Most people I meet want to develop more harmonious and satisfying relationships. But we may not realize that this can only be achieved by partnering with two new and strange allies(盟友)：uncertainty and confusion. Most of us aren’t trained to like confusion or to admit we feel hesitant and uncertain. In our schools and organizations, we place value on sounding certain and confident.
As life continues to speed up, I believe our changing world requires less certainty and far more curiosity. I’m not suggesting we let go of our beliefs, but that we become curious about what someone else believes. As we become open to the disturbing differences, sometimes we discover that another’s way of interpreting the world is actually essential to our survival.
For me, the first step in becoming curious is to admit that I’m not succeeding in figuring things out by myself. If my solutions don’t work as well as I’d like, I take these as signs that it’s time to begin asking others what they think. I try to become a conscious listener, actively listening for differences.
There are many ways to listen for differences. Lately, I’ve been listening for what surprises me. This isn’t easy — I’m accustomed to sitting there, nodding my head as someone voices his opinions. But when I notice what surprises me, I’m able to see my own views more clearly, including my assumptions.
If you’re willing to be disturbed and confused, I recommend you begin a conversation with someone who thinks differently from you. Listen for what’s different and what surprises you. Try to stop the voice of judgement or opinion and just listen. At the end, notice whether you’ve learned something new.
We have the opportunity many times a day to be the one who listens to others and the one who is curious rather than certain. When we listen with fewer judgements, we always develop better relationships with each other. It’s not differences that divide us. It’s our judgements that do. Curiosity and good listening bring us back together.
As I consider partnering with confusion and uncertainty, I’m learning that we don’t have to agree with each other in order to think well together. There is no need for us to be joined at the head. We are already joined by our hearts.According to the passage, when communicating with others, most of us try to behave___.
| A．hesitantly and confusedly |
| B．honestly and harmoniously |
| C．responsibly and actively |
| D．confidently and convincingly |
According to the author, in order to cope with our changing world, we should ______.
| A．reconsider traditional beliefs before accepting them. |
| B．learn to interpret other people’s behavior. |
| C．become more curious about other people’s opinions. |
| D．try to develop more harmonious relationships with others. |
What does the passage advise you to do when you hear different ideas?
| A．We should let go of our beliefs. |
| B．We should admit that we are not succeeding in figuring out things. |
| C．We should be accustomed to sitting there and listening. |
| D．We should listen and find out the valuable points |
What do the underlined sentences in the passage imply?
| A．We should listen more and judge less. |
| B．We should make decisions based on sound judgement. |
| C．Differences among people separate them. |
| D．It is important to seek common ground and reserve differences. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude to uncertainty and confusion?
| A．Favorable. | B．Resistant. | C．Curious. | D．Doubtful. |
Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset (不安的) if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you!Dinner parties usually start between 7p．m．and 8p．m．, and end at about 11p．m． Ask your host (主人) what time you should arrive． It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift．
Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks (小吃)． Do you want to be extra
(特别地) polite? Say how much you like the room,
or the pictures on the wall. But remember — it's not polite to ask how much things cost．
In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other side． They eat with their guests．
You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert (甜点心) followed by coffee． It's polite to finish e
verything on your plate and to take more if you want it．
Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “Thank you” letter． British and American people like to say “thank you” all the time!An English friend doesn't invite you to his or her dinner, which ＿＿＿＿．
| A．means he or she doesn't like you | B．means he or she likes you |
| C．doesn't mean he or she likes you | D．doesn't mean  he or she doesn't like you |
You are going to attend a dinner party and ＿＿＿＿．
| A．you'd better bring a certain present with you |
| B．you must leave home for it at 7 p．m． |
| C．you should ask your host when you should leave |
| D．you must arrive before 8 p．m． |
It's impolite ＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．to say that you like the host's room very much |
| B．for a guest to ask the host the price of the things in the room |
C．for a guest to have drinks and sn acks before the evening |
| D．for the host and the hostess (女主人) to sit and eat with their guests |
In which order will you eat or drink the following things at a meal？
| A．Snacks, vegetables, meat, coffee． |
| B．Coffee, drinks, soup, fish, vegetables, dessert． |
| C．Soup, meat with vegetables, dessert and coffee． |
| D．Drinks, soup, something small, fish and vegetables． |
What is the proper way to express your enjoyment of the evening？
| A．Before leaving for home, you should say, “Thank you for inviting me．” |
| B．When you shake hands with your host, you should say, “I did enjoy the evening．” |
| C．You can write a “Thank you” letter to your host after that． |
| D．You should finish everything on your plate and take more if you want it． |
Not many years ago， a wealthy and rather strange old man named Johnson lived alone in a village in the south of England. He had made a lot of money in trading with foreign countries. When he was seventy-five， he gave ￡ 12，000 to the village school to buy land and equipment for a children’s playground.
As a result of his kindness， many people came to visit him. Among them was a newspaperman. During their talk， Johnson remarked that he was seventy-five and expected to live to be a hundred. The newspaperman asked him
how he managed to be healthy at seventy—five. 
Johnson had a sense of humor. He liked whisky and drank some each day. “I have an injection （注射） in my neck each evening.” he told the newspaperman， thinking of his evening glass of whisky.
The newspaperman did not understand what Johnson meant. In his newspaper he reported that Johnson was seventy-five and had a daily injection in his neck. Within a week Johnson received thousands of letters from all over Britain， asking him for the secret of his daily injection. Johnson became a rich man through _________.
| A．doing business. |
| B．making whisky. |
| C．cheating. |
| D．buying and selling land. |
The gift of money to the school suggests that Johnson __________.
| A．had no children. |
| B．was a strange man. |
| C．was very fond of children. |
| D．wanted people to know how rich he was. |
Many people wrote to Johnson to find out __________.
| A．what kind of whisky he had. |
| B．how to live longer. |
| C．how to become wealthy. |
| D．in which part of the neck to have an injection. |
The newspaperman ____________.
| A．should have reported what Johnson had told him. |
| B．shouldn’t have asked Johnson what injection he had. |
| C．was eager to live a long life. |
| D．should have found out what Johnson really meant. |
When Johnson said he had an injection in his neck each evening， he really meant that ______.
| A．he liked drinking a glass of whisky in the evening. |
| B．he needed an injection in the neck. |
| C．a daily injection in the evening would make him sleep well. |
| D．there was something wrong with his neck. |
One summer my friend and I decided to go to Italy for a holiday and we decided to travel there without going through a travel agency. You know, you would be submerged (淹没) in crowds of tourists and lose lots of opportunities to get familiar with the country more closely. We started to think over our trip and managed to come up with a f
ree tour of Italy.
The trip was not very long but it was still very impressive. We look forward to going there again! Of course, we spent lots of time arranging the trip, but it was well worth it! Of course I was afraid that something would go wrong and I was especially anxious about my visa, but everything went quite smoothly in the end.
The most difficult part was getting a visa without an invitation. In the Italian consulate(领事馆), one must hand in some official paper proving that one has a hotel booked for oneself in order to get the visa. Then we had to solve the ticket problem. Airlines often sell cheap tickets a
nd we bought ours far in advance. The next step was to book a hotel. We finally booked a hotel about thirty km away from the heart of Rome and it was the perfect choice for our trip.
Every day we took a train that carried us to the heart of Rome. Our big house, which was surrounded by the forest, was a rare girl for the fresh air and absolute silence, beautiful views, hospitable (好客的) hosts, comfortable living conditions delighted us to no end. Besides this, we were very lucky that our mistress was Russian. She gave us a lot of advice that was of great use. She told us what transport to choose and where the best places to go.
Don’t
be afraid to arrange your trip by yourself. It’s not difficult! The only thing I'll say right now is that we really enjoyed traveling by ourselves. We walked with a map and a guide-book to wherever we wanted and we even met some of our fellow countrymen on the way just two or three times. So, if you're also planning a "single" trip, don't forget to take a Russian-Italian phrasebook as people in Italy prefer to speak in their native tongue. Why does the author want to go to Italy again?
| A．He had a great time there. |
| B．Italy has a lot of attractions. |
| C．His friend invited him there. |
| D．He didn't stay in Italy long enough. |
What does the author think was the hardest in preparing for his Italian trip?
| A．Buying cheap airline tickets to Italy before the traveling |
| B．Getting a visa without an invitation from the Italian consulate. |
| C．Booking a comfortable hotel on his own in Rome. |
| D．Solving the ticket problem far in advance. |
In the fourth paragraph the author mainly explains
| A．the reason why he chose to live in the center of Rome |
| B．the reason why the hotel he booked was the right choice |
| C．what transport they chose to travel in their Italian trip |
| D．the reason why the mistress gave them some advice |
Which of the following questions has NOT been answered in the passage?
| A．Why did the author decide to go to Italy for a holiday for the first time? |
| B．Why did the author decide not to follow a travel agency? |
| C．How did the author prepare for his trip? |
| D．What tools did the author use for his traveling? |
From the text we can know the author
A．enjoy s traveling everywhere in the world |
| B．likes being accompanied by tour guides |
| C．advises us to arrange trips by ourselves |
D．met with a lot of his countrymen  in Italy |
Douglas Grace talks about his ideal city of the future.
I see the city of the future in three zones——inner， middle and outer. In the inner zone there will be no private cars. Public transport will be free and there will only be ambulances， fire engines， taxis and police cars. This inner zone will be the residential（住宅的） and recreational（娱乐的） area of the city. People will live there and go out to enjoy themselves——to cinemas and restaurants. There will be parks and open spaces， trees and lakes， schools and universities. This way， when people are at home， they can go out easily and safely.
Just outside the inner zone there will be big car parks for all private cars.
The banks and most of the shops and hospitals will be in the middle zone. These are things that people don’t need every day.
All the factories and offices will be in the outer zone. People will travel
out of the center to work， and back to the center in the evenings. The inner zone will be cleaner and better to live in and there will be more space for industry on the outside.
This is my ideal city of the future—— a very beautiful place！ But I don’t really think things will ever be like that！Where will people live and go out to enjoy themselves？
| A．In the middle zone. |
| B．In the inner zone. |
| C．In the outer zone. |
| D．In the inner and middle zone. |
Where will big car parks be？
| A．Just outside the middle zone. |
| B．Just inside the middle zone. |
| C．Just outside the inner zone. |
| D．Just inside the inner zone. |
What will be in the middle zone？
| A．The banks，hospitals and schools. |
| B．The banks，hospitals and police stations. |
| C．The banks，schools and car parks. |
| D．The banks，hospital and most of the shops. |
Where will the factories and offices be？
| A．In the outer zone. |
| B．In the middle zone. |
| C．In the inner zone. |
| D．In the middle and inner zone. |
Douglas Grace is probably .
| A．a painter |
| B．a builder |
| C．a town planner |
| D．a dentist |
I began working in journalism(新闻工作)when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“ None.”
“ Where did you go?”
“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“ What did you do?”
“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“ You just stood there?”
“ Didn’t sell a single one.”
“ My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分镍币). It was the first nickle I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence(自信), and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, 
such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.Why did the boy start his job young?
| A．He wanted to be famous in the future. |
| B．The job was quite easy for him. |
| C．His mother had high hopes for him. |
| D．The competiton for the job was fierce. |
From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
| A．excited | B．interested | C．ashamed | D．disappointed |
What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
| A．She forced him to continue. | B．She punished him. |
| C．She gave him some money. | D．She changed her plan. |
What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?
A．The war between th e boy’s parents. |
| B．The arguing between the boy and his mother. |
| C．The quarrel between the boy and his customers. |
| D．The fight between the boy and his father. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The early life of a journalist. |
| B．The early success of a journalist. |
| C．The happy childhood of the writer. |
| D．The important role of the writer in his family. |