【推荐1】Why is the sea salt? Long before we discovered scientific ways of thinking about it, we explained it in a story. Even though the answer isn’t scientific, it holds some other truth in it—especially about the human heart.

Long ago, a poor old couple lived on the coast. One day, an old storyteller came to their village. The old couple gave him a meal. In return, he gave them a coffee mill (磨粉机) and said , “Say, ‘Mill, please grind (磨粉),’ and it’ll make whatever you want; to stop it, say ‘Mill, please cease (停止) grinding.’”

Soon the old couple had a much better life. They’d been happy people, and they didn’t need much more. But the young couple next door were never satisfied. When they saw the old couple wearing good clothes and buying good food, they burnt with envy (羡慕). So one day, the young husband went to the old couple’s house secretly and heard, “Mill, please grind hot chocolate!” He was surprised to see it coming out.

Then the young couple stole the mill from the old couple. With it, they rode a horse and set off down the coast, where no one would know them. Along the way, the husband showed proudly and asked, “What do you want it to make?” “Oh, I don’t know. Why not salt?” the wife said. “Mill, please grind salt!” he said. “It works!” the wife shouted. But then they noticed the salt went everywhere. “Make it stop.” the wife said. But the husband didn’t know how. “Mill, please stop grinding! Please, no more!” His words didn’t work. The mill kept grinding. Finally the young husband threw the mill into the sea as far as he could.

And there it’s been, for hundreds of years, endlessly grinding salt. That’s why the sea is salt.

1. The passage is probably a(n) ________.

A．folk story

B．instruction

C．science fiction

D．science report

2. Put the things happened to the mill in correct order.
a.It began to produce salt.
b.The young husband threw it.
c.The young couple stole it.
d.The old couple got it.

A．b-d-a-c

B．b-a-d-c

C．d-a-c-b

D．d-c-a-b

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

A．The coffee.

B．The horse.

C．The mill.

D．The chocolate.

4. How did the young husband’s feelings change?

A．sorry -sad-excited	B．thirsty-excited-afraid
C．happy-nervous-proud	D．surprised-thankful-happy

5. What does the word “truth” in Paragraph 1 imply (暗指)?

A．Being patient.

B．Working properly.

C．Being satisfied.

D．Listening carefully.

【推荐2】Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy making money for my schooling.

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt (缝被子). I silently sat beside her.

“Mum, is there love between you and Dad?” I asked in a very low voice.

With surprise in her eyes, she stopped her work for a while. Then she said, “Susan, look at this thread (线). It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there. It makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, love should be a thread. Love is inside.”

I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. After they were back, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road every day. They were so kind to each other and it seemed they were the happiest couple.

After two months, my father still couldn’t walk by himself.

“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.

“Susan, don’t worry about me,” he said. “I just like walking with your mum. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes, I knew he loves my mother deeply.

Now I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

1. Why are Susan’s parents busy trying to make money?

A．To send Susan to school.	B．To go to see the doctor.
C．To buy a strong quilt.	D．To show their love.

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

A．好看的

B．廉价的

C．耐用的

D．昂贵的

3. Susan came to understand her mother __________.

A．while her mother was sewing a quilt	B．before her father was in hospital
C．when she was sitting beside her mother	D．after her father was seriously sick

4. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．How to make a quilt strong	B．Love is just a thread
C．Walking on the country road	D．A seriously sick father

【推荐3】At the beginning of May, I went to the Con Brio Sun Peaks Music Festival with my school bands.     1     It has attracted over 5, 000 musicians. I have looked forward to it for a long time.

We left our school early in the morning and set off to Sun Peaks—a beautiful village in British Columbia in the west of Canada. Everyone was excited in the bus.     2     We checked in and got some rest in the hotel. We played some fun games and also had free time to buy souvenirs.

The best part of this three-day music trip was our performance.     3     I was very nervous. I saw them talking to each other when we were playing. I played oboe（双簧管）for both the Grade 9 and Grade 10 bands. After each performance, we had a chance to meet one of the experienced band directors.     4     We learned how to have better teamwork with our director and how to listen to each other.

We haven’t known the result yet, but I think we did a good job. Before we went back, we received a CD of our performance and advice from the judges.     5     I enjoyed this fantastic music festival and I hope I can go there again next year.

A．It took us four hours to get to the hotel.

B．We performed three pieces of music for the judges.

C．I think we can improve more after we listen to the CD.

D．The directors taught us how to improve our performance.

E．We are happy to play games and enjoy the three-day music trip.

F．This festival has been held for 13 years and is very successful in Canada.

【推荐1】One day, I picked up my daughter Eloise from school and went to the supermarket for a few things. I was hoping to be in and out quickly.

I found a short line with just one person in front of me. It was an elderly woman, and she was paying for her things with only change. After a long day at work, I could not stand being kept waiting so long.

But then I watched the young clerk. He helped her count her change, ever so tenderly (温柔地) taking it from her shaking hands. I listened to him repeatedly say to her, “Yes, Ma’am.” When she asked if she had enough to buy a bag, he told her she did. Then he went two lines over to get one for her. Never once did this clerk get bored or roll his eyes. He was patient and kind.

As I was watching him, I saw Eloise was watching, too. I realized my daughter was learning an important lesson from a complete stranger.

When the woman was finished, the clerk began ringing up my things and thanked me for my patience. I thanked him, too. I found the manager and told him about the clerk’s kindness and patience. Then we left the supermarket with a full cart (购物车), but also with a heart full of thankfulness for such an important lesson.

1. Which word best describes the writer’s attitude toward the elderly woman at first?

A．Kind-hearted.

B．Scared.

C．Interested.

D．Angry.

2. From Paragraph 2, we know that the elderly woman ________.

A．lived a comfortable life	B．might not have much money
C．was a friend of the clerk’s	D．didn’t want to pay for her things

3. The underlined phrase “ringing up” in the last paragraph means “________”.

A．putting away	B．making a call
C．making an order of goods	D．recording how much is spent

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

A．The writer took her daughter home by car.

B．In the supermarket there were many people paying for things.

C．The young clerk was very kind to the elderly woman.

D．The writer told the manager that the young clerk did a good job.

5. What was the important lesson the writer referred to?

A．Be kind and patient with others.	B．It’s hard to be a good clerk.
C．We can learn from strangers.	D．Don’t look down upon anyone.

【推荐2】

What are the cultural differences between China and the West? You might be able to find the answer in Cao Siyu’s comics（漫画）.

Cao, 32, was born in Beijing, but left home at 20 and has studied and lived in the US, the UK, and France over the last 12 years. Having seen so many cultures, Cao wanted to use her visual design（视觉设计）skills to present the differences she has experienced. So she created the cartoon series Tiny Eyes Comics.

“My experience shows that although travel is much easier and faster today, the distance between cultures hasn’t shortened,” Cao said. She hopes to build bridges and break down misunderstandings between different cultures. For example, one of her cartoons shows water preferences in different countries. Three glasses of water are shown. The glass of water from the US has ice; the one from France is full of sparkling water（气泡水）; the one from China is steaming（冒热气的）.

Cao also uses her cartoons to show different ways of thinking and social customs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, she used her comics to explain why Chinese people prefer to wear masks, while Western people don’t.

Many foreign readers say that Cao’s comics help them understand China, while Chinese immigrants（移民）have felt that they are seen and understood.

1. How many foreign countries has Cao stayed over the last 12 years?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

2. Why did Cao create the cartoon series Tiny Eyes Comics?

A．Because she wanted to tell us differences she has experienced.

B．Because she hoped to build the bridges between different cultures.

C．Because she wanted to show the different ways of social customs.

D．All of above.

3. Which sentence is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．French people like drinking icy water.

B．Western people don’t like wearing masks.

C．Many foreigners can have a better understanding of China from her comics.

D．Cao was born in Beijing.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．We should know the culture differences.	B．Cao’s comics help people understand China.
C．It’s interesting to create cartoons.	D．Many foreign readers like the comics.

【推荐3】A farmer carelessly lost an expensive gold watch in the barn on the farm, where he searched for everywhere but failed.So he put a notice on the gate of the farm: whoever finds the gold watch will be rewarded 100 dollars.
People tried their best to look for the watch in order to get the reward. However, the barn was too large and the straw in the barn was too thick. It was getting dark and they were still unable to find it. So they gave up the reward of 100 dollars one by one.
But only a small boy was still not discouraged but kept looking for it .He had nothing to eat throughout the day. In order to solve the family problem, he looked forward to finding the gold watch and let his parents, brothers and sisters have a full meal.
The night was already getting late, the boy was also tired. He was lying in the straw to have a rest when he heard a strange “tick--tock ”.He immediately held his breath and listened carefully, and followed the sound. He found the watch and got the 100 dollars.
Like the gold watch in the barn, success has been around us and spread in every corner of life. Only when we are calm and firmly look for it ,we can find it.
1. If someone found the gold watch, what would the farmer offer him?

A．100 yuan.	B．100 dollars.
C．100 pounds.	D．100 pence.

2. Why did the boy insist on looking for the gold watch?

A．Because he liked the gold watch.

B．Because he wanted to own the watch.

C．Because he was silly.

D．Because he wanted to get the reward.

3. The passage above is probably taken from_________.

A．A newspaper	B．a science book
C．an advertisement	D．a notice

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

A．The boy had no brothers or sisters.

B．The boy’s family had a hard life.

C．It was easy for the boy to find the watch.

D．The farmer didn’t look for the watch for himself

5. Of the following,which order is right according to the story?
① The boy succeeded in finding the gold watch
② The farmer offered the boy a reward of 100 dollars
③ A farmer lost a gold watch carelessly
④ Many people tried to find the watch,but they failed.

A．②①④③	B．④②③①
C．③④①②	D．①③④②

【推荐1】We all know plastic pollution has become a serious problem. One million plastic drinking bottles are thrown away every minute. What if we could use plastic waste to build roads? This is exactly what Toby McCartney has done.

In 2019, McCartney’s UK-based company, MacRebur, built a plastic road in Elgin town, Scotland. The plastic waste was made into grains（颗粒）and then mixed with biturmen(沥青). The road looks just like any other road. But it has improved strength and is more stretchy(有弹性的) thanks to the plastic.

“Our technology can not only help solve the problem of plastic waste but also produce roads that deal better with changes in the weather,” McCartney said.

McCartney’s idea came from a trip to India. “I saw people in India would put plastic waste into potholes(路面的坑洼) and burn it. The plastic would melt down(熔化) and fill the holes,” said McCartney.

“I knew that there must be some correspondences between plastic and biturmen, which both come from oil. That’s how I started to think about mixing them,” he said.

After lots of testing, McCartney found the perfect method. And now his company has built many plastic roads around the world. A one-kilometer stretch of road uses about 684, 000 plastic bottles or 1.8 million plastic bags. The road itself can be recycled and the materials can be reused to build new roads.

“We’re just a small part of ending the plastic problems, but it’s nice to be part of it,” McCartney said. “I just don’t want my daughters to live in a world where there are more plastics in the ocean than fish.”

1. Compared with normal roads, the plastic road _________.
a. is not easy to break   b. is fit for hot weather   c. is more stretchy   d. costs more money

A．ab

B．ac

C．bc

D．bd

2. ________ gave McCartney the idea of building the plastic road.

A．Too many changes in the weather

B．His wish to reduce plastic pollution

C．His knowledge of plastic and biturmen

D．Indian people’s way of dealing with potholes

3. The underlined word “correspondences” in this passage means ________.

A．competitions

B．connections

C．differences

D．reasons

4. What does McCartney mean in the last paragraph?

A．He is ready to offer help in reducing plastic pollution.

B．Children should also join to reduce plastic pollution.

C．Plastic problems will soon be solved with his help.

D．Plastic pollution is becoming more and more serious.

5. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．To describe how much a kid’s future matters.

B．To encourage every company to build a plastic road.

C．To help people understand how harmful plastic waste is.

D．To tell people plastic waste can be reused to build a road.

【推荐2】When I was young, I had a dream. It was to be a policeman. But now that’s not my dream job anymore. I want to be a doctor. It is my dream job because I can help people.

If you want to be a doctor, you have to work very hard. First, you have to pass the high school subjects—math, physics and chemistry. That’s the only problem for me. I’m not very talented at school, but I’m trying my best. After high school you have to study hard for 4-5 years at university before you can become a doctor.

When you are a doctor, you can help more people although you have long working hours. I hope my dream will come true.

1. What did the writer want to be when he was young?

A．A nurse.	B．A doctor.
C．A teacher.	D．A policeman.

2. The writer wants to be a doctor because _________.

A．he can make enough money for his family

B．he can help people

C．he doesn’t have long working hours in the hospital

D．he can pass all the subjects easily at school.

3. The writer will study in university _________ years before he can become a doctor.

A．four to five	B．three to four
C．two to three	D．nine to ten

4. If the writer wants to be a doctor, he must pass the following high school subjects except (除了) _________.

A．physics

B．chemistry

C．math

D．music

5. If you are a doctor, you’ll _________.

A．have short working hours.	B．not help people.
C．have long working hours.	D．not go to university.

【推荐3】Ever since I was a child, my mouth has caused me trouble. I'm not a bad person; I have a hard time learning when to keep my mouth closed. My mom has told me again and again, "Robert, your constant bad words are hurting me. If you continue to be this rude, you will get into big trouble."It's been a problem at school several times too when teachers have told me something I didn't want to hear. I used to feel it was my duty to stand up for myself. One day in English class I began working on my homework until I heard a classmate talking behind me. It was Nathaniel, talking to himself as usual. I said ever so nicely, "Nathaniel, would you be quiet?"   Nathaniel continued talking to himself. I quickly shouted "Nathaniel, shut up!" For the next five minutes, we threw hurtful words back and forth at each other.   "At least I don't have an ugly lazy eye like you!" I shouted.I knew this would upset him deep inside. It would hurt his feelings and shut him up.     What I said filled him with anger. He tried to reach over my seat and grab me as he shouted, "That's it! That's it!" Surprised at his reaction, I sat back in my seat. Never had I seen Nathaniel act like this before.   Later on, we were taken to the principal's office. There, Mr. Black, the principal, told us to discuss the matter. It wasn't until then that I finally found that when I hurt someone physically, the wounds eventually heal. But when I hurt them with my words, sometimes the pain (痛苦) never goes away. At the end of the discussion, I said sorry to Nathaniel. When I headed back to my room, I spent some time praying. I began to think about how often what I said hurt others. But I believe that as I keep praying and asking God to help me, he'll tell me when to keep my mouth closed.
1. What's the writer's name?

A．Nathaniel.

B．Robert.

C．Black.

D．Green.

2. One day in English class, Nathaniel ____when the other classmates worked on their homework.

A．read the text

B．listened to the others

C．talked to himself

D．kept silent

3. What's the Chinese meaning of the underlined word heal?

A．愈合

B．痛苦

C．和好

D．伤害

4. In the text the writer tried to tell us that _________.

A．when you hurt someone, the pain never goes away

B．we should try to help each other at school

C．it is one's duty to stand up for himself

D．words cause more pain than wounds

【推荐1】Once there was a king who wanted to find the answers to his three most important questions in life. The three questions are: “When is the right time for every action?” “Who is the most important person?” and “What is the most important thing to do?” The king asked his men, but their answers didn’t satisfy him. In the end, he decided to visit a wise hermit(隐士).

When he got close to the hermit’s hut(茅舍) , he ordered his bodyguards(保镖) to wait behind. He found the hermit was digging. He asked the hermit his three questions, but the hermit didn’t answer. Seeing how old and weak the hermit was, the king began helping him. He dug for hours, but still didn’t get the answers. Just as the king was about to leave, a wounded man ran to them and fainted(昏倒) in front of them. The king helped the wounded man up and took care of him. After the wounded man woke up, he said he had wanted to kill the king but was hurt by the king’s bodyguards. He asked for forgiveness(原谅) and promised to serve the king faithfully.

Afterwards, the king repeated his questions to the hermit once more. The hermit replied, “If you had not helped me dig earlier, you would have left and been killed by the man. So the most important man back then was me, and the most important time was when you were digging. The most important thing was to be kind to me. When the wounded man arrived, he was the most important person, and saving him was the most important thing. By doing so, you made peace with an enemy. ” The king finally had his three answers. The most important time is the present, as it’s the only time we have the power to act. The most important person is the one you are with, and the most important thing is always to__________.

1. The king wanted to find the answers to__________.
① the most important time       ② the most important action
③ the most important thing     ④ the most important person

A．①③④

B．②③④

C．①②③

D．①②④

2. The hermit didn’t answer at first because he__________.

A．didn’t know the answers	B．didn’t want to help the king
C．was too busy digging to talk	D．was waiting for a good chance

3. Which is the best to fill in “__________” in the last sentence?

A．be kind and helpful	B．be peaceful and happy
C．be wise and creative	D．be well-known and rich

【推荐2】A man made a nice talking machine .It could weigh people’s weight .The man wanted to try the machine before he could make a lot of machines.
He put the machine into the waiting room of a station. There were always lots of people in and out.
The first one who used the machine was an Indian woman. She stood on the machine, the machine thought for a few seconds to decide which language to speak. “Good morning, Madam.” It said in Indian. “Your weight is 72 kilograms. That’s three kilograms more. If you eat more fruit and vegetables, you will be soon all right. Please have a nice day.”
The second one to use the machine was a Chinese girl .She stood on the machine and waited to hear her weight. “Good morning, Miss.” The machine said in Chinese. “Your weight is 45 kilograms. It’s all right for your age. Keep eating what you eat every day. Please have a nice day.”
The third one to use the machine was a very fat American woman .She thought for a long time to stand on the machine .The machine spoke quickly in English, “Good morning. Will one of you get off?”
1. The machine in this passage could           .

A．tell the weight of people

B．tell people what they should drink

C．sell many kinds of drinks

D．make people laugh

2. The man put his first machine           .

A．in the waiting room of a station

B．in a train

C．in the doctor’s waiting room

D．in the women’s room

3. The machine told the Indian woman           .

A．she was a little lighter

B．she was a little heavier

C．it couldn’t speak Indian

D．to eat what she wanted to eat

4. The machine said to a Chinese girl that she            .

A．should eat more

B．should eat less

C．had to eat more fruit

D．kept herself healthy

5. How was the American woman?

A．She was healthy.

B．She liked thinking.

C．She was too heavy.

D．The machine didn’t like her.

【推荐3】Chongyang Festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month every year. Do you know how it comes? Here is the story about it.

Once there is a man called Huan Jing. He learns from his teacher Fei Changfang.

One day, Fei Changfang tells Huan Jing. “On the ninth day of the ninth month, your parents are going to be very ill. You must go home now. Make two red bags for your parents and put some dogwood(山茱萸) on the door. Then take the red bags in your hands, and climb the mountain near your house. You must stay on the mountain until(直到) the next day. Then your parents can be OK.” Huan Jing listens to his teacher and goes home. He asks his family to do all those things. This saves his parents. Huan Jing is very happy.

Many people hear of it. They also do those things on this day. Then it becomes a tradition(传统) now.

1. Fei Changfang is Huan Jing’s ___________.

A．doctor

B．teacher

C．friend

D．brother

2. From the passage, we know Chongyang Festival is a day for children to __________.

A．be very ill	B．make red bags
C．do something for their parents	D．stay on the mountains

3. What does the underlined word “save” mean in the passage?

A．迫害

B．检查

C．拯救

D．挽留

4. Which order(顺序) is Right?
① Take the red bags in hands.                      ② Put some dogwood on the door.
③ Make two red bags.                                ④ Climb up the mountain.

A．①②④③

B．②③①④

C．④②③①

D．③②①④

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

A．History of Chongyang Festival	B．A Story about a Good Teacher
C．Traditions in China	D．Huan Jing’s Family