【推荐1】Want to be a hero? Better take a trip to the Great Wall. As the saying goes: you are not a hero until you have climbed the Great Wall.

And recent research shows the Great Wall is even greater than people thought. It is known for its size and length, traditionally described as “a long wall of 10,000 li(5,000 km)”. But China’s State Administration of cultural heritage made a report saying the wall actually is 21,196.18km long.

Although you’re not a “hero” yet, you’ll have seen the Great Wall on postcards and TV documentaries. The National Geographic said that this great work “is one of the world’s great feats(壮举) of engineering and an enduring monument(不朽的丰碑) to the strength of an ancient civilization”.

Building the Great Wall in ancient times required years of hard work. Legend has it that a woman named Meng Jiangnu of the Qin Dynasty went a long way to the Great Wall in search of her husband, who was one of the workers called up to build the wall. She finally found him dead because of hard work. She started to cry, and suddenly a section of the Great Wall fell down.

And there’s another popular legend about the Great Wall—it is said to be the “only” man-made structure that can be seen from space. But, the truth is that while astronauts can spot the Great Wall, they can also see other things like the Giza pyramids in Egypt and even airport runways.

1. The research shows the Great Wall is greater than people thought because ________.

A．it is a long wall of 10,000li

B．it is well-known for its long history

C．it is much longer than people knew

D．it is much older than people first thought

2. What does the writer want to explain by telling the legend of Meng Jiangnu?

A．Why a section of the Great Wall fell down.

B．The Great Wall was built thanks to many people’s hard work.

C．Meng Jiangnu was a great woman in Chinese history.

D．The Great Wall was built in the Qin Dynasty.

3. What does the underlined word “civilization” mean in Chinese?

A．启发

B．城市

C．市民

D．文明

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．There are legends about the Great Wall.

B．It’s said that the Great Wall can be seen from space.

C．The Great Wall is the only man-made structure in the world.

D．The Great Wall is great because astronaut can see it from space.

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

A．History of the Great Wall

B．The Great Wall’s role in China

C．The Great Wall is growing greater

D．Legends of the Great Wall are not all true

【推荐2】There is nothing better than an old-fashioned swimming hole to get away from the heat this summer. Here's where to find the best places all over the country.

Madison Blue Spring, Florida This naturally-formed spring (泉水) lives up to its name (名副其实): The water is blue and attractive. Now a state park, the 25-foot deep swimming hole lies inside a lovely forest next to the Withlacoochee River in northern Florida. If you are brave, you can even swim into the hole's underwater caves.	Santa Rosa Blue Hole, New Mexico Like an oasis (绿洲) in the desert, this swimming hole keeps a perfect temperature of 62 degrees. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom. It is because the water, which is connected to an underwater cave system (系统), renews itself every six hours. You can even jump in from the edge of the broken sinkhole (沉洞), which is off the famous highway Route 66.
Switzer Falls, California You can get out of the city with a trip to the Bear Canyon area of Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles. Follow the river to the 50-foot Switzer Falls, and you can pass lots of natural pools before and after the waterfall (瀑布). You can choose what you like! Getting there requires hiking a couple of miles out and back, but the cool water on a hot day is worth it.	Peekamoose Blue Hole, New York Sometimes natural beauty can be nearly ruined because it is famous. The Peekamoose Blue Hole is in such a worrying situation. The swimming hole faced overuse, environmental harm and pollution. So strict rules were made to protect the quiet place several years ago. In the future, a permit (许可证) may be required to visit the pool to limit the number of visitors.

1. What is a feature of Madison Blue Spring, Florida?

A．It is beyond a forest.	B．It can provide an underwater adventure (探险).
C．It is dug by workers.	D．It's 25 meters deep.

2. What can we know about Switzer Falls from the passage?

A．It helps visitors avoid summer heat.	B．It lies inside the city.
C．Visitors can drive directly to it.	D．It has only one natural pool for visitors.

3. What will happen to Peekamoose Blue Hole in the future ?

A．It will be repaired to attract more visitors.	B．Swimmers will not be allowed to visit it.
C．Visitors will become fewer than before.	D．People will volunteer to protect it.

4. What does the underlined word "ruined" probably mean?

A．赞扬

B．毁坏

C．保护

D．联系

5. Where can you read the passage?

A．In a book review.

B．In a novel.

C．In a textbook.

D．In a travel magazine.

【推荐3】My name is Chen Lan. My home is in Gulangyu. It is in Xiamen. It is near the sea. Gulangyu is a small place, but it is very nice and clean. There are no cars, no buses or no bikes. People only walk. So it is very quiet. People go to visit Gulangyu by ship. Our house is in the middle of Gulangyu. Behind our house there is a big tree. My grandfather tells me that the tree is very, very old. There are many birds in the tree. But I am unhappy now, because there are many restaurants and hotels near my house.

Our house is in front of the sea. The sea is big and blue. There are a lot of fish in the sea. After school, I go there and catch(抓) fish with my friends. It is very interesting. I like fish and I like catching fish.

1. From the passage we can know Gulangyu is __________.

A．a big city.

B．very nice and clean.

C．very noisy.

2. People often go to Gulangyu _________?

A．By bike.

B．By car

C．By ship

3. There is a big tree _____________ my house.

A．in front of

B．behind

C．across from

4. I feel unhappy because ____________.

A．There are many restaurants and hotels near my house

B．I can’t see so many birds in the tree

C．There aren’t a lot of fish in the sea

5. I often ___________ after school.

A．go to the sea and catch fish

B．climb the tree with my friends

C．swim in the sea