I told my friend Graham that I often cycle two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route. He replied, “You mean fortunately.” He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided.
My attitude to the hill has now changed. I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to lose weight and get fit. It will mean that I live longer. This hill is my friend. Finally I comfort myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free. I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.
Problems are there to be faced and overcome. We cannot achieve anything with an easy life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university degree. Her activism and writing proved inspirational. She wrote, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can vision be cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
One of the key factors of success in life is our attitude towards adversity (逆境). From time to time we all face hardships, problems, accidents, afflictions and difficulties. Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own. While we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it.
Douglas Bader was 21 when in 1931 he had both legs cut off following a flying accident. He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans. He was an inspiration to others during the war. He said, “Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Make up your mind, and you’ll never use crutches (拐杖) or a stick, and then have a go at evening. Go to school, and join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”
The biographies of great people are full of examples of how they took steps to overcome the difficulties they faced. The common thread is that they did not become depressed. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They took on the challenge. They won.
Nevertheless, there is still the problem of how you change your attitude towards adversity.The underlined word “grumble” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．tremble | B．complain | C．speed up | D．slow down |
Which of the following is true according to the author of the passage?
| A．Climbing hills on bicycles is the best way to take exercise. |
| B．People are wise to pay to go to the gym. |
| C．Those who want to achieve success can’t expect to live an easy life. |
| D．People’s attitude towards adversity is the only factor that determines whether they will succeed. |
By quoting what Douglas Bader said, the author intends to tell us “________”.
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. |
| C．If you venture nothing, you will have nothing. |
| D．Nothing is difficult to the man who will try. |
Following this passage, the author will further talk about ________.
| A．how his friend helped him to change his attitude towards the adversity he faced |
| B．what steps to take to change your attitude towards the adversity you face |
| C．what great people have in common |
| D．why it is important to keep optimistic in face of adversity |
Which of the following can best function as the title of the passage?
| A．Face adversity with a smile |
| B．Different attitudes towards adversity |
| C．Nothing is impossible |
| D．Life is full of adversity |
The next day I sat down，with almost a hundred other candidates，for the intelligence test．I must have done all right because after about half an hour’s wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test．This time there were only about fifty candidates．The interviewer sat at a desk．Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed，after a greater or shorter time．Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones．Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes．Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half．
I can remember the questions now：“Why did you leave your last job?”“Why did you leave your job before that?”“And the one before that?”I can’t recall my answers，except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter．His closing statement，I thought，evealed(揭示)a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist，he had risen no higher than the underground railway．“You’ve failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position．”
Failing to get that job was my low point．Or so I thought，believing that the work was easy．Actually，such jobs—being a postman is another one I still desire—demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give．But I was still far short of full self-understanding．I was also short of cash．The writer applied for the job chiefly because.
| A．he wanted to work in the centre of London |
| B．he could no longer afford to live without one |
| C．he was not interested in any other available job |
| D．he had received some suitable training |
The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because.
| A．he often traveled underground |
| B．he had written many poems |
| C．he could deal with difficult situations |
| D．he had worked in a company |
The length of his interview meant that.
| A．he was not going to be offered the job |
| B．he had not done well in the intelligence test |
| C．he did not like the interviewer at all |
| D．he had little work experience to talk about |
What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?
| A．How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be |
| B．How difficult it is to be a poet |
| C．How unsuitable he was for the job |
| D．How badly he did in the interview |
What’s the writer’s opinion of the psychologist?
| A．He was very aggressive |
| B．He was unhappy with his job |
| C．He was quite inefficient |
| D．He was rather unsympathetic |
Back in 2003 I had a pet rabbit named Alaska．Due to the rules the landlord had set，he had to be kept in the basement(地下室)．One night I went downstairs to feed him．Keep in mind I’ve always thought the basement was frightening．As I was facing his cage and putting the bowl of water inside，a big shadow appeared behind me，as if a big，tall man were standing behind me．I turned around and nobody was there，but I got the distinct(清晰的)feeling that I was being watched．I basically dropped the water bowl and ran upstairs shouting for my mom．Ever since then I can’t go down there alone．
Once I was trying to get to sleep，and I slept with the lights off．All of sudden I wanted to leave the room eagerly，but I couldn’t get out of my bed，I was too scared．The feeling of someone looking closely at me was so upset，I was physically afraid to move or breathe．I opened my curtains to let the street light in，thinking the light would help me feel better to move．That did nothing．I must have sat there on my bed for about fifteen minutes before I got up．I didn’t sleep in there that night．I’ve never felt anything so upset!
Then there are all the little things，like seeing things in the comer of my eye，hearing doors open or close when I’m home alone，and the feeling of being watched．Once when my sister wasn’t home(we share a room)I heard someone breathing from her bed and heard the sheets rustle(沙沙声)．Last week，I felt someone patting me in the shoulder when I was alone in my room．Sometimes I’ll be looking something and I’ll see one or more contorted(扭曲的)，angry faces．
I realize that when one is looking for something to happen they can make things happen or imagine it．These are the moments in which I know nothing was imagined，so I wanted to share them and get your opinions．Thanks so much．The writer to the text seems to.
| A．tell us his strange experiences |
| B．tell us what happens in his bedroom |
| C．tell us an interesting story |
| D．tell us what happens in his apartment |
Which of the following may be the reason why the writer is afraid to go to the basement?
| A．Because his pet is dangerous． |
| B．Because a big shadow may appear behind him． |
| C．Because there is a big，tall man there． |
| D．Because his landlord forbids him to go there． |
We can learn from the third paragraph that.
| A．the writer slept with the lights on that night |
| B．the street light helped the writer a lot |
| C．he was too scared to get out of his bed at one time |
| D．he didn’t sleep at all that night |
From the text，we can see the writer believes his experiences are .
| A．real | B．not real |
| C．creative | D．imaginative |
I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone,
“Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”
At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah, who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!” And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth….?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room--- if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go.”
Then she turned to me. Kissed me and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control.” With that, she left the room.
After watching crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood(情绪) had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.Why did the author shout at the telephone?
| A．He was mad at the telephone. | B．He was angry with his agent. |
| C．He was anxious about his wife. | D．He was impatient with the secretary. |
What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
| A．She said nothing. | B．She shouted at him |
| C．She called the agent. | D．She threw the phone away. |
What made the author laugh?
| A．His own behavior. | B．His wife’s suggestion. |
| C．His changeable feelings. | D．His wife’s sweet kiss. |
What dose the underlined word “antics” refer to ?
| A．Smart words | B．Unusual actions | C．Surprising looks | D．Anxious feelings |
Sitting is art that isn’t getting passed along. People these days feel as though they have to be doing something. If they are not working, they are jogging, or playing tennis or golf, or taking courses to improve their minds or bodies –or they are parked in front of the TV. Sitting in front of the TV isn’t sitting – it’s watching.
People used to sit a lot. You would walk down the street or drive down the road, and there they would be, out on the doorsteps, sitting. You could go down to the store and sit on the bench out front in the summer or around the fire in the winter. There were sitting benches out in the town square. At the garage, there were straight-backed chairs. There among the oilcans and tries and spare parts, you could kick back and sit.
Houses used to have sitting rooms, where the grown ups would go after Sunday dinner. Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Aunt Ruby would sit and digest (消化) the fried chicken and talk about Aunt Ethel’s illness, and how well the minister did today. Outside, the children would play, and the afternoon would pass by in a comfortable haze (悠闲的氛围).
That sort of thing looks like doing nothing. A recharging battery (正在充电的电池) doesn’t look as if it’s doing anything either. Sitting restores your soul if you want to enjoy a truly full life, don’t just do something –sit there.What message does the author try to get through to us ?
| A．People should make better use of their sitting room. |
| B．People should spend less time watching TV. |
| C．People should pass down their good habits. |
| D．People should take things easy for their own good. |
We can learn from the second paragraph that _____________
| A．people lived a more restful life in the past |
| B．towns were built to make living convenient |
| C．small town garages had a lot to offer |
| D．people enjoyed going out for a drive |
The sitting room mentioned in the text used to be a place for______________.
| A．eating food . | B．watching TV . | C．gathering together. | D．playing with children. |
From the text we know the writer believes_______________
| A．sitting has a good spiritual effect | B．sitting helps people remember the past |
| C．sitting rooms may have different purposes | D．a sitting room is important for the old. |
Shakespeare's Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare's World
| ADMISSION: Adult￡4.90 Child￡2.20 Family ￡12.0 (2 adults+up to3 children) |
| OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to 5:00pm Sun:9:30am to 5:00pm 20 Oct to 19Mar Mon to Sat:9:30am to 4:00pm Sun:10:00am to 4:00pm |
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and where
he grew up. The property(房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The house has welcomed visitors travelling from all over the world, for over 250 years.
◆ Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.
Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
Enjoy the traditional(传统的)English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
◆ The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map; nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ walk).
◆ The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition, and the garden are accessible(可进入的)to wheelchair users.
◆ The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?
| A．￡9.80 | B．￡12.00 | C．￡14.20 | D．￡16.40 |
Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace?
| A．Behind the exhibition hall. | B．Opposite the Visitors’ Centre. |
| C．At Windsor Street. | D．Near the Coffee House. |
A wheelchair user may need help to enter .
A . the House B the garden C the Visitor’s Centre D. the exhibition hall