1 . When Ray was about seven, he had a very close friend Mike. They lived near each other, traveled to and from school together, played together, were together in school, and spent time in each other’s homes.

Once, in school, Ray got bad marks (分数) and was very down. He just walked round and round the school playground. Mike followed Ray. Far enough not to stifle him, but near enough never to let Ray out of his sight. Ray was very angry at that time. He just wanted to be alone. At one point, he got so angry that he even shouted out, “Just leave me alone!” But Mike just silently walked on behind Ray, still never saying a word.

It was only after many years, almost twenty years later, that Ray truly began to understand the lesson on friendship which had been shown to him that day, Ray and Mike had already separated by then, only seeing each other a couple of times every year. But Ray still remembered that thing with gratitude (感激), a warm feeling in his heart and sometimes tears in his eyes.

Mike had taught him that true friendship does not only show up when one wants or needs it. A true friend will be around when he thinks you need him, regardless of (不管) whether you want it or not or whether you would admit it or not. He will be there even when you drive (赶走) him away, as long as he feels his presence will help you. But he will not speak if you do not want him to, and he will give you the peace that you expect.

The true friend will do what Mike did, following a distance behind, giving you space and peace, but always nearby, casting (投) a silent eye on you to make sure that you do not do anything silly, making sure he is around if you need him, and being ready to pick you if you fall anytime, to wipe your tears if they flow.

Appreciate your true friends. And be a true friend to others.

1. The underlined word “stifle” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “      ”.

A．upset

B．follow

C．pick

D．surprise

2. When Ray got angry with him, Mike         .

A．walked away angrily

B．said some words of comfort to him

C．just came along with him silently

D．turned away and wept

3. Twenty years later, each time Ray remembered that thing, he felt        .

A．sad

B．angry

C．grateful

D．funny

4. Ray learned from that thing that        .

A．a true friend will be there whether you need him or not

B．a friend in need is a friend indeed

C．a true friend will do what you ask him to do

D．a true friend always shows up when you need him

2 . Life is so much shorter than you think. The average person in the United States lives only 27, 375 days.    1     To have a quality life, you have to let go of those people who steal the happiness from you, and surround yourself with those who make you laugh and happy. Here are four harmful types of people you should avoid in life.

Those who deny your dream.

If you are surrounded by people who deny your dream or make fun of it because they think it’s unachievable, it is not good.     2     You should avoid them and instead surround yourself with people who believe in your dream and support you.

Those who push their own ideas.

There are a lot of selfish people who act as if everything they say is right, and try to deny what you say. No matter how much you explain, those who deny your ideas and push their own ideas to you will never understand. So it’s completely a waste of time, and just leave away.     3    

Those who only think about themselves.

Selfish people are harmful in your life. They basically only care about their own happiness and joy, so they usually treat you badly because they are too selfish to care about how you feel.     4     Therefore, stay with those people who can understand you. If you have people who share your happiness and pain as if it were theirs, never let them go.

    5    

Don’t you have those people around you who speak negatively, who believe negatively and who tell you their negative ideas. They are alone, living in a sad and negative world so they are trying to bring you into their world, by making you believe that life is full of sadness and unhappiness.

A．Those who are always negative.

B．They can influence you in a bad way.

C．Those who don’t believe in a “Happy Ending”.

D．Don’t let yourself believe in their stupid ideas.

E．Life is a very cold place without understanding.

F．Life is too short to spend time with people who steal your joy and happiness.

G．Be with open-minded people who will accept your ideas and discuss with you calmly.

3 . Blink: a boy, aged 18
Birth date: October 15th, 1991
Speaking: English, Russian
Now in: Dodge City, Kansas
From: Pratt, Kansas
Learning: Japanese, Chinese, Spanish
About me: I love all outdoor activities, especially playing ball games, traveling, and climbing. I play the guitar, and can say that I’m really good at it. I also like playing chess, but I don’t play it well. If you’re good at it, maybe you can teach me. I’m going to college this September. All I really want to do during the summer holiday is travel, teach, and learn languages (this is my hobby), see things, and build great friendships. I’d like people aged 17-20 to get in touch with me, both girls and boys. It’s better if you’re from Beijing or Tokyo. I’ve made 15 friends over the Internet. If you’d like to be one of them, send me an email at blink001@yahoo.com. My MSN is blink001@hotmail.com. I’d love to be your friend!
1. Where is Blink now?

A．In Dodge City.	B．In Pratt.
C．In Beijing.	D．In Tokyo.

2. What is Blink NOT good at?

A．Playing the guitar.	B．Playing ball games.
C．Playing chess.	D．Learning languages.

3. What is Blink’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To make friends.	B．To go on a trip.
C．To learn foreign languages.	D．To introduce his hobbies.