1 . Kathleen Rooney knew that writing Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, from the point of view of a pigeon, was a risk. Rooney, perhaps best known for her 2017 bestseller, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, says her interest in a feathered narrator was excited by one of her students at DePaul University, where she is an English professor. “A student named Brian mentioned Cher Ami in a poem. It blew my mind that this pigeon was so heroic and is stuffed and on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.”
Rooney learned that Cher Ami, a British homing pigeon, helped save a group of American troops during a horrific, multi-day World War I battle. The story of this amazing pigeon and the extraordinary man who commanded the battle, Major Charles Whittlesey, was altogether attractive.
In Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, Charles reflects on his happier prewar days in New York City, where he ran a law firm with a college classmate. When it came time for battle, though, he and his fellows found themselves cut off from supply lines, surrounded by enemy German troops.
Carrier pigeons were the group’s only hope of contacting headquarters and getting the other Americans to stop dropping bombs on them. Cher Ami flew through gunfire to deliver Charles' message, which finally stopped the attack. She lost an eye and a leg, among other wounds, but was eventually able to hobble (蹒跚) on a tiny wooden prosthesis (义肢) that the Army made for her. She lived another year before dying of her injuries in 1919, but in the novel she continues speaking to readers behind glass in the Smithsonian where she’s been since her death.
There’s an interesting lesson to be learned from Charles’ decisions in the battle, too. “He was famous for something we’d describe as passive,” Rooney says. “Once they were in the pocket, he waited as long as he could. I’m an impatient, active person ... His act was stillness, waiting, keeping everybody’s spirits up. The way he did that was amazing.”
Rooney also hopes the book, with its portrayal of the charming and brave Cher Ami, will boost the appreciation of our furry and feathered friends.
1. What inspired Rooney to write the book?| A．Visiting a national museum. | B．Reading a student’s poem. |
| C．Some comments on her bestseller. | D．Experiences of raising pigeons. |
| A．An exhibition featuring a heroic battle. |
| B．Historic events happening to Cher Ami. |
| C．Americans’ poor strategies during the war. |
| D．Charles’ methods for training Cher Ami. |
| A．Charles’ humor and optimism. |
| B．Charles’ affection for carrier pigeons. |
| C．Charles’ patience and motivation. |
| D．Charles’ quick response to the attack. |
| A．A message of hope | B．Braving World War I |
| C．An effort to protect pigeons | D．Finding the lost commander |
2 . YOUR DAILY DOSE “MUST READ”
| Grievous Bodily Harm A Toni Day Mystery Jane Bennett Munro 978-1-532O-2756-7 Paperback | E-book | Audiobook $20.99 |$3.99 | $9.99 www.iuniverse.com In Grievous Bodily Harm, an Idaho female pathologist is once again forced down a dangerous path after a new hospital administrator starts a cruel plan and she is accused of his murder. |
| Murder under the Microscope Jane Bennett Munro 978-1-45O2-9862-9 Paperback | E-book | Audiobook $23.95 | $5.99 |$9.99 www.iuniverse.com In this attractive murder mystery, a stubborn pathologist must rely on more than her microscope as she tries hard to find out the truth in a web of deception. Her freedom and life are at risk. |
| The Early Years A Memoir Rachel G. Carrington 978-1-4917-6567-8 Hardback | Paperback | E-book | Audiobook $28.95 |$18.95 |$3.99 |$9.99 www.iuniverse.com In her tender memoir, Rachel G. Carrington remembers having her set path changed upon meeting a newly returned WWII soldier. In him, she finds a life filled with passion - bound together through their devotion and love for the Heavenly Father. |
| The Forty Year Con Game Everything You Need To Know About Donald Trump’s Threat To Democracy Dr. Michael B. Harrington 978-1-796O-4585-7 Hardback | Paperback | E-book $29.99|$19.99 |$3.99 www.xlibris.com In anticipation of the 2020 election, this book describes Donald Trump’s public life, from his mob connections in the I980s through his first two stumbling years in the White House. |
| A．They are more expensive. |
| B．They are written by Jane Bennett Munro. |
| C．They can be found on www.iuniverse.com. |
| D．They talk about stories of the same politician. |
| A．A folk tale. | B．A love story. | C．A horror story. | D．An autobiography. |
| A．The Early Years or Murder under the Microscope. |
| B．Grievous Bodily Harm or The Forty Year Con Game. |
| C．Grievous Bodily Harm or Murder under the Microscope. |
| D．Murder under the Microscope or The Forty Year Con Game. |
3 . Five ancient Chinese poems about spring
As the winter chill still lingers through early spring longing for warm days has sprung up everywhere. Before the flowers are in full blossom here is a collection of ancient Chinese poems picturing the revival of life during spring. The English translations used in this article are from Chinese translator Xu Yuanchong.
Spring Morning — by Meng Haoran （689 —740） of the Tang Dynasty （618 —907）
This spring morning in bed I’m lying. Not to awake till birds are crying. After one night of wind and showers How many are the fallen flowers！
Written in a Village South of the Capital — by Cui Hu （772—846） of the Tang Dynasty
In this house on this day last year a pink face vied
In beauty with the pink peach blossoms side by side.
I do not know today where the pink face has gone
In the vernal breeze still smile pink peach blossoms full －blown.
Happy Rain on a Spring Night （Excerpts） — by Du Fu （712—770） of the Tang Dynasty
Good rain knows its time right, It will fall when comes spring.
With wind it steals in night, Mute, it moistens each thing.
Dreaming of the Southern Shore — by Bai Juyi （772—846） of the Tang Dynasty
Fair Southern shore
With scenes I much adore.
At sunrise riverside flowers redder than fire
In spring green waves grow as blue as sapphire
Which I can’t but admire
Love Seeds — by Wang Wei （701 —761） of the Tang Dynasty
Red berries grow in the southern land
How many load in spring the trees？
Gather them till full is your hand
They would revive fond memories.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true？| A．Meng Haoran lived longer than other poets. |
| B．All of the poets were from the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．Both Cui Hu and Bai Juyi died at the same age. |
| D．Cui Hu wrote a poem highlighting the color pink. |
| A．Love Seeds | B．Happy Rain on a Spring Night |
| C．Dreaming of the Southern Shore | D．Written in a village South of the Capital |
| A．Winter | B．Autumn | C．Summer | D．Spring |
4 . You may read the questions first:
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 Thinking, Fast and Slow | In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, and emotional; System 2 is slower, and more logical. In the book, Kahneman also shows the extraordinary abilities — and the faults and errors — of thinking, and reveals the influence of personal impressions on our thoughts and behavior. |
 Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the main suspect. But the crazy thing is, he has done nothing wrong. The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise storm hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holiday? |
| A．The main contents of the book are mainly based on various interviews. |
| B．The book is written by Steve Jobs. |
| C．Steve Jobs has experienced both successful and difficult periods in his lifetime. |
| D．Steve Jobs has totally changed six different industries. |
| A．Two thinking types and thinking-related facts. |
| B．Difference between two thinking systems. |
| C．How to think fast and logically at the same time. |
| D．The great power of personal impression on thinking system. |
| A．Greg was caught damaging the school property |
| B．Greg knew who really damaged the school property |
| C．it was hot during the holiday |
| D．Greg had a poor relationship with his family |
5 . Ray Bradbury Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy
About this award
Sponsored by the Ray Bradbury Foundation, the Ray Bradbury Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy offers $ 1, 000 scholarships for up to six students who use science fiction and fantasy themes in their writing. All students in the U.S. in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) can participate.
What is Science Fiction & Fantasy?
Science Fiction & Fantasy uses supernatural, magical, futuristic, scientific, and technological themes as a key element of the writing. Popular examples of science fiction and fantasy include Ray Bradbury’s classic Fahrenheit 451, as well as more modern fiction series like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.
Your voice can imagine alternative worlds or the future of our planet, and in turn, teach us about the present. Even if you are new to writing science fiction and fantasy, this award is for you!
How do I apply?
Enter your work to any category in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. When selecting the category of your work, choose "Ray Bradbury Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy". You will be required to include a personal statement on your work.
What should I write for the personal statement?
Your personal statement should be 50 words or more and answer the following questions:
Why do you think your work falls into the category of science fiction and fantasy?
Why are you specifically interested in using science fiction and fantasy themes, compared to more realistic ones?
Submissions
Submissions open on September 1, 2021 and the deadline is December 1, 2021. Do not base characters or plots on already published works(books, movies, comics, etc.). Works that are novel-length should be submitted to the Novel category.
1. What can we infer about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?| A．It is a TV program for artists and writers. |
| B．It is an activity that students can participate in. |
| C．It is a website containing various award categories. |
| D．It is a school where students are trained for competitions. |
| A．Why you are interested in science. |
| B．Why you like science fiction and fantasy. |
| C．Why you want to be a science fiction writer. |
| D．Why your work is right for this award category. |
| A．Submit your work by December 1. | B．Complete your work on September 1. |
| C．Complete your work with over 50 words. | D．Submit your work to the Novel category. |
6 . There was comparative calm in the Wormwood household for about a week after the Superglue episode. The experience had clearly chastened Mr. Wormwood and he seemed temporarily to have lost his taste for boasting and bullying（霸凌）.
Then suddenly he struck again. Perhaps he had had a bad day at the garage and had not sold enough second-hand cars. There are many things that make a man irritable（易怒）when he arrives home from work in the evening and a sensible wife will usually notice the storm-signals and will leave him alone.
When Mr. Wormwood arrived back from the garage that evening his face was as dark as a thundercloud and somebody was clearly for the high-jump pretty soon. His wife recognized the signs immediately and made herself scarce. He then strode into the living-room. Matilda happened to be curled up in an arm-chair in the corner, totally absorbed in a book. Mr. Wormwood switched on the television. The screen lit up. The programme blared. Mr. Wormwood glared at Matilda. She hadn't moved. She had somehow trained herself by now to block her ears to the horrible sound of the dreaded box. She kept right on reading. and for some reason this infuriated（激怒）the father. Perhaps his anger was rising because he saw her getting pleasure from something that was beyond his reach.
“Don't you ever stop reading?” he snapped at her.
“Oh, hello daddy,” she said pleasantly. “Did you have a good day?”
“What is this trash?” he said, snatching the book from her hands.
“It isn't trash, daddy, it's lovely. It's called The Red Pony. It's by John Steinbeck, an American writer. Why don't you try it? You'll love it.”
“Filth,” Mr. Wormwood said. “If it's by an American it's certain to be filth. That's all they write about.”
“No daddy, it's beautiful, honestly it is. It's about...”
“I don't want to know what it's about,” Mr. Wormwood barked. “I'm fed up with your reading anyway. Go and find yourself something useful to do.” With frightening suddenness he now began ripping（撕）the pages out of the book in handfuls and throwing them in the waste-paper basket.
Matilda froze in horror. The father kept going. There seemed little doubt that the man felt some kind of jealousy. How dare she, he seemed to be saying with each rip of a page, how dare she enjoy reading books when he couldn't? How dare she?
1. Which one of the following sentences is similar to the meaning of the underlined part?| A．totally upset by the main characters of the book | B．deeply moved by the plot of the book |
| C．totally struck by the content of the book | D．deeply attracted by the content of the book |
| A．She warmly welcomed him. | B．She turned a blind eye to him. |
| C．She kept herself out of his sight. | D．She went watching TV with him. |
| A．Because Matilda was being naughty and lazy. |
| B．Because Matilda was reading a book that he couldn't understand. |
| C．Because Matilda was unable to finish her homework on time again. |
| D．Because there was too much noise coming from the television. |
7 . The best science fiction books of 2021
We take a look at the most exciting new science-fiction books of 2021. No matter what kind of science fiction fan you are, we're sure you'll find something to add to your reading list.
The Saints of Salvation
By Peter F. Hamilton
The Olyix have laid siege（围攻）to Earth, harvesting people for their god. Cities are ru¬ined by their weapons and millions have either fled to seek refuge in space or are fighting a war that seems unwinnable. As Earth's defeat draws ever closer, a team are sent to enter the Olyix's air-ship secretly. Their plan? This is the final science fiction in Peter F. Hamilton's extremely surprising series The Salvation Sequence.
A Desolation Called Peace
By Arkady Martine
This impressive sequel（续集）to Arkady Martinets Hugo Award-winning science fiction book sees the Teixcalaanli Empire facing an alien threat which could bring about its complete destruction. Fleet captain Nine Hibiscus sends a person to negotiate with the mysterious invaders...
Jack Four
By Neal Asher
Jack Four-one of twenty human clones-has been created to be sold. His purchasers are the aliens and they only want him for their experimentation program. But there is something different about Jack. No clone should possess the knowledge that's been loaded into his mind.
Rabbits
By Terry Miles
Rabbits is a secret, dangerous and sometimes deadly underground game. The rewards for winning are unclear, but there are rumors of money or it might unlock the universe's greatest secrets. Everyone knows that the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes-and the body count is rising. Since the game first started, ten rounds have taken place. The eleventh round is about to begin, and what happens in the game, stays in the game...
1. What can we know aboutThe Saints of Salvation?| A．It's about the war among people on earth. |
| B．The Olyix are defeated in the end. |
| C．It belongs toThe Salvation Sequence. |
| D．It's the last novel of Peter F. Hamilton. |
| A．He gives the alien a complete destruction. |
| B．He lets someone negotiate with the alien. |
| C．He fights against the alien bravely. |
| D．He makes the alien face a threat. |
| A．In a book recommendation. | B．In an art magazine. |
| C．In a biography. | D．In a novel |
8 . Poetry4kids Memberships
Poetry4kids turned 25 this year! It has become the most visited children’s poetry website, thanks to you. Running a website with over 2 million visitors and 15 million views each year is quite expensive. So for years I’ve covered the costs by including advertising on the site. This isn’t an ideal solution, but a necessary one. However, I now have a better solution that 11 remove the advertising for you and give you many additional benefits: Poetry4kids Memberships.
In short, for a small monthly subscription fee, you can become a member of Poetry4kids and enjoy all of the following rewards:
Reader Level—$ 5/ month
● Ad-free access to poetry4kids. com
● Two free e-books: The Armpit of Doom and The Biggest Burp Ever
● Access to all poems on the website, organized by book
● Early access to new YouTube videos, including poetry-writing lessons
● Connect with me via a members only email address
Poetry Lover—$ 10/ month
● All the benefits of the Reader Level
● Two additional free e-books: My Cat Knows Karate and My Dog Likes to Disco
● Monthly live, interactive and online poetry- writing workshops, throughout the school year
Super Member—$ 20/ month
● All the benefits of the Poetry Lover and Reader Level
● One free online author visit for your class each school year
● Free and early access to all future e- books and audio books (有声书籍)
Your support will help me create new animated videos and fully- produced audio books!
To become a member of Poetry4kids, simply visit my Buy Me a Coffee page and click on the Join button for your selected level.
Thank you for your support. I look forward to the next 25 years of Poetry4kids with a lively community of teachers, librarians, parents, and other fans of poetry for kids!
—Kenn Nesbitt
1. What is the present problem with Poetry4kids for its visitors?| A．It has too many visits. | B．It offers limited poems. |
| C．It has advertisements. | D．It charges too much. |
| A．Four free e-books. | B．Free access to audio-books. |
| C．Daily poetry-reading guidance. | D．Interviews with favorite poets. |
| A．A grateful coffee shop owner. | B．A poet supporting Poetry4kids . |
| C．A faithful member of Poetry4kids. | D．A person running a poetry website. |
9 . “The Life of Pi” is about a teenage boy from India, called Pi, who travels across the Pacific Ocean in a lifeboat. His companion (同伴) in the lifeboat is an enormous tiger. It was written by the Canadian author Yann Martel, and has sold seven million copies worldwide.
At the start of the book, we learn about Pi's childhood in India. His father is a zookeeper and the family live in a house in the zoo. Pi and his brother help their father in the zoo and learn to look after the animals. When Pi is sixteen, his family decide to close the zoo and move to Canada. They sell some of the animals to zoos in North America and the family take the animals with them on a ship to Canada. On the way, there is a terrible storm and the ship sinks. Sadly, Pi's family and the ship's sailors die in the storm. Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena, zebra, orangutan and a tiger. When he sees the animals, Pi is scared and he jumps into the ocean. Then he remembers there are sharks in the ocean and he climbs back into the lifeboat. One by one, the animals in the lifeboat kill and eat each other, till only Pi and the tiger are left alive. Luckily for Pi, there is some food and water on the lifeboat, but he soon needs to start catching fish. He feeds the fish to the tiger to stop it killing and eating him. He also uses a whistle and his knowledge of animals from the zoo to control the tiger.
Pi and the tiger spend 227 days in the lifeboat. They live through terrible storms and are burnt by the Pacific sun. They are often hungry and ill. Sometimes, Pi is happy and hopeful, but sometimes he feels sad and lonely. Finally, they arrive at the coast of Mexico, but you will have to read the book to find out what happens in the end!
1. What is the purpose of the text?| A．To tell us a story. | B．To introduce a book. |
| C．To make an advertisement. | D．To introduce a film. |
| A．They don't want to leave them in India. |
| B．They want to make them a home on the ship. |
| C．They don't want to sell the animals to others. |
| D．They take them along to their new owner. |
| A．They meet a storm and only Pi survives. |
| B．The tiger kills Pi's family and the sailors. |
| C．Pi finds a lifeboat and saves all the animals. |
| D．Pi lives peacefully with the animals. |
| A．Kind, honest and helpful. | B．Weak, selfish and careless. |
| C．Playful, naughty and energetic. | D．Clever, brave and strong minded. |
10 . Good books are essential for children. The best materials are the ones that not only entertain, but also expand the imagination, educate the mind, and let the next generation know that they have a place in this world. Here are some good books for you.
New Kid
The book features the story of middle school student Jordan Banks, who struggles not only with being the new kid at a private school in the Bronx, but also with being an African American student in the midst of a mostly white class. In his acclaimed graphic novel, Jerry Craft addresses important issues of race and class through lively visuals and a likable protagonist.
The Undefeated
It was written by Kwame Alexander and drawn by Kadir Nelson. The poem details the history of African Americans, emphasizing the triumphs of the civil rights movement as well as the trauma of slavery, along with the mention of several globally known heroes. There are also quotes from influential figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Langston Hughes and alongside there are beautiful illustrations from Nelson.
Other Words for Home
The character of Jude teaches us empathy as we read what it’s like to be a young teenager immigrating from Somalia trying to fit in in America. She tries to learn the English language while tackling discrimination and classmates unwilling to understand and accept her, including her cousin of the same age. Jasmine Warga has created a story that is both powerful and gentle, big but full of small moments, a happy but sad story that will live in your heart.”
1. Who is the author of New kid?| A．Kwame Alexander | B．Jerry Craft |
| C．Jasmine Warga | D．Kadir Nelson |
| A．The Undefeated | B．New Kid |
| C．Other Words for Home | D．Bear came along |
| A．All are about stories of kids |
| B．All about stories in Africa |
| C．All are related to African Americans |
| D．All mentioned globally known heroes |
