【推荐3】

International Day of Families The International Day of Families is celebrated on May 15 every year. Its goal is to make people realize the importance of promoting (促进) the harmony (和谐), happiness of the family. To celebrate the 26th International Day of Families this year, Family Centre will hold some activities. Activities for the families ☆Family sports ☆Reading a letter for your family ☆A cooking competition among families Time: 9:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. on May 15 Place: In the South International Park Prize: 1st prize — a five-day foreign tour 2nd prize — a seven-day domestic (国内的) tour 3rd prize — a four-day domestic tour Rules: Each family can choose two of the three activities. All the letters must be written by families themselves. We will never return them to you, so please keep a copy. Don’t be late, or you’ll not be able to take part in these activities. Families who want to take part in the activities must hand in (提交) their application forms (报名表) before May 5, or you can call 2877-2197 to sign up before May 10. And we will prepare breakfast and lunch for you. Visit the website for more information: https://www.FamilyCentre.com

1. What’s the goal of the International Day of Families?

A．To make people be active in the family.

B．To encourage people to take part in the activities.

C．To make people realize the importance of the family.

D．To encourage people to get the prize of the activities.

2. What can’t you see on May 15?

A．People do sports.	B．People sing and dance.
C．People read letters.	D．People cook meals.

3. What will you get if your family wins the second prize?

A．A five-day foreign tour.	B．A seven-day foreign tour.
C．A seven-day domestic tour.	D．A four-day domestic tour.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text (文章)?

A．Families can get their letters back after that day.

B．Families can take part in all these activities on that day.

C．Families can celebrate the day in the South International Park.

D．Families must hand in their application forms before May 10.

【推荐1】Most American families are smaller than those in other countries. Usually there is one or two parents and one or two children in each American family.

Children in the USA will leave their parents when they grow up. They want to find better jobs, so they usually live far away from their parents. They often write to their parents or call them. And they go to visit their parents during their holidays.

Parents will ask their children to do some work around their house. In many families, children will get money for doing some housework so that they can learn to make money for their own.

Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think that for young people it is important to decide on their lives by themselves.

1. In most families in the USA there are usually ________.

A．no parents

B．no children

C．over 5 people

D．less than 5 people

2. When they are old enough, American children will ________.

A．go to other countries	B．decide on their lives by themselves
C．find jobs for their parents	D．do better jobs around their house

3. Why do most American children live far away from their parents?

A．They are old enough to live all by themselves.

B．The parents are too busy to look after their children.

C．They want to look for better jobs.

D．They can keep in touch (联系) with their parents by telephoning.

4. From the passage we can know that children in America ________.

A．leave their parents when they grow up

B．often spend holidays at their parents’ house

C．sometimes look for jobs for their own parents

D．often call or write to their parents for money

【推荐2】According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the year starting on Feb 12th will be the Year of the Ox. Many Chinese people believe it will be a good year, partly because they have a strong liking for the animal itself.

In Chinese culture, the ox stands for the spirit of hard work and unselfishness. We often say that the ox is hard-working and generous (慷慨的). The term “laohuangniu” describes those who help others and ask nothing for themselves. Just as Chinese writer Lu Xun once wrote, “Cows eat grass, but give milk.”

But in the West, people have a different opinion about the animal. “Bullheaded” people are very stubborn (固执的) and will not listen to suggestions.

If you search on the Internet for the word “ bull”, you’ll also find other interesting English expressions. For example, if someone behaves “like a bull in a china shop”, he or she behaves in a clumsy (笨拙的) manner when they should be more careful.

In the new year, we hope that all of the readers will work just as hard as the ox does. Avoid anything that might make you as angry as “a red flag to a bull”, We hope you can always “take the bull by the horns (不畏艰险)” when you have to deal with a difficult situation. Come on! Wish everyone a lucky year of the ox.

1. What is the kind of person who is called “laohuangniu” like?

A．He is hard-working and generous.

B．He is stubborn and never listens to others’ suggestions.

C．He is more careful but a little stupid.

D．He is always ready to help others and asks nothing for himself.

2. If a person acts carelessly, which word or phrase might be used to describe him or her?

A．Laohuangniu.	B．Like a bull in a china shop.
C．Take the bull by the horns.	D．Bullheaded.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．Lu Xun was born in the Year of the Ox.

B．We should work hard and avoid getting angry.

C．English expressions about the ox are always bad.

D．People in different countries think about the ox differently.

【推荐3】What kind of chores do you usually do around the house? Maybe you clean your room, wash the dishes or sweep the floor. All these are indoor chores.

But in many places, especially in rural areas in the US, kids have different outdoor chores during different seasons.

In fall, the most common outdoor chore is sweeping leaves. Trees lose their leaves in fall. It is up to each family to put the leaves in big trash bags.

After a heavy snowfall in winter, children help clear snow in the front yard. Otherwise, it may be hard for family to leave their homes.

Spring and summer bring lots of rain and sun, which makes the grass in people’s yards grow tall. It is common for kids to mow (割草) their yards to keep them fresh and neat.

Doing all these chores might sound like a lot of work. Most families give their kids a little bit of money for doing them. People who don’t have children might even pay neighborhood kids to do it.

1. How many indoor chores are mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

2. In the US, the most common outdoor chore in fall is ________.

A．washing cars

B．walking dogs

C．sweeping leaves

D．mowing yards

3. In winter, people clear snow in their front yards because ________.

A．they like to keep their yards clean and neat	B．grass won’t grow if snow is on it
C．it is a traditional winter outdoor activity	D．the snow might get in their way

4. The passage is mainly about ________.

A．ways of getting money in the US	B．different outdoor chores in the US
C．activities in different seasons in the US	D．why people in the US have yards

【推荐1】“Made in China” is having its moment now—and it’s a fashionable one.

The story of Chinese fashion began in 2011 when Feiyue and Huili, both Chinese sports shoe brands(品牌),suddenly got international attention. Their products were seen all over the world. Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning was at the New York Fashion Week in September, 2018. They showed their new designs—sweaters and jackets with Chinese characters.

Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, said that the latest Chinese brands no longer catch customers’ eye by low price. He told CNN, “They are sure that they can go head to head with foreign brands.”

Maybe it is because China’s young people are now more confident about their own culture. They don’t show immediate interest in western culture any more.

“Today’s young people in China are crazy about Chinese cultural elements(元素).” Jin Qu，the manager of a clothing shopping website, said at a cultural festival in 2018. They like these elements printed on their clothes, even the brand picture of Laoganma in China, which was once seen as outside of fashion. But now young people are proud of these Chinese symbols.

“In fact, many stars in the West are now interested in Chinese cultural elements in fashion. Rihanna, a US singer, for example, wore a Chinese red dress to the 2015 Met Gala in New York. ”The dress was designed and made by Chinese designer Guo Pei.

“We have to move from making to creating.” Chinese-American designer Aric Chen once told The New York Times. “We want to replace the words ‘Made in China’ with ‘Designed in China’.”

1. The new designs of Li Ning Company in September 2018 were ________.

A．coats and scarves in Chinese red	B．sweaters and jackets with English words
C．coats and scarves with American symbols	D．sweaters and jackets with Chinese characters

2. The underlined word “They” in Paragraph 5 refers to ________.

A．Some famous stars in the West	B．The workers in Jin Qu’s shop
C．Today’s young people in China	D．Directors of some Chinese companies

3. Why does the writer use the example of US singer Rihanna in paragraph 6?

A．To prove Rihanna is a fashionable star.

B．To show people in the west are fond of Chinese cultural elements.

C．To show Rihanna is different from other singers.

D．To introduce Chinese designer Guo Pei.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese Clothes Brands	B．Designed in China
C．Chinese Cultural Festival	D．Sports in China

5. The passage above may be taken from a(n) ________.

A．ad

B．guidebook

C．newspaper

D．novel

【推荐2】Everyone knows that exercise is very important. We all need to exercise. It makes your heart and body strong. Children who often exercise are more alert (机敏的). This means they do better in tests and schoolwork than those who don’t exercise.

There are many ways to exercise. You can walk, run, jump, swim or play ball games. Make sure you exercise in the following ways you have to like what you’re doing; exercise enough but not too much. It’s best to exercise twice a week. Thirty minutes each time is enough.

You can exercise at fitness centres (健身中心). They have a lot of equipment (设备) there. The equipment will help exercise your arms, legs and other parts of your body. Exercising can be fun. Friends can exercise together at a fitness centre, or they can play sports together.

1. ________ is not a way to exercise.

A．Watching TV

B．Swimming

C．Jumping

D．Running

2. We’d better exercise ________.

A．twice a week

B．twice a day

C．once a day

D．once a month

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

A．Everyone needs to do exercise.

B．Exercise enough but not too much.

C．The equipment in the fitness centre can help us exercise our body.

D．We can only exercise at the fitness centre.

4. The passage mainly tells us about ________.

A．health

B．exercise

C．fitness centres

D．equipment

【推荐3】Different countries have different customs. When you are in different countries, you should follow their customs.

▲In China, it’s impolite to talk when eating dinner. And you’re not supposed to start eating first if there are older people at the table.

▲Very often people who travel to the United States forget to tip (小费). It is usual to tip waiters, taxi drivers and porters who help carry your bags. Waiters expect to get a 15% tip on the cost of your meal. Taxi drivers expect about the same tip.

▲In Spain, it’s a good idea to have a light meal in the afternoon if someone invites you for dinner. People have dinner very late, and restaurants do not generally open until after 9:00 p.m.

▲In Saudi Arabia, men kiss one another on the cheek (脸颊) . Your host may welcome you with a kiss on both cheeks. It is polite to do the same.

▲In Japan, people usually give personal or business cards to each other when they meet for the first time. When a person gives you a card, don’t put it into your pocket as soon as you get it. The person expects you to read it.

1. How many countries are mentioned in this passage?

A．Five.

B．Six.

C．Seven.

D．Four.

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

A．搬运工

B．水电工

C．建筑工

D．推销员

3. If you travel to the US, and you spend $200 on a taxi ride and $320 on a meal, you are supposed to tip ________ in total.

A．$520.

B．$78.

C．$156.

D．$150.

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．You are expected to kiss your host on the cheek in Japan.

B．Generally, restaurants don’t offer dinner after 9:00 p.m. in Spain.

C．It’s impolite to eat first if there are older people at the table in China.

D．In Japan,when a person gives you a card, put it into your pocket directly.

5. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Where to Travel	B．How to Greet Others
C．Customs in Different Countries	D．What to Do