2 . Types of Social Groups

Life places us in a complex web of relationships with other people. Our humanness arises out of these relationships in the course of social interaction. Moreover, our humanness must be sustained through social interaction -- and fairly constantly so. When an association continues long enough for two people to become linked together by a relatively stable set of expectations, it is called a relationship.

People are bound within relationships by two types of bonds: expressive ties and instrumental ties. Expressive ties are social links formed when we emotionally invest ourselves in and commit ourselves to other people. Through association with people who are meaningful to us, we achieve a sense of security, love, acceptance, companionship, and personal worth. Instrumental ties are social links focused when we cooperate with other people to achieve some goal.

Occasionally, this may mean working with, instead of against, competitors. More often, we simply cooperate with others to reach some end without endowing the relationship with any larger significance.

Sociologists have built on the distinction between expressive and instrumental ties to distinguish between two types of groups: primary and secondary. A primary group involves two or more people who enjoy a direct, intimate, cohesive relationship with one another. Expressive ties predominate in primary groups: we view the people as ends in themselves and valuable in their own right. A secondary group entails two or more people who are involved in an impersonal relationship and have come together for a specific, practical purpose. Instrumental ties predominate in secondary groups ; we perceive people as means to ends rather than as ends in their own right. sometimes primary group relationships evolve out of secondary group relationships. This happens in many work settings. People on the job often develop close relationships with coworkers as they come to share gripes, jokes, gossip, and satisfactions.

A number of conditions enhance the likelihood that primary groups will arise. First, group size is important. We find it difficult to get to know people personally when they are milling about and dispersed in large groups. In small groups we have a better chance to initiate contact and establish rapport with them. Second, face - to - face contact allows us to size up others. Seeing and talking with one another in close physical proximity makes possible a subtle exchange of ideas and feelings. And third, the probability that we will develop primary group bonds increases as we have frequent and continuous contact. Our ties with people often deepen as we interact with them across time and gradually evolve interlocking habits and interests.

Primary groups are fundamental to us and to society. Sociologists view primary groups as bridges between individuals and the larger society because they transmit, mediate, and interpret a society’s cultural patterns and provide the sense of oneness so critical for social solidarity. Primary groups, then serve both as carriers of social norms and as enforcers of them.

1. According to Paragraph 1, which of the following statements is true of a relationship?

A．It is a structure of associations with many people.

B．It should be studied in the course of social interaction.

C．It places great demands on people.

D．It develops gradually over time.

2. Which of the following can be inferred from the author’s claim in paragraph 4 that primary group relationships sometimes evolve out of secondary group relationships?

A．Secondary group relationships begin by being primary group relationships.

B．A secondary group relationship that is highly visible quickly becomes a primary group relationship.

C．Sociologists believe that only primary group relationships are important to society.

D．Even in secondary groups, frequent communication serves to bring people into close relationships.

3. The phrase “size up” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．enlarge	B．evaluate
C．impress	D．accept

4. This passage is developed primarily by ________.

A．drawing comparisons between theory and practice

B．presenting two opposing theories

C．defining important concepts

D．discussing causes and their effects

3 . Kids nowadays are growing up “connected”, learning to use technology at a surprising speed. Technology is a regular part of school now! Kids as young as Kindergarten are using smartboards, IPads, and computers to complete tasks in the classroom. Older children rely on the Internet for research, getting homework, sending work to teachers, and even accessing（ 获得） textbooks. In fact, today’s kids have been given the name “digital（数字）natives” because they are facing technology almost from birth, so new things have never been a greater challenge in the hands of our children. The Internet，Facebook, iPods, pictures and texting on cell phones and all of these are the ways kids communicate today. They have become a central part of their lives. It allows them a private life that most of us know very little about.

Kids just don’t think about the results of the new world of social networking and text messaging. They don’t think that it is dangerous to send a photo of a particular person to a foolish person, who might send it to some friends that may send it to a hundred others and the next thing you know, it’s on many Facebook sites and all over the Internet forever. They don’t think that way because they don’t have the life experience that we do. We have to help them.

The key to knowing how they manage this privacy（隐私） is our “connection” to them. How closely do we connect with our kids and pay attention to what they’re doing? And how often do we talk to our children... and really listen to them? If they believe in us and know that we will be there for them, they are more likely to follow our advice. If we talk openly about what we believe in, what we stand for, those values will become their own before long.

1. What is the author’s opinion about children?

A．They are good at accepting modern things.	B．They are well understood by their parents.
C．They almost like to surf on the Facebook.	D．They know the Internet dangers well.

2. What does the underlined word “us” in paragraph 1 refers to?

A．Kids.

B．Adults.

C．Internet users.

D．Internet teachers.

3. Why do kids think differently according to paragraph 2?

A．They only understand their own private lives.	B．They are badly influenced by new things.
C．They do not have life experience.	D．They don’t depend on their parents.

4. When will children accept their parents’ advice?

A．When they are surfing on the Internet.	B．When they meet some dangerous situations.
C．When parents believe in what they are doing.	D．When parents communicate with them deeply.

4 . Teens are now less likely to do part time jobs,drink alcohol or go out without their parents than their counterpart 10 or 20 years ago.This generation of teens is delaying the responsibilities and pleasures of adulthood.Some people think that today's teens are more virtuous(品行端正的）and responsible.Others have suggested that today's teens aren't working because they are simply lazy.

To figure out what's really going on,we should look at these trends with"life history theory" taken into consideration.A"fast life method"was the more common parenting approach in the mid-20th century,when fewer labor-saving devices were available and the average woman had four children.The parents needed to focus on day to day survival.As a result,kids needed to care for themselves sooner.A"slow life method"on the other hand is more common in times and places where families have fewer children and spend more time on each child's growth and development.When the average family has two children,preparing for college can begin as early as primary schools.The two methods are adaptations to a particular cultural background,so each isn't naturally"good"or"bad".

Delaying exposure to alcohol,then,could make young adults less prepared to deal with drinking in college.One study found teens who rapidly increased there binge-drinking(酗酒）were more at risk of alcohol dependence than those who learned to drink over a longer period of time.The same might be true of teens who don't work,drive or go out much in high school. College administrators describe students who can't do anything without calling their parents. Employers worry that more young employees lack the ability to work independently.

However,the"slow-life method"is also likely beneficial as teens are spending more time developing socially and emotionally before they drive,drink alcohol and work for pay.The key is to make sure that teens eventually get the opportunity to develop the skills they will need as adults: independence,along with social and decision making skills.For parents,this might mean pushing their teenagers out of the house more.

1. According to the text,teens in the past were more____.

A．reliable	B．outgoing
C．intelligent	D．independent

2. What plays a vital role in the trend of teens growing up more slowly?

A．Social standard

B．Cultural changes

C．Educational development.

D．Methods of education

3. What does the author advise parents to do?

A．Spend less time in accompanying their children.

B．.Force their children to leave home at an early age.

C．Encourage their children to take part in social activities.

D．Help their children to get to adulthood as soon as possible.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．How teens develop skills they need in future

B．Teens take no responsibility for what they do

C．Why today's teens aren't in any hurry to grow up

D．Nowadays teens can't make decisions by themselves

5 . Are you aware that every single person on this planet who has ever lived, lives now or will live, has a different perception of reality? The way each of us perceives the world is to some degree different than any other person's perception of reality. __①__ What is absolutely real and right for you may be an illusion, or nonexistent, or completely false for another!

It's important to know this. __②__ For example, the news media loves to create drama, and one of their favorite methods is to elicit(引起) fear: fear of other people, fear of the weather, fear of the economy, etc. The news media tells us how to perceive the world—and if a person takes the newscasters at their word, they perceive the world to be very dangerous and hostile. To that person，the mental images and emotions suggested by other people create a version of reality that is completely different from the reality perceived by someone who does not watch the news.

Things are not always what they seem. For most people, seeing is believing, which is why magicians, artists and marketers are so successful. Just like the TV news, they show you only what they want you to see and it is perceived as reality. But how would that reality change if you saw what went on behind the scenes or what was left out?

What's your story?

We all have a story. Over time, your story takes on a life of its own and you become your story. But who's the author and why did him put so much crap in there? All that unnecessary suffering, struggle, heartache, worry and pain... wouldn't it be better to live a story without all that? Who wants to live in a story with that much boredom and unfulfilled longings?

The story got its start when you were born, and was co­authored by you along with the influences in your life. __③__ Anytime you were influenced by someone or something, you unconsciously handed your pen over and said “Here, you write this about me.” So you are not even writing your OWN story! No one does—until they recognize that fact, and make a conscious decision to take control of the pen. You CAN write your story the way you want it to play out.

________________

It is helpful to understand how the brain takes reality and filters it to create your unique perception of reality. It's an automatic unconscious action that is based on：

● Physical experiences (which is why some optical illusions are extremely unsettling)

● Past conditioning (how you are programmed to see the world)

__④__ When you become aware of the fact that you are constructing your own reality, you can take charge and build one that is more pleasing. If you change your mind, your vibration and your intentions, you can change your circumstances! Instead of, “I am a victim of circumstance，” imprint in your mind,   “I am the co­creator of my life”； Instead of, “I am sick and tired of...” imprint in your mind，“I am in control and enthusiastic about what I do”．

Raise your vibration by thinking, talking and acting more positively. As positiveness becomes a mental habit，that change will become your new inner reality, which will soon manifest in your outer reality.

The power of perception is immense. Choose to see more good than bad, more abundance than lack, more love than indifference and more success than struggle.

1. How does the author present his viewpoints in the first three paragraphs?

A．By answering questions.	B．By giving examples.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By drawing conclusions.

2. The sentence “Because if you are not aware, your perception, world view and reality are created by other people.” should be put in ________．

A．①

B．②

C．③

D．④

3. Which of the following subtitles can be filled in the blank?

A．Seeing is not believing

B．Live up to your expectations

C．Change your perception and create a new reality

D．Physical experiences and past conditioning really count

4. What is the tone of the passage?

A．Instructive.	B．Humorous.
C．Critical.	D．Ironic.

6 . Not too many decades ago it seemed “obvious” both to the general public and to sociologists that modern society has changed people’s natural relations, loosened their responsibilities to kin (亲戚) and neighbors, and substituted in their place superficial relationships with passing acquaintances. However, in recent years a growing body of research   has revealed that the “obvious” is not true. It seems that if you are a city resident, you typically know a smaller proportion of your neighbors than you do if you are a resident of a smaller community. But, for the most part, this fact has few significant consequences. It does not necessarily follow that if you know few of your neighbors you will know no one else.

Even in very large cities, people maintain close social ties within small, private social worlds. Indeed, the number and   quality of   meaningful   relationships   do   not   differ   between more and less urban people. Small-town residents are more involved with kin than are big-city residents. Yet city dwellers compensate by developing friendships with people who share similar interests and activities. Urbanism many produce a different style of life, but the quality of life   does not differ between town and city. Nor are residents of large communities any likelier to display psychological symptoms of stress or alienation, a feeling of not belonging, than are residents of smaller communities. However, city dwellers do worry more about crime, and this leads them to a distrust of strangers.

These findings do not imply that urbanism makes little or no difference. If neighbors are strangers to one another, they are less likely to sweep the sidewalk of an elderly couple living   next door or keep an eye out for young trouble makers. Moreover, as Wirth suggested, there may be a link between a community’s population size and its social heterogeneity (多样性). For instance, sociologists have found much evidence that the size of a community is associated with bad behavior including gambling, drugs, etc. Large-city urbanities are also more likely than their small-town counterparts to have a cosmopolitan(见多识广)outlook, to display less responsibility to traditional kinship roles, to vote for leftist political candidates, and to be tolerant of nontraditional religious groups, unpopular political groups, and so—called undesirables. Everything considered, heterogeneity and unusual behavior seem to be outcomes of large population size.

1. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the first paragraph?

A．An argument is examined and possible solutions given.

B．Two contrasting views are presented.

C．Research results concerning the quality of urban life are presented in order of time.

D．A detail description of the difference between urban and small-town life is given.

2. According to the passage, it was once a common belief that urban residents .

A．could not develop long-standing relationships.

B．did not have the same interests as their neighbors.

C．tended to be associated with bad behavior.

D．usually had more friends.

3. One of the   consequences   of   urban   life   is   that   impersonal   relationships   among   neighbors .

A．disrupt people’s natural relations.

B．make them worry about crime.

C．cause them no to show concern for one another.

D．cause them to be suspicious of each other.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the bigger a community is____,

A．the better its quality of life

B．the more tolerant and open-minded it is.

C．the likelier it is to display psychological symptoms of stress.

D．the more similar its interests

7 . Gender Stereotypes Are Messing with Your Kid

Gender stereotypes are messing with your kid. It’s not just one movie. It’s not just one TV show. It’s constant exposure to the same dated concepts in the media over and over, starting before preschool and lasting a lifetime --- concepts like: Boys are smarter than girls: certain jobs are best for men and others for women; and even that girls are responsible for their own sexual assaults.

According to a recent report, which analyzed more than 150 articles, interviews, books, and other social-scientific research, gender stereotypes in moves and on TV shows are more than persistient.    1     what make these messages stick --- and harder for parents to counteract – is that they’re timed for the precise moment in kids’ development when they’re most receptive to their influence.

Think of preschoolers who are just beginning to identify as boys or girls. The characters they see on TV often have an obvious masculine or feminine appearance, such as a superhero’s big muscles or a princess’ long hair. These characters also are often associated with specific traits---for example, being strong and brave or fearful and meek.     2     That “Strong and brave” superhero becomes aggressive and hostile. That “fearful and meek” princess becomes submissive and weak.

For young audiences who absorb ideas from the media on how to behave and what to become, these characterizations can lead to false assumptions and harmful conclusions. These oversimplified characterizations play out in many ways over and over. According to the report, a lifetime of viewing stereotypical media becomes so ingrained that it can ultimately affect kids’ career choices, self-worth, relationships, and ability to achieve their full potential.

And lots of parent are concerned about these issues, too. We polled nearly 1,000 parents across the country and found that they believe the media has a significant influence on their kids, from how girls should look and behave to how seeing violence can affect boys’ beliefs about themselves.     3    Because, let’s face it: exaggerating the differences entertained. It’s not what we really want our kids to emulate.

While there are movies and TV shows that defy gender stereotypes---and Hollywood is making some progress on this front --- you’re not going to be able to prevent your kids from seeing everything that sends the wrong message. And your kids probably like a lot of media that reinforces stereotypes.     4    When you actively role-model gender equality, speak out against stereotypes, and challenge outdated ideas, kids will hear that loud and clear.

A．Luckily, parents can assert control over the messages that Hollywood dishes out.

B．You have a lot of control over your kids’ media --- mostly when they’re little, but even as they grow.

C．Fortunately, the most powerful messages kids absorb are from you.

D．Ideally, self-segregate based on gender --- boys want to play with boys, and girls want to play with girls.

E．They’re incredibly effective at teaching kids what the culture expects of boys and girls.

F．Fast-forward to the tween and teen years, when characters begin to wrestle with relationships, life, and job prospects.

8 . By now you’ve probably heard about the “you’re not special” speech, when English teacher David McCullough told graduating seniors at Wellesley High School: "Do not get the idea you're anything special, because you're not." Mothers and fathers present at the ceremony — and a whole lot of other parents across the internet — took issue with McCullough's ego-puncturing words. But lost in the anger and protest was something we really should be taking to heart: our young people actually have no idea whether they're particularly talented or accomplished or not. In our eagerness to elevate their self-esteem, we forgot to teach them how to realistically assess their own abilities, a crucial requirement for getting better at anything from math to music to sports. In fact, it's not just privileged high-school students: we all tend to view ourselves as above average.

Such inflated (膨胀的) self-judgments have been found in study after study, and it's often exactly when we're least competent at a given task that we rate our performance most generously. In a 2006 study published in the journal Medical Education, for example, medical students who scored the lowest on an essay test were the most charitable in their self-evaluations, while high-scoring students judged themselves much more strictly. Poor students, the authors note, "lack insight" into their own inadequacy. Why should this be? Another study, led by Cornell University psychologist David Dunning, offers an enlightening explanation. People who are incompetent, he writes with co-author Justin Kruger, suffer from a "dual burden": they're not good at what they do, and their wry ineptness (笨拙) prevents them from recognizing how bad they are.

In Dunning and Kruger's study, subjects scoring at the bottom of the heap on tests of logic, grammar and humor "extremely overestimated" their talents. Although their test scores put them in the 12^th percentile, they guessed they were in the 62^nd. What these individuals lacked (in addition to clear logic, proper grammar and a sense of humor) was "metacognitive skill" (元认知技巧): the capacity to monitor how well they're performing. In the absence of that capacity, the subjects arrived at an overly hopeful view of their own abilities. There's a paradox (悖论) here, the authors note: “The skills that develop competence in a particular domain are often the very same skills necessary to evaluate competence in that domain. "In other words, to get better at judging how well we’re doing at an activity, we have to get better at the activity itself.

There are a couple of ways out of this double bind (两难). First, we can learn to make honest comparisons with others. Train yourself to recognize excellence, even when you yourself don't possess it, and compare what you can do against what truly excellent individuals are able to accomplish. Second, seek out feedback that is frequent, accurate and specific. Find a critic who will tell you not only how poorly you're doing, but just what it is that you're doing wrong. As Dunning and Kruger note, success indicates to us that everything went right, but failure is more ambiguous: any number of things could have gone wrong. Use this external feedback to figure out exactly where and when you screwed up.

If we adopt these strategies — and most importantly, teach them to our children — they won't need parents, or a commencement(毕业典礼) speaker, to tell them that they're special. They'll already know that they are, or have a plan to get that way.

1. The underlined phrase "took issue with" in paragraph 1 most probably means      .

A．totally approved of	B．disagreed with
C．fully understood	D．held discussion about

2. The author thinks the problem that shouldn't be overlooked is that      .

A．we don’t know whether our young people are talented or not

B．young people can't reasonably define themselves

C．no requirement is set up for young people to get better

D．we always tend to consider ourselves to be privileged

3. Which is NOT mentioned about poor students according to the passage?

A．They lack the capacity to monitor how well they are performing.

B．They usually give themselves high scores in self-evaluations.

C．They tend to be unable to know exactly how bad they are.

D．They are intelligently inadequate in tests and exams.

4. We can infer from the passage that those high-scoring students      .

A．are not confident about their logic and grammar

B．tend to be very competent in their high-scoring fields

C．don't know how well they perform due to their stringent self-judgment

D．is very careful about their self-evaluations because they have their own limits

5. The strategies of becoming special suggest that      .

A．the best way to recognize excellence is to study past success and failure

B．through comparison with others, one will know where and when he fails

C．we need internal honesty with ourselves and external honesty from others

D．neither parents nor a commencement speaker can tell whether one is special

6. Which can be the best title of this passage?

A．Special or Not? Teach Kids To Figure It Out

B．Let's Admit That We Are Not That Special

C．Tips On Making Ourselves More Special

D．Tell The Truth: Kids Overestimate their Talents

9 . 请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

Why Should You Be an Intrapreneur at work?

Wikipedia defines intrapreneurship as “the act of behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization.” In my view, intrapreneurs are people who have a strong interest in thinking outside the box, pushing new ideas forward in their companies and speaking their mind.

Taking this road isn’t usually a popular choice. It’s easier to go with the flow, collect your paycheck and call it a day. However, the benefits of being an empowered, vocal (直言不讳的) employee are huge. Becoming an intrapreneur at work can help your career and even the careers of people around you in a variety of ways.

Speaking up when something isn’t going as you think it should - even if it’s just the way a project is being approached - demonstrates confidence and forward thinking. If you’ve never viewed yourself as a leader, this might seem very daunting (使人畏缩的) at first. And many people, women especially, might even feel as though they need permission to make their voice heard. The following quote opened my eyes and shifted my perspective on this many years ago:

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.”

-Roseanne Barr          

Even if they disagree with you, your colleagues are more likely to respect you as a professional if you demonstrate assertiveness (自信) and independent thinking. Respect yourself and your own ideas, and others will respect you in turn.

Intrapreneurs understand that their careers are in their own hands. If they’re unhappy at work or don’t like something about their workplace or responsibilities, they don’t complain about it; they take steps to change it. Being active instead of passive about your goals and personal vision will make you happier - with your job and yourself - in the long run.

Vocal employees are more likely to produce a culture where everyone believes they can contribute to a larger conversation about the company and its future. This is the key to producing a truly collaborative (协作的) culture that fosters loyalty.

Intrapreneurs don’t think of an idea and then shelve (搁置) it because “the boss will never go for it.” They push forward and ensure their ideas have a voice. They also think creatively about finding a way to make the idea fit within an existing initiative or program. Without people who’re willing to go to bat for their ideas, nothing new and innovative is likely to happen.

Wouldn’t you rather be that person?

Why Should You Be an Intrapreneur at work?
Concept of an intrapreneur	Someone who tends to think     1     and speak up in the workplace
2     of being an intrapreneur	It demonstrates leadership.	◆ To say what you think if you find anything     3     during work is a demonstration of confidence and forward thinking. ◆ Hard as it is to make one’s voice heard,     4     for women, you should give yourself the power to express your ideas.
	You’ll be more respected.	◆ If you think     5    , your colleagues will respect you even if they hold different ideas.
	You will be happier.	◆ Facing something not       6     during work, an intrapreneur won’t complain but act to change the situation. ◆ Being active will bring more happiness to you.
	Your company will become a better place for everyone to work in.	An intrapreneur       7    other people in the company to put forward ideas, which helps to       8     a working environment where everyone likes to work together and faithfully.
	Pioneering new ideas is how innovation happens	◆ An intrapreneur won’t come up with a new idea and then give it up. ◆ An intrapreneur will use his or her brain to     9     the new idea to a(n)     10     program. ◆ It is because of the new ideas brought up by an intrapreneur that innovation appears in the company.

10 . Exams never made me break out in a nervous sweat with tears threatening to ruin my already-trembling façade — but this one did. Even booking my piano exam reduced me to a blubbering mess of anxiety.

I feel permanently scarred inside churches — no longer admiring their beauty because, over the years, I have received such terrible marks from examiners hiding behind the stained-glass partitions. Despite being 15 — too old, too cool to be frightened — I remember trembling inside the bathroom stalls before my tests. I wished I never had to play in front of others.

But this time, after booking my Level 8 Royal Conservatory of Music piano exam, I went back to my normal routine. A little practice here, a little practice there. And then it happened.

My trusty, 10-year-old electric piano gave out. Middle C started to sound like an F-sharp and all other keys sounded like they were a fourth above their natural tone. Thankfully, my precious, boredom-saving buttons still worked. I could still change my piano’s settings from “piano” to “harpsichord .” I admit, it was a lot of fun banging on my wacky keys. Each note bonged like the sound on children’s TV shows when a character repeatedly runs into a wall.

Goofiness aside, I had to get my act together. I hated practicing but I really wanted a good mark. When I told my father what had happened to my piano, he only glared at me with disappointment, “When I was your age, I learned to be resourceful.”

Hmm. I had a broken piano, an exam coming up in a few months and a father who refused to buy me a new piano because he wanted to teach me a “life lesson”. I finally came upon a decision: I’d practice at school.

Going to a private school had to have its benefits, so I looked for a place to play. The school had many pianos but only a few in tune. Within a few days of searching, my piano books, my artistic best friend and I headed off to a music room at every available opportunity.

I loved finding new pianos in hidden corners of the school and I laughed at the dusty old historic pianos. They really had character. I spent hours in those music rooms while my friend honed her art skills in sketching and drawing. She suffered through my annoying, repetitive scales while I looked over my shoulder once in a while and admired her work. Not only did I become a better musician, but I also managed to gain a few subpar skills as an art critic.

As my exam drew close, all the music teachers knew to look for me in the piano rooms during recess, after school and late on Fridays. In anticipation of my assessment, one of my music teachers let me perform for her as a mini practice exam. To my surprise, she was greatly impressed.

Within a few months I went from not caring about my playing to feeling actually, maybe, kind of proud of my work. And over countless hours spent in my favorite, soundproof music room, I discovered that behind the piano, I could become anyone. Talking to other people never came easy to me, but I was able to express myself through music. I became overjoyed. It was like I had developed a sixth sense, one that only musicians could understand.

When I played, my worries about what others thought of me and how I viewed myself merged to reveal who I really am. All my adolescent musings made me feel like I was in a cage, but music gave me the key. Sitting behind a piano and creating music combined the movement of my body and the inner workings of my heart.

Music had never been the love of my life but that was changing. I loved the idea of being on a stage and creating something for others to enjoy and remember. Actually, it wasn’t a something, but rather a feeling that the audience would carry outside into a world where music wasn’t the only thing that people cared for.

When the time came to play in front of an examiner, instead of fearing my judge, I feared nothing but being unable to represent all my hard work. All the anxiety I had about going up on stage dimmed, and when the lights went on, all I could think about was the marvellous journey I’d had to get here. Trilling the keys reminded me of when I’d spent nearly two hours alone in a music room, more content than I had been anywhere else. Playing the melody reminded me of the bittersweet music experiences of past years.

Many days later, I received my mark. Not only did I earn a rarely mentioned “well done” and an 82 per cent, I had rewritten what music meant to me.

Now whenever I get caught up in the daily struggle, I remember the hard work that it took to reach my goal. Whenever I feel discouraged, I never forget to look at the gleaming keys of my new upright piano. As my father always says, some lessons are just learned the hard way.

1. What made the author so stressful inside churches these years?

A．The religious atmosphere.	B．The artistic performance.
C．The horrible surroundings.	D．Her colorful fantasy.

2. What can be inferred according to the underlined sentence in Para 5?

A．The author’s family was too poor to afford a new piano.

B．The father was quite angry about the author’s bad behavior.

C．The author showed great dissatisfaction about her father.

D．The father wanted the author to address the problem independently.

3. Which of the following word has the closest meaning to the underlined word in Para 11?

A．mixed

B．separated

C．interacted

D．exploited

4. The author changed her attitude towards music mainly because________.

A．Her good friend accompanied her to get through hard time.

B．Her teachers treated her much better than before.

C．Her family supported her quite well.

D．Her own understanding of musical value.

5. Which of the following indicates the change of the author’s feelings?

A．Nervous — disappointed — angry — calm

B．Curious — frustrated — hopeful — grateful

C．Frightened — indifferent — passionate — proud

D．Depressed — satisfied — disappointed — peaceful

6. What might be the best title of this passage?

A．An important Music Test

B．A Hard but Enjoyable Life

C．The Key to Happiness

D．My Favourite Piano