Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends．They believe that their family members, especially their parents．Don’t know them as well as their friends do．In large families．it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice．
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends．Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone．This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them．Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one．Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got good friend your parents don’t like?
【小题1】Many teenagers think their            know them better than their parents do．

A．friends

B．teachers

C．brothers and sisters

D．classmates

【小题2】When teenagers stay alone，the usual way of communication is to              ,

A．go to their friends.

B．talk with their parents

C．have a d discussion with their family

D．talk with their friends on the phone

【小题3】The passage suggests（暗示）that         ．

A．Parents cannot choose friends for their children successfully．

B．Perhaps some children’s friends are chosen by their parents．

C．Children won’t let their parents choose friends for them．

D．Parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them．

Young people and older people do not always agree with each other. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and enjoyment in work. Some teenagers work in the woods or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or painting. Others sit around and talk to sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to spend his free time.
When people live together, rules are necessary. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
One of the teenagers has this to say about the experience: “You stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”
【小题1】In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.

A．are friendly to one another

B．teach one another new ways of building houses

C．live together but do not work together

D．spend 8 weeks together, working as farmers.

【小题2】Living together, _________.

A．the teenagers have to obey the rules the adults made.

B．the members don’t have to obey the rules.

C．the members are not allowed to break the rules they make together.

D．the members have no free time except on weekends

【小题3】The last paragraph shows that the teenager thinks his experience in the program is _________.

A．disappointing

B．helpful

C．tiring

D．unpleasant

【小题4】The best title for the passage is ________.

A．Sadness of Living Together	B．Different Ideas About Living
C．Teenagers and Adults Together	D．Life in New York State

I have nothing to say about whether or not "A Day Without Immigrants" had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of" A Day Without" as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public awareness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
"A Day Without Speeding." How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
"A Day Without Losing Your Temper." A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but erupting with anger usually doesn't do anything to solve the problem, and in many cases it makes the situation more unpleasant.
"A Day Without Having All The Answers." I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, "Here's what you're doing wrong." Right now the US is jampacked with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it on the spot. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a collective pause? Would it be a day of angry protests, or joyful celebrations?
【小题1】The first paragraph suggests           .

A．the writer is against A Day Without Immigrants

B．immigrants are not equally treated by the US federal government

C．the writer cares little about the problems of the country.

D．some people move to America without the permission of the US government

【小题2】"The event" in the second paragraph is related to          .

A．"A Day Without Immigrants"

B．"A Day Without Having All The Answers"

C．"A Day Without Speeding"

D．"A Day Without Losing Your Temper"

【小题3】According to the writer, losing one's temper is           .

A．personal

B．satisfying

C．pointless

D．unpleasant

【小题4】The writer suggest a day without having all the answers because         .

A．he thinks the American are too proud

B．he doesn't think what he is doing is wrong

C．he wants others to keep quiet

D．the writer is so tired that he needs a break

The Winter Olympics proved no match for television's gold-medal winner, "American Idol". Fox's unbelievable successful contest crashed the Olympics in head-to-head competition on Tuesday night, 27 million viewers to 16.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
The Olympics recovered a bit after "Idol" went off the air, but its overall audience of 18.6 million was the least-watched winter Olympics telecast since Nagano's closing ceremonies in 1998, Nielsen said.
Since its opening on Friday, the Turin games have been running well below the 2002 Salt Lake City games in viewership interest. Much of that was expected, but Tuesday's rating was the first alarming sign for NBC that increased TV competition has taken a toll.
"The competition from 'Idol' is heavier than the Olympics has ever seen," said NBC Sports spokeswoman Alana Russo.
It doesn't figure to get any easier, with "Idol" and ABC's "Lost" on the air Wednesday. CBS' "Survivor" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" offer more competition on Thursday.
Even figure skating, the most popular winter Olympics sport for viewers, didn't help much on Tuesday. NBC filled about two-thirds of the hour during which it competed with "American Idol" with tape of the men's figure-skating competition.
Through five nights of Olympics coverage, NBC's average prime time rating is 12.7 ( a rating point represents 1,102, 000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 110.2 million TV homes). NBC said before the games started that it had promised its advertisers a rating of between 12 and 14. If it slips below that, NBC will have to make it up to advertisers with free commercial time.
" ‘American Idol' is clearly a phenomenon," said Randy Falco, president of the NBC Universal Television Group. "But we expected it and are tracking fight where we planned to be at this point." Between NBC and its networks, about 65 percent of the nation's television homes have tuned in at least some of the games.
【小题1】How many viewers watched the Winter Olympics on Tuesday night?

A．110.2 million	B．12.7 million
C．27million	D．16.1million

【小题2】What did NBC do on Tuesday night to attract more viewers?

A．To ask the "idol" to go off the air.

B．To play the tapes of men's figure skating.

C．To add "Survivor" to its program.

D．To do more advertising.

【小题3】If the rating slips below 12, NBC will          .

A．do more advertising for nothing

B．stop running normally

C．never cover the Olympics

D．pay extra money for advertisers

【小题4】What does the underlined word "taken a toll" mean?

A．paid off.

B．caused loss.

C．broken out.

D．picked up.

A recent Living Social survey showed that Americans may live up to their poor reputation while travelling abroad. But what’s more surprising is that many of those surveyed self-identified themselves as ‘ugly’ Americans and the world’s worst travelers.
Those in the U.S. ranked themselves as the worst travellers by a shocking 20 per cent, followed by 15 per cent saying the Chinese were the most substandard tourists.
Americans topped the list as being the worst-behaved travelers in a survey of 5,600 respondents, 4,000 of whom were Americans. Other respondents were in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. But even American respondents considered their compatriots(同胞) as the worst travelers from a list of 16 nationalities.
Canadians and Australians also put Americans in the No. 1 spot. Irish respondents pointed to U.K. residents and U.K. respondents gave Germans the nod. On the other hand, 37% of Americans opted for "none of the above" in answer to the worst-tourists question, displaying more tolerance and open-mindedness than the other nationalities.
Other survey questions had respondents admitting pilfering from hotels. Four in ten U.S. survey-takers said they’d stolen something – mostly towels (28%) and bathrobes (8%). Other popular pinched items included pillows, remote controls, Bibles and sheets.
Not surprising is that Americans have less time off from work than other nationalities. Americans reported getting 16 days off, compared with 28 days for the Irish, 27 days for Australians, 23 days for U.K. workers; and 21 days for Canadians.
In the travel mishaps department, the most common travel disaster reported by Americans was lost luggage on an airline (21%)； bad weather (21%)； and getting very lost (16%).
As for places Americans most want to see, Disney World and Las Vegas made the top 10, but they weren't at the top of the heap. And New York didn't make the cut.
【小题1】What percentage of American respondents is in the survey?

A．20 %

B．15%

C．71%

D．37%

【小题2】The underlined word “pilfering” in Para. 5 most probably means ________.

A．taking

B．bringing

C．stealing

D．borrowing.

【小题3】According to the survey, what kind of things are most taken away by Americans?

A．towels and pillows

B．bathrobes and remote controls.

C．towels and Bibles

D．bathrobes and towels.

【小题4】What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Chinese were announced as the world’s worst travellers.

B．The global worst travellers were announced.

C．Disney World is the best destination to Americans.

D．European travellers were the best in the world

Make Up Your Mind to Succeed
Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because “everyone’s winner.” And their report cards sounded more positive (正面的) than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them “the overpraised generation.”
Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years. Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here’s how they work:
A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent (才能) is genetic – you’re a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.
On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego (自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.
We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.
【小题1】What does the author think about the present generation?

A．They don’t do well at school.

B．They are often misunderstood.

C．They are eager to win in sports.

D．They are given too much praise.

【小题2】A fixed mind-set person is probably one who ___ .

A．doesn’t want to work hard

B．cares a lot about personal safety

C．cannot share his ideas with others

D．can succeed with the help of teachers

【小题3】What does the growth mind-set believe?

A．Admitting failure is shameful.

B．Talent comes with one’s birth.

C．Scores should be highly valued.

D．Getting over difficulties is enjoyable.

【小题4】What should parents do for their children based on Dweck’s study?

A．Encourage them to learn from failures.

B．Prevent them from making mistakes.

C．Guide them in doing little things.

D．Help them grow with praise.

Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter (住所) as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you’re cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet’s water. Sometimes owners don’t realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can’t get anything to drink. Animals that don’t have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.
【小题1】What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?

A．They are often forgotten by their owners.

B．They are used to living outdoors.

C．They build their own shelter.

D．They like to stay in warm places.

【小题2】Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?

A．To know when to bring them inside.

B．To keep them from eating bad food.

C．To help them find shelters.

D．To keep them company.

【小题3】If pets are left on their own outdoors in cold weather, they may ___.

A．run short of clean water

B．dig deep holes for fun

C．dirty the snow nearby

D．get lost in the wild

【小题4】What is the purpose of this text?

A．To solve a problem.

B．To give practical advice.

C．To tell an interesting story.

D．To present a research result.

Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.
For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ’ this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.
While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.
【小题1】 The passage is probably written by   .

A．an experienced teacher	B．a working parent
C．an inspired student	D．a city council member

【小题2】The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to "  ’.

A．environments

B．holidays

C．wages

D．benefits

【小题3】It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to.

A．2 weeks

B．4.5 weeks

C．5 weeks

D．6 weeks

【小题4】The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students_____ .

A．obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs

B．get a chance to spend six weeks a term with teachers in school

C．benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment

D．have more school days to receive free school meals

【小题5】It can be inferred from the passage that   _______.

A．working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children

B．the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out

C．the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real "down time"

D．some school staff will say “ No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday

You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. 
【小题1】After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.

A．notice small changes

B．expect small changes

C．welcome small changes

D．exaggerate small changes

【小题2】 How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A．Cautiously.

B．Positively.

C．Sceptically.

D．Critically.

【小题3】When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.

A．the relaxed policemen

B．the messy arrivals hall

C．the tight security

D．the bank robbers

【小题4】Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．Life in Britain.

B．Back in Britain.

C．Britain in Future.

D．Britain in Memory.

Spring is coming, and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs. Competition is tough, so job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices. Whatever we are wearing，our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.
A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (纹身）nose rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet people do “cover” themselves in order to convey (传递)certain messages. What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are. Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances， so do companies. Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.
Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees (雇员),because those people represent the companies to their customers.
As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers. Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our customers are.
There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.
【小题1】Which of the following is the newspaper editor’ opinion according to Paragraph 2?

A．People’s appearances carry messages about themselves.

B．Customers’ choices influence dress standards in companies.

C．Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated.

D．Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace.

【小题2】What can be inferred from the text?

A．Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview.

B．What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies.

C．Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates.

D．Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates.

【小题3】Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Employees Matter

B．Personal Choices Matter

C．Appearances Matter

D．Hiring Managers Matter

【小题4】The author’s attitude towards strange dress styles in the workplace may best be described as         .
A. enthusiastic      B. negative       C positive        D. sympathetic