A
When I was six years old, my mother started making me take piano lessons. Every morning, she would make sure I sat in front of the piano and practiced for at least one hour. After two years, I still didn’t like it. When the time for my Grade Ⅰ examination, I couldn’t go through with it. I cried because I didn’t want to play the piano anymore. In the end, I was spared from going for any more lessons. That was the end of my music career.
When I look back at that time, I ask myself—why did I do that for two years? I didn’t think abut it then but the answer seems obvious now—I didn’t think I had a choice.
Then for twelve years, I felt that my life had no meaning. I felt that I really couldn’t go on. I kept waiting for something outside of me to happen to make me happy. But the universe intervened (干涉) and sent me help disguised in the form of a sales call.
One afternoon a lady called me about a Tony Robbins event called Unleash the Power Within. Part of me was curious; but when the time came, I still was considering if I should go in or go to the beach instead. I made a choice to give it a try. In that hall filled with 4,000 people, Tony gave me back something I never knew I had---the power of choice. I left there renewed and refreshed, excited about my new life, knowing from that point forward that in life there are no victims, only choices. To this day, I sometimes wonder how differently my life would have turned out if I had missed taking that sales call.
Sometimes in life, we are stuck in certain situations and it may seem that there is nothing we can do about it. Just remember that everything in life is about choice. You can make a choice to remove yourself from any situation that is not serving you right now. The question is---will you?What was the possible reason for the author’s giving up the piano?
| A．His mother thought he played badly. |
| B．He liked playing other instruments. |
| C．He didn’t like to play the piano. |
| D．He couldn’t pass the examination. |
In the author’s opinion, the sales call is______.
| A．to promote certain kind of products to him. |
| B．to help him in a different form. |
| C．to give him a chance to make a choice. |
| D．to interfere his normal life. |
After the author participated in the Tony Robbins event, he_____.
| A．forgot about all the pleasant things in his life. |
| B．went to the beach immediately. |
| C．was hopeful and optimistic. |
| D．was ready to help others. |
What is main idea of the passage?
| A．People should try different things in life. |
| B．Somehow we will get help in the end. |
| C．We should participate in more activities. |
| D．We aren’t helpless; we can control our own lives. |
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered the rightful property of someone or other of their daughters.
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day. “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?” Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.
“But it is, ” returned she, “for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.”
Mr. Bennet made no answer.
“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.
“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.”
This was invitation enough.
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”
“What is his name?”
“Bingley.”
“Is he married or single?”
“Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!”
How so? How can it affect them?
“My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.”
“Is that his design in settling here?”
“Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.”
“I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as beautiful as any of them. Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party. ”The sentence “… a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” means that ______.
| A．a single man without money needn’t a wife |
| B．women want to get married to financial stable men |
| C．a single man who is financially stable needs a wife |
| D．once man becomes rich, he must want to get a wife |
From the conversation between the Bennets, we can conclude that Mrs. Bennet _______.
| A．wanted to persuade her husband to visit the young man |
| B．wanted to get an invitation from their new neighbor to a party |
| C．asked for her husband’s permission to visit the new neighbor |
| D．wanted to tell her husband something about their new neighbor |
At the end of the passage, Mr. Bennet sounded _________ toward his wife’s proposal.
| A．grateful | B．indifferent | C．delighted | D．interested |
Where on Earth are you? Navigators (导航员) use lines of latitude and lines of longitude to locate places. Lines of latitude run east and west around Earth. On a map or globe, these lines appear as running sideways or horizontally. Lines of longitude run north and south around Earth. These lines go up and down or vertically on a map or globe. These lines create an imaginary graph paper on the Earth. They make it possible to find an absolute, or exact, location on Earth. They even allow us to give an absolute location to a place out in the middle of the ocean.
Lines of latitude tell us how far north or south of the Equator we are. Sailors have used primitive navigation tools, like astrolabes, since ancient times. The astrolabe uses the sun and stars to find an approximate location. Using such tools, they have been able to approximate their distance from the equator. Although their instruments may not have been the high quality we have now, they were incredibly accurate (精确) for their time.
Lines of longitude tell us how far east or west of the prime meridian (本初子午线) we are. Sailors constantly looked for new ways to increase their navigation skills. Still, it wasn’t until the 18th century that they were able to measure degrees of longitude. They would have been very envious of the technology available to us today.
When we use lines of latitude and longitude together, we can get a very precise location. If we want to identify the absolute location of a point, we look where the latitude and longitude lines cross nearest to that point. We use the coordinates (坐标) for that point as its address. Many maps today include degrees of latitude and longitude.______ make it possible for people to find an exact place on Earth.
| A．Latitudes | B．Longitudes | C．Navigators | D．Sailors |
The second paragraph mainly talks about _______.
| A．the function of latitude | B．the use of the equator |
| C．the invention of astrolabe | D．the high quality instruments |
Why do maps include degrees of latitude and longitude?
| A．To help trade expeditions. | B．To locate a precise place. |
| C．To cross the lines of the nearest point. | D．To identify how far a place is. |
The best title for this passage is ____________.
| A．The map and the globe | B．Latitude and longitude |
| C．The equator and the prime meridian | D．Absolute coordinates |
Cambodians are continuing to mourn the death of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, who died in Beijing this week. In an exclusive interview with CCTV, China’s ambassador to Cambodia, Pan Guangxue, says Sihanouk made indelible(不可磨灭的) contributions to Sino-Cambodian relations and his death will not affect the friendship between the two countries.
Since its founding, the People’s Republic of China has maintained close contact with Cambodia. Bilateral(双边的) trade volume has increased rapidly in recent years, from 200 million US dollars in 2002 to nearly 2.5 billion US dollars in 2011.
China is now not only Cambodia’s third largest trading partner, but for many years has been Cambodia’s number one investor. Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia’s “King-Father” pioneered the relationship.
Pan Guangxue said, “If we look back at previous decades, I think Sihanouk made the right choice, a choice good to Cambodian national development. It was because of his commitment to the development of Sino-Cambodia friendship that we’ve achieved what we have today.”
In 2010, the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership, during its Prime Minister Hun Sen’s visit to China.
And 2013 is set to be China-Cambodia Friendship Year.
Pan Guangxue said, “Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on many occasions that China does not tell Cambodia what to do or what not to do. China does not point fingers at Cambodia. I think this is a true evaluation of Sino-Cambodian relations. China pursues an independent peaceful foreign policy of non-alignment(不结盟) and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.”
The ambassador says Sihanouk’s death is a huge loss to both China and Cambodia, but that bilateral relations will not be affected.
Pan Guangxue said, “I believe the bilateral relationship will be sustained and grow even stronger.”
With both countries enjoying the benefits of the fruitful relationship, the governments of China and Cambodia have promised that Sihanouk’s legacy(遗产) will continue to be the foundation of even stronger ties.We can learn from the passage that Sihanouk ________.
| A．is the present Cambodian Prime Minister |
| B．went for an interview with CCTV the other day |
| C．made the right choice to encourage investment in China |
| D．had great influence on Sino-Cambodian relations |
The following facts can prove the good Sino-Cambodian relations EXCEPT that _______.
| A．Sihanouk was committed to Cambodian national development |
| B．the two countries has set 2013 to be China-Cambodia Friendship Year |
| C．the two countries has established a comprehensive strategic partnership |
| D．trade volume between the two countries has increased sharply in recent years |
What is Pan Guangxue’s opinion on Sihanouk’s death?
| A．It will more or less damage the bilateral relationship. |
| B．It will continue to be the foundation of even stronger ties. |
| C．It means a huge loss for both countries in economy. |
| D．It has very little negative effect on the bilateral relationship. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．China-Cambodia Friendship Year |
| B．China-Cambodia friendship to continue |
| C．Sihanouk’s death—a great loss to Cambodia |
| D．China’s peaceful foreign policy to continue |
Four simple keys to transform your life
The power of choice.
Every one of us makes countless choices every day. Every choice we make has an impact on our lives. Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel. When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food. The more important the decision, the greater its effect. For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way.
How do you make choices?
If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you. This foundation is to choose based on what’s best for all. Imagine a world where every parent, spouse(配偶), friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what’s best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world.
It’s the intention.
“But how do I know what is really best?” you might ask. The answer is simple. It doesn’t matter. What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice. What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what’s best for all. If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there’s no need for guilt. Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what’s best for all, your conscience stays clear and open. This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind.
What’s best for me, too!
Choosing what’s best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for other. An overly(过度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily. Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children. So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what’s best for all.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Every one of us makes countless choices every day. |
| B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us. |
| C．People act differently towards the person who treated them badly. |
| D．People tend to reach for a junk snack when hunger strikes. |
How should we make choices?
| A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life. |
| B．To make life better for ourselves. |
| C．To base our choices on what’s best for all. |
| D．To imagine a world where everyone did their best. |
According to the author, what is really best?
| A．The choice you make. | B．The intention behind your choice. |
| C．The mistake you learn from. | D．The consequence of your choice. |
To choose what is best for us, we’d better ________.
| A．try to be selfish all the time | B．sacrifice ourselves for others |
| C．set aside some time for ourselves | D．control our temper before children |
These days, many passers-by always spot a beggar on the Jiaochangkou Street in Yuzhong District of Chongqing in southwest China.
The beggar’s name is Xia Haibo, and he was born in Meihe Village, Tianmen City of Hubei Province. Being 25 years old, he is quite a special beggar in some ways — he doesn’t beg on his knees, as other beggars do when begging. Rather, he often stands in the crowded street, either reading a book or thinking about something carefully. He also started a blog on the Internet which has been clicked more than 500,000 times. He likes reading — he has read many classical Chinese poems. He has kept writing and recently, he has planned to publish his writings.
In 1998, Xia entered Tianmen Middle School as the best student in his town. However, a year before he took the college entrance examination, he came down with a high fever and was later diagnosed (诊断) as having rheumatoid arthritis (类风湿性关节炎). In order to treat his disease, his father borrowed 60,000 yuan from relatives and friends. However, with this money, he didn’t recover from the disease. He did not want to become a burden (负担) to his family any more. So in July, 2006, he left his hometown and went to Wuhan to make a living by begging.
Begging has become a job to Xia now. However, he doesn’t plan to go on living like this. “By July 24, 2008, when I have been begging for two years, I will stop my begging life. I promise,” he said.
It is his plan that by using the money he “earns”, he will rent a small shop in his hometown and keep on writing in his spare time.
Right now, he is trying to finish a book of his own. The book, called Love Is With Me, tells about the people who helped him during his begging life. The underlined word “spot” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to “______”.
| A．forgive | B．record | C．beat | D．notice |
When did Xia Haibo get the serious illness?
| A．In 1998. | B．In 2001. | C．In 2000. | D．In 2006. |
How does Xia beg in the street?
| A．He begs on his knees in the street. |
| B．He writes Chinese poems for those who like poems. |
| C．He reads or thinks while standing in the street. |
| D．He teaches people how to surf the Internet. |
Which of the following is NOT true about Xia Haibo?
| A．His dream is to have his book published. |
| B．He will not stop begging until he earns enough money for his future life. |
| C．He is writing a book to express his thanks to those who helped him. |
| D．He will keep writing while running a small business. |