【推荐2】What do you often do in your free time? As for me, I like listening to music. I like all kinds of music, especially country music. Do you know why I like country music best? Let me tell you.

Country music is a kind of music from the countryside of America. People first heard this kind of music on the radio in the 1920s and many started to like it from then on.

Country music became popular with cowboys（牛仔） first in the American countryside. Cowboys had to take care of cows day and night. When they were alone（独自） with the cows or fed the cows, they often sang country music songs to relax the animals. They sang about their lives in very simple words. When cowboys visited their friends and families on holidays, they usually sang and played country music, too. It uses simple words to say something about people’s life. People in many parts of the world like to listen to country music because it’s easy to know what the music is about, and it also makes people think of their good old days and quiet life.

Now, many musicians make country music a little different. These changes make the songs sound much better. They bring country music to more and more fans from all over the world.

1. Country music ________.

A．has a long history

B．is from Europe

C．is difficult to sing

D．is not popular

2. From the passage, people often sang country music songs when they ________.
①rode the horses ②danced ③fed the cows ④visited friends ⑤had dinner

A．①④

B．②③

C．③⑤

D．③④

3. The passage tells us the following EXCEPT （除了） ________.

A．how popular the country music is	B．what the country music is
C．when people first heard country music on the radio	D．who country music first became popular with

4. The underlined word “especially” means ________.

A．除非

B．尤其

C．最多

D．宁愿

【推荐3】Many people today like reading stories about UFO.Many people in different countries are studying the UFO.

There are some different saying for UFO.Among those sayings,the most popular one for UFO is that UFOs are strange creatures(生物) to the earth from other stars.We can call them aliens.

UFO scientists and many people believed this saying.Some people said that they saw a few UFOs landing on the earth.They seemed to be objects rather like big plates.Some people said that they saw some strange visitors coming out of the UFOs.

Some people make mistakes when they say they have seen UFOs high in the sky.Perhaps they see a weather balloon or an uncommon plane or the light they see in the sky comes from the ground.Sometimes they see the light from the moon.

But these are a lot of others we can’t understand.It may take many years to find a clear answer and then people will give UFO another name.

1. Only scientists are interested in studying the UFO.
2. The most popular saying is that UFOs may carry strange creatures from other stars.
3. It is clear that some space visitors from other stars are living among us.
4. Sometimes people may think unusual planes as UFOs.
5. We have had a clear understanding of UFOs so far.

【推荐1】Everyone knows the strange feeling of your fingers wrinkling up (起皱) when they’re wet. Sometimes when in water, it seems as if your hands have aged 30 years in a second. But is this an accident? Or is it something that nature has built into our bodies?

Scientists at the University of Newcastle in the UK recently did a test. They asked people to pick up things (some wet and some dry). And take them from one place to another. Some people did this with dry hands, while others had to leave their hands in water for 30 minutes first so that their skin was wrinkled. The study found the second group with wet hands had an advantage when carrying things that were also wet.

The scientist Tom Smulders said that “this wrinkling of our fingers in wet conditions could have helped with gathering food from wet vegetation or streams. Wrinkling happens when blood vessels contract (血管收缩) and pull the skin back.

A long time ago, humans lived a very difficult life in a brutal world, where the smallest advantage could make a huge difference. Having wrinkled skin might have helped people catch fish. This would help them get through the winter. These humans would then have had an advantage. Their genes would be accepted by natural selection.

1. The test in paragraph two shows that      _ .

A．people can carry dry things more easily than wet ones

B．people can carry wet things more easily than dry ones

C．people with dry hands carry wet things easily

D．people with wet hands can carry wet things easily

2. Tom Smulders believes that the Wrinkling of our fingers _ .

A．is something nature has built into our bodies

B．does great harm to our health

C．has great advantages for people in wet conditions

D．happens when there is something wrong with blood vessels

3. From the last paragraph, we learn that _ .

A．having wrinkled skin helped people keep warm in winter

B．humans lived on fish a long time ago

C．humans with wrinkled skin had an advantage over those without wrinkled skin

D．humans with wrinkled skin lived longer than those without wrinkled skin

4. The underlined word “brutal” in paragraph 4 means      __ in this passage.

A．beautiful

B．hard

C．peaceful

D．harmful

5. The article mainly talks about _ _ .

A．the advantages of the wrinkling of our fingers

B．the reasons for wrinkling of our fingers

C．some physical changes of people through history

D．problems of people with wrinkled skin

【推荐2】Folklore (民间传说) has long been passed down from one generation to the next. However, the National Trust has shown the development of technology is causing folklore to die out because it has nothing to do with modern life. It says that in a world filled with smartphones and the Internet, legends of magical blacksmiths (铁匠) are no longer of interest to children who have never put coal on the fire.

Jessica Monaghan, head of the National Trust’s Experiences and Programming, called on the public to share their knowledge of folklore from different areas of the UK to keep it alive. “The legends and traditions tell us so much about our ancestors (祖先) and their relationship with the world around them,” she said. “Through the legends, we can learn about what makes communities around the UK special and what has tied us together.”

“In the 16th century, the walnut was taken as a treatment for brain illnesses simply because they are similar in shape. Few people today would believe this because we have advanced medical knowledge and scientific methods,” said Dee Dee Chainey, author of A Treasury of British Folklore. But she thinks there are still chances for folklore as many people try to learn about old legends.

Folklore should be rewritten and retold in new ways with new characters and new lessons that are related to modern life. And that’s what folklore is about—taking the old wisdom and traditions and redescribing them for who we are and the lives we have now.

1. What problem is described in Paragraph 1?

A．Children misunderstand folklore.	B．Children depend on smartphones much.
C．Folklore disappears slowly in modern life.	D．A sense of belonging disappears among kids.

2. What does Jessica Monaghan want to express in Paragraph 2?

A．The attraction of legends.	B．The power of knowledge.
C．The importance of folklore.	D．The greatness of our ancestors.

3. What is the writer’s suggestion according to the last paragraph?

A．Keeping folklore by making some changes.	B．Collecting more interesting folklore.
C．Holding on to old traditions and following them.	D．Encouraging children to learn more about folklore.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Folklore isn’t so important as it used to be.

B．It’s time to create new folklore for people in modern life.

C．It’s never too late to care about old wisdom and traditions.

D．Folklore is dying out because of the rise of modern technology.

【推荐1】When people travel in another city or country, they sometimes stay in the homes of the local people. This is called homestay. It is a great experience because you can meet people from a different country or city and learn something new about that place. I am Wan Li from China. I came to the UK with my friends for a short visit. We are living with an English couple, Mr and Mrs Green, in the west of London. They have a wonderful four－bedroom house. This is a new house. It has two bathrooms and a garden with many beautiful flowers. I have a bedroom of my own.

There are some shopping centres and restaurants near the house, and the house is close to an underground station. It takes about thirty minutes to get to the centre of London.

I think a homestay may be a good choice for you if it is your first time to visit abroad. The local people are friendly and willing to help.

1. The underlined word “homestay” in the passage means “________”．

A．stay at home	B．stay in the homes of one's friends
C．stay in the homes of one's relatives	D．stay in the homes of the local people

2. Wan Li and his friends live with ________ in London.

A．Mr and Mrs Bush	B．Mr and Mrs Green
C．Mr and Mrs Smith	D．Mr and Mrs Brown

3. There is ________ near the house.

A．a bus station	B．an underground station
C．a train station	D．an airport

4. How long does it take Wan Li to get to the centre of London from the west of London?

A．About thirty minutes.	B．About thirteen minutes.
C．About twenty minutes.	D．About forty minutes.

【推荐2】“Mr. Mott often forgets important meetings. The robot will go after him all the time. It listens to everything he says. It sees everything he does. At night, it watches him sleep. It knows everything about Mr. Mott…”
It sounds like a wonderful idea, doesn’t it? But I’m afraid that Mr. Mott will not get on well with the robot, because everyone has something he doesn’t want others know. It is privacy. Just imagine that there is a video camera around you all day. How do you feel? When you are taking an exam, a teacher sits in front of you and watches you all the time. How do you feel?
Mr. Mott doesn’t lose all his memory. At least he remembers that he always forgets. So why can’t he do something for this HIMSELF? He can keep a notebook with him, like most people do. In the notebook he can write down the things he should do, the persons he should meet and the places he should go. Isn’t the notebook much cheaper and safer than the robot?
1. “It” in the first paragraph(段落) refers to______________.

A．Mr. Mott

B．Mrs. Mott

C．the robot

D．a video camera

2. Why does the writer think Mr. Mott will not always get on well with the robot?

A．Because it is invented by others.	B．Because it can talk with Mr. Mott.
C．Because it can remind(提示；提醒) Mr. Mott of something he forgets.	D．Because it knows something Mr. Mott doesn’t want others know.

3. The underlined word “privacy” means _______________in Chinese.

A．提供

B．丧失

C．特权

D．隐私

4. Mr. Mott is_____________.

A．handsome

B．forgetful

C．a scientist

D．kind and friendly

5. From this passage we know that the writer__________________.

A．doesn’t like the robot to follow Mr.Mott all day.

B．thinks it is a good idea to have a robot like Mr Mott’s.

C．If we always forget something important,we should have a robot.

D．A notebook is cheaper than a robot but a robot is better than a notebook.

【推荐3】根据短文内容，判断下列句子是否正确，对的涂（A），错的涂（B）。

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you.
Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary.
Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when reaches for it.
A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying “that looks like something the cat dragged in (把…拖进来)” describes something in bad condition.
A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.
There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be?
1. Americans don’t like cats as pets very much.
2. The canary is a kind of bird.
3. If you have much money, we can call you a sad cat.
4. We can say he looks like the cat that ate the canary if someone is very pleased with himself.
5. The passage introduces us four expressions about cats.

【推荐1】A sea turtle climbed out of the ocean. It was just before midnight. It arrived to lay eggs.

Sea turtles have been doing this for 200 million years. Sea turtles lived at the time as the dinosaurs.

The sea turtle had to survive plastic rubbish, fish nets and oil spills to get here. There is another danger. The Earth has been getting warmer. This makes the sand hot. Warm sand makes the turtle eggs hatch (孵化) as females (雌性).

This is a problem. Female sea turtles are very important because they lay eggs. But male turtles are also needed to help make babies. Without enough males, sea turtles could die out.

Every year, sea turtles swim to Cape Verde. It is a country in West Africa. About 30000 sea turtles nest (筑巢) there. This is one-sixth of all of Earth’s nesting sea turtles.

Scientists from Great Britain studied the turtles there. They found 21 out of 25 young turtles were females.

“Males here will die out in 20 to 30 years.” said Adolfo Marco Llorente. He is studying the turtles on Boa Vista. It is one of Cape Verde’s island. Without males, the turtles cannot have more babies.

Businesses on Cape Verde are worried. Tourists come to see the sea turtles. The tourists buy local things like pottery. They would lose money if turtles died out.

Scientists have looked at sea turtles in other warm areas. There are more female turtles there, too.

84% of sea turtles hatchlings in Cape Verde are now female

This is worrying, so scientists have found ways to keep the turtle nests cool. Keeping the eggs cool means more male turtles can be hatched. One way is to move the eggs under the trees or bushes. Scientists have also put the eggs into smaller groups. Many eggs close together can heat up.

Llorente’s team collects the eggs in a bag. Then they bring them to a place on the beach behind a fence. The fence keeps animals away that want to eat the eggs. It also lets the scientists watch the temperature of the eggs.

1. Which sentence from the passage is the topic sentence?

A．Every year, sea turtles swim to Cape Verde.

B．Without enough males, sea turtles could die out.

C．The fence keeps animals away that want to eat the eggs.

D．The past five years have been the hottest years on Earth.

2. How does temperature hurt turtles?

A．Higher temperatures make turtle eggs hatch as females.

B．Turtle eggs will not hatch if the temperature is too cold.

C．Turtle eggs are hatched as males when it cools down.

D．A female turtle lays more eggs if it is warmer.

3. Why do businesses on Cape Verde need turtles to hatch each year?

A．Because the companies earn money from selling turtles.

B．Because people there enjoy swimming with turtles.

C．Because turtles bring tourists and money to the area.

D．Because it helps to keep the temperatures cool.

4. Which place has the highest percentage (百分比) of female turtles?

A．San Diego.

B．Boca Raton.

C．Cape Verde.

D．Great Barrier Reef.

5. Which is the way to help more baby boy turtles be hatched?

A．Put the turtle eggs in groups.

B．Move the eggs to cooler places.

C．Collect and keep the eggs in bags.

D．Watch and help the turtles lay eggs.

【推荐2】When our flight left the Orlando airport that Friday morning，we were a happy group. After the plane took off，it was clear that something was wrong. The plane was bumping up and down. Many travelers，including me，thought it was just a small problem.

However，we did not remain calm for long. Minutes later，our plane began going down quickly. Then suddenly，the plane climbed higher but that didn't help. The pilot soon made an announcement（通告）.

"Our hydraulic（液压）system has failed. We will be returning to the airport. Fuel（燃料）will be dropped from the airplane. We want to have as little on board as possible in the event of a bumpy landing.”

All around，people cried and screamed. Then，I heard a calm voice，speaking peacefully. A mother was talking to her little daughter.

A picture came into my mind of another little girl who had recently survived a terrible plane crash. Her mother had put her own body over the little girl's to protect her. The mother died. The child was told over and over again that it had not been her fault（过错）that her mommy had gone away. I hoped this situation would not end the same way The mother said，"I love you so much. Do you know for sure that I love you more than anything？"

"Yes，Mommy，"the little girl said

"And remember，no matter what happens，that I love you always. And that you are a good girl. Sometimes things happen that are not your fault. You are still a good girl and my love will always be with you."

Then the mother put her body over her daughter's and prepared to crash. Luckily，the landing was safe at last. I have been deeply impressed by the mother's voice since then.

1. Which of the following shows the right order of the things？
a. Fuel was dropped from the plane
b. The plane was bumping up and down.
c. A little girl survived a terrible plane crash.
d. The mother talked to her daughter in a peaceful voice.

A．c—b—a—d

B．c—d—b—a

C．b—a—d—c

D．b—a—c—d

2. What can we learn from the passage"

A．The writer experienced two terrible flights.

B．The plane broke down because the fuel was too heavy.

C．The mother decided to protect her daughter with her own body.

D．All the passengers were scared after hearing the pilot's announcement.

3. What is the best title of the passage？

A．Exciting Trip

B．True Courage

C．Terrible Crash

D．Dangerous Landing

【推荐3】When is the best time for us to enjoy the bright moon? Of course, it is Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important holidays in China. We look at the moon, eat moon cakes, and get together with our families. The tradition is thousands of years old.

The moon, the key part of the festival, is special to most Chinese people. We enjoy and admire it. We use the round moon to describereunion, that is, get together.

Our respect of the moon dates back to ancient times. There is the legend of Chang’e flying to the moon — the most famous story about the moon. Many Chinese poets connect the moon with homesickness. For example, “Beside my bed a pool of light. Is it hoarfrost on the ground?” fromJing Ye Si(Thoughts in the Silent Night) by Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai.

Today, the moon is still important to Chinese people. The Miao minority in Guizhou province has a special custom. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, young people dance under the moon to find their other half.

However, Western people see the moon differently. In some stories, the full moon is somewhat frightened to people. The most well-known story is the werewolf. A werewolf usually looks like a human, but changes into a wolf-like creature when there is a full moon. Also, if someone is very excited or even crazy about something, others may joke, “It must be a full moon.”

1. What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “reunion”?

A．团结

B．联合

C．团聚

D．合作

2. What does Paragraph 3 try to explain?

A．When the story of Chang’е started.	B．Why the moon is special to Chinese people.
C．How ancient poets described the moon.	D．What ancient Chinese knew about the moon.

3. When “It must be a full moon” is used to describe a person, the person ________.

A．likes the moon very much	B．misses his or her home
C．is well-known to others	D．is very excited about something

4. What’s the story mainly about?

A．How Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in China.

B．Different holiday customs in China.

C．Stories about the full moon in China and Western countries.

D．How the full moon is understood in China and Western countries.