【推荐1】Grandpa moved in with us after Grandma passed away when I was 9. He came to Canada from China. I never spoke much Mandarin (普通话). Grandpa didn’t speak much English, but it didn’t matter.

One way we bonded was over a game of Monopoly (《大富翁》). He didn’t really understand the rules. But I don’t think it mattered. We always had a great time and a better relationship when we played the game.

I think of Grandpa when I play the trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh with my sons. I can’t keep track of all the spells and effects involved in this game. Truthfully, I don’t care if I win or lose these games. What matters is spending time with my children and making an effort to understand their interests.

I often think about my kids at how excitedly they explain rules and how they go easy on their old man. They’re growing up fast. I imagine it’s like how Grandpa felt when he played Monopoly with us.

Grandpa went for regular walks. He also spent his days sitting on the couch（长沙发）staring out the window and singing quietly. I often thought he was bored. But as I age, I find peace in taking moments to stare out a window. It is really great. Maybe I got that from him.

One of my biggest regrets is not spending more time with Grandpa. The night he passed away was the day before his 80th birthday. I felt very sad.

What I learned from my grandfather was to enjoy simple pleasures in life. Such as seeing the beauty in the colors of the rainbow, seeing a single leaf fall from a tree and playing Yu-Gi-Oh with my sons.

1. What happened to the author and his grandfather during their game?

A．He grew impatient with his grandfather.

B．They enjoyed themselves at the game.

C．They learned to speak each other’s language.

D．His grandfather seldom had fun at the game.

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “bonded” in Paragraph1?

A．保持联系

B．沟通交流

C．增进关系

D．加强理解

3. What is the author thinking when he stares out a window?

A．How bored his father was at that time.

B．How much he misses his grandfather.

C．How difficult it is to be good parents.

D．How wonderful it is to feel peace at heart.

4. According to the passage, which of the following statement is right?

A．The author can communicate well with his grandfather in English

B．The author can’t play Yu-Gi-Oh with his sons because he can’t keep track of all the spells and effects involved in this game

C．The author understand his grandfather better when he grows older.

D．The author spent a lot of time walking and sitting on the couch with his grandfather.

5. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this story?

A．To tell readers his grandfather’s life stories.

B．To show the influence that families have on kids.

C．To encourage readers to spend more time with families.

D．To share how his grandfather influenced him in some way.

【推荐3】When we talk about stars, especially women stars, it seems that they are always young, pretty and own charming body shapes. But recently a Britain's Got Talent（英国达人）star Susan Boyle has changed our views absolutely.

Simon Cowell, one of the judges of the talent show spoke of his shock over Ms Boyb's voice. "This lady came up, and I'm thinking, "This will take five seconds and I can go to have a cup of tea. "That changed when she began to sing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. She knew we were going to have that reaction（反应）and just to see that look of satisfaction on her face midway through-it was one of my favorite moments," Cowell said.

The performance was posted Online and before long, the 47-year-old Scottish woman has been famous all over the world. Speaking from her home in Scotland. Ms. Boyle said that she hadn't thought of changing her appearance. She said that her friend helped her with make-up. "I mean, that's hardly a makeover." she added.

Ms. Boyle also spoke of the reason she first began to explore her vocal talents. "I was kind of slow at school, so getting something like singing was a good way of hiding behind that and thus it built my confidence（自信）."

1. Susan Boyle is ______________.

A．a judge

B．a reporter

C．a beautiful lady

D．a Scottish woman

2. What does the underlined word "views" mean?

A．见解

B．预告

C．复习

D．景色

3. According to the passage，which is NOT true?

A．It was the vocal talents that built Susan's confidence.

B．Susan Boyle was not good at her lessons when at school.

C．Susan Boyle became famous because of her appearance.

D．Simon Cowell didn't think Susan Boyle a good singer at the first sight.

4. What can we learn from Susan Boyle's success?

A．It's never too old to learn.

B．It's easier to succeed at the age of 47.

C．If you have a dream，try to make it come true!

D．If you are not able to study well，to be a singer instead.

【推荐1】Nina felt nervous this morning. She couldn’t believe that she decided to try out for a talent show. She loved to sing but she disliked singing in front of other people.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door of the theater and went inside.
The room was filled with laughing children. Nina saw Luz, James and others from her class. The bright, sunny room left her no place to hide. A few teachers sat on chairs. They waited for the children to become quiet.
“Hi, Nina!” Luz called out. “I didn’t think you would try out. You are so timid(胆怯的) in front of people.”
“That’s not true,” Nina said. “I’m not shy at all.”
“Yeah, right,” Luz chuckled(轻声地笑) and ran off to find a seat.
One by one the students got up on the stage(舞台) and did their acts.
“Nina Martinez!” a voice called out. It was Mrs. Brent, the music teacher. Nina rose from her chair. She felt small as she walked to the huge, empty stage. Her face was hot and her shaking hands were as cold as ice.
“I-I-” Nina began, and then stopped. “I can’t,” she said softly.
“Close your eyes,” said Mrs. Brent gently. “Forget about everyone else. Just sing.”
Nina felt silly, but she gave it a try. She closed her eyes and raised her voice and sang out. Her hands stopped shaking. The song was so nice that everybody enjoyed it.
Nina heard Mrs. Brent clap (鼓掌) loudly at the end of her song. “That’s the first time I have really heard your voice,” she said. “You are in the show!”
Nina let out a big sigh(叹息) and smiled happily.

1. What was the weather like that day?

A．Sunny.

B．Rainy.

C．Snowy.

D．Cloudy.

2. Why did Luz laugh as he ran off to his seat? Because         .

A．he thought Nina looked silly

B．he thought Nina was very funny

C．he did not believe Nina was telling the truth

D．he did not believe Nina had a good music teacher

3. When Nina walked to stage, her face was hot and her hands were cold. That’s because
she was         .

A．very excited	B．badly ill
C．too nervous	D．so happy

4. Mrs. Brent told Nina to just sing for herself. It showed that Mrs. Brent         .

A．wanted Nina to do well

B．thought Nina’s voice was too soft

C．did not think Nina would be in the show

D．did not think Nina would remember the song

5. Which word best describes Nina at the end of the story?

A．Silly.

B．Lucky.

C．Proud.

D．Terrible.

【推荐2】For several days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the morning he was busy with business， and in the afternoon gentlemen from the neighborhood called and hung out with him. All my knowledge of him was limited to occasional meetings around the house， when he would sometimes pass me coldly， and sometimes bow and smile. His changes of manner did not make me unhappy, because I saw that I had nothing to do with the cause of them.

One evening, several days later, I was invited to talk to Mr. Rochester after dinner. He was sitting in his armchair, and looked not so serious. There was a smile on his face, and his eyes were bright, probably with wine. As I was looking at him, he suddenly turned, and asked me, “Do you think I'm handsome, Miss Eyre?”

The answer went out from my tongue（舌头） before I realized it: “No，sir.”

I continued to say，“Ah, you are really unusual! You are a quiet, serious little person, but you can be almost rude.” “Sir, I'm sorry. What I mean is that beauty doesn't matter, or something like that.”

Mr. Rochester said, “ No, you shouldn't! I see, you criticize （批评） my appearance， and then you stab（刺） me in the back! You have honesty and feeling. There are not many girls like you. You are very special. ”

He seemed to read my mind, and said quickly, “Yes, you’re right. I have plenty of faults. I went the wrong way when I was twenty one， and have never found the right road again. I was not a bad man， and believe me. It wasn't my character（性格）,but circumstances（处境）that were to blame（责备）. Hope you can understand me.”

“Don't be afraid of me, Miss Eyre,” he continued. “You don't relax or laugh very much ,   perhaps because of the effect Lowood school has had on you. But in time you will be more natural with me, and laugh, and speak freely. You're like a bird in a cage. When you get out of the cage, you'll fly very high. Good night."

1. Why didn't Miss Eyre mind Mr. Rochester 's manner?

A．Because she thought she had nothing to do with it.

B．Because he often hung out with gentlemen.

C．Because he was very cold.

2. The underlined word “occasional” in the first paragraph means“___________”.

A．经常的

B．偶尔的

C．极少的

3. Why did Mr. Rochester say“… and then you stab（刺） me in the back!" in Paragraph 5?

A．Because Miss Eyre planned to kill him with a knife.

B．Because Miss Eyre regretted having talked to him.

C．Because Miss Eyre said something else to correct what she had said before.

4. Mr. Rochester told Miss Eyre something about his circumstances in order to ___________.

A．tell her all his troubles

B．tell her his life experience

C．change her opinion of him

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

A．Miss Eyre didn't think Mr. Rochester was handsome when asked.

B．At last, Mr. Rochester encouraged Miss Eyre to laugh and relax.

C．Miss Eyre fell in love with Mr. Rochester.

【推荐3】Mr. Green lives in a village. He has a few farms and is the richest there. And he has pigs, chickens, cows and sheep. He works in the fields with some workers, and his wife has to do all the housework at home. So she is very busy and asks her husband to employ(雇) a girl to help her, but he doesn't agree.

“There are so many chickens, dear, ”said the woman one day. “I can't look after them at all. ”“That's easy, ”said Mr. Green. “There’s Mr. Black's farm outside our enclosing walls( 围 墙 ). We'd better make a few holes in the walls and the chickens will go to his farm through them and eat his vegetables. ”

And soon Mr. Black found it. He told Mr. Green and his wife about it. They promised they would stop their chickens doing it but they didn't kept their promise at all. Mr. Black thought for a while and found a way. He put nearly 20 eggs near the holes one afternoon. And that evening, when Mrs. Black was counting her chickens, she called out on her farm, “Oh. I'm luck today! I found twenty eggs on my farms. Of course, Mrs. Green saw it herself. And she stopped up holes that night.

1. Where do the Greens and Blacks live?

A．In the different villages.	B．In the same town.
C．Far from each other.	D．Next to each other.

2. Why is Mrs. Green busy?

A．Because she has a few farms.

B．Because she has to do a lot of housework.

C．Because she has to help her husband.

D．Because she isn't strong enough to do all.

3. What does Mr. Green make some holes in the walls for?

A．Letting his chickens go to Mr. Black's farm and eat Mr. Black vegetables.

B．Letting his chickens lay(产) some eggs in Mr. Black's field.

C．Making Mr. Black angry.

D．Watching Mr. Black's chickens.

4. What does the underlined word “it”refer to?

A．Making the hole.

B．Laying eggs.

C．Eating Mr. Black's vegetables.

D．Eating Mr. Green’s vegetables.

【推荐1】

A man sat at an underground station in Washington, D.C., and started to play the violin. It was a cold day in January. He played six Bach（巴赫）pieces for about 45 minutes. It was rush hour and thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and the first person, a middle-aged man, noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed down and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
After a minute, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a young woman threw the money in the box and continued to walk. Then another few minutes went by and someone stood against the wall to listen to him, but the young man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
During the musician’s performance, only six people stopped and stayed for a while, twenty gave him money but continued to walk. When he finished playing, no one applauded（鼓掌）. No one knew the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing in the underground station was organized by The Washington Post（《华盛顿邮报》）as part of a social experiment. One of the conclusions from this experiment could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music, how many other things are we missing?
1. The story took place on __________.

A．a cold morning

B．a winter evening

C．a freezing weekend

D．a January afternoon

2. The first dollar tip for the musician was from __________.

A．a middle-aged man	B．a young man
C．a young woman	D．a small girl

3. The performance in the underground station lasted for about __________.

A．an hour

B．45 minutes

C．20 minutes

D．6 minutes

4. When the musician was playing the violin, 26 people __________.

A．gave him cheers	B．introduced themselves to him
C．recognized him	D．gave response to his performance

5. The people going past Joshua Bell __________.

A．showed interest in his violin	B．seemed in their hurry
C．were on their way home	D．acted rudely to him

6. The purpose of this experiment was to __________.

A．observe what people usually did in the underground

B．let us know more about the importance of saving time

C．do a survey on how many people were fond of music

D．make us pay more attention to nice things around

【推荐2】Larry seemed always silent and didn’t have any friends. His teacher Mr. Brown noticed this. One day, he asked Larry to meet him after class.

Mr. Brown said, “I see that you don’t talk to anyone or show any interest in anything. What’s wrong?” Larry answered, “Sir, I have a very difficult life. I have to face some very sad incidents (事件) and I keep thinking about them. Because of this, I can’t focus (集中) my attention on anything and don’t even feel like talking to anyone.”

Mr. Brown listened carefully, thought for a while and said, “Would you like some lemonade (柠檬水)?” Larry felt a little surprised and nervously answered, “Yes, thank you!”

While preparing lemonade, Mr. Brown added more salt on purpose (故意) and kept the quantity (量) of sugar low. Larry made a strange face as soon as he drank a sip of that lemonade. Seeing this, Mr. Brown asked, “You don’t like it?”

“Um…it’s just that there is a bit too much salt in it,” Larry answered.

Mr. Brown stopped him, “Oh, it doesn’t matter. I will throw it away.” As the teacher was lifting the glass to take it away, Larry stopped him and said, “Sir, please don’t throw it away. If we put a little more sugar in the lemonade, it will be fine to drink.”

Hearing this, Mr. Brown said happily, “This is what I want to hear from you. To improve the taste of lemonade, we don’t need to remove the salt from it, and we can just add some sugar to it. Similarly, we cannot remove sad things that have already happened to us, but we can add sweetness of good experiences in our life. If you keep on crying about your past, neither your present will be right nor the future will be bright.”

Larry realized (意识到) his problem and promised to live a positive (积极的) life.

1. What does the underlined “ this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Larry had to face many sad things.

B．Larry couldn’t listen carefully in class.

C．Larry didn’t show any interest in anything

D．Larry was always silent and had no any friends.

2. Mr. Brown prepared some lemonade because ________.

A．Larry was thirsty	B．it could help make Larry relaxed
C．Mr. Brown wanted to teach him a lesson	D．Mr. Brown wanted to try its special taste

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

A．Mr. Brown threw the lemonade away.

B．Mr. Brown wasn’t good at making lemonade.

C．Larry felt happy after drinking the lemonade.

D．Larry decided to focus on the sweetness of life.

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．We can improve the taste of the lemonade with more salt.

B．We can live a happier life if we see things from the bright side.

C．If we can’t do with the bad things in our life, we won’t be happy.

D．If we stop thinking about the sad incidents, difficulties will not go into our life.

【推荐3】A.   Choose the best answer (根据短文内容，选择最恰当的答案)   

Sir Steven Redgrave—Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病), believing the profession trained for the whole of my life ended, I felt very sorry. Then one of my friends said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it—the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”

Karen Pickering—Swimming World Champion (冠军)
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that amount of work by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success—you can’t follow a profession in any field without being well-organized. Make a list of what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kristen Stewart—Actress

“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve anything. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to give most of your attention to one thing. When I feel nervous, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘focus’ , ‘calm’, ‘peace’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit and is a powerful psychological(心理学的) tool.”
1. Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talks about ________.

A．difficulties stopped his profession	B．doctors offered him help
C．illness couldn’t stop him trying to win	D．he didn’t believe in himself

2. Karen Pickering trained in swimming ________.

A．6 hours a day	B．6 hours a week
C．6 days a week	D．4 hours a week

3. Karen Pickering puts ________ on top of her diary.

A．the amount of work	B．her activities
C．her goals	D．her sports news

4. The underlined word “ distractions” probably means ________.

A．things that turn one’s attention away

B．things that make one tired

C．words to enjoy

D．good habits

5. The same character of the three people is________.

A．self-confidence

B．happiness

C．humour

D．wisdom

6. The best title for the passage is ________.

A．How to Be a Winner	B．Health and Food
C．Difficulties and Habits	D．Be a Sportsman

【推荐1】Dear Jason，
Happy birthday! You are now the proud owner of an iPhone. You are a good and responsible 14­year­old boy and you can have this gift. But with the acceptance of this gift come some rules. Please read through the following list of rules. I hope that you understand it is my job to help you become a well­behaved, healthy young man. If you fail to follow the rules, we will stop you from using it.
①If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, and use your manners(礼貌). Do answer the phone if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”．
②It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with your friends in person. That’s an important life skill. But field trips and after­school activities will need special consideration(深思)．
③If it falls into the toilet, drops on the ground or disappears into thin air, you should pay for the repair costs or a new one. Accidents will happen, so you should be prepared.
④Turn it off, silence it or put it away in public, especially in a cinema. You are not a rude person, so do not allow your new toy to change that.
⑤Leave your phone at home sometimes. It is not alive, nor is it an extension(延伸) of your body. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO—fear of missing out.
⑥________. See the world happening around you. Look out of a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk.
If you mess up, I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You and I, we are always learning. I am always in your team.
Mom
1. What’s the mother’s purpose of writing this letter?

A．To teach Jason how to use iPhone.

B．To show Jason how much his parents love him.

C．To remind Jason to be polite in public.

D．To make a deal with Jason on how to use his iPhone.

2. Which of the following is the best sentence to fill in the blank in the passage?

A．Keep your eyes up.

B．Take care of it.

C．Read more books.

D．Do eye exercises.

3. Which of the following situation can “FOMO” be used to describe?

A．Jason may feel excited if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”．

B．Jason may feel nervous if he doesn’t take the phone with him.

C．Jason may feel angry if he is asked to turn the phone off in public.

D．Jason may feel relaxed if he communicates with his friends on the phone.

4. Which of the following rules does Jason have to follow if he wants to own the iPhone?
a. Do not answer calls from strangers.
b. Keep the phone silent at the cinema.
c. Pay close attention to his phone at school.
d. Don’t take the phone with him all the time.

A．a, c	B．c, d
C．b, d	D．b, c

【推荐2】I have been working at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for the past 20 years. My day starts at 5:30, when I have two cups of black coffee while listening to the radio. Recently, I've been using the morning to work on a book I'm currently writing. I'm in the hospital just before 8:00. If it's a nice day, I'll cycle the fifteen miles to my office, but my favorite way of getting to work is on my motorbike.

My week is divided into operating and non-operating days. Monday and Tuesday are my operating days and I like to come in early and stay late to check the progress of my patients. During the rest of the week, I'm in clinics or working in research.

On a typical operating day, I will conduct two to three operations. Some of the complex operations can take as long as ten to twelve hours. In certain cases, I think about them days, or even weeks, in advance.

Last week, I had one of these cases which took a lot of thinking through (充分考虑) beforehand. The patient was a young man who had a rare congenital heart abnormality (先天性心脏畸形). He needed an operation urgently, or he would probably die. I planned the operation in my head while at the dentist's.

Like many other doctors, I am always on call for my patients. When I do get to have some time to myself, I enjoy creating crossword puzzles (纵横填字游戏). I even make them for The Guardian!

1. When does the writer arrive at the hospital on a working day?

A．At 5:30 a. m.

B．Before 5:30 a. m.

C．After 8 a. m

D．Before 8 a. m.

2. According to the passage, the writer's favourite way of going to his office is _______.

A．by bicycle

B．by motorbike

C．on foot

D．by bus

3. What does the writer usually do on Mondays and Tuesdays?

A．He does research.

B．He writes a book.

C．He does operations.

D．He says at home.

4. What do the underlined words mean in Chinese?

A．预先

B．及时

C．按时

D．延迟

5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The author knows how to balance his work and life.

B．The author conducts three operations every day.

C．The author enjoys his work very much.

D．The author is a responsible doctor.

【推荐3】Growing “trees” on your screen

Do you want to help China become a more beautiful country? Now, you can do this on your mobile phone.

Ant Financiall (蚂蚁金服) is an Internet financial service company. In August 2016, it started an interesting project “Ant Forest”. According to Ant Financial, “Ant Forest” can help people improve the environment.

But how does the project actually work? And what effects (效果) has it had? In “Ant Forest” people start by planting a virtual tree. The project then gives people “green energy” if they do low-carbon (碳) activities. These activities include walking, buying tickets online, taking public transportation and so on. With “green energy”, the virtual tree will slowly grow up. When there is enough “green energy”, Ant Financial will plant a real tree.

The Ant Financial company has been working with lots of green charities (慈善机构). Together, they help farmers in desert places in China plant trees.

“Ant Forest” has been very popular. More than 250 million people have planted virtual trees on their phones. And Ant Financial has planted more than ten million real trees.

Bai Xue is a member of Ant Financial. She says the company believes everyone wants to improve the environment. She and her workmates are happy that they can help people realize their wishes. According to Bai, Ant Financial will do more in the future so that we can make China a greener country together.

1. What’s the Chinese of the underlined word “virtual”?

A．真实的

B．虚拟的

C．高大的

D．茂密的

2. What is the correct order according to the passage?
a. You plant a virtual tree.       b. You receive “green energy”.
c. You do low-carbon activities.       d. The virtual tree grows up.
e. Ant Financial plants a real tree.

A．a-c-b-d-e

B．a-b-c-d-e

C．c-a-b-d-e

D．b-a-d-e-c

3. Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?

A．People have planted 250 million trees on their phones.

B．Ant Financial has helped all farmers in China to plant trees.

C．The project helps charities to become more and more popular.

D．If you walk to school, you can get “green energy” from the project.

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

A．Bai Xue is working for Ant Financial together with her workmates.

B．The Chinese people are working hard to make China a greener county.

C．Ant Financial will do more in the future to make our country greener.

D．The company believes that everyone will realize their wishes in the future.