We do some strange things when we don't like the way our life is going. Too often we blame (埋怨)
someone else.
     "I wish my parents were more understanding."
     "I have such a bad Chemistry teacher!"
     "My friends are so boring and self-centered. They make my life worse and worse."
     Blame! Blame! Blame!
     It seems natural to sing this self-pitying song, but the truth is, if you don't like your life, you should do
something about it. No one else knows exactly how you feel or what you need. No one can read your
mind correctly. You are the only one with the power (能力) to change your life, and if you want it to be
different, you can change what you're doing. This means asking "What do I need? What do I want to do?"
instead of trying to meet others' needs. For example, try to decide how you want to spend your evening
instead of asking somebody else for advice. We teach other people how we want to be treated. If you
don't think of our own needs, no one else will either.
     When you're in trouble, don't give away your power to decide how you feel about yourself. Choose
how you want to think and act. Other people can't make you unhappy or angry. They only act in their
own way and then it's up to you to decide how you will respond (回应). For example, your friends go
out to lunch without you. You feel angry. How are you going to act? You may blame your friends …
"They are not kind. Who needs them anyway?" or you may tell your friends how you feel, listen to their
explanation (解释), and let them know you'd like to be invited next time.
     When you decide everything in your own way, you're getting hold of your own life and shaping it
according to your tastes and feelings. You can choose to be happy, to make friends and to build an
interesting life. When you blame others for what is or isn't happening in your life, you have stopped
growing or learning.
     One of the most important rules is that you can never change another person by your direct action. The
only person you have the right and power to change is yourself. Once you change, the other person then
has something different to respond to and change is possible. If you want change in your life, begin with
yourself … put love into your power to take action.

1. What should we do if we don't like our life?

A. Sing that self-pitying song.
B. Read our minds correctly.
C. Change what we're doing.
D. Tell others what we want.

2. If the writer's friends have dinner together without him, he may _____.

A. forget it and be still friendly with them
B. talk to them and try to find out why
C. do the same thing to them in return
D. ask somebody else to talk to them

3. What's the writer's idea about how to change others?

A. He thinks it's impossible to change others.
B. He believes our love can change everything.
C. He chooses to talk with others directly.
D. He prefers to change ourselves first instead.

4. How many points of view (观点) are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.
B. Four.
C. Five.
D. Six.

     We do some strange things when we don't like the way our life is going. Too often we blame(埋怨)
someone else.
     "I wish my parents were more understanding."
     "I have such a bad Chemistry teacher!"
     "My friends are so boring and self-centred. They make my life worse and worse."
     Blame! Blame! Blame!
     It seems natural to sing this self-pitying song, but the truth is, if you don't like your life, you should do
something about it. No one else knows exactly how  you feel or what you need.  No one can read your
mind correctly. You are the only one with the  power(能力) to  check your life, and if you want it to be
different, you can change what you're doing. This means asking.. "What do I need? What do I want to
do?" instead of trying to meet others'  needs. For example,  try  to  decide how you want to spend your
evening instead of asking somebody else for advice. We teach other people how we want to be treated.
If we don't think of our own needs, no one else will either.
     When you're in trouble, don't give away your power to decide how you feel about yourself. Choose
how you want to think and act(行动). Other people can't make you unhappy or angry. They only act in
their own way and then it's up to you to decide how you will respond(回应). For example, your friends
go out to lunch withou t you.  You feel angry.  How are you going to act?  You may blame your friends.
"They're not kind. Who needs  them anyway?"  or  you may tell your friends how you feel, listen to their
explanation(解释), and let them know you'd like to be invited next time.
     When you decide everything in your own way,  you're  getting  hold  of your own life and shaping it
according  to  your tastes  and feelings.  You can  choose to be happy, to make friends and to build an
interesting life. When you blame others for what is  or  isn't  happening  in  your life,  you have stopped
growing or learning.
     One of the most important rules is that  you  can  never  change another person by your direct action.
The only person you have the right and power to change is yourself. Once you change, the other person
then has something different to respond to and change is possible. If you  want change in your life, begin
with yourself...put love into your power to take action.

1．What should we do if we don't like our life?

A．Sing that self-pitying song.
B．Read our minds correctly.
C．Change what we're doing.
D．Tell others what we want.

2．If the writer's friends have dinner together without him, he may ________.

A．forget it and be still friendly with them
B．talk to them and try to find out why
C．do the same thing to them in return
D．ask somebody else to talk to them

3．What's the writer's idea about how to change others?

A．He thinks it's impossible to change others.
B．He believes our love can change everything.
C．He chooses to talk with others directly.
D．He prefers to change ourselves first instead.

4．How many points of view(观点)are mentioned in the passage?

A．Three.
B．Four.
C．Five.
D．Six.

     On a very cold evening in northern Virginia many yean ago, an old man was waiting for a ride across the
river. Anxiously (焦急地), he watched as several horsemen passed by, then another. Finally, the last rider
came to the place where the old man sat. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider's eyes and said,
"Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side?"
     Reining (勒隹缰绳) his horse, the rider replied, "Sure." Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen
(冻得半僵的) body from the ground, the rider got off the horse and helped the old man onto it. He took the
old man not only across the river, but also to his house, which was just a few miles away.
     As they came to his house, the rider's curiosity (好奇心) caused him to ask the old man, "Sir, I noticed
that you let several other riders pass by without asking for help. Then I came up and you immediately asked
me for a ride. What would happen if I had refused and left you there?"
     The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes and replied,
I've been there for some time. I think I know people well. I looked into the eyes of the other riders and
immediately saw there was no worry about my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a
ride. But when I looked into your eyes, I saw kindness and compassion (同情)? I knew you would give me
a hand."
     Those words moved the rider deeply. He said to the old man, "I am very grateful for what you have said.
May (但愿) I never get too busy with my own things that I fail to help others with kindness and compassion."

1. The old man found that the last rider was _____.

A. unhelpful
B. kind and helpful
C. curious and active
D. indifferent (漠不关心的)

2. What did the last rider do after the old man asked him to give him a ride?

A. He refused the old man at first.
B. He only took the old man across the river.
C. He took the old man to his house at last.
D. He asked the old man to get on the horse himself.

3. The old man let several other riders pass by without asking for help because _____.

A. he was so frozen that he couldn't say a word
B. he was too nervous to ask them for help
C. he couldn't see kindness and compassion in their eyes
D. he didn't want to accept their help at all

4. By saying "May I never get too busy with my own things that I fail to help others with kindness and
    compassion.", the last rider means _____.

A. he will try to help others whole-heartedly (全心全意地) from now on even if he is busy
B. he will never get too busy in his own things any longer
C. he wasn't willing to help others with kindness and compassion in the past
D. he failed to help others in the past because he was not very kind