I was going to Paris, which I’d always wanted to see. But now I was frightened to travel alone. I arrived at the train station in Paris. I hadn’t spoken my college French for twenty years. On my first metro ride, I came across an incompetent（不胜任的）thief. I just stared at him, and he stopped his hand from my purse and disappeared into the crowd. Somewhere in this confusing city was my hotel hidden, but the directions suddenly weren’t easy to find. When I finally found the hotel, my heart was beating heavily, and I was sweating like a basketball player. I couldn’t stay. Could I? The wallpaper looked like it had been through a fire. The bathroom was downstairs, and the window looked out onto the brick wall of another building. Welcome to Paris. I sincerely wanted to die. I missed my friends. I was entering my third week away from home and my kids, and I had arrived in the most romantic city in the world, alone, lonely and frightened.
The most important thing I did in Paris happened at that moment. I knew that if I didn’t go out, right then, and find a place to have dinner, I would hide in this small room my entire time in Paris. I might never learn to enjoy the world as a single individual. So I went out. Evening in Paris was light and pleasant. I walked along a path, listening to birds sing, watching children float toy boats in a huge fountain. No one seemed to be in a hurry. Paris was beautiful. And I was here alone and suddenly not lonely. My sense of accomplishment overcoming my fear and weakness had left me feeling free. I wore out two pairs of shoes during my week’s stay in Paris. I did everything there was to do, and it was the greatest week of my European vacation. I returned home, becoming a believer in the power of traveling alone. Now when I meet difficulties I just say to myself, “If I can go to Paris, I can go anywhere.”What happened on my first metro ride?
| A．I came across a skillful thief. |
| B．I bravely caught a thief trying to steal |
| C．The thief successfully stole my purse |
| D．I scared away a thief trying to steal |
The room in the hotel where I lived ______.
| A．had just gone through a big fire |
| B．was in very poor conditions |
| C．had a good sight through the window |
| D．was very small and untidy |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．I was not lonely when I got to Paris. |
| B．I felt frightened travelling alone in Paris at first. |
| C．I then felt not lonely for the people around me in Paris. |
| D．I had a lot of walking during my stay in Paris. |
The lifestyle of French people can be considered as ________.
| A．hasty | B．relaxed | C．anxious | D．aggressive |
As to the writer, the power of traveling alone is _______.
| A．the power of being independent |
| B．the power of feeling free |
| C．the power of becoming optimistic |
| D．the power of overcoming difficulties |
Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no”.
A friend is moving house this weekend and would like some help, and you agree. But, what you really wanted was a couple of quiet days relaxing at home. Or a roommate spends the entire weekends playing video games and wants to borrow your homework for “reference”. But, you’ve just finished it after taking a whole day to work hard.
Many people say “yes” to these kinds of requests. They tend not to consider their own interests and feelings, and are often angry with themselves afterwards .
Saying “no” requires courage and considerable practice, in fact, according to psychologists .
“Everyone wants to be liked,” says Gabriele Steinki, a German psychologist. “Saying ‘no’ risks losing the affection of the person asking the favor or even a job.”
The result is that many people say “yes” just for keeping the peace. But experts say this is regrettable . Anyone should have the right to say “no”.
In fact, rejecting (拒绝) a request can even help to strengthen a relationship because it expresses a true feeling.
But, for people Used to agreeing to every request, changing can be a long and uncomfortable learning process.
Most people believe that “If I say ‘no’, I'll lose the affection of the person. But the affection is important to me.” This way of thinking can be replaced by this: “If he only likes me because I always do what suits him , then the price of his affection is too high in the long term.”
Steinki says the key is talking to the other person to find a mutual (相互的) solution. “One heeds to present the situation from one’s own point of view, and to suggest how the situation can be dealt with to the advantage of both parties. The other person must have the feeling that his interests are being considered.”
When the refusal is not accepted, Steinki advises giving the reasons calmly again until the person gets the message .
56. Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no” because ________.
A. they don’t care about their own interests and feelings
B. they don’t know they will regret afterwards
C. they have already been used to saying “yes”
D. they care more about others’ affection
57. In the opinion of experts, _________ .
A. people need a lot of practice to say “no”
B. people should say “yes” to keep the peace
C. saying “no” means losing a job
D. people have the right to be liked
58.According to the writer, what should you do if you want to refuse the other person’s request?
A. Just say you can’t help him.
B. Say sorry to him.
C. Refuse him clearly.
D. Talk to the other person to find a mutual way.
59.According to the writer, what should you do if your refusal is not accepted?
A. Say yes to him. B. Repeat your reason for his acceptance（接受，认可）
C. Just go away D. Say no to him
60. What is the best title of the passage?
A. You Need Courage To Say “No” B. “Yes” More Than “No”
C Anyone Has The Right To Say “No” D. It’s Hard To Say “No”
A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have disclosed.
Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study.
Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA．As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they are easy to have illnesses.
But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres - a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said: "These results are exciting because they prove for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D．
"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer."
He said further studies are required to confirm the findings.
Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL's twin research unit, and a co-author of the report, added: "Although it might sound absurd(荒谬的), it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process."
Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 per cent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be obtained through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.
Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
64．What’s the best title of this passage?
A．Sunshine 'helps to keep you young'
B．Vitamin D has a protective effect on many diseases
C．Telomeres - a biological marker of ageing
D．People have found the secret to having a long life
65．How can people get vitamin D?
A．through water B．through sunshine
C．through foodD．both B and C
66．What does the underlined word in paragraph three refer to?
A．It refers to a kind of vitamin that can keep you young.
B．It refers to a biological marker of ageing found in DNA.
C．It refers to a kind of element that can be obtained from sunshine.
D．It refers to a part of the body.
67．Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A．women with high levels of vitamin D shows a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
B．vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases.
C．too much sunshine may increase our risk of skin cancer.
D．It has been proved that sunshine 'helps to keep you young'.
Computers. Love them or hate them, it is impossible to escape from them in the modern age. They are so much a part of our everyday lives—from instant messaging to e-mails. With many people preferring to use e-mail rather than traditional regular mail, it has become very important to be aware of how we express ourselves when using e-mail. The requirement of etiquette（网络礼仪）is obviously needed.
Grammar and spelling
Firstly, if you are dealing with a formal e-mail, pay close attention to grammar and spelling. Don’t forget to run your spell-check (program) at the end of the document, but don’t treat it as the final word. Carefully re-read it yourself, as sometimes even spell and grammar checking programs come up with some strange explanations. Remember, your first e-mail to a potential employer or college could be your last — you won’t want to spoil your first impression by making basic errors.
E-mail addresses
Also, for official e-mails, carefully consider your existing e-mail address. A funny e-mail address (such as pinkfluffycutiepie@…com) may be fine for using with your friends, but what impression do you think this address might give to an employer or college admissions officer? Consider using one address for personal e-mails and a different one for formal use.
Upper case（大写字母）
Take care also NOT TO TYPE UNNECESSARILY IN UPPER CASE, as this is the e-mail version of shouting.
Personal information
You should beware too about giving away too much personal information over the Internet. It may feel much more comfortable to “talk” using instant messages as there are no uncomfortable silences or awkward moments, but never forget that—unless the person you are speaking to is a friend or family member—you really know nothing about them, so be careful. Further to this, NEVER agree to meet a stranger that you have spoken to online, as it can be extremely dangerous.
My final message though is—have fun! The Internet is exciting, useful and informative. But, as with so many things that we believe we can’t live without, it is a much better servant than a master.
60．The text is mainly about______.
A．how to express ourselves when using e-mail
B．computers, so much a part of our everyday lives
C．the Internet, a much better servant than a master
D．paying close attention to grammar and spelling when dealing with a formal e-mail
61．What does the underlined word “beware” mean?
A．think B．be careful C．care D．know
62．If you use all capital letters, it looks like you are______.
A．yelling B．careful C．unprofessional D．childish
63．Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
A．As time goes by, many people prefer to use traditional regular mail again.
B．It’s fun to meet a stranger that you have spoken to online.
C．If you want to apply for a job, you can’t use a funny e-mail address when writing e-mails..
D．Grammar and spelling are not important when you write e-mails.
Targeting teens
But using the Web also makes teens a target. Posting too much personal information for those millions of cyber eyes to see can cause some big problems and can even invite a threat to your life.
As Mary learned, not everyone on the Internet is who he or she says they are. Adults will sometimes pose as other teens, posting fake photos and nice messages to gain trust. They use their fake identity to access the personal information of others, such as home address, phone number, or school name.
"That's not the most common scenario", says David Finkelhor, a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire. "Only 3 percent of teens aged 10 to 18 who use the Internet report being asked to meet offline. But the danger is real.
Safety measures
Mary's My Space profile is set to "private", which means that only the people she adds under the "friend" category can access her page. She also doesn't have any pictures of herself on her site. The only self-identifying material she has posted is her name, grade, and a list of hobbies.
"People can only add me if they know my last name or my e-mail, "Mary says. " I don't want random people to see my profile. I just go online to talk to my friends."
Stay safe and have fun online
Experts say almost 90 percent of U.S. Teens are online. But not everyone knows how to surf the Web in a smart way. With these tips, you can have fun, stay safe, and avoid embarrassment!
Pick a safe password. Make sure your password is something that other people won't be able to guess. Use numbers in between letters. "spar123ky" is better than "sparky 123."
Pick a safe username. Make sure yours doesn't say too much about you, "Happygirl13" is better than "AliceWaters13." Don't include your name, age, or where you are from. Never tell a stranger your name, school, address, age, birthday, phone number, or friends' names.
56．Who is most likely to be a victim online?
A．A liar. B．A teenager. C．A stranger. D．An honest person.
57．In Mary's opinion, _________.
A．one shouldn't trust everyone online B．one shouldn't trust anyone online
C．there are many liars online D．all people online pretend to be others
58．One of the safety measures mentioned in the passage is that _________.
A．one should not chat with strangers
B．one should not post his or her photos online
C．one should tell his parents about strange information
D．one should keep his web as a secret
59．Why are numbers used when we pick a safe password?
A．Numbers are easy to write.
B．Using numbers are cool online.
C．The safe password is more unlikely to be guessed.
D．Numbers are popular online.
It is impossible not to make a mistake at some points in your life. We may as well accept that some thing will go wrong and we will be to blame. It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing, and the best way to apologize is by letter. This way you can take care over every work you write— which you can’t do if you say sorry to someone in person.
We all say or do something that we wish we hadn’t said or done. You may say something that accidentally hurts someone, or you may provide a service which doesn’t come up to the standards that a client or customer expected.
You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn’t be avoided. Rather than dwell on the mistake, you should quickly try to remedy（修补）the problem. An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process.
For the contents of the letter, just remember TABS—Timing, Action, Brevity, Sincerity.
The timing of a letter of apology is essential—it must be sent as soon as possible. Any delay in our sending the letter will only compound(add to) the problem. In this case “Better late than never” is not the best motto! The longer you wait before you wait before writing a letter of apology, the more it will seem that you have been coerced（被迫）into writing it.
Although it is important to recognize what has gone before, it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to rectify whatever it was you did wrong. Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received.
A letter of apology should be brief and the word “sorry” should appear no more than twice. Indicate that you are aware using it a second time—“once again, I am so sorry for…” or “as I said earlier, I am really sorry about…”. Finally, the tone of the letter has to be sincere. In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect.
And don’t think that letters are out of date in the email—oriented 21st century. An apology email can be worse than no apology at all!
72．What kind of advice does the text suggest about apologizing?
A．It’s a good idea to write a letter of apology as soon as something has gone wrong.
B．It’s a good idea to send several emails to apologize.
C．Write a long letter apologizing several times to make your point.
D．Wait to see how they react to your letter before planning to do anything.
73．What kind of things do you NOT apologize for?
A．A service that is not as good as it should be.
B．Genuine mistakes.
C．Car accidents.
D．Causing offence or hurt.
74．The underlined expression “Rather than dwell on the mistake” in the third paragraph means you _____.
A．should not waste time worrying about what happened.
B．should consider the problem
C．should forget about what happened.
D．should analyse who was at fault.
75．How can timing compound problems?
A．If you write immediately, they will be suspicious.
B．If you leave it for a few days, they will know it is your idea to write.
C．Waiting for a few days before you write will show your sincerity.
D．Waiting too long will make it worse because they won’t believe you mean it.