play in snow.

When I got up this morning, the land was all white with snow. There was too much snow. It was Sunday, so we didn’t go to school. After breakfast, some of my friends came over, and we made a big snowman. It had a big mouth and two ears. Its eyes were black and its nose was red. Someone put an old hat on its head. We were very happy. After lunch, we went to the park to make snowballs. In the park, we met quite a few boys from our school and we had a fight with the snowballs. I took a photo of our snowman. I like snow very much.

1. It’s ___________ in winter in England.

A．warm

B．cold

C．hot

D．warm and humid

2. The land was __________ when I got up this morning.

A．yellow

B．green

C．white

D．blue

3. We made a snowman __________.

A．in the evening

B．in the afternoon

C．at noon

D．in the morning

4. We made the snowman’s nose __________.

A．red

B．black

C．white

D．round

5. Where did we have a fight with the snowballs?

A．In the garden.

B．In the park.

C．At home.

D．At school.