1 . Finding the Real You
Psychometric testing—personality testing—has been very popular nowadays as studies show their results to be three times more accurate in predicting your job performance. These tests are now included in almost all graduate recruitment (招聘) and are widely used in the selection of managers.
The most popular of these personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is based on the theory that we are born with a tendency to one personality type which stays more or less fixed throughout life. You answer 88 questions and are then given your “type”, such as Outgoing or Quiet, Feeling or Thinking.
Critics of personality testing raise doubts about “social engineering”. Psychologist Dr. Colin Gill warns that the “popular” personality traits (特性) have their disadvantages. “People who are extremely open to new experiences can be butterflies, going from one idea to the next without mastering any of them.” However, the psychometric test is here to stay, which may be why a whole sub-industry on cheating personality tests has sprung up. “It’s possible to cheat,” admits Gill, “but having to pretend to be the person you are at work will be tiring and unhappy and probably short-lived.”
So can we change our personality? “Your basic personality is fixed by the time you’re 21,”says Gill,“ but it can be affected by motivation and intelligence. If you didn’t have the personality type to be a doctor but desperately wanted to be one and were intelligent enough to master the skills, you could still go ahead. But trying to go too much against type for too long requires much energy and is actually to be suffered for long. I think it’s why we’re seeing this trend for downshifting—too many people trying to fit in to a type that they aren’t really suited for.”
Our interest in personality now exists in every part of our lives. If you ask an expert for advice on anything, you’ll probably be quizzed about your personality. But if personality tests have any value to us, perhaps it is to free us from the idea that all of us are full of potential, and remind us of what we are. As they say in one test when they ask for your age: pick the one you are, not the one you wish you were.
1. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on the belief that ______.

A．certain personality traits are common

B．personality is largely decided from birth

C．some personality types are better than others

D．personality traits are various from time to time

2. According to Dr. Gill, what is the problem with personality tests?

A．Employers often find the results unclear.

B．They may have a negative effect on takers.

C．People can easily lie about their true abilities.

D．The results could be opposite to what employers want.

3. In Dr. Gill’s view, how easy is it to change your personality?

A．It’s possible in your adult life.

B．It’s easy if you have great motivation.

C．It’s difficult before the age of 21.

D．It’s unlikely because it requires much energy.

4. What final conclusion does the author reach about the value of personality tests?

A．They are not really worth doing.

B．They may encourage greater realism.

C．They are of doubtful value to employers.

D．They can strengthen the idea we have of our abilities.

2 .    假如你是徐州市某高中学生李华，最近你们班针对徐州市开展的“绿色出行”（Green Transport）计划，倡导市民骑自行车，并且提供了大批量的公用自行车，这一活动展开了讨论。

支持者观点：	1. 目前汽车带来的空气污染和交通堵塞问题
	2. 骑自行车的益处，如节能环保、有益健康等
反对者观点：	1. 骑自行车上学、上班都浪费时间，而且不安全
	2. 现在空气污染严重，骑自行车可能有害健康

请根据以上信息写一篇议论文，并发表你自己的观点。
词数：120 左右
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3 . A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression. The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.

The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.

Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.

Parents should watch for signs of depression — eating or mood changes — and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity (成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.

1. Which of the following is more likely to have depression?

A．Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness.

B．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.

C．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.

D．Careless parents whose children are deep in love.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.

B．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.

C．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.

D．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.

3. What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?

A．Confused.

B．Disinterested.

C．Scared.

D．Disapproving.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Puppy love may bring young people depression.

B．Parents should forbid their children’s love.

C．Romance is a two-edged sword for adults.

D．Romance is good for young people.

4 . Many of us feel uneasy when someone stands too close to us, talks to us too loudly or makes eye contact (接触) with us for too long. But have you ever wondered why those things make you uncomfortable?
It’s all about personal peace, which means not only an imaginary space around the body, but also the space around all the senses. People feel that their space is being violated (侵犯) when they meet with an unwelcome sound, smell or look. This is probably why a man on a crowded bus shouting into his mobile phone or a woman next to you putting on strong perfume (香水) makes you feel angry.
Whether people have had a stronger wish to protect their personal space in recent times is hard to say. Yet studies of airlines show that people have a strong desire (渴望) to have space to themselves. In a survey (调查) by TripAdvisor, a travel website, people said that if they had to pay more for some extra service, they would rather have larger seats than extra food.
Although people may need their personal space, some hardly realize it. For example, people on a bus who hold newspapers in front of their faces to read in fact keep a distance from strangers.
Go and watch a library table. You will notice that one of the corner seats will usually be taken first, because they are the farthest way. What if someone sits opposite to you? Maybe you will pile up books as if to make a wall.
Preference (偏好) for personal space are different from culture to culture. Scientists have found that Americans generally prefer more personal space than people from other cultures. In Latin (拉丁人的) cultures, however, people are more comfortable standing close to each other.
1. The writer mainly _________ in this article.

A．tells us how to achieve personal space

B．explains what personal space people need is

C．introduces some knowledge about personal space

D．argues for the importance of keeping personal space

2. Who might feel his personal space is safe according to the passage?

A．A person who has to sit next to a lady putting on strong perfume.

B．A person who has been watched by a stranger for a long time.

C．A person who hears strange noises when reading at home.

D．A Latin boy who is chatting with a friend sitting close to him.

3. What can we know from the survey by TripAdvisor?

A．People need a smaller personal space in recent times than before.

B．People have a strong desire for personal space in recent times.

C．There are not enough seats on the plane to meet people’s needs.

D．Food service is better provided than seats on the plane.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The space around the body is more needed than that around all the senses.

B．If you hold newspapers on the bus, your personal space won’t be violated.

C．People usually choose the corner seats first in a library for personal space.

D．Different cultures share the same preferences for personal space.

5 . Everyone in business has been told that success is all about attracting and retaining (留住) customers. It sounds simple and achievable. But,_______, words of wisdom are soon forgotten. Once companies have attracted customers they often_______the second half of the story. In the excitement of beating off the competition, negotiating prices, securing orders, and delivering the product, managers tend to become carried away. They forget what they regard as the boring side of business—_______that the customer remains a customer._______to concentrate on retaining as well as attracting customers costs business huge amounts of money annually. It has been estimated that the average company loses between 10 and 30 per cent of its customers every years. In constantly changing_______, this is not surprising. What is surprising is the fact that few companies have any idea how many customers they have lost.

Only now are organizations beginning to wake up to those lost opportunities and calculate the_______implications. Cutting down the number of customers a company loses can make a big_______in its performance. Research in the US found that a five per cent decrease in the number of defecting (流失的) customers led to_______increases of between 25 and 85 per cent.

In the US, Domino’s Pizza estimates that a regular customer is worth more than $5,000 over ten years. A customer who receives a poor quality product or service on their first visit and_______never returns, is losing the company thousands of dollars in__________profits (more if you consider how many people they are likely to tell about their bad experience).

The logic behind cultivating customer__________is impossible to deny. “In practice most companies’ marketing effort is focused on getting customers, with little attention paid to__________them”, says Adrian Payne of Cornfield University’ School of Management. “Research suggests that there is a close relationship between retaining customers and making profits.__________customers tend to buy more, are predictable and usually cost less to service than new customers. Furthermore, they tend to be less price__________, and may provide free word-of-mouth advertising. Retaining customers also makes it__________for competitors to enter a market or increase their share of a market.

1.

A．in particular

B．in reality

C．at least

D．first of all

2.

A．emphasize

B．doubt

C．overlook

D．believe

3.

A．denying

B．ensuring

C．arguing

D．proving

4.

A．Moving

B．Hoping

C．Starting

D．Failing

5.

A．markets

B．tastes

C．prices

D．expenses

6.

A．culture

B．social

C．financial

D．economical

7.

A．promise

B．plan

C．mistake

D．difference

8.

A．cost

B．opportunity

C．profit

D．budget

9.

A．as a result

B．on the whole

C．in conclusion

D．on the contrary

10.

A．huge

B．potential

C．extra

D．reasonable

11.

A．beliefs

B．loyalty

C．habits

D．interest

12.

A．altering

B．understanding

C．keeping

D．attracting

13.

A．Assumed

B．Respected

C．Established

D．Unexpected

14.

A．agreeable

B．flexible

C．friendly

D．sensitive

15.

A．unfair

B．difficult

C．essential

D．convenient

6 . We have two daughters Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.
The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.
Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.
I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big "to do" over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.
But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying.
I said, “What are you doing, my dear?”
She turned to me with a sad expression and said, “Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?”
I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better.
Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.
1. The underlined expression “make a big ‘to do’ over” (Paragraph 4) means __________.

A．show much concern about	B．have a special effect on
C．list jobs to be done for	D．do good things for

2. The guests praised Kelly for carrying coats upstairs because of her __________.

A．beautiful hair	B．pretty clothes
C．lovely smile	D．young age

3. Kristen felt sad and cried because __________.

A．the guest gave her more coats to carry

B．she didn’t look as pretty as Kelly

C．the guests praised her sister more than her

D．her mother didn’t introduce her to the guests

4. We can conclude from the passage that __________.

A．parents should pay more attention to the elder children

B．the younger children are usually more easily hurt

C．people usually like the younger children more

D．adults should treat children equally

7 . 阅读理解。

In order to increase their job chances after college, Chinese students are turning to a special practice—Eiffel Tower nose jobs (鼻整形手术). The latest trend in plastic surgery promises to create a nose that is similar to the curve of the Eiffel Tower.
Surgeon Wang Xuming said:   “We are influenced by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower. We are not content to just add something to the nose; we reconstruct it.” The surgery costs about US$ 10,000 and involves the enlarging of the nose using tissue from the forehead.
Hundreds of posters advertising the procedure are put up all over Chongqing city, where surgeon Xuming runs his private practice. They show a western-looking woman with an almost-to o-perfect nose, against an outline of the Eiffel Tower.
Interestingly, many young women in China are eager to achieve a western appearance, as they believe it will give them an advantage in the highly competitive job market. “Some students face a lot of employment pressure after graduation. If their facial features are good, they’ll have more chances of finding a job,” said surgeon Xuming. “We’ve had students getting the Eiffel Tower nose; it’s helped them a lot.”
Apparently, Chinese employers are quite particular about appearances and prefer attractive candidates. Some of them even go as far as putting height and weight requirements in their employment ads. Plastic surgeons across the country are reporting an increase in the number of students choosing beauty “improvement”.
According to a Mr. Li, hospital manager at surgeon Xuming’s clinic, most of their customers are female and the bill is taken care of by the family. “They usually come in with their mothers, and tend to be from well-off backgrounds.” he said.
Personally, I don’t think it so important to “improve” our appearance as long as we are skilled at our jobs. We can’t decide how we look, but we can decide how well we live and work.
1. Why do Chinese college students choose to have a nose operation?

A．To have more chances of getting a job.

B．To gain a real westerner appearance.

C．To Take good care of their family.

D．To look like the Eiffel Tower.

2. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?

A．The city of Chongqing.

B．A plastic surgery procedure.

C．The posters advertising the surgery.

D．Xuming’s private practice.

3. What can we learn from Mr. Li’s words?

A．Most families can’t afford the expensive operation.

B．Their customers are usually from wealthy families.

C．Patients can be well looked after at the clinic.

D．The number of plastic surgeons is increasing.

4. Which of the following will the author probably agree with?

A．Chinese employers only care about their employees’ appearance.

B．Chinese students are content with the shape of their noses.

C．A western face looks prettier than a Chinese one.

D．Skills at work speak louder than appearance.

8 . Researchers who helped discover a new species of Mexican butterfly are offering to sell the naming rights to raise money to fund more research. Co-discoverer Andrew Warren is hoping to raise at least $50,000 by auctioning(拍卖) off the rights to name the 4-inch “owl eye” butterfly, which lives in Sonora, a Mexican state bordering Arizona.
“That would support at least two years of research for our team down in Mexico,” Warren said. “Money goes a long way down here in Mexico.”
According to the scientific tradition, discoverers of a new species have the say in naming it. In recent years, some discoverers have auctioned off their naming rights to raise money.
Warren said the amount being sought for the butterfly is not out of the question, noting that naming rights for a new monkey species brought in $650,000 two years ago. A group of 10 new fish species that went on the naming auction block at the same time earlier this year brought in a total of $2 million.
The butterfly discovered by Warren and researcher George Austin ranges as far north as Mexico.
The butterfly was actually in a collection, misidentified as an example of another new species, at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of National History in Gainesville, said Warren. They soon began the hard process of determining that it was indeed a “new” model of butterfly.
After checking photos and comparing it with other known species, they determined it was a separate species.
1. Where did the researchers discover the new species of butterflies?

A．In Sonora.	B．In Mexico state.
C．In a place in US.	D．Near the US-Mexico border.

2. Why will the researchers sell the naming rights of the butterfly?

A．To raise money for wildlife protection.

B．To raise money for more research.

C．To cause people’s attention to the new discovery.

D．To cover the cost of the research.

3. When the butterfly was first discovered, people thought ______.

A．it was a new species at once

B．it wasn’t a species of American butterfly

C．it belonged to the monarch branches

D．it belonged to a new species

4. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．the new species of butterfly live both in the US and Mexico

B．it took the researchers a lot of efforts to determine the new species of butterfly

C．the researchers are not sure whether they can get the money they want from the auction

D．it is the first time that the new species of butterfly has been found

9 . Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK with around 100,000 people dying each year from illnesses connected with the habit. Under-18s in England will not be allowed to buy electronic cigarettes, the government has announced. Experts say it is not yet known what harm they could cause and that the things inside them could be damaging young people’s health.
Around 1.3 million people in the UK use e-cigarettes which were designed to help people give up smoking. It will be illegal for adults to buy traditional cigarettes for anyone under 18. The new rule could be put into practice by the autumn and may mean anyone caught buying cigarettes for a child could be given a fine of 50-2,500 pounds.
“We must do all we can to help children lead a healthy life,” Public Health Minister Jane Ellison said: Some 41% of 15-year-olds who smoke say they usually buy their cigarettes from someone else, rather than from a shop, according to the Department of Health.
But while the number of smokers has fallen to the lowest ever level, experts fear e-cigarettes could be encouraging teenagers to take up the habit. E-cigarettes, popular with teenagers, contain a bit of nicotine and give off water vapor to make people have the feeling and took up the habit.
“We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults, let alone to children, but we do know they are not risk free,” Prof. Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, said. “E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and a small amount of nicotine and other things that could be extremely damaging to young people’s health.” he added.
1. People may be fined ￡50-2,500 on condition that ________.

A．they buy cigarettes for children

B．they smoke electronic cigarettes

C．they are caught smoking in public

D．they allow their children to smoke

2. What does the underlined word “toxic” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Powerful.	B．Helpful.
C．Harmful.	D．Useful.

3. Which of the following is FALSE about E-cigarettes?

A．They are of high-quality cigarettes.

B．They have no harm to children.

C．They do not contain nicotine.

D．They are popular with teenagers.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．E-cigarettes may replace cigarettes.

B．The number of the smokers has declined greatly.

C．We can choose electronic cigarettes.

D．E-cigarettes will be banned for under-18s.

10 . 阅读理解
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or produce music. Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale(音阶).
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability(无能) to enjoy music set them apart from others. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics stay away from places where there is music on purpose. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy­ year­ old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to judge this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference doesn’t have anything to do with defective hearing. Amusics can understand other sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally recognized. For years, Margaret felt sad about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No, thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”
1. Which of the following is TRUE of amusics?

A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B．They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C．They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D．Their situation is well understood by musicians.

2. According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ________.

A．dislikes listening to speeches

B．can’t hear musical notes

C．has a hearing problem

D．can’t see certain colors

3. In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that ________.

A．her problem with music had been recognized earlier

B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C．her problem could be easily explained

D．she were able to meet other amusics

4. What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A．Amusics’ strange action.

B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music.

C．Musical abilities and brain differences.

D．Possible treatments of amusics.