4 . When going through major life changes, like changing careers, I would change the people with whom I spent the most time. We’ve all gone through periods when the people in our lives have changed — graduation, moving to a new city, getting a new job, joining a new club, etc. I don’t think I need to convince you just how much influence other people can have over your identity. If you’ve ever experienced a major switch in your people environment, then you know that you change as well.

Most people don’t make these choices consciously though. You might consciously decide to spend more time with a certain friend, or you may ask someone out on a date to begin a new relationship. But few people choose their existing friendships deliberately.

There’s no “getting rid of people”. People are always dropping into and out of each other’s lives. Associations grow into friendships, and friendships fade into associations. You don’t get rid of anyone. The truth is that in order to make room for new people and new experiences, you may need to loosen up some of your existing connections.

What about loyalty (忠诚)? Shouldn’t you always be loyal to your friends? Once you have a close friend, even if their influence on you is slightly harmful, shouldn’t you stick by them?

Loyalty to a friend sometimes means having to let go. It means being loyal to their highest and best as well. If someone is destroying his health by smoking, for example, you aren’t showing loyalty by smoking right along with him. True loyally sometimes requires that you break damaging connections, get yourself back on solid ground, and then decide what you can really do to help your friend.

It can take a lot of courage to tell someone, “I’m sorry, but I can’t have you in my life anymore.” But even though this might seem like a selfish act at times, it’s often the best thing for the other person too. If a relationship is holding you back in some way, understand that it is also hurting the other person. For example, if you work for a violent boss, your acceptance of that situation is considered to be silent approval, encouraging your boss to continue to behave violently.

1. When experiencing major life changes, people may ________.

A．join a new social community	B．influence their friends around
C．choose their friendships purposely	D．have their people environment changed

2. What can be concluded from Paragraph 3 in the passage?

A．Everyone has at least one friend.

B．It is unnecessary to make new friends.

C．It is natural for different people to enter or leave one’s life.

D．You ought to treat your old and new friend equally.

3. What is the author’s opinion on the loyalty to friends?

A．Never betray your close friends whatever happens.

B．Correct their mistakes while you guard their goodness.

C．Stick by your friends even though they do harm to you.

D．Break up with your friends immediately if they smoke.

4. How should we behave when employed by a violent boss?

A．We should accept what we are told to do.	B．We should stay silent and be in favor of him.
C．We should bravely disobey him if he is wrong.	D．We should give our boss courage to continue.

6 . From Mr. Ward Hoffman.

Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud’s article “What’s the tipping point" (Financial Times Weekend, April 9-l0) when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic(讽刺的). If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets in London.

Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement(补贴) the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service.

Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 percent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an up-market(高档的) restaurant. Here, in San Francisco Bay area restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restaurant workers live in this very expensive area.

After eating at an Italian restaurant in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill. It was expected. There is nothing more complicated(复杂的) than that about Americans tipping in restaurants.

Ward Hoffman,

Palo Alto, CA 94306, US

*                           *                              *

From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.

Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud’s opinion about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception(例外). Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner.

It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt.

Philip McBride Johnson,

Great Falls, VA 22066, US

1. What can we learn from Hoffman’s letter?

A．Quality of service determines tipping in the US.

B．Americans don’t tip in non fast-food restaurants.

C．Tipping in US up-market restaurants is unnecessary.

D．How to tip in the United States is not complicated.

2. Johnson’s letter shows ________.

A．a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more

B．diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant

C．repeat dinners may get good service if they tip a bit more

D．the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers

3. From the two letters, we can learn Professor Raj Persaud ________.

A．feels doubtful about the value of tipping

B．believes tipping improves quality of service

C．wants to ask Hoffman about tipping in the US

D．thinks tipping a bit more one can get good service

4. The two letters most probably appears in a ________.

A．notice

B．handbook

C．book review

D．newspaper

7 . Being a good team player is an essential skill, especially at work and school. Then how to be a good team player?

Show you're reliable by doing everything you say you will. Your actions will reflect on everyone in your group, so do your best to always follow through.     1    

Make sure you do an equal share of the work. No one likes a teammate who barely contributes to the project.     2     Not only will your group mates appreciate your work ethic (行为准则)，it will show your supervisor(主管）or instructor that you’re a good team player.

    3     Always say what you mean，but use a loyal tone. Similarly，don’t waste people’s time by hiding the truth or being indirect about how you really feel.

Speak up when you have ideas.     4     Sharing your thoughts shows that you have more to offer and are thinking outside the box. Even if your ideas aren't right for the project, they might lead to future improvements on a different project.

    5     This is another way to show that you're a good team member. Step up to lead a project, knock out a backlog of unfinished tasks, or complete a side project. Then, complete the extra work as quickly as possible.

A．So take on an equal part of the work.

B．Volunteer to take on extra work, when necessary.

C．Adopt a positive attitude when it comes to your work.

D．Be direct and honest when you communicate with others.

E．Moreover, complete your task and always keep your promises to the group.

F．This shows leadership skills, while also making you a valuable part of the team.

G．If someone really doesn’t help the team, talk to her or him about team expectations.

8 . 假如你是李华，上周日你和同学一起参加学生会组织的志愿者活动，到附近社区进行义务劳动，受到社区居民的欢迎。请根据下列活动内容用英语给校园英语报写一则报道。
1. 打扫卫生；
2. 浇灌花木；
3. 帮老人们做家务；
4. 做戒烟宣传；
5. 为孩子们辅导功课；
提示词：义务劳动 voluntary labor 社区 community
注意：1. 词数100左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Almost every light comedy or situation comedy makes me feel like I should be drinking wine every night with my best friend while one of us tries on clothes. Not only should we share the same dress size, but we should also have a long, rich history of togetherness and secrets. Clearly, this is not reality.

I have 598 friends. OK, but if I’m honest, 99.3 percent of those friends are those I met only once or acquaintances who live too far away to see regularly. That leaves 4 people, who I can call anytime, not feeling like I’m absolutely wasting their time. The remaining 0.2, I’ve decided, is my houseplant. I can tell it anything.

Feeling the same way? You’re absolutely not alone. Most of us find our “people” in school, but over time life changes: marriage, kids, etc. We grow out of our relationships and they grow out of us.

So when the relationships come to an end, how do you find a new one?

A woman in my apartment building, who I had seen around over the years, approached me one day and introduced herself. She bravely stated, “You seem cool. Do you want to hang out with me sometime? I’m looking for new friends.” I almost dropped my bag of groceries at her social honesty. And now we get together for coffee a few times a year, gossip (八卦) about the neighbors, and take in the mail when one of us is on vacation. But a few times a year isn’t enough for me.

So, what counts as true friendship as you get older? For me, it’s feeling comfortable enough to be myself. And if you’re like me, it’s also trust — not just keeping the secret, but trusting that my life choices aren’t their gossip elsewhere.

1. What do the numbers in Paragraph 2 show?

A．The author has some unusual friends.	B．The author has very few real friends.
C．The author is fond of phoning her friends.	D．The author doesn’t like most of her friends.

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 show?

A．The author was a little careless.	B．The author was glad at the request.
C．The author was shocked by the request.	D．The author was carrying something heavy.

3. What does the author think true friendship is?

A．It is really difficult to find.	B．It can show one’s genuine belief.
C．It is really hard for people to understand.	D．It can make people have a sense of security.

10 . Preschool girl lifts old man’s spirits

When Tara Wood brought her daughter to a grocery store to buy the four-year-old some cupcakes, she had no idea that would be a life-changing experience.

As Tara pushed her daughter Norah around the store last month, she passed an old man who was by himself. The old man looked cold, until Norah shouted to him, “Hi! It’s my birthday today!” The man stopped and his demeanor changed from distant and serious to warm and friendly. “How old are you today?” the man asked. After some time talking together, Norah asked her mom to take a picture of her with her new friend “Mr Dan”, Dan Peterson, 82. They hugged and after ten minutes went their separate ways. That could have been the end of the story. But it is actually the beginning of a special relationship.

Tara posted the picture of her daughter and Mr. Dan on Facebook and someone who recognized him reached out to her with his contact information. It turned out that Mr. Dan’s wife died in March and he had been suffering from depression and anxiety ever since. The person on Facebook told Tara that it was the first time they had seen Mr. Dan smile since the death of his wife. Knowing that, Tara contacted Mr. Dan, and ever since Norah and the 82-year-old have developed a friendship unlike any other. “She has shown me a depth of love, a depth that I didn’t know existed,” Mr. Dan told the reporter.

Mr. Dan told Tara that before meeting Norah, he hadn’t had one night of uninterrupted sleep. Anxiety kept him up at all hours and made him restless. After meeting Norah, he said he now sleeps soundly. For Mr. Dan’s 82nd birthday on October 20, the mother and the daughter brought balloons and presents—and, of course, cupcakes. Mr. Dan will also spend a day around Thanksgiving with Norah and her family. “If you don’t take the time to notice people, you will never know how you can positively impact a life,” Tara Wood said.

1. Mr. Dan looked cold because ________.

A．he felt lonely	B．he disliked little kids
C．nobody had hugged him	D．he knew little about Norah

2. The underlined word “demeanor” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．words	B．body
C．thoughts	D．attitude

3. How did Tara know more about Mr. Dan?

A．From a news reporter.	B．From a stranger.
C．From a shop assistant.	D．From his neighbor.

4. What can we learn from the story?

A．Giving makes a real difference.

B．It is important to respect each other.

C．We should not judge a person at first sight.

D．Good things will happen if one keeps trying.