【推荐1】I’m Emily. Three years ago, I thought I didn’t have enough time to do the housework, so I cancelled the cable(取消有线电视). But I still think it’s fun to watch TV shows when I get the chance.
My favorite show was The Life Laundry. It was so interesting. It came on Saturday mornings after Norm on This Old House and Rick Steve’s Europe. It was like Clean Sweep. It chose some common people. In the show, people took everything in the house outside so they could see how many things they had. Then they would go through each thing they had. Then they would go through each thing and decide whether (是否) to keep or sell it. When people sold some things they would never use, a team (团队)would make the home more beautiful with a new coat of paint. At the end of the show, everyone was always happy to see their home cleaned up and look spacious.
Antiques Roadshow came after The Life Laundry, which was confusing (令人困惑的)because The Life Laundry made you want to clean out your things, but it made you want to keep everything.
1. Why did Emily cancel the cable?

A．Because she didn’t like watching TV.

B．Because her family was very poor.

C．Because she was busy with the housework.

D．Because her television was broken.

2. When was The Life Laundry?

A．On Saturday mornings.	B．On Saturday afternoons.
C．On Sunday mornings.	D．On Sunday afternoons.

3. What came after The Life Laundry?

A．Norm on This Old House.	B．Clean Sweep
C．Rick Steve’s Europe.	D．Antiques Roadshow.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Emily cancelled the cable two years ago.

B．Emily didn’t mind The Life Laundry.

C．People gave things to each other in The Life Laundry.

D．Antiques Roadshow made people want to keep everything.

【推荐2】Judy took a great interest in TV, so she was excited when she met a young man who worked at the TV station. She asked him a lot of questions and discovered that he had also worked for a film company. Then she asked him whether there were any differences between film work and TV work.

“Well, there is one big difference,” the young man answered. “If someone makes a mistake while a film is being made, it is possible to stop right away and shoot the scene again. Therefore, the audience (观众), who see the film after it has been finished, don’t know something once went wrong. However, in a live TV show, the audience can easily see any mistake. ”

He added, “I can tell you a story about that. One day, a live cooking show was on and a famous actor was invited. He appeared but suddenly fell down. Then the camera moved somewhere else and I ran to lift him. However, before I helped him stand up, the camera turned back to us, so the audience could see him lying on the floor. ”

“Oh, how upsetting!” Judy said. “What did you do?”

The young man answered, “Well, our TV director was very strict. I didn’t want to lose my job, so I quickly grasped a bottle of tomato sauce and poured the sauce on the actor. At the same time, I told the audience we were going to teach them to cook dishes with tomato sauce. ”

根据语篇内容，选择最佳选项。
1. The underlined word “shoot” means “________” in Chinese.

A．拍摄

B．射击

C．抛弃

2. Which of the following is TRUE about Judy?

A．She used to work for a TV station.

B．She was greatly interested in TV.

C．She and the young man worked in the same company.

3. According to the passage, in a live TV show, ________.

A．people in the show can stop if there is any mistake

B．the scene with a mistake can be shot again

C．the audience can see any mistake that is being made

4. When the camera moved somewhere else in the live cooking show, the young man went to ________.

A．help the actor stand up

B．pour the tomato sauce on the actor

C．lie on the floor together with the actor

5. What did the young man do in order not to lose his job?

A．He explained that it was not his mistake.

B．He asked the audience not to watch the scene.

C．He made the audience believe that it was the introduction to the show.

【推荐3】Many boys and girls love to watch TV. They spend many hours a day in front of the TV sets. But many parents let their children watch TV only in special (特定的) time.
TV shows are like books or movies. There are many kinds of TV shows, such as sitcoms, soap operas, sports shows, fashion shows, etc. A child can learn good things and bad things from them. Some shows help children to know the news all over the world. Children don’t have to go to the zoo to see animals. Boys and girls can see sitcoms, sports shows and game shows at home. Some shows teach children how to cook or how to use tools(工具).
Many boys and girls think it is fun to watch TV, but it is also fun to read books, to play games or to visit friends.
1. Many boys and girls spend ______.

A．4 hours on TV shows on Sunday

B．6 hours on TV shows every day

C．many hours a day in front of the TV sets

D．8 hours on TV shows every day

2. Many parents _____.

A．don’t let their children watch TV

B．ask their children to watch TV

C．let their children watch TV in special time

D．want their children to do homework

3. From TV, boys and girls can ______.

A．learn good things and bad things	B．learn nothing
C．learn good things	D．do bad things

4. Kids like to watch TV, because ____.

A．it is fun	B．they have nothing to do
C．it is exciting	D．it is good

5. How does the writer like the TV shows? ____.

A．They are good for children.

B．They are bad for children.

C．Some of them are good for children. Others are not.

D．They are kind to children.

【推荐1】The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms(节气). In the ancient days, they were important instructions for the farming production as well as people’s daily lives. Here are four solar terms and some details about them.

	Spring Equinox It starts around March 21st. During this time, swallows fly back to the north. It is also a good time for people to fly kites and eat spring vegetables.
	Summer Solstice It begins around June 21st. To celebrate Summer Solstice, people often give colored fans to each other because fans can help them cool down.
	Autumn Equinox It starts around September 23rd. From Autumn Equinox, most of the areas in China will enter the cool autumn. It is a season for people to eat crabs and enjoy chrysanthemums(菊花).
	Winter Solstice It begins around December 22nd. It marks the arrival of the coldest season in a year. People usually make and eat dumplings with their family members.

1. Spring Equinox begins around ________.

A．March 21st

B．June 21st

C．September 23rd

D．December 22nd

2. To celebrate Summer Solstice, people ________.

A．eat spring vegetables	B．give each other colored fans
C．enjoy chrysanthemums	D．make and eat dumplings

3. ________ marks the arrival of the coldest season in the year.

A．Spring Equinox

B．Summer Solstice

C．Autumn Equinox

D．Winter Solstice

4. Which of the sentences below is TRUE?

A．People divided solar terms according to Gregorian calendar(公历).

B．Solar terms are very important for farmers.

C．We should eat mooncakes when Autumn Equinox arrives.

D．Swallows fly to the south during Winter Solstice.

【推荐2】The kite is a normal thing now. Many people like to fly kites in spring. No one knows when the first kite was made. The first record of the kite was more than 2,000 years ago in China. Han Xin, the leader of an army, wanted to bring down a 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 the length of its string（线）. In this way, he could decide how long the tunnel should be.

Kites have been flown in Japan for many years. In the 1700s, kites were flown in autumn to give thanks for a good harvest. Today in Japan, kites are often flown as a 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 the 1890s, Lawrence Hargrave invented the box kite to test ideas about flight.

From 1898 to 1933, the United States Weather Bureau（气象局）used box kites to collect weather data（数据）. The Wright brothers also experimented with kites. What they learnt helped them make the first airplane flight in 1903.

1. The first record of the kite was in________.

A．Japan

B．the USA

C．China

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

A．to collect weather data

B．to celebrate the beginning of a new year

C．to give thanks for a good harvest in summer

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

A．In1890.

B．In1898.

C．In1903.

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

A．The History of Kites

B．The Inventors of Kites

C．The Purposes of Kites

【推荐1】“Volunteering 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.

National 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 prevents some from sharing their abilities.

The following tips can help if you have some of these worries.

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

★Choose an organization with the same interests and common values.

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

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

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

★Finally, 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.

Spend 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 ______.

A．make a decision	B．see the world clearly
C．thank other people	D．make a person’s life better

2. What could be the reason to stop people taking the first step?

A．They don’t have enough time.

B．They are prevented by their families.

C．They fear that their abilities are shared.

D．They don’t expect to become volunteers.

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

A．Start out quickly.

B．Organize a training meeting.

C．Invite a friend to be with them.

D．Join in a group with different values.

4. The underlined word “veteran” in the passage means “______”.

A．polite

B．humorous

C．young

D．experienced