2 . Many of us experience loneliness. The truth is that all the people, no, matter what their age or character is-even the most outgoing, wealthy and popular-experience loneliness at least sometimes.    1    .After all we’ve all heard “No man is an island” That’s true. We all need others in our lives.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, explains: that if we want friends, we must be friendly and reach out to others. But it has risk. Because we are often afraid of no, many of us are unwilling to reach out to others. We take a safer way and wait for others to make friends with us.    2    

Be brave enough to step out. If you see someone whom you would like to know, don’t wait for her to make the first move.    3    Let her know in a non-aggressive（无攻击性的）way that you are interested in being friends with her.

    4    When you see someone, at school sitting alone, go over and talk to her. And don’t let popularity decide whom you reach, out to. You’ll often be surprised at the beautiful qualities behind a shy appearance.

Ask questions. Start your first conversation by, asking this, possible friend what she likes, to do or asking about her family. Be sure to ask questions that cannot be replied with “yes” or “no”. For example, don’t ask “Do you have a dog?”,     5    Avoiding asking“ yes” or “no” questions makes your possible friend not end your communication with a one-word answer.

A．Make friends with a popular one.

B．Reach out to those who are lonely.

C．Instead, say“So, tell me about your pets.”

D．But if we want friends, we’ve got to get beyond this.

E．It’s healthy and natural to want to be around people who care.

F．Gather all your courage and get close to her and begin a conversation.

G．As we all know, the famous, saying: “A friend in need is a friend in deed.”

7 . How to Love Your Parents

Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times , loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are.     1    .

A gentle “good morning” and “I love you” will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your parents, we might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend.     2    .

Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.     3     Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents?

Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them.     4     Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another.

Some people simply may not be able to love their parents.     5     Seek help if you are being abused in any way. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

A．Parents will in turn express their love to you.

B．Forgiveness is the key.

C．Here are some ways to love your parents.

D．There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example.

E．Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can.

F．After this, share your feelings with your parents.

G．Please remember parents are as important as friends.

8 . Richard Holmes, a British author and academic, is something of a Romantic, famous for biographies of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In his last book, "The Age of Wonder"， he wrote about science and Romanticism and their common commitment to discovery. In his new book, "Falling Upwards"， he combines the two again to tell the stories of Europe's early balloonists (气球飞行者).

Mr Holmes's love of balloons was aroused at a village festival and his enthusiasm is one of the book's many pleasures. He refers to the cheerful tone used in many first-hand ballooning stories, and applies it in this second-hand account. He describes men and women wrapped up in fur coats under their hydrogen-filled balloons, enjoying cold chicken and champagne and looking back to earth to see mankind "for what it really is."

Mr Holmes makes much of the strange side of ballooning, but the book is at its best when examining its more serious applications. In the American civil war, for example, both North and South put observers in balloons to spy on enemy movements. And during the Prussian attack on Paris in 1870-71， balloonists managed to fly out of the city to communicate with the French government in exile (流亡) in Tours.

"Falling Upwards" contains much of the historian's writing characteristics, such as footnotes and bibliography (文献书目)， but its epilogue (后记) refers modestly to what has gone before as "a series of true balloon stories". It does touch on the more technical aspects of ballooning, and says little about the French Montgolfier brothers who are credited as its inventors. That though seems a small price to pay for such a spirited work. Mr Holmes's tale ends at the start of the 20th century when the business of flight was being handed over to the airship and the airplane.

1. In his book "Falling Upwards"， Richard Holmes ______ .

A．uses the similar writing style of "The Age of Wonder"

B．describes how people celebrated a village festival

C．gives first-hand accounts of Europe's early balloonists

D．discusses balloons used in war in a serious tone

2. The highlight of Falling Upwards lies in ______ .

A．its vivid descriptions of balloonists' life

B．its analyses of the serious uses of balloons

C．its reference to many historical resources

D．its research on the ballooning technology

3. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean？ ______

A．Falling Upwards is an inspiring book but its price is a little high.

B．To complete the book, Holmes received Montgolfier brothers' financial aid.

C．It is a pity that the book doesn't introduce Montgolfier brothers in detail.

D．It actually didn't take Holmes much work to write such a good book.

9 . When I was a little girl, I remember that when my dad was repairing something, he would ask me to hold the hammer, so we would have time for a conversation with each other. I never saw my dad drinking or taking a night out. All he did after work was taking care of his family.

I grew up and left home for college and since then, my dad had been calling me every Sunday morning. And when I bought a house several years later, my dad painted it by himself in the fierce summer heat. All he asked was to talk to him, but I was too busy in those days.

Four years ago, my dad visited me. He spent many hours putting together a swing for my daughter. He asked me to have a talk with him, but I had to prepare for a trip that weekend.

One Sunday morning we had a telephone talk as usual. I noticed that my dad had forgotten some things that we discussed lately. I was in a hurry, so our conversation was short. Several hours later that day I received a call. My father was in the hospital. Immediately I bought a plane ticket and on my way I was thinking about all the occasions I missed to have a talk with my dad. By the time I arrived at the hospital, my father had passed away. Now it was he who did not have time for a conversation with me. I realized how little I knew about my dad, his deepest thoughts and his dreams.

After his death I learned much more about him and even more about myself. All he ever wanted was my time. And now he has all my attention every single day.

1. When the author was a little girl, she       .

A．was good at repairing things	B．liked playing with the hammer
C．often talked with her father	D．learned to take care of her family

2. What happened when the author was at college?

A．She phoned her father every Sunday morning.

B．She received a call from her father every Sunday morning.

C．Her father bought her a house.

D．She often asked her father to talk with her.

3. Why did the author fail to have a talk with her father four years ago?

A．Because her father was busy putting up a swing for her daughter.

B．Because she had got tired of talking with him.

C．Because she was busy planning a trip.

D．Because her father often forgot what they had once talked about.

4. What can we learn from the underlined sentence?

A．The author found an excuse to forgive herself.

B．The author and her father were both busy.

C．The author complained about her father’s leave without saying goodbye.

D．The author regretted missing the talks with her father.

10 . Today's world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. Key skill set for success is persistence (毅力), a characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fathers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence.

BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time，the persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school.

"There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers，"Padilla-Walker said. "This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence-which can be taught-are key to a child's life success.”

Researchers determined that dads need to practice an "authoritative" parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian:rigid，demanding or controlling. Rather，an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics:children feel warmth and love from their father；responsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed children are given an appropriate level of autonomy(自主权).

In the study，about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. A key finding is that over time，children raised by an authoritative father were significantly more likely to develop persistence，which leads to better outcomes in school.

This particular study examined 11 to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence，which is an avenue of future research.

1. What is special about the BYU professors' study?

A．It centered on fathers' role in parenting.

B．It was based on a number of large families.

C．It analyzed different kinds of parenting styles.

D．It aimed to improve kids' achievement in school.

2. What would an authoritative father do when raising his children?

A．Ignore their demands.	B．Make decisions for them.
C．Control their behaviors.	D．Explain the rules to them.

3. Which group can be a focus of future studies according to the researchers?

A．Single parents.

B．Children aged from 11 to 14.

C．Authoritarian fathers.

D．Mothers in two-parent homes.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Three Characteristics of Authoritative Fathers.

B．Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in Future.

C．Children Tend to Learn Determination from Father.

D．Family Relationship Influences School Performance.