【推荐3】One cold Sunday, Mariko and her dad were walking to the store.

“I don’t like winter,” said Mariko.

Dad waved (挥手) at their neighbour. “I know Mr Hill hopes spring comes, too.”

Mr Hill was sitting and enjoying the sun in his garden. He waved, and Mariko waved back.

“Mr Hill loves his garden,” said Mariko. Mr Hill had the most beautiful spring flower garden. It was full of daffodils (黄水仙).

Dad said, “Yes, he does. And because he is old, it is hard for him to go outside in winter.”

At the store, Mariko helped Dad choose milk, bread and vegetables.

“You may choose something for yourself, Mariko,” said Dad.

At first Mariko thought apples would taste good. But then something else caught her eye, “Oh, Dad, look, daffodils!”

“Is that something you want?” asked Dad.

“Yes!” Mariko said happily.

Mariko couldn’t stop looking at her daffodils all the way home. But when she got to Mr Hill’s house, she stopped, “Maybe I could...”

“Wait here, Dad, please,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

Mariko ran to Mr Hill and gave him the daffodils.

“What a wonderful winter surprise!” said Mr Hill. “You bring me spring!”

1. What did Mariko and her father do on Sunday? ________

A．They did some shopping.

B．They worked in the garden.

C．They visited their neighbors.

D．They helped Mr Hill go outside in winter.

2. What did Mariko and her father NOT bring home? ________

A．Apples.

B．Vegetables.

C．Milk.

D．Bread.

3. Mariko chose daffodils probably because ________.

A．Mr Hill liked the daffodils	B．her father liked them
C．her garden needed new flowers	D．the flowers made her think of spring

4. From the story, we know that Mariko ________.

A．didn’t like shopping	B．liked daffodils best
C．was kind and thought of others	D．was popular with her neighbors

5. What would be the best title for the text? ________

A．A Shopping Day	B．A Winter Surprise
C．Beautiful Flowers	D．Spring and Winter

【推荐1】①Have you ever been to the Dead Sea, one of the most famous natural wonders in the world? Have you ever thought about why it is called Dead Sea? Does it hold life? Can people swim there? With all these questions in your mind, let’s know something about it!

②The Dead Sea is actually a lake in the Middle East. At four hundred meters below sea level, it’s the lowest point on Earth. It lies between the borders of Jordan, Israel, and the West Bank. It’s about 80 kilometers long, 11 kilometers wide at its widest point, and 377 meters deep at its deepest. The lake is surrounded by hot, dry desert on all sides.

③Since it’s in a hot desert, water evaporates (蒸发) faster than the lake is refilled. And the area is lower than all the land around, the water can never flow back out, it can only evaporate. And that’s what happens—water continually evaporates. In fact, so much water is evaporating from the Dead Sea, it often looks like there’s a cloud of fog hanging over the lake. Anyway, as the water evaporates, it leaves behind the salt and minerals (矿物质). The water in the Dead Sea is almost six times saltier than ocean water!

④Because the Dead Sea is so salty, almost nothing can live there, except for bacteria and one type of algae. Any fish or freshwater animal that gets washed into the lake dies almost immediately. And the shores are covered in thick salt crystals (结晶), so animals can’t even live near the lake either. That’s why it’s called Dead Sea.

⑤Since it’s so salty, why do people go there to cover themselves from head to toe with its mud? Actually, those minerals are supposed to be really good for your skin. No wonder lots of spas and health resorts have been built in the area. Though the water in the Dead Sea is so salty, it is totally safe for people. You can even go swimming there if you want, although it’s pretty hard to swim because all that salt makes it much easier to float! It’s really unbelievable.

⑥Want to know more about it? Just explore it yourself!

1. Why does the writer use four questions in the beginning?

A．To encourage readers to travel.

B．To interest readers in the Dead Sea.

C．To introduce the popularity of the Dead Sea.

D．To express worries about freshwater animals.

2. What can you learn about the Dead Sea from the passage?

A．It’s near the Middle East.	B．It’s far from the desert.
C．It’s 80 kilometers wide.	D．It’s the lowest point on land.

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

A．How the Dead Sea is formed.	B．How the Dead Sea gets so salty.
C．Why fish can’t live in the Dead Sea.	D．Why the Dead Sea is like fog.

4. Which of the following shows the structure of this passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

【推荐2】Computers can injure （伤害）you. Most other injuries happen suddenly. For example, if you fall off a bike and break your arms, it happens very quickly. But computer injuries happen slowly.
You probably know how to ride a bike safely. Now learn to use a computer safely.
Your eyes
Too much light can injure your eyes, so never sit too close to a computer screen. Your eyes should be at least 50 centimeters（厘米）from the screen. Remember to look away from it sometimes. This gives your eyes a rest.
When you use a computer, the window should be on your left or your right. If it is behind you, the light will reflect on（反射）the screen. If the window is in front of you, the sun and the screen will both shine into your eyes.
Your hands and wrists
Hand and wrist injuries can happen because the hands and wrists are moved in the same way hundreds of times. If you use a keyboard for a long time, follow these three rules: 1）Rest your wrists on something. 2）Keep your elbows（肘）at the same height as the keyboard. 3）Stop sometimes and exercise your hands, wrists and fingers in a different way.
Your back
Some people sit for many hours in front of a computer. If you sit in the wrong way, you can injure your back or your neck. So you should sit with your back straight. The top part of the screen should be in front of your eyes. Your forearms, wrists, hands and the upper part of your legs should all be parallel（平行）to the floor. If you are sitting for a long time, get up every 30 minutes and exercise your arms, legs and neck.
Enjoy your computer, but use it safely.
1. A computer screen may injure your eyes if        .

A．you sit 60 centimeters away	B．you remember to look away
C．your eyes are too close to it	D．the window is on your left or right

2. Hand and wrist injuries are caused when you        .

A．get plenty of exercise	B．move in the same way again and again
C．rest your wrists on something	D．keep your elbows as high as the keyboard

3. Your eyes and hands will be safe if         .

A．you work near a window	B．you often take rests from working
C．you use a keyboard for a long time	D．the window is behind you

【推荐3】以下是一篇短文，请阅读全文，并从文后的六个选项中选择五个还原到原文中，使原文的意思完整、连贯。

What makes you cry? Do you cry when you are moved by a sad movie, waving a loved one off, or having to get away from family? They can all cause tears to roll down our faces.     1    

Tears running down from your face can be embarrassing. But it seems to be a natural reaction when we get sad or upset.     2     However, the feeling is the same—your cheeks turn red, your eyes are filled with tears and before you know it, tears are running down your face. Some of us may cry a little while others might cry like a baby.

A study in the UK found that women cry 72 times a year. This was more than men. Adam Rutherford, the researcher, says that the result has been pretty similar in recent studies.     3     Are men just more embarrassed about showing their true feelings? The debate continues.

One place where we experience emotional outbursts is in the workplace.     4     A person might be stressed because there’s too much work. And, as the doctor said, “crying is often a build up of stress and it’s a bit of a final straw moment.” She describes how the person might start crying when he or she was just asked to make a cup of tea. Actually, people’s stress has accumulated (积累) to the breaking point.

But crying in the office or elsewhere can be an effective way to relieve stress. It can actually make you feel better.     5     In fact, crying shows others how you feel, so perhaps it’s a crying shame that more of us, especially men, don’t cry more often.

A．Emotions can run high in this place.

B．Also, it clears the bad feelings you’ve had.

C．We all cry sometimes, but is that a good thing?

D．People reach their breaking point in different ways.

E．But does this mean men don’t get as upset as women?

F．The cause of this reaction differs from person to person.

【推荐1】Now, more and more cities are facing problems, such as high housing costs, pollution and crime. Let’s see what people in Hyderabad, India and in Sao Paulo, Brazil do to solve (解决) the problems.

Hyderabad, India

To improve people’s lives, Hyderabad is planting more and more trees. The city is even creating greener buildings that use less water and less electricity for power. Adding green to a city has a number of advantages. For example, trees make the air cleaner. In Hyderabad, streets were grey and dirty in the past. However, today they are filled with trees and flowers, making the city cleaner and more colourful. Green areas also give people places to relax or exercise. A study in the USA shows an interesting thing: the greener a neighborhood is, the less crime there is.

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Many people work in the centre of Sao Paulo, but they don’t live there. They’ve spread out to neighborhoods outside the city because housing is cheaper. Every day, these people travel into the city, and traffic is very heavy. City planners are using different ways to deal with (处理) the problem. First, they are building better subways. Another goal is to make it cheaper for people to live in the downtown area (中心区). Doing this will reduce traffic and pollution in the city.

1. What does the underlined word “greener” mean?

A．Taller.	B．Easier.
C．Better for the environment.	D．More brightly coloured.

2. Which advantage of making Hyderabad greener is NOT talked about in the passage?

A．It helps people work better.	B．It makes the city cleaner.
C．It reduces crime.	D．It makes it easier to exercise.

3. According to the passage, what problem does Sao Paulo have?

A．A lot of people don’t have jobs.

B．Too many people live in the city centre.

C．A lot of people are moving out of the city.

D．Too many people travel into the city every day.

【推荐2】 “How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly way that people in the USA greet each other. But when a person says “How are you?”, he hopes to hear the answer “Fine,” even if (即使) the person’s friend isn’t fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn’t really a question, and “Fine.” isn’t really an answer. They are common (常见的) ways of saying “Hello” and “Hi” .

Sometimes people also don’t say exactly (确切地) what they mean. For example, when someone asks, “Do you agree?” the other person may be thinking, “No, I don’t agree. I think you are wrong.” But it isn’t very polite, so they may say, “I’m not so sure.” It’s a nice way to say that you don’t agree with someone.

It’s interesting when people want to finish talking. For example, when a person wants to finish talking with other people on the phone, he may say “I have to go now.” Sometimes he gives an excuse (借口), for example, “Someone is knocking at the door”. The excuse may be real, or it may not be. It’s a polite way to finish talking and it doesn’t hurt the other person’s feelings. People don’t always say exactly what they are thinking. And it’s a part of the game of language.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．It’s not a friendly way to say “Hello” or “Hi”

B． “How are you?” is another way to say “Hello” .

C． “Fine” is the only answer to the question “How are you?”

D．Only people in the USA say “How are you?” to greet each other.

2. Why do people say “I’m not so sure.” when they don’t agree with someone?

A．They don’t understand the question.

B．They don’t want to answer the question.

C．They are not sure about how to answer it.

D．They don’t think it’s polite to say “I don’t agree with you.

3. Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE?

A．All the excuses are not real.

B．People often use excuses to finish talking.

C．People sometimes use another way to say what they mean.

D．People in the USA often use “How are you?” to greet each other.

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

A．A Kind of Language Game	B．A Style of Making Excuses
C．A Polite Way to Finish Talking	D．Different Ways of Greeting Each Other

【推荐3】Brazil is the biggest country with the largest population in South America. It is one of the world’s rising powers（新兴力量）.

Brazil has been a big farming country for the last 10 years. It produces a third of all coffee in the world, which makes the country the biggest coffee producer in the world.

Tourism is also important in Brazil. A large number of foreign visitors come to Brazil every year.

What makes millions of visitors come here? The beautiful scenery may be the answer. The world’s largest forest, the Amazon, covers about half of Brazil. It is home to hundreds of thousands of animal species. It makes about one-fifth of Earth’s oxygen. People call it “the lungs of our planet”.

The unique scenery gives its people special characteristics. Brazilians are easygoing and passionate. We can see that from their famous Carnival（狂欢节）. People call it the “world’s biggest party”. Although most Brazilians are from different races（种族）, including Amerindians（美洲印第安人）, European settlers, and Africans, they get along well with each other.

It’s the different races that offer Brazil a very rich culture. From samba（桑巴）and carnivals to food and music. African culture is everywhere in Brazil. Sao Paulo（圣保罗）is home to the biggest Japanese immigrant community（移民团体）in the world. People can see Japanese style restaurants and supermarkets lining the streets. As a result, many visitors are attracted to Brazil every year.

1. Why do people call the Amazon rainforest “the lungs of our planet”?

A．Because it grows over many countries.	B．Because it is home to many animals.
C．Because it is very big.	D．Because it makes 20 percent of Earth’s oxygen.

2. What is the meaning of the underlined word “passionate” in paragraph 5?

A．开放的

B．外向的

C．热情的

D．严肃的

3. Which culture is not mentioned in the passage?

A．African culture

B．European culture

C．Chinese culture

D．Japanese culture

4. Brazil attracts millions of visitors because of ________.

A．the beautiful landscape	B．people’s special characteristics
C．different races and cultures	D．all the answers above

5. What’s the structure（结构）of the article? (P=Paragraph)

A．

B．

C．

D．