To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes(戏谑的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about h
uman nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this:” To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”This saying mirrors an deal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Commonsense tells you 
that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company,”the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good”even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
1. According to tile passage, which of following seems the most human?
A. To search for truth． B. To achieve one’s ideal
C. To make fun of others’mistakes． D. To criticize others for one’s own error.
2．According to the author, what is a sign of a man’s maturity?
A．Doing things his own way.
B．Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.
C．Making as few mistakes as possible．
D．Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.
3．Which of the following is N0T based on common sense?
A．A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.
B．A student
goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.
C．A company’s next move follows a good plan．
D．A lawyer acts on fine judgments．
4. What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.
B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.
D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.
5. What would be the best title for his passage?
A. A Mirror of Human Nature B. To Blame or to Forgive
C. A Mark of Maturity D. Truth or Excuse
What time is it？Most people are pretty accurate in their answer. And if you don’t know for sure, it’s very likely tha
t you can find out. There may be a watch on your wrist; there may be a clock on the wall, desk, or computer screen; or maybe you’re riding in a car that has a clock in the dashboard .
Even if you don’t have a timepiece of some sort nearby, your body keeps its own beat. Humans have an internal clock that regulates (调节) the beating of our heart, the peace of our breathing, the discharge (排出) of chemicals within our bloodstream, and many other bodily functions.
Time is something from which we can’t escape. Even if we ignore it, it’s still going by, ticking away, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. So the main issue in using your time well is, “who’s in charge？” We can allow time to slip by and let it be our enemy. Or we can take control of it and make it our ally.
By taking control of how you spend your time, you’ll increase your chances of becoming a more successful student. Perhaps more importantly, the better you are at managing the time you devote to your studies, the more time you will have to spend on your outside interests.
The aim of time management is not to schedule every moment so we become slaves of a timetable that governs every waking moment of the day. Instead, the aim is to permit us to make informed choices as to how we use our time. Rather than letting the day go by, largely without our awareness, what we are going to discuss next can make us better able to control time for our own purposes.The underlined word “ally” in Para.3 most likely means somebody or something that is____________.
| A．your slave and serves you | B．your supporter an helps you |
C．un der your control and obeys you |
D．under your influence and follows you |
The author intends to tell us that time __________.
| A．could be regulated by a timepiece such as a clock or a watch |
| B．could be managed by the internal clock by human bodies |
| C．should be well managed for our own interest |
| D．should be saved for outside interests |
In the next part, the author would most probably discuss with you ________.
| A．how to keep up with the times | B．how to make up for lost ti me |
| C．how to have a good time | D．how to make good use of time |
We've all experienced a "good cry"． Shedding （流） some tears can often make us feel better and help us put things in perspective． But why is crying beneficial? And is there such a thing as a "bad cry"?
The researchers analyzed the detailed accounts of more than 3,000 recent crying experiences and found that the benefits of crying depend entirely on the what, where and when of a particular crying episode （一段经历）． The majority of persons reported improvements in their mood following a short period of crying． However, one third reported no improvement in mood and a tenth felt worse after crying． Criers who received social support during their crying episode were the most likely to report improvements in mood．
Research to date has not always produced a clear picture of the benefits of crying, in part b
ecause the results often seem to depend on how crying is studied． The researchers note s
everal challenges in accurately studying crying behavior in a laboratory setting． Volunteers who cry in a laboratory setting often do not describe their experiences as making them feel better． Rather, crying in a laboratory setting often results in the study participants feeling worse; this may be due to the stressful conditions of the study itself, such as being videotaped or watched by researchers． This may produce negative emotions, which neutralize （使无效） the positive benefits usually connected with crying．
However, these laboratory studies have provided interesting findings about the physical effects of crying． Criers do show calming effects such as slower breathing, but they also experience a lot of unpleasant stress, including increased heart rate and sweating． What is interesting is that bodily calming usually lasts longer than the unpleasant． The calming effects may occur later and overcome the stress reaction, which would account for why people tend to remember mostly the pleasant side of crying．
Research has shown that the effects of crying also depend on who is shedding the tears． For example, individuals with anxiety or mood disorders are least likely to experience the positive effects of crying． In addition, the researchers report that people who lack insight into their emotional lives actually feel worse after crying． We can infer from the passage that __________________．
| A．people don't like being seen crying |
| B．crying in public makes people feel better |
| C．a bad cry is as common as a good cry |
| D．a good cry can sometimes help us face problems rightly |
The beneficial effects of crying can be shown when _________．
| A．your breath becomes slow | B．you sweat a lot． |
| C．your face turns pale | D．you are being watched |
Who will be least likely to feel
worse after crying?
| A．People who receive help in course of crying． |
| B．People who fail to understand their emotions． |
| C．People who are anxious and nervous． |
| D．People whose mood is not in order． |
The passage is mainly about ___________．
| A．the types of crying | B．the way of crying |
| C．the psychology of crying | D．the causes of crying |
If you're into sports, you've seen it happen． You've probably even experienced it: basketball players shaking hands after four quarters of knocking each other around, tennis players leaping over the net to shake hands with their oppone
nts （对手） after a hard-fought match, soccer players exchanging sport shirts after an intense 90 minutes, even boxers touching gloves at the beginning of each round, then hugging each other after beating each other into a pulp for 12 rounds． It seems like competitors in every event, from spelling bees to hockey, behave this way． What's going on?
It's all part of sportsmanship, a great tradition in sports and competition that means playing clean and handling both vict
ory and defeat with grace, style, and dignity．
What is sportsmanship? Sportsmanship is defined as: playing fair, following the rules of the game, respecting the judgment of referees and officials, treating opponents with respect．
Some people define good sportsmanship as the "golden rule" of sports --- in other words, treating the people you play with and against as you'd like to be treated yourself． You demonstrate good sportsmanship when you show respect for yourself, your teammates, and your opponents, for the coaches on both sides, and for the referees, judges, and other officials．
But sportsmanship isn't just reserved for the people on the field． Cheerleaders and fans also need to be aware of how they behave during competition． Sportsmanship is a style and an attitude; and it can have a positive influence on everyone around you．
Learning good sportsmanship mea
ns finding that the positive attitude learned on the field carries over into other areas of life． At school, for example, you're able to appreciate the contributions made by classmates and know how to work as part of a team to complete a project． You may enjoy more success at work as well, because a big part of learning good sportsmanship is learning to be respectful of others, including customers and co-workers．The author introduces the topic of the passage by___________．
| A．showing an interesting discussion |
| B．comparing several sport events |
| C．explaining some game rules |
| D．giving some specific examples |
When players play clean, ____________．
| A．they play in fresh air | B．they play in a skilled way |
| C．they play within the rules | D．they play without hurting each other |
The purpose of writing this passage is to ____________．
| A．advise readers to take some exercise | B．provide some basic sport knowledge |
| C．show the meaning of sportsmanship | D．expect players to compete actively |
Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices． The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone． Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security．
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks． This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it． Law enforcement（执法） agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data． And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information．
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices． They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information． The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded （上传） to any computer that the device is connected to． The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer．
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns． There’s the idea tha
t because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications（恶意程序） that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it．”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”． It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cellphone towers near the user’s location． This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed．
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google． The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems． Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws． He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it． And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?
| A．Because the systems can store users’ information |
| B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them． |
| C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy． |
| D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems． |
Allan Friedman believes that ________．
A．wireless compa nies focus on personal privacy． |
| B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will |
| C．phone companies may sell private information secretly |
| D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking |
What do we know from Paragraph 3?
| A． Location tracking information is stored online． |
| B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information． |
| C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone． |
| D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users． |
| B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems． |
| C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications． |
| D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information． |
It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery． Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey． There were no Christmas carolers （唱颂歌的人） walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up （用木板封住的） houses and broken windows． Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets． It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place．
Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit． Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door． In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner． Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door． She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair． She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years．
"Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled． "Where can we put this for you?"
She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in． The children climbed around, wearing only diapers （尿布）． There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet． There was no Christmas tree or decorations． My heart sank． It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family． We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand．
"You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying． "We are just getting by．" I opened my arms and gave her a hug．
"Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door． I realized how warm I felt inside．
This was 
unlike anything I had ever experienced． We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other．From Paragraph 1, we can infer that Camden may be a place where ________．
| A．the living conditions were terrible | B．people had no belief |
C．there was no sign of  life |
D．little sunshine was received |
What impression did the woman leave on the author?
| A．She was shy and cold to visitors． | B．She was confident and energetic． |
| C．She wasn't good at dressing herself up． | D．She looked much older than her age． |
By saying "We are just getting by", the woman meant __________．
| A．they were waiting for help | B．they were looking for food and clothing |
| C．they were going to move away | D．they were living a very poor life |
The passage mainly tells us that _______________．
| A．the poor can also help others | B．assisting the poor needs actions |
| C．people should help each other | D．having more children causes poverty |