Mr. Clinton and his 13-year-old son Tony are basketball fans. Last October 10th was Tony’s birthday, so Mr. Clinton decided to drive ________ to New York for the first game of the World Series. They had no ticket but hoped to buy a ________ from scalpers.

It was a two hours’ ride. After they arrived, they walked in the street for two hours, ________ a sign that read, “ We need two tickets.” There were many scalpers around, but the cheapest ticket was $200. They were about to leave when suddenly a man stopped them. He took out two tickets and ________ them to Mr. Clinton.

“How much do you want?”

“Just a present,” said the man. “Enjoy the game.”

Mr. Clinton wouldn’t ________, so the man explained, “I’m Jackson. Hans is my boss. He and his wife haven’t missed a World Series in 18 years. But he is ill and can’t watch the game this time. So he told me to give the two tickets to people ________ I thought would actually enjoy the game. A lot of people looked as if they might just take the tickets and sell them. Then I saw you and I followed you for a while. You seemed very disappointed. You ________ me think of my dad and me when I was a child. I dreamed of going to a World Series game with my father. But my dream never came true.”

How do you suppose this made Mr. Clinton and his son feel? Here is what Mr. Clinton said, “This is the most ________ thing that ever happened to us. My boy and I must have turned to each other over 30 times and said, ‘I can’t believe this.’ We still never forget Jackson and Hans.”

1.A. me B. her C. him D. us

2.A. ticket B. pair C. basketball D. game

3.A. carrying B. putting C. writing D. giving

4.A. passed B. sold C. threw D. handed

5.A. accept B. pick C. buy D. refuse

6.A. when B. who C. what D. why

7.A. let B. taught C. brought D. made

8.A. important B. successful C. wonderful D. useful

Everyday Food

by Martha Stewart

No matter how busy you are, at the end of the day you want meals that are easy to prepare. And you want lots of choices and variations. You'll find all of that in this book: 250 simple recipes for delicious meals that bring freshness and nutrition.

Paperback, published by Random House, $16.79

Zeroes

by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti

New York Times bestselling author Scott Westerfeld teams up with Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti in the book about six teenagers with amazing abilities. These teenagers have powers that set them apart. They can do things ordinary people can't do.

Paperback, published by Simon & Schuster, $12.99

Mrghty Jack

by Ben Hatke

Jack dislikes summer. But he's got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his sister, Maddy. It's lots of responsibility, and it’s boring because Maddy doesn’t ever talk. But one day at the market, Maddy does talk to tell Jack to trade their mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made.Hardcover, published by First Second, $14.15

Only Daughter

by Anna Snoekstra

She's caught stealing. She’s homeless and on the run. But she happens to look the same as a girl who went missing a decade ago, Rebecca Winter. She assumes Rebecca’s identity, using it as a way out. Little does she know her new life as Rebecca is itself a prison and it looks like a killer might be after her.

Kindle edition, published by Harlequin Enterprises, $8.88

1.Mum likes cooking. I will probably buy ________ for her as a gift.

A. Only Daughter B. Mrghty Jack

C. Zeroes D. Everyday Food

2.How much should you pay if you buy the book — Only Daughter?

A. $8.88. B. $12. 99. C. $14. 15. D. $16. 79.

3.Who wrote a book about a boy looking after his little sister in the summer?

A. Martha Stewart. B. Anna Snoekstra.

C. Ben Hatke. D. Scott Westerfeld.

Peter was the best table tennis player in his school and hardly ever lost a match. He hated losing anything. When he won, he would feel really good. If he lost, he would feel terrible. It seemed to Peter that losing was the worst thing in the world.

A new kid, Albert, came to Peter’s school. He was good at table tennis, too. Soon there would be a match between Peter and Albert. Peter worked hard to get ready for the match, but Albert didn’t seem to think much of it. When the match began, Albert was a real player. There was always a smile on his face, while Peter looked serious all the time. Peter thought it was so important to win the match that he even wanted to cheat, but he lost in the end.

“You played very well, Peter. I think we can play again sometime,” said Albert.

But Peter didn’t feel happy and couldn’t fall asleep that night.

One day, Peter saw Albert playing basketball. Though he lost again and again, the happy smile never left his face. Peter found Albert was great at table tennis but bad at basketball. However, he enjoyed both of them.

Whether he won or lost the game, Albert enjoyed it. Peter came to realize that enjoying a game was much more important than winning or losing it. He felt happier than ever before.

1.What was the worst thing in the world Peter thought at first?

A. Winning a match. B. Sleeping overnight.

C. Losing a match. D. Cheating on a test.

2.Albert was good at playing ________.

A. basketball B. table tennis C. volleyball D. football

3.What did Peter learn from Albert?

A. Cheating on a test was wrong.

B. Practicing was the most important.

C. Finding a friend could make us happier.

D. Enjoying a game was the most important.

Night Milk and Sleep

A warm drink of milk before bed has long been the best choice for those wanting a good night’s sleep. But now a study has found it really does help people nod off — if it is milked from a cow at night.

Researchers have discovered that “night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven to help people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety.

The study, by researchers from Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder made from cows milked both during the day and at night. Those given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medicinal Food.

Night milk quickened the start of sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer.

While the effect of cows milk harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now, taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who are struggling to fall asleep at night.

Previous studies have also indicated that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calcium content, which helps people to relax.

Milk is also sugar-free and additive-free with nutritionists recommending skimmed milk as the best choice before bed as it is the least fattening. The more fat you take in before bedtime, the greater burden you will put on your body at night.

1.What does the phrase ‘nod off’ in the first paragraph mean?

A. Try to keep awake.

B. Try to sleep a longer time.

C. Change from being awake to a sleeping state.

D. Change from a sleeping state to being awake.

2.According to the text, the mice being fed with night time milk _________.

A. woke up later B. were more anxious

C. were less active D. could not sleep well

3.Why do lots of people think milk is excellent for helping sleep?

A. Because many people like drinking milk.

B. Because it’s been tested on mice ten times.

C. Because it can make people more energetic.

D. Because it contains calcium, which helps people to relax.

In 2013 alone at least 20,000 African elephants were killed for their teeth. In South Africa over the last two years more than 2,200 rhinos were killed for their horns. These numbers are alarming, because current rates of illegal hunting are faster than birth rates, which could lead to extinction for these ecologically important creatures in their environment. Indeed, some elephant and rhino populations are on track to be locally extinct within the next decade.

If you are reading this, you may already be aware of these facts. But you might not know that wildlife trafficking (走私) not only threatens the existence of elephants and rhinos but is also leading to extinction of other species, such as tigers, tortoises, sea turtles — and the world’s most trafficked mammal(哺乳动物) — pangolins.

Pangolins are the only mammals that are entirely covered in tough scales(鳞), which makes them look very strong. But actually they are endangered mammals. There are eight different kinds of pangolins, four in Asia and four in Africa, and all are threatened with extinction. Although pangolins are protected throughout most of the countries where they live, high demand in East Asia, where the delicious pangolin meat is considered a delicacy and where their scales are used in traditional medicines, is driving an illegal trade in both live animals and pangolin parts. The number of pangolin trafficking is shocking. Experts believe that over the last 10 years more than 1 million pangolins were taken from the wild. It is estimated that between 40,000 and 81,250 pangolins were killed for the illegal trade in 2013 alone.

In February, the United States released a plan to deal with wildlife trafficking, which lays out the steps we will take to fight the illegal trade in wildlife, including pangolins. We are strengthening the carrying out of the plan, building international cooperation and contribution to protect wildlife, raising awareness to drive down the demand that is fuelling the illegal trade.

Get involved and remember World Wildlife Day (March 3) by spreading the plan. Use social media and tell everyone that now is the time to get serious about wildlife crime and end the demand that threatens species, big and small, from the huge elephant to the shy pangolin.

1.How many rhinos were killed in South Africa during the last two years?

A. More than 81,250. B. More than 20,000.

C. More than 2,200. D. More than 40,000.

2.How many kinds of pangolins are there in Asia?

A. Ten. B. Four. C. Six. D. Eight.

3.What does the phrase ‘carrying out’ mean in the fourth paragraph?

A. Putting the plan into effect. B. Moving the plan to a place.

C. Making a new plan. D. Taking the plan with you.

4.What does the writer want us to know after reading the passage?

A. Protecting wild animals is our duty.

B. Something about World Wildlife Day.

C. Something about illegal trade in East Asia.

D. Wild animals are in danger and we must get involved.

阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。

Building Your Business, Building Your People

What an exciting thing to do — developing a successful business! I’m reminded every day of some important ideas for progress. Here are some ideas to keep in mind that can make a significant difference in a team:

Understand your people

If I want my team to go and grow with me, I need to find out what excites them. What do they need in their work environment to improve their mental well-being? What are their fears and concerns, and how can I help them manage these fears and concerns? What are their values and goals?

Help people build self-confidence

During my early years in management, I realized the great power of expectations. As I found, people largely lived up to my expectation of them. So I learned that if I want to build my business through my people, I have to build their own belief in their ability to achieve. This belief must be educated. If I want them to achieve more, I must help them build their trust in themselves first.

Develop people’s recognition (认可)

Whenever I speak and give advice to people, they tell me they don’t get enough recognition. Sad, isn’t it? But how much recognition do they give to others? In fact, recognition could be developed by praising and appreciating each other in a team. Encourage everyone in your team to recognize achievements in others. Teach your team to ask for the opinions of others if they’re not receiving recognition.

Encourage people to be creative

We have created our life just the way we choose to have it, or at least the way we’ve settled for it. Those who have been told they are creative will probably use their creativity bravely. Others who haven’t had their creativity encouraged will mostly believe they are uncreative. I suggest you encourage your people to be creative and brave in trying out new ideas.

1.How many pieces of advice does the writer give to build your business?

2.What do you need to do if you want your team to go and grow with you?

3.Is it important to help people build self-confidence in your business?

4.How did the writer develop his people’s recognition in the team?

5.What can we learn from the writer according to his experience?

（题文）假如你是李华，本周六与好友相约去北京植物园。你的美国网友Fred正好也在北京，你邀他同去。请你向他发出邀请，告诉他去哪儿，做什么以及你的建议。

提示词语：Beijing Botanical Garden, have a picnic

提示问题：When and where are you going this Saturday?

What will you do there?

·

What do you advise him to do?

交流可以化解矛盾,增进友谊。当今交流方式很多，但人们之间的情感似乎越来越淡。

学校英语专栏征文，主题是“Ways of Communication Today”。假如你是李华，你对此很感兴趣，准备投稿，谈谈你日常的交流方式及你的感受。

提示词语： face to face， chatting on line， discuss，appear

提示问题：·How many ways do you know to communicate with others?

How do you usually communicate with your friends?

Which is the best way and why?

It was a cold night in Washington, D.C., and I was heading back to the hotel when a man came to me. He asked if I would give him some money so he could get something to eat. I’d read the signs: “Don’t give money to panhandlers (乞丐）.” So I shook my head and kept walking.

I wasn’t prepared for a reply, but he said, “I really am homeless and I really am hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!” But I kept on walking.

I couldn’t forget what happened to me that day for the rest of the week. I had money in my

pocket and it wouldn’t have killed me to hand over a dollar or two even if he had been lying. On a very cold night, no less, I thought the worst of a fellow human being. Flying back to Anchorage, I still couldn’t help thinking of him.

I was the writer of a weekly garden column (专栏）at The Anchorage Daily News. One day, out of the blue, I came up with an idea. Bean’s Cafe, the soup kitchen in Anchorage, feeds

hundreds of hungry people every day. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their

gardens for Bean’s? Plant a row and take it down to Bean’s. Clean and simple.

We didn’t keep records back then, but the idea began to take off. People would call me when they took something in. Those who only grew flowers gave them away. Food for the spirit.

In 1995 , the Garden Writers Association of America ( GWAA) held their meeting in Anchorage and alter learning of Anchorage’s program, Plant a Row for Bean’s became Plant a Row for the Hungry. The idea was to have every member of the Garden Writers Association of America write or talk about planting a row for the hungry.

As more and more people started working with the program, many companies gave free seed to customers and had the logo (商标）seen in public.

Garden editor Joan Jackson raised more than 30,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables her first year, and showed the public how the program could really work. Texas fruit farms gave away food to their local food bank alter hearing about Plant a Row. Today the program continues to grow.

I am shocked that millions of Americans are threatened by hunger. If every gardener in

America - and we’re seventy million strong - plants one row for the hungry, we can make a difference in the number of neighbors who don’t have enough to eat. Maybe then I will stop feeling guilty (愧 疚) about walking past a hungry man I could have helped.

1.Did the writer give money to the hungry man?

2.How did the writer feel alter flying back to Anchorage?

3.What did the writer try to get his readers to do?

4.What did the GWAA do for the “Plant a Row” program?

5.What is the purpose of the program?

（东城一模）阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。

Rooftop Gardens

Have you ever seen a rooftop garden—

a garden on the top of a roof? Many people are

finding it good for the environment and good for

themselves.

Cities can be as much as 4—10 degrees

warmer than the countryside. Green rooftops

can actually help cool the air in cities. A single green roof will not do much to change the temperature of a city. However, when more buildings begin to change their rooftops into green spaces, it makes a real difference. Buildings that are cooler also use air conditioning less often. This reduces the amount of energy a building uses, which is good for the environment. Cities are usually more polluted than other areas. Plants on rooftops can even help clean the air. Gardens in the city can also provide a place for birds and bugs to live in.

One unusual rooftop garden is located above Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. The garden covers an area of 7, 500 square feet. The garden has flowers, fountains (喷泉），even a goldfish pond, and also paths that children can walk on in slippers or with bare feet. It is used as a place for the children and their parents to relax and be close to nature without leaving the hospital. Another interesting garden is on the rooftop of the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Canada. A large vegetable garden has been planted on the roof. The hotel’s chefs (厨师）can pick fresh vegetables from the roof.

Now not all buildings have rooftop gardens. One reason is that rooftop gardens can be more expensive than traditional rooftops. However, they may save on heating and cooling bills in the future. Also, a roof needs to be flat and strong enough to support the weight of the garden.

Some people may not know about rooftop gardens and how good they can be for the environment. But word is starting to get out. You may want to keep your eyes on the skies when you walk in your town or city. You never know when you might find a secret garden many feet above the ground.

1.What is a rooftop garden?

2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?

3.What is the rooftop garden in Children’s Hospital in St. Louis used as?

4.Why is the rooftop garden of the Royal York Hotel interesting?

5.Why don’t all buildings have rooftop gardens?