1 . Debra Avery has been a horse lover since she was a little girl in San Diego. Her family couldn't afford a horse of its own, so Debra borrowed rides at the local horse-riding center, gaining the confidence only found atop a horse. Years later, Debra remembered those early days, and the lessons she learned with the horses at the riding center, and wanted to help other young women get the benefits of connecting with horses. "I always wanted to run a horse program for girls like me," says Debra. "I wanted to help them gain the courage to be around a horse and to care for a horse."
One day at the Los Angeles Horse-riding Center, as Debra rode beside fellow rider Judith Hopkins, she mentioned an inheritance (遗产) from her father-in-law and her desire to use it to serve disadvantaged girls. Judith had the same dream—and a name for the organization.
They founded Taking the Reins (TTR) in 1998. The organization serves more than 400 young women per year in after-school, weekend, and summer programs that feature horse riding and care, gardening and even competitive horse showing. Most participants live below the poverty line and often have not had reliable housing for more than six months at a time. Few have previous horse experience.
TTR uses farm and ranch experiences to teach responsibility, leadership, teamwork, and self-confidence. Director Dr. Jane Haven says, "A large number of our girls are somewhat autistic (孤独症的). I can't count how many of them have found their first social friends thanks to sharing this hobby and activity. Horses bring them out in such a wonderful way."
Jane also sees members of TTR program excel in school—100 percent of young women involved for four years or more have graduated from high school. Ninety-nine percent of those participants have gone on to attend four-year colleges.
Debra sees a more obvious impact—after a few weeks in the TTR program, the young women sit a little higher in their saddles (马鞍). "There's just something about sitting up on the back of a horse that gives them a boost of confidence."
1. Debra's early life was greatly influenced by ________.| A．her family | B．horse riding |
| C．school lessons | D．her fellow rider |
| A．Horse riding and showing. | B．Horse care and farming. |
| C．Pet care and gardening. | D．Weekend hiking and camping. |
| A．Homeless and lonely women. | B．Hard-working school girls. |
| C．Female autistic patients. | D．Poor horse-loving girls. |
| A．They have been given financial aid. |
| B．They have achieved academic excellence. |
| C．They have grown into professional horse riders. |
| D．They have been provided with reliable housing. |
| A．TTR is a profit-making organization. | B．TTR program lasts a few weeks. |
| C．The girls' confidence grows quickly. | D．The girls can ride taller horses. |
2 . The pace of today's working life blurs (使模糊) the line between personal time and work time, and it increasingly mixes personal lifestyle and work style. And as companies are trying hard to attract and keep young people for their technical skills and enthusiasm for change, office culture is becoming an extension of youth culture. This may be no bad thing. For most of human history the middle-aged have ruled, but in the future, they will have to share power with fresh-faced youths.
There have been a number of reasons for this change and the most dramatic of these is technology. Children have always been more expert than their parents at something, but usually a game or a fashion, not the century's most important business tool. The Internet has started the first industrial revolution in history to be led by the young. Though there have been youth revolutions before, none of them made a big change the way the Internet has. Throughout the20th century, if a young person wanted to enter an American company they needed to leave their youth behind. They got a haircut, and probably a suit or at least a tie. Now the same hair, same clothes, even nearly the same hours apply to office and home.
If it had not been for the Internet, this change could not have happened. However, it did not happen because of the Internet only; the corporate restructurings (公司重组) of the 1980s and 90s broke down traditional hierarchies (等级制度). In many companies, seniority-based (基于资历的) hierarchies have been replaced by hierarchies based on performance. The abilities to please your superiors are no longer the most valued skills. Today's employees stay with companies only as long as they feel challenged and rewarded; moving from job to job is now a sign of ambition.
The rise of the young is a good thing, because it gives them more opportunity to put their ideas and energy into practice at their most creative stage in life. Nowadays youth and youth qualities seem to dominate, but the experience and maturity of older employees should be put to good use, too.
1. A company tries to attract young people for their________.| A．office culture | B．modern lifestyle |
| C．changing attitude | D．technical abilities |
| A．work in the office and at home | B．have an eye-catching hairstyle |
| C．dress in the business style | D．leave the business tool behind |
| A．achievements | B．age and experience |
| C．skills with the Internet | D．ability to please the boss |
| A．They become more energetic in life. |
| B．They have taken over the companies. |
| C．Their creativity can be put to good use. |
| D．Their ideas appeal to a great many people. |
| A．Young people will lead in fashion. |
| B．Young people will have more power. |
| C．Older people will step off the historical stage. |
| D．Older people will continue to be the main force. |
3 . Career guidance specialists in John Adams High School can provide information about Career & Technical Education classes, assist you in making wise decisions for your future, and help you find opportunities in: certificate programs, apprenticeship (学徒) programs and four-year colleges that best fit your needs.
Each of the following two-year programs offers three high school credits per semester and requires a formal application.
| Business Cooperative Experiences This is a program for students who have a career goal in business or office work. Students spend one period each day learning advanced skills related to the students' career objective in business. Students will be employed at a training station and will work each week at a business in the local community. Important facts: Computer applications Work a total of 540 hours to earn credit Transportation not provided |
| Business Technology Lab This program will prepare students for careers in business and industry and for working with interactive media. Students will learn multimedia, web design, and photo design skills by using state-of-the-art (最先进的) equipment and software. This course will provide students with the tools to seek jobs or continue studying at a post-secondary school. Important facts: Available at Clay High School Two-hour course |
| Automotive (汽车的) Services Technology The program includes classroom instruction and lab activities for the students to learn entry-level automotive skills and basic automotive operation and service. Students will gain skills and training in auto repair that can lead to entry-level jobs, or post-secondary education. Important facts: Classes held at Ivy Tech Transportation provided |
| Building Trades Technology In this program, students, under the leadership of a qualified instructor, will build a house. It gives students basic skills needed to enter the building trades, or to continue study of construction in an apprentice program, or a post-secondary school. Important facts: Three-hour course Transportation provided Work boots and helmet needed |
1. In the Business Cooperative Experiences program, students will ________.
| A．have free transportation | B．finish 540 class hours |
| C．acquire training ability | D．work at a local business |
| A．to be an equipment provider | B．to work at a secondary school |
| C．to develop great computer skills | D．to enter the academic world |
| A．Security operations. | B．Entry-level car services. |
| C．Instruction techniques. | D．Advanced automotive skills. |
| A．Business Cooperative Experiences. | B．Business Technology Lab. |
| C．Automotive Services Technology. | D．Building Trades Technology. |
| A．Practical skills. | B．Theoretical study. |
| C．Business planning. | D．Management ability. |
4 . How to Use a Modern Public Library
Has it been a while since your last visit to a public library? If so, you may be surprised to learn that libraries have changed for the better. It’s been years since they were dusty little rooms with books. They have transformed themselves into places where you can develop your love of knowledge meet interesting people, or find out how to start a business.
Check out a book. While libraries still loan out(出借)books, you’ll find it easier to get a copy of whatever you’re looking for, thanks to a cooperative network of area libraries. Via such networks, libraries share their books with each other through the use of delivery vehicles. Once the book you’ve requested is delivered to the nearest branch, they will inform you by e-mail, so you can pick it up.
Check out other items. The library is now a multimedia zone, loaded with information in many formats(载体形式). You can borrow movies on DVDs, music on CDs, and popular magazines. Some libraries even loan out toys and games. If a popular magazine you want isn’t offered and the library keeps a list of such requests, they may bring it in when enough interest is shown.
Join targeted reading groups. Libraries will often hold reading-group sessions targeted to various age groups. Perhaps you’d like to learn a language or improve your English. The library may sponsor a language group you could join. If you have difficulties reading, ask about special reading opportunities. Your library might be able to accommodate you. And you might find it relaxing to bring your small kid to a half-hour Story Time while you sit quietly in a corner with a good book.
Start a business using the help of your local library. If you want to have a business of your own, your local library can become a launch space for it. In library books and computers, you can find information on starting a business. Many libraries will help you with locally supplied information about business management shared through chambers of commerce(商会)and government agencies, and they will offer printing, faxing and database services you need.
1. Public libraries connected by a cooperative network benefit readers by______.| A．sharing their books on the Internet |
| B．giving access to online reading at a library branch |
| C．sending a needed book to a library branch nearby |
| D．making the checkout procedures diverse |
| A．A magazine and an e-book. |
| B．A game and an oil painting. |
| C．A music CD and a kid’s toy. |
| D．A DVD and a video player |
| A．the kid to learn a new language |
| B．the parent to enjoy quiet reading |
| C．the kid to overcome reading difficulties |
| D．the parent to meet their program sponsor |
| A．providing relevant information and supporting services |
| B．offering professional advice on business management |
| C．supplying useful information of your potential buyers |
| D．arranging meetings with government officials |
| A．To point out the importance of public libraries. |
| B．To encourage people to work in public libraries. |
| C．To introduce the improved services of public libraries. |
| D．To call for the modernization of public library systems. |
I remember the day shyness took over my life. I was 14 and having a French lesson The teacher told us to record ourselves speaking about a holiday. Perfect！ I recorded myself with confidence. Then, I pressed "play" to listen back. All I heard was a little kid talking. My immediate reaction was to assume I was listening to someone else's recording. But that was my voice. I realised there was something strange about me.
My little voice has made me feel really shy. And my shyness has caused me to avoid attending events, not make important connections, and keep my ideas to myself. As a shy person, working from home, hiding behind my computer was brilliant. But the more time I spent hidden away, the more my comfort zone shrank（缩小）. Everyday interactions, like ordering a coffee, became increasingly awkward and uncomfortable.
And then, one day I was at a big conference and it suddenly hit me like lightning. All speakers were confident, comfortable with being seen. There were no quieter voices. But the trouble is, if the loud voices are the only ones you hear, we quiet people feel even more alienated（疏远的）。 The world needs a mixture of personalities. Success is not just about who can shout the loudest. The world needs quieter people, too. That day I chose to stop hiding and embrace my shyness. No more feeling like I needed to change who I am in order to succeed. No more living a small life.
Then I created the Shy and Mighty Society, a space for shy people like me to shine, and in the process of helping others, I could also push myself forward, bit by bit. Now, I'm happy to tell people I feel shy. I'm not ashamed any more. And I know that I’m not alone.
1. Why did the author feel strange about herself after listening to the recording? （no more than 10 words）2. What is the main idea of Para.2? （no more than 10 words
3. What does the underlined word in Para.3 mean? （1 word）
4. Why did the author create the Shy and Mighty Society? （no more than 10 words）
5. Suppose you are in charge of the Shy and Mighty Society, what will you do to help other shy people? And why? （no more than 20 words）
6 . Most people aren’t good at creative problem solving for two reasons: (1) They are not trained in how to be creative. (2) They don’t understand group strength well enough to harness（驾驭）their power to maximize group creativity.
A key element of creativity is applying existing knowledge to a new problem. The more people getting involved in solving it, the more knowledge there is to work on it. Unfortunately, research shows that the traditional brainstorming methods fail to achieve that goal. When groups get together to exchange ideas, they actually come up with fewer ideas overall than if they each had worked alone.
To fix this problem, you should consider the two stages of group problem-solving: divergence（分散）and convergence（集中）. Divergence happens when the group considers as many different potential solutions as possible. Convergence happens when the various proposed solutions are evaluated and reduced to a smaller set of candidate solutions to the current problem.
The essential principle of group creativity is that individuals working alone diverge, whereas group members working together converge. In groups, once a member states a potential solution, that makes others think about the problem similarly. That is why groups working together diverge less than individuals working alone.
Therefore, be aware of when to diverge and when to converge. For example, early in the problem-solving process, have group members work alone to write down statements describing the problem. Then get them back to discuss their descriptions. The group discussion will lead everyone to accept one or a small number of these statements to work on—this is healthy convergence.
When starting to generate solutions, you again want divergence. Have people work alone to start. Then collect people’s initial ideas and send them around to others and allow the divergence to continue as everyone individually builds on the ideas of other members.
Finally, let the group discuss the resulting ideas. This discussion will gradually lead the group to converge on a small number of candidate solutions.
This simple method works effectively, because it respects what individuals and groups do best.
1. Research shows that the traditional brainstorming methods ______.| A．actually limit group creativity |
| B．greatly encourage group creativity |
| C．enable people to form more ideas together |
| D．prevent people’s involvement in the problems |
| A．think the other way round |
| B．follow his way of thinking |
| C．be more confident in their own ideas |
| D．be less willing to share their own ideas |
| A．Discuss the problem. | B．Simplify the problem. |
| C．Put down group statements together. | D．Write down their individual descriptions. |
| A．By adding in collected evidence. | B．By reorganizing his own words. |
| C．By drawing on others’ ideas. | D．By making his statement briefer. |
| A．To advocate a way to make group thinking more effective. |
| B．To demonstrate the difficulty in organizing group thinking. |
| C．To highlight the differences between divergence and convergence. |
| D．To show the advantage of group thinking over individual thinking. |
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term, They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they associate you with this emotion of fear. They will become less functional around you, and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot. but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively. Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation (积极性). Today’s work place is all about relationships.
Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they are recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor (因素) in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence—knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others. Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills.
1. An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when ________.
| A．he is forced to do things | B．be cannot work at his best |
| C．he feels his brain shut down | D．he thinks of his work as too heavy |
| A．People tend to associate leadership with fear |
| B．Working conditions affect people’s physical health |
| C．Good relationship is the key to business success |
| D．Smart people are more functional in the work place. |
| A．provide better suggestions | B．develop his own personality |
| C．five his employees a pay raise | D．hide his own emotion of fear |
| A．provide a variety of project for employees |
| B．help raise employee’s living standards |
| C．give employees specific instructions |
| D．deal wisely with employees’ emotions |
8 . The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphone, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (怀旧的）skill. However，while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to know well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe(转换）“those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won't have knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”
1. What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?| A．The absence of blackboard in classroom. |
| B．The use of new technologies in teaching. |
| C．The lack of practice in handwriting. |
| D．The popular use of smartphones. |
| A．focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer. |
| B．indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper. |
| C．found that good essays are made up of long sentences. |
| D．discussed the importance of writing speed. |
| A．Spelling improves one’s memory of words. |
| B．Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability. |
| C．Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas. |
| D．Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas. |
| A．Window. | B．Soul |
| C．Picture. | D．Imagination. |
| A．Computers can help people with their choice of words. |
| B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching. |
| C．Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms. |
| D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade. |
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans (嘟囔声) when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms. Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination.”
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path.”
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar (呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.
1. What activity was organized for the school reunion?| A．Sightseeing in the park. |
| B．A picnic on the school playground. |
| C．Telling stories about past events. |
| D．Graduates’ reports in the old building. |
| A．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech. |
| B．Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching. |
| C．Some people got tired from the reunion activities. |
| D．Most people had little interest in the reunion. |
| A．kept track of her students’ progress |
| B．gave her students advice on their careers |
| C．attended her students’ college graduations |
| D．went to her students’ wedding ceremonies |
| A．Teachers’ knowledge is the key to students’ achievements. |
| B．Pressure on students from teachers should be reduced. |
| C．Hard-pushed students are more likely to succeed. |
| D．Students’ respect is the best reward for teachers. |
| A．Reliable and devoted. | B．Tough and generous. |
| C．Proud but patient. | D．Strict but caring. |
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes(戏谑的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this:” To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”This saying mirrors an deal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Commonsense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company,”the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good”even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
1. According to title passage, which of following seems the most human?
| A．To search for truth． | B．To achieve one’s ideal |
| C．To make fun of others’mistakes． | D．To criticize others for one’s own error. |
| A．Doing things his own way. |
| B．Bearing responsibility for his mistakes. |
| C．Making as few mistakes as possible． |
| D．Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing. |
| A．A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company. |
| B．A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather. |
| C．A company’s next move follows a good plan． |
| D．A lawyer acts on fine judgments． |
| A．Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy. |
| B．Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas. |
| C．A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty. |
| D．Bitter truth is better than a good excuse. |
| A．A Mirror of Human Nature | B．To Blame or to Forgive |
| C．A Mark of Maturity | D．Truth or Excuse |
