Stop wasting your time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead，realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds，and the power to grow them，are contained in the most awesome machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem (自信心). Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself，and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power，or responsibility for their lives. They are always victims. They are leaves tossed (摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause，we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
If you associate with positive-thinking people，you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary，the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding，planting，and nurturing (培育) the seeds that contain future victory，born from setbacks (挫折).
In short，in all areas of your life，whether they are financial，physical，emotional，or spiritual，you are responsible. Once you recognize this，accept it，and firmly believe it. You are on the road to success.
People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they ______.
| A．can’t exercise control over themselves |
| B．are easily affected by windy weather |
| C．don’t have the power to face their fate |
| D．are ready to change their minds |
Losers would think that ______.
| A．success is the result of hard work |
| B．working hard will lead to success |
| C．they fail only because of bad luck |
| D．they don’t make efforts to succeed |
It can be inferred from the fifth paragraph that ______.
| A．setting our expectations is essential before taking action |
| B．knowing cause and effect is the key to future success |
| C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind |
| D．whether we will succeed depends on our attitudes |
The last paragraph serves as ______.
| A．the proof of the author’s points |
| B．the conclusion of the argument |
| C．an introduction to another topic |
| D．a comparison between two views |
It can greet people, show DVDs and hand out balloons. “Ubiko”, a robot-on –wheels with a catlike face, is joining the crew of temporary workers supplied by a Japanese job-referral company, Ubiquitous Exchange, to stores, events and even weddings. Next month, the 44-inch tall robot will be selling mobile phones at a store.
Ubiko can be hired as a temporary worker for two hours for 105,000 yen, or $890.
“We see this as serious business. There are jobs that robots are better at,” Akiko Sakurai said “people do develop a relation with the robot, and it’s lovable.”
The $255,000 robot, which is equipped with a camera and sensors, greets customers with a nasal electronic voice, shows DVDs with a projector in its head and hands out balloons and other goods with wireless remote-controllable arms.
Ubiko sounds like a Japanese female name, which often ends with “ko”.
Tmsuk, the Japanese company that makes the robot, sold three last month to hospital, where they are working as full-time, rather than temporary, receptionists and guides. One of the hospital’s robots serves as a receptionist and has been programmed to greet visitors. It also has a touch-panel(控制板) on its body, and visitors can use it to get directions for where they want to go.
“Just give it electricity, and a robot can work for long hours, even do repetitive work, and you don’t have to worry about labor laws,” Sudo said.
Japan’s lower birth rate means that in the coming years it could face a labor shortage, and some experts believe robots could be part of the key to that problem. Robots are very popular in Japan partly because of the popularity of cartoons that describe robots as friends and assistants to humans.The news report is mainly to _________________.
| A．give praise to advanced robots in Japan |
| B．introduce the development of robots in Japan |
| C．tell readers the advantage of the robots in Japan |
| D．introduce a newly-developed robot in Japan |
We can learn from the passage that ____________.
| A．the price of Ubiko is $890 |
| B．the purpose for a store to buy the robot is to greet customers |
| C．Ubiko can work for long hours without using energy |
| D．three robots have been sold to a hospital |
Which of the following can be inferred about Ubiko according to the passage?
| A．It sounds beautiful, like a girl’s voice. |
| B．It is named after a Japanese girl. |
| C．It will have a wider market. |
| D．It was designed for hospitals. |
Which of the following makes robots more popular in Japan?
| A．The low price of robots. |
| B．The interesting shapes of robots. |
| C．The function of showing DVDs and handing out balloons. |
| D．Cartoon’s showing good relationship between robots and humans. |
Which of the following about Ubiko is NOT true?
| A．It has a face of female. |
| B．There is a projector in its head. |
| C．It is equipped with a camera and sensors. |
| D．It has wireless remote-controllable arms. |
Irene’s Thai
For Reservations Call 62473579
12.24 Christmas Eve Dinner 198 RMB per person including coffee and tea. Each guest invited to select a special surprise from our Xmas Tree.
12.25 Special Christmas Thai buffet brunch from 11 am to 4 pm. Includes soft drinks, coffee & tea. 98 RMB per person.
12.31 New Year Buffet Dinner 200 RMB per person. You can eat with exotic Thai Dancing. Show times at 8 pm & 9 pm.
Monday & Friday, you can eat AlaCarte Menu. 150 RMB, including soft drinks & draught beer.
Book now for your Christmas Party
The Place: Club Pegasus
The Party: New Year’s Eve!!!
The Price: 100 RMB Open Bar!!!
8:00 pm — 1:00 am
The Reason: Great Music, Beautiful People,
Life, Love, Fun, Excitement!!!
Merry Christmas from the crew at Pegasus
50 RMB Entrance includes two complimentary (赠送的) drinks.
Champagne Toast at Midnight
If ever there was a time to enjoy oneself, that time is now!!! The best way to make a reservation at Irene’s is by ______.
| A．phone | B．e-mail | C．fax | D．post |
The Thai buffet brunch costs per person ______.
| A．98 RMB | B．198 RMB | C．200 RMB | D．150 RMB |
Which of the following is NOT a reason to go to Pegasus?
| A．The music. | B．The excitement. | C．The price . | D．The people. |
50 RMB on Christmas at Pegasus will get you ______.
| A．a meal | B．a meal and drinks |
| C．an entrance ticket | D．an entrance ticket and 2 free drinks |
You can probably find the passage from ____________.
| A．a science fiction | B．a newspaper | C．a review | D．a survey |
“It's really cool to have a dad who flies fighter jets,”thought 11-year-old Casey as she was watching him fly overhead.
Living on an Air Force base was not as bad as some people might think. Casey rather enjoyed being around friends who had something in common with each other. They had their own school, bowling area, and movie theatre. She especially loved it when her dad would come home each day and greet her with a new joke and tickles.
Today was different, though. When her dad walked into the room, he looked sad for some reason. He just kissed her on the forehead and told her mum that he needed to talk to her. Casey knew something was wrong.
When her mum and dad came out of the other room, mum was crying. Dad sat down and began to explain that he has been called to go to Iraq to help with the war effort. Casey was so surprised that she couldn't speak for a moment. She began to feel tears in her eyes. How could she live without her dad for a whole year?
Soon, the day came. Her dad was leaving. As Casey and her mom watched him climb up the steps to his cockpit, the tears began to flow and it felt like they would never end. It was hard for Casey to believe that she wouldn't be seeing her dad for so long. They depended on him for so many things. Who would fix the broken window? Who would greet her with jokes and tickles at the end of the day? And then the thought hit her, “ What if he doesn’t make it home?” Casey began to sob more than ever.According to the story, one thing Casey enjoyed on the base was that ___________.
| A．there was a friendly girl of her age living next door |
| B．she could travel around in her father’s jet |
| C．her friends had something in common with her |
| D．her dad was going to fight abroad |
Casey knew something was wrong from all the following EXCERT___________.
| A．her dad’s sad look |
| B．her dad’s joke |
| C．her dad’s simple kissing |
| D．her parents’ talking without her |
What does the underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．Wars. | B．Days. | C．Difficulties | D．Tears |
What can we know from the story?
| A．Casey’s dad volunteered to help with the war. |
| B．Casey’s parents didn’t let her know the truth. |
| C．Casey’s dad amused her in the morning usually. |
| D．Children living on the base could see movies in their theater. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Casey was worried that hey couldn’t live without her father. |
| B．Casey saw her father off at the airport. |
| C．Casey’s dad looked sad. |
| D．Casey’s father left home. |
Beauty has always been regarded as something admirable. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal consultants (顾问) give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive persons. But in the executive circle (政界), beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive thing for a man’s rise, it is harmful to a woman. Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to be the reasons for their success. Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck. All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives.
Why are attractive woman not thought to be able? An attractive woman is thought to be more feminine (女性的) and an attractive man more masculine (男性的) than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally masculine position appears to lack the "masculine" qualities required.
This is true even in politics. Anne Bowman recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates (候选人). She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked lo rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the woman who had been ranked most attractive always received the fewest votes.In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness _____.
| A．strengthens the feminine qualities required |
| B．makes women look more honest and capable |
| C．is of great importance to women |
| D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
Bowman’s experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness _____.
| A．turns out to be an obstacle to men |
| B．affects men and women alike |
| C．has as little effect on men as on women |
| D．is more of an obstacle than a benefit to women |
It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often _____.
| A．practical | B．old-fashioned | C．prejudiced (偏见的) | D．serious |
The author writes this passage to _____.
| A．discuss the negative aspects of being attractive |
| B．give advice to job-seekers who are attractive |
| C．demand equal rights for women |
| D．emphasize the importance of appearance |
As the world watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center come under attack, a common phrase was repeated:” It looks like a movie.”
But this time there was no superman to save the people or the famous building. The attack destroyed one of the world's highest skyscrapers and left 5,000 people dead or missing.
Movie fans have become used to such events after years of Hollywood films showing disasters, terrorism and danger. The Empire State Building, the White House, New York City and even the American president himself have all been threatened(威胁) by terrorist attacks in these exciting films. The film” True Lies”, released in 1994, is considered to be a good example of this kind of movie. The special effects, including explosions and missiles, make the action look like a real thing.
“Independence Day” in 1996 took this type of movie one step further by blowing up the White House. This science fiction(科幻) movie is about a war between human beings and aliens from another planet. In the movie, the World Trade Center towers are destroyed.
Violence has become a major part of Hollywood movies. And this is what people enjoy. Soon after the attacks, many famous film companies stopped the planned releases of some of their new movies, especially if their films showed terrorist attacks or plane crashes. “Swordfish” was top of the American box office in June. But the movie's story was frighteningly similar to the Sept. 11 disaster. The film would have been stopped in American and British cinemas after the attack. But it's unlikely that Hollywood will stay quiet for long. It is already waiting for the feeling in America to calm down.What is the main subject of the newspaper article?
| A．The relationship between the Sept. 11 attack and Hollywood films. |
| B．The effect of the Sept. 11 attack and Hollywood films. |
| C．The response Hollywood made to the Sept. 11 attack. |
| D．The result of Hollywood films showing violence and disasters. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Hollywood made a lot of money out of the film “Swordfish” in June. |
| B．Hollywood stopped making films showing terrorism and disasters after the Sept. 11 attack. |
| C．“Swordfish” was not allowed to be shown after the Sept. 11 attack. |
| D．The World Trade Center was destroyed because no superman came to save I t. |
From this article we know that _____.
| A．Hollywood is a film making center making films of violence and disasters. |
| B．too many Hollywood films showing terrorism and disasters resulted in the Sept. 11 attack. |
| C．people who were used to the Hollywood films were not shocked at the Sept. 11 attack. |
| D．in fact, the Sept. 11 attack had nothing to do with Hollywood films. |