【推荐1】One way to improve your English is to learn English idioms (习语) and then use them. Idioms can add interest to what you say or write.     1     Like other languages, English has thousands of idioms which you can use in many different situations. So how do you learn them?

Learn idioms in the context.

    2     Instead, learn their meanings in the context. Make sure you have an example of how the idiom is used, and know clearly whether it’s common. This is important, because if you use the idiom in the wrong situation, it won’t sound natural.

Don’t try to learn too many at one time.

Idioms can be difficult.     3     And also you’ll need to practice your new idioms (like any new word) , so limit what you do in any lesson.

    4    

We often use an idiom to express a feeling or emotion (感情) . So for example, we say that someone has a heart of gold. Because gold is a valuable metal, we can imagine that someone with a heart of gold is a good person. In fact, it does mean that a person is very kind.

Listen out for idioms.

If you hear two words used together in an unusual way, it might be a new idiom. Sometimes you can guess its meaning in the context. However, you might usually need to make a note of it.     5    

A．Understand the feeling.

B．Don’t learn idioms by making lists.

C．English idioms are hard to understand.

D．Or you might ask the person who has spoken it.

E．They make you sound more like a native speaker.

F．For that reason, don’t try to learn more than five at one time.

【推荐2】Do you know the word migrate? It is a word usually used to talk about certain animals such as birds, fish and so on. When animals migrate, they travel a long way from one part of the world to another according to the season. For example, swallows (燕子) migrate south in winter. Many animals migrate—they do this often at the same time and to the same place each year. They move to places where conditions are better—where the weather is warmer, where there is more food and water, or where their young will be safer.

People also migrate. When people migrate, they go to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work. In English, when people leave their home country in order to live in another country, we use the word emigrate instead of migrate. From migrate and emigrate come the words migration and emigration. However, if people move from their home country to another to live there forever (永久地), the word changes from emigrate to immigrate in the English language. Then the word immigration is born.

Isn’t word-making of the English language interesting? And can this process (过程) of finding out the relationships between words and learning them in a group or groups be a way for you to learn the language?

Based on Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, 6th edition.

1. Which of the following situations can match the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．Snakes move into holes to sleep in winter.

B．Fish swim to clean waters because of pollution.

C．Birds fly very far away to find food and return to give it to their babies.

D．Monarch butterflies in North America fly south to stay away from the cold.

2. According to the passage, if people ________ , they leave their home country to live in another forever.

A．travel

B．migrate

C．emigrate

D．immigrate

3. The passage is written to ________.

A．introduce migration of animals	B．tell readers a way of learning English
C．show how English words change	D．explain why people migrate

【推荐3】People at home keep asking me, “Is it hard to learn Chinese? Why have you learned it so well?” Well, there’s one thing that makes Chinese easy to learn: there are so many people to talk to. You’ve probably heard that it’s the most spoken language. Today it’s also one of the most written languages online. And with so many Chinese people interested in learning English, it couldn’t be easier to find a friend for language learning. You just have to know where to look for them.

The really good place to look for them is Wechat. Wechat has the same status in China as Facebook does in the US. It is reported that at any moment, up to 900,000,000 people are using Wechat. They’re at work, or in a web cafe, or at home, and the information of the users can be found. If you sign in with your address set to “abroad”, you’ll soon find that many thousands of them are interested in speaking to you! This is a great way for you to learn Chinese, and for them to learn English. I think that it’s a very interesting way of cultural contact too, for ordinary people from around the world to be able to have one-on-one contact.

1. What does the write tell us in paragraph 1?

A．Why his family members want to learn Chinese.

B．How the writer learnt Chinese.

C．The easiest thing to do is learning Chinese.

D．Chinese isn’t so hard to learn as his friends think.

2. According to paragraph 2, Wechat and Facebook are ________.

A．addresses for the Internet users	B．tools used by people to chat online
C．programmes of a computer	D．files you need to get online

3. What is the writer’s purpose to write this passage?

A．To show what the Chinese people are doing at the moment.

B．To tell his friends the importance of learning Chinese.

C．To tell a way of learning Chinese.

D．To explain the difference between Wechat and Facebook.

4. The writer of this passage is probably _________.

A．an engineer who has developed WeChat

B．a Chinese student studying abroad

C．an expert who works at home

D．an English-speaking person who works in China

【推荐1】According to the Ministry of Education, students of primary and junior high schools will receive new labor education from this term. They will take no less than one class in labor skills a week. They’ll learn everything from everyday chores like cleaning, cooking and the use of home appliances to skills in farming and animal raising.

Students will learn different real-life skills in different grades. Take cooking as an example. They need to learn home cooking, from preparing vegetables to finally cooking a meal alone. Students in the first and second grades will learn to wash and prepare vegetables. In the third and fourth grades, students will learn to make cold dishes heat. The fifth and sixth graders will learn to cook two to three common dishes. Students in Grade 7—9 will learn to make three to four dishes for lunch or dinner.

An education expert says, “we should pay more attention to each student’s overall growth and progress, instead of only the exam results.”

“This reminds me of my life skills class in primary school. I learned to make dumplings. It’s a super-good memory of my childhood,” someone says online. “These will be life-long skills for kids. They will help them become all-round people, not just students who are able to take exams,” says another Internet user.

1. How often will students take the course in labor skills?

A．Three classes a term.	B．At least once a week.
C．Six classes a year.	D．At least once a month.

2. What are seventh grade students expected to learn about cooking?

A．To heat food.	B．To make dumplings.
C．To prepare vegetables.	D．To cook at least three dishes.

3. What does the education expert think is important to students?

A．The use of home appliances.	B．The full development.
C．The exam results.	D．The cooking skill.

4. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．Lifelong skills for kids.	B．Opinions about the news.
C．Sweet memories of childhood.	D．Ways to become all-round people.

5. This passage maybe from ________.

A．a story

B．a newspaper

C．a musical book

D．a guide book

【推荐2】If you live in the United States, the law(法律) says you can’t have a full-time job until you are 16 years old. At 14 or 15, you can work part-time after school or on weekends, and during summer vacations you can work 40 hours each week. Does that mean if you are younger than 14, you can’t make your own money? Of course not! Kids who are between the ages of 10 and 13 can make money by doing lots of things.
Valerie, 11, often makes money by cleaning up other people’s yards. Lana , 13, makes money by knitting（织）sweaters for dogs and selling them to her neighbors, and Lisa said she had started taking art classes and showing her works to people. People have asked her draw pictures for them and they pay her for them. Jasmine, 12, writes articles for different magazines!
Making money is learning. By working to make your own money, you are learning the skills you need to succeed in life. These skills can include things like getting along with others, using technology(技术) and using your time. Some people think that asking for money is a lot easier than earning(挣) it. However, when you make your own money, you don’t have to depend on someone else. The five dollars that you earn will probably make you feel a lot better than the twenty dollars you ask for.
1. Kids can have full-time jobs at the age of .

A．10

B．13

C．15

D．16

2. If you are 15 years old, you can’t work in the USA

A．after school	B．at school time
C．on weekends	D．during summer vacations

3. How does Lisa make money?

A．By drawing pictures for others

B．By cleaning up other people’s yards

C．By writing articles for different magazines.

D．By knitting sweaters for dogs and selling them to her neighbors.

4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Kids are encouraged to live independently in the USA.

B．American kids are learning how to succeed by working in their teens.

C．American kids don’t need to get along with others when making money.

D．The writer thinks earning one’s money is better than asking for money from others.

5. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Parents shouldn’t let their children earn their own money.

B．Kids can learn skills if they try to make money on their own.

C．It’s hard for kids under 14 to earn money in the USA.

D．If kids try to make money, they won’t have enough time to study.

【推荐3】
Have you heard about “Survival Holidays”? It is for children to go into the lonely place for exciting activities. Now about 1,100 companies are allowed to take children into the great outdoors without their parents.
The reason why people like “Survival Holidays” is that they think being close to nature is good for children. Many children in big cities spend all time watching TV and playing computer games. “Survival Holidays” gives them an important change.
Is “Survival Holidays” a wonderful idea? Maybe it is. Children need more free time to play. They need to be left on their own, without adults disturbing (干扰) them. Parents care too much about their children. They like to see the children being busy with activities that are controlled (控制) by adults, which causes many problems. Children don’t know what to do when they are in danger. Even something like crossing a small river seems to be a hard challenge. Children are not comfortable with danger. Even slight danger like getting their feet wet or falling down seems very terrible to them.
Many people think the survival activities are good for children. Even years later, they will still remember what they have learned. Some have learned to stay calm in dangerous times. Some have learned how to keep safe. Others have learned how to work in a team. All these skills will help them a lot in their lives.
1. What is “Survival Holidays” according to the passage?

A．It is summer holidays.

B．It is winter holidays.

C．It is a kind of holidays to escape from danger.

D．It is a holiday to go into the lonely place for exciting activities.

2. Which children may take part in “Survival Holidays”?

A．Poor children.

B．Rich children.

C．Children from cities.

D．Children from the countryside.

3. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The reasons people dislike “Survival Holidays”.

B．The advantages of “Survival Holidays”.

C．The disadvantages of “Survival Holidays”.

D．The suggestions of taking part in “Survival Holidays”.

4. In a “Survival Holidays” children can learn the following except ________.

A．how to get good grades

B．how to stay calm in different times

C．how to keep safe when they meet danger

D．how to work in a team

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．No companies can hold “Survival Holidays”.

B．Parents can take part in “Survival Holidays” with their children.

C．Parents like to keep their children busy with activities controlled by adults.

D．Children don’t listen to their parents any more after “Survival Holidays”.

【推荐2】

Go, commonly known in China as weiqi, is a board game for two players. To win, one player must use black or white playing pieces, named stones, to surround（包围）more areas.

The game was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago. It’s one of the four Chinese traditional fine arts, along with playing guqin, writing and painting, so it owns a wide fan base in China. Now it is also popular in other parts of the world.

In Germany, the Berlin Go Association has worked together with the China Cultural Center to host the China Cup, which sees about 50 to 100 players each year. As the cooperation（合作）between China and Germany deepens, many Go training courses are offered, and sometimes professional players from China are invited to give talks to German Go lovers.

Andreas Urban, the president of Berlin Go Association, discovered a book on Go accidentally. “I tried to understand the rules, but I couldn’t.” said Urban. The vice chairman, Schreiber, was introduced to the game 16 years ago by a classmate. “The first time I played Go, I even couldn’t understand the rules.” he said. But both of them found the game more and more interesting after practice. “I advise children to learn Go. They can learn that there is always someone stronger and it’s OK to lose. They can also learn how to improve from their mistakes and say tomorrow will be better than today,” said Schreiber.

To the experienced players, Go can be very addictive（使人入迷的）, as it is not just for fun, but also has a deeper cultural ground. When two players meet on the Go board, they follow the same rules, but may carry completely different methods. One of the best ways to improve is to play against someone who’s stronger, as well as from different cultural backgrounds. This kind of cross-cultural communication helps the development of Go.

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us?

A．The useful skills of playing Go.	B．The materials from which Go is made.
C．The basic rules of playing Go.	D．The number of players team has.

2. How often does Berlin host the China Cup?

A．Once a year.

B．Twice a year.

C．Three times a year.

D．Four times a year.

3. Schreiber advises children to learn Go because ________.

A．it’s easy for children to play it well	B．children can learn a lot from playing it
C．few children can face failure bravely	D．it’s the best way to win for their country

4. What similar experience did Schreiber and Urban have?

A．They found it difficult to learn Go.	B．They learned Go by accident at first.
C．They learned Go from their classmates.	D．They didn’t know Go rules well at first.

5. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Go is one of the four traditional fine arts in Germany.

B．Players can’t carry the same method when playing Go.

C．Cross-cultural communication plays a part in Go development.

D．Playing with stronger players is the best way to improve yourself.

【推荐3】“Clear your plate. Say no to waste.” “Do not waste a grain of food.” In the canteens of schools and companies across China, banners (横幅) like these have been put up everywhere. They are part of a nationwide event to cut down on food waste in China.

Food waste has become a big problem these days. According to the United Nations, 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year—that’s about a third of the world’s total food. In China alone, the restaurants wasted 17 to 18 million tons of food a year from 2013 to 2015. That could feed 30 to 50 million people for a whole year, according to Chinese Academy of Sciences.

To promote(推广) the event, restaurants and catering organizations in more than 18 provinces in China have all made guidelines (指引) to control food waste. In Shaanxi Province, for example, restaurants have been asked to serve a smaller amount to avoid waste. The Wuhan Catering Organization suggested that restaurants use the “N-1 mode”. For example, a group of 10 dinners should only order enough for nine people at first. More food is only brought to the table if required.

If people can’t finish their meals, they are also encouraged to take the leftovers home. A related online event has been held on Sina Weibo. Users share photos or videos of empty plates after finishing their meals. Lots of stars have joined in and asked their fans to develop the habit of saving food. On WeChat, a mini-program called “Clear Plate” encourages people to exchange pictures of their empty plates for credit points. People can use the credit to buy things or donate(捐献) food to children in poor areas.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．Food waste has caused a lot of problems these days.

B．About 4 billion tons of food is needed for the whole world for a year.

C．There are 30 million tons of food waste in China for a whole year.

D．Chinese restaurants wasted 17 to 18 million tons of food from 2013 to 2015.

2. To support the event, people can do the following EXCEPT ________.

A．bringing home the leftovers

B．ordering a smaller amount of food

C．sharing photos or videos while having their meals

D．exchanging pictures of empty plates for credit points

3. How does the author develop paragraph 3?

A．By giving examples.

B．By comparing facts.

C．By listing numbers.

D．By explaining reasons.