1 . Six months ago, Jack came to China to study. He has heard that Yangzhou is famous for its gardens. And he plans to visit some gardens in July, so he has collected information about them online as follows:
The Slender West Lake, named National AAAAA Tourist Area in 2010, includes the Great Rainbow Bridge, the White Pagoda, Five-pavilion Bridge, the Twenty-four Bridge, the Small Golden Hill and so on. The best time to tour the Slender West Lake is in March. During the visit to the park, the boat travels on the water and visitors travel in the picture. Ticket: Mar.—May. ￥150; Other months ￥90 Time: 8:30—17:00 Bus: No. 4, 5, 6, 17, 61 buses Tel: 0514-87357803; 0514-87370091 |
Ge Garden, one of the four top famous Chinese gardens, got its name from bamboo. The bamboo in the garden forms the green scenery. The centre of the garden is well-known for man-like hills. Four seasons can be experienced here at a time. Ticket: Mar. —May. ￥10; Other months ￥30 Time: Mar. —May. 7:15—18:00; Other months 7:15—17:30 Bus: No. 8, 30, 61 buses Tel: 0514-87935285 |
He Garden, the most famous garden in the late Qing Dynasty, is known for its long double-way corridor (走廊), which is regarded as the earliest footbridge. Ticket: Mar. —May. ￥40; Other months ￥30 Time: 7:30—17:15 Bus: No. 19, 61 buses Tel: 0514-87900345; 0514-87222353 |
1. How much will a ticket cost Jack if he visits the Slender West lake?
| A．30 yuan. | B．40 yuan. |
| C．90 yuan. | D．150 yuan. |
| A．The long corridor. | B．The green bamboo. |
| C．The man-made hills. | D．The boat travelling. |
| A．He can take a No. 19 bus to GeGarden. |
| B．He can visit the Slender West Lake at 8:00. |
| C．He can call 0514-87935285 for further information of HeGarden. |
| D．He can call 0514-87900345 to know more about HeGarden. |
2 . I attended a writer’s group to get feedback on my book. But there were so many people there that the discussion was limited. After getting home, my 13-year-old son asked me to read one chapter to him. So I read the chapter about spending my pocket money as a nine-year-old child.
The story took place at a lunch counter, where I dreamed of ordering a banana split. Colorful balloons were hung above the counter and a sign said “Pop a balloon and pay 1 cent to 63 cents for a banana split!” As I was given only 50 cents for cleaning the doghouse, I didn’t dare to ask my parents for any more pocket money without doing more work or risk asking anyone else. So I kept my wish to myself.
Frankie listened carefully, as I read the final sentences of the chapter, “I watched as others selected a balloon to pop and dreamed about the opportunity to take my chance. But it never happened.”
The next morning, Frankie led me to the kitchen. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The table was covered in a pile of balloons. Frankie handed me 50 cents and a fork. “Pop one!” he urged. With tears in my eyes, I broke one. A piece of paper fell out of the balloon.
“What does it say?” Frankie asked. “Fifty cents,” I whispered, too moved to speak loudly. Frankie asked, “Well, do you have 50 cents?” I handed him the money. “OK!” Then Frankie pulled out a banana split from the refrigerator.
I hugged Frankie hard. We took turns popping the other balloons until I finally got the 1-cent balloon. It was a long-time coming, but worth the wait.
It hit me that the first step in making any wish come true is giving it a voice.
1. The author read the chapter to Frankie because .| A．she wanted to get feedback from Frankie |
| B．Frankie asked the author to read it to him |
| C．she was used to telling a bedtime story to him |
| D．Frankie had a strong desire for knowledge |
| A．She spent money wisely when she was a kid. |
| B．She had enough money to do whatever she liked. |
| C．She earned her pocket money by doing housework. |
| D．She had no close friends to share her secret wish. |
| A．comfortable and happy | B．puzzled and excited |
| C．awkward and satisfied | D．surprised and grateful |
| A．it is important to express one’s wishes |
| B．it is comforting to have a kid around |
| C．experiences in childhood affect us later in life |
| D．wishes can come true by just voicing them |
3 . An eight-year-old girl heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money.
When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “Only a miracle can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore (药店) with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman.
“It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.”
“Pardon?” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.” said the girl.
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man.
“$ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$ 1.11, the price of a miracle for little brother.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?
1. What was the trouble in the little girl’s family?| A．Miracle was hard to get in the drugstore. |
| B．They were poor and no one can lend them money. |
| C．Nothing could save her brother. |
| D．Her brother was badly ill and her family couldn’t afford the operation. |
| A．something interesting | B．something beautiful |
| C．some useful medicine | D．some good food |
| A．The girl’s love for her brother. | B．The girl’s money. |
| C．The medicine from the drugstore. | D．Nobody can tell. |
| A．the salesman didn’t sell miracle to the girl |
| B．a miracle is sure to happen if you keep on |
| C．the little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| D．Andrew was in fact not so sick as they had thought |
4 . As a college student, I have planned my future career goals. I would like to work as a sales assistant in a computer company, then a sales manager and finally boss of my own company.
At the very beginning, I plan to find a job in a famous company producing computers, in which ail the staff are fully happy at work and I can experience job satisfaction most of the time. Only such kind of company can provide me with good working atmosphere and eagerness to learn more so as to get well prepared for my future profession.
At first I want to be a sales assistant and always keep myself busy working in and out of the company, such a, answering telephones, doing repair work, even cleaning the although the salary may be low, I will seize every chance to learn from other staff. In my spare time, I will take some courses so as to get more qualifications and experience in this field. In three or five years, I am determined to be-come a sales manager who is responsible for the selling of the computers. I will interview as many customers as possible and do market research and improve our products. Meanwhile I will take care of my staff to make them eager to work to the best of their abilities.
As is known to us, it is hard to manage a company, but I will make every effort to achieve my goal step by step, and I am sure “There is mothing difficult in the world if you put your heart into it.”
1. If the writer has a company, his company will provide his staff with ________.| A．high wages |
| B．dormitories |
| C．some computers made in his company |
| D．good working atmosphere and eagerness |
| A．The writer would like to be a sales assistant first. |
| B．The writer wants to set up a business of his own. |
| C．The writer makes his mind to be the president of a famous company producing computers. |
| D．The writer will take courses to get an MBA. |
| A．answering telephones | B．interviewing customers |
| C．cleaning the room | D．doing repair work |
| A．how to improve the writer’s abilities |
| B．how to achieve the writer’s future career goal |
| C．how to become a manager |
| D．how to become a sales manager |
The biggest killer by far is the dreaded “ comfort zone ” where most people live in their entire life. And the funny thing is that people just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that people who have reached some success get tons of time to just relax, but only because they’ve earned it ! If you haven’t built a successful business, or in some way built a career that allow you so much freee time, then you are stuck in the grinding world of nine-to-five jobs everyone else. So how comfortable is that ?
So what can you do about it ? Well, find a way to make something happen in your life--- build a business around your favourite hobby, write a book and publish it, or take a course in stock trading and become an expert at that, working on making enough money to retire. If you don’t take massive action that puts your way of your comfort zone, you will never be successful at much of anything. I promise--- and I don’t make many promises !
Finding real happiness in life can be a mystery for many. That’s why I wrote The Road to Happiness for those who want real success and happiness in life, including spirituality and all the gifts life has to offer.
Don’t wander aimlessly through life. Get focused on your goals, start helping others in need, and live life to the fullest ! Life is too short to be anything but happy. Visit my website and find what you’ve been missing. Sign up for my newsletter and get seven free ebooks, too ! Read hundreds of articles while you’re there in the article section, which is updated daily.
1. This text must be taken from __________.
| A．a radio program | B．a website |
| C．a newspaper | D．a TV program |
| A．We should think what it really takes to be successful in our chosen field. |
| B．We should focus our full attention on the work in our chosen field. |
| C．We should live out of the “ comfort zone ” all through our life. |
| D．We should work together with other people to reach our goals in time. |
| A．Because they have enough money to do so. |
| B．Because they don’t want to be successful. |
| C．Because they have already earned it through hard work. |
| D．Because they only work nine to five every day. |
| A．do a lot of actual wotk | B．write a book and publish it |
| C．take a course in stock trading | D．make enough money to retire |
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit (追求) of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which only values the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among those who are against competition are young people who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by them is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot.
Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to disappear can we discover a new meaning in competition.
1. What is the best title of this passage?
| A．Competition! Why friends turn into enemies. |
| B．Competition! What self-respect depends on. |
| C．New meaning found in competition. |
| D．Two mistaken beliefs about competition. |
| A．Because they are aware that they will not succeed in competition. |
| B．Because they don’t think it worthwhile to compete with others. |
| C．Because they are afraid that they would not be valued if they lost. |
| D．Because they are fed up with the great efforts needed to compete with others. |
| A．One should treat competition as a life-and-death affair. |
| B．One should make every endeavor to avoid competition. |
| C．One should get rid of the fear of failure in competition. |
| D．One should be given rewards after competing with others. |
| A．one’s self-worth comes from how well he performs in comparison with others |
| B．one’s dream can be achieved if he has mastered good communication skills |
| C．one’s failure happens when he is suffering from emotional problems |
| D．one’s success is based on how hard he has tried |
A sense of humour also plays an important role in human relationships. However, not everyone has a sense of humour. People with developmental disabilities (发展性能力丧失) can sometimes have no sense of humour, or have a very strange one.
A number of factors affect a person’s sense of humour, with the age probably being the main one. Young children are often highly amused by simple jokes or shows, while teenagers prefer to enjoy the ironic (讽刺的) events. Educational level, culture, and religious faith also affect one’s sense of humour. While Christians, for example, may have a deep appreciation of jokes about the Bible, others may find them disrespectful.
Many people believe that a sense of humour is something that develops on its own, and that you cannot teach someone to understand why jokes, certain comments, situations or events are funny. However, things can be done to
1. The purpose of the passage is to _______.
| A．explain what influences a person’s sense of humour |
| B．tell readers the importance of being healthy |
| C．explain how to make better decisions |
| D．tell readers how to understand jokes |
| A．Enjoy. | B．Reduce. | C．Improve. | D．Prevent. |
| A．Culture. | B．Age. |
| C．Educational level. | D．Family backgrounds. |
Last week when I was on the train, there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation—in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two-day trip by train. She said her two daughters were worried at the thought of driving for three days to reach her home, although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life, different countries, and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and learn all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry, you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom, there is always one for you.
It surely beats driving the car, which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.
1. According to the passage, the purpose of the author’s train ride was ______.
| A．to do business | B．to see her children |
| C．to visit places of interest | D．to see her old friends |
| A．the services are quite good | B．the food is terribly expensive |
| C．all the passengers are polite | D．all the passengers are American |
| A．A painful experience on the train | B．A wonderful lady |
| C．Train ride—a cultural experience | D．The history of Amtrak |
The bike， a black Kona 18 speed， was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work， putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries(食品杂货)， saving us from having to walk along long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性) as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
1. Why was the bike so important to the couple？
| A．They used it for work and daily life. |
| B．It was their only possession(财产). |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．The man‘s job was bike racing. |
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week |
| B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike |
| D．life was hard for the young family |
| A．From a stranger. |
| B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news |
| D．From radio broadcasts. |
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
| A．selfish |
| B．commercial |
| C．kind |
| D．cold-hearted |
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．
1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that________________________________．
| A．the author regretted his act of prejudice |
| B．the blind woman needed the money badly |
| C．the author was as poor as the blind woman |
| D．the author was a native American |
| A．rather hurt | B．very excited | C．deeply moved | D．greatly inspired |
| A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled |
| B．try to experience different kinds of life |
| C．treat others equally with love and respect |
| D．think about one’s past as often as possible |
| A．Learn from Your Past | B．How My Dream Comes True |
| C．A Belief That Will Never Change | D．A Priceless Lesson in the Street |
