Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well—she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."

Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.

"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."

Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."

Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been leaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing—watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now." （08上海卷）

When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.

A. satisfying                B. tough                      C. meaningless                    D. boring

The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.

A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant                                                     

B. Kathy persuaded her to do so

C. Zoe got tired of the city life                                                                             D. Zoe loved Wales more than London

How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

A. Tiresome and troublesome.                                                                 

B. Romantic and peaceful

C. Mentally exhausting but healthy                                                          

D. Physically tiring but rewarding.

Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.                                                  

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing.                                         

 D. Kill two birds with one stone.

Psychology（心理学）tells us that many people hate to take risks. But it is good for us to take risks, especially (尤其)when the risk is to achieve a desired result. In that way, we become stronger and braver.
Our human nature should be to take risks, but some people just sit and wish they didn’t have the fear（恐惧）to move on. This is because of one or two failures in their lives. Please step out and don’t let the past hold you back from living life to the fullest. Move forward and move on!
In studying the psychology of taking risks, we find that human nature provides(提供) us with the desire (渴望)to experiment and take chances.
Risk taking is a great benefit（好处）that allowed our ancestors(祖先) to become stronger and stronger day by day. By taking risks they fought off enemies and discovered new territories（领土）. This attitude has become a part of our modern culture. Riding a roller coaster is a common risk taking activity that even the average person seems to enjoy although they have the understanding that it is dangerous. This psychological and biological (生物学上的) connection （联系）creates an interesting connection between what is unsafe and what humans enjoy.
Getting in a car each day is a risk. Getting out of bed is a risk. There is such thing as perfect safety. We need to take risks so that we can complete (finish) many things. Astronauts take risks when they get inside a rocket; however, the things they achieve are great. Businessmen take a risk when they buy parts of a company. However, without doing that, they could not make more money.
We need to take risks so that we can gain something. It is impossible to move forward in life, earn money, enjoy a relationship, play a sport, or do anything else without taking a risk. It is all part of the game. It’s one of the most important parts of life.
【小题1】Some people don’t want to take risks, mainly （主要）because ___________.

A．they are too lazy to move on

B．they feel pleased with the present life.

C．they have experienced some failures before

D．they show little interest in the strange world outside

【小题2】What does the underlined part “This attitude” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Taking risks

B．Fighting off enemies

C．Discovering new territories

D．Becoming stronger and stronger

【小题3】 What can we infer from the passage?

A．Daily life is full of risks

B．The safest place has the greatest risk

C．People should take risks when they are young

D．We can always achieve our goals by taking risks

【小题4】 What would be the title for the passage?

A．Taking risks is easier said than done

B．On risks taken by ancestors

C．Live our life to the fullest(充分地)

D．No risk, no gain.

Makoto、Mr. Zheng、Mr. Zhu、Jack 和Xiao Wang 正在广州寻找合适的餐厅，第1--5题是对他们个人情况的介绍。阅读下列餐厅的信息(A、B、C、D、E、F)， 选出符合他们各人需要的最佳选择。选项中有一项是多余的。

1. Makoto is a Japanese tourist who has stayed in Guangzhou for a few days. He wants to make a tour of North China but unfortunately he has no time. So he would like to find a restaurant where he can taste northern food and experience the life in the north.

2. Mr. Zheng was born in Hunan but went to Japan at an early age. This time he came to Guangzhou to deal with some business affairs. Coming back to his homeland after being away for about 20 years, he hopes to find a restaurant serving food of his home town.

3. It is the first time for Mr. Zhu, who comes from the northeast of China, to visit Guangdong Province. He is interested in traditional Cantonese food and Cantonese lifestyle.

4. Jack is a successful businessman. He is flying to Guangzhou to meet some people, who are likely to sign a contract with him. He wants to find a high quality restaurant. Of course, it is the quality rather than the price that he cares about.

5. Xiao Wang, a migrant worker in Guangzhou, plans to hold a party with his 10 friends. All of them are fond of the Sichuan cuisine. Xiao Wang hopes to spend less than 600 yuan for the dinner.

A Nanhai Yucun Restaurant Founded in 1986, Nanhai Yucun Restaurant has always been one of the gourmets’ choices in Guangzhou. Prices are high, but so is the quality. Just look at the gust list; the King and Queen of Spain, South Korea’ s Prime Minister and his wife have eaten here, along with lots of local famous people.

 

B Dongbeiren Dongbeiren is meant for northerners. The decoration is basically red—from the paper cuts and the curtains to the Kang (a bed with a table where people can sit comfortably without shoes and with their legs folded). It is perhaps a way to remind the northerners of home or for other people to get in touch with the north.

 

C Taotaoju Restaurant Taotaoju Restaurant is one of Guangzhou’s most well-known traditional Cantonese restaurants, located in a historic building in the heart of the city’s Xiguan District. You can’t get any more traditional Guangzhou than this, which is a great place for dim sun and seafood. You haven’t lived in Guangzhou until you’ve eaten dim sum in a true local place like Taotaoju. It’s also a popular spot for parties.

 

D Chongqing Xiaodongtian Restaurant It’s one of the top Sichuan cuisine restaurants in Guangzhou, featuring Chongqing flavor. It is a group of chain restaurants in Guangzhou. The food is Sichuan style, but the decoration and surroundings are a bit old. Like most Sichuan restaurants, the pleasant smell of their traditional hot pot spreads throughout the whole place. Food here is medium-priced, around 50 RMB per person.

 

E Maojia Reastaurant Maojia Reastaurant is a local favorite for strong-flavored Hunan dishes. It has a strong cultural atmosphere related to Chairman Mao and also introduces Maojia dishes characteristic of tasty Hunan local flavors, which are a bit softer than the traditional Hunan flavor.

 

F Enmi Japanese Reastaurant The decoration here is beautiful and peaceful. A small “courtyard of bamboo” is refreshing while the space between tables is large and comfortable. The diverse sashimi (raw fish slices) is a must-try here. The food, however, is served slow and the regulated tow hours for ordering is strange.

 

Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."

Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.

"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."

Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."

Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing — watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now."

When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.

A. satisfying         B. tough                      C. meaningless       D. boring

The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.

A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant     B. Kathy persuaded her to do so

C. Zoe got tired of the city life                   D. Zoe loved Wales more than London

How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

A. Tiresome and troublesome.                    B. Romantic and peaceful

C. Mentally exhausting but healthy             D. Physically tiring but rewarding.

Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.        B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing.     D. Kill two birds with one stone.

People who are married or in committed relationships are healthier, wealthier, and happier. So why do more than 60 percent of marriages end in divorce? Why has the national divorce rate climbed more than 200 percent in the last thirty years? And why are fewer people getting married today than ever before?

The answers to these questions are plentiful, but the main reason is simple. It's easy to “fall” in love but very few people know how to stay in love. Even though staying in love is our “smartest” choice all the way around! Recent studies on marriage prove it's one of the major ingredients in life-frog success for men and women. Marriage has also been found to boost happiness, reduce the degree of depression, and provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

So let's wake up, make up, and turn this trend around! One of the most amazing pieces of evidence that shows people are not in touch with what's really going on in their partnerships is the fact that the majority of people who put in for divorce say they didn't think there was a relationship-threatening problem just six months prior to breaking up. Another shocker is that most couples wait six years or more to seek professional help when their relationship is in danger. By the time they do wake up and smell the coffee, it's often too late.

Truly there is no reason to resign yourself to a bad relationship? Whether you're dating or married. Rather than changing partners and ending up this same predicament(困境) again, you can learn to have a fabulous (难以置信的) relationship with the partner you already have! I strongly encourage you to make the relationship you have work, because there is a higher rate of divorce in second marriages.

　　  1. According to the author, which of the following is NOT true?

　　　　 A. A happy marriage can be beneficial for both partners' mentality.

　　　　 B. More and more people face marriage crisis.

　　　　 C. Large portions of people are not quite sure of the meaning of true love.

　　　　  D. More and more people tend to be single.

　　  2. The fundamental reason for marriage crisis is——.

　　　　   A. that people are too easy to fall in love without a comprehensive understanding

　　　　   B. that people do not know how to get along well with partners after marriage

　　　　   C. some kinds of economic pressure and stress

　　　　   D. to maintain a life-long love is too difficult for common people

　　  3. What does the author mean by saying “...smell the coffee, it's often too late” in Para. 3？

　　　　   A. Partners who like drinking coffee are more likely to experience divorce.

　　　　   B. People are always not aware of enough about marriage crisis.

　　　　   C. Partners should have a happy ending of marriage when facing crisis.

　　　　   D. People should value their marriage.

　　  4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author may be a (an)

　　　　   A. journalist　　　　　　   B. professor

　　　　   C. advisor　　　　　　　　 D. official