【推荐1】“It’s a waste of time,” I said when my mom told me to join Madcaps, a mothers and daughters club that helps charities (慈善机构). When she told me I had to volunteer at a homeless shelter, I thought that things could not get worse.

We got there late and walked to the dirty homeless shelter, where we saw a lady shouting at the security guard (保安人员). He dealt with her and then led us to the kitchen, where we ran into our five fellow Madcaps mothers and daughters.

Then homeless people started to walk in and a little girl, around 5 years old, walked up and pointed to the food I was handing out. I handed her a cold sandwich and she nodded to say thanks. She then walked over to her parents, who were seated at a large table.

As she walked away, I thought about how much I had. I go to one of the top schools in San Diego, I have a great house by the water, and I have a warm meal every night. Then I thought of how little she had. She probably didn’t go to school, and this is where she sleeps and eats every day. It took that little girl to make me realize just how lucky I am.

After that moment, I had a change of heart. Now, I love Madcaps and don’t miss one meeting. I have become easy-going and now have many friends in the club.

I believe that if you have an open mind about things, you can learn a lot about yourself and the people in your community. You can make new friends and realize just how lucky you are. I believe you can make a difference just by doing something that you don’t want to do.

1. What is Madcaps?

A．It’s a club that helps charities.	B．It’s a homeless shelter.
C．It’s a club that helps mothers.	D．It’s a club that helps daughters.

2. What did the writer think of being a volunteer at the shelter at first?

A．She thought it was meaningful.	B．She thought she was lucky.
C．She thought it was the worst thing.	D．Not mentioned in the text.

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The little girl is about 5 years old.

B．The little girl’s parents were dead.

C．The writer has received a good education.

D．The writer has come to realize that she is lucky after that moment.

4. What’s the meaning of the underlined word open in Para. 6?

A．通畅的

B．外露的

C．开着的

D．不怀成见的

5. The story was written to encourage us to ________.

A．keep our mind open	B．be a volunteer
C．care for little girls	D．help the homeless

【推荐2】①“Volunteering (做志愿工作) can make a real difference to the world. It makes you look at the world differently. You see how little things can change a person's life for the better, which makes everyone a better person.” Mason, a volunteer said.

②National Volunteer Week started in 1974 and is held every April. It is a time to thank volunteers for their achievements. It is also a perfect opportunity (机会) to encourage others to take their first step toward becoming a volunteer. Making the decision to take the first step can be the biggest problem, because they often wonder if they will be able to meet the organization’s expectations (期望). Some people fear not knowing anyone else in the group. Not having enough time also stops some from sharing their abilities. The following tips can help if you have some of these worries.

③Start out slowly, don’t add too much pressure (压力). Even a few hours a month can make a big difference in someone’s life.

④Choose an organization (组织) with the same interests and common values.

⑤Take part in a training meeting for new volunteers, even if it is not asked.

⑥Work with a experienced volunteer. He volunteered a lot, he can help you increase the confidence and completely understand the organization’s expectations.

⑦Invite a friend or family member to serve. It is a good experience to volunteer with them.

⑧Finally, it is most important to enjoy the volunteer experience and to remember that not all volunteer experiences are perfect. If one experience doesn’t work, don’t give up and you’ll surely find the right opportunity.

⑨Spend some time on volunteer work and you will see great changes in people’s lives. As Mason discovered during his volunteer experience, “... little things can change a person’s life.”

1. Volunteering can help one _________.

A．make a decision

B．see the world clearly

C．live a better life

2. What stops people taking the first step to volunteer?

A．They don’t have enough time.

B．They are stopped by their families.

C．They fear that their abilities are shared.

3. Which of the following can help people take the first step?

A．Start out quickly.

B．Organize a training meeting.

C．Work with volunteers with much experience.

4. What is the structure of the passage?

A．①/②③/④⑤⑥⑦⑧/⑨

B．①②/③④⑤⑥⑦⑧/⑨

C．①/②③④⑤⑥⑦⑧/⑨

【推荐3】Is there a connection between volunteering and health? Could volunteering offer a way to improve kids’ mental (心理的) health?

According to a new study, kids who volunteer aren’t just helping their community. They might be helping themselves as well. Scientists found that volunteering in schools or communities is connected with better health among children and teens.

The study compared kids who took part in community service with those who didn’t. Kids who volunteered were 66% more likely to grow up healthily or do well. And kids aged 12 and older who volunteered were 25% less likely to have anxiety (焦虑). The findings come from a survey provided by the parents of some 50,000 kids in the United States aged 6 to 17. The result shows that volunteering has a positive effect to raise higher levels of happiness, life-satisfaction, a sense of control over life and mental health.

The study comes at an important time. In another report, more than 40% of high school students said that they had ever felt sad or hopeless. Therefore, there’s a clear need to improve students’ mental health. Giving back to the community may be one method. Serving the community seems to help people feel a sense of purpose. And it makes them feel connected to those around them. So, kids, give it a try, for your health and happiness.

1. How does the writer introduce the topic?

A．By telling a story.	B．By using a saying.
C．By asking questions.	D．By giving some facts.

2. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．Volunteers are helping community.	B．Volunteers are helping themselves.
C．Volunteering leads to better health.	D．Volunteering is connected with kids.

3. According to Paragraph 3, who took part in the survey of the study?

A．Some parents.

B．Young people.

C．Some children.

D．Community volunteers.

4. According to the text, which of the following is TRUE ?

A．Volunteering in schools is good for physical health.

B．Kids who volunteer in communities can get better grades.

C．The findings show volunteering is useless to raise happiness levels.

D．Kids who volunteer have a better chance to develop successfully.

5. What is the writer’s advice for kids in the end?

A．Do more studies.	B．Ask adults for help.
C．Find life purpose.	D．Serve the community.

【推荐1】Last month, a common graduation ceremony (毕业典礼) was held in Tianjin University, but it received much attention. Xue Minxiu, born in 1937, graduated with excellent grades after working hard for 4 years.

Going to a university has always been a dream for Xue. But for some reasons, she didn't have the chance when she was young. Even so, she never forgot her dream. In 2014, she was accepted by Tianjin University and finally her dream came true. Since then, Xue has been a model for the people around her. She got up at 5 o'clock every morning. Then she studied for a while before brushing teeth and having breakfast. Her room was filled with books and newspapers. Wherever she went, she would take books with her.

In fact, for her age, Xue had many difficulties during the four years. But nothing could stop her. Whenever she had problems, she would either solve them by herself or ask teachers for help. Through her hard work, she passed the exams and was named "a star student" during the first period of her college life.

"I think the true meaning of our lives is to challenge (挑战) and improve ourselves whether we are old or young. Xue said at the graduation ceremony. "For me, learning something I enjoy is a lifelong journey. I want to thank Tianjin University for giving me the chance to achieve my dream. Our lifetime is short, so we should make good use of it."

1. At the age of _______, Xue was accepted by Tianjin University.

A．77

B．85

C．81

D．73

2. With the help of ______, Xue solved her problems in study.

A．her family and friends

B．her teachers and herself

C．her teachers and classmates

D．her classmates and herself

3. What is the best title(标题) for the passage?

A．A Graduation Ceremony

B．A Hard-working Old Lady

C．A Difficult Examination

D．A University in Tianjin

4. Where do you think the passage may come from?

A．A science report.

B．A travel book.

C．A newspaper.

D．An advertisement.

【推荐2】Everyone needs a role model in their lives to appreciate and push them to make a choice. Children from Sunshine Middle School are discussing their role models.

My role model is my neighbor Ms. Li. She is in her eighties now but she is still young at heart. I often see her riding her bike in the park and she also spends time doing volunteer work. She helps me understand that people won’t be old if they still have a great love for life. Adam

I miss Mrs. White most after primary school. She was our math teacher and always patient with us. She helped us to work out the answers ourselves, no matter how difficult the questions were. So Mrs. White is my role model, and I want to be a teacher like her in the future. Betty

Norman Bethune was a Canadian doctor. In 1938, Dr. Bethune came to China and helped treat the wounded. He often worked very hard without resting. Once, he managed to save over one hundred lives in sixty-nine hours. He is still remembered in both China and Canada today. So he is my role model. Peter

Yuan Longping is my role model. He is one of the greatest agricultural (农业的) scientists of our time. He worked to grow better rice to solve the problems of food shortage. It is said that Mr. Yuan has left us, but his dreams are carried by many plant and agricultural researches. Emma

1. Who is Emma’s role model?

A．Mrs. White.

B．Norman Bethune.

C．Yuan Longping

2. What does Betty want to be in the future?

A．A teacher.

B．A volunteer.

C．A doctor.

3. What do we know about Ms. Li?

A．She worked in a hospital.

B．She likes exercising and helping others.

C．She is very patient with her students.

4. Why does Peter admire Norman Bethune?

A．Because he is a doctor from Canada.

B．Because he saved many people’s lives as a doctor.

C．Because he helped Peter solve his problems.

5. What do the four students talk about?

A．Their dream jobs.

B．Their favorite teachers

C．Their role models.

【推荐3】

Death of science icon(巨匠)
In modern history, there has perhaps never been a scientist as
well-known as Stephen Hawking. Whether he was educating the world with
his knowledge of the universe（宇宙）, or making fun of himself in TV shows
like The Simpsons, it’s hard to imagine what the world will be like but now
Hawking is no longer in it.
On March 14, the British physicist passed away at his home in Cambridge, England. Since then, many people have expressed their sadness in public, including British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web. “We have lost a great mind and a wonderful spirit,” Berners-Lee wrote.
Hawking was an icon for many reasons, but he will be best remembered for his work in the field of science. Building on German scientist Albert Einstein’s work, Hawking explained his belief that space started with the Big Bang, and will end with Black Holes. This idea kicked off a series of scientific studies including into the origin of the universe itself.
Besides his work in science, he also managed to overcome many difficulties in his personal life. While studying at Cambridge University, he got a serious illness at the age of 21. His illness left him disabled and he was told he only had a short time to live. However, as we all know, he went on to become one of the greatest minds that the world has ever known.
Hawking leaves behind a great legacy(遗产). His book A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes that came out in 1988, became one of the world’s best-sellers. He may no longer be with us, but Hawking will continue to inspire the world for generations to come. As he once said himself, “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.”
根据短文内容，判断句子正(T)、误(F)。
1. Stephen Hawking is one of the best known scientists in the world in modern history.
2. On March 4, the British physicist passed away at his home in London, England.
3. Hawking was remembered as the science icon because of his work in the field of science.
4. In his life Hawking didn’t have difficulties in his personal life though he got a serious illness.
5. Although Hawking is not with us any more, he is still an inspiration us all.

【推荐1】China is a nation of etiquette (礼仪). Chinese people are among the most hospitable people in the world. If foreigners visit a Chinese family, they would be surprised at the warmth that they would get as guests.

When you visit a Chinese family, the host usually makes tea for you. Then he will serve you snacks (零食) like biscuits or candy. Someone in the family will also chat with you, never letting you feel lonely.

At the same time, other family members will prepare a meal for you. Chinese people treat (款待) their guests with a big meal. They always present more food than the guest can eat. On the table, the guests must be the first to eat. Perhaps one of the things that surprises a western guest most is that the Chinese host likes to pick food for visitors, which won’t happen at western tables. The Chinese family try their best to make you feel at home. As you finish eating, the host usually says, “It seems that you didn’t eat much. Please have more.” Although you tell them you are full, they still put more food in your bowl.

Being warm and hospitable has long been an important part of Chinese culture and tradition. As Confucius (孔子) said thousands of years ago:

To meet friends from afar

How happy we are!

1. What does the underlined word “hospitable” mean in this passage?

A．勤劳的

B．朴实的

C．好客的

2. As a guest in a Chinese family, you are usually offered ________by the host.

A．coffee and snacks

B．tea and snacks

C．juice and biscuits

3. Why does a western visitor feel surprised when the host picks food for him?

A．Because he thinks the food isn’t delicious.

B．Because he thinks it’s not necessary.

C．Because it won’t happen in western countries.

4. What the Chinese family do for the guests is to ________.

A．make them feel at home

B．show their wealth (财富)

C．make them feel uncomfortable

5. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Chinese people are warm and hospitable.

B．What Confucius said thousands of years ago.

C．What foreigners should do in a Chinese family.

【推荐2】Dunnottar Castle(邓诺特城堡)

The Opening Time
Summer season: Apr. 1st—Sept. 30th, 9:00—17: 30 every day
Winter season: Oct. 1st—Mar. 31st
Oct. 1st—Oct. 28th 10:00—16:30                     Oct. 29th—Nov. 11th 10:00—15:30
Nov. 12th—Nov. 25th 10:00—15:00                     Nov. 26th—Jan. 20th 10:00—14:30
Jan. 21st—Feb. 3rd, 10:00—15:00                     Feb. 4th—Feb. 17th 10:00—15:30
Feb. 8th—Feb. 24th 10:00—12:00                     Feb. 25th—Mar. 31st 10:00—12:30
Bad Weather Conditions(状况)
Before going to the castle, you can visit hips: //www.dunnotarcastie.co.uk/to make sure that the castle is open. On the days with bad weather, the castle will be closed.
Prices: Adult ticket: £7             Children ticket (between 5 and 15): £3
Family ticket (2 adults & 2 children between 5 and 15): £18
Buy tickets at the east gate. You can’t buy tickets on the internet or on the phone.
Guide Book: £5
Castle Closed Dates:
The castle will be closed on the 19th, 25th and 26th of December and the 1st and 2nd of January.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome in the castle if they are kept on a leash(皮带).
1. We can visit the Dunnottar Castle at ________.

A．3:00 p.m. on Nov. 30th	B．10.00 a m. on Jan. 5th
C．9:00 a m. on Oct. 10th	D．9:00p.m. on Mar. 20th

2. The Dunnottar Castle isn’t open sometimes because _________.

A．there are some pet dogs	B．the Castle is too old
C．there are too many visitors	D．the weather is not good

3. Mr Liu, Mrs Liu and their 8-year-old son visit the Dunnottar Castle. They should pay _________.

A．£18

B．£ 10

C．£13

D．£17

4. In December, the Dunnortar Castle is closed for _________ days.

A．two

B．three

C．four

D．five

5. Which of the following is true?

A．The opening time in summer and winter is the same.

B．You can buy tickets on the phone or the Internet.

C．The castle is usually closed on New Year’s Day.

D．Visitors can take their pet dogs with no leashes into the castle.

【推荐3】What subject do you worry about the most at school? Many students worry about math. Some students can’t sleep well the day before a math exam. Others may feel very nervous during the exam itself. But there might be a way to make the subject less stressful(压力大的).

“For people who are worried about math, posture(姿势) makes a big difference,” Erik Peper from San Francisco State University told the Daily Mail. That’s right— sitting up straight can help you do better on math exams.

Scientists tested 125 college students. They asked them to do a simple math exam while sitting in a slumped-over(趴倒的) posture, or sitting up straight. After the test, 56 percent of students said the exam was easier to do if they were sitting up straight.

Slumping over is a defensive(戒备的) posture. It can bring about bad memories in the body and brain. This can stop you from thinking clearly, Peper said.

Students who were not nervous about taking the math exam did not necessarily benefit(受益) from better posture. But they did find that doing math while slumped over was more difficult, Science Daily reported.

Good posture isn’t just helpful for taking math exams. Sportspeople, musicians and public speakers can all benefit from better posture. When you feel stressed out, you can also try to sit up straight or stand tall. It can help you feel more certain and focus better.

1. What posture can make people feel less stressed during math exams?

A．Sitting up straight.	B．Hanging your head.
C．Lying on your back.	D．Raising one hand.

2. What did the scientists ask the college students to do during the test?

A．To do sit-ups.	B．To count numbers.
C．To think carefully.	D．To sit in different postures.

3. How many students in the test benefited from(从……中受益) the better posture?

A．All the 125 students.	B．Less than half of them.
C．56 percent of them.	D．None of the students.

4. The fourth paragraph is written to explain ________.

A．why slumping over makes exams harder to do.	B．why slumping over is bad for one’s health.
C．why some people slump over during exams.	D．why people are nervous during math exams.

【推荐1】We touch our faces all the time, and it had never seemed to be a big problem-until COVID-19 arrived. Touching our faces—the “T-zone” of our eyes, nose and mouth can mean giving ourselves this virus (病毒).

This is why some scientists have suggested that we should avoid touching our faces. William Sawyer, from Henry the Hand, told The Washington Post, “Just stop this simple behavior (行为), and that would be better than any vaccine (疫苗).”

However, stopping this “simple” behavior might be harder than you think because we are used to it.

Some face-touching is an automatic behavior—like when there is an itch (痒) on your nose, you’ll touch it again and again without thinking. A 2014 study found that touching your face also helps you to have less stress (压力). For example, it’s possible for you to do it when you feel uncomfortable. According to Dacher Keltner, a psychologist at the University of California Berkeley, US, this action may also have a social use: when you are talking to someone, for example, touching your face means you want to talk about another thing.

Besides, it’s very hard to change this face-touching. “because you don’t even know you’re doing it”, said Sawyer.

But you’re not alone. In a 2015 study, it was found that a group of medical students touched their faces about 23 times an hour—with 44 percent of the touches in the “T-zones”. That was very surprising because medical students should know better.

Since it’s so hard to shake the habit, maybe the easiest way is to wash our hands more often. This way, we can be sure that our hands are safe from COVID-19.

1. Dacher Keltner thinks that face-touching may ________.

A．be better than vaccine	B．give yourself some stress
C．cause an itch on your face	D．mean you want to change the talk

2. The writer uses a 2015 study to show that ________.

A．many people touch faces without knowing	B．we had better not touch the “T-zones” often
C．medical students should not touch their faces	D．people touch the “T-zones” more than the heads

3. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Good and bad points of face-touching.	B．Stopping face-touching might be hard.
C．Face-touching may bring us virus.	D．Ways of avoiding face-touching.

【推荐2】This year, COVID-19 broke out again in many places in China. Shanghai is one of the worst cities among them. To fight against COVID-19, Shanghai built many makeshift（临时的）hospitals in the city.

Inside a makeshift hospital, a group of 28 disinfection（消毒）robots were working busily. Each of them could work 24 hours a day without any rest.

At the same time, a group of 5G indoor multifunctional（多功能的）cloud robots were busy delivering food in the hospital. Each robot could send about 20 boxed meals at a time. They usually went to patients’ areas and waited for them to collect their food. “In the past, it usually took a worker about 20 minutes to send 20 boxed meals. Now the work can be completed in just 5 minutes with the help of these robots,” a patient said.

“The robots not only make our work much easier, but also help protect us from catching the disease（疾病）,” said a worker in the hospital.

To win the fight quickly, the local government also put more than 200 robots into use at a makeshift hospital. Outside those makeshift hospitals, more and more unmanned cars appeared on the streets to help people.

1. How many kinds of robots are mentioned in the passage?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

2. What does the underlined word “delivering” mean in Chinese?

A．烹饪

B．采购

C．运送

3. The word “them” in Paragraph 3 refers to ________.

A．the robots

B．the patients

C．the workers

4. How long did it save to finish sending about 20 boxed meals with the help of the robots?

A．About 5 minutes.

B．About 10 minutes.

C．About 15 minutes.

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

A．The worker was happy with the robots.

B．200 robots provided service in Shanghai.

C．The robots needed to have a rest every two hours.

【推荐3】Wearing a mask while sleeping at home sounds a little crazy. But Wu Keying did so during the novel coronavirus (新冠病毒) outbreak（爆发）. “I feared that I would be infected（感染）. Now I know it’s not necessary to do so. But I am still worried about when it will end,” said the 13-year-old from Chengdu, Sichuan province.   And she feels anxious.

In fact, many people have experienced feelings like Wu. Nearly 80 percent of people are deeply worried about the outbreak, while 40 percent strongly fear it, according to a survey on Jan 27 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

These feelings are normal for people who are going through stressful events, according to Wang Weihua, an expert on positive psychology (积极心理学). “Some stressful reactions (反应) can help us fight the virus,” Wang said. “We take more protective actions, such as wearing masks and washing hands often, for example.”

But if these feelings last too long, it will be bad for our mental (心理的) health, Wang added. So how can we stay positive?

First, we should learn to accept unexpected changes in life, wrote Xiong Kewei, a psychological consultant (咨询师) . We might learn new lessons from these changes, like respecting nature and being more responsible.

Another useful way to stay positive is to stick to a normal routine (正常作息).

“The key is to take good care of the body, a reasonable(合理的) schedule, be sure to have enough sleep and reasonable diet, and get the necessary rest and relaxation,” Zhang Hong, deputy chief physician of Wuhan Mental Health Center, told China Daily.

阅读短文，从每小题所给的选项中选择能回答问题的最佳选项。
1. Wu Keying wore a mask while sleeping because ________.

A．her parents told her to do so	B．it’s the best way to avoid infection
C．one of her family members was infected	D．she was afraid of being infected

2. What do we know from Paragraph(段落) 2?

A．Many people feel worried about the virus.

B．We should not worry too much about the virus.

C．Only 40 percent of people worry about the outbreak.

D．More than 80 percent of people wear masks while sleeping.

3. According to Wang Weihua, ________ can help us fight the virus.
a. wearing masks     b. being stress-free     c. staying positive     d. washing our hands

A．abc

B．abd

C．acd

D．bcd

4. The last three paragraphs are mainly about ________.

A．how to stay away from the coronavirus	B．how psychologists helped patients
C．suggestions on how to stay positive	D．how to receive psychological counseling