I told my friend Graham that I often cycle the two miles from my house to the town center but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route. He replied, ‘You mean fortunately.’ He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided.
My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to lose weight and get fit. It will mean that I live longer. This hill is my friend. Finally as I wend my way up the incline I console myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free. I have a smug smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.
Problems are there to be faced and overcome. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a University degree. Her activism and writing proved inspirational. She wrote, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity. From time to time we all face hardships, problems, accidents, afflictions and difficulties. Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own. Whilst we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it.
Douglas Bader was 21 when in 1931 he had both legs amputated following a flying accident. He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans. He was an inspiration to others during the war. He said, “Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Make up your mind, you’ll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”
The biographies of great people are littered with examples of how they took these kinds of steps to overcome the difficulties they faced. The common thread is that they did not become defeatist or depressed. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They took on the challenge. They won. The writer has a smug smile of satisfaction as he reaches the top of the hill because .
| A．he was actually killing two birds with a stone |
| B．compared with those silly people, he was smarter |
| C．he lost weight by cycing to the town center every day |
| D．he was informed of a short route from his house to the town |
The writer quoted Helen Keller and her saying as an example to demonstrate .
| A．one cannot achieve anything with an easy life |
| B．only disabled persons can experience hardship deeply |
| C．one’s success is determined by nothing but his / her attitude |
| D．it’s rare for a deaf and blind person to gain a University degree. |
From this passage we know that Douglas Bader was a person of .
| A．individual and creative character | B．stubborn yet charming personality |
| C．great bravery and strong will | D．excellent speaker with great influence |
In writing style, the last paragraph serves as .
| A．an explanation | B．a demonstration |
| C．an introduction | D．a summarization |
How do you know if your home is an easy aim for thefts? Around the holidays, many families don't consider taking proper measures to prevent their homes from suffering holiday thefts． With just a few simple steps, you can better make sure of the safety of your home during all of the holiday celebrations． Here are a few tips for making it difficult to tell you are away from home．
●Either have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers, or tell your mailperson to hold your mail until you return． Nothing says “Hey, we are not home!” like when your postbox is filled with all kinds of mails and you have many different newspapers in your driveway．
● Set several different lights in your house on random timers（随机定时器）. Don't leave your outdoor lights on all the time．Instead, put your outside light on timers to be on during the nights. If an outdoor light remains on for days at a time, it means that nobody is home to turn it off．
● If you have pets that you are not taking with you on vacation, leave them with friend, rather than having someone come into your house every day to take care of them, When thefts see a neighbor or friend entering your house every day, they will know you are not home．
● Close all your curtains when you leave town. This is effective to deter possible thefts, as no one can see what is in your house. If they don't know what there is to take, then the risk is even greater for them to break in．
●This article just has suggested a few tips to help you keep your house safe on holiday．Nothing can truly protect your home unless you have it monitored by a professional home security system．What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．To let the outdoor lights on all the time． |
| B．To tell us how to prevent the thefts around the holidays． |
| C．To tell us many families suffering from the thefts while they are on holiday． |
| D．To tell us to have our neighbor go to our house to take care of our pets． |
If you are on holiday in other places, the lights in your house should.
| A．be turned on only once a day |
| B．be kept on all the night |
| C．be replaced by random timers |
| D．be lit in an irregular way |
To make your home well protected, what does the writer advise you to do?
| A．Equip your home with security system． |
| B．Stop your mail service at once． |
| C．Turn to your close neighbors or friends |
| D．Have all the curtains closed． |
The underlined word “deter” probably means.
| A．discover | B．surprise | C．discourage | D．attract |
President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket．
"I just miss - I miss being anonymous," he said"I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk． "
His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by．．．spend the day watching people --- I miss that"．
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all． "It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours." he told Hearst magazines．
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge to change, such as the "kabuki dance" （日本歌舞）among political parties before serious policy discussions begin． His comments may be seen as vindication （证实） by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week．
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr.Obama has already racked up （打）60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years．
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr.Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century． What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Obama likes living a busy life． |
| B．Obama used to spend most of his time with his family． |
| C．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures． |
| D．He used to wash his car himself． |
According to Obama, he plays golf to.
| A．release his pressure | B．keep fit |
| C．balance his work | D．show his ability |
We can infer from the passage that Obama is kabuki dance．
| A．curious about | B．interested in |
| C．content with | D．tired of |
Which of the following statements is from the critics?
| A．The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House |
| B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties． |
| C．The president seems to be indifferent towards some really important issues |
| D．The president is really a great golf player． |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Obama's favorite pastime． |
| B．Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president． |
| C．The public's criticism of Obama． |
| D．Obama’s regrets for being the U．S．president． |
Criticism(批评) never changes a thing. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.
Don’t scare yourself
Stop scaring yourself with your thought that it’s terrible to live this way. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately change your scary thought to a pleasant one. Imagine a positive future ahead of you.
Be gentle, kind and patient
Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. If you make a mistake you will develop self-hatred, but don’t hate yourself for thinking. Gently change your thoughts. Praise and support yourself.
Criticism breaks your spirit, while praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with everything. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is best to ask for help when you need it.
Take care of your body
Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have enough energy and vitality(活力)? Learn about exercise. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Insist on doing exercise every day.
Mirror work
Look into your eyes in the mirror often and express the growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day you should say to yourself: "I love you." If you have confidence in yourself, you’ll never give in to difficulty.
Love yourself. Do it now, begin now, and do the best you can. According to the author, you should _____.
| A．praise yourself now and then |
| B．change yourself |
| C．criticize someone else |
| D．criticize yourself |
The underlined phrase in paragraph 1 probably means ______.
| A．to defend | B．to challenge |
| C．to appreciate | D．to suspect |
You should face the mirror and say that you love yourself so that you can _____.
| A．imagine a positive future ahead of you |
| B．grow more confident of yourself |
| C．find out the expressions on your face |
| D．learn more about yourself |
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| We Need Office Cleaners! Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area. Working hours from 5: 00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays for each one. Approximately five hours per shift(轮班). A good record is necessary. Experience preferred. Phone 6345 7843 now. |
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You may find the above advertisements _____.
| A．in a store window | B．in a school magazine |
| C．in a newspaper | D．on a company notice-board |
The position of a(n) _____ is a part-time job.
| A．florist | B．artist |
| C．preschool teacher | D．dental nurse |
Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job?
| A．Cooking skills |
| B．The ability to work well with other people. |
| C．Childcare experience |
| D．The ability to start work in two weeks |
An office cleaner will be required to work about _____ hours a week.
| A．5 | B．10 | C．15 | D．45 |
One day, President Lincoln went to a party. At the gathering, a man called Douglas was repeatedly talking about Lincoln’s low position in life and saying that he first met Lincoln when he was a shop assistant at a village shop. Finally he said, “And Mr. Lincoln was a very good waiter too.”
People burst into laughter, but they quieted down when Mr. Lincoln said quietly.
“Gentlemen, what Mr. Douglas has said is true. I did keep a grocery(杂货店), and I did sell cotton, candles and cigars, and sometimes whiskey(威士忌酒). But I remember that in those days Mr. Douglas was one of my best customers. I often stood on one side of the counter(柜台) and sold whiskey to Mr. Douglas on the other side, but the difference between us now is: I have left my side of the counter, but Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as firmly as ever.”Where was Douglas talking about Lincoln’s low position in life?
| A．At home | B．At a grocery |
| C．At a gathering | D．In a restaurant |
Douglas was repeatedly talking about Lincoln’s low position in life because _____
| A．he was friendly to Lincoln. |
| B．Lincoln was an example to show that an American of low position can also rise up in life. |
| C．he wanted others to look down upon Lincoln. |
| D．he wanted to tell other people about Lincoln’s honesty as a shop assistant. |
How did Lincoln win the oral competition?
| A．By telling about his low position in life in his early days. |
| B．By making fun of Douglas’ low position now. |
| C．By proving Douglas was telling lies. |
| D．By comparing his present position with Douglas. |
What do you suppose the sentence “Mr. Douglas still sticks to his as firmly as ever means?”
| A．Douglas was still talking about Lincoln’s low position in life. |
| B．Douglas was still standing on the other side of the counter. |
| C．Douglas remained a drunkard and had not changed a bit. |
| D．Douglas kept on going to parties and speaking ill of Lincoln. |