A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
“You are employed,” he said. “Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start. ”
The man replied, “But I don’t have a computer, neither an e-mail. ”
“I’m sorry,” said the HR manager. “If you don’t have an e-mail, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job. ”
The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he can survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.
He started to plan his family’s future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, “I don’t have an e-mail. ”
The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?” The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!”Why can’t the man have the job at Microsoft?
| A．Because he was lazy. |
| B．Because he didn’t pass the test. |
| C．Because he didn’t have an e-mail. |
| D．Because he didn’t have a computer. |
The underlined word “triple” can be replaced by ______.
| A．become large |
| B．become 3 times |
| C．increase quickly |
| D．decrease quickly |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world. |
| B．The man didn’t give up though he failed the interview. |
| C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket. |
| D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft. |
The man can be described as _______.
| A．helpful and considerate |
| B．positive and generous |
| C．smart and hardworking |
| D．stubborn and unselfish |
Which proverb can best describe the story?
| A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．Accidents will happen. |
| D．No pains , no gains. |
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13 to 19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in US homes. They will attend US schools, meet US teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world．
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America．
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study, the language began to come to him. Schools were completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual(个人). Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, In America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea．“I suppose I should criticize(批评) American schools,” he says. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens(公民). There ought to be some middle ground between the two.The world exchange programme is mainly to ________.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．have teenagers learn new languages |
| D．let students learn something about other countries |
Fred and Mike agreed that ________.
| A．American food tastes better than German food． |
| B．Americans and Germans were both friendly |
| C．German schools were harder than American schools |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is special in American schools is that ________.
| A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
| B．students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car |
| C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
| D．there are a lot of after-school activities |
After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought _________.
| A．German schools trained students to be better citizens |
| B．A better education should include something good from both America and Germany |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools |
| D．The easy life in the American schools was more helpful to students |
Money and Happiness
A Guide to Living the good life
Author: Laura Rowley
Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2005)
Laura Rowley makes us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and our efforts wisely. She offers insight that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term.
The Happiness Makeover
How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day
Author: M. J. Ryan
Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2005)
Ryan’s own desire to be happier first led(引领) her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world. The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you:
Clear away happiness hindrances(障碍物) like worry, fear, envy, and grudges
Discover happiness boosters like meaningful work, challenge, and gratitude
Learn to think optimistically(乐观地)（it is really possible!）
Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life Happiness
The Science Behind Your Smile
Author: Daniel Nettle
Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2005)
This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more.
Hormones（荷尔蒙）, health, and Happiness
Author: Steven F. Hotze
Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2005)
Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of health care. In Hormones, Health, and Happiness you are shown how to reach and maintain optional cell, tissue(身体组织), and organ（器官） functioning so that you can enjoy a better quality of life.At least how many books are written by women according to the passage above?
| A．4 | B．3 | C．2 | D．1 |
Whose model will possibly help readers obtain health naturally(自然地)?
| A．Laura Rowley | B．Ryan’s | C．Daniel Nettle’s | D．Steven F. Hotze’s |
Which book is the result of the author’s own need to know more about happiness?
| A．Hormones, health, and Happiness |
| B．Money and Happines |
| C．The Happiness Makeover |
| D．The Science Behind Your Smile |
What does the word “home” mean to you? How do you say the word in French? In Spanish? In your language? Although people usually know what the word means, it often has no exact translation. It’s not surprising really, because the idea of home differs from country to country, and from person to person. A home is more than a roof and four walls. It’s the cooking, eating, talking, playing and family living that go on inside, which are important as well. And at home you usually feel safe and relaxed.
But it’s not just that homes look different in different countries, they also contain different things and reveal（显示） different attitudes and needs. For example, in cold northern Europe, there’s a fire in the living room or kitchen and all the chairs face it. In the south, where the sun shines a lot and it’s more important to keep the heat out, there are small windows, cool stone floors and often no carpets. We asked some people about their homes.
How often do people move house in your country?
“In my country many people don’t stay in one place for a very long time. They often move every ten years or so.”
Cheryl, Boston, USA
What are typical features of homes in your country?
“In Britain, even in town there’s always a garden and sometimes a cellar（地下室）. We have separate bedrooms and living rooms. But we don’t often have balconies (阳台). The weather isn’t warm enough!”
— Pat, Exeter, EnglandWhich one is true according to the passage?
| A．People in Britain seldom have balconies because it’s so hot outside. |
| B．“Home” is a place where you feel safe and relaxed. |
| C．Although homes look different in different countries, they have the same needs. |
| D．Houses in northern Europe always have big windows and cool stone floors. |
The word “home” has no exact translation because ______.
| A．people can’t find this word in the dictionary |
| B．no one knows what it is |
| C．it has different meanings in different countries |
| D．people can’t understand each other very well |
You can ______ at home according to the passage.
| A．eat, play, and teach students | B．cook, talk, and play games |
| C．swim, eat, and make friends | D．do nothing |
Why is it important to keep the heat out of the houses in southern Europe?
| A．Because they want to breathe fresh air outside. |
| B．Because there’s a fire in the living room. |
| C．Because they wear heavy clothing all day long. |
| D．Because the sun there shines a lot. |
Long ago there were two people--- a young father and an old neighbor. One day the young father was visiting the old neighbor. They were standing in the old man’s garden, talking about children. The young man said, “How strict should parents be with their children?”
The old man pointed to a string（绳子）between a big strong tree and a thin young one．“Please untie（解开）that string，” he said．The young man untied it, and the young tree bent over to one side. “Now tie it again，please,” said the old man, “but first pull the string tight so that the young tree is straight again.”
The young man did so．Then the old man said，“There，it is the same with children. You must be strict with them, but sometimes you must untie the string to know how they are getting on．If they are not yet able to stand alone，you must tie the string tight again. But when you find that they are ready to stand alone，you can take the string away.”The story is about ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
| A．how the young father should get on with his old neighbor |
| B．how to tie and untie the string |
| C．how to take care of young trees |
| D．how strict parents should be with their children. |
The young man untied the string ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
| A．only to find that the thinner one bent over to one side |
| B．in order to let the old man teach him |
| C．in order to throw it away |
| D．so that both of the trees would grow straight |
When can the string be taken away？＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
| A．When the young man has untied it next time |
| B．When the young tree grows strong enough |
| C．When the old man has left |
| D．After you have untied it |
At last the old man told the young man ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
| A． that he should be strict with his children if they could not yet stand alone |
| B．that he should be hard on them |
| C． that he should tie his children until they are ready to stand alone |
| D．that he should always be strict with his children |
I am a psychologist. I first met Timothy, a quiet, overweight eleven-year-old boy, when his mother brought him to me to discuss his declining grades. A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that his self-esteem(自尊) and general happiness were falling right along with them. I asked about Timothy’s typical day. He awoke every morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home around four thirty each afternoon. He then had a quick snack, followed by either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor. He finished dinner at 7 pm, and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours. Quickly doing the math in my head, I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a day at a writing desk.
What if Timothy spent thirteen hours a day at a sewing machine instead of a desk? We would immediately be shocked, because that would be called children being horribly mistreated. Timothy was far from being mistreated, but the mountain of homework he faced daily resulted in a similar consequence —he was being robbed of his childhood. In fact, Timothy had no time to do anything he truly enjoyed, such as playing video games, watching movies, or playing board games with his friends.
Play, however, is a crucial part of healthy child development. It affects children’s creativity, their social skills, and even their brain development. The absence of play, physical exercise, and freefrom social interaction takes a serious toll on many children. It can also cause significant health problems like childhood obesity, sleep problems and depression.
Experts in the field recommend the minutes children spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their grade level. As a fifthgrader, Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes a day of homework (instead of three times that amount). Having an extra two hours an evening to play, relax, or see a friend would soundly benefit any child’s life quality.What does the underlined word “them” in the first paragraph probably refer to?
| A．Timothy’s parents. | B．Timothy’s grades. |
| C．Psychologists. | D．The students. |
What did the writer think of Timothy after learning about his typical day?
| A．Timothy was very hardworking. |
| B．Timothy was being mistreated. |
| C．Timothy had a heavy burden. |
| D．Timothy was enjoying his childhood. |
Which of the following statements best describes the writer’s opinion?
| A．Children should be allowed enough time to play. |
| B．Playing board games works better than playing video games. |
| C．The more they play, the more creative children will become. |
| D．The depression caused by homework makes children unwilling to play. |
According to the passage, how long should a thirdgrader spend a day doing homework?
| A．About ten minutes. |
| B．No more than twenty minutes. |
| C．No more than thirty minutes. |
| D．About fifty minutes. |