The survey went on to point out that the results suggest that a sense of humour may help light-hearted employees keep their jobs during tough times. And, what's more, it may push them up the corporate ladder past their humourless colleagues. Why? It seems that those with a sense of humour are better communicators and better team players.
Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive. In fact, a researcher at California State University found that humour could help the employees to release tension.
Research done by psychologist Dr. Ashton Trice at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia showed that humour helps us think. When people feel stuck on important projects, they tend to feel angry or depressed. According to Dr. Trice's research, taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to return to a task or move on to another project unaffected by past defeat.
If humour is really this important, then why don't we use it more often on the job? Most likely, the main reason is that many people are unaware of the positive effects of humour in the workplace. However, it is important to realize that some humour is not suitable for the workplace, and that it is often used at wrong times.
1. Most people think a sense of humour can ________.
| A．help you to do your work better |
| B．make you have a rich life |
| C．make you pleased with your work |
| D．help you to make more friends |
| A．they like keeping silent when working |
| B．they don't know the positive effects of humour |
| C．they think they should obey the rules |
| D．they don't like joking or laughing |
| A．to feel surprised |
| B．to get along with |
| C．to be worried |
| D．to be successful |
| A．People with a Sense of Humour. |
| B．Humour Is Important in the Workplace. |
| C．Humour and Humourless. |
| D．Everyone Likes Humour. |
2 . A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be "running out of control". This idea is dangerous.
Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast and is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.
Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections, whatever is scientifically possible will be done-somewhere , sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it fuels a sense of hopelessness and discourages then from making efforts to build a safer world.
In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and out of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of "controlling" science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict.
Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the untied efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can
science best serve mankind in the future.
1. What can we conclude from the recent study?| A．People think highly of science. |
| B．People hold mixed opinions about science. |
| C．Science is getting dangerously out of control. |
| D．Science is used for both good and bad purposes. |
| A．The development of science will hopelessly slow down. |
| B．Businesses will have even greater influence on science. |
| C．The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future. |
| D．People will work more actively to put science under control. |
| A．scientists have failed to predict the outcomes |
| B．the ties between different areas need strengthening |
| C．united efforts are necessary for the development of science |
| D．people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science |
| A．Science and its applications bring us many dangers. |
| B．The development of science mostly lies in people's attitudes. |
| C．Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts. |
| D．The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas. |
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist （薄雾）, Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.
As if stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries （美术馆） than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, madding the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub（酒馆）. It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of “outstanding universal value”. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore.
1. Visitors who see the city for the first time would be deeply impressed by __________.
| A．its charming banks |
| B．its famous museums |
| C．its wonderful palaces |
| D．its attractive buildings |
| A．providing different examples |
| B．following the order of space |
| C．making comparisons |
| D．analyzing causes |
| A．Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants |
| B．Liverpool is an impressive place full of attraction |
| C．a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves |
| D．a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to complete their journey |
| A．The universal value of the world heritage in Liverpool. |
| B．The exciting experience of the author in Liverpool. |
| C．The special cultural atmosphere of Liverpool. |
| D．The beautiful historic sites of Liverpool. |
4 . When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance，the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list. Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as entertainment, but certainly not an education priority（优先）. This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students
Music tells us who we are. Because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values, as well as the social environment it came from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as does a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.
Music provides a kind of perception(视角) that cannot be acquired any other way. Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore the emotive（情感的）meaning of the same phenomenon. We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason: No one way can get it all.
The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other. They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities our hungers, our discoveries, our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.
So music education is far more necessary than people seem to realize.
1. According to paragraph 1, students ________.| A．regard music as a way of entertainment |
| B．disagree with their parents on education |
| C．view music as an overlooked subject |
| D．prefer the arts to science |
| A．compare it with rock music |
| B．show music identifies a society |
| C．introduce American musical traditions |
| D．prove music influences people’s lifestyles |
| A．approach the world from different angles |
| B．explore different phenomena of the world |
| C．express people’s feeling in different ways |
| D．explain what it means to be human differently |
| A．Music education deserves more attention. |
| B．Music should be of top education priority. |
| C．Music is an effective communication tool. |
| D．Music education makes students more imaginative. |
The cultures of the East and the West really distinguish from each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate systems
The origin of the eastern culture is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are gestated（孕育）by
When the two mother rivers gave birth to the eastern culture, another famous culture was
At the same time, the
Other factors like human race difference
| A．above all | B．on the whole | C．in all | D．in no case |
| A．mountains | B．plains | C．lakes | D．rivers |
| A．or | B．for | C．while | D．when |
| A．developed | B．improved | C．created | D．protected |
| A．suddenly | B．quietly | C．gradually | D．naturally |
| A．mixed | B．changed | C．made | D．forced |
| A．expanded | B．interrupted | C．ended | D．shaped |
| A．comes | B．belongs | C．brings | D．adds |
| A．brought up | B．carried out | C．given out | D．picked up |
| A．result | B．sign | C．base | D．content |
| A．Through | B．Except | C．With | D．Like |
| A．affected | B．spread | C．crossed | D．formed |
| A．joined up | B．settled down | C．broke down | D．went up |
| A．come | B．suffer | C．result | D．differ |
| A．distinction | B．contact | C．appearance | D．feature |
| A．properly | B．hardly | C．simply | D．mostly |
| A．last | B．count | C．reduce | D．change |
| A．in terms of | B．due to | C．as to | D．in case of |
| A．transform | B．display | C．communicate | D．distinguish |
| A．Therefore | B．Meanwhile | C．Furthermore | D．However |
6 . I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I'm sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.
Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild.“This isn't family，” he replied, “though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family. Old Ed and I grew up together.”
They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it'd generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn't seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time，” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.
The first sentence “I've been meaning to write for some time, but I've always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said“Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I'm not good at saying things like that”， I found myself nodding in agreement.
We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph：“So I thought you'd like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”
“I thought your friend's name was Ed，” I said.
“I'm Tom，” he explained. “It's a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he'd died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
When I got to my hotel room I didn't unpack right away, I had to write a letter and post it.
1. Who wrote the letter?| A．Tom. |
| B．Old Ed. |
| C．The author. |
| D．The driver's grandchild. |
| A．missing Ed's funeral |
| B．moving away from his neighborhood |
| C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards |
| D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed |
| A．often failed to write to his friends |
| B．had no intention to write to his friends |
| C．had many great moments with his friends |
| D．was good at expressing feelings to his friends |
| A．Comfort your friends when they are feeling down. |
| B．Life is unpredictable, so live each day as if it were your last. |
| C．Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words. |
| D．Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships. |
7 . It's generally believed that people act the way they do because of their personalities and attitudes .They recycle their garbage because the care about the environment .They pay $5 for a caramel brulée latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.
It's undeniable that behavior comes from our inner dispositions (性情), but in many instances we also draw inferences about who we are, as suggested by the social psychologist Daryl Bem , by observing our own behavior .We can be strangers to ourselves .If we knew our own minds, why would we need to guess what our preferences are from our behavior? If our minds were an open book, we would know exactly how much we care about the environment or like lattes .Actually , we often need to look to our behavior to figure out who we are.
Moreover, we don't just use our behavior to learn about our particular types of character—we infer characters that weren't there before .Our behavior is often shaped by little pressures around us, which we fail to recognize .Maybe we recycle because our wives and neighbors would disapprove if we didn't .Maybe we buy lattes in order to impress the people around us .We should not mistakenly believe that we always behave as a result of some inner disposition.
Whatever pressures there can be or inferences one can make, people become what they do, though it may not be in compliance (符合) with their true desires .Therefore , we should all bear in mind Kurt Vonnegut's advice: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
1. According to the passage, personalities and attitudes are commonly believed to___.| A．determine one's behavior |
| B．reflect one's taste |
| C．influence one's surroundings |
| D．result from one's habits |
| A．The return of a wallet can indicate one's honesty. |
| B．A kind person will offer his seat to the old. |
| C．One recycles plastics to protect the environment. |
| D．One buys latte out of true love of coffee. |
| A．We fail to realize our inner dispositions. |
| B．We can be influenced by outside pressures. |
| C．Our behavior is the result of our true desires. |
| D．Our characters can shape our social relationships. |
| A．Personalities and attitudes. |
| B．Preferences and habits. |
| C．Behavior and personalities. |
| D．Attitudes and preferences. |
8 . There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little whisky(威士忌) at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited there in 1873 she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot,” And she didn't even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grass mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange, the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a people and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle, any frustration will float away as gently as the circling water. It's just you and purple, pink, white flowers, a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime's fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day's fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland's mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of mountains, and reaching its 1342-metre top is a challenge. But it's not just what goes up that matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain's north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes form the Gaelic language "usqueb" or "water of life"; and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland's best known whisky.
1. The story of Queen Victoria is to show that .| A．the queen is rich in tour experience |
| B．the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland |
| C．tasting whisky is better than going fishing |
| D．1873 is a special year for the queen |
| A．By giving descriptions. | B．By following time order. |
| C．By analyzing causes. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．The Inverlochy Castle Hotel. |
| B．The beauty of its surroundings. |
| C．The water from the mountain. |
| D．The challenge up to its top. |
| A．To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists. |
| B．To show the attractions of Scotland to readers. |
| C．To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland. |
| D．To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland. |
As his car passed, one child appeared, and a brick____into the Jag's side door. He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the ____from where the brick had been thrown.
He jumped out of the car, grabbed some kid and pushed him up against a parked car, ____, "What was that all about and who are you? What are you doing?" Building up a head of steam, he went on "That's a new car and that brick you threw is gonna ____a lot of money. Why did you do it?"
"Please, Mister, please, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do!" pleaded the youngster.
"It's my brother," he said. "He rolled____the curb (路边) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't____him up.
____, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too ____ for me."
____beyond words, the driver tried to ____the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and____the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you, sir. And God bless you," the ____child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to his Jaguar... a long, slow walk. He never did ____ the side door. He kept the dent(凹痕) to ____him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your ____.
Life whispers in your ___and speaks to your heart. Sometimes, when you don't have the time to____... Life throws a brick at your head. It's your choice: Listen to the whispers of your soul or wait for the ____!1.
| A．in | B．for | C．up | D．of |
| A．speed up | B．moved off | C．slowed down | D．drew off |
| A．smashed | B．threw | C．rushed | D．attacked |
| A．street | B．house | C．car | D．spot |
| A．speaking | B．shouting | C．talking | D．saying |
| A．cost | B．take | C．spend | D．pay |
| A．off | B．about | C．on | D．into |
| A．rise | B．lift | C．put | D．drag |
| A．calling | B．yelling | C．sobbing | D．shouting |
| A．heavy | B．tall | C．weak | D．difficult |
| A．moved | B．surprised | C．annoyed | D．persuaded |
| A．spit | B．swallow | C．vomit | D．digest |
| A．scratched | B．applied | C．wiped | D．drafted |
| A．grateful | B．sorrowful | C．naughty | D．lovely |
| A．decorate | B．repair | C．crash | D．remove |
| A．remind | B．warn | C．sense | D．detect |
| A．understanding | B．approval | C．sympathy | D．attention |
| A．spirit | B．soul | C．ghost | D．memory |
| A．think | B．feel | C．look | D．listen |
| A．moment | B．idea | C．brick | D．chance |
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest（牧师） in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform（主持） marriage ceremonies（典礼） for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison（监狱）, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed （签名）“From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped（心形的） cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
| C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order |
| C．he stole a lot of food |
| D．he didn’t want to be a soldier |
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| A．Valentine’s Day in China | B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine’s Day | D．A Romantic Man |
