In March 1987, I started a new magazine called Creating Excellence. It was a very proud moment for me. I’d worked hard for over a year to create it, and the premiere issue (首次发刊) was a real success.
Shortly after we mailed 25,000 copies, I received one in the mail. But this one wasn’t as beautiful as the ones we’d sent out. It was marked in red ink correcting the grammatical errors (语法错误) in it. A talented editor had read the issue carefully and found more errors than I could have imagined.
I felt abashed. A magazine called Creating Excellence should be perfect in its content (内容). The stories were good, but the errors this woman had found showed that we were far from being excellent.
At first, I was upset with my editor for not having caught more mistakes, and also upset with the woman who seemed to have taken pleasure in pointing them out. Later, I was upset with myself for not having employed a better editor.
Then I realized that I had to face up to my mistakes. I called the woman who had shown me that we were not so excellent. I thanked her for taking the time to read our magazine so carefully. As painful as it was, I accepted responsibility for it.
Then I offered her the job of editing our publication. The result was a great improvement in it; we could now be very proud of our magazine.
From this I learnt that an upsetting moment could be an opportunity to see the truth, and accepting responsibility could help to prevent one making the same mistakes for a second time, and to make "excellence" a reality.From the first paragraph we learn that _____.
| A．the author put little effort into his first magazine |
| B．the author’s job was selling magazines |
| C．the author was very satisfied with his work |
| D．the author experienced a total failure |
What does the underlined word "abashed" mean?
| A．excited. | B．embarrassed. | C．interested. | D．exhausted. |
What do we learn about the woman who had found the errors in the magazine?
| A．She was causing trouble on purpose. |
| B．She liked pointing out the errors of others. |
| C．She contributed a lot to the success of the premiere issue. |
| D．She ended up joining the magazine. |
What do we learn from this passage?
| A．Pride is the biggest enemy of success. |
| B．Success is behind many failures. |
| C．Picking holes in something can help you find a job. |
| D．Accepting responsibility for one’s errors can lead to real excellence. |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don’t know them as well their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to _________.
| A．go to their friends | B．talk with their parents |
| C．have a discussion with their family | D．talk with their friends on the phone |
Which of the following is DIFFERENT in meaning from the sentence “Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends.”?
| A．Some parents may even not allow their children to meet their good friends. |
| B．Some parents may even ask their children to stay away from their good friends. |
| C．Some parents may even not let their children meet their good friends. |
| D．Some parents may want their children to stop to meet their good friends. |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
| A．Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B．In all families, children can choose everything they like. |
| C．Parents should try their best to understand their children better. |
| D．Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
The main idea of this passage is that ___________.
| A．Teenagers need friends |
| B．Friends can give good advice |
| C．Parents often choose their children’s friends for them |
| D．Good friends can communicate with each other |
About fifty years ago, when television first came out, people thought that radio was no longer useful. Television has both sounds and images（影像）. It is much more real and interesting to watch television than to listen to the radio.
However, fifty years later radio is still very popular and it will be here for a long time. One reason is that we don’t need to see an image when we listen to the music on the radio. In fact, listening with your eyes closed is the best way to listen to a piece of music. You can imagine yourself on a sandy beach or up high on a mountain. In other words, you can create your own images. Moreover, while listening to the radio, you don’t have to take your eyes off your work. For example, you can listen to the radio and drive at the same time. Or you can read a book and listen to the radio. Television, on the other hand, doesn’t have this advantage.
A radio is much smaller than a television. You can take a radio anywhere and turn it on anytime you want. In a quiet place you can use headphones to listen to the news or music on the radio. In this way you won’t disturb anybody.
Moreover, a radio is much cheaper than a television. For less than $ 20 you can buy a small radio and have fun with it.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Music. | B．Radio. | C．Sound. | D．Television. |
People like to watch TV because _______.
| A．it has headphones to listen to the news |
| B．they can drive while watching TV |
| C．it has both sounds and images |
| D．they can watch with their ears |
We learn from the passage that _______.
| A．people can take a radio anywhere and turn it on anytime |
| B．television came out 50 years ago and it is useless now |
| C．a radio is more expensive than a television |
| D．people can use headphones to read books |
Homeboy Goes to Harvard University
On January 11, 2007, as students sat and listened, a very important guest speaker named Richard, spoke to the students in the lecture hall. He not only showed the potential（潜能）within young adults, but encouraged them to work hard at their lessons.
Richard was a young child when his mother died and his father walked out. He was forced into many different foster homes（寄养家庭）where he felt unhappy. He did not know that his life was taking a turn for the worst.
His uncle, after getting out of prison, got him into drugs and alcohol. His uncle taught him that his place in life was either to be in prison or die trying to be “a man.” His uncle’s teaching almost started affecting him until a very important person came into his life: a teacher. This teacher taught him there is a place in the world for everyone and it isn’t related to drugs.
Richard is now a Harvard University graduate and has a great and loving family. Why? He was taught to have respect not only for others, but for himself.
After the meeting, it was hoped that the students realized within them there is a potential, and within everyone around them, is knowledge. As Richard reminded them, “Knowledge is power.”On January 11, 2007, students listened to a speech made by Richard, who graduated from ________.
| A．Harvard University | B．a foster school |
| C．his teacher’s school | D．his uncle’s university |
Richard encouraged the students ______.
| A．to love life | B．to be a man | C．to study hard | D．to leave drugs |
When he was young, Richard lived a（an）_______ life in foster homes.
| A．rich | B．unhappy | C．relaxing | D．interesting |
Who played an important role in Richard’s successful life?
| A．His uncle. | B．His teacher. | C．His friends. | D．His parents. |
 HOW TO BOOK  By phone:Call Ticketmaster 24 hr Booking Line on 0844 847 2484  Online:www.PalaceandOperaHouse.org.uk or www.ticketmaster.co.uk  In Person:The Palace Theatre Ticket Centre, Oxford Street. Manchester, Ml 6FT (Mon Sat 10am-8pm)  By Post:Stating the performance and choice of seats ,enclosing（附寄）a cheque , postal order ,or your credit card details to The Palace Theatre Ticket Centre , Oxford Street , Manchester , Ml 6FT . Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. |
 Save pounds on tickets NOW!Join Live Nation’s Card for just ￡30 a year and enjoy a whole range of discounts and benefits .You’ll save money from the first time you use your Live Card—not just on tickets ,but on programmes and reduced booking fees . Live Card members often join the audience on opening nights or enjoy generous discounts throughout the run of a show. Call 0844 499 6699 to join Live Card today.  By getting together as a group of 10 or more you can save money on tickets for your favourite shows. Group bookers benefit from a direct free telephone booking line, and don’t pay booking fees .Invitations to parties and book-now-pay-later programmes are all part of our great service to group bookers. Join the hundreds of people already taking advantage of our group booking. Call 0800 587 5007 to talk to one of our group booking assistants about your group visit to the Palace Theatre or Opera House. For further information please call 0161 245 6609. |
If you want to join Live Card to save money on tickets, you can call.
| A．0844 847 2484 | B．0800 587 5007 |
| C．0844 499 6699 | D．0161 245 6609 |
How can you pay for a ticket when you book by post?
| A．By visiting the website of a post office. |
| B．By going to your local bank in person. |
| C．By enclosing your Live Card in an envelope. |
| D．By providing your credit card information. |
What benefit can group bookers enjoy according to the text?
| A．Delayed payment for tickets. | B．Invitations to opening nights. |
| C．Reduced booking fees by phone | D．Generous discounts on tickets. |
On a summer day, John was sitting on a beach in Hawaii with his parents. The six-year-old child suddenly said he was so lucky because he had so many toys to play with at home.
His surprised parents replied that he was lucky, since a lot of kids didn’t have any toys at all. “How can that be?” John said, confused, but then he said that he would like to get toys for those children. His parents naturally thought their son was just kidding. But as soon as they returned home, John began using his pocket money to buy toys for other kids and asking his friends to do the same. His parents responded by organizing pizza suppers for other families interested in helping other children that can’t afford to buy toys. John thought that he just wanted to cheer those kids up.
John’s parents started to find a place that would allow children as young as six and seven to volunteer. They finally find a day care center for disabled children to let John and his friends visit. They went and played with these kids, playing around the room as if they belonged there.
John and his friends named their work Kids Cheering Kids. John and his friends visited kids at some childcare centers, helping out with a party they organized. They also prepared a performance for children with disabilities. Their activities have drawn public concern.
The spirit of helping is as fresh as it was that day in Hawaii. “The whole purpose,”
John says, “is to make the kids feel better.”Why did John get toys for the children who didn’t have any toy at all?
| A．Because he wanted to make them happy. |
| B．Because he wanted to show off his toys. |
| C．Because he wanted to share his toys with them. |
| D．Because he wanted to make friends with them. |
What was John’s parents’ attitude towards his plan?
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Puzzled. |
What do we learn about Kids Cheering Kids?
| A．It’s a children’s game enjoyed by John and his friends. |
| B．It’s a project started by John to help other kids. |
| C．It’s a program performed by John and his friends. |
| D．It’s an after-school activity planned by John’s friends. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An unforgettable vacation | B．A valuable experience |
| C．Let kids cheer kids | D．Let kids learn to share |