【推荐1】In her outstanding book, “Choose the Happiness Habit”, Pam Golden wrote, “Take the story of two twin brothers for example. One grew up and became an alcoholic (酒鬼), while the other became a successful businessman. When asked why he became an alcoholic, the alcoholic replied, “Because my father was a drunk.” However, the successful businessman’s answer was also “Because my father was a drunk.” when asked why he succeeded. The same background. The same upbringing (培养). However, the results were quite different. Why? The reason is that they had different choices. The brothers chose different thoughts which formed the situations they found themselves in at last, so they had different experiences.
There was a time in my life when I thought difficulty was due to “bad luck”. Have you ever heard the saying “When it rains, it pours”? That was my answer when others asked me how things were going on when I was in trouble. So what do you think I got? “RAIN”. More and more “RAIN”. I couldn’t understand why bad luck was always with me.
Pam Golden says, “You’re either living in the problem or you’re living in the solution.” Now, when I’m faced with what I used to think was a negative (消极的) situation, I use a different way to think about it. I force myself to replace those negative thoughts that make me lose heart in my mind with positive thoughts which encourage me to fight against the difficulty bravely. Sometimes I write down some ideas that may be a solution, which I combine with the lessons I have learned from the bad situations and the difficulties that troubled me in the past, and often, I find a solution to the problem soon. It seems that I should thank the difficulty I met with. The RAIN that poured in my world has become great experiences that provide me with valuable experience, from which I can benefit.
Now, it doesn’t “rain” as much in my life as it used to. In fact, most days are beautiful, cloudless and sunny! Sometimes I do get a rain, but I think it makes me stronger just like the rain helps plants grow up.
1. The example of the twin brothers shows that ________.

A．making good choices is the most important

B．education decides a person’s future

C．upbringing makes a big difference

D．it is luck that leads to success

2. What does “RAIN” mentioned in the second paragraph refer to?

A．Water.

B．Good luck.

C．Success.

D．Difficulty.

3. What is talked about in the third paragraph?

A．How the author collects useful experience.

B．How the author deals with difficulty now.

C．How the author gets help from others.

D．How the author lives in the problem.

4. Now, the author’s attitude towards “RAIN” is ________.

A．negative

B．unclear

C．positive

D．unknown

【推荐3】In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.

I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.

However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressure from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter, because I didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition.

1. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．Competition helps to set up self-respect.

B．Competition is harmful to personal quality development.

C．Failures are necessary experiences in competition.

D．Opinions about competition are different among people.

2. What does the underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Those who are against competition most strongly.

B．Those who try their best to win.

C．Those who value competition most highly.

D．Those who rely on others most for success.

3. What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?

A．One’s success in competition needs great efforts.

B．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others’.

C．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.

D．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.

4. Which point of view may the author agree to?

A．Every effort should be paid back.

B．Winning should be a life-and-death matter.

C．Fear of failure should be removed in competition.

D．Competition should be encouraged.

【推荐1】   Advertising actually has a dual(双重的)function: to sell, as well as to inform. If you stop to think of it, advertisements(ads)provide information of almost everything in our household and immediate environment, from shampoo to fuel for cars. An obvious purpose is to inform consumers of new products and services as well as to remind them of established ones. Performance, price, value for money, quality and reliability are some of the main features mentioned in ads.

Yet there is another important side of advertising that should not be forgotten: choice. A number of ads for different brands of the same product. e.g. toothpaste, shampoo or washing powder allow the consumer to choose. Choice is an important part of buying.

             In this busy day and age, there is little time for_________.To determine which product is the best to buy, and at the most competitive price, consumers these days rely on advertising in its various forms. This saves time and energy and makes shopping easier.

Few can deny that ads benefit the consumer since they encourage healthy competition. When companies compete for the consumer’s dollar, this is good for the purchaser of the product or service. Advertising tends to increase competition since it informs consumers of what is available. One company’s offer will be either matched or bettered by another company in its advertising.

It was unheard of ten years ago to buy products directly using a personal computer, but it has become a matter of course for some people to browse(浏览)the Internet, surf until they find an e commerce site and then select the product. Marketing products has been almost turned upside down by new ways of selling and buying. More than at any time in history, the choice of goods is unlimited. The whole world is a customer’s marketplace. For busy people like you and me, advertisements actually do us a favor.

1. What the writer of this passage wants to tell us most is that—————————.

A．advertisements benefit busy people in many ways

B．advertisements encourage more business competitions

C．advertisements provide main features of new products

D．selling and informing are two functions of advertising

2. Which is least discussed in the passage as, one of the important sides of advertising?

A．To inform consumers of new products and services.

B．To provide consumers with chances to choose.

C．To increase healthy competition of companies.

D．To change the way of selling and buying.

3. The“comparison shopping”refers to the behavior of      .

A．comparing and buying a product at the lowest price

B．comparing and deciding which is the best to buy

C．relying on advertising and simplifying shopping

D．buying a product at the least competitive price

4. Healthy competition benefits consumers because—————————.

A．it helps companies to compete for the market

B．it gets companies to improve their services

C．it provides them with the best products and services

D．it gives them many chances to choose their products

【推荐2】It’s shopping season，which means pulling those credit and debit cards(借记卡)out of your wallet，entering your digits online—the holidays provide identity thieves with countless opportunities to cheat．    1    As the Equifax security breach exposed the personal information—including birth dates，credit card numbers，and Social Security numbers．

Protect your Social Security number．

    2    Of its nine digits，the first three are tied to where you lived，the next two are a group number within that geographical location，and the last four are your serial number．Since it’s not that hard for a criminal to figure out where you were born，it’s really only those last four digits that stand between you and all the problems you’re trying to avoid．So guard your number with your life．

Strengthen all your log-in information．

If your passwords and the answers to your reminder questions are easy enough for a thief to guess，then your secure accounts aren’t secure at all. The stealing of Social Security numbers has become such a concern that Medicare has introduced new ID cards for senior citizens that omit the numbers．If you believe that your Social Security number has been compromised，you can change it．    3    “They should be ascomplicated as each site’s system can bear and never fewer than 12 characters，”says Richard Roszko，a computer engineer．

Lock up your phone．

Always keep your device locked and use a strong，long pass code．Those annoying software updates often address new security issues，so don’t skip them．   And don’t let Apps save your passwords．You’ll need two“keys”to access those accounts—usually a password and a security code．You receive the code in a text，an e mail，or a phone call from the App you’re trying to access．So if you’re the one trying to access the account(on，say，your sister’s laptop)，you’ll be fine．    4    

    5    

Using debit cards for online shopping is a double serving of daring fate．You’re hurt not only because you’re shopping online but also because when a debit card is stolen，you may be out of luck．“If a credit card is hacked(非法侵入)，you owe zero dollars on the fraud，but if your debit card gets hacked，the money is drained(取光)from your account．”

A．Don’t pay with a debit card．

B．That’s an especially big concern this year．

C．Change your password as often as possible．

D．Your Social Security number is not as secure as you would hope．

E．Experts suggest that you have a unique password for every one of your online accounts．

F．But if it’s a thief without your phone，he or she won’t receive the code and will be locked out．

G．As for your password reminder questions，avoid using what could be found by the thieves on the media．

【推荐3】Whatever we do, it is important to set goals. However, it’s easy to know about but difficult to practise.

People set goal, work hard at them for even a few months, and then forget them. Next year, they set the same goals. But why do so many people do it?     1     But that isn’t to say these goals aren’t achievable. They need to be broken down into smaller and specific pieces.     2    

Many people are probably unwilling to support you to reach your goals. They’re comfortable with you when you have your own goals.     3     However, as you change and succeed, they may not like it. Why? It’s usually because your changes and achievements remind them that they could be doing it, too…but they aren’t!

You may have filled your schedule with so many things that there’s little room for your goals to grow. We must be careful not to confuse busyness with progress, as goals are always achieved step by step.     4     Success often comes when you know what to leave out, rather than what to include in your life.

    5     The chicken became really excited when she saw a sign: “Ham & Eggs, $2. 99”. She said to the pig, “Look, we’ve got double billing again.” The pig said, “That’s natural for you to say! For you, it’s all in a day’s work. For me, it’s total commitment (投入)”. Goal setting is all in a day’s work. Goal achievement is total commitment.

A．Maybe they don’t stick to the goals.

B．Don’t spend too much time on small things.

C．They may be making goals too general.

D．Goal setting is like the pig and chicken walking out early one morning.

E．They may even be enthusiastic about your desire to change something or try something new.

F．Be selective about how you use your time and what you focus on.

G．Make small goals and you’ll achieve them easily.

【推荐1】The young boy was sitting on the ground in the refugee(难民)camp playing with an empty tin.Other children were standing around watching him with envious eyes.
Envy? Of an empty tin?
This tin was indeed no worthless piece of trash—it was a splendid truck，complete with wheels and grille(铁栅) and floor.The vehicle even had remote control,a frayed piece of string from the“engine”to the hand of the owner.
The tin had lost all its original markings.But its first load had probably been sardines(沙丁鱼).Later the tin had been left with other rubbish behind the refugee camp clinic,and the boy had found it on one of his daily expeditions into the“big world”.
For thousands of refugee children,a tin like this rates high on their list of wants.It can be used for many purposes,as jewellery,as a toy,for drinking or as a medicine box.
Many refugee children would consider it the happiest day of their lives if they received a handful of marbles(弹珠) as a present.
They dream of gifts which children in developed countries take for granted.Maybe a book to read,or a pencil and an exercise book of their very own.
Their imagination can create toys,but it cannot create books.Someone else must provide them.A more costly and valuable gift they cannot imagine.
1. How do you think the young boy may feel when he gets something to read?

A．Depressed.	B．Frustrated.
C．Excited.	D．Frightened.

2. Other children envied the young boy because the boy             .

A．had something to play with	B．got some sardines to eat
C．received a handful of marbles	D．had a real truck toy

3. What is implied in the last paragraph of the text?

A．The society should donate(捐)some toys for the refugee children

B．The refugee children are more imaginative rather than creative

C．The refugee children are more creative rather than imaginative

D．The society should offer the refugee children things for study

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．An Enviable Toy Present	B．Sardine Tin—A Precious Toy
C．A Splendid Truck Toy	D．A Poor Refugee Cam

【推荐2】There once was a master who went to India. In those times, we didn’t have the communications or airplanes or many kinds of transportation that we do now. So the master went to India on foot. He had never been to India before; perhaps he came from Persia. And when he got there, he saw a lot of fruit. In India they have plenty of fruit to sell, but much of it is expensive because they can’t grow much due to the water situation. So he saw one basket, a big basket of some very red, long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop, not expensive at all.

So he went up and asked, “How much per kilo?” And the shopkeeper said, “Two rupees (卢比).” Two rupees in India is nothing; it’s like dirt. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it: Oh, my God! His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burned, his eyes were burning, his head was burning and his face became red. As he coughed and choked and gasped for breath, he jumped up and down, saying, “Ah! Ah! Ah!” But he still continued to eat the fruit! Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, “You’re crazy, man. Those are chilies (辣椒)! You can’t eat so many; they’re not good for you! People use them as a condiment (作料), but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can’t just eat them by the handful like that; they’re not fruit!” So the stupid master said, “No, I can’t stop! I paid money for them, and now I’ll eat them. It’s my money!”

And you think that master was stupid, right? Similarly, we sometimes do a lot of things like that. We invest money, time or effort in a relationship, business or job. And even though it’s been a long time, bitter experience tells us it won’t work, and we know there’s no more hope that things will change in the future — this we definitely know by intuition (直觉) — we still continue just because we’ve invested money, time, effort and love into it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and suffered so much but couldn’t stop because he didn’t want to waste the money he’d paid.

1. Why did the master buy a lot of chilies?

A．He loved the taste of chilies very much.

B．He spent a lot of money on chilies.

C．The price of chilies is very low.

D．The quality of Indian chilies is very good.

2. What can we infer about the master according to the passage?

A．He is very wise in spending his money.

B．He came from Persia with someone else.

C．He walked to India for the first time.

D．He is a very rich and honest man.

3. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To share us a funny story about a silly master.

B．To tell us when to give up in life.

C．To offer some information about India.

D．To remind us how to spend money wisely.

【推荐3】There are times when I leave for my running-group sessions with little enthusiasm. It might be because I’m tired, or stressed, or don’t want to leave something else. But I’m the coach, so I can’t choose to give it a miss.

It was yet another cold, dark, wet evening and I wasn’t feeling the love as I gathered all the necessary equipment. No one in their right mind will come out in this weather, I thought. But when I turned into the car park, my headlights picked out runners making a dash through the rain to our meeting point, where others were already working out to stay warm, with chat, laughter and hugs. They, too, I realized, might be tired, stressed or busy. But, unlike me, they had a choice about whether to come running or stay at home. And that makes their decision to come---and to keep on coming---more encouraging. Then, I went home from the run feeling better than when I’d arrived.

I believe one of the strongest motivations(激励；动机) behind these runners’ decisions to come along is being part of a group. Belonging to a running community makes running greater than running itself. It’s no longer just a workout; it’s a get-together with friends, a laugh and a shared experience. It provides a chance to share your success and disappointments, to be congratulated and comforted, and, just as important, to congratulate and comfort others.

Research has long shown the possibility of staying motivated is higher when exercise takes place in a group. The reasons are many. A study at the University of Southern California found people enjoy physical activity more when they are with others and are more likely to keep it up over the long term. And research by Strava in 2017 found running in a group made runners go faster and further. Using data from 90 million runs taking place all over the world, Strava found that the average pace of runs taking place in a group was seven seconds per mile quicker than solo runs, and the distance covered was an average of 1.3 miles further.

I joke about people being more motivated to come to my running sessions by the tea and biscuits afterwards than by the running itself. It might be true, but it doesn’t matter. Those laughter-filled minutes are every bit as important as the running in between.

1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．The coach was always enthusiastic.

B．The coach was never discouraged.

C．The coach was sometimes unwilling.

D．The coach was often worn out.

2. Why is being part of a group most motivational?

A．It needs a coach who can offer help.

B．It frees runners from boring daily work.

C．It helps members to beat their records.

D．It creates space for their communication.

3. That being in a group improves performance is proven by _______ .

A．taking a typical example	B．performing an experiment
C．listing accurate data	D．sharing his experiences

4. Tea and biscuits in running sessions are meant to _________ .

A．attract more runners from other groups

B．build up some strength before running

C．make his running group stand out of all

D．add more life to their running experience