C
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate (照亮) me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper and one of us would say: “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared, and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell…” We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist, who will only fill up the healing (愈合的) silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
66. In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to _________.
A. become serious about her study B. go to her friend’s house regularly
C. learn from her classmates at school D. share poems and stories with her friend
67. In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means _________.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
68. According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _________.
A. call each other regularly B. have similar personalities
C. enjoy writing to each other D. dream of meeting each other
69. In the darkest moments, the author would prefer to ________.
A. seek professional help B. be left alone
C. stay with her best friend D. break the silence
70. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experiences B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship D. Noble Companions
Ideas about polite behavior are different from one culture to another.Some societies, such as America and Australia, for example, are mobile and very open.People here change jobs and move house quite often.As a result, they have a lot of relationships that often last only a short time, and they need to get to know people quickly.So it’s normal to have friendly conversations with people that they have just met, and you can talk about things that other cultures would regard as personal.
On the other hand there are more crowded and less mobile societies where long – term relationships are more important.A Malaysian or Mexican business person, for example, will want to get to know you very well before he or she feels happy to start business.But when you do get to know each other, the relationship becomes much deeper than it would in a mobile society.
To Americans, both Europeans and Asians seem cool and formal at first.On the other hand, as a passenger from a less mobile society puts it, it’s no fun spending several hours next to a stranger who wants to tell you all about his or her life and asks you all sorts of questions that you don’t want to answer.
Cross-cultural differences aren’t just a problem for travelers, but also for the flights that carry them.All flights want to provide the best service, but ideas about good service are different from place to place.This can be seen most clearly in the way that problems are dealt with.
Some societies have ‘universalistic’ cultures.These societies strongly respect rules, and they treat every person and situation in basically the same way.
‘Particularistic’ societies, on the other hand, also have rules, but they are less important than the society’s unwritten ideas about what is right or wrong for a particular situation or a particular person.So the normal rules are changed to fit the needs of the situation or the importance of the person.
This difference can cause problems.A traveler from a particularistic society, India, is checking in for a flight in Germany, a country which has a universalistic culture.The Indian traveler has two much luggage, but he explains that he has been away from home for a long time and the suitcases are full of presents for his family.He expects that the check – in official will understand his problem and will change the rules for him.The check – in official explains that if he was allowed to have too much luggage, it wouldn’t be fair to the other passengers.But the traveler thinks this is unfair, because the other passengers don’t have his problem.Often moving from one place to another makes people like Americans and Australians _____.
A.like traveling better | B.easy to communicate with |
C.difficult to make real friends | D.have a long–term relationship with their neighbors |
People like Malaysians prefer to associate with those _________.
A.who will tell them everything of their own |
B.who want to do business with them |
C.they know quite well |
D.who are good at talking |
A person from a less mobile society will feel it _______ when a stranger keeps talking to him or her, and asking him or her questions.
A.boring | B.friendly | C.normal | D.rough |
The writer of the passage thinks that the Indian and the German have different ideas about rules because of different _______.
A.interests | B.habits and customs | C.cultures | D.ways of life |
Impossible cases are not forever. While it is impossible for one person, it is possible for another. In a word, everything is possible.
Someone says, “Success belongs to those who can look at the complex challenges offered by the world as inspiration.” So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be miracles if there are no obstacles? How will you chase the storm if there is no storm? You need challenges to reveal your ability. Success doesn’t come out of nothing; success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in come out smiling.
Robert X. Perez says, “The seeds of success spring from failure’s ashes.” Failure is not defeat; it is the pointer to do better than what you just did. You have to know that you are in a constant study of life. What you face is for your training. Samuel Aidoo says, “Each failure is simply another chapter in the story of our lives. To fail is to understand what not to do. Remember it and don’t give up until your goal is achieved.”
What do you do when you face difficulty? Yeah, life is difficult, but you do not give up. Have a positive and calm outlook on your circumstances(状况) and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can develop mental toughness. Mental toughness means to be able to see the long-term gains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have the winning edge(优势).
The only things in life you ever really regret are the chances you didn’t take. You will regret when you see the consequences of not seizing the opportunities when they arose. Take chances every day!The main point of the passage is that ____________.
A.success comes out of nothing |
B.never give up and you may achieve success |
C.everything is easy to deal with |
D.impossible things do not exist |
According to the author, success often comes to people who ____________.
A.have good opportunities | B.face failure | C.don’t fear difficulties | D.have a lot of luck |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.We can perform miracles by overcoming difficulty. |
B.We will seem greater after overcoming difficulty. |
C.Everyone will fail for numerous times because of difficulty. |
D.Most of us can’t show our ability because of difficulty. |
From Paragraph 3 we can learn that ____________.
A.failure means great success in the future to everyone |
B.all people can achieve success if they keep leaning |
C.most people end up with failure because it often happens |
D.failure can help people to achieve success if they don’t give up |
IS IT TIME TO GET - MP3
Your computer has been playing music for years, one CD at a time.Now hundreds of songs can be stored in your PC if they’re in the MP3 format.
What is it?
MP3 compresses (压缩) music into small computer—friendly files.You access MP3 music several ways: Tunes can be downloaded from websites that have converted (转变) vast music libraries into MP3.Or you can prerecorded CDs into your PC and convert songs in minutes into MP3.Once MP3 music is on your PC’s hard drive, you can play it through your computer’s speakers, “burn” it onto blank CDs or swap (交换) MP3 files with friends using e—mail.
How much?
Software needed to play and convert MP3 music is often free.It is preinstalled (预先安装)on most new computers or can be downloaded from many websites, including MP3, com.Some MP3 sites are free.Just type at around $50 and can hold hundreds of songs.A blank CD on which you can record music costs about a dollar.
Advantages
MP3 turns your home PC into a jukebox (自动唱机).Tiny MP3 players are the size of a deck of cards, making it easy to take hundreds of songs with you.
Disadvantages
You may find that music at many sites is limited.And some only allow you to listen rather than download offerings.Others let you download music that then can’t be copied to MP3 players.And a growing number of new CDs make it impossible to copy songs to a computer.How can you get Mp3 music?
A.By turning your home PC into jukebox. |
B.By taking you own music or songs with you. |
C.By copying songs to a PC through the speakers. |
D.By downloading from websites which have converted music libraries. |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Software needed to play and convert MP3 music is often free of charge. |
B.MP3 music can be “burned” onto bland CDs or swapped with friends by e—mail. |
C.MP3 music can be taken along while traveling. |
D.A greater number of new CDs make it possible to copy songs to a computer. |
How much will you pay for a MP3 player?
A.Free of charge | B.Free downloading | C.At least fifty dollars | D.About a dollar |
What is the closest meaning of the underlined word “burn”?
A.Copy | B.Play | C.Store | D.Change |
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they are red hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for their color and their fiery taste.
Pink is a lighter kind of color. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in the United States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sad and soulful. Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. If a person is green at his job, he may be a newcomer and inexperienced. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a new sports car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because their friend has more dollars.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. The date of a major tragedy is remembered as a black day. If a person feels blue, he is _____.
A.annoyed | B.depressed | C.stressed | D.encouraged |
If someone says “you are still green”, he probably means that _______.
A.you are very young | B.you are in a bad mood | C.you are inexperienced | D.you are in good health |
Which of the following statements is CORRECT according to the passage?
A.After two days’ rest, the soldiers were all in the pink. |
B.They had a fierce quarrel so they all felt black about it. |
C.David got hurt by a bike so his face looked blue. |
D.When we meet something unfair, we feel very green. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Different colors have different meanings. |
B.What different colors stand for. |
C.The story about different colors. |
D.Colors used in American expressions. |
A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond (保释金) of $1,000. The publisher said, “There’s a story here. This is a man who loves books. He just can’t let go of them. He hasn’t stolen a single book. So what’s the crime? We think that Mr Barush has a story to tell. We plan to publish his story.”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr Barush said, “Well, how could I? They became family to me. I was afraid to return them, because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up, throw them around, tear the pages, spill soda on them, get jam and jelly on them, and drown them in the toilet.”
He continued, “Books are people, too! They talk to you, they take care of you, and they enrich you with wisdom, humor and love. A book is a guest in my home. How could I kick it out? I repaired torn pages. I dusted them with a soft clean cloth. I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air.”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends. My books were HAPPY books. You could tell just by looking at them. Now they’re all back in the library, on the lower shelves, on the floors, at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids. I can hear them calling me! I need to rescue them. Excuse me. I have to go now.”Why was the man put into prison?
A.Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so. |
B.Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries. |
C.Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed. |
D.Because he wanted to publish his story. |
How did the man treat books?
A.He treated them as real people. |
B.He treated them as his own children. |
C.He treated them as his furniture. |
D.He treated them as his job. |
From the passage we can learn that the man is _____.
A.a thief | B.a writer | C.crazy about books | D.unfortunate |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A.A funny thief who loves stealing books. |
B.A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them. |
C.A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library. |
D.A person who may have some mental problems. |