How hard we have all prayed(祈祷) to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have.
At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you “young lady”. You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered.
But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; “Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already.”
“No”, they say, “your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good.” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket.
Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now.”
“Good, now, you can sit here and knit (编织) this for me while I go and have a rest.” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work.” You wish then you were a child again.
But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it. That’s the way it goes!
| A．a growing-up boy’s | B．an old woman’s |
| C．a teenage girl’s | D．a grown-up’s |
| A．She is no longer a kid. |
| B．People begin to call her teenager. |
| C．She can join women in all kinds of activities. |
| D．People treat her as a young lady. |
| A．they still regard her as a child |
| B．they don’t believe she is already a teenager |
| C．it’s dangerous for a girl to spend money |
| D．they love her more than before |
| A．she has to lie in bed, doing nothing |
| B．she wishes she were not growing up |
| C．she knows she has already worked the whole afternoon |
| D．she finds it isn’t her turn to do knitting |
Attitude isn’t quite everything when it comes to being successful, but attitude plays a part in every stage of your life. A poor attitude gets more people fired than any other single factor, and a good attitude gets people jobs and helps them keep those jobs more than any other factor.
Your attitude affects many people, from your family to the stranger on the street corner. Your attitude is particularly important when you face seemingly hopeless situations. Losing a job or a friend because of a poor attitude is unfortunate—especially because a bad attitude can be fixed.
You can find at least two ways to look at everything. A pessimist looks for difficulty in the opportunity, while an optimist looks for opportunity in the difficulty. A poet of long ago put the difference between optimism and pessimism(悲观主义) this way: two men looked out of the prison bars—one saw mud while the other saw stars.
Unfortunately, many people look only at the problem and not at the opportunity that lies within the problem. Many employees complain about the difficulty of their jobs, for example, not realizing that if the job was simple, the employer would hire someone with less ability at a lower wage. A small coin can hide even the sun if you hold the coin close enough to your eye. So when you get too close to your problems, to think objectively(客观地) about them, try to keep in mind how your vision（视觉）can be obstructed. Take a step back, and look at the situation from a new angle.
You can’t do anything to change the fact that a problem exists, but you can do a great deal to find the opportunity within that problem. You’re guaranteed a better tomorrow by doing your best today and developing a plan of action for the tomorrows that lie ahead. Just remember to maintain a positive mental attitude.What does the author mean by saying the first sentence in Paragraph 1?
| A．If you have a good attitude, you will be successful. |
| B．Your attitude makes a great influence on your life. |
| C．Your attitude has nothing to do with your success. |
| D．Your success is very important to your life. |
In Paragraph 3, the writer shows us ________.
| A．two ways to look at everything |
| B．the ways to look for opportunity |
| C．the explanation of pessimist and optimist |
| D．the ways to look out from prison bars |
The writer mentions the example of many employees in Paragraph 4 to tell people to ______.
| A．ignore the problem |
| B．make their jobs easy to do |
| C．wait for the problem to be solved |
| D．look for opportunity in the problem |
The underlined word “obstructed” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.
| A．dropped | B．blocked | C．improved | D．shared |
Who can be the target(目标) readers of the passage？
| A．teachers | B．students | C．bosses | D．Officers |
A team of researchers from Oxford University has demonstrated a self-driving car that is different from such cars being tested by Audi, Ford, etc. It’ s much cheaper because it’s based on off-the-shelf(现成的) technology and controlled by an ordinary iPad. Instead of using GPS to understand the location, the car learns routes when a person is driving, and then asks after it’s got it down, if the driver would like the computer to take over.
As time passes, it’s becoming very clear that people believe computers would be better drivers than humans. This has been proven by extensive research that indicates that computers are able to react more quickly to driving conditions, make smarter decisions, don’t take risks, and don’t make mistakes in concentration. They don’t drink either, of course, which means accidents due to drunk driving could be reduced dramatically if the computer could take over when someone needs to get home from the bar. And the team says drivers don’t need their cars to know everything about every road, condition or possible danger. Instead, they just need to know how to get from one point to another, and to do a good job of it when asked.
To that end, the researchers have added cameras, lasers, a central computer to process information and a regular iPad. In practice, the car would learn how to get to and from places that the driver frequents, such as their work place, the local pub or grocery store. Once it has it down, the computer asks the driver if they’ d like a rest. If so, they simply tap the iPad, and the car takes over.
It’ s very simple and doesn’t require nearly the same number of devices as those being tested by other car companies. The researchers say people might be able to get the total price of the system below a hundred dollars. And of course, the iPad can be lifted out and carried away for other purposes when not being used as a driver assistant.The car tested by Oxford University are different from others in that they ________.
| A．use available low-cost technology |
| B．depend on GPS to understand the location |
| C．can choose the places for their owners to visit |
| D．can develop a good relationship with their owners |
Computers are believed to be better drivers than humans mainly because they ________.
| A．are more likely to take risks |
| B．are more familiar with every road |
| C．become more skilful at avoiding dangers |
| D．can respond to new situations more quickly |
We can infer from the passage that the iPad __________.
| A．cannot be removed from cars when it’s not used |
| B．has replaced cameras, lasers and a central computer |
| C．needs to be specially designed for a self-driving car |
| D．acts as a tool for drivers to control their self-driving cars |
What best describes the author’s tone in this passage?
| A．Objective. | B．Worried. |
| C．Serious | D．Subjective. |
In which column of a newspaper can we find this passage?
| A．Opinion | B．Fashion | C．Technology | D．Education |
Every year, I tell my sons what I'd like for Mother's Day: a letter, something written from the heart and offered freely rather than bought from a store and wrapped neatly. I don't always get my wish, nor do I always take the time to write to my own mother.
This year, my boys will be in two different states on Mother's Day. My mom and dad will be away together, and I'll be driving home from a writer's workshop in Massachusetts. Thinking of the fact that many friends have already lost their mothers and that a few have lost children, I am deeply grateful that what separates us, for now at least, is merely distance. It won't always be so, and there is no way to prepare for that fact other than to appreciate the moment that is. My sons know that they can please me on Sunday with a phone call or an e-mail, and that is enough as I love their words. The very best gift they can possibly give me is their own happiness, the very fact of their busy, full and well-lived lives.
Still, knowing that my years of staying with my sons are over, I do feel doleful. The truth is, I miss being the center of the universe to two little boys. And this holiday can be a bit painful.
I wonder if my own mother ever felt nostalgic (怀旧的，乡愁的) for the passing of my childhood. I wonder if she realizes that she is still at the center of my universe and always has been. I don't often pause to think about it, but of course she is the one who has been right there, at my side from the moment I drew my very first breath. How to ever fully appreciate the woman whose presence and love and example have shaped me into the adult I am? How to describe even a small part of the sharing, sacrificing, and support she has given me over the years?The author mainly wants to tell us through the first paragraph that_______.
| A．she hopes to get her son's letters very much |
| B．her sons don't often write to her on Mother's Day |
| C．Mother's Day is the very date that she longs for most |
| D．Children are often careless about their parents’ s request. |
The author is deeply grateful for the present life because_______.
| A．her sons don't live far away from her home |
| B．her parents and children are still alive |
| C．her parents are coming to her house to spend Mother's Day |
| D．her sons can please her on Sunday with a phone call |
According to the author，_____________________.
| A．young people nowadays tend to ignore their parents |
| B．parents should not give their children too much freedom |
| C．children's happiness and success are the biggest comfort to parents |
| D．parents are not the center of their children's universe when children grow up |
What does the underlined word "doleful" in Paragraph 3 mean?
| A．sad | B．excited | C．guilty | D．uncomfortable |
What will the author probably tell about after the last paragraph?
| A．She'll tell the reader about her mother's present situation. |
| B．She'll talk about how her mother educated and cared for her. |
| C．She'll describe the reunion of her family on Mother's Day. |
| D．She'll tell the reader about her mother's achievements in her career. |
I decided to cut my front lawn (草坪) today, especially since I live on a main street downtown with lots of traffic. I finished mine and decided to cut my neighbor — Joan’ grass while I was good at it. She is a sweet person who has gone through some trying times in the last year. Her brother passed away because of cancer last year, and her sister (who lives with her) was mentally challenged — yet so sweet!
It was a difficult time with physical and mental challenges that led her employer in our local hospital to let her go after 25 years of service! Lastly, my neighbor Joan, who is a nurse in our local hospital was diagnosed with esophageal(食道) cancer in December. She went through radiation and a long recovery — but thankfully she is in remission(缓解).
Anyway, in short I was leaving my house this afternoon and she stopped me to thank me for cutting her grass. She told me her dad passed away on Friday and she just arrived home from the funeral service, so she didn’t know when she would have time to cut her grass. So, when she arrived home and saw it cut she was more than happy and grateful! I said to her, "You are welcome.It’s just a small act of kindness for a neighbor."
I did it for exercise and pleasure, not knowing it meant more to her than just doing a neighbor a favor!Although a lot of unfortunate matters happened to Joan, she is still.
| A．pessimistic | B．optimistic |
| C．depressed | D．disappointed |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word "trying" in the first paragraph?
| A．Happy. | B．Exciting. | C．Simple. | D．Hard. |
What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?
| A．Joan is unlucky. |
| B．Joan lives happily. |
| C．Joan has retired. |
| D．Joan’ employer doesn’t like her. |
How does Joan feel about the author’s helping her cut grass?
| A．She feels sad. |
| B．She feels only happy. |
| C．She feels very happy and thankful. |
| D．She feels easy. |
It can be hard to meet people from another culture. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal（信号）. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize （强调）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries--like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment（多元文化环境）will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ________.
| A．keep each other company | B．share the same Culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．develop closer relations |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.
| A．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．the English prefer to make long speeches |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life. |
| B．By recognizing different values. |
| C．By accepting different habits. |
| D．By speaking each other’s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment. |
| B．How to Understand Each Other. |
| C．Cross-Cultural Differences. |
| D．How to Build Up a Relationship. |