【推荐1】(From Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, Feb. 13) Some white robots were seen delivering(传送) food at a park in Nanshan District. These robots are used because the park director doesn’t want too many people to wait for lunch so as to avoid the people- to-people transmission(传播) of COVID-19. These robots were developed by Candela (Shenzhen) Technology Innovation Co. Ltd.

A group of small robots (called Candles) deliver food inside office buildings while another group (called Sunnys) transport the meals between buildings outdoors.

Candle robots can work with gate machines and elevators and will not get in people’s way. The robot makes a phone call or texts a message to orderers after arriving at their floor. Thirty Candles have been put into use. They can provide 500 to 1,000 meals each day with at least 60 meals at a time. The robots will be disinfected(消毒) six times a day.

Sunnys work outdoors and are able to avoid running into walkers, bikes and other things. After arriving at the place, a Sunny will give food boxes to a Candle for indoor delivery.

The company also developed a group of medical robots after the outbreak to support hospitals in Wuhan, Beijing and Shenzhen. “Unmanned delivery is very necessary now. We hope these robots, and the technology, can bring comfort to people,” said He Zhiwei, general manager of Candela.

1. Which question isn’t answered in the first paragraph?

A．Who developed the robots?	B．Where can we see the robots?
C．Why were the robots made?	D．How did people make the robots?

2. Which of the following is TRUE about the two robots?

A．Candles work in the office buildings.

B．Sunnys work when Candles don’t work.

C．There are more Sunny robots than Candle ones.

D．People will disinfect the robots three times a day.

3. What kind of robots did the company also make?

A．Those working at the airport.	B．Those working at home.
C．Those working in schools.	D．Those working in hospitals.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．What are Candles and Sunnys?	B．Candela, a company in Shenzhen
C．Robots used to deliver food in Shenzhen	D．Robots were developed to fight COVID-19.

【推荐2】Many women have made a difference to science, technology and our daily lives. They have improved our world in many different ways.

Barbie Doll The Barbie Doll was invented by Ruth Handler. Her own daughter is called Barbara. Barbie was introduced to the world at the New York Fair in 1959. The Ken Doll was named after Ruth’s son and was introduced in 1961, two years after Barbie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite treat for people of all ages. Without the famous woman inventor Ruth Wakefield, the world might never have tasted them. Born in 1905, Wakefield worked as a dietitian(营养学家) after graduating in 1924.

Baby Carrier When Ann Moore was a nurse during the 1960s in Africa, she saw African mothers carrying their babies on their backs. When Moore came back home to the United States, she and her mother invented a carrier similar to those she had seen in Africa. Then she and her husband formed a company to make the carrier.

1. In the passage, ________ kinds of dolls invented by Ruth Handler are mentioned.

A．two

B．three

C．four

D．five

2. Which of the following about Ann Moore is TRUE?

A．She was an African.

B．She used to be a nurse in Africa.

C．She worked as a dietitian during the 1960s in Africa.

D．She once worked in a company making baby carriers.

3. The text is mainly about ________.

A．the history of some interesting toys	B．some famous women writers
C．some products used only by women	D．some inventions made by women

【推荐3】TV Ears has helped thousands of people with hearing problems hear the television clealy without turning up the volume(音量)! Now, you can set your own headset(耳机)volume, while other TV listeners hear that the television at a volume that’s comfortable for them. You can even listen through the headset only and put the TV on mute(静音)if the situation needs a quiet environment, like when the baby is sleeping. Different from any other headset, TV Ears can cut down the outside noise so that the television dialogue is clear enough to understand.

Not surprisingly, people across the world are crazy about TV Ears!

Doctors Loves TV Ears! “My wife and I have used TV Ears almost daily for the past two years and find it really helpful in our enjoyment of television. As a retired(退休的)ear doctor, I heartily advise people with hearing problems to use TV Ears.”                             -Mike Walter, Canada

Old couple Love TV Ears! “Now my husband can have the volume as loud as he needs and I can have the TV volume as I like. TV Ears is so comfortable that Kitajima forgets he has them on! He can once again hear and understand the dialogue.” -Nanako, Japan

1. TV Ears can help you         .

A．improve the volume of your TV	B．listen to the TV more clearly
C．have a better sleep	D．play a part in the TV

2. TV Ears is different from the other headsets because      .

A．it can easily set TV on mute	B．it’s much cheaper
C．it helps you easily choose what to watch	D．it can cut down the outside noise

3. The writer tries to make more people trust TV Ears by       .

A．showing the result of a research

B．explaining how it is made

C．introducing users’ good experience with it

D．comparing it with other similar products

4. The passage is probably a/an           .

A．ad

B．letter

C．notice

D．interview

【推荐1】The best way of learning a language is by using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you will get your words mixed up and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can’t understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor you can always have a good laugh at the mistakes. Don’t be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It is much better for people to be laughing at your mistakes than to be angry because they don’t understand what you are saying. The most important rule for learning English is, “Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.”

1. The best way of learning a language is ________.

A．to remember the grammar rules	B．to use it as often as you can
C．to try not to get your words mixed up	D．to make a lot of mistakes

2. When people laugh at your mistakes, ________.

A．you should be angry with them	B．you must stop talking at once
C．you should keep your sense of humor	D．you must be very careful next time

3. The most important rule for learning English is ________.

A．to try to make fewer mistakes	B．not to be afraid of making mistakes
C．to be brave to talk to others in English	D．both B and C

4. Wu Dong, Liu Ying, Xiao Ming and Li Ping are learning English. Which is right?

A．Wu Dong tries to use English as much as he can.

B．Liu Ying is always shy of speaking English.

C．Xiao Ming is afraid that others may laugh at him.

D．Li Ping never tries to talk to others in English.

5. The passage seems to tell us ________.

A．that you should learn to laugh at mistakes

B．that it’s interesting to learn English

C．what to do when you make mistakes in learning English

D．how to make others understand you

【推荐2】

Chinese writing has a history of six or seven thousand years. Calligraphy (书法), the art of writing, is almost as old as writing itself.

In ancient times, written Chinese was first symbols and pictures. Then, they gradually became characters. Later, characters and even full sentences were written on animal bones or shells for communication.

With time passing by, a number of written forms appeared. Each had its own local style. In the 3rd century BC, the First Emperor, Qinshihuang, set the same standard for the written characters—“small seal script”. It was first used in his own state of Qin, then in the whole nation. That writing system was very important in uniting (联合) the Chinese people and culture. At the same time, Cheng Miao developed another style called “clerical” script. It used short, straight brush strokes (笔画) to write quickly. By Han times, calligraphers had created a new style known as “regular” script. From the Tang Dynasty, it became the standard form used in government exams.

Over the centuries, Chinese artists and people with knowledge saw beauty in the forms of their written language. They turned calligraphy into one of the fine arts, in which calligraphers expressed themselves. In the Tang Dynasty, calligraphy was helpful for a person to get a place in the government.

The tools of calligraphy were simple enough. What we needed were the Four Treasures of the study: a brush, ink (墨), an ink stone and a writing surface. Students of calligraphy practiced the main types of script and improved their skills by copying the works of past masters. With the increase of their knowledge and practice, they slowly developed their own styles.

The art of calligraphy reached a high point in the 4th century. At that time, calligrapher Wang Xizhi was often regarded as the greatest master. Calligraphy remains a living art form to this day. It has become part of the school courses to pass on the Chinese culture.

1. In ancient China, when characters appeared, they were written on ________.

A．bamboo

B．cloth

C．bones or shells

2. Which written form can be used in government exams?

A．Regular script.

B．Small seal script.

C．Clerical script.

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

A．The art of calligraphy has been around six or seven thousand years.

B．The greatest representative figures (代表人物) was Wang Xizhi.

C．Three tools of calligraphy are mentioned in this passage.

4. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage? (P=Paragraph)

A．

B．

C．

【推荐3】People can’t see you when you’re speaking on the phone, but they can hear you. So, the way you speak is especially important. In fact, researchers have calculated that 80% of communication over the phone is through your tone of voice, and only 20% is from the words you use. Here are out top tips on how to speak over the phone.

Facial Expressions

Your facial expression can influence your voice. For example, if you smile, your voice will sound warm and friendly, just the opposite, if you have an angry look on your face, it can make you sound unpleasant.

Volume

If you speak too loudly, you could sound angry. And if you speak too softly, it’ll be difficult to hear you. So, speak loudly enough to be heard clearly, but not so loud that you’re shouting.

Pace

The pace of your voice is how quickly you speak. And this can show how you feel. For example, an angry person might speak faster than normal. Or a downhearted person might speak very slowly. Try speaking a little more slowly than normal. This will make you sound confident, and it’ll make it easier for the other person to understand you.

Gestures

Gesturing can influence the tone of your voice. When you gesture, you bring more air into the lungs, which can make your voice sound warmer. Gestures are also useful to help you stress the right words or even find the words you need. The best thing about gesturing during a phone call is that no one can see what you’re doing, so you can gesture as wildly as you like!

Movement

If you’re feeling nervous, stand up and move around. It will reduce the nervousness in your body and help your voice to sound more confident.

Pauses(停顿)

Using pauses every now and then can help you to slow down. This will make you sound more confident and in control. Also, if you pause after giving some new information, it’ll give the other person time to understand it. At the same time, listen to how the other person uses pauses. They could tell you something about the speaker’s feeling. For example, when a speaker is really angry, he might uses pauses and says, “I...am...so...angry.”

1. How much of telephone communication is from the words you use?

A．20%

B．40%

C．60%

D．80%

2. What can people do to reduce their nervousness on the phone?

A．Gesture wildly.	B．Move around.
C．Raise their voices.	D．Make facial expressions.

3. How can pauses help people talk on the phone?

A．The speaker can show he is friendly.

B．The speaker can tell more information.

C．The listener will feel confident and in control.

D．The listener will have time to understand the words.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．How to improve communication online.

B．Reasons of making gestures while talking.

C．How to make a good speech over the phone.

D．Different good ways of talking on the phone.

5. What is the writer’s opinion about telephone talk?

A．Your voice on the phone will show what you’re feeling.

B．Using too many pauses while talking will annoy others.

C．Speaking loudly makes it easier for others to understand you.

D．The words you use are more important than the way you speak.