It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations”. I don't remember ever smiling so wide.

Then I looked at my financial (财政的) package. The cost of Dream School's tuition (学费), room and board was around $ 40 000—an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools ever if they weren't as famous as my first choice.

In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn't sure what to do.

One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents' financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, and listen quietly. But I surprised myself.

At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus (校园) including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring. As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there. In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream” university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.

1. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?

A. He was full of joy.

B. He was lost in his dream.

C. He was worried about the money.

D. He was uncertain which school to go to.

2. We can learn from the passage that the parents were

A. honest

B. strict

C. supportive

D. decisive

3. In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride” can be replaced by “________”.

A. would pay for transport to the school

B. would show me around the campus

C. would offer free meals at all events

D. would charge me nothing for tuition

4. What does the author mainly want to say?

A. Your second-choice college may actually by your best fit.

B. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.

C. You should try your best to attend your dream school.

D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.

The Home of My People

When Lewis and Clark stepped onto the Weippe Prairie in present-day Idaho in September 1805, they met the Nez Perce Indians. In the following years, the white explorers(探险者) began to fight with the Indians for their land. Some Nez Perce chiefs signed agreements with the U.S. government, selling part of their lands. But the government always broke those agreements and demanded more land.

Other chiefs refused to go along with the government's plans. The most famous was Chief Joseph, whose people lived in the Wallowa Valley (present-day Oregon).

“In order to have all people understand how much land we owned,” he once explained, “my father planted poles around it and said: ‘Inside is the home of my people... It circled around the graves (坟墓) of our fathers, and we will never give up these graves to any man. ’”

But in 1874, the U.S. government declared the valley open for white settlement and ordered the Nez Perce onto a reservation (保留地). Seeing that resistance was useless, Chief Joseph agreed to move.

Later, fighting broke out between the Nez Perce and U.S. soldiers, Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada, winning several battles against the soldiers during their flight. But finally, he was forced to give in.

1. Which historic site (on the map) lies in the south of today's Nez Perce Reservation?

A. Buffalo Eddy.

B. Dug Bar.

C. Joseph Canyon Viewpoint.

D. Chief Looking Glass Camp.

2. What can we learn about the Nez Perce lands from the map?

A. They were in the state of Oregon.

B. They have become a historic site.

C. They have become much smaller.

D. They were limited to the Wallowa Valley.

3. From Paragraph 3, we know that the Indians wanted to

A. show off their land

B. keep their land

C. turn their place into a graveyard

D. build their homes around the poles

Like many lovers of books, Mary and her husband, Richard Goldman, seldom walked past a bookstore without stopping to look inside. They often talked of opening their own store one day. When .Mary was hospitalized with heart trouble in 1989, they decided it was time to get serious. Richard, who worked for a business company, was eager to work for himself, and Mary needed to slow down from her demanding job.

They started by talking to bookstore owners and re-searching the industry. “We knew it had to be a specialty store because we couldn’t match the big chains dollar for dollar,” says Mary. One figure caught her attention: She had read somewhere that roughly 20 percent of books sold were mysteries (推理小说), and many buyers spent more than $300 a year on books. She and Richard were themselves mystery readers.

On Halloween 1992, they opened the Mystery Lovers Bookshop and Cafe near their home. With three children in college, the couple could not spend all the family’s money to start a shop. To cover the$100 000 cost, they drew some of their sayings, borrowed from relatives and from a bank.

The store merely broke even in its first year, with only $120 000 in sales. But Mary was always coming up with new ways to attract customers. The shop had a coffee bar and it offered gifts to mystery lovers and served dinners for book clubs that met in the store. She also invited dozens of writers to discuss their stories.

Today Mystery Lovers makes sales of about$420 000 a year. After paying taxes, business costs and the six part-time sales clerks, Richard and Mary, together earn about $34 000. “The job you love may not go hand in hand with a mil-lion-dollar income,” says Richard. “This has always been about an enjoyable life for us, not about making a lot of money.”

1. When Mary was in hospital, the couple realized that ________.

A. they had to put their plan into practice

B. health was more important than wealth

C. heart trouble was a serious illness

D. they both needed to stop working

2. After Mary got well from her illness they began ________.

A. to study industrial management

B. to buy and read more mystery books

C. to do market research on book business

D. to work harder to save money for the bookstore

3. How did their bookstore do in the first year?

A. They had to borrow money to keep it going.

B. They made just enough to cover all the costs.

C. They succeeded in earning a lot of money.

D. They failed though they worked hard.

4. According to Richard, the main purpose of running the bookstore is ________.

A. to pay for their children’s education

B. to get to know more writers

C. to set up more bookstores

D. to do what they like to do

Discover

Newsmagazine of science devoted to the wonders and stories of modern science，written for the educated general reader. Published (出版) by Disney Magazine Publishing Co., Discouer tells many of the same stories professionals(专业人员) read in Scientific American. A truly delightful family science magazine, each issue(每期)brings to light new and newsworthy topics to make dinnertime and water- cooler conversations interesting.

Cover Price：$59.88

Price：$19.95($1.66／issue)

You Save：$39.93(67%)

Issues：12 issues／12 months

Self

Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Self is a handbook devoted to women’s overall physical and mental health. Every issue contains usable articles such as “Style Lab”, in which wearable clothes are mixed and matched on non-models and the “Eat-Right Road Map”, with tips on how to eat properly.

Cover Price：$35.86

Price：$15.OO($2.5／issue)

You Save：$20.86(58%)

Issues：6 issues／12 months

Instyle

Instyle is a guide to the lives and lifestyles of the world’s famous people. The magazine covers the choices people make about their homes, their clothes and their free time activities.  With photos and articles, it opens the door to these people’s homes, families, parties and weddings, offering ideas about beauty, fitness and in general, lifestyles. Publisher: The

Time Inc. Magazine Company.

Cover Price: $ 47.88

Price: $ 23.88 ($ 2.38/issue)

You Save: $ 24.00 (50%)

Issues: 10 issues/12 months

Wired

This magazine is designed for leaders in the field of information engineering including top managers and professionals in the computer, business, design and education industries. Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Wired of ten carries articles on how technology changes people’s lives.

Cover Price: $ 59.40

Price: $ 10.00 ($1.00/issue)

You Save: $49.40 (83%)

Issues: 10 issues/12months

1. Which of the following magazines is published monthly?

A. Discover.

B. Self,

C. Instyle.

D. Wired.

2. Which two magazines are published by the same publisher?

A. Wired and Instyle.

B. Discover and Instyle.

C. Self and Discover.

D. Self and Wired.

3. Which magazine offers the biggest price cut?

A. Instyle.

B. Wired.

C. Discover.

D. Self.

4. The “Style Lab” in Self provides readers with articles which

A. offer advice to ordinary women on clothes

B. show how a woman can become famous

C. introduce places with the best food

D. discuss ways of training models

5. Those who are interested in management and the use of high technology would probably choose ________.

A. Instyle

B. Self

C. Wired

D. Discover

The Americans believe that anybody can become President of the United States. In a recent Hollywood comedy (喜剧), that is exactly what happens.

Dave Kovie, played by Kevin Kline, is a kind-hearted man who runs a business that finds people jobs. He leads a typical (典型的) American way of life, except for one thing—he looks exactly like the President, Bill Mitchell. In fact, the only thing that makes him different from the nation’s leader is that he is very nice!

The president has started using look-alikes during some public appearances. Dave is offered a chance to “serve his country” by becoming one. However, things go wrong. The President becomes very ill and Dave ends up acting as the President forever.

Director Ivan Reitman, who made the popular and successful comedies like Twins, Ghostbusters and Legal Eagles, could have gone for easy laughs by making fun of the American government. Instead, Dave is an attractive comedy about an ordinary man in extraordinary situations. Kevin Kline gives a double performance as Dave and the President, and Sigourney Weaver is at her best as his First Lady. The love story that develops between her role and Dave is a real classic(经典)

The film is 100% American. However, if you’ve ever felt that anybody could do a better job running the country than the people in power, then you’ll enjoy Dave!

1. What is the purpose of the text?

A. To tell the reader about the American government.

B. To discuss the Americans’ ideas about the President.

C. To make a comparison between Dave and other films.

D. To introduce a new film to the reader.

2. Who plays the role of the President in the film?

A. Sigourney Weaver.

B. Kevin Kline.

C. Bill Mitchell.

D. Ivan Reitman.

3. The underlined word “one” in the 3^rdparegraph refers to ________.

A. the President

B. the director

C. an actor

D. a look-alike

4. Which 0f the following is best supported by the text?

A. The author makes fun of the President.

B. The author thinks highly of the film.

C. The author is a fan of Hollywood comedies.

D. The author wishes to become the American President.

Say yon are a 17^th century construction worker who’s worked long and hard to build a splendid tower for the dead wife of your emperor.

Now say that the emperor orders your fingertips cut off so you can never build another one. Yes, that is the Taj Mahal, one of the most famous buildings in the world. And the tale behind the construction is just as impressive(印象深刻的)as the building itself.

First, there’s the emperor of northern India, Shah Jehan, also called the King of the World. In 1612, Shah Jehan married Mumtaz Mahal. Madly in love, they had 14 children over the next 20 years. But than sadness came. As Mumtaz was about to give birth to child number 14, she said she had heard her unborn baby cry out. It was a sign of death. And as Mumtaz lay dying, she asked Jehan to build a lasting memorial(纪念物)to celebrate their love.

When the heartbroken Jehan appeared eight days after his wife’s death, his people were shocked to see that his coal-black hair had turned snow-white. Putting away his sadness, Jehan ordered his wife’sdying wish becarried out. More than 20 000 workers labored nearly 22 years to complete the construction. In 1653, Jehan placed Mumtaz’s remains in the center under the building.

And than, son number five, Aurangzeb, murdered his brothers and took over the power from his aging father. Jehan lived the rest of his days—eight years, to be exact—imprisoned not far from the Taj Mahal. Jehan was only allowed to climb onto the top of his prison to see the timeless treasure from a distance. But never again would he be allowed to visit it—until he was buried next to his wife.

Today 25 000 people visit the Taj Mahal each day. Though the reason for building the tower was a strange, sad story, those who see its breath-taking beauty are reminded of the happiness that inspired(激发……的灵感) its construction.

1. The first two paragraphs were written to show that________.

A. the Taj Mahal is an unusual historic building

B. ancient Indian emperors were cruel

C. construction workers led a hard life in ancient India

D. India has some of the most famous buildings in the world

2. The Taj Mahal was first built as ________.

A. a prison

B. a gift to Mumtaz

C. a memorial building

D. a tourist attraction

3. We learn from the text that Mumtaz probably died in ________.

A. 1626

B. 1632

C. 1634

D. 1653

4. The underlined word “happiness” in the last sentence refers to ________.

A. the married happiness of the emperor and his wife

B. the great pleasure Jehan once found in exercising his power

C. the happiness Jehan felt on completing the Taj Mahal

D. the pleasure tourists experience when visiting the Taj Mahal

The famous American gorilla (大猩猩) expert Diane Fossey had a completely new way to study gorillas—she pre-tended to be one of them. She copied their actions and way of life—eating plants and getting down on her hands and knees to walk the way a gorilla does: It was a new relationship.

Diane Fossey was murdered in Rwanda in 1985 and her story was made into the popular film Gorillas in the Mist. It was a long way from King Kong, which is about a gorilla as a monster (a frightening animal), and helped to show a new idea: the real monster is man, while the gorilla is to be ad-mired. Today there are thought to be around 48 000 lowland gorillas and maybe 400 ～ 450 mountain gorillas in the wild. From the Congo in West Africa, to Rwanda and Uganda further east, they are endangered by hunting and by the cutting down of their forest homes.

Some time ago, I found in my letterbox a little magazine from the World Wide Fund for Nature. It had two photos side by side. One was of a young gorilla. “This is a species of mammal (哺乳类动物),” said the words below it. “It is being destroyed by man. We must save it for our own good. ” The other photo showed a human baby. The words also read, “This is a species of mammal,” but then went on: “It is the most destructive (破坏性的) on earth. We must re- train it for its own good. ”

1. The text mainly talks about ________.

A. Diane Fossey

B. the gorillas in Rwanda

C. the protection of the gorillas

D. the film Gorillas in the Mist

2. We can learn from the text that ________.

A. Gorillas in the Mist was based on Fossey’s experiences

B. lowland gorillas live longer than mountain gorillas

C King Kong showed us that a gorilla is admirable

D. Diane Fossey was murdered by a gorilla

3. What message can we get from the two photos in the magazine?

A. Gorillas are man. s close friends.

B. Both man and the gorilla need to be saved.

C. Young gorillas are as lovely as human babies.

D. Man should live peacefully with the gorilla.

The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was7:30p.m.Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song. By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11：00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry. Their experience suggests that the words on printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30 ～ 8:30p.m.means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; ～ 8:00p.m.or 8:30p.m. means possible dinner, but 9:30p.m.and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, roll up late. But this is not always the case. If asked to a students' party at 6:30p.m. , it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive-looking eager-is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we're young, we're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time. The accepted custom at present is confusing (混乱的), sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element(成分) of surprise.

1. The underlined words "off their heads" probably mean ________.

A. tired

B. crazy

C. curious

D. hopeless

2. Jane and David's story is used to show that ________.

A. party-goers usually get hungry at parties

B. party invitations can be confusing

C. people should ask for food at parties

D. birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull

3. For some young people, arriving on time for a students' party will probably be considered ________.

A. very difficult

B. particularly thoughtful

C. friendly and polite

D. socially unacceptable

4. According to the writer, people in their late thirties ________

A. are likely to arrive late for a party

B. care little about the party time

C. haven't really grown up yet

D. like surprises at parties

5. What is the general idea of the text?

A. It's safe to arrive late just when food is served. ________

B. It's wise to eat something before going to a party.

C. It's important to follow social rules of party-going.

D. It's necessary to read invitations carefully.

Rome had the Forum. London has Speaker’s Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill.

Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 20s, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street corners. Just talk. Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, “Talk to Me, ” they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits. They don’t collect money. They don't push religion(宗教). So what’s the point? “To see what happens,” said Liz. “We simply enjoy life with open communication(交流). ”

Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270—mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return.

“It started as a crazy idea,” Liz said. “We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their jobs, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything. ”

Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went.

Marcia had lost her husband to a serious disease. “That was very heavy on my mind,” Marcia said. “To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good。”she explained.

To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people showed up, as well as some television cameramen and reporters.

They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, and they say they’ll consider it.

1. What did Liz and Bill start doing after September2001?

A. Chatting with people.

B. Setting up street signs.

C. Telling stories to strangers.

D. Organizing a speaker’s corner.

2. What they have been doing can be described as ________.

A. pointless

B. normal

C. crazy

D. successful

3. Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?

A. They knew Liz and Bill very well.

B. They happened to meet the writer of the text.

C. They organized the get-together in the city park.

D. They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill.

4. What will Liz and Bill do in the future?

A. Go in for publishing.

B. Do more television programs.

C. Continue what they are doing.

D. Spend more time reading books.

5. How do they like the idea of writing a book?

A. They have decided to wait a year or two.

B. They will think about it carefully.

C. They agreed immediately.

D. They find it hard to do that.

When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your anger. But forgiveness is possible— and it can be surprisingly helpful to your physical and mental health. Indeed, research has shown that people who forgive report more energy, better appetite (胃口) and better sleep patterns. “People who forgive show less anger and more hopefulness,” says Dr. Frederic Luskin, who wrote the book Forgive for Good. “So it can help save on the wear and tear on our system and allow people to feel more energetic.”

So when someone has hurt you, calm yourself first. Take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, someone you love. Don't wait for an apology. “Many times the person who hurt you may never think of apologizing,” says Dr.  Luskin. “They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. So if you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting a very long time. ” Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean accepting the action of the person who upset you.  Mentally going over your hurt gives power to the person who brought you pain. Instead, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you. Finally, try to see things from the other person's perspective (视角). You may realize that he or she was acting out of ignorance (无知), fear—even love. To gain perspective, you may want to write a letter to yourself from that person's point of view.

1. The text is mainly written to explain __

A. how to keep yourself from being hurt

B. how to stay mentally healthy

C. how and when to remain calm

D. why and how to pardon others

2. According to the writer, what is the right way to calm down after being hurt?

A. Try to figure out why you get hurt.

B. Write a letter to the person who hurt you.

C. Persuade yourself to accept what others have done to you.

D. Think about pleasant things and forget about the hurt..

3. Dr. Luskin advises us not to wait for an apology after being hurt because __.

A. we are not patient enough

B. we'd feel worse accepting others’ apology

C. people seldom want to apologize

D. people don't mean it when they apologize