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. |
| 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. |
| A．The complexity of their difficulties. | B．The similarity of their situations. |
| C．Their need for more advice. | D．Their living conditions. |
| A．Competition. | B．Sympathy. | C．Prioritization. | D．Self-confidence. |
2 . To build a prosperous (繁荣的) society, a fundamental understanding of the modern economy as a driving force in today’s world is essential.
What kind of prosperity have we achieved so far? The widespread definition of prosperity focuses on economic power and growth as measures of success. Let’s take a look at history. The Second Industrial Revolution enabled mass production and created a sufficient supply of goods. This has greatly increased the importance of money in its role as “a store of value, ” and “a medium of exchange. ”As a result, we have pursued economic power as the only indicator of prosperity, such as GDP. Waves of globalization and technological evolution have promoted overall economic growth, but have allowed the few who are strong to achieve greater power while exploiting the many who are weak. Consequently, inequality has worsened, and disunity has intensified.
The path to a truly prosperous world requires a shift in focus towards the most suitable happiness for all, in addition to economic power. Defining happiness, however, is a complex task. What makes people happy? The degree to which the same thing creates happiness differs from person to person. Happiness is subjective and complicated. This is a world of “multiple values” where each of us determines worth as opposed to “one fixed price” based merely on an economic perspective. Individuals shouldn’t be defined by a single identity or role but by multidimensional nature as well as multiple roles making independent choices and taking actions for their happiness in different aspects.
Businesses must be pioneers in pursuing not only economic growth but also the happiness of all citizens of society. Companies can contribute through the pursuit of social value as well as economic profit. At the heart of this lies “purpose”. A company’s purpose defines the value it brings to society. The true worth of a company should be determined not just by the return s it creates for shareholders but by the value it creates for society as a whole.
1. What is the author’s attitude to the widely accepted standard of prosperity?| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. | C．Uncertain. | D．Approving. |
| A．The slower economic growth speed. |
| B．The sharp reduction of job opportunities. |
| C．The enlarged gap between the rich and the poor. |
| D．The increasing conflict between different nations. |
| A．Happiness is changeable and beyond control. |
| B．Happiness largely depends on economic power. |
| C．The pursuit of profit determines a company’s true worth. |
| D．A prosperous world should be measured by multiple values. |
| A．Social psychologists. | B．Enterprise administrators. |
| C．School educators. | D．Technological researchers. |
3 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.
I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.
Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.
I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.
The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.
Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.
1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Enjoy. | B．Fear. | C．Expect. | D．Avoid. |
| A．They get angry too easily. | B．They blame her for their debts. |
| C．They do not see her as a real person. | D．They accuse her of taking their money. |
| A．She can offer callers best advice. | B．She is always respected by callers. |
| C．She can put herself in others’ shoes. | D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity. |
| A．To call for understanding of her job. | B．To explain why she is good at her job. |
| C．To introduce what she is responsible for. | D．To complain about her being treated badly. |
4 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.
I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.
For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.
The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”
Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.
1. What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?| A．They were excited and hopeful about it | B．They purchased her a harp immediately |
| C．They showed concern but agreed to it | D．They hesitated over it for a long time |
| A．It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp | B．It was beneficial to foreign language learning |
| C．It led to her encountering difficulty in reading | D．It was an effective way of appreciating music |
| A．Astonished | B．Sorrowful | C．Frightened. | D．disappointed. |
| A．Hard work pays off | B．Strike while the iron is hot |
| C．The simplest way is the best way | D．Never give up on what you really want to do |
5 . I wish I’d been more confident in my own abilities, especially when I was at school.
I was a shy child and struggled a bit when talking to other people. On the whole, my parents were very supportive, always encouraging me and trying to help me relax in social situations, but I was always terribly self-conscious. I wish I hadn’t been so worried about what everybody thought of me. I know now that if you are extremely shy , then it’s hard work to have a conversation with you. Now I try to think about the other person I’m talking to and put them at ease in my company .However, at school, I found it especially difficult in my peer group. I wasn’t competitive, but I was aware of my appearance and I always compared myself to other people, usually coming to the conclusion that I wasn’t as clever or as popular or as cool as they were. I wanted to be popular. I know now that the kids who are considered the coolest at school aren’t necessarily the most popular or successful when they grow up.
I realize now that everything changes during your teen years — physically, mentally, socially and emotionally — and I just had a harder time than most. I wish I hadn’t let it stop me from doing things, though. I wish I’d taken a gap year or at least traveled more when I left school. But to tell the truth, I didn’t have the courage to go off alone before going to college. I could have gone to Europe and America with a friend as I’d saved up enough money, but in the end I just didn’t want to do it. My parents really wanted me to try a gap year. They said it would be a great experience before college. I think they were right, and now I won’t have another opportunity to do that for a long time.
1. What can be learned about the author when she was a child?| A．She found being sociable difficult. |
| B．She was considered too direct. |
| C．She lived a rich life. |
| D．She felt uncomfortable with her parents. |
| A．She had a big heart. |
| B．She was a first-class student. |
| C．She suffered greatly during her teen years. |
| D．She used to let her parents down. |
| A．Not paying enough attention to her parents. |
| B．Not saving up enough money to go abroad. |
| C．Not going to college together with her best friend. |
| D．Not being brave enough to travel before college. |
| A．To honor her parents | B．To share her life lessons |
| C．To remember her childhood | D．To discuss skills needed for school |
6 . 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. |
| A．Confused. | B．Warm. | C．Embarrassed. | D．Anxious. |
| 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. |
| A．Love brings hope to the needy. | B．Be kind whenever possible. |
| C．Education is the key to success. | D．Continuous learning is vital. |
7 . Occasionally, misfortune will happen in our life and no one can avoid it. If you choose only to complain and escape from the misfortune, it will constantly follow you no matter where you go.
A girl, called Selina, lost her arms in a traffic accident that caused her father’s death — who was the main source of support for the whole family.
One day, the girl and the boy were both interviewed on a television program. The girl complained to the TV host about her uncertain future at being left on her own, but the boy was full of enthusiasm for his life.
| A．A similar misfortune happened to a boy named Jerry, too. |
| B．Since then, she had had to depend on her elder brother’s arms. |
| C．So his father went out looking for his mother, leaving him alone at home. |
| D．One night her mother, who suffered from chronic mental illness disappeared. |
| E．They both were invited to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. |
| F．They had both encountered the same misfortune, but had completely different attitudes towards lives. |
| G．But if you decide to be will-powered, the sufferings will turn out to be a fortune where new hopes will arise. |
8 . 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
9 . Why is being alone essential to personal growth?
For many people, being alone is a negative state of being. It often carries a social stigma (污名) that equals isolation or being an outsider. Of course, spending time with people you love is extremely important to your well-being.
Aloneness enhances your creativity. When you are alone, you are more likely to stay true to yourself and try new things that you don’t have the courage to do around others.
Being alone also prevents you from burning out. Sometimes you may wonder why you easily feel tired.
Being alone makes you a more creative person and helps with personal growth.
| A．But it’s necessary to learn how to be alone. |
| B．Aloneness is often associated with mad artists. |
| C．It is impossible to be alone with the demands of daily life. |
| D．Aloneness frees us from the limits of the world’s opinions. |
| E．Self-exploration is perhaps the biggest benefit of aloneness. |
| F．One reason could be not giving yourself enough solitary time. |
| G．So spend some time alone today to become a brighter and better person. |
10 . When I was young, I had a wrong understanding of being great. I believed I was special and different and should be rich and famous because of my talent. I was going to live my dream rather than being a “normal” person. But as time passed, reality set in and my perspective changed.
I am a teacher, married to a salesman with a baby and a mortgage（按揭贷款）. Could my life be more normal? Yet, I am okay with this.
Were I to have a conversation with my twenty-year-old self, she wouldn't understand why I'm not going to NYC to get an audition （试演）. In four years my coworkers have never heard me sing. If I'd bought a house, it should have been in an interesting neighborhood with coffee houses at every corner. She would laugh at the corner house in the neighborhood I now call home.
But I know things she didn't know. Life is so much more complicated, wonderful and terrible. I know what it means to work for love, not just sitting back and letting it happen the way it can when you're young. I know about bringing life into the world, and the complexity of emotions.
My life is simple. It is small, and may seem interchangeable with so many other lives there. I may never make an impact outside my house. But I've learned it is important to be relative. To my little girl, I am irreplaceable. When she cries, she calls for “Mama”. When she reaches out, it's for me alone. So, is it a small life? It's perfectly fine to me. In fact, I think it's what I've wanted all along.
1. What was the author like when she was young?| A．She was honest. | B．She was brave. |
| C．She was proud. | D．She was cautious. |
| A．To show she has become mature. | B．To prove her dream has come true. |
| C．To reveal the key to her success. | D．To introduce her present unhappiness. |
| A．Learning the complexity of emotions. | B．Opening her heart to the world. |
| C．Living with her daughter specially. | D．Caring for her family. |
| A．We can achieve our dreams if we work hard. |
| B．We will come back to a normal life some day. |
| C．We should keep in contact with our families. |
| D．We can be the one we feel satisfied with. |
