I remember the first time that I was extremely happy. I was about 8 years old when for the first time, there was a computer in the classroom. I remember that my teacher allowed each student to take turns to play various educational games on the computer. One day, I found the source code(编码)for one of these games. Without knowing or being taught any programming language, I was able to figure out some of the BASIC code. I just gave myself an infinite number of lives in the game, so I could continue playing it forever. This was also my first introduction to algebra, and I didn't even know it at the time. This was a decisive moment in my life. I was quite excited because of what I was learning and what I was able to do. As a result, I was enthusiastic for the rest of my life about self learning and computers, and I was quite happy doing them too.
I've noticed that people who are truly content with life are enthusiastic about what they do. This enthusiasm, along with good health, is the key to being happy. It also leads to self-confidence and content in life too. It may also lead to success, wealth, and achievements.
Success, wealth, or achievements can also bring some people happiness, yet I know plenty of rich people who are unhappy. I know many people with successful businesses that are not happy with what they are doing. I know people who continuously buy themselves new toys, such as cars, computers, and televisions, yet never seem content for too long. Please remember, happiness is the journey of life, not the destination.
1. What can we know from Paragraph 1?

A．The author has a great talent for algebra.

B．Creative thinking is necessary for every child.

C．The BASIC code of the computer is not difficult.

D．The author's experience in his childhood changed his life.

2. The underlined word "infinite" means __________.

A．big	B．limitless
C．normal	D．small

3. The author wants to tell us through his experience in the school that ________.

A．interest is the best teacher

B．children are the hope of the future

C．young people are fearless

D．where there’s a will, there’s a way

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A．people who are rich and successful in career generally feel unhappy

B．wealth can’t bring people any happiness and comfort

C．one will feel unhappy once he has gained all the things that he wants

D．being enthusiastic about what you do is more important than wealth

Myth: Skipping meals helps you lose weight fast.
Truth: There’s no truth in this advice. Not only will you lose weight by starving yourself, but according to Carol Ann Rinzler, this may actually cause you to gain weight. Rinzler reasons that missing a meal causes your metabolism(新陈代谢) to slow down so that you burn food more slowly. This only makes you feel hungrier and by the time you finally do reach the table you will probably eat more food. Strange as it may seem, studies show that eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day is a more healthy way to lose pounds.
Myth: If you swallow (吞下) gum (口香糖)，it will stay inside your stomach for seven years.
Truth: Actually, it takes just a few days for gum to make its exit---not seven years, says Nei Izenberg, M. D., editor of Kids Health Organization. But because gum is made of the same thing as rubber, it cannot be fully digested (消化) in your stomach--- so if you gum up the works on a regular (经常的) basis, you might find yourself in a sticky situation.
Myth: The best way to stop a nosebleed is to lift your head back.
Truth: Now that’s bad advice. Bloody noses are caused by broken blood vessels (血管), so while lifting your head back might stop the fluid from rushing out of your nose, it won’t stop the bleeding; you’ll just end up swallowing lots of blood. Your best bet? “Rest quietly. Don’t poke or pick, and the blood will naturally clot (凝结) within a minute or two”. Suggests Dr. Izenberg.
Myth: Cutting your hair will make it grow long faster.
Truth: That’s not true. “Your hair isn’t like a lawn or a rosebush, where cutting can stimulate (刺激) fresh growth,” says Phillip Kingsley. The length of your hair is genetically ( 遗传地) determined. When it reaches a certain length, it stops growing. When you clear up the dead split ends, this make your hair look healthier, but not necessarilylonger.
5. According to Carol Ann Rinzler, skipping meals will __________.

A．help you lose weight fast

B．help you lose weight slowly

C．cause you to become fatter

D．make you burning food more quickly

6. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Gum cannot be fully digested in the stomach

B．Gum can leave your stomach after you swallow is a few days later

C．If you often swallow gum, you might find yourself in a sticky situation

D．Gum can stay inside your stomach for seven years if you swallow it

7. The length of your hair is determined by ________

A．clearing up the dead split ends

B．your gene

C．cutting it often

D．the food you eat

Parents are fuelling bad behavior among their children by attempting to "buy" their love with expensive gifts nowadays.
Over recent decades we seem to have created a "must have" culture among our young people. Many mothers and fathers believe they are "failing as parents" if they are unable to ensure that their children have the latest toy, electronic devices (the lap-top, cellphones, Game Boy, etc.) along with their friends. In many cases, families also feel pressured to enroll (使加入) children in "'every interest club or after-school activity that is available" to fill up their time like most of the other children.
But experts warned that the move might affect "precious family time" negatively. Graham Gorton, chairman of the Independent Schools Association, said that parents spent too much time filling their children's lives, which had a series of negative effects on "the very precious family time that exists".
"It seems that those times when a whole weekend without planned work was seen as a luxury (奢侈) and a perfect opportunity to spend time together and share those valuable moments of childhood are long gone," Mr. Gorton said. "As a child I only once said that phrase that parents feared 'I'm bored'. Immediately my mother took action and produced a list of jobs and then insisted that I complete every one of them. Though l didn't think cleaning all the floors could really get rid of my boredom, I enjoyed the feeling of staying at home with my mother and brothers."
Earlier this year, some researchers suggested that relatively wealthy parents were sometimes guilty of failing to teach basic social skills to children. "Often, it’s the rich middle classes that buy off their children through the computer and the TV. That then sets them apart from their family, and then the parents are surprised when their child isn’ t coming to school."
8. The second paragraph mainly tells us that ________.

A．today’s children have little time to play

B．today’s children depend on electronic tools too much

C．today’s parents feel pressured by the "'must have" culture

D．being qualified parents becomes harder for today's young people

9. What does the "must have" phenomenon refer to based on the passage?

A．That children must have what other children have.

B．That children must have proper pressure to work hard.

C．That children must have special skills to ensure a better future.

D．That parents must have patience to know their children better.

10. Which of the following is the best advice you could give to parents based on Gorton’s statement?

A．Plan fewer activities for their children to improve family time.

B．Buy their children fewer things that they are fond of.

C．Give their children more housework to do.

D．Leave their children alone when the kids feel bored.

11. From the passage we can infer that ________.

A．wealthy parents don’t like teaching basic social skills to children

B．parents should be much more strict with their children at home

C．children should not be brought up in a wealthy and pleasant environment

D．only satisfying children’s material needs is not a good way of parenting

There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours-----you don't need the break as much as you may think that makes you feel less tired.
Scientists have long assumed that willpower (意志力) is a limited resource, which is why you feel the need to have a rest, have a snack and come back to a task when you're feeling better. They argued that the only way to restore willpower was by rest, food or entertainment.
But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is all in your head. They found that people's beliefs in willpower determine how long and how well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. "If you think of willpower as something that's limited, you're more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task," said Prof.Veronika Job. "'But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily used up, you can go on and on."
The researchers designed four experiments to test students'-beliefs in willpower. After a tiring task, those, who believed or were led to believe that willpower is a limited resource, performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over. They also found that leading up to final exam week, students who believed the limited resource theory ate junk food 24 percent more often than those who believed they had more control in resisting temptation (诱惑).
Mr. Job said. "The theory that willpower is a limited resource is interesting, but it has had unintended consequences. Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their power of concentration is limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges.'"
The findings could help people who are battling temptation. Willpower isn't driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think. The belief in it is what influences your behavior.
12. The theory that willpower is limited supports that _________.

A．people must eat snacks when they feel tired

B．people do need a break to restore their willpower

C．there’s no way to strengthen people’s willpower

D．weak willpower doesn’t affect people’s life much

13. What have the scientists long believed regarding willpower?

A．It is in the charge of people.

B．It is a limited resource.

C．There is no way to restore willpower.

D．It doesn’t easily run out.

14. Which of the following best helps the students to prepare better for their exams?

A．Push themselves even if they want to take a break.

B．Don’t eat fast food while studying.

C．Remind themselves willpower is not limited.

D．Stay in a comfortable and quiet place.

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

A．A new theory about willpower

B．How to build strong willpower

C．The great influence of willpower

D．Willpower doesn’t last long