My friend Jim and I finally decided to spend our 14 days off in the eastern country.We were arranged to stay with a local family, which made it possible for us to share a real life experience with the locals and in return bring ourselves a richer experience of the native culture and tradition.
In the company of one of our well-informed local tour leaders, we started one of the trips to the nearby town . As we were passing elephants, we stopped , confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by a small rope tied to their front legs . No chains, no cages. It was obvious that these elephants could, at any time, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not . My friend went up to the trainer and asked why these beautiful animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,”he said , “When they were young and much smaller we used the same size rope to tie them and at that age, it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are accustomed to believing that they can not break away. They believe that the rope can hold them, so they never try to break free. We were amazed . These animals could at any time break away from their ropes but just because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we can not do something , simply because we failed at it once before ? How many of us are being held by outdated belief that no longer serves us ? How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limited belief? Worse still , how many of us are being held back by someone else’s limiting beliefs? Your attempt may fail but never fail to make an attempt.What was the author most interested in during his visit?
| A．The local people and elephants |
| B．The local culture and tradition |
| C．The history of the eastern country |
| D．The local food and scenery |
What amazed them was to see__________.
| A．the trainer playing skillfully with the huge animals |
| B．the trainer attracting the visitors’s attention in such a way |
| C．the huge elephants tied only by a small rope |
| D．the elephants being trained with small ropes |
The elephants never tried to get away because_______.
| A．they believed they couldn’t break away from the small ropes |
| B．they got used to being raised and controlled by human beings |
| C．they had a very close relationship with their trainers |
| D．it was hard to break away from the strong and powerful ropes |
The author holds the view that _______.
| A．people should never fail to make an attempt or get held by false beliefs |
| B．people should travel around and try new things |
| C．animals should be trained to obey their masters |
| D．it’s necessary to train creatures when they are young |
In the past, man did not have to think about protection of the environment. There were very few people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be unlimited.
Today things are different. The world has become too crowded. We are using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are polluting our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we continue to do this, human life on the earth will not survive.
Everyone realizes today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing methods, more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut down, forests will disappear and nothing will grow on land. Yet, we continue to use more powerful machines to cut down more and more trees.
We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die. However, in most countries waste is still put into rivers, but there are few laws to stop this.
We also know that if the population of the countries in the world is to rise at the present rate in a few years, there will not be enough food.
What can we do to solve these problems?
If we eat more vegetables and less meat, there will be more food available for everyone. Land that is used to grow crops can feed five times more people than land where animals are kept.
Our natural resources will last longer if we learn to recycle them.
The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
Finally, if all of us think about the problem, we will have a better and cleaner planet in the future.This passage mainly tells us about ______.
| A．the problems we are facing today about environment and the ways to solve them |
| B．the unlimited natural resources in the world |
| C．our rivers are being polluted by waste from factories |
| D．the ways early man protected the environment |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．If we eat more vegetables, more food can be saved. |
| B．In the past, there was no need for people to think about environmental protection. |
| C．If we keep on cutting trees, forests will disappear. |
| D．We shouldn’t take more and more fish out of the sea, or there will soon be no fish left. |
What is implied (暗示) in the passage?
| A．Man is cleverer than any other animal. |
| B．Man will destroy himself if he doesn’t solve the problem. |
| C．Modern fishing methods are helpful in our fishing industry. |
| D．We should make more laws in order to survive. |
From the passage we can see that the world’s natural resources ______.
| A．will never be used up | B．are being polluted |
| C．are as plentiful as in the past | D．are being used up very quickly |
Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships．One strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances．Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily difficulties．People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties．Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people protect themselves from illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely．
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways．First, friends, relatives and coworkers may let us know that they value us．Our self respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties．Second, other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to explain and understand our problems and find solutions to them．Third, we typically find social companionship supportive．Engaging in leisure time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distract（转移…注意力）us from our worries and troubles．Finally, other people may give us important support—financial aid, material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us solve and deal with our problems．Research shows that people’s physical and mental health has much to do with.
| A．the social medical system |
| B．the amount of support they get from others |
| C．their strength for dealing with interpersonal ties |
| D．their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles |
The underlined word “cushions” probably means “”
| A．adds up to | B．decreases the effect of |
| C．gets rid of | D．lays the foundation for |
Social companionship is beneficial in that it
| A．helps strengthen our ties with relatives |
| B．enables us to get rid of our faults and mistakes |
| C．makes our leisure time activities more enjoyable |
| D．draws our attention away from our worries and troubles |
It often happens that a number of applicants with almost the same qualifications and experience all apply for the same position. In their educational background, special skills and work experience, there is little, if anything, to choose between half a dozen candidates. How then does the employer make a choice? Usually on the basis of an interview.
There are many arguments for and against the interview as a way of selection. The main argument against it is that it results in a wholly subjective decision. As often as not, employers do not choose the best candidate. They choose the candidate who makes a good first impression on them. Some employers, of course, reply to this argument by saying that they have become so experienced in interviewing staff that they are able to make a good assessment of each candidate’s likely performance. The main argument in favor of the interview is that an employer is concerned not only with a candidate’s ability, but with his or her suitable personality for the particular work situation. Many employers, for example, will overlook occasional mistakes from their secretary if she has a pleasant personality.
It is perhaps true to say, therefore, that the real purpose of an interview is not to assess the assessable aspects of each candidate but to make a guess at the things that are hard to measure, such as personality, character and social ability. Unfortunately, both for the employers and applicants for jobs, there are many people of great ability who simply do not interview well. There are also, of course, people who interview extremely well, but are later found to be very unsatisfactory employees. Candidates who interview well tend to be quietly confident, but never boastful（自夸的）, direct and straightforward in their questions and answers; cheerful and friendly, but never over-familiar; and sincerely enthusiastic and optimistic. Candidates who interview badly tend to be either very shy or over-confident. They either talk too little or never stop talking. They are either over polite or a bit rude.People argue over the interview mainly because they have.
| A．different purposes in the interview |
| B．different experiences in interviews |
| C．different standards of selection |
| D．different ways of selection |
The underlined word “subjective” means “based on one’srather than facts” ．
| A．personality | B．character | C．opinion | D．ability |
The purpose of the last paragraph is to indicate
| A．a link between success in interview and personality |
| B．connections between work abilities and personality |
| C．differences in interview experience |
| D．differences in personal behavior |
What is the author’s attitude towards the interview?
| A．He thinks it is a good way of selection |
| B．He doesn’t quite agree with it |
| C．He is neither for nor against it |
| D．It is not clear |
Having one of those days – or weeks – when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster – often within a day or two.
◇Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who’s in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.
◇Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.
◇Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what’s on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper, the pessimistic messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. ( “I still don’t have a job.” Vs “I have two interviews next week.”)
◇Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing, all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to be against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
◇Avoid things that won’t improve your mood.
TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate（刺激） your mind – something that the TV show “Neighbors” won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. A better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta（面食）,produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.Which of the following may help us stop a bad mood?
| A．Doing nothing about it. | B．Exercising and enjoying music. |
| C．Writing down negative thoughts. | D．Talking about it with neighbors. |
Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?
| A．It helps remove bad mood. | B．It brings us a new technique. |
| C．It is not complicated to do so. | D．It is an area to be easily controlled. |
TV may not improve your mood because it.
| A．shows what happens around you | B．does not energize you |
| C．reminds you of eating and drinking | D．produces a calming effect |
Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Energy Level and Stress | B．How to Beat a Bad Mood |
| C．Bad Mood and Our Life | D．How to Control Your Feeling. |
A photographer takes a picture of the Chinese bronze rat head and rabbit head sculptures display on the preview of the auction（拍卖） of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge’s art collection at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, Feb, 21, 2009. Chinese lawyers have asked the French court to stop auction house Christie’s putting two bronze relics（文物）looted (掠夺)from China
under the hammer, lawyers said Friday.
A Paris court on Monday ruled against stopping the sale of two
looted Chinese bronze sculptures which come up for auction at
Christie’s on Wednesday. Under the ruling of the Tribunal de Grande
Instance in Paris, the plaintiff（起诉人）, the Association for the
Protection of Chinese Art in Europe（APCAE）,was ordered to
pay compensation（赔偿）to the defendant.
Ren Xiaohong, a lawyer for APCAE, told Xinhua that it was “of great significance” to file the lawsuit. “We hope to arouse public attention in Europe on the fate of numerous Chinese works stolen in the past, to help keep those relics well protected and collected,” Ren said.
The Qing Dynasty（1644—1911）relics, the heads of a bronze rabbit and a rat, were among an original set of 12 bronze animal heads that were once decorated at the imperial summer resort Yuanmingyuan. They were looted when the palace was burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860.
The pair became part of a collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. They have been put up for auction by his partner, Pierre Berge. The two items are expected to fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros.
So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned to China, while the whereabouts of five others are unknown.The two bronze animal heads were displayed at the Grand Palais in Paris so that.
| A．they could be collected and well preserved |
| B．the photographers could take pictures |
| C．the public could see them in advance |
| D．they couldn’t be sold at auction |
The significance to stop the sale of two bronze animal heads is to.
| A．fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros |
| B．draw public attention to the Chinese works stolen in the past |
| C．make the world know more about history of the Qing Dynasty |
| D．find the other five bronze animal heads and return them to China |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The 12 bronze animal heads have been put up for auction. |
| B．The 2 bronze animal heads haven’t been returned to China. |
| C．The 12 bronze animal heads were used as imperial decoration. |
| D．Yuanmingyuan was once burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces. |
The passage is most probably taken from.
| A．a newspaper | B．an advertisement |
| C．a history textbook | D．an introduction of auction |