ISITTIMETOGET－MP3Yourcomputerh-优题课

How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations indicate that there are several keys to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead. They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they cannot control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. But in the meantime, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do. Perhaps what most separates successful people from others is that they live life “on purpose”— they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion , having a purpose in their life is the most important element（因素） that enables them to become fully functioning people. They hold that when they live their life on purpose, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do—and it shows. People want to do business with them because of their commitment(忠诚). To live their life on purpose, successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it. Besides, they never easily give up. Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to work hard whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Top achievers always bear in mind what they don’t have.
Rather than be negative or depressing, they use the knowledge to encourage themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
The underlined word “it (in Paragraph 2)” refers to “______”.

A．the main concern of successful people

B．the job that successful people do

C．the commitment with which successful people do their jobs

D．the business that successful people do with other people

By living life “on purpose”, successful people can do the following EXCEPT ______.

A．do a lot of work	B．concentrate on their jobs
C．do business with many people	D．control things in life

Successful people know that ____.

A．they can control nature.	B．they are not allowed to blame people
C．they can control their own thoughts.	D．they can control others’ actions

If you want to increase your vocabulary, the best way to do it might be to pick up a guitar, or learn the violin. A new study shows that learning to play a musical instrument makes the brain more able to remember words.
“Grown-ups with music training in their childhood can have better memory for words,” said Dr Agnes Chan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who did the research. “They can remember things that you tell them better than those who did not have music training when they were young.”
It seems that one can remember spoken words because his brain has a special part. “That part of the brain is larger in musicians than in non-musicians,” Dr Chan told BBC. “If that part of the brain is larger, it may be better developed and so this explains very nicely our results.”
Dr Chan and her workmates came to their conclusion after studying students. Their research is reported in the latest edition of the journal(杂志) Nature. “We did the experiment with 60 girl college students from our university and 30 of them have at least six years training with one western musical instrument (such as the violin and the piano) before the age of 12. The other 30 had received no music training. We tested their memory by reading them some words and asking them to remember these words—a very common test for memory. We found that people who have had music training can remember about 70% more information than those who have not had any music training.”
Dr Chan thinks the process(过程) of learning is more important than the actual instrument used. She also believes if one is able to remember words through learning to play instruments, he or she could have some very real benefits. Dr Chan thinks this could be developed into a medical way for patients who are suffering from memory loss.
According to the writer, learning to play a musical instrument helps to ______.

A．get more knowledge

B．live more happily

C．remember more words

D．make one become a musician

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they grow up.

B．Dr Chan thinks the special part of the brain doesn’t need developing.

C．Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they are young.

D．Dr Chan thinks musicians have a larger brain than non-musicians.

How many students took part in Dr Chan’s research?

A．30 girl students.	B．60 girl students.
C．17% of his students.	D．60 girl and boy students.

The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.
　　The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) wide.
　　There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. On the average the water is a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246 feet --- almost six miles (9.6 km).
　　Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!
From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______ .

A．the Atlantic will dry up in 4,000 years' time

B．no river flows into the Atlantic ocean　　　

C．it's hard to imagine how much water there is in the Atlantic ocean

D．the Ocean floor is rather flat

Suppose it's February 27th, 2000. You take a steamship to cross the Atlantic to North America, when will you probably get there?

A．On March 2nd	B．On March 3rd
C．On February 28th	D．In eight hours' time

What can you learn from the last paragraph of the passage ?

A．The Atlantic has grown smaller than it used to be.

B．The Atlantic had grown wider than it used to be.

C．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean grow smaller.

D．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean seem to grow smaller.

Nodira, 18, lives in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan. She was born with a rare disease and is now paralyzed(瘫痪) from the waist down. Her life is confined to a wheelchair but her dreams know no such boundaries. Her hopes for the future include attending university, riding in her father’s car and being able to walk like other children.
Nodira, which means ‘unique’ in Uzbek, is one of five children in a poor family. Every morning, after reciting her prayers, Nodira feeds the hens and goats from her wheelchair. The rest of her day is spent knitting for other people and helping her mother with the household chores.
Nodira has never been to school because it is too far from her home and inaccessible for her wheelchair. A local teacher used to come and tutor her at home and, as a result, she was able to finish third grade. After that, her parents moved to another town and the tutor could not visit as much.
Despite the many difficulties in Nodira’s life she is lucky to be living with her family. The stigma(羞辱) attached to the children living with disabilities, combined with the lack of wheelchair access in schools and the economic difficulties faced by many Uzbek families, have led many parents to place children with disabilities in special institutions.
These days, Nodira does homework exercises at home and reads as much as she can. Still, it is unlikely that she will be able to finish her primary education, much less attend university. While missing out on an education is a great disappointment to Nodira, her greatest wish, for a true friend, can still come true. “What I want more than anything is a friend who also has a disability,” she says. “Somebody will not feel sorry for me or make fun of me, and will understand what my life is like.”
The underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably means “_____”.

A．her dreams will help her desert her wheel chair

B．her dreams are never limited by her disability

C．she often dreams of moving freely without a wheel chair

D．she never dreams of recovering from her disability

Nodira does all the following every day EXCEPT _____.

A．give food to some animals

B．to make clothes from woolen or cotton thread

C．drive cars designed for the disabled

D．help with the housework

The underlined word “tutor” in the 3rd paragraph can be replaced by “_____”.

A．educate

B．visit

C．treat

D．comfort

What Nodira wants most is ______.

A．to go to university	B．to walk on her own feet
C．to finish her primary education	D．to find a true friend

In the office of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, there is a picture of Catherine the Great, the legendary Russian Empress. When asked why she has the picture, Merkel says, “She was a strong woman”. Many say the same of Merkel.
The most powerful woman in the world, according to US Forbes magazine, was in China last week. She came to discuss trade and environmental issues with China’s top leaders. Germany’s first woman leader is known as a brave and practical statesman(政治家). Even since her time at school, she had the habit of getting everything in order. Every day before doing her homework she would clean the desk and think about what to do next. “I prefer a long time for full preparations to make my decision. But once I decide, I will stand up for what I believe,” Merkel said.
Perhaps it was good habits that helped her do well in her studies. At 32, she got a doctorate (博士学位) in physics and then she worked as a researcher.
However, the life of a scholar couldn’t put off her love of politics. While working in labs, Merkel took time off to read political books and at last joined a political party. “Her calmness helped her stand out in the party. She could always find a way out while others felt hopeless,” said one of her old friends.
In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s youngest chancellor since the second World War.
Now half way through her four-year term, the 53-year-old woman has made a name for herself both in Germany and abroad. At the EU summit in 2005 when France quarreled with Britain over the EU budget(预算), some people believed the EU was close to breaking down. But Merkel didn’t give up. She shuttled(穿梭) between the heads of the two powers and had them reached an agreement.
“Strength comes from composure(镇定) and courage. Many people say I am a strong woman. But I would rather say I have perseverance,” said Merkel.
Why does Merkel put a picture of Catherine the Great on the wall of her office?

A．Because Catherine the Great is beautiful.

B．Because Merkel wants to be a strong woman too.

C．Because Merkel likes the drawing skill of it.

D．Because it is very expensive.

What is the correct order of the following events?
a. became the German Chancellor
b. got a doctorate in physics and then she worked as a researcher
c. join a political party
d. visit China
e. take part in the EU summit
f. as Minister for the Environment

A．bcafde

B．cbfdae

C．bcfaed

D．cbfaed

Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Merkel usually is hurry to make a decision when facing difficulties.

B．At the EU summit in 2005, the relationship between French and Britain was in tension.

C．Merkel is a well-known leader all over the world.

D．She is outstanding because of her calmness.

What is the best title for the passage?

A．An excellent lecturer	B．Germany’s iron lady
C．The change of a scholar	D．The youngest chancellor

A．Free of charge	B．Free downloading
C．At least fifty dollars	D．About a dollar