Are you the type of person who always says“yes”?I’ve come to learn that it is very im-portant to learn to say NO!It’s okay. People are still going to like you. They may even respect you more because they know you are honest.
I,m not saying to say“no" to someone who really needs your help. I’m talking about re-fusing that meeting that you really do not want to attend or that birthday party that you don’t want to be a guest at.
Think for a moment how you feel when you say YES to something that you really don’t want to do. If you’re like I once was,you can’t sleep at night and you think about it too much. It weighs on your mind. You try to find ways out. Whatever you’re saying to yourself,if you really wanted to go,you wouldn’t have all of these thoughts.
So,why not just say NO from the beginning? Maybe you feel like if you don’t show up at the meeting(by the way,it is not one you must attend) your boss isn’t going to like you or your co-workers won’t respect you. Maybe you feel as if your mom,dad or sisters won’t love you as much if you don’t do everything for them that they ask every occasion.
If these people are your true friends,family members,or a good boss,they will like or love you the same no matter what. People treat you the way you teach them to,and if you’re some-one who always says“yes" then that’s what they,re expecting.
You need to do what is right for you. Of course we do have real obligations in life to ful-fill,but we do not have to do everything others want us to do.Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?
A.We should try to do what our friends ask us to do. |
B.We should help others in need. |
C.Always saying“yes" means you are dishonest. |
D.Always saying“no" means you are brave. |
What does the underlined word,’ It" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Saying "yes". |
B.A friend's birthday party. |
C.Something you’re unwilling to do. |
D.Something you think difficult to do. |
The writer believes that if you say“no" to your family members,you’11_·
A.have the same relationship with them as before |
B.have a loose relationship with them |
C.disappoint them |
D.upset them |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Learn to Make a Right Choice | B.To Be Yourself |
C.Do What You Want to Do | D.Learn to Say No |
A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.
A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”
The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.
Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”
The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.
1. The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.
A. his wife B. his mother-in–law C. his own mother D. no one
2. He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.
A. he was very rich B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him
C. he was anxious to get it D. his business had been successful
3. He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.
A. exactly the same size as the black on
B. exactly the same quality as the black one
C. worth no more than $ 25,000
D. exactly as big and nice as the black one
4. Many people answered the advertisement because they wanted _______.
A. to see the perfect pearl
B. to buy some beautiful pearls too
C. to get in touch with the rich man
D. to sell their own pearl at a high price
5. The jeweler couldn’t find the man anywhere because ______.
A. he died suddenly.
B. He happened to be out
C. He got $ 20,000 by cheating and had run away with the money.
D. He wouldn’t show up until the jeweler called him a second time.
第三部分:阅读(共两节,每小题2分,满分50分)
第一节:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳答案,并将答案在答题卡上标号为46--65的相应位置涂黑。
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audience could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent camera team out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, Sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well,” one of the men answered, “we are on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards, Then it’ll look like a sunset.” “That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera team and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera team went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, Sir,” they said, and give it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the sunset behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera team to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards away from the beach.
1 One evening, the director sent his camera team out ______.
A. to watch a beautiful sunset
B. to find an actor and an actress
C. to film a scene on the sea
D. to meet the audience
2 Why did the director want to send his team to the west coast?
A. Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset
B. Because he was angry about his team
C. Because it was his secretary’s suggestion
D. Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset
3 Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The team followed the secretary’s advice.
B. If you want to see a sunrise, the east coast is a place to go to.
C. The camera team wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.
D. The director ordered his team to stop filming the “sunset”
4 The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because _____.
A. it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine
B. when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening
C. it was more moving than a sunrise
D. the ocean looked more than a sunrise
5 After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands _____.
A. because he was moved to tears
B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards
C. as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined
D. because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and the heroine
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the Website you've visited,Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girl friend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen ---- the 21st century replacement of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs(碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no."
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a strong bad feeling about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me."
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths(收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series oftests that reveal people will give away personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠卷)。
But privacy does matter ---- at least sometimes. It's like health: When you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.
1. What does the author mean by saying "the 21st century replacement of being caught naked"?
A. People's personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.
B. In the 21st century people try every means to look into others' secrets.
C. People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.
D. Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.
2.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A. Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B. Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C. There should be a distance even between friends.
D. There should be fewer arguments between friends.
3. Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret"?
A. Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B. People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C. There are always people who are curious about others' affairs.
D. Many search engines benefit from giving away people's identities.
4. What do most Americans do as for privacy protection?
A. They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.
B. They use various loyalty cards for business transactions(交易)..
C. They rely most and more on electronic devices.
D. They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
5. According to the passage, privacy is like health because ___.
A. people will make every effort to keep it.
B. its importance is rarely understood
C. it is something that can easily be lost
D. people don't treasure it until they lose it
In 1605 some Englishmen planned to kill their king, James I, because they thought he was a bad man. They knew that on November 5th the king would go to the House of Lords to talk with his nobles.
The men rented a building next to the House of Lords. They dug through a wall and put many barrels of gunpowder in a cellar of the House of Lords. They chose a man called Guy Fawkes to set fires to the gunpowder but something went wrong with their plan. One of the men had a relative who was coming to the House of Lords to meet the King. He warned his relative to stay at home .The relative spoke to other nobles and soon the King heard about the danger. Soldiers searched the cellars and found the gunpowder on November 4th, Guy Fawkes was caught and killed.
Every year, on November 5th , English children remember Guy Fawkes . They collect old boxes, newspapers and rubbish so that they can make a big fire, which they call a bonfire. They put a pole in the middle of the fire and tie a “guy” to it . “The guy” is the figure of Guy Fawkes and is made of old clothes and paper . Sometimes they push their “guy” round the streets in a cart and ask for money so that they can buy fireworks.
In the evening they light the bonfire and let off many fireworks: crackers, rockets , bangers and many other kinds .November 5th is an exciting day for children in England. It is always a busy day for firemen and for hospitals. Sparks from the bonfires sometimes set fire to fences, trees or houses. Every year children are injured when fireworks exploded unexpectedly.
1 Some Englishmen planned to kill their king because _______.
A. they thought highly of him B. they thought poorly of him
C. they thought nothing of him D. they thought well of him
2 Something went wrong with their plan because one of the men _____ .
A. told the King about B. told other nobles about it
C. told his relative about it D. Guy Fawkes was killed
3 How do English children remember Guy Fawkes every year ?
A. They make a bonfire B. They make a figure of Guy
C. They left off fireworks. D. All above.
4 The phrase “let off many fireworks” in the passage means “_____”.
A. allow the fireworks to leave B. cause the fireworks to explode
C. keep the fireworks off the bonfire D. put the fireworks into the bonfire
5 November 5th is a busy day for firemen because ______.
A. fireworks are in great need
B. quite a few houses catch fire when fireworks explode
C. many children are injured by the unexpected explosion of fireworks
D. both B and C
第三部分阅读(共两节,满分40分)
第一节阅读理解(共15小题,每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列三篇短文,从每题所给的四个选现(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him .But every time I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215. My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that ,they played for time,… and I left without getting a cent.
My experiences taught me two things about America: firstly, in a country like America money is everything. It is more important than friendship, honor or professional morality. Secondly, foreigners are still being unfairly treated. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides.
1. The author’s roommate offered to help him because _____.
A. he felt sorry for the author
B. he thought it was a chance to make some money
C. he knew the doctor was a very good one
D. he wanted the author to have a good lawyer
2. A good doctor is essential for the author to_____.
A. be properly treated
B. talk with the person responsible for the accident
C. recover before he leaves America
D. eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury
3. The underlined word “ charge ” in this passage means ______.
A. be responsible B. accuse C. ask as a price D. claim
4. Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very ______.
A. friendly B. greedy C. professional D. busy
5. What conclusion can you draw from the story?
A. Going to court is something very common in America.
B. One must be very careful while driving a car.
C. there are more bad sides in America than good sides.
D. Money is more important than other things in the US.