【推荐1】I got this strange idea in my eight grade: to run for the president of the student Union. It is not a surprising decision for most outgoing, popular people. But I was neither. In fact I tended to daydream, read books that were not on the required list, and sit at the far corner of the cafeteria with the only two friends I had, Denise and Janice.

However, Claire, my enemy, motivated me to sign up to run against her. Denise decided we should form a group of advisors to get me elected. We met every day, right after school,reviewing every student. We tried to figure out why our schoolmates might want to vote, in their own interests for me or(more likely) against Claire.

We created cascades, a term we learned from Denise’s sister. In other words, we looked for students who were most likely to influence a group of other students. Those are the people that one of us approached first. My narrow victory was a surprise to many including, frankly, the three of us.

That’s how I got my first taste of the power of the so-called Collective Intelligence and it turned out to be the best method of succeeding in various work.

When a group commits to supporting each other by meeting regularly and obeying the negotiated rules, remarkable things happen. We tend to bring to bring the the the best out other, as thousands have learned around the world. When individuals become tight-knit teams, we become happier and higher-performing with and for each other. It is never too late for us to start our own advising group of no more than seven members around a strong sweet spot of common interest—which will help us achieve something different and more meaningful over the years.

1. What can we know about the author according to the first paragraph?

A．She has a lot of friends.	B．She loves reading.
C．She enjoys public debating.	D．She is very realistic.

2. Which of the following best explains the underlined word “cascades” in paragraph 3?

A．Boards of advisors	B．Committees of teachers.
C．Teams of important schoolmates.	D．Groups of devoted friends.

3. In the last paragraph, the author intends to encourage readers to_________.

A．commit to supporting others	B．meet friends as regularly as possible
C．do something different and meaningful	D．make best use of collective intelligence

4. What can be a suitable for the text?

A．A Sure Path to Great Success	B．A Secret to Win the Election
C．Clever Ways to Defeat Your Enemies	D．Effective Methods of Making Friends

【推荐3】Blind imitation(模仿)is a disaster. To those who do not recognize their unique worth, imitation appears attractive; to those who know their strength, imitation is unacceptable.

In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.

In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others. In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.

Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration not desperation. The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.

Study your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not serve you. Then you can say, “I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors’ tragedies and declare victory, and know that they are cheering me on.”

1. When is imitation useful according to the passage?

A．When you begin to learn something new.

B．When you lose the balance of life.

C．When you know you are unique.

D．When you get tired of some routine practice.

2. What should we do to avoid the bad result of imitation according to paragraph 3?

A．We should stay away from stars.

B．We should ask others for decisions.

C．We should choose the right example.

D．We should forget daily fear and pain.

3. What is the trouble that a creator may face?

A．how to search for more materials

B．the absence of practical ideas

C．the lack of strong motivation

D．how to use imagination creatively

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To criticize the characters of role models.

B．To emphasize the importance of creativity.

C．To compare imitation with creation.

D．To explain the meaning of success.