阅读理解

　　When people become good at doing the things they like they find themselves.

　　Many young people are good at doing things they do not like, many other young people would like to do something at which they are not good. Also, many do not think they are good at anything, and do not know what they would like to do. None of them are happy.

　　It is impossible to decide whether one likes something until one has tried it. Trying something new is important.

　　Give each idea a fair chance. If you have decided to try out something new, also decided how long you will stick to it. Then you can make a fair decision.

　　The best thing to judge is not the final goal, but the work it takes you to reach that goal. Almost everybody would like to be highly skilled in something, but becoming highly skilled at anything calls for a great deal of time and effect.

　　Finding oneself means not only discovering what one is good at and what one likes; it also means discovering what one is not good at and does not like.

　　So trying something and failing can have its good side. It tells you that you are not fit for that particular area and should not use it as your goal.

1．None of the young people are happy because ________.

[　　]

A．they are good at doing things they are not fond of

B．they would like to do something they are not good at

C．they think they are good at nothing and do not know what they would like to do

D．of all the above

2．You can’t decide whether you like something ________.

[　　]

A．even if you have tried it

B．although you have tried it

C．before you have tried it

D．after it has been tried

3．It takes ________ to become good at something.

[　　]

A．time and money

B．a lot of time and work

C．a lot of work and rest

D．men and time

4．From this passage we know that to find oneself is ________.

[　　]

5．To find oneself one has to know ________.

[　　]

A．his strong points

B．his weak points

C．both his strong and weak points

D．what he likes and what he is good at

What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange or red? If you do, you must be an optimist (乐观者), a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. Do you prefer grays (灰色) and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy and you would rather follow than lead. If you love green, you are strong-minded and determined (意志坚定的). You wish to succeed and want other people to see you are successful. At least this is what psychologists (心理学家) tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference (爱好), and the effect (影响) that colors have on human beings. They tell us that we don't choose our favorite color as we grow up. If you happen to love brown, you did so as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.

　　 A yellow room makes us feel more cheerful (开心的) and more comfortable (舒服的) than a dark green one, and a red dress rings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is depressing (压抑). Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. It is a fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or dark gray.

　　 Remember, then, that if you feel low, you can always brighten your day or your life with a new shirt or a few colorful things. Remember also that you will know your friends and your enemies better when you find out what colors they like and dislike. And don't forget that anyone can guess a lot about your character when you choose a piece of handkerchief.

1.According to this passage, _________.

　 A. one can choose his color preference　　

　 B. one is born with his color preference

　 C. one's color preference is changeable

　 D. one has to choose his favorite color as soon as he can see clearly

2.We would pay attention to colors because _______.

　 A. colors do have effect on our moods(情绪)

　 B. colors may have effect on our work and study

　 C. light and bright colors make people happy

　 D. you can know your friends better by the colors they like or dislike

3. The main idea of this passage is ________.

　 A. one's color preference shows one's character

　 B. you can brighten your life with wonderful colors

　 C. psychologists have been studying the meaning of color preference

　 D. one's color preference has something to do with his character and colors have effects on human beings

4. "I am feeling black" means ______.

　 A. I am feeling well 　　　　        B. I am very happy 　　

   C. I am excited 　　                 D. I am depressed

Life in 2060

　　Let us suppose it is now about A.D. 2060. Let’s make believe (假装；虚构) it is about sixty years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.

　　Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment (娱乐) of young and old.

　　What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven’t yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.

　　Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet’s surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.

　　Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.

　　People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, the people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.

　　Such would be our life in 2060.

1. When was the passage written?

　　A. In about A.D. 2060.

　　B. In about 1960.

　　C. In about 2000.

　　D. In about 2004.

2. According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A.D. 2060?

　　A. Many tourists.

　　B. Many other animals.

　　C. Many plants.

　　D. A sea.

3. What will people eat then according to the passage?

　　A. Biscuits in pill form.

　　B. Foods in pill form.

　　C. Foods in water form.

　　D. Foods in gas form.

4. The passage tells us that in 2060, ____ on the earth than now.

　　A. there are fewer population

　　B. there are more pests

　　C. there is less water

　　D. the crops are getting better

5. Why are people largely vegetarians in 2060?

　　A. Because they don’t eat meat.

　　B. Because doctors advise them not to eat meat.

　　C. Because the number of animals decreases.

　　D. Because all the animals have died of diseases.

Creativity(创造性)is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this important skill in children.
　     If Dick Drew had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product that we now think of as very important: a new type of tape. Drew worked for the Minnesota Mining Company. At work he developed a kind of material strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to think more about the idea. Finally, using his own time, Drew improved the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas.
　     Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily an indicator of high intelligence. Just that a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce new ideas that are good for something.
　     Unfortunately, schools have not tried to encourage creativity. With strong attention paid to test results and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators give up creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but can’t recognize ways to use it in new situations. They may know the rules correctly, but they are unable to use them to work out practical problems.
　     It is important to give children choices. From an early age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it’s choosing between two food items for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money, but not help them too much if they make the wrong decision. The child may have a hard time, but that is all right. This is because the most important characteristic of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.
【小题1】What did the company where Dick Drew worked learn from its mistake?

Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone(克隆) their beloved animals, the answers were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and final sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.
Most of the respondents (被调查的人) who liked the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,” “the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism(英勇精神), cleverness and selfless devotion.
“People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
　　But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.
71. So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, __________.
A. a lot more of them are for it  
B. a lot more of them are against it
C. very few of them are willing to tell their opinions
D. about half of them are for it and the other half against it
72. While talking about the respondents from the readers, the underlined expression “final sadness of owning a pet” refers to ___________.
A. the death of one’s pet   
B. the high cost of owning a pet
C. the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet
D. the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet
73. In spite of(尽管) their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that ________.
A. all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death
B. all pet owners love their pets very much
C. people who support cloning love their pets more
D. people who dislike cloning love their pets more
74. From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he _________.
A. has never thought about the problem of cloning
B. is going to write another book on pets
C. support the idea of cloning pets
D. is all against the cloning of pets
75. What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?
A. Can cloning make one suffers less pain when a pet dies?
B. Can pet owners afford the cost of cloning?
C. Does cloning go against the law of nature?
D. Can cloning really produce an exact copy of one’s pet?