Mrs. Green is telling her experience：

The brain is the most amazing part of our bodies．But just like our bodies，it needs care．Getting a good night's sleep．eating a balanced diet（均衡饮食）and taking deep breaths are all important ways of looking after both your body and your brain.

Many people think their brain will slow down with age and their memory will get worse．The truth is，just like your body，you can also improve your brain．I've found I can improve my memory by picturing what I need to remember．For example，if I'm going shopping and I need bread milk and a birthday card for my brother，I picture a loaf of bread，a bottle of milk with a cow in the front and a birthday card with a football on it．

The same kind of thing can be used with important dates．If you have a picture in your mind of a special event（事件），it's much easier to remember than just a number．

Another way of improving your mind is to make sure you often visit new places and have new experiences．I find learning Spanish is a great way to keep the brain working，but communication in any language is important．

1．What is the woman’s main aim in telling her experience?

A．To explain how the brain works．   

B．To talk about problems with the brain．

C．To describe how clever she has become．

D．To tell ways to make the memory better．

2．How does the woman improve her memory?

A．By doing some medical research．   

B．By looking after her body．

C．By picturing what she needs to remember．

D．By doing a lot of shopping．

3．What does the woman say about her own memory?

    A．It has been possible to make her memory better．

    B．She finds dates more difficult to remember than numbers．

    C．It has got worse over the years．

D．She often forgets birthdays．

4．Which would be the best title for the passage?

    A．Easy ways Io improve your mind

    B．The latest research into the brain

    C．The amazing power of memory

    D．How to remember things you thought you'd forgotten

Are you an only-child in your family? Are you feeling alone at home? How are you dealing with it?

Zhang Luwen, 12, feels lucky to have a 4-year-old “brother”. “With him, I never feel lonely at home. He goes with me wherever I go,” said the girl of Sichuan Province. But it is not easy to be a sister. Zhang has to help her parents bath her “brother” every week. This is because he is hairy — he is a dog.

As the number of pet owners in China grows more and more, Chinese students have animal friends at home. Experts say that these small animals give these only-children lessons in love, care, teamwork and generosity.

This month, the first study on the influence of pets on the children came out. It is a survey of 402 Beijing primary school students. It shows that animal friends are good for children.

China had more than 90 million only-children by 2006, according to the government. “In families of three, most children feel lonely. They don’t have many chances to learn how to love and be responsible for others,” said Zhou Xia in the study group. “So having a pet can help with the problem.”

However, some students complain that their parents don’t allow them to have pets. “They are afraid a pet would stop me studying,” said Chen Qi, of Chongqing.

Perhaps he could learn from Qin Yixing, 13, of Beijing. “I don’t play with my dog until I have finished my homework. I made the promise to my mom and I must keep it,” said the girl.

1.According to the passage, experts think _______.

A．it is good for students to have animal friends at home

B．only-children families in China will be fewer and fewer

C．small animals at home are bad for students

D．parents should buy more pet animals for their children

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Zhang Luwen’s parents bath every week.

B．Zhou Xia thinks a pet animal can solve the problem that children feel lonely.

C．Chen Qi of Chongqing has got a pet animal.

D．Qin Yixing’s parents don’t want her to have a pet.

Are you an only-child in your family? Are you feeling alone at home? How are you dealing with it?
Zhang Luwen, 12, feels lucky to have a 4-year-old “brother”. “With him, I never feel lonely at home. He goes with me wherever I go,” said the girl of Sichuan Province. But it is not easy to be a sister. Zhang has to help her parents bath her “brother” every week. This is because he is hairy — he is a dog.
As the number of pet owners in China grows more and more, Chinese students have animal friends at home. Experts say that these small animals give these only-children lessons in love, care, teamwork and generosity.
This month, the first study on the influence of pets on the children came out. It is a survey of 402 Beijing primary school students. It shows that animal friends are good for children.
China had more than 90 million only-children by 2006, according to the government. “In families of three, most children feel lonely. They don’t have many chances to learn how to love and be responsible for others,” said Zhou Xia in the study group. “So having a pet can help with the problem.”
However, some students complain that their parents don’t allow them to have pets. “They are afraid a pet would stop me studying,” said Chen Qi, of Chongqing.
Perhaps he could learn from Qin Yixing, 13, of Beijing. “I don’t play with my dog until I have finished my homework. I made the promise to my mom and I must keep it,” said the girl.
【小题1】According to the passage, experts think _______.

“Would you tell me which way I should go from here?” asked Alice.

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get,” said the Cat.

“I really don’t care where” replied Alice.

“Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

--- from “ Alice in Wonderland ”

My name is David. And I have a brother called Mike.

One day, my brother called me and asked me for some advice. He was trying to decide between two job offers:

Job 1 – The first job was your typical 40 hour a week “office” job.

Job 2 – The second job was more of a career in the insurance industry(保险业), where he would start at the bottom, and after many years and many long hours eventually rise to the top (if he was good).

The second job did not pay as well as the first job (at the beginning), but the pay-off of the second job (in the future) was much greater than the first job. So which job should my brother take? Well the answer is…it depends.

Just like the Cat was trying to tell Alice, which road you take depends a great deal on where you want to end up.

Begin with the End in Mind

I asked my brother what was his life’s purpose. He said his purpose was to “teach,” but he wanted to make a lot of money first. I told my brother to forget about the money, and I advised him to focus on his purpose. I then asked him which job best supported his end result of “teaching.” He said the first job best supported his goal because he would only have to work 40 hours a week, which would give him spare time to teach. He continued on to say, “but if I take job number two, I can work hard and make more money, then I can retire early and “teach” later in life.” I again advised him to “focus” on his purpose, not money. Things don’t end wrong, they begin wrong!

You Can’t Ride Two Horses Well

It would be very difficult to have a successful teaching career while you’re working 70-80 hours a week in the insurance business; no one can ride two horses well. As they say, you can do anything, but not everything. I advised him to get started today by choosing the job that best supported that decision.

Tomorrow Never Comes

My brother was thinking that he could always start teaching later in life, but the reality is, tomorrow never comes. Unless you decide right now to follow your feelings, they will probably never be completed. You only live once, don’t go to the end of your life with one regret.

The Money Will Come

My brother seemed to be overly concerned with making money. I told him not to be anxious about making money. You will always have greater money when you’re doing what you love.

In a word, whenever you’re at a cross-road, be sure to make the decision that best supports the goal of your life. If you do, then you will be well on your way.

1.Mike ___________ David one day.

A．visited            B．met              C．made a telephone call to   D．found

2.Mike was trying to ____________.

A．look for a job                          B．start a career

C．wok in an office                         D．decide between two job offers

3.As for the life’s purpose, Mike ______________.

A．wanted to teach first                     B．wanted to make a lot of money first

C．wanted to work in the insurance industry     D．wanted to work 40 hours a day

4.You Can’t Ride Two Horses Well means _____________.

A．you’d better have two horses

B．you can only ride one horse well

C．you can do everything well.

D．you can’t do two things well at the same time

5.The best title of the passage is ______________.

A．How to choose a better job

B．It is more important to begin than to end

C．How to make a better decision

D．Make more money because tomorrow never comes