Dear Mark，

You may consider this an anonymous(匿名的) testimonial.

We came to your seminar(研究班) with many difficulties and near violent anger, definitely emotionally violent. After taking your course we learned and practiced many of the techniques and principles you taught in the seminar we attended last year. It not only saved our relationship but improved our individual lives. For months and months we had all your rules taped to our walls (with 3M temporary double－sided removable pad tabs) in the bathroom above the sink, on the fridge and in my office and in the utility room. They kept reminding us of the proper ways to handle conflict and it has curtailed the damaging effects of emotional escalation(扩大) that really ruined any chance to a loving peaceful life. Although we both are far from where we'd like to be, we are thousands of miles ahead of the painful place where we were before attending your course. Spending the time with you and other couples helped us see that we were not alone and encouraged us to move through this awful phase of our relationship to a happier and more satisfying relationship. We were both motivated to learn and sincerely when we came. We participated honestly and we received great rewards then and now. I believe that we have integrated your techniques into our lives to our benefit.

Thank you for your life's work and course that has helped us grow and create a relationship that is so much more satisfying and pleasant.

We appreciate your part in our lives.

Yours,

Bill & Lori

1. The passage above can be best regarded as a letter of ________.

A. appreciation                      B. apology

C. recommendation                  D. suggestion

2. When the writers first came to the seminar, ________.

A. their relationship nearly came to an end

B. they had lost hope in life

C. they had lost the desire to learn something new

D. they had just got to know each other

3. People attending the seminar mentioned in the letter wanted to learn________.

A. how to improve their interpersonal skills

B. how to control their bad emotions

C. how to deal with difficulties in their work

D. how to make a successful career

4. The underlined word “curtailed” in the passage probably means “________”．

A. let out           B. pointed out   

C. reduced          D. realized

5. The writers of the letter are probably ________.

A. father and son                 B. mother and daughter

C. teacher and student             D. husband and wife

They say that Mexico is a country no one ever leaves. Every year, millions of tourists pass through, and Mexicans happily warn that a part of them will remain behind forever. Most visitors are vacationing North Americans who end up on the brilliant beaches of Cancun, Acapulco, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. The beaches, of course, are among the world’s best – but those who venture (探险) inland are rewarded with the true soul of Mexico.

And it is a big soul. The Republic of Mexico is vast, consisting of nearly two million square miles of coastline, desert, rain forest, mountains, and fertile plains. From the American borderlands of the wide, agriculturally rich north, the country narrows gently as it sweeps south and east. The two main mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental, hug the west and east, finally merging into the volcanically active central highlands and the capital, Mexico City – the most populous city in the world. Further south, the country narrows to only 100 miles, then broadens again before reaching the Guatemalan border. There are two major peninsulas (半岛) in Mexico: the Baja Peninsula to the west and the Yucatan peninsula to the east.

The population is about 106 million, and the generosity (慷慨大方) of the Mexican people is unsurpassed. Knowing a few simple sentences in Spanish will win hearts.