3 . Do you want to be a successful person? Would you like to know how successful people usually think and what drives them? Here I am going to tell you the key to success that successful people share.

First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to move ahead. They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they can’t control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. At the same time, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life.

Perhaps what most separates successful people from others is that they live life “on purpose” — they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to deal with things around them. They hold the view that when they live their life “on purpose”, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do. People want to do business with them because of their commitment. To live their life “on purpose”, successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it.

Besides, they never give up easily. Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Top achievers always bear in mind what they don’t have forever. Rather than see this as negative or depressing, they would use the knowledge to spur themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.

So keep in mind what successful people always hold to be true so that you will have a clear idea of what you should do to be successful in life.

1. The underlined word “spur” in Paragraph 4 probably means “_____”.

A．interest

B．equip

C．depend

D．inspire

2. Which is NOT the key to success that successful people share?

A．Taking responsibility for their life.	B．Never giving up easily.
C．Having a goal in life.	D．Controlling things in life.

3. According to the passage, to be successful, _____.

A．you should set up a realistic goal

B．you should know your strengths and weaknesses

C．you shouldn’t blame others for your failure

D．you shouldn’t waste time

4. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to _____.

A．explain the exact meaning of success	B．share with readers the key to success
C．tell his experience of achieving success	D．encourage readers to learn from failure

6 . It was on a cold May morning that I received the email inviting me to join a 10-day all-girls surf trip. Ten women aged 30 to 45, all complete strangers, meeting on the _______ of Portugal to try something new: surfing. I have always loved traveling, so I knew I had to _______ it.

What I’ve learned over my past 33 years is that _______ typically spend their days mastering the same things they’ve already done before. This strategy allows us to become experts in one particular field but it also kind of ends up leaving some skills _______.

I met my new surfing companions on the grass of the hotel _______ in a small surf town. _______ our different personalities and backgrounds, we were all united in a relentless (坚韧的) desire to challenge ourselves, learn, _______ and grow.

The shores, where the beginners learn to surf, are _______ and covered with slippery rocks. They _______ softer waves but are difficult to navigate. Guided by our amazing ________, together, we faced the waves.

________, I probably spent most of my days frozen to the bone, but that didn’t matter because a new level of genuine joy and personal achievement had been ________.

Learning a new skill taught me the ________ that can come from doing badly at something new, and the pride that develops when you finally manage to grasp something you’ve been working on.

While surfing might not be my ________, trying it out inspired me to take more risks in life, to step outside of my comfort zone and to never stop believing in myself. You never know what you are ________ of if you don’t go out there and try.

1.

A．border

B．coast

C．inland

D．strait

2.

A．realize

B．refuse

C．accept

D．admit

3.

A．adults

B．adolescents

C．athletes

D．amateurs

4.

A．acquiring

B．emerging

C．disappearing

D．lacking

5.

A．lobby

B．lawn

C．canteen

D．laundry

6.

A．On account of

B．For fear of

C．In spite of

D．In terms of

7.

A．surf

B．tackle

C．guide

D．comment

8.

A．shallow

B．deep

C．swift

D．rough

9.

A．spread over

B．sail through

C．dive into

D．make for

10.

A．coaches

B．trainees

C．partners

D．strangers

11.

A．Ironically

B．Implicitly

C．Honestly

D．Skeptically

12.

A．unloaded

B．unsettled

C．uninstalled

D．unlocked

13.

A．novelty

B．priority

C．humility

D．equality

14.

A．calling

B．habit

C．necessity

D．relaxation

15.

A．aware

B．capable

C．worthy

D．sick

7 . We often hear about schools cutting back on bus routes to save money, yet plenty of communities have their buses stopping almost as often as the mail truck. The presence of sidewalks and the safety of area roads play a role in determining who can enjoy door-to-door or off-street pickup services. But Peter Mannella, head of the New York Association for Pupil Transportation, says community culture can play an even larger role in traffic conditions.

For example: Several years ago, Bethlehem tried spacing out its stops, says Mannella. The parents were displeased, expressing as much and, within three days, the routes were back to their original frequency. "You can say ’We are going to save $100,000 by not stopping at every house,’ but parents don’t want their kids walking," Mannella says. As you’d expect, this is especially true in bad weather or during winter.

As a student in the 1980s, we walked to our stops. The neighborhood wait-spot was a good quarter mile away. Parents didn’t make a fuss (大惊小怪), and no child was injured. In fact, the walking was good — it woke us up each morning. Not to mention the sense of community we felt each morning waiting for the bus to pick us up and take us to school.

The thing is, a lot has changed since the 1980s. Too many people are texting and driving, making them as dangerous on the roads as drunken drivers. And, with fewer employees in many companies, parents often work longer hours, meaning they aren’t around to guard their kids to and from stops like many parents did when we were growing up.

So I understand that their kids don’t have to walk a mile to and from school every day. I can’t agree with the complaints of having kids walk to a community neighborhood stop, though. If you worry they’re going to be cold, get them a hat. If you fear they may miss the bus, send them out the door five minutes earlier.

1. What do we know about Bethlehem’s plan?

A．It ended up in failure.	B．It lasted for a long time.
C．It wasn’t put into practice.	D．It saved a lot of money.

2. What can we learn about students in the 1980s from paragraph 3?

A．They woke up early in the morning.

B．They lived just a stone’s throw from the bus stop.

C．They enjoyed socializing with neighbors.

D．They benefited by walking to a neighborhood stop.

3. Why are today’s parents unwilling to let their children walk to a neighborhood stop?

A．Careless drivers bring about safety risks.

B．The weather conditions are terrible in winter.

C．Children might be late for school.

D．The house-to-house pickup is available.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards children walking to bus stops?

A．Doubtful.	B．Cautious.
C．Supportive.	D．Critical.

8 . New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka came of age alongside the internet. As a teen, he published his own blog and joined forums(论坛)for the Dave Matthews Band. He discovered one of his favorite jazz songs — John Coltrane’s full version of “My Favorite Things” — driving around at night, listening to the local radio station.

Chayka misses this time — and the ways, then, that personal discoveries like these were made. In his new book, Filter World: How Algorithms(算法). Flattened Culture, Chayka says he never would have fallen in love with Coltrane’s song if he’d heard it on Spotify, an online music streaming service. He says he doubts Spotify’s algorithm would even suggest it, because the song is so long. And that, even if it did, he wouldn’t have learned anything about Coltrane as an artist, because the Spotify interface doesn’t provide the same context that a radio DJ does, sharing details between songs. The person behind the song choice, he argues, made his emerging interest in Coltrane possible in a way modern recommendation systems cannot.

This is one of many “back in my day” stories Chayka uses to illustrate his argument that algorithms have “flattened culture”. Thanks to recommendation, generators like Netflix’s top picks and Spotify’s autoplay suggestions, “the least troublesome and perhaps least meaningful pieces of culture are promoted,” Chayka argues. He admits that quality is subjective when judging these things, and instead argues that recommendation systems undermine personal taste. Taste, he writes, was once a combination of personal choices and popular influence — but now algorithms rely more on choices of the masses. Developing taste requires effort and active engagement, but what we see now are algorithms turning taste into consumerism.

A central point of the book, in fact, is that people today are not only well aware of the power of algorithms, they can’t escape them. He interviews a young woman who wonders if “what I like is what I actually like,” worried that her taste is so shaped by algorithms that she can’t trust herself. The book may be most useful in these sections, where Chayka and his interviewees attempt to make sense of how internet algorithms have shaped their own lives and work.

1. Why does Chayka tell his own experience in his book?

A．To promote his new book.	B．To attract readers’ attention.
C．To explain the background.	D．To support his opinion.

2. What is the book Filter World mainly about?

A．How early internet shapes our culture.

B．How technology influences our personal taste.

C．How social media changes our view of reality.

D．How digital platform redefines mass consumption.

3. What is Chayka’s attitude towards modern recommendation systems?

A．Ambiguous.

B．Favorable.

C．Tolerant.

D．Critical.

4. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Show the highlights of the book.	B．Comment on the structure of the book.
C．Summarize the main arguments.	D．Praise Chayka’s writing styles.

9 . People are obsessed (对……着迷) with apps these days Whether they're good or bad, some apps can really make our life easier. There are some apps that can make your life easier and happier

Relax Melodies

Stress is an inevitable (不可避免的) part of life. When you don't know how to deal with stress in a healthy way, it can cause many health issues, including anxiety and depression. This app features relaxing sounds that help you fight stress and fall asleep faster. It can help your baby to sleep better as well. The sounds are perfect foe yoga and massage sessions, too. If you are looking to improve your health, give this app a try.

Fitbit

The Fitbit app will help you live a healthier life and be more active throughout the day. It helps to watch your calorie intake, keep your weight under control, keep track of your daily activities, follow your training program, achieve your fitness and weight-loss goals, and what's more, you can invite your family members, friends or coworkers to join and compete with them. The app is free.

Pocket Expense

Keep track of your spending, monitor all your financial accounts track all your bills, reach your savings goals and overall keep your budget under control with this app. The app helps you to see how much money is left. It can teach you to shop wisely and budget your money more efficiently and accurately.

Groupon

The Groupon app helps to get deals for 50%-70% off the most popular stuff to see, do and purchase things in over 500 cities worldwide. You can save on almost everything while traveling around the world. This app is a must-have for wise buyers.

1. How can Relax Melodies benefit people?

A．By helping people deal with hard tasks.

B．By keeping track of people's daily activities.

C．By getting people to feel calm with sounds.

D．By improving people's level to appreciate music.

2. Why do people choose the app Pocket Expense?

A．It can make you relaxed.

B．It can help you keep in shape.

C．It can tell you where to buy high-quality goods.

D．It can help you spend money more reasonably.

3. Which of the following apps can assist you if you wish to get things at a discount?

A．Fitbit.

B．Groupon.

C．Relax Melodies.

D．Pocket Expense.