“YOUR password has expired (过期),” a message said on my screen, with instructions for changing it. Coming up with a new code (密码) doesn’t seem like a big deal, unless you work at my company, where we have to change it monthly, using at least one uppercase (大写的) character, one lowercase character, one symbol, and one number. Oh, the whole password can’t be fewer than eight characters. And I can’t use any of the same passwords I’ve used in the past three months.
Suddenly I was furious (很生气的). What didn’t make it any better was that I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. Disbelief about what she had done to me was all I thought about every day.
I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss. He’d said: “I’m going to use a password to change my life.”
I couldn’t focus on getting things done in my current mood. There were clear signs of what I needed to do to get control of my life again.
My password became the sign. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.
I made my password Forgive@h3r.
I had to type this several times a day. The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife. That constant reminder led me to accept the way things had happened and find a new way of dealing with my depression. As the month wore on, I felt a slow healing begin to happen. By the time my server asked me to reset my password the following month, I felt free.
One month later, my dear Exchange server asked me yet again to reset my password. I thought about the next thing that I had to get done.
My password became Quit@smoking4ever.
I quit smoking overnight.
This password was a painful one to type during that month, but doing it helped me to yell at myself in my mind as I typed that statement. It motivated me to follow my monthly goal.
One month later, my password became Save4trip@thailand.
Guess where I went three months later: Thailand.
Seeing how these reminders helped to achieve my goals kept me motivated and excited. While it’s sometimes difficult to come up with your next goal, keeping at it brings great resultsWhich of the following passwords fits the company’s requirements?
| A．Seeme@2 |
| B．Dream4future |
| C．Visit$me |
| D．Stay@4ever |
Why couldn’t the author focus on doing things?
| A．Because he couldn’t come up with a new password. |
| B．Because he always forgot his password. |
| C．Because he was in low spirits due to his divorce. |
| D．Because his wife stole his password before their breakup. |
What happened to the author after he had used his password to change his life?
| A．He finally overcame his depression and forgave his ex-wife. |
| B．He started smoking to heal his broken heart. |
| C．He quit his job and went traveling around the world. |
| D．He became furious about his passwords getting longer and longer. |
What message does the author intend to convey through his story?
| A．Never let yourself be a victim of others’ faults. |
| B．Be patient with the healing process for any pain. |
| C．Constant reminders can be positive as well as negative. |
| D．Setting yourself a goal and keeping at it can bring great results. |
Informal conversation is an important part of any business relationship．Before you start a discussion，however，make sure you understand which topics are suitable and which are considered taboo（禁忌）in a particular culture. Latin Americans enjoy sharing information about their local history, art and customs．You may expect questions about your family，and be sure to show pictures of your children．You may feel free to ask similar questions of your Latin American friends．The French think of conversation as an art form，and they enjoy the value of lively discussions as well as disagreements. For them，arguments can be interesting and they can cover pretty much or any topic ---- as long as they occur in are respectful and intelligent manner．
In the United States，business people like to discuss a wide range of topics，including opinions about work，family，hobbies，and politics. In Japan，China，and Korea，however，people are much more private．They do not share much about their thoughts，feelings，or emotions because they feel that doing so might take away from the harmonious business relationship they’re trying to build．Middle Easterners are also private about their personal lives and family matters．It is considered rude，for example，to ask a businessman from Saudi Arabia about his wife or children．
As a general rule，it’s best not to talk about politics or religion with your business friends．This can get you into trouble，even in the United States，where people hold different religious views．In addition，discussing one’s salary is usually considered unsuitable．Sports is typically a friendly subject in most parts of the world，although be careful not to criticize national sport．Instead，be friendly and praise your host’s team．The author considers politics and religion ___________.
| A．cheerful topics |
| B．taboo |
| C．rude topics |
| D．topics that can never be talked about |
Which is typically a friendly topic in most places according to the author？
| A．Sports． | B．Children． |
| C．Personal feelings． | D．Families． |
Why are people from Asia more private in their conversation with others？
| A．They don’t want to talk much with others． |
| B．They don’t want to have their good relationship with others harmed by informal conversation。 |
| C．They are afraid to argue with their colleagues． |
| D．They want to keep their feelings to themselves． |
What shouldn’t you do when talking about sports with colleagues from another country？
| A．Praising your own country’s sports． |
| B．Criticizing your own country’s sports． |
| C．Praising the sports of your colleagues’ country． |
| D．Criticizing the sports of your colleagues’ country． |
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that affect sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels（分贝）measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
| A．The man-made noises. |
| B．The noises made by themselves. |
| C．The sound of earthquakes. |
| D．The sound of the ice-breaking. |
As to the influence of noises on whales, which of the following statements is true?
| A．They are deaf to noises. |
| B．Noises at a certain level may hurt them. |
| C．They are easily confused by noises. |
| D．Noises will limit their ability to reproduce. |
We can know from the passage that many scientists think that the noise limit of one hundred twenty decibels would______.
| A．prevent them from doing their research work |
| B．benefit them a lot in their research work |
| C．do good to their health |
| D．increase the industrial output |
According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
| A．They will try their best to decrease noise. |
| B．They will work hard to cut down noise pollution. |
| C．They will study the effect of different noises. |
| D．They will protect animals from harmful noises. |
Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people，but I also explain that there's a big difference between “being a writer” and writing．In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. “You've got to want to write, ”I say to them, “not want to be a writer”．
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year career in the U.S. Coat Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no hope at all．What I did have was a friend who found me a room in a New York apartment building．It didn't even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom．I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer．
After a year or so．However, I still hadn't gotten a break and began to doubt myself．It was so hard to sell a story that I hardly made enough to eat．But I knew I wanted to write，l had dreamed about it for years．I wasn't going to be one of those people who die wondering, what if? I would keep putting my dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadow land of hope，and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．The purpose of the passage is to．
| A．warn young people of the hardships that a successful writer has to experience |
| B．advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer |
| C．show young people it's unrealistic for a writer to seek wealth and fame |
| D．encourage young people to be a writer over a long period of time |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding． |
| B．A writer's success depends on luck rather than on effort． |
| C．Famous writers usually live in poverty． |
| D．The chances for a writer to become successful are little． |
Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing career?
| A．He wasn't able to produce a single book． |
| B．He hadn't seen a change for the better． |
| C．He wasn't able to have a rest for a whole year． |
| D．He found his dream would never come true． |
“…people who die wondering，what if?” refers to “those”．
| A．who think too much of the dark side of life |
| B．who regret giving up their career halfway |
| C．who think a lot without making a decision |
| D．who are full of imagination even upon death |
“shadow land” in the last sentence means．
| A．the wonderland one often dreams about |
| B．the bright future that one is looking forward to |
| C．the state of uncertainty before one's final goal is reached |
| D．a world that exists only in one's imagination |
Teeth are important．Strong，healthy teeth help you chew foods that help you grow．They help you speak clearly．And，they help you look your best．Here are some tips for you to take care of your teeth．
1．Brush your teeth in the right way．
Brush your teeth at least twice a day—after breakfast and lunch or after sweet snacks，too．
Brush all of your teeth，not just the front ones，Spend time brushing teeth along the sides and back of your mouth．Brush away from your gums，too．
Spend at least three minutes each time you brush．Play a song you like to help pass the time．Get a new toothbrush every three months．When you buy your toothbrush，be sure it has soft bristles．
2．Learn how to floss your teeth．
Flossing is a very important way to keep your teeth healthy．Food may hide in places where a toothbrush cannot get to，like the space between two teeth．Flossing can help get rid of it．Carefully move floss between two teeth．Up and down．You’ll need to floss your teeth at least once a day．
3．Have good eating habits．
You need to be careful about what you eat and drink. Eating sugar is a major of tooth decay．Eating sugar before you go to bed can make things even worse，eat lots of fruit and vegetables and drink water instead of soda．The passage is mainly about ．
| A．teeth are important. |
| B．how to brush and floss your teeth |
| C．how to form good eating habits |
| D．how to take care of your teeth |
The underlined word “tips” in this passage means ．
| A．money given to the waiter for personal services |
| B．piece of advice on how to do something |
| C．light blow, tap |
| D．thin end of something |
Which is NOT mentioned in this passage？
| A．Flossing your teeth． | B．Having good eating habits． |
| C．Brushing your teeth． | D．Going to see the dentist． |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to this article？
| A．We should brush our teeth at least twice a day． |
| B．Flossing can help to get rid of the food hidden between two teeth． |
| C．One of the major causes of tooth decay is eating sugar． |
| D．We don’t have to brush our teeth if we eat a lot of fruit and vegetables． |
When you walk along a street in a big city in the United States， you may see clocks in most stores. Radio announcers give the correct time during the day. People there think that it is important to know the time. Most Americans have watches. They want to do certain things at certain times. They do not want to be late. Not all people all over the world value time. Suppose you visit a certain country in South America. You would find that people living there do not like to rush. If you had an appointment（约会）with someone， he would probably be late. He would not care for arriving on time. In some countries in South America， even the radio programs may not begin right on time， nor do the radio announcers think it important to announce the right time. Many people regard a clock as a machine. It seems to them that a person who does everything on time is controlled（控制）by a machine. They do not want a clock or any machine to have that much power over their lives.There are clocks in most stores in the US cities because ______.
| A．people in the stores want to sell these clocks |
| B．people think it important to know the time |
| C．bosses want to make their stores beautiful |
| D．they needn't wear watches when they are away from home |
The underlined word “rush” in the passage most probably means ______.
| A．“run” | B．“race” | C．“move” | D．“hurry” |
If you had an appointment with someone in some place in South America,he might not arrive on time，and this is because ______.
| A．he didn't have a watch with him |
| B．he didn't think it important to arrive on time |
| C．he forgot to have a look at a watch or a clock |
| D．he didn't like an appointment with someone |
In some countries in South America ______.
| A．the radio programs many start a bit early or late |
| B．the radio announcers do think it important to announce the exact time |
| C．many people think a clock has much power |
| D．most people do not want to be controlled by others |