1 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

2 . Yesterday was my birthday, but I didn’t_________a plan to do anything with anyone. Feeling greatly_________, I decided to go out to buy a cup of coffee for a birthday celebration by myself. By the time I arrived at my favourite coffee shop, I_________a couple of ladies into the shop and waited to_________. One of the ladies asked me, “Do we get our own table or do the waiters find one for the_________?” I answered, “I think you get your own table and I’m waiting for that small one because I’m here to_________my birthday alone.” The coffee shop was fairly_________and they suggested we_________a table together. I_________that wonderful idea.

To my__________, when it was my turn to order and pay the bill, I was told it had been ordered and paid for. On sitting at the table, the ladies told me they were glad to give the surprise as a__________to me on my birthday.

We spent one hour__________ happily together and we shared many topics of common interest.__________, we had to say goodbye and continued on our separate journey. It was more than I could have expected for the day. Thank you, __________-my lovely angels for the day. They__________me that sharing is a joy. We should thank those who help and care about us.

1.

A．give away

B．come up with

C．stick to

D．break away from

2.

A．sad

B．tired

C．proud

D．excited

3.

A．helped

B．advised

C．drove

D．followed

4.

A．listen

B．fight

C．order

D．change

5.

A．friends

B．bosses

C．customers

D．workers

6.

A．show

B．celebrate

C．protect

D．attend

7.

A．full

B．empty

C．far

D．clean

8.

A．lay

B．move

C．share

D．buy

9.

A．reported

B．refused

C．recorded

D．accepted

10.

A．fear

B．pity

C．surprise

D．regret

11.

A．cake

B．dish

C．menu

D．gift

12.

A．standing

B．talking

C．looking

D．waiting

13.

A．Luckily

B．Finally

C．Slowly

D．Secretly

14.

A．ladies

B．gentlemen

C．kids

D．parents

15.

A．taught

B．wished

C．asked

D．offered

3 . It is strange how a small moment can change a person’s life. My son walked into the kitchen this morning and opened his_________to me. I opened my arms too and gave him a big hug just like I do every morning. And this time a beautiful_________came back to me.

My Italian grandma had been a big hugger when I was a boy, but my mum and dad didn’t hug me much as I got_________. By the time I was a teenager then, except for my grandma, I didn’t hug anyone.

When I was sixteen, I_________on a trip with a group of boys to tour a college. And on our way there, we also_________an old temple. As we entered we were_________there by the largest monk I had ever seen. He was over six and a half feet tall with_________arms. And as he welcomed us, he gave each one of us a huge hug. When my own_________came, I felt scared but_________in and hugged him back. I felt__________in my heart as he shared his loving-kindness. I felt peace and joy in my__________as well. It was amazing. Later that day I began to__________why I had ever stopped giving and__________hugs when they brought so much__________.

When my own children were born then I__________to never stop hugging them and telling them I loved them, no matter how big they grew or how old they got.

1.

A．arms

B．hands

C．mouth

D．eyes

2.

A．flash

B．style

C．topic

D．memory

3.

A．older

B．stronger

C．quicker

D．slower

4.

A．looked

B．opened

C．left

D．put

5.

A．thought of

B．stopped by

C．asked for

D．burned down

6.

A．greeted

B．annoyed

C．checked

D．cheated

7.

A．suitable

B．thin

C．small

D．huge

8.

A．challenge

B．confidence

C．turn

D．impression

9.

A．jumped

B．broke

C．packed

D．stepped

10.

A．warmth

B．anxiety

C．curiosity

D．horror

11.

A．personality

B．adventure

C．spirit

D．stomach

12.

A．realize

B．wonder

C．understand

D．notice

13.

A．exploring

B．designing

C．refusing

D．receiving

14.

A．advice

B．joy

C．blood

D．knowledge

15.

A．decided

B．forgot

C．changed

D．returned

4 . I was a recent graduate of a leading business school and I was to join a big company in Gomia, Bihar. The company chose only the best, and I was full of it.

The night train from Calcutta would reach Gomia in the morning. I had a letter that said there would be a car to pick me up from the station and take me to the Guest House. However, I found no person in sight to receive me when I got off the train. I felt let down. I carried the luggage on my shoulder and came to the exit. There I saw a nice car. The driver was walking towards the car .Ah, my driver, there he was!

I went up to him and asked him to carry my luggage. He asked me who I was and I introduced myself. The driver opened the back door and had me seated. Along the way, he asked me some questions about me and my family. I was angry with the driver who asked too much and answered him in monosyllables (只言片语). After reaching the Guest House, we said goodbye.

The next day was a big day. I was to meet the boss of the place, Dr. S. K. Kamat, and I was nervous. I knocked on the door and walked into the large office. The big man had his back to me and as he turned, I recognized the man immediately. He was the driver!

He gave me a broad smile and said he was S. K. Kamat. I could have died at that moment. I apologized for my behavior and was at a loss for words. He said that he had come to the station to see off a friend. And he had seen me and wanted to be of assistance. He never referred to the incident almost as if it didn’t happen. When I walked out of the office, I learned a great lesson.

1. What do we know about the author?

A．He was a little cocky at first.

B．He was going to change his job.

C．He took the initiative in talking with the driver.

D．He saw the driver as soon as he got off the train.

2. How did the author feel when he recognized S. K. Kamat in the office?

A．Confused.

B．Warm.

C．Embarrassed.

D．Anxious.

3. Why didn’t S. K. Kamat tell the author that he wasn’t his driver?

A．He thought it was impolite to do that.

B．He didn’t want to make the author sad.

C．He was willing to offer help to the author.

D．He wanted the author to be grateful to him.

4. What message does the story convey?

A．Love brings hope to the needy.	B．Be kind whenever possible.
C．Education is the key to success.	D．Continuous learning is vital.

5 . To adjust your baby to the world, educating him is your main assignment. How will you educate him? What role will he play in the world?

According to Darwin's theory of evolution (进化) of the species, we are a competitive species and one survives by adapting itself biologically to various environments through various ways. Competition was a resource useful for the progress of society and for the survival of human beings.

Today, however, the challenges are different. The 21st century is a computer science age, but there are environmental imbalances, deaths of thousands of children every day by starvation and countless epidemics (流 行病). Therefore, it is important that the philosophy of preparing our children for competition and power be replaced by one of preparing them for love and cooperation.

The earth is a unique home to us all. The ecological balance has to be pursued (追 求) and this pursuit shows the internal balance of each living being. We must educate our children so that they want to protect nature and thus to protect the opportunity to make themselves more powerful and able in society. Our children have to learn that we don't need to practice actions that benefit only our homeland while all other countries are destroyed. The destruction of other countries and lives leads to the impossibility of the future existence of the place we call home.

It imbalances the ecosystem and shades the hope of a better future, We would not show hate to a flower, grabbing it and throwing it to the floor and stepping on it. It would be foolish! But we are insensitive to the sight of a homeless person thrown to the ground and pretend it’s not our problem! Competition has led us to a state of total insensibility! Therefore, we must teach our children that the main necessity of men is love. Love is being good to ourselves , others and nature.

1. According to Paragraph 2, competition is________.

A．interesting	B．beneficial
C．unnecessary	D．ineffective

2. Why should we prepare children for cooperation in the 21^st century?

A．We are faced with new challenges.

B．Many diseases are threatening people.

C．They will live in a more competitive society.

D．Environmental imbalance has caused many deaths.

3. What is the benefit of keeping an ecological balance?

A．It will help keep our internal balance.

B．Our kids will have more chance to succeed.

C．It will help make our future existence possible.

D．Our kids will have a better natural environment.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To introduce ways of helping children overcome fears.

B．To explain the role competition plays in education.

C．To suggest an education of love and cooperation.

D．To explain why competition and cooperation should coexist.