A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me．” However, that’s not really true．Words have the power to build us up or tear us down．It doesn’t matter 
if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting．
We all talk to ourselves sometimes．We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though．In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit．
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down．Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative．So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves．We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back．The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have．But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others．For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange．And th
e clerk will probably respond in a similar manner．Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive．
Words possess power because of their lasting effect．Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid．
Words possess power: both positive and negative．Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively．We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best．Negative words destroy all those things．Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The 
choice is ours．The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________．
| A．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us |
| B．inspiring words give us confidence |
| C．negative words may let us down |
| D．words have a lasting effect on us |
There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______
| A．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves |
| B．we can benefit from talking to ourselves |
| C．talking to ourselves always gives us courage |
| D．it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone |
The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______ ．
| A．praise ourselves | B．remind ourselves |
| C．make ourselves relaxed | D．give our selves amusement |
The author would probably hold the view that ___________
| A．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers |
| B．negative words may encourage us to make more progress |
| C．people tend to remember friendly words |
| D．it is better to think twice before talking to others |
Some snakes eat other snakes, even poisonous ones. The poison does not do them any harm(伤害). Snakes can swallow(吞下) things that are bigger around than they themselves are. This is possible because the jawbones(腭骨) are loosely joined, and the mouth can stretch（伸展）to make room for a fat animal. The snake’s slim body stretches to make space for the animal when it is inside.
Many snakes eat birds’ eggs or frogs（青蛙）. Others eat pests（害虫）, mice and other animals that harm crops on farms. Because snakes do this valuable work, you should never kill one. It is too dangerous for you to kill a poisonous one. Leave that job to experts. Which of the following groups of food is usually had by a snake?
| A．Mice, crops, birds’ eggs. |
| B．Pests, frogs, some animals, plants. |
| C．Birds’ eggs, frogs, all animals, other snakes. |
| D．Mice, frogs, pests, some animals, other snakes. |
We should not kill a snake because
| A．it is poisonous |
| B．it can do something useful for man |
| C．it will strike you in return |
| D．we are not experts |
Snakes may do some valuable work by
| A．eating pests, mice and some harmful animals |
| B．doing harm to other animals |
| C．eating birds’ eggs and frogs |
| D．both A and C |
In writing this passage the writer mainly wants us to
| A．have a better impression(印象) about snakes |
| B．like snakes |
| C．kill snakes with the help of experts |
| D．regard snakes as one of man’s best friends |
The World's Largest Insect .This giant insect can be used as a toy.
A child ties one end of a string to a stick and the other end around the "neck" of an insect. Holding the stick, the child lets the insect go. With a loud whirring sound, the insect takes off, pulling the string in a large curve over the child's head. The child laughs as the stick jumps around. The child is African, and the toy is the African Goliath beetle, the largest insect in the world.
The Goliath is a true insect because it has six legs and a body that is divided into three parts. Like all beetles, it has two pairs of wings. The front pair are thick and stiff and protect the back pair, which are soft. It is these soft back wings that make the beetle fly forward. They also cause the loud whirring sound the beetle makes when it flies. To steer, the beetle twists and turns its legs the same way you steer a bike by turning its front wheel.
African children often use the Goliath beetle as a toy. Although it is over 15 centimeters long, it is quite harmless. The African Goliath beetle is _______.
| A．the world's largest insect |
| B．a toy used in many parts of the world |
| C．the only insect found in Africa |
| D．the world's smallest insect |
What do African children often use the Goliath beetle as?
| A．a tool. | B．a toy. | C．harmfull insects. | D．Good animals. |
We know the Goliath beetle is a true insect because it _______.
| A．makes a whirring sound when it flies | B．has both soft and hard wings |
| C．has six legs and a body with three parts | D．can fly |
When flying, the Goliath steers by_______.
| A．turning its soft back wings |
| B．twisting and turning its hard front wings |
| C．twisting and turning its legs |
| D．twisting and turning its whole body |
In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest growing U. S. minority. As their children began moving up through the nation schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U. S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.While making tremendous achievements at college, Asian-American students .
| A．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English |
| B．are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character |
| C．still worry about unfair treatment in society |
| D．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents |
What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?
| A．A solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture. |
| B．Hard work and intelligence. |
| C．Parents’ help and a limited knowledge of English. |
| D．Asian culture and the American educational system. |
Few Asian American students major in human sciences mainly because .
| A．their English is not good enough |
| B．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas |
| C．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures |
| D．they know little about American culture and society |
Why do “both explanations” (Para. 3) worry Asian Americans?
| A．They are afraid they will again be isolated from American society in general. |
| B．People will think that Asian students only rely on their parents for success. |
| C．Asian Americans will be a threat to other minorities. |
| D．American academic achievements have taken on too strong an Asian character. |
When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance, the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list. Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as entertainment, but certainly not an education priority(优先). This view is shortsighted. In fact, music education is beneficial and important for all students.
Music tells us who we are, because music is an expression of the beings who create it, it reflects their thinking and values, as well as the social environment it came from. Rock music represents a lifestyle just as surely as does a Schubert song. The jazz influence that George Gershwin and other musicians introduced into their music is obviously American because it came from American musical traditions. Music expresses our character and values. It gives us identity as a society.
Music provides a kind of perception (感知) that cannot be acquired any other way. Science can explain how the sun rises and sets. The arts explore the emotive (情感的) meaning of the same phenomenon. We need every possible way to discover and respond to our world for one simple but powerful reason: No one way can get it all.
The arts are forms of thought as powerful in what they communicate as mathematical and scientific symbols. They are ways we human beings “talk” to each other. They are the language of civilization through which we express our fears, our curiosities, our hungers, our discoveries, our hopes. The arts are ways we give form to our ideas and imagination so that they can be shared with others. When we do not give children access to an important way of expressing themselves such as music, we take away from them the meanings that music expresses.
Science and technology do not tell us what it means to be human. The arts do. Music is an important way we express human suffering, celebration, the meaning and value of peace and love.
So music education is far more necessary than people seem to realize. According to Paragraph 1, students ____.
| A．regard music as a way of entertainment |
| B．disagree with their parents on education |
| C．view music as an overlooked subject |
| D．prefer the arts to science |
In Paragraph 2, the author uses jazz an example to_________ .
| A．compare it with rock music |
| B．show music identifies a society |
| C．introduce American musical traditions |
| D．prove music influences people’s lifestyles |
According to the passage, the arts and science__________.
| A．approach the world from different angles |
| B．explore different phenomena of the world |
| C．express people’s feeling in different ways |
| D．explain what it means to be human |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Music education deserves more attention. |
| B．Music should be of top education priority. |
| C．Music is an effective communication tool. |
| D．Music education makes students more imaginative. |
A motivational strategy that parents can employ with their kids, is to frame tasks and responsibilities in the context of what the end benefit is for them. I call this strategy WIIFM
(“What’s in it for me?”).
When a teen can combine an understanding of WIIFM with a sense of passion about achieving a goal, barriers will start to fall away. At our teen summer camps, we arrange an event near the end of the 10-day session that helps campers identify an important life goal and mentally break through their biggest barrier to achieving the goal.
We pass around 12-by-12-inch pine boards. We tell campers that this activity is not about breaking a piece of wood. It’s about how you can get what you want in your life. It’s about breaking barriers to grab on to your goals.
They have the power to break through any barrier. It has nothing to do with body size or physical condition. The skinniest, smallest teens will break through the board almost as easily as the big ones.
We talk to the campers about the reasons they might have had for not reaching their goals in the past. Maybe they got lazy and decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Maybe they failed and let their fear of failure hold them back. But this exercise is about putting the past where it belongs. Today is about making new choices.
By this point in the program, we ask them to think of the goal they’ve set for themselves and write their goals on the boards. Then they write the possible obstacles which may hold them back on the opposite sides. An inch of pine now stands between them and their dreams.
The facilitators and their teammates gather around. The support is strong. One by one, they break through the barriers and grab their goals! All around us teens are laughing, crying, hugging, and holding up the broken pieces of their boards. The confidence shown on their faces is beautiful.
While arranging such an activity in one’s home is almost unrealistic for parents, the value of helping a teen break through a personal barrier simply by being there as moral support can not be overestimated. More help for parents in the form of videos and articles is available at our website, in our blogs and in a monthly e-newsletter.The 12-by-12-inch pine boards are used as _________________.
| A．materials to test one’s muscles |
| B．signs of goals in one’s life |
| C．assessments to show one’s progress |
| D．symbols of barriers in one’s life |
We can learn from the passage that through the event the campers _________.
| A．become hard-working | B．get moral support |
| C．gain confidence | D．set right goals |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Power of WIIFM | B．What’s in It for Me |
| C．The Importance of Goals | D．Motivational Strategies |
The passage is intended for _____________.
| A．teens | B．parents | C．campers | D．Tutors |