You feel happiest when you create a healthy balance between giving and receiving. If you give and give without making time to fill your own needs， then it’s likely you will burn out， or feel upset. When you take and take without giving anything back， you never feel a sense of achievement，so you are always searching for ways to fill the void in your life.
The way to create a healthy balance between giving and receiving so as to achieve real happiness is to know and then live by your values. I break values up into two groups which I call “being” and “having” values. Your “being” values are the character traits(特征)of the ideal person you would like to be. An example of some “being” values are： kind， loving， generous， inspirational， peaceful， wise and even powerful. By acting on these values， you give to others through your actions and you inspire others by “being” a positive role model. Mastering “being” these character traits becomes your life purpose.
Your “having” values are the feelings you need to create in order to be happy. These could be companionship， achievement， support， “being” valued or financial security. This is what you receive. You take responsibility for filling your own needs by taking steps to create these feelings and conditions in your life.
When you make a commitment to live by your “being” values， it becomes easier to make conscious choices rather than reactionary(保守的) ones. If your usual habit is to complain about your problems， you could choose to think and act like a calm person. A calm person might go for a walk， meditate(沉思)， or set a time limit before responding. If your usual pattern is to worry， you could choose to act like a responsible or wise person. In other words， you would act like the person you choose to be—this is the key to personal power.
When you choose to act on your values， you not only feel good about yourself， but you reinforce(增强)your chosen beliefs. Over time acting in this way changes how you see the world， and in turn the way other people think of you.
The underlined word “void” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
| A．a feeling of emptiness |
| B．a loss of power |
| C．a lack of energy |
| D．a state of being confused |
According to the text， by acting on your own “being” values， you will .
| A．gain a lot of power |
| B．fill your own needs |
| C．seek all human virtues |
| D．form positive personality |
Which of the following does NOT belong to your “having” values？
| A．Your success in the competition. |
| B．The support from your friends. |
| C．Your own peaceful mind. |
| D．The friendship with others. |
What can be inferred from the text？
| A．“Having” values are better than “being” values. |
| B．The way other people think of you decides who you are. |
| C．A calm person does not choose to complain easily. |
| D．A responsible person does not care about financial security. |
The main purpose of this passage is to .
| A．persuade the readers to make a commitment |
| B．inform the readers how to be truly happy |
| C．explain to the readers what personal values are |
| D．instruct the readers how to make wise choices |
Officials in a remote Russian city have drawn up a list of practical tips for locals on how to survive encounters (相遇) with bears, after growing numbers have wandered into the streets in search of food.
Officials in the city of Syktyvkar drew up the guidelines to guide the local people, after several bears were caught sight of in the city, going hungry after a heat wave shriveled their usual diet of nuts and berries.
The guide warns that city people there should stay calm and stand still if they meet with a bear. “Speak to the bear in a firm voice” and “Don’t turn your back on it,” it adds. In the worst case, if the bear attacks, the person should also be ready to attack, the guide says. “Shout angrily at it and look it straight in the eye,” the guide advises. “Bears have started coming into the areas where people live more and more often,” the city officials said in a statement. “Any encounter with a bear is unsafe for humans, so our task is to do all we can to prevent such accidents.”
In September, a bear attacked a 25-year-old man in a central street of the city, wounding him in the neck before he managed to run away, police said. “Three or four people who met with brown bears have been recorded recently,” the head of the hunting department in the regional agriculture organization, Alexander said.
Officials have asked police to patrol (巡逻) streets close to wooded areas in the evenings.
Syktyvkar is the regional capital of the remote Komi region in northwest Russia. Its population is just over 230,000. The city issued the guidelines to help the local people to _____.
| A．avoid bear encounters | B．survive bear encounters |
| C．get along well with bears | D．drive hungry bears away |
The underlined word “shriveled” in Paragraph 2 probably means _____.
| A．piled up | B．saved up | C．kept up | D．dried up |
What can be inferred from Alexander’s words?
| A．Bears have been seen frequently recently. |
| B．Bears like to wander around schools. |
| C．Brown bears are usually very fierce. |
| D．Too many bears have disappeared. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Bears are short of food worldwide |
| B．Ways to got along well with bears |
| C．Tips are issued on bear encounters |
| D．Bears have started coming into cities |
Laughter Yoga (瑜伽) is a unique technique invented by Dr Kataria, a doctor from India, by which you can learn to “Laugh for No Reason”. You don’t even need a sense of humor, no funny jokes or comedy programs — just a willingness to laugh — and in the present climate everyone needs to laugh more.
Laughter Yoga is a combination of Laughter Exercises and Yogic Breathing, so that you increase the amount of oxygen in your body while being playful, resulting in you feeling healthier, energetic and alive. This actually changes the physical conditions of your body so that you start to feel happier.
Laughter Yoga is generally done in groups although it can be practiced alone. When you make eye contact with someone and you’re both willing to laugh, the laughter is increased. However, we do say that you can “Fake (假装) it, fake it till you make it” because the body doesn’t know the difference between fake and true laughter; as long as you’re willing to laugh you’ll experience the same health benefits.
Laughter Yoga started in a park in Mumbai in 1995 with just 5 participants, and now there’re over 6,000 laughter clubs in 60 different countries — showing the willingness of the world to laugh together.
In the UK, Julie was one of the first people to train as a Laughter Leader with Dr Kataria in June 2002. In 2006 she was awarded Laughter Ambassador for her selfless service to promote Laughter Yoga.
“Yoga has been part of my life for 30 years but 7 years ago my life changed when I discovered Laughter Yoga. I believe laughter and yoga are both good for your health,” says Julie.Why do people practicing Laughter Yoga laugh a lot?
| A．They have a sense of humor. | B．They are amused by jokes. |
| C．They are willing to laugh. | D．They can’t help laughing a lot. |
What do we know about Julie from the passage?
| A．She took up Laughter Yoga 30 years ago. |
| B．She helped make Laughter Yoga more popular. |
| C．She used to suffer from serious physical problems. |
| D．She was the first person to practise Laughter Yoga. |
The purpose of the passage is to _____.
| A．persuade people to take up Laughter Yoga |
| B．tell people how to practise Laughter Yoga |
| C．describe the good effects of Laughter Yoga |
| D．introduce Laughter Yoga as a new event |
At middle school level, there are many academic clubs in which the students can participate. Students can choose clubs that focus on an area of interest.
Mathcounts Club
Mathcounts tries to increase excitement about mathematic achievement. It hopes to provide students with the foundation for success in science, technology, engineering and mathematic careers. Schools select individuals and teams to participate in competitions. Mathcounts works to challenge student math skills, develop self-confidence and give rewards for their achievements.
Envirothon
The Envirothon program focuses on natural resources knowledge and exposes students to diverse environmental issues, ecosystems, and topography (地形学). The ecology field competition for five-member middle school teams offers competitions in wildlife, soils, forestry, current environmental issues and aquatics (水上运动). Students work and learn in middle school clubs ·and can compete at local and state level.
Future Problem Solvers
Future Problem Solvers is an academic club that uses a six-step process to solve problems that may happen in the future. Students who like to “think outside the box” may like this club. Teams made up of four students read future scenes and write up solutions in a booklet using the six-step process. Teams that score high enough can go to the state competition and then to the international competition.
Builders Club
Builders Club is open to any middle school student who wishes to perform community service. The members learn by doing, and they learn organization, teamwork, and leadership. Builders Clubs can sponsor a “Teacher of the Year” program, provide a recycling collection point, organize canned food and clothing to support local shelters, adopt a resident at a local senior citizens home, adopt highway, tutor, etc. The students who are not interested in competition would probably choose _____.
| A．Mathcounts Club | B．Builders Club |
| C．Future Problem Solvers | D．Envirothon |
Why do some of the students choose Mathcounts club?
| A．To be successful in science careers. | B．To enjoy solving future problems. |
| C．To perform community service. | D．To study wildlife and soils. |
What is the common feature of the four clubs?
| A．Competition. | B．Sponsorship. | C．Scientific research. | D．Teamwork. |
The passage mainly talks about _____.
| A．the state academic competitions | B．middle school clubs |
| C．extra-curricular activities | D．the gifted students |
Valentine’s Day is named for Saint Valentine, an early Christmas churchman who helped young lovers. Valentine was killed for his Christian beliefs on February 14 more than 1700 years ago, but the day which 
is named after him is even earlier than that.
More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Romans celebrated a holiday for lovers. As part of the celebration, girls wrote their names on pieces of paper and put them in a large container. Boys reached into the container and pulled one out. The girl whose name was written on the paper became his lover or sweet heart for a year.
Now, lovers still put their names on pieces of paper and they sent each other Valentine’s Day cards that tell of their love. Sometimes they also send gifts, like flowers or chocolate candies. Americans usually send these gifts and cards through the mail system. But some use another way to send this message. They have it printed in a newspaper. The cost is usually a few dollars. Some of the messages are simple and short, “Jane, I love you very much”. Others say more. This one, for example, “Dan, Roses are red. Violets are blue. I hope you love me as much as I love you. Forever, May.”
Most of the newspapers that print such messages are local, but USA Today is sold throughout the United S
tates and 90 other countries. This means someone can send a Valentine message to the lover in a far-away place almost anywhere in the world. These messages cost 80 dollars and more. An employee of USA Today says readers can have a small heart or rose printed along with their messages this year. Will this kind of Valentine’s Day message reach the one you love? Well, just make sure he or she reads the newspaper. When was the day named after Valentine?
| A．More than 1700 years ago before Valentine’s death. | B．More than 2, 000 years ago. |
| C．On February 14. | D．It is not mentioned in the passage. |
Which of the following is Wrong about the ancient Romans holiday in the text?
| A．Girls put paper with their names into a container. |
| B．Boys and girls became sweet hearts by chance. |
| C．Girls and boys chose life lovers in the holiday. |
| D．It was celebrated as a holiday for lovers. |
Now lovers celebrate Valentine’s Day _________.
| A．like what the ancient Romans did | B．by sending gifts to each other |
| C．by printing newspapers | D．by spending lots of money |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The ancient Roman girls were more easy-going. |
| B．Valentine was killed for not helping the government. |
| C．USA Today helps readers to send roses with printed messages. |
| D．Valentine was honored for his Christian belief and warm heart. |
The text is written to _________.
| A．tell us something about Valentine’s Day | B．advertise for USA Today |
| C．tell us that Americans are open to express love | D．sell roses on Valentine’s Day |
Tsai Chin Chung is one of Taiwan’s most famous cartoonists, and his cartoons are enjoyed by people in many different countries in Asia. His books of cartoons have now become best sellers in Singapore, Malaysia, and even Japan.
As soon as he could hold a pencil, Tsai Chin Chung lived only for drawing. Every day he practised drawing people and things around him and from his favorite stories.
When he was only 15 years old, he left home to work for a publisher in Taipei. He worked hard to draw pictures for books. Two years later, he left his job and started to work on drawing cartoon series, which he liked better. He made up his mind to succeed as a cartoonist.
Now Tsai Chin Chung has achieved something unusual for a modern cartoonist. He has become extremely successful at changing Chinese literature (文学) and philosophy (哲学) into humorous comic stories. In this way, he has made the Chinese classics (古典文学) known to thousands of people.
Because of his great achievement, several years ago Tsai Chin Chung was given a prize as one of the 10 Outstanding Young People of Taiwan. Since then, he has won many prizes, and his cartoons have become popular throughout Asia, America and Europe. So far, he has published more than 20 comic books. Ten of these are about ancient Chinese philosophers based on Chinese historical and literary classics.
Many of Tsai Chin Chung’s books of cartoons and comics have now been published in English in countries like Singapore. His books have also been translated into several other languages, including Japanese, Korean and Thai. Even publishers in France and Indonesia have recently signed agreements for permission to publish his cartoon series. Tsai Chin Chung first worked as ________.
| A．a book seller | B．a cartoonist |
| C．a writer of Chinese stories | D．an artist drawing pictures for books |
Tsai Chin Chung left his first job because he ________.
| A．preferred drawing cartoons | B．wanted to go back to school |
| C．enjoyed drawing pictures for books | D．wanted to be famous |
Tsai Chin Chung first became interested in drawing when he _______.
| A．left school | B．was a very small child | C．was 15 | D．started to be a cartoonist |
Half of the books he has published are related to _______.
| A．Chinese and foreign comics | B．countries in Asia, America and Europe |
| C．foreign languages learning | D．Chinese history and literature |
Because of his great achievements, Tsai Chin Chung _______.
| A．travelled a lot in Asia and Europe | B．went to live in Singapore | C．won an important prize in Taiwan | D．has become famous in Africa. |