Who's in control of your life? Who's pulling your strings? For the majority of us, it's other people-society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this, good feeling like a drug—we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval (赞同) of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix（一剂毒品）, we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted (tired) and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way make a conscious decision to stop caringwhat other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values—not values imposed from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others; we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.What Oscar Wilde says implies that________.
| A．most people have a variety of thoughts |
| B．we have thoughts similar to those of others |
| C．other people's thoughts are more important |
| D．most people's thoughts are controlled by others |
What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph?
| A．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom. |
| B．We may lose ourselves to please others. |
| C．We need to pay for what we want to get. |
| D．The price of taking the drug is freedom. |
It can be concluded from the passage that_______.
| A．it's better to do what we like |
| B．we shouldn't care what others think |
| C．we shouldn't change our own opinions |
| D．it's important to accept others' opinions |
The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his arguments mainly by________.
| A．analyzing causes and effects | B．providing examples and facts |
| C．discussing questions | D．making suggestions |
We have all heard the old phrase “attitude is everything”, and that phrase is certainly true．Your attitude can have a great impact on your personal motivation, so it is important to keep a positive attitude no matter what challenges you face．
As a matter of fact, keeping your attitude positive in the face of difficulties is the motivation tip that most successful business owners will tell you．The most successful business owners, from Sam Walton to Bill Gates, have all been able to triumph in the face of unpleasant situations．It is those successful business owners who tell you that attitude is everything．But how you deal with that knowledge will determine your level of success．
One of the most important ways to carry out “attitude is everything” is to observe who you associate with and who you surround yourself with．That is because when you surround yourself with negative people, their negative attitudes will infect you．So keeping your associates, colleagues, co-workers and friends as positive as possible is a great way to put the phrase “attitude is everything” into practice．
Whatever you decide to do in life, your attitude will have a great effect on the success you achieve．Success , whether in the world of business or in your personal life, is directly related to your attitude, and the attitude you bring to your work．A positive attitude will help you achieve greater success in your job, no matter what your current level of employment．According to the text, Sam Walton __________．
| A．is more successful than Bill Gates |
| B．has given readers some tips about success |
| C．has never dealt with unpleasant situations |
| D．is one of the most successful businessmen |
One useful way of carrying out “attitude is everything” is__________．
| A．not letting others affect your decisions |
| B．not making friends with people who are unsuccessful |
| C．keeping the people who surround you positive |
| D．getting some advice from successful business owners |
What’s the best title for the text ?
| A．Attitude Determines Your Success |
| B．Motivation Tips From Successful People |
| C．Ways To Deal With Unpleasant Situations |
| D．Making Friends With Positive People |
I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth suggested a catering service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state-owned and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a better business strategy(策略), better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But there are so few well developed marketing and management minds that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, co-operation with institutions like Yale and MIT have been started . And then there’s the “thousand talent program”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization(现代化). It can attract top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about co-operation with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about offering a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?
| A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service. |
| B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains. |
| C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic. |
| D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness. |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．China can make and sell any product all over the world |
| B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment |
| C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand |
| D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Look for a New Way of Learning. |
| B．Reward Creative Thinking. |
| C．How to Become a Creator. |
| D．Establish a technical Environment. |
People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions using the word“mouth”.
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say“Do not bad mouth me. ”Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person’s feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say:“I really put my foot in my mouth this time. ”If this should happen, the speaker might feel down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something, the other person might protest,“I did not say that . Do not put words in my mouth. ”
Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person“Born with a silver spoon in his mouth. ”This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.
Parents might sometimes withhold（拒给）sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.
But enough of all this talk, I have been running my mouth long enough.In what kind of situation will a person say“Do not bad mouth me. ”?
| A．When he feels down. | B．When he feels regretful. |
| C．When he is spoken ill of. | D．When he feels proud. |
If a person feels sorry for what he has said, he might say “_____”
| A．Do not bad mouth me. |
| B．I really put my foot in my mouth this time. |
| C．Do not put words in my mouth. |
| D．Stop mouthing off. |
If a person lives from hand to mouth, it implies _____ .
| A．he is badly-off | B．he is hard-working |
| C．he is well-off | D．he has enough to eat |
By saying“I have been running my mouth long enough.”, the speaker means “_____”
| A．I have run a long way. | B．I have been a mouthy person. |
| C．I have learned a lot. | D．I have talked too much. |
The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7:30 pm．Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song．
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving．But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11:00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry．
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 - 8:30 pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8:00 pm or 8:30 pm means possible dinner, but 9:30 pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, arrive late．
But this is not always the case．If asked to a students’ party at 6:30 pm, it is unaccepted for guests to appear on time. Being the first to arrive — looking eager — is social death. When my mother is asked to a party at 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven．My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we’re young, we’re probably closer to student-time than grown-up time．
The accepted custom at present is confusing, sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element of surprise．The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean _______．
| A．tired | B．crazy | C．happy | D．encouraging |
Jane and David’s story is used to show that _______．
| A．party invitations can be confusing |
| B．party-goers usually get hungry at parties |
| C．people should ask for food at parties |
| D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
For some young people, arriving on time for a students’ party will probably be considered _______．
| A．very difficult | B．particularly thoughtful |
| C．friendly and polite | D．socially unacceptable |
What is the general idea of the text?
| A．It’s safe to arrive late just when food is served． |
| B．It’s wise to eat something before going to a party． |
| C．It’s important to follow social rules of party-going． |
| D．There’s no need to read invitations carefully． |
The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life．I had my arms full of books and I was rushing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos.
"My... you're tall," he said. The whole class burst out laughing .
“Take that seat,” Mr. McCarthy told the cocky(骄傲自大的) newcomer Carlos，pointing to the only empty one , in the back of the room.
Carlos laughed widely. "But I need a couple of dictionaries."
The bell rang for classes. As I stood up to go, I saw Carlos coming toward me. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you," he said . I looked straight ahead over the top of his black hair. "That's all right."
"I ought to know better." He was still blocking my way. "What's your name?" "Karen Forbes." He held out his hand. Unwillingly, I shook hands with him. He looked up at me seriously with his brown eyes. " I am Carlos . I don't see why you're so touchy."
It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Carlos was voted vice-president．“How come ?”I kept asking myself, "How come this shrimp（虾）who’s only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?"
So on that morning，I stopped Carlos and said，“It doesn't seem to bother you — being short.” He looked up at me, "Of course I mind being short．But there isn’t anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself." "You seem to get along great,” I admitted, "But what about me? The trouble with you is you’re afraid to be yourself. You’re smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty.” I felt myself turning red…It is a story about a short boy who .
| A．won the school election | B．is ashamed of his height |
| C．has learned to accept his size | D．is embarrassed by his class |
From the text, we can see Carlos is .
| A．handsome and proud | B．humorous and confident |
| C．diligent but shy | D．honest but sensitive |
The underlined word "touchy" in paragraph 8 probably means .
| A．moved | B．cheerful | C．curious | D．annoyed |
According to the text, which is the most likely ending?
| A．The author didn’t want to make friends with Carlos |
| B．Carlos and the author argued with each other. |
| C．The author changed her attitude towards Carlos. |
| D．Carlos was elected president of the student committee. |