【推荐1】On a weekend during Spring Festival, my parents and I were sitting in a restaurant. The drinks and food were good, so when we finished, my father left a tip (小费). As we were about to open the door, the waiter caught up with us. He gave the tip back to us. My dad forgot that here is China.

However, in some countries, tipping is the norm. That’s the way it is in the US. It’s said to be good manners to tip your waiter, taxi driver, hairdresser, which can really put your math skills to the test! But we usually give a tip that is 15-20% of the bill.

So why is there a strong custom of tipping? In the US, waiters have a very low income (收入). They depend on tips to pay their bills. As a US writer once wrote about her experience as a waitress, “It was difficult and I lived and died by my tips.”

1. Where were the parents when the waiter stopped them?

A．At the table.

B．At the door.

C．Outside the restaurant.

D．Beside the window.

2. What does the underlined word “norm” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Idea.

B．Custom.

C．Bill.

D．Way.

3. What can be the tip for a ＄100 bill according to the writer?

A．＄8.

B．＄10.

C．＄18.

D．＄25.

【推荐2】No one knows when the first kite was made. The first record of a kite was more than 2,000 years ago in China. Han Xin, the leader of an army, wanted to kill the king. He decided to dig a tunnel(隧道) into the king’s palace. He flew a kite over the wall of the palace to make sure of the length(长度) of its string(线). In this way, he could determine(测定) how long the tunnel should be. His men in the tunnel took the kite string with them. When they reached the end of the string, they knew how to dig up.

Kites have been flown in Japan for hundreds of years. In the 1700s, kites were flown in autumn to give thanks for a good harvest. They were also flown to send good wishes to couples who had their first son. Today in Japan, kites are often flown as part of a celebration, such as the beginning of a new year. And kite festivals are held each year in many parts of the country.

Kites have been used for scientific purposes in the western world. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin tied a key to a kite and flew it in a storm to find out that lightning was a form of electricity. In the 1890s, Lawrence Hargrave invented the box kite to test ideas about flight. From 1898 until 1933, the United States Weather Bureau(气象局) used box kites to collect weather data. The Wright brothers also experimented(做实验) with kites. What they learnt helped them make the first airplane flight in 1903.

1. Why did Han Xin want to dig a tunnel?

A．To pull down the palace.

B．To fight against the king.

C．To search for the king’s treasure.

D．To find out the length of the kite string.

2. One of the purposes of flying kites in Japan is ________.

A．to give thanks for a good harvest in summer

B．to express good wishes to the first-born daughter

C．to celebrate the beginning of a new year

D．to hold kite festivals all over the country

3. When did the United States Weather Bureau begin to use box kites?

A．In 1752.

B．In 1898.

C．In 1903.

D．In 1933

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．The History of Kites	B．The Experiments of Kites
C．The Invention of a Kite	D．The First Record of a Kite

【推荐3】Few people refuse to look at pictures of cute animals. Take Sally chicken as an example. The chicken with yellow body and a fat mouth always looks lovely, which makes it popular on the Internet. Seeing her cute picture cheers people up. But there’s another advantage of cute animals.

New research has found that looking at pictures of cute animals can also help us concentrate better. The study comes from researchers at Hiroshima University in Japan. They invited 132 university students to take part in a series of experiments.

In one experiment, students played a game in which they had to pick up small objects from a hole without touching the sides. In another experiment, students were asked to find a given number from a list of numbers quickly. In both experiments they did the given tasks twice — before and after looking a picture of either kittens(baby cats) and puppies(baby dogs), or adult cats and dogs.

Researchers were surprised to find that in both cases students who were shown cute baby animal pictures made fewer mistakes. However, baby animals look both “cuter” and “more pleasant” than adult animals. Some people may ask whether the test difference came from their being "pleasant”.

To find the answer, the researchers chose some food pictures which looked pleasant but not cute, and gave them to a third group of students. But viewing the foods did not make the students do any better in the number test. This finding shows that viewing cute pictures makes participants behave and do tasks with greater care.

The “power of cuteness” may be of great use in everyday life. Think about situations in which people need to act carefully: driving, office work and exams.   

“In my first year of high school, I brought small plastic toys to school during tests. I would set them up in a row on my desk, facing me, and then get busy with answering exam questions,” Susana Martinez-Conde wrote in Scientific American.

1. Why is Sally chicken mentioned at the beginning of the article?

A．To get readers interested in Sally chicken.

B．To show how Sally chicken cheers people up.

C．To explain why Sally chicken is popular.

D．To lead in the topic of cute animals’ advantage.

2. What was the main finding of the study at Hiroshima University?

A．Seeing cute animals could cheer people up.

B．Seeing cute things could help people concentrate.

C．People concentrated better after seeing anything pleasant.

D．People did better after seeing pictures of adult cats and dogs.

3. What does the underlined word “their” refer to?

A．cute animals’

B．baby animals’

C．adult animals’

D．students’

4. What do Martinez-Conde’s words tell us?

A．It’s improper to look at toys in an exam.

B．Cuteness can be very useful in daily life.

C．Toys are popular among high school students.

D．Cute toys can help students get good scores.

【推荐2】Most children like to watch TV. It’s very interesting. By watching TV they can see and learn a lot and know many things about their country and the world. Of course, they can also learn over the radio, but they can learn better and more easily with TV. Why? Because they can hear and watch at the same time. But they can’t see anything over the radio.

TV helps to open children’s eyes. TV helps to open their minds, too. They learn better and better ways of doing things. They can find the world is now smaller than before.

Many children watch TV only on Saturday or Sunday evening. They are always busy with their lessons. But a few children watch TV every night. They go to bed very late. They can’t have a good rest. How about you, my young friend?

1. Children can study better and more easily with TV because ________.

A．they like to watch TV

B．they can’t learn over the radio

C．they don’t like to listen to the radio

D．they can hear and see something at the same time

2. Children can’t see anything ________.

A．on TV

B．over the radio

C．in the country

D．by watching TV

3. TV helps to open children’s ________.

A．eyes and minds

B．ears and minds

C．ears and hearts

D．eyes and hearts

4. ________ children watch TV only on Saturday or Sunday evening.

A．No

B．Few

C．A lot of

D．A few

5. According to the passage, a few children go to bed late because they ________.

A．are busy with their lessons	B．do their homework
C．watch TV every night	D．listen to the radio

【推荐3】In nature, you may see many insects (昆虫) and animals of different colors. Have you ever wondered why?

Locusts (蝗虫) are super delicious food for birds, but it is not always an easy job for birds to catch them. It is neither because locusts are good jumpers or runners nor because they are smarter than their enemies (敌人). The reason is that the colors of locusts change with the colors of crops (庄稼). When crops are young, locusts look green. But when autumn comes, locusts change to the yellow and brown color as crops do.

Brown bears, tigers and other animals move quietly through forests. They can’t be seen easily by their enemies. This is because they have colors similar to the trees. For the same reason, polar bears that live on a land of snow and ice are white. Butterflies and bees living among the flowers are colorful like flowers. Soil insects are mostly dark-colored and they live under the soil in a dark and wet environment. However, insects with colors different from plants can easily be found and eaten by others. So in order to live,theyhave to hide themselves in the daytime and come out only at night.

Have you ever noticed some even stranger acts (行为) ? The ink fish in the sea can send out some very black ink when it faces danger. As the ink spreads over, its enemies will find themselves suddenly in a dark world. At the same time the inkfish swims away at once. That is how it keeps itself safe though it is not strong at all.

1. It is not easy for birds to catch locusts because ________.

A．locusts are good runners

B．locusts can jump very high

C．locusts are smarter than birds

D．locusts can change their color

2. The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refers to ________.

A．insects with colors

B．butterflies and bees

C．soil insects

D．brown bears, tigers and other animals

3. The ink fish _________ so that its enemies will not see it.

A．changes its color

B．makes the water around it black

C．comes out only at night

D．hides itself in the sea rocks

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Some insects and animals have different skills.

B．Some insects and animals are clever than we think.

C．Some insects and animals use colors to protect themselves.

D．Some insects and animals can get used to the environment easily.

【推荐1】

Many animals have tails（尾巴）. They use their tails to do many different things. Some animals use their tails as flyswatters（苍蝇拍）. Have you ever seen a cow shake its tail back and forth? It’s driving away the flies. Horses also use their tails in the same way.

Some animals hang by their tails. Monkeys often do this. Then they can use all four of their paws for other things, such as eating. Monkeys use their tails as a “hanger”, which can help them hang in the trees and climb trees. Animals that live in the water use their tails to help them swim. A fish uses its tail from side to side. A kangaroo（袋鼠）has a large, useful tail. It’s like a chair. The kangaroo stands on its tail to rest. It helps the kangaroo stand well. The tail is also good for landing. This is important because an adult kangaroo can jump as far as 15 feet at a time. A fox has a big tail. This is a good tail to have on cold nights. The fox can put its tail over its nose and paws while it sleeps. The tail can keep the fox warm.

Some animals don’t keep their tails with them at all times. If their enemies（敌人）catch them, their tails will break off（折断）. Don’t worry. They will soon grow a new tail. How amazing（令人惊异的）it is!

1. A tail can help a kangaroo ________.

A．rest and stand well

B．keep warm on cold nights

C．jump as high as they can

2. Some animals break off their tails because   ________.

A．the tails seem to be amazing

B．their enemies catch them

C．they can keep their tails well

3. What kind of animals does paragraph 1 mentioned (提及)?

A．a cow

B．a cow, a horse

C．a cow, a horse and flies

4. How far does a kangaroo jump?

A．15 feet

B．14 feet

C．10 feet

5. What is the best title （标题）of the passage?

A．How Animals Use Their Tails

B．Tails Help Animals to Catch Things

C．Animals are Amazing

【推荐3】News Review
Head- on Train Crash   On May 18, two trains had a head-on crash（相撞）near New York City. Over 250 people were on the trains then. About 60people were hurt, but no deaths were reported.
Travel Time   Tourists came together to the Taishan Mountain, on May1. Over 180,000tourists
visited the place of great interest from April 29 to May 1, during the three-day holiday.
Brave Volunteer     Liao Zhi , a dance teacher from Chengdu who lost her 1-year-old daughter and her legs in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, arrived in Ya’an 13 hours after the earthquake. The dancer said she had had a terrible time herself and knew what people needed most, so she decided to come and offer help.
Tomato Competition     A tomato competition was held in Huainan, Anhui Province, on April
16. The best tomatoes were chosen according to their shape, color and taste. The competition hoped to encourage the farmers to grow better tomatoes.
1. About   ________ people were hurt in the head-on crash.

A．18	B．29
C．60	D．250

2. A lot of people visited the Taishan Mountain________.

A．13 hours after the earthquake	B．on May 18
C．during the May Day holiday	D．on April 16

3. Liao Zhi, the dance teacher from________, came to Ya’an to offer help.

A．Huainan

B．Chengdu

C．Taishan

D．New York

4. The tomato competition in Anhui Province was held to________.

A．help the people in Ya’an	B．save the people on the trains
C．forget the terrible time	D．help grow better tomatoes

【推荐1】A group of swans flew down to a beach where a crow (乌鸦) was jumping around. The crow watched them with disdain (鄙视).

“You have no flying skills at all!” he said to the swans. “All you can do is to move your wings. Can you turn over in the air? No, that’s beyond you. Let’s have a match. I’ll show you what real flying is!”

One of the swans, a strong young male, took up the challenge. The crow flew up and began to show off his skills. He flew in circles performed other flying tricks, and then came down and looked proudly at the swan.

Now it was the swan’s turn. He flew up, and began flying over the sea. The crow flew after him, making all kinds of comments (评价) about his flying. They flew on and on till they couldn’t see the land and there was nothing but water on all sides. The crow was making fewer and fewer comments. He was now so tired that he found it hard to stay in the air, and had to struggle to keep himself from falling into the water.

The swan pretended not to notice, and said, “Why do you keep touching the water, brother? Is that another trick?”

“No,” said the crow. He knew he had lost the competition. “I’m in trouble because of my pride! If you don’t help me, I’ll lose my life ...”

The swan took pity on him, and took him on his shoulders and flew back to the beach.

1. What’s the correct order of the following events?
a. The crow showed off its flying skills.
b. The swan felt pity for the crow and saved it.
c. The crow laughed at the swan’s flying.
d. The crow followed the swan and got into trouble.
e. The crow challenged the swans and a strong young swan accepted it.

A．e, c, d, a, b

B．a, e, c, d, b

C．c, e, a, d, b

D．e, a, d, c, b

2. Why did the crow keep touching the water?

A．It was showing another flying skill.

B．It was struggling to keep itself from falling into the water.

C．It was thirsty and wanted to drink some water.

D．It was enjoying itself by doing so.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The crow didn’t know flying at all.

B．Flying skills were useless.

C．The swan saved the crow because they were good friends.

D．The swan was better at long-distance flying than the crow.

4. What does the story tell us?

A．No pains, no gains.	B．The early bird catches the worm.
C．Pride goes before a fall.	D．Practice makes perfect.

【推荐2】Are you curious of looking up at the stars and wondering if there's intelligent life out there? So is FAST, China's mega-science（大科学）project and the world's largest single-dish radio telescope. On April 28, FAST, nicknamed "China's Eye of Heaven", began its search for extraterrestrial intelligence（ET, 外星生物）.

As the news spread on social network, someone says. "Do not answer! Do not answer! Do not answer!" The same sentences come from The Three-Body Problem, a science fiction novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin. It has influenced people's minds so deeply that people are worried about the possibility of the Earth being attacked by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization（外星文明）as the plot of this novel.

That worry is, at least for now, unnecessary. Of the 1,800 planets that have been discovered, less than 20 can support life, and the nearest among them, Gliese 581, is 20.4 light-years away.

According to Robin Hanson' Great Filter theory, there is less than a one in a million chance of any extraterrestrial life form developing to higher intelligence or a civilization. And since their distance from China could even be millions or billions of light-years away, if they travel at the speed of light, it would take them at least millions of years to reach us.

However, that does not mean FAST's job is meaningless. As mankind's most sensitive（敏感的）radio telescope, FAST can best collect signals from the universe. Researchers can distinguish（区分）even a 4 Hz difference in the signals received, meaning it can best distinguish between manmade and ET-made signals. Even the signals from a non-ET civilization are useful, because they might contain some hidden information leading to the discovery of new stars or planets.

With FAST joining the cause, mankind can search the universe more deeply than ever before and increase knowledge about the universe. And whatever it achieves is the best evidence of China's advanced technology in astronomy（天文学）and the study of the universe.

1. What does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．China's Eve of Heaven	B．The Three-Body Problem.
C．The intelligent life.	D．China's mega-science project

2. Why does someone say "Do not answer!" when he sees the news?

A．Because he likes science fiction very much

B．Because he knows nothing about FAST.

C．Because he worries about being attacked by ETs.

D．Because he thinks FAST's job is meaningless.

3. What does Paragraph 3 want to tell us?

A．What makes a planet suitable for intelligent life.

B．People should worry much more about extraterrestrial civilization.

C．There is no chance of any extraterrestrial life form developing to higher intelligence or a civilization

D．There is little possibility that extraterrestrial life forms will threaten life on Earth.

4. What can we know about FAST?

A．It is China's mega-science project to find the Three. Body civilization.

B．It wasn't built until April 28

C．It is the mankind's most sensitive single-dish radio telescope

D．It increases the possibility of the Earth being attacked by ETs.

5. What is the best title of this passage?

A．The importance of FAST's job	B．The study of the universe
C．The problems of FAST	D．China's advanced technology

【推荐3】阅读短文，作出选择。 Read the passages and make your choice.

You need to be careful on April 1st, or you could easily get ricked by someone.

The history of April Fool’s Day is uncertain, but one explanation is connected（关联） with the change in the calendar in the 16th century, which meant that April 1st was no longer the beginning of the year. Those who still celebrated the new year on April 1st were called fools. There are lots of simple tricks that you can play on your friends. For ex-ample, you can change the time on someone’s alarm clock so that they wake up very early, or glue a coin to the floor and see how many people try to pick it up.

All of these things are small jokes that you can play on one person or a few people. There’s also a tradition of large companies trying to fool lots of people. For example, a hamburger restaurant once claimed（声称） that they were introducing a left-handed burger!

In particular, radio and television programs have also fooled many people by broadcasting news which wasn’t true. One of the most famous hoaxes ever was broadcast by the BBC itself in 1957! A very serious news program called Panorama reported on the poor spaghetti harvest in Switzerland, and showed pictures of farmers picking spaghetti from trees! Hundreds of people believed it and wrote to the BBC asking how to grow their own spaghetti.

1. What do we learn from the second paragraph?

A．New Year’s Day was on Jan. 1st before 16th century.

B．People celebrated April Fool’s Day before the 16th century.

C．People are sure of the history of April Fool’s Day.

D．April 1st was once the beginning of the year.

2. Who were called April fools at first?

A．People who knew the calendar change first.	B．People who didn’t know the calendar change.
C．People who were born on April 1st.	D．People who changed New Year’s Day..

3. Which of the following is TRUE on April 1st?

A．The author played jokes on the BBC.	B．It is lucky to have a joke played on you.
C．Jokes are usually played on friends.	D．People feel upset when they are fooled.

4. What does the underlined word “broadcasting” mean in the pas-sage?

A．Sending a radio signal.	B．Revealing the truth.
C．Making up a story.	D．Making an advertisement.

5. What is the best title for the passage?

A．The History of April Fool’s Day	B．How to Play Tricks
C．April Fool’s Day	D．How to Celebrate April Fool’s Day