Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression “to be in hot water" is one of them. It is a very old expression. “Hot water” was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.
That no longer happens. But we still get in “hot water”．When we are in “hot water”, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble—serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother. if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.
Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head.
You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.
“To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.
“Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again. Which of the following two expressions have almost the same meaning?
| A．To be in hot water；To be in deep water. |
| B．To be in hot water；To keep your head above water. |
| C．To be in deep water；Water over the dam. |
| D．Water over the dam；To be in hot water. |
If a person tries to keep his head out of water，we can say that .
| A．he is in danger of losing his life |
| B．he is trying to pay off his debt |
| C．he is trying to keep his promise |
| D．he is trying not to get into debt |
What can you infer from the passage?
| A．“To be in hot water” can only be used to mention serious trouble. |
| B．“Water over the dam” is an expression about a future event. |
| C．Water could be used in the war in the past. |
| D．All of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings. |
This passage is written mainly to tell us .
| A．the use of water |
| B．how to use some expressions about water |
| C．expressions about water and their meanings |
| D．expressions with negative meaning |
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 effe
ct 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 |
Sports is not only physically challenging, but it can also mentally challenging. Criticism（批评）from coaches(trainers), parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has showed that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware(realize), at all times, that their feedback（反馈）to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a flaw（缺陷） in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious(careful) that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on(pay more attention to) the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided in spite of the outcome. Research shows that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress(pressure), which can lead to burnout.According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that
| A．it can help them learn more about society |
| B．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves |
| C．it enables them to find flaws in themselves |
| D．it can provide them with valuable experiences |
According to the passage parents and coaches should
| A．help children to win every game |
| B．pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports |
| C．enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports |
| D．train children to deal with stress |
The author’s purpose in writing the passage is
| A．to persuade young children not to worry about criticism |
| B．to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement to children |
| C．to discuss the skill of combing criticism with encouragement |
| D．to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout |
It is true that shyness can be a disadvantage socially for those who suffer from it seriously. I mean real shyness, not somebody who is simply quiet. Quiet people could be shy, but on the other hand, they may just be observing because they are unsure of you or others in your company. They may be capable of being extrovert (性格外向的) and sociable, but on some particular occasions, they are quiet.
I have learnt from my experience that those who observe and listen more and talk less can gain a position of strength. This means that even a very shy person, the type who is reluctant to talk in company (在交际场合) , especially new company, can become a strong person in just about anything they choose. Remember, knowledge is power, and a shy introvert (性格内向的人) is in a better position to gain knowledge than an extrovert. Introverted people can give great attention to learning, and as good listeners they can take in an enormous amount from others. Over time, people can come to respect them far more than the extrovert who speaks a lot. Usually about themselves.
What does it take , then for a very shy person to be that successful person they have always wanted to be ? They may only need one more thing to push themselves on their way. They need to dare themselves to take the leap; and when they do , they will probably find all the knowledge they have gained over the years will help them on their way to the top in their chosen field.What does the first paragraph mainly want to tell us?
| A．A person who is quiet may not be shy. | B．A shy person may not be a calm one. |
C．Quiet people are usually doubtful . |
D．Shyness is sometimes a bad feature. |
The underlined word “reluctant” in paragraph 2 probably means ________.
| A．lazy | B．careful | C．eager | D．unwilling |
According to the author, introverted people can be successful because they usually ________.
| A．have a strong will | B．talk less and show off less |
| C．learn more than extroverts | D．have a good attitude to learning |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that “one more thing” probably refers to ________.
| A．energy | B．courage | C．quietness | D．knowledge |
WASHINGTON – Barack Obama swept to victory as the first black president in the US history Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. "Change has come," he told a huge group of cheering supporters.
In his first speech as victor, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in danger, the worst financial crisis in a century."
He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy 
I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you a
bout the challenges we face."
The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states -- Ohio, Florida, Virginia, I
owa and more.
In his speech, Obama invoked (引用) the words of Lincoln and echoed John F. Kennedy.
"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in (努力投入) and work harder," he said.
He and his running mate, Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths（宣誓）of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.
Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession (不景气), and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.
Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.What is special about Barack Obama, the newly-elected president of the United States?
| A．He has a black father and a white mother. |
| B．He is the first black president in the US history. |
| C．He defeated Republican Sen. John McCain easily. |
| D．He will move into the White Palace on Jan. 20, 2009. |
What Obama emphasized in his first speech were ________.
| A．dangers | B．wars | C．challenges | D．financial problems |
The first issue Obama will focus his attention on may probably be to ________.
| A．withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq | B．care for environmental protection |
| C．declare two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan | D．deal with the problems of economy |
According to the passage, Obama’s attitude toward the challenges he faces is ________.
| A．positive | B．negative | C．ambiguous | D．worried |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stone may break my bon
es, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves – the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. But we really shouldn’t be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solves problems, and calm ourselves down. Beware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clea
n your room, join me in saying, “Good job!”
Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and motive others to do their best. Negative words destroy 
all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.The author argues in the first paragraph that ________.
| A．words will never hurt us at all |
| B．words have lasting effects on us |
| C．positive effects last longer than negative effects |
| D．negative words last longer than positive effects |
Why should we not feel embarrassed when talking to ourselves?
A．Almost everybody has the habi t of talking to oneself. |
| B．It does harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone. |
| C．Talking to ourselves helps us to solve all the problems. |
| D．Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health. |
The underlined phrase “give ourselves a pat on the back” in Paragraph 3 means _________.
| A．blame ourselves | B．punish ourselves | C．praise ourselves | D．talk to ourselves |
Which of the following statements would the author agree to?
| A．It is better to think twice before talking to others. |
| B．It is impossible for unkind words to be forgotten. |
| C．Words always possess long positive effects. |
| D．Kind words are sometimes not needed at all. |