1 . You can get a clear picture about Deep Work by Cal Newport in 5 minutes. Deep Work tells us professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that you push your cognitive (认知的) capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value and improve your skill. The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who develop the skill, and then make it the core of their working life will thrive (蓬勃发展).

The book tells us the core abilities for thriving in the new economy, which are the ability to quickly master hard things, the ability to produce a high level, in terms of both quality and speed. If you can’t learn, you can’t thrive. If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive — no matter how skilled or talented you are. If you haven’t mastered deep work, you’ll struggle to learn hard things. To learn hard things quickly, you must focus intensely without distraction.

The key to developing a deep work habit is to move beyond good intentions and add routines and habits to your working life designed to minimize a state of unbroken concentration. To master the art of deep work, therefore, you must take back control of your time and attention from the many entertainments on the Internet that attempt to steal them. Adopt a tool only if its positive impacts on these factors substantially outweigh its negative impacts. It’s crucial that you figure out in advance what you’re going to do with your evenings and weekends before they begin.

In the end of Deep Work, we can know that the ability to concentrate is a skill that gets valuable things done. If you’re struggling to use your mind to its fullest capacity to create things that matter, then you’ll discover, as others have before you, that depth generates a life rich with productivity and meaning.

1. What is presented in the first paragraph?

A．Theoretical introduction.	B．Daring anticipation.
C．Practical examples.	D．Detailed analyses.

2. Who will thrive in this new economy?

A．Those who’re willing to help others.	B．Those who’re very skilled or talented.
C．Those who’re the best at what they do.	D．Those who struggle to learn hard things.

3. Which of the following can help develop a deep work habit?

A．Making a flexible schedule.	B．Quitting social media.
C．Using on-demand distraction.	D．Forming a simple habit.

4. What is the text?

A．A book review.	B．A news report.
C．An exam paper.	D．An economic article.

4 . Browse through our selected books. Whether you are a parent looking for a special gift or a teenager wanting to find a perfect book, we have what you need.

The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Quest to Save a Rain Forest Species

By Sandra Markle. Ages 8 to 10.

Woolly Monkeys spend most of their time high up in 150-foot-tall trees. That makes them difficult animals to count and to study. But cameras have provided valuable information and taken, as this book shows, amazing pictures. Experts now believe that Peru’s lowland monkeys and the waste they produce are necessary to the survival of the rain forest.

Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild

By Catherine Thimmesh. Ages 10 to 12.

The giant panda is much-beloved in China, but in the past 40 years, at least half of its places have been destroyed. Camp Panda tells about efforts to reintroduce the giant pandas into the wild so that they might have a future. As part of the efforts, people wear panda costumes that smell like pandas while weighing and measuring the young pandas. They aren’t supposed to get used to seeing and being around people, because people could bring a threat to them in the wild.

Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel

By Carl Safina. Ages 10 and older.

Carl Safina studied elephants in an African national park and killer whales off the coast of Washington state. He learned about their strong family bonds, the surprising ways they communicate and how they play and hang out with ome another. This book makes a strong case for protecting the ability of these animals to live freely.

Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction

By Nancy F. Castaldo. Ages 10 and older.

This book focuses on seven groups of animals—including whooping cranes, California condors and American alligators—that were brought back to healthy numbers by a lot of efforts. As she celebrates these successes, Nancy F. Castaldo also makes clear that dangers, such as the effects of climate change, still cloud the future of these creatures.

1. Which writer’s book talked about the most animal groups?

A．Carl Safina.	B．Nancy F. Castaldo
C．Catherine Thimmesh.	D．Sandra Markle.

2. What do these four books focus on?

A．The rights of animals.	B．The change of climate.
C．The protection of rain forests.	D．The protection of animals.

3. What’s the purpose of the author to write the text?

A．To introduce four books.	B．To get some writers known.
C．To describe some rare wild animals.	D．To appeal to children to love animals.

5 . Absolutely Unputdownable Books You Have to Read

Flowers for Algernon

Daniel Keyes

If you’re seeking a fast read, try this short story by Daniel Keyes. He’ll show you how a person who is mentally disabled feels while going from a simple gatekeeper at a bakery, whose IQ is less than 60, to a genius(天才)and the most intelligent person on the planet. In a situation like this, is it possible to overcome your fear and deal with loneliness? Daniel Keyes offers his answer to this question.

A Certain Smile

Francoise Sagan

If you don’t enjoy thrillers or sci-fi and stories about dragon-riding detectives, and if you’re longing for something comforting, slow and gentle, this beautiful little book by Francoise Sagan is just what you need. It’s a pleasant exception among traditional romance novels: you’ll find all of the advantages of high-quality literature here. And yes, it’s a real page-turner.

Orphans of the Sky

Robert A. Heinlein

A giant generation ship is sailing without guidance through the depths of the universe. Its passengers have long forgotten the outside world and believed in a pre-technological culture marked by superstition(迷信). This novel brought Heinlein wide recognition, and will grasp you tight and won’t let you go for months or even years afterward. Are we, the digital generation, different from the passengers of that imaginary spaceship?

95 Pounds of Hope

Anna Gavalda

Referring to a real person’s experiences, this little poetic story is about the main things in life; choices we make, the power of love and devotion. The story of a thirteen-year-old boy who one day has to gather all his strength and courage and take a step towards adulthood proves once again that dreams do come true. After all, no matter how many pounds we have, we’re all trying not to lose hope.

1. Whose book tells the story of a mentally disabled person?

A．Daniel Keyes’s.

B．Anna Gavalda’s.

C．Francoise Sagan’s.

D．Robert A. Heinlein’s.

2. What kind of book might Orphans of the Sky be?

A．A history book.

B．A science fiction.

C．A detective story.

D．A romance novel.

3. What is special about 95 Pounds of Hope?

A．It brings its author high praise.	B．It is just intended for adult readers.
C．It is about how to overcome fear.	D．It is based on true life experiences.

6 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10 处语言错误,每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

When reading, I used to skip some parts of a story what were unattractive to me. As a result, I failed ,to find fun or became impatient. To solve the problem, I forced myself to reading every paragraph with a patience, trying to follow the plot. To my delight, I even finish Jane Eyre smoothly. I could see the world through the eyes of different role in the book. This was great progress to her. Now, I have harvested a lol from reading. It provides me knowledge, and convinces me entire that being alone is not lonely. With books in my hand, I’ve got a colorful world belonged to me.

7 . Former National Football League player and children’s author Tim Green has added another book to his list of accomplishments: Unstoppable. The book tells the story of a 12 year-old boy named Harrison, who survives life in a cruel lobster-home（寄养家庭）before he finally finds a loving family. Then he settles in and realizes his natural football ability but he loses his leg due to a deadly bone cancer. Unstoppable follows Harrison’s difficult life journey.

Tim Green said he decided to write a novel about a kid facing cancer after watching how his wife fought to survive her own illness. “Her mental and physical toughness were more heroic to me than anything I’d ever seen in the national sports leagues,” Green told TFK.

Green said, he knew he needed to write about a person who struggled through a serious illness. But because the target age for his books is the teen, he needed to tell the story through the eyes of someone of that age. He needed a perfect real story on which to base his book.

When friends introduced Green to Jeffrey Keith, Green knew he had found the right person to help him “capture（捕捉）the heroism that it takes to fight cancer”, Cancer- survivor Jeffrey Keith lost his leg at the age of twelve, but went on to be the goalkeeper and was also the first amputee（被截肢者）to run 3,300 miles across the country.

TFK asked Keith what it felt like to read Unstoppable for the first time. “Tim captured what it felt like for me to go through this experience and battle back, “Keith said.” Tim’s look sends a message to all the kids across the country that are facing challenges and that have nothing to do with cancer; you are all unstoppable, as long as you believe it.”

1. What does paragraph I mainly intend to say about Harrisons life？

A．It is poor but colorful.	B．It is full of challenges.
C．It is filled with chances.	D．It is peaceful but boring.

2. Why did Tim Green want to write Unstoppable？

A．He was impressed by Harrison’s encouraging life.

B．He intended to make Jeffrey Keith’s story well known.

C．He was inspired by his wife’s struggle with her illness.

D．He wished to encourage adults to light against illness bravely.

3. In what way did Jeffrey Keith play a role in Unstoppable?

A．It is based on his life experiences.

B．It is written by him and Tim Green.

C．He offered great advice to its author.

D．He has introduced it to many people.

4. What’s Jeffrey Keith’s attitude to Unstoppable？

A．Worried.	B．Cautious.
C．Uncertain.	D．Favorable.

8 . Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.

While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children’s lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.

According to the report’s key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they ‘hardly ever’ read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”

The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2—8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.

When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel(建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.

The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.

As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom(逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.

1. What is the Common Sense Media report probably about?

A．Children’s reading habits.

B．Quality of children’s books.

C．Children’s after-class activities.

D．Parent-child relationships.

2. Where can you find the data that best supports “children are reading a lot less for fun”?

A．In paragraph 2.	B．In paragraph 3.
C．In paragraph 4.	D．In paragraph 5.

3. Why do many parents limit electronic reading?

A．E-books are of poor quality.

B．It could be a waste of time.

C．It may harm children’s health.

D．E-readers are expensive.

4. How should parents encourage their children to read more?

A．Act as role models for them.

B．Ask them to write book reports.

C．Set up reading groups for them.

D．Talk with their reading class teachers.

9 . Welcome to Inspire 21

Our aim is to provide “Inspiring words for the 21^st century”. So, here we offer a unique collection of inspiring short stories, motivational short stories, and humorous short stories for you to read and share.

If you do care to share, click the “SHARE” button in the bottom left corner of each page. And thanks for telling others about Inspire 21.

The inspiring stories that are labeled (标记) “TRUE” are done so to the best of our knowledge, but we do not have full proof in some cases. However, all of these stories and messages are provided because of their uplifting content, whether true or not. Many books we’ve read and movies we’ve watched were totally untrue, but we enjoyed the inspiration they gave us—especially if they had a happy ending.

So, please read and share these stories at your own discretion (判断力). Thank you for your understanding!

Also, many of the inspiring stories used here are used with permission from the author. However, we cannot grand(授予) permission to reuse any of these inspirational stories, as the majority of them are not ours.

Lastly, many inspiring stories (emailed to us or we came across online) are listed as “Author Unknown”. If you happen to know the author’s name, to whom credit should be given, please contact us with that information so we can keep our inspiring story collection accurate. Thank you again!

1. What does Inspire 21 do?

A．Encourage people to use inspiring words.

B．Offer books and movies with a happy ending.

C．Collect both true stories and untrue message.

D．Provide short storied for people to read and share.

2. Which of the following words has the closest meaning to "inspiring"?

A．Uplifting	B．Unique
C．Accurate	D．Humorous

3. What are the readers expected to do in the last paragraph?

A．Reuse inspiring stories.	B．Give credit to unknown authors.
C．Write more true stories.	D．Make Inspire 2I more popular.