Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品). We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions allthe time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed（强加）from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.
| A．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others |
| B．most people have a variety of thoughts |
| C．we have thoughts similar to those of others |
| D．other people’s thoughts are more important |
What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph ?
| A．We need to pay for what we want to get. |
| B．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom. |
| C．We may lose ourselves to please others. |
| D．The price of taking drugs is freedom. |
In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.
| A．care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time |
| B．guide ourselves by means of values from the outside |
| C．stick to our own values |
| D．persuade others to accept our opinions |
It can be concluded from the passage that __________.
| A．it’s important to accept others’ opinions |
| B．it’s better to do what we like |
| C．we shouldn't change our own opinions |
| D．we shouldn’t care what others think too much |
It was getting dark and snow was coming down. Joe was driving home. He’d been unemployed since the factory closed. Most of his friends had left, but he stayed on. After all, he was born here.
Suddenly he saw a lady standing on the side of the road and pulled up. She was worried. No one had stopped to help her. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. Joe knew how she felt and said, “My name is Joe and I’m here to help you.” All she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe changed the tire, but he got dirty and his hands were hurt. She wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right. Joe never thought twice about the money and there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed.
Later the lady went in a dingy-looking restaurant to grab a bite to eat. The cash register was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor----it didn’t ring much. The waitress, who was nearly eight months pregnant, brought a clean towel to her with a sweet smile. The old lady remembered Joe. After the waitress brought the change from a 100-dollar bill, she found the lady gone and something written on a piece of paper, “Someone once helped me out----the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, don’t let the chain of love end with you.”
That night the waitress gave her sleeping husband a soft kiss and whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”What do we know about Joe from this passage?
| A．On his way home after work, he helped an old lady. |
| B．He had worked in a factory in his hometown before. |
| C．He would move away to fulfill his dream soon. |
| D．Though he was poor, he didn’t care about money at all. |
The saying “she wanted to pay Joe and said any amount would have been all right” in Paragraph 2
suggests that _____.
| A．the old lady was very grateful to Joe’s timely aid |
| B．the old lady was much worried to be hurt by Joe |
| C．the old lady wanted to show off her fortune to Joe |
| D．the old lady’s car was very difficult to repair for Joe |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
| A．The restaurant was not only light but also clean. |
| B．The old lady did have a big meal in the small restaurant. |
| C．The waitress was more than eight months pregnant. |
| D．The old lady left the remaining money to the waitress. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Acts of luck | B．A warm-hearted man |
| C．The chain of love | D．A generous lady |
“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him，and let him know that you trust him.” These words are from the black American educator，Booker Washington. He was saying that，“If you want people to grow up，you have to stop treating them like children.”
In America，families are close but children are encouraged to be independent，to make their own decisions，even at a very early age. It’s not unusual for a child of seven to be given an allowance(津贴)every week. The child is encouraged to save some of the money but he or she can spend it on whatever they choose，for example，buying clothes，school supplies or CDs. Some teenagers even have their own credit cards! That’s a big responsibility since even adults are tempted to overspend when they have credit cards.
From an early age，American children are asked for their opinions and they are included in family decision making. At the dinner table，teenagers will be listened to on any topic，from politics to buying a new family car or where the family will go on vacation. In this way, teenagers are getting practice in becoming individuals：they are learning how to stand on their own two feet.
Many Chinese young people are becoming almost as interested as American teens in searching for independence. They want to express those qualities that make them unique human beings. You can see this in the way they dress, the music they listen to and the friends they choose. “Super Girl” Li Yuchun caught the imagination of Chinese teenagers on the “Super Girl” television contest. She was not the traditional “nice，young Chinese girl”. With her short，spiky hair and boy-like clothes, she was telling everyone that she was different. She had the courage to be her own person and to stand on her own two feet...and she won!
There is an old saying，“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.” If you do this, step by step, over a period of time, you may find that you have become the person you always wanted to be.The passage is intended to encourage the youth to________.
| A．save money for useful things | B．become independent |
| C．express their great ambitions | D．make important decisions |
A child of seven is given an allowance so that he can______.
| A．be accepted as a popular guy | B．learn to decide how to use money |
| C．overspend money without care | D．have school supplies of his own |
The author implies that many Chinese children________.
| A．are more independent than Americans | B．should become interested in America |
| C．are happy with their present situation | D．are not satisfied to be nice, quiet ones |
The main idea of the last paragraph is________.
| A．that we should do things step by step | B．why we should understand our desires |
| C．what we should plan for our own life | D．how we can manage to realize our dreams |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday announced a new
plan to renew and expand the nation's roads, railways and runways, in a bid (努力) to restart the sluggish economy and to help create jobs.
Obama announced the billion-dollar infrastructure(基础设施) spending program at an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, marking the Labor Day holiday in the United States.
The proposal calls for investments over six years, including rebuilding and modernizing 150,000 miles (241,350 kilometers) of roads, 4,000 miles (6,430 kilometers) of railways and 150 miles ( 241 kilometers) of runways.
"It sets up an Infrastructure Bank to leverage(杠杆；利用) federal dollars and focus on the smartest investment. All of this will not only create jobs now, but will make our economy run better over the long haul," Obama said.
"This is a plan that will be fully paid for and will not add to the deficit over time," said Obama.
The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in August, reflecting business reluctance to hire among uncertain economic prospects, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Friday.
The president admitted that new jobs "have not been coming fast enough" in the United States.
"These years would be some of the most difficult in our history. The problems facing working families are nothing new, but they are more serious than ever. And that makes our cause more urgent than ever," he added.What does the underlined word “sluggish” probably mean?
| A．繁荣的 | B．崩溃的 | C．疲软的 | D．行动迅速的 |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．The US president launched a new program aiming at improving the nation’s infrastructure. |
| B．The US unemployment rate rose according to the Labor Department. |
| C．These years will be the most difficult in the American history. |
| D．More roads, railways and runways will be rebuilt and modernized. |
Which of the following will be changed most in length?
| A．Roads. | B．Railways. | C．Runways. | D．Highways. |
“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled.
My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!”
Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt.
“Oh, Mr. Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs. Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go.
“It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile.
“Oh no,” Mrs. Diaz said. “Let me pay right now ...” She dug in her purse. “How much?”
“Three seventy-five.”
Mrs. Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said.
“No,” Mrs. Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.”
I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought.
I had an idea.
“What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me.
I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.”
“Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs. Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!”
“Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) his tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now.Where did the story most probably take place?
| A．In a classroom. | B．In a supermarket. | C．At a bookstore. | D．At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go” in Paragraph 4, the author means Ted ______.
| A．took the book by mistake | B．wanted to keep the book |
| C．didn’t want to go home | D．didn’t think he was wrong |
From the underlined sentences in the eighth paragraph, we may infer that Mrs. Diaz ______.
| A．didn’t think her son stole the book | B．had been out of work for a long time |
| C．forgot to take money with her that day | D．couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
| A．His idea was successful. | B．Ted didn’t like the job. |
| C．He liked Ted very much. | D．Ted was a naughty boy. |
Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol (酒) in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don’t make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings (人行横道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.
My next point is about litter (throwing away waste material in a public place). It is an offence (违法行为) to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a litter bin.
Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco (烟草) if you are under 16 years of age.
I’d like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who will be pleased to help you.
Now, are there any questions?The main purpose of this speech would be to ____ .
| A．prepare people for international travel |
| B．declare the laws of different kinds |
| C．give advice to travellers to the country |
| D．inform people of the punishment for breaking laws |
From the speech we learn that ____
| A．In this country, if you are under 18 years of age, you may not buy alcohol, but your friend can buy it for you. |
| B．You may not buy cigarettes or tobacco unless you are above 16 years of age. |
| C．Because the traffic moves on the left side of he road ,you must use pedestrian crossings when crossing the road. |
| D．You can’t make noise except at night. |
The underlined word contact in the seventh paragraph means ____ .
| A．keep in touch with | B．get in touch with | C．join | D．report |