Sir William Osler has a few words for you: “In the Life of a young man, the most essential thing for happiness is the gift of friendship.” Truer words were never spoken. For what more could you ask than comradeship during the peaks and valleys of life? To whom else but a close, valuable friend can you show off your successes and complain about your failures or losses?
What is a “good friend”? How is he best described? Well, it has been my observation that although many will cry with you, few can sincerely rejoice (欣喜) with you. Therefore, in my opinion, a good friend is one who can enjoy your successes without envy; one who can say, “That wa
s wonderful! You can do it again, even better if you want!” and mean it. Nothing taxes a friendship more than the success of one and not the other. Even the closest of friendships often cannot resist such pressure and fail. No wonder many minor friendships go down day by day for the same reason.
A person of good character and sound moral, of honor and humor, of courage and belief is a friend to be sought and treasured — for there are few. Too often we hear, “If you can count your good friends on more than one hand, consider yourself blessed
.”
What makes a friendship last? Well, I don’t know all the answers, but one of my observations is that most good friends usually have similar tastes. They generally like and dislike many of the same things. There also usually seems to exist a similarity of personality types — especially in the fundamental value
s of life such as honesty, sincerity, loyalty, and dependability. More often than not, birds of a feather do fly together. I don’t think it matters a lot whether one prefers jazz or hockey to another’s Mozart or ballet. Much other matters far more: relying, sharing, giving, getting, enjoying; a sympathetic ear always there; criticism when it can help; praise — even if only because it would help. With not many people on this earth will you find this much in common. When you find one, hang on to him, for a good friend found is a rare treasure.The function of Paragraph 1 is to introduce ______.
| A．a famous saying |
| B．the topic for discussion |
| C．a famous person |
| D．two different attitudes |
What is the meaning of the underlined sentence in Paragraph two?
| A．People don’t have to pay taxes to develop friendship with others. |
| B．Success of one person can promote his friendship with others. |
| C．Friendship can be affected by the difference in success between friends. |
| D．Nothing can affect friendship because it has gone through the peaks and valleys of life. |
What is the main idea of Paragraph three ?
| A．One is lucky to have many friends. |
| B．A friend should have a good character. |
| C．We should count our friends on more than one hand. |
| D．A true friend should be treasured because there are few. |
According to the passage, which of the following plays the LEAST important role in a long-lasting friendship?
| A．Hobbies. | B．Tastes. | C．Personality. | D．Sympathy. |
Ask anyone what is the most difficult part of changing their lifestyle habits and they are most likely to say, "Staying motivated．" But a 36-year-old professor from Carnegie Mellon University claims it may have the answer in the form of robot weight loss coach that dishes out daily health advice and encouragement．
Autom is the work of Intuitive Automata, a company based in Sha Tin which claims to be a pioneer in commercial socially-interactive robots．
The robot, which stands around 38 centimeters tall, has a head that swivels (旋转), blue eyes, and a touch screen which allows the user to input information daily about exercise and diet Its creators say Autom will have a daily conversation with its user lasting up to five minutes, giving feedback and encouragement．Over time, it will interact more with the user as it gathers more information about them．
Cory Krdd, a research team manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency claims research has shown that people find robots a more reliable source of information than on-screen-based character．
In a controlled study in Pittsburgh City Council, 15 dieters were given Autom for six weeks． Another 15 received a touch-screen computer with identical software and 15 were given a paper log．The study found, people using the robot are more likely to stick with their diets longer, in fact twice as long as those using just a paper log．
"While not one person among the computer or paper groups continued past six weeks, most who had Autom did not want to give her back at the conclusion of the study," he said．
The bottom line is that a robot creates a more powerful and long-lasting relationship with the user than a character on the screen．
Autom is expected to go on sale later this year in the United States for around $500．A robot which speaks and understands Cantonese and Mandarin in addition to English according to the demands is also being developed．What's the passage mainly about?
| A．The development of Autom． |
| B．The automated way to motivation． |
| C．The working principle of robots． |
| D．The way to change the lifestyle habits． |
What can we know about the controlled study?
| A．The study was led by Cory Kidd． |
| B．The subjects were divided by two． |
| C．Every person with Autom continued past six weeks． |
| D．People using Autom gain more benefits than other people． |
Which is true about Autom according to the passage?
| A．The price of this robot is very high． |
| B．It can communicate with people freely． |
| C．Autom can act as a coach to help lose weight． |
| D．These robots called Autom have been used widely． |
Which institution is responsible for the development of Autom?
| A．Intuitive Automata． |
| B．Pittsburgh City Council． |
| C．Carnegie Mellon University． |
| D．Federal Emergency Management Agency． |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The robot can help people change their lifestyle habits． |
| B．The robot can't speak English except Cantonese and Mandarin． |
| C．The robot that can speak many languages has been popular with the users． |
| D．The robot that can speak many languages meets the demand of the customers． |
January 1 — January 31
You are charming and intelligent．You are actually quite ambitious．You like to go to parties and chat with your friends．On the other hand, you are friendly, but you are also a very private person．
February 1 — February 28
You are determined and hard working．You are born under the sign of loyalty and evenness （公平）．You like parties and enjoy a lot of friends．On the other hand, you are quite famous for your courage．You really like to explore and you are an adventurer．
March 1 — March 31
You are very loyal, independent, and open-minded．You are a born leader, and when you set a goal, you go to it．You adore challenges and competitions．You are most likely to be the one who calls out, "Let's go!" you are always in a circle of friends．You love animals．You are like a roller coaster．
April I—April 30
You are artistic, well-mannered, intelligent, and diplomatic．You are usually sweet and kind, of course．You are sometimes famous for your artistic sense and good taste．You love throwing grand parties．Vacations and routines are very important to you．You are also fairly popular．
Mayl — May 31
You are talented, sincere, and most of all, enthusiastic．You are the master of ceremonies． You shine in the crowd．When you walk into a room, heads turn, and you hear whispers and gasps．You have a strong will to defeat any challenge in your way．You have a hunger for fashion．
June 1 — June 30
You are very elegant, wise, and compassionate(有同情心的)．You are very attractive and people are attracted to you．Your friends rely on you for advice．You will be someone like Jacqueline Onassis．You are also very lucky in many ways．
Julyl — July 31
You are mostly agreeable, energetic, and popular．You like to try new things wherever you go．You know how to dress and you always look your best．You are talented and you love sports． You are always one step ahead of anyone else．You adore freedom and independence．
August 1 — August 31
You are empathetic, easygoing, and compliant．You can get along with almost everyone． Many people admire you for your talent and creativity．On the other hand, you are sensitive and compassionate．You always like to dream．You enjoy peace and quiet at night．
September 1 — September 30
You are individualistic, sociable, and very entertaining．You are capable of anything．You have an excellent memory．You like long, friendly conversations with your closest friends．You turn boring things into the life of the party．
October 1 — October 31
You are thoughtful, intelligent, and the class comedian．You are also very popular, and nice around friends．You love to save the best for last．You are amusing and very fun to be around with．You love to spend hours each day reading and studying for final exams, when the school year has just started．You almost never turn on your friends．
November 1 — November 30
You are unselfish, knowledgeable, and friendly．You are loyal to your friends and family． You can see the difference between right and wrong．You are very honest and you speak out when you feel something has gone wrong．You are the person who likes trendy clothes．
December 1 —December 31
You are smart, optimistic, and willing to help others．You are like a rare diamond．You are intentionally the nicest while you are with friends．You are also very affectionate．You are too good to be true．Your friends trust in you easily．You are also popular in the "Being Nice" way．People born in the months of_______ are usually very fashionable．
| A．May, July and November |
| B．May, July and October |
| C．July, October, and November |
| D．April, May and October |
If you are born in March, the sentence "You are like a roller coaster" is probably linked with which of the following characteristics?
| A．Being loyal． |
| B．Being open-minded． |
| C．Loving animals． |
| D．Adoring challenges and competitions． |
Who is the combination of very different characteristics?
| A．A person born during April 1 — April 30． |
| B．A person born during August 1 — August 31． |
| C．A person born during January 1 — January 31． |
| D．A person born during February 1 — February 31． |
Which of the following is most likely to have the combination of very different characteristics?
| A．July — having an excellent memory． |
| B．October — loving to save the best for last． |
| C．September — enjoying peace and quiet at night． |
| D．August @ being always one step ahead of anyone else． |
You have signed on for months of hard work．You're far from home．The pay is bad．The food is worse．You find rare comfort in the simple songs that you and your work mates sing．
This is what a sailor's life was like in the 1800s．The songs sung aboard ships were called sea shanties．You have probably heard a shanty or two yourself．Many of these songs have lasted through the years．They can often be found in surprising places today．
Sea Shanties Then ．．．
Sea shanties were valuable friends to sailors．Some shanties, such as "Blow the Man Down," had lively words and melodies．They broke up the boredom of long trips．Other shanties, including one called "Oh, Shenandoah," had a sadder tone．They helped seafarers express longing and loneliness．Still other shanties, such as "Leave Her, Johnny," let sailors complain about their hard lives．
But the first job of the sea shanty was to help the men work as a team．Ships had sails that were controlled by a system of moving ropes．For many jobs, all of the sailors had to pull on the ropes at once．
When faced with such a job, the shantyman, or song leader, began a tune．The crew joined in on the chorus, and it might have sounded like a playful sing-along．But when the sailors came to a certain beat, they knew it was the signal to pull together with all their might．
Raising or lowering the anchor called for a rhythm with a slow, steady motion．Then, the shantyman would choose a shanty with a slow, steady beat to match the job．Each duty on the sailing ship had its own rhythm and its own kind of song．
．．．and Sea Shanties Now
Sea shanties have been passed down to us in much the same way as folk stories．Long ago, someone came up with a memorable idea and melody．Others repeated the shanty, often adding changes along the way．
Over time, people saw the sea shanty for the treasure it was．Like any treasure, shanties were collected．Many were written down in books．
Where do the old shanties appear now? Today's musical artists love the fun, beauty, and history of these songs．Many musicians, including Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte, have their own versions of "Oh, Shenandoah．" One group, the Robert Shaw Chorale, recorded a collection of shanties．
In Hollywood, shanties serve as a symbol of the sea．A fisherman sings the shanty "Spanish Ladies" in the film Jaws．The cartoon character Woody Woodpecker whistles "Blow the Man Down" when he finds himself aboard a pirate's ship．
Today, shanties tell us about shipboard life more than one hundred years ago．They help us understand what the working sailor sang and perhaps thought about．
So the next time you're doing a boring task, try making up a tune to go along with it．Time may pass more quickly, and your job may seem easier．Also, you may understand why sailors loved those old songs of the sea．The main purpose of the sea shanty in the 1800s was________．
| A．to communicate with passing ships |
| B．to help sailors work together as a team |
| C．to allow sailors to complain about the food |
| D．to give sailors an opportunity to record their music |
Today, sea shanties are mainly used________．
| A．to provide material for musical artists to record |
| B．to provide a source of music for Hollywood films |
| C．to help sailors work together aboard modem ships |
| D．to help people understand the lives of sailors of the past |
The author uses two subheadings(小标题) within the article in order to_______．
| A．compare sea shanties to modem sailing songs |
| B．describe how popular sea shanties are with musicians |
| C．compare how sea shanties have been used over the years |
| D．describe how sea shanties have influenced Hollywood films |
Which of these topics would most probably be included in this article?
| A．The work of sailors today． |
| B．The cost of sailing ships in the 1800s． |
| C．Other sailing duties that were made easier by sea shanties． |
| D．Some music studios where sea shanties are recorded today． |
45．According to information in the article, a movie director today would most likely use a shanty________．
| A．to make a scene about sailors more realistic |
| B．to give a musician a chance to record the song |
| C．to make the crew's daily chores pass more quickly |
| D．to express the loneliness of making a film away from home |
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot be trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our_________.
| A．self-respect | B．financial rewards |
| C．advertising ability | D．friendly relationship |
The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.
| A．lying | B．stealing |
| C．cheating | D．advertising |
The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.
| A．telling the truth to the clerk |
| B．offering advice to the clerk |
| C．asking the clerk to be more attentive |
| D．reminding the clerk of the charged item |
How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?
| A．We'll be very excited. |
| B．We'll feel unfortunate. |
| C．We'll have a sense of honor. |
| D．We'll feel sorry for the clerk. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.
| A．How to Live Truthfully |
| B．Importance of Peacefulness |
| C．Ways of Gaining Self-respect |
| D．Happiness through Honorable Actions |
An increase in students applying to study economics at university is being attributed to (归因于)the global economic crisis (危机) awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works.
Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.
Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecturer at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures-which are open to students from all departments-were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.
“There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn’t traditionally done.” He said.
University applications rose 7% last year, but there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people’s renewed interest in careers in the public sector(部门), which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.
A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.
Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said: “It’s possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that’s financially wiser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty.”Professor John Beath’s lectures are_______ .
| A．given in a traditional way |
| B．connected with the present situation |
| C．open to both students and their parents |
| D．warmly received by economics |
Careers in the public sector are more attractive because of their_________ .
| A．greater stability | B．higher pay |
| C．fewer applications | D．better reputation |
In the opinion of most parents, __________ .
| A．economics should be the focus of school teaching |
| B．more students should be admitted to universities |
| C．the teaching of financial matters should be strengthened. |
| D．children should solve financial problems themselves |
According to Hocking, the global economic crisis might make the youngsters_____________ .
| A．wiser in money management |
| B．have access to better equipment |
| C．confident about their future careers |
| D．get jobs in Child Trust Funds |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Universities have received more applications. |
| B．Economics is attracting an increasing numbers students |
| C．College students benefit a lot from economic uncertainty |
| D．Parents are concerned with children’s subject selection. |