I told my friend Graham that I often cycle the 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 as I wend my way up the incline I console 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 smug smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill.
Problems are there to be faced and overcome. 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 the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved."
One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity. 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. Whilst we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it.
The biographies of great people are littered with examples of how they took these kinds of steps to overcome the difficulties they faced. The common thread is that they did not become defeatist or depressed. They chose their attitude. They chose to be positive. They took on the challenge. They won. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Attitude makes difference |
| B．Well begun is half done. |
| C．The early bird gets the worm. |
| D．Easier said than done. |
From Helen Keller’s example we can infer that__________.
| A．Great people are born to be great and successful |
| B．Life is hard and difficult so we have to give up |
| C．We cannot achieve anything with an easy life |
| D．Practice makes people successful and powerful |
What do you think the author is most likely to suggest if he/she continues to write?
| A．Some examples of our daily life. |
| B．His stories of overcoming difficulties. |
| C．Stories of some unlucky great people. |
| D．Some examples of his friend Graham. |
The underlined word “adversity ” in the fourth paragraph probably NOT refers to ______.
| A．problems | B．difficulties | C．hardships | D．advertisements |
He’s out there somewhere, an instant icon in the records of American conflict, the final big-game hunter. But a puzzle, too, his identity would be kept a secret for now, and maybe forever.
He is the unknown shooter. The nameless, faceless triggerman who put a bullet in the head of the world’s most notorious（臭名昭著的）terrorist, Bin Laden.
He’s likely between the ages of 26 and 33, says Marcinko, founder of the “SEALs Team 6” that many believe led the attack on Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He’ll be old enough to have had time to hurdle the extra training tests required to join the counter-terrorism unit, yet young enough to stand the body-punishing harshness of the job. The shooter’s a man, it’s safe to say, because there are no women in the SEALs. And there’s a good chance he’s white, though the SEALs have stepped up efforts to increase the number of minorities in their ranks, Marcinko and Smith say.
He was probably a high school or college athlete, Smith says, a physical specimen who combines strength, speed and wisdom. “They call themselves ‘tactical athletes,’” says Smith, who works with many future SEALs in his Heroes of Tomorrow training program in Severna Park. “It’s getting very scientific.”
Marcinko puts it in more conventional terms: “He’ll be ripped,” says the author of the best-selling autobiography “Rogue Warrior.”“He’s got a lot of upper-body strength. Long arms. Thin waist. Flat stomach.”
On this point, Greitens departs a bit. “You can’t make a lot of physical assumptions,” says the author of “The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL.” There are SEALs who are 5 feet 4 and SEALs who are 6 feet 5, Greitens says. In his training group, he adds, there were college football boys who couldn’t hack it; those who survived were most often men in good shape, but they also had a willingness to show their concerns in favor of the mission.
The shooter’s probably not the crew-cut（平头）, neatly shaven ideal we’ve come to expect from American fighting forces. “He’s bearded, rough-looking, like a street naughty boy,” Marcinko supposes. “You don’t want to stick out.” Marcinko calls it “modified grooming standards.”
His hands will be calloused（长老茧）, Smith says, or just rough enough,” as Marcinko puts it. And “he’s got frag in him somewhere,” Marcinko says, using the battlefield shorthand for “fragments” of bullets or explosive devices. This will not have been the shooter’s first adventure. Marcinko estimates that he might have made a dozen or more deployments（部署）, tours when he was likely to have dealt with quite a number of dangerous situations, getting ready any time for explosive devices or bullets.Which of the following is most likely to be the title of the passage?
| A．Who shot Bin Laden? | B．What do the SEALS do? |
| C．How can boys be SEALS? | D．What SEALS are like? |
From the passage we can know that the writer ___________.
| A．knows clearly what the shooter is like | B．doubts whether Bin Laden is dead |
| C．is certain that the shooter is a man | D．is not sure of the shooter’s gender |
We can say for sure according to the passage that___________.
| A．the shooter will eventually be revealed in the Press |
| B．the writer is a person who is curious about the shooter |
| C．the writer is a detective who tries to arrest the shooter |
| D．the shooter is a strong man with a pair of rough hands |
Which of the following are the names of writers mentioned in the passage?
①. Marcinko ②. Greitens ③. Smith ④. Abbottabad
| A．①④ | B．③④ | C．②③ | D．①② |
Here’s this week’s list of four open jobs throughout the local area. Whether you’re unemployed and need a job or you are just sick of the one you have, Roswell Patch wants to help. We know new jobs can be hard to come by these days, which is why we’ll try to post a selection of jobs we’ve found in the area on the site each week. Happy hunting!
Part-time Spanish Instructor-World Language Institute, Inc. – Roswell.
World Language Institute, Inc. in Roswell is currently hiring a part-time, native-speaking Spanish instructor. Applicants must be able to pass a background check and drive a 15-passenger bus to pick up students from several schools, from 2 p. m. – 6 p. m. Monday-Friday. The position pays $ 10 per hour. More information about the job is available online.
Experienced Servers – Chill’s – Alpharetta
Chili’s in Alpharetta is seeking experienced servers to add to its team. Qualifications will include being clean and neat and having great attitude and customer service skills. The pay is $ 2.13, plus tips. Stop by the store to fill out an application. More information about this position is available online.
Registered Nurese-North Fulton Regional Hospital-Roswell
North Fulton Regional Hospital is looking for a RN/Registered Nurse to fill a 12-hour night shift. Applicants must be registered and previous hospital experience is preferred. More information about the position is available online.
Software Engineer-ControlScan-Alpharetta
ControlScan in Alpharetta is hiring a software engineer. Applicants should have five or more years of relevant experience, as well as advanced knowledge of computer technology. Pay is commensurate（相称）with experience. More information about the position can be found online.Where can we most probably rend the passage?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．On a website. | C．In a magazine. | D．In a textbook. |
What does the underlined word "sick" mean?
| A．Ill. | B．Absent. | C．Bored. | D．Unfamiliar |
World Language Institute, Inc. is looking for____.
A. a school bus driver. B. a full-time teacher
C. a Spanish teacher D a Spanish managerWho will mainly work at night?
| A．Jane, hired by North Fulton Regional Hospital. |
| B．John, hired by World Language Institute. Inc. |
| C．Robert, hired by ControlScan. |
| D．Sally, hired by Chili’s. |
British society is considered to be divided into three main groups of classes－the upper class，the middle class．and the lower or working class．This is known as the class system and it is important
to know something about it if you mean to understand British people and society．Most British people grow up with a deep knowledge and understanding of the class system even if they are not very conscious（意识到的）of it．As a result，more people know which class they belong to and are able to tell which class other people come from by the way t
hey speak，the kind of clothes they wear，their interests and hobbies or even the type of food they eat．
Social class is not only about behavior and attitudes．For example，although many upper class people are rich and may own a lot of land，having a lot of money does not necessarily make a person one member of the upper class．It is also important to come from a particular kind of family，have friends who are considered suitable，have been to a certain type of private school and speak with the right kind of accent．There are people who are poor but who do not think of themselves as working class because their family background，education，political opinions，etc．are basically different from those of most working－class people．Many people do not like the class system but it is impossible to pretend that these differences do not exist or that British people do not sometimes form opinions in this way．The idea of the class system in Britain __________．
| A．exists only in the mind of foreigners | B．is deeply rooted in the British people |
| C．is now under attack | D．is regarded as a long custom |
If an Englishman has a lot of money，__________．
| A．he belongs to the middle class |
| B．he must be a member of the upper class |
| C．he is not likely to be from the upper class |
| D．he may buy an upper class title with money |
What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?
| A．Many rich people do not belong to the upper class． |
| B．Today many British people do not like the class system． |
| C．Many poor people do not consider themselves a lower class． |
| D．An Englishman’S social class is determined by many factors． |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Unequal Society | B．Social Class in Britain |
| C．British People and Society | D．Information about Britain |
Money and Happiness
A Guide to Living a Good Life
Author: Laura Rowley
Publisher: Wiley （March 1, 2007）
Laura Rowley makes us all understand the connection between money and happiness in our own lives so that we can spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers an insight（领悟）so that every reader can make smarter decisions and live a happier life.
Happiness
The Science Behind Your Smile
Author: Daniel Nettle
Publisher: Oxford University Press （July 1,2007）
It is the first book mainly about what happiness is and how happiness works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, etc.
The Happiness Makeover
How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day
Author: M. J. Ryan
Publisher: Broadway （May 10, 2007）
Ryan’s own desire to be happier first led her to study about happiness from brain science, psychology（心理学）, and the wisdom traditions of the world. The happiness Makeover draws on wide - ranging knowledge and presents some suggestions that will help you a lot:
● Clear away worry, fear, envy, and grudges.
● Learn to think about yourself confidently.
● Find daily ways to truly enjoy the moments of your life.
Hormones（荷尔蒙）, Health, and Happiness
Author: Steven F. Hotze
Publisher: Forrest Publishing （April, 2007）
Dr. Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare.
In Hormones, Health, and Happiness, Dr. Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health. You are shown how to reach and maintain the most favorable cell，tissue，and organ functioning．It can help you enjoy a better quality of life．What does the underlined“grudges”probably mean?
| A．anger | B．surprise | C．favour | D．preference |
If you want to know more about whether happiness has something to do with Success，you’d better read_____________．
| A．Money and Happiness | B．Happiness． |
| C．The Happiness Makeover | D．Hormones，Health，and Happiness |
Whose book will possibly help readers get a new kind of health and wellness model?
| A．Laura Rowley’s | B．M．J．Ryan’s |
| C．Daniel Nettle’s | D．Steven F．Hotze’s． |
Where we live, on the eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips.
The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and ducks. In the autumn, they come home for the winter. Once or twice each year, snow and frozen rain move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, there is a freeze which hardens the water to the ice.
One morning, a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Suddenly she leaned forward and cried out, “There is a goose out
there.”
We saw the figure of a large Canada goose, very iii, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to the ice.
Then from the dark sky, she saw a line of swans. They floated from the top of the sky downward and at last landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet now, with one unbelieving hand against her mouth. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life it still had might be pecked（啄）out by those great swan beaks.
Instead, those beaks began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. It went on for a long time. At last, the goose’s head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free and standing on the ice. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if it had cried, “I cannot fly,” four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks chipped off the ice and held in the feathers. Slowly, the goose spread its wings as far as they could go, and moved slowly into the sky.
This is a true story. I just think of it in the bad moments, and from it comes only one hopeful question:“ If so for birds, why not for man?”What happened to the Canada goose?
| A．It was deserted by other geese. | B．It was stuck in the ice. |
| C．It was wounded and couldn’t fly. | D．It was lost in the water. |
At first the author’s friend was worried that ________.
| A．the swans would not help the Canada goose |
| B．the swans would have the same fate with the Canada goose |
| C．the Canada goose wouldn’t identify with the swans |
| D．the swans would peck the Canada goose to death |
What did the swans do when they saw the Canada goose couldn’t fly?
| A．They chipped off the ice held in its feathers. |
| B．They waited patiently for the ice held in its feathers to melt. |
| C．They came down and lifted it up to the sky together. |
| D．They stayed with it and protected it. |
What would probably happen to the
author’s friend in the end?
| A．She stood there, watching attentively, still feeling a bit worried. |
| B．She was on her feet, laughing at the swans and the Canada goose. |
| C．She was embarrassed and went on with her breakfast silently. |
| D．She stood there quietly, not realizing tears had come down her cheeks. |