“The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful,” says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral (道德上的) freedom.
A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.” “Keep cool”, says George Herbert, “for fierceness (狂怒) makes error a fault.”
To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. “Anger,” says Pythagoras, “brings with folly(愚蠢) and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.
Self-control is man’s last greatest victory.
If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also. What does the reader learn from the first paragraph?
| A．The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself. |
| B．One’s moral freedom is based on the control of himself. |
| C．To control oneself is the most difficult in one’s life. |
| D．If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful. |
What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad” ?
| A．If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first. |
| B．If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished. |
| C．If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy. |
| D．If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods. |
If a man lacks self-control, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _______.
| A．the very backbone and nerve of character |
| B．the patience and power to control himself |
| C．strong feelings |
| D．self-confidence |
The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to _______.
| A．explain that self-control is the key to success |
| B．teach people how to control everything in order to make a great success |
| C．distinguish all kinds of self-control and suggest ways for keeping it |
| D．advise people not to lose temper so as to make and keep more friends |
Microsoft has a problem：It desperately wants the remaining Windows XP users to upgrade to a newer version of the operating system but a good many of them still haven’t started．The latest numbers from NetMarket show that Windows XP still accounts for around 29．5％of all desktops in use even though Microsoft is due to end support for the l3-Year-old platform on April 8th．ZDNet reports that Microsoft plans to force remaining XP users to start next week by sending them notices reminding them again that it will end XP support within a month．
However, as Computerworld reports，Microsoft may have a tough time convincing some Windows XP users to upgrade because it's trying to sell them on Windows 8，the newest operating system that has angered many longtime PC users by removing the traditional Start menu and by adding the interface(界面)a special feature．Computerworld writes that many Windows users expressed anger last month when Microsoft asked them to help switch as many people as they could from Windows XP to Windows 8 partly because Microsoft hasn’t offered any sort of discount for Windows XP users making the switch．
This is particularly tiresome, these users said，because switching from XP to Windows 8 won’t just require a software upgrade but will instead likely force them to buy new machines capable(能够)of running Microsoft’s new operating system．Some users were also annoyed that Microsoft only mentioned Windows 8 and not Windows 7 as upgrade possibilities．
In the end，it looks like when Microsoft ends support for Windows XP next month there will still be a large part of the desktop PC world using the platform．Hackers who have been saving up all their best new malware(恶意软件)for the day when Windows XP support ends are about to have a field day．What problem does Microsoft have now?
| A．Windows XP is out of date and needs improvement． |
| B．Windows 8 runs worse than Windows XP． |
| C．No people like to upgrade their operating system． |
| D．Lots of users refuse to switch from XP to Windows 8． |
How will Microsoft remind users of the stop of XP support?
| A．By sending them notices． |
| B．By sending them daily emails． |
| C．By adding the interface a special feature． |
| D．By removing the traditional Start menu． |
Which is probably one of the reasons why users dislike Window 8?
| A．Microsoft hasn’t offered any discount for it． |
| B．They like Window 7 more than Window 8． |
| C．Microsoft refuses to offer them a new machine． |
| D．It’s impossible for them to use the new operating system． |
What does the underlined phrase “have a field day” probably mean in the last paragraph?
| A．Show up without warning． |
| B．Make rapid progress． |
| C．Make full use of the opportunity． |
| D．Come to an end completely． |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Windows XP will completely be out of use in a month． |
| B．Windows XP will still be in use for a period of time． |
| C．Windows 8 will have a longer history than Windows XP． |
| D．Windows 7 will easily be attacked by Hackers． |
But what is teacher quality? How can one measure it reliably?
An analysis is issued on a sample of data from a Texas school district. Experts argue convincingly that teacher effectiveness should be measured by students’ gains on standardized tests: Mr. Smith is probably a better teacher than Ms. Brown if his students consistently improve their test scores more than hers do.
Though this approach is appealing, there are tricky issues. For example, what if Ms. Brown teaches in a school where students score so high there is little room for improvement?
The authors try to correct for this problem, as well as other sorts of measurement issues, to generate a measurement of teacher effectiveness. The paper is primarily concerned with how this measure is related to other observable characteristics.
The first finding is that there is a large variation in teacher effectiveness: some teachers consistently have a larger impact on their students’ achievement than others.
Second, easily observable characteristics like having a master’s degree or a passing score on the teacher certification exam are not correlated关联 with teacher effectiveness.
Then what does matter? The most important single influence is experience: first-year teachers are much less effective than others. The second year is significantly better, and by the fourth year, most teachers hit their stride.
It is not entirely clear whether this experience effect is learning by doing (the more you teach, the more effective you become) or survival of the fittest (those who are not good at teaching tend to drop out early.)
From my reading of the paper, both effects appear important and there is no simple answer. The data do suggest, however, that teacher effectiveness is pretty clear by the end of the second year, so the information to make an informed decision is available at that time.
The authors also investigate the contentious 有争议的issue of racial matching of students and teachers. Here they find strong evidence that minority teachers tend to be more effective with minority students. Again, it is unclear whether this is because of a role model effect (students respond better to a teacher of their own race) or an empathy effect 移情效应(teachers empathize better with students of their own race) or something else entirely.
The authors also look at teacher mobility. There is some evidence that teachers who quit teaching or switch schools tend to be below average in effectiveness. This is consistent with the survival-of-the-fittest model.The schoolmaster could decide wisely whether to further employ the teacher by the end of the ______.
| A．the first year | B．the second year |
| C．the third year | D．the fourth year |
The phrase “hit their stride” most probably means “______”.
| A．reach their normal level | B．become confident |
| C．walk with long steps | D．get bored |
The author of this passage holds the view that ______.
| A．teachers will perform better with time passing |
| B．ineffective teachers should leave earlier rather than later |
| C．teacher’s effectiveness is apparent after a couple of years |
| D．a master’s degree will improve teacher’s effectiveness |
Why do black teachers tend to be more effective with black students?
| A．Students fell secure, so they respond better. |
| B．Teachers sympathize with students of their own race. |
| C．There are entirely some other identified reasons. |
| D．The reasons are far from clear and definite. |
Which of the following may serve as the best title?
| A．The Quality of Teaching |
| B．Impact of Teacher Quality on Student Learning |
| C．Different Sorts of Measurement Issues |
| D．Survival-of-the-fittest Model vs. Learning-by-doing Model |
Do you like shopping? Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror? For some of us，shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money. For me．it's something I would rather avoid．Thank goodness for the Internet! It's more convenient to buy CDs，electrical items，even food，from the comfort of your sofa．But that’s not the only reason：price is an important factor．We can buy goods and services cheaper online. But sometimes the problem is knowing what to buy．This has led to a type of shopping called “show rooming”．
Show rooming is something I've done．I will go to a shop to see，touch and try out products but then go home and buy them online at a knock—down price．I'm not alone in doing this．Research by a company called Foolproof，found 24％of people show roomed while Christmas shopping in 2013．
Amy Cashman，Head of Technology at TNS UK，says the reasons for this new shopping habit are that“people are lacking time，lacking money and they want security about the products they are buying．”She explains that consumers are not only shopping online at home but they are using the Internet in store or on their smartphones to shop around．
But does this mean technology will kill shops? Certainly shops will change．They will have to offer more competitive prices or encourage people to buy more by giving in—store discounts or free girls．
We mustn’t forget that buying in a shop means you can get expert advice from the sales assistant and you can get good aftercare．It’s good to speak to a real human rather than look at a faceless computer screen but at least by show rooming，you get the best of both worlds!The two questions in Paragraph l are raised to _______.
| A．introduce the topic | B．give two examples |
| C．compare different opinions | D．get answers from readers |
What does show rooming mean in the text?
| A．Trying in shops and buying online． |
| B．Showing products in a room． |
| C．Buying something in a store． |
| D．Shopping on the Internet． |
According to Amy Cashman，which is not the reason for show rooming?
| A．The lack of time． | B．The comfort of the sofa． |
| C．The shortness of money． | D．The security of the product． |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4 ?
| A．Online shops will disappear． |
| B．Free gifts will surely promote sales． |
| C．Shops need necessary changes． |
| D．Shops will be replaced by online shops． |
The author's attitude towards show rooming is _______
| A．critical | B．neutral | C．supportive | D．casual |
My parents influenced us with the concepts of family, faith and love for one’s motherland when l was young．Even though we struggled to make ends meet, they stressed how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities．
I got my first real job when l was ten．My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a cardboard - box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist．He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr．Ben's Coiffure．
The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m. to pick up rubbish. Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower．Mom and I emptied rubbish cans and picked up rubbish by hand．It took two to three hours to clean the lot．I'd s1eep in the car on the way home. I did this for two years, but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime, I acquired discipline(自制力) and a strong work morality(道德), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life's competing interests---in my case, school, homework and a job．This really helped during my senior year of high school, when l worked 40 hours a week flipping hamburgers at a fast–food joint while taking a full load of college-prepared courses．The hard work paid off．I attended the U．S．Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degree in law and business from Harvard．Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California state committee．In these jobs and in everything else I’ve done, I have never forgotten those nights in the parking lot．The experience taught me that there is dignity in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families, that is something we should honor．According to the text, the author thinks .
| A．he is lucky to have many chances to get a job |
| B．it is difficult to find a job to make ends meet |
| C．his parents are full of complaint about their life |
| D．it is not acceptable to live in such bad conditions |
In order to get a discount on rent, .
| A．his father had to work as a hairstylist |
| B．his father had to work in a cardboard - box factory |
| C．they had to clean the-parking lot three nights a week |
| D．his father had to pick up litter by hand three hours a day |
Which of the following is NOT true of the author?
| A．He got the graduate degrees from Harvard． |
| B．He took a college - prep courses at high school． |
| C．He took a part-time job during his senior year． |
| D．He regretted having worked in the parking lot． |
What does the underlined sentence "The hard work paid off" mean?
| A．The author got a high pay by working hard． |
| B．The author complained of the hard work． |
| C．The effort which he made had no effect． |
| D．The hard work was worthwhile for the author． |
We can learn from the text that _
| A．it is unimaginable for a child to help his family |
| B．it is honored to work for one's family as a member |
| C．it is unnecessary to keep work rules-of behavior |
| D．the harder the work is, the more interest one shows |
Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, continues to show off ideas for the future.
The Q80 Inspiration here in Paris is an excellent piece of work, perhaps a concept elegant enough to make us forget that Infiniti’s former Hong Kong-based president, Johan de Nysschen, moved to take over General Motors’ Cadillac car brand in July and Infiniti chairman Andy Palmer is the new CEO at Aston Martin, the British luxury car brand.
The Q80, if it becomes reality, will be brought to market by Infiniti’s new boss, former BMW （another famous car brand ）executive Roland Krüger. He should focus on this, at least until he is head-hunted to another company.
The Q80 Inspiration is a low and sexy four-door fastback, and it is also a showcase for technology – from autonomous driving to eco-friendly power trains. Here in Paris, the Infiniti people say the hybrid drive in this concept suggest exactly where the brand is going in the future.
The company says the Q80 speaks to how Infiniti plans to pull people into more expensive cars – cars that compete with the Porsche Panamera, for instance.
Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti Executive Design Director, said the car “delivers feminine elegance and muscular menace in equal measure and strikes big in terms of styling, craftsmanship, choice of materials and attention to detail.”
Most importantly, for luxury cars buyers who are increasingly puzzled by all the technology, the designers focused on making things simple.
“There is a tendency with modern design that every time you add interior features and technology you add complexity,” said Albaisa, pointing to the concept’s easy-to –understand –and –operate infotainment interface.
As for power, the Q80 Inspiration gets 550 horsepower from a twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6 combined with a hybrid electric power train. Fuel economy could be as good as 5.5 litres/100 km.Who will take charge of the launch of the Q80 Inspiration?
| A．Andy Palmer | B．Alfonso Albaisa |
| C．Johan de Nysschen | D．Roland Krüger |
In the future Infiniti will pay more attention to ______.
| A．details | B．craftsmanship |
| C．energy conservation | D．materials |
The Q80 Inspiration _______.
| A．has been produced in large numbers |
| B．has autonomous driving system |
| C．has double doors |
| D．has complicated operating features |
How many car brands are mentioned in the passage?
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．An introduction of the Q80 Inspiration. |
| B．A promotion of The Q80 Inspiration |
| C．The future of the Q80 Inspiration |
| D．The history of the Q80 Inspiration |