One day in l965, when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle, a fourth-grade teacher approached me. She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge. "Could he help in the library?" She asked. I said, "Send him along."

　　Soon a slight, sandy-haired boy in jeans and a T-shift appeared. "Do you have a job for me?" he asked.

　　I told him about the Dewey Decimal System for shelving books. He picked up the idea immediately. Then I showed him a stack of cards for long-overdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them. He said, "Is it kind of a detective job?" I answered yes, and he became working.

　　He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced, "Time for break!" He argued for finishing the finding job; She made the case for fresh air. She won.

　　The next morning, he arrived early. "I want to finish these books," he said. At the end of the day, when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis, it was easy to say yes. He worked untiringly.

　　After a few weeks I found a note on my desk, inviting me to dinner at the boy's home. At the end of a pleasant evening, his mother announced that the family would be moving to neighbouring school district. Her son's first concern, she said, was leaving the View Ridge library. "Who will find the lost books?" he asked.

　　When the time came, I said a reluctant good-bye. I missed him, but not for long. A few days later he came back and joyfully announced: "The librarian over there doesn't let boys work in the library. My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge. My dad will drop me off on his way to work. And if he can’t, I'll walk!"

I should have had an inkling(感觉) such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go. What I could not have guessed, however, was that he would become a wizard of the Information Age: Bill Gates, tycoon of Microsoft and America's richest man.

What was the author when the story happened?

       A. A teacher.                 B. A librarian.               C. A detective.              D. A professor.

What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?

A. To rearrange the books according to the new system.

B. To put those overdue books back to the shelves.

C. To find out the books with wrong cards in them.

D. To put the cards back in the long-overdue books.

The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because _______.

A. he did not like his life in the new school                            

B. the transportation there was not convenient

C. he missed his old schoolmates and teachers

D. he was not allowed to work in the school library

What impressed the author most was that the boy _______.

A. had a thirst for learning                               B. had a strong will

C. was extremely quick at learning                            D. had a kind heart

Tom looked upon the test as an obstacle _____ his classmates regarded it as a challenge.

A．while             B．because           C．unless            D．if

 

Are you nervous about climbing because you think it's too dangerous? Do you feel you're not fit enough to climb? Do you know how to start climbing?

Let's consider the idea that climbing is dangerous．Being afraid is natural, but if you use suitable ropes and other climbing equipments you will feel completely safe．Climbers are usually very careful because they know what they are doing is dangerous．Accidents happen, but when they do, they tend to attract a lot of publicity．As a result, people think there are many more accidents than there are in reality．

You cannot expect to start climbing straight away．Climbing is a challenge and challenges take time．It is necessary first of all that you achieve a good level of fitness．Begin as soon as you become interested in climbing? go to the gym, go swimming, take up jogging and continue to do so throughout your training period．

Discover as much as you can about climbing．Visit the library and find book, especially for beginners or buy climbing magazines and look for articles which describe your situation．Look up information on the Internet．Find out about equipment, methods and places to go．

Next, take a course on a climbing wall．There are plenty of climbing walls all over the country which have trained and qualified people as instructors．Call your local leisure centre to find out if there is one in your area. These training sessions are a quick way to get experience and you are likely to meet other beginners. After this, you can do an outside course of join a club where you can meet climbers of all abilities and eventually join in group-climbing events.

At first you may not understand the importance of a good training period, but after you have completed your first climb and you are standing safely at the top of a rock feeling thrilled, then you will know it was the right thing to do.

1.The article is written by            .

A．a doctor                                                                      B．an experienced climber

C．a beginner                                                                  D．a fitness instructor

2.The writer thinks a new climber should           .

A．begin by becoming fit

B．have the courage to meet the challenges

C．be aware of the causes of the accidents

D．do enough sports to get interested in climbing

3.By climbing walls you can         .

A．join a club you like

B．gain controlled experience

C．become qualified instructors

D．take part in group-climbing events

4.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph probably means      .

A．the climb                           B．the training             C．the equipment       D．the achievement

 

In some cities, workaholism（废寝忘食工作）is so common that people don’t consider it unusual. They accept the lifestyle as   26  .  Government

workers in Washington, D. C.,   27  , frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don’t do this because they have to; they do it because they   28  to. Workaholism can be a   29   problem. Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else, they   30   have no idea of how to relax; that is, they might not   31   movies, sports, or other types of entertainment. Most of all, they   32   to sit and do nothing. The lives of workaholics are usually stressful, and this tension（紧张）and worry can cause   33   problems such as heart attacks and stomach diseases.     34   , typical workaholics don’t pay much attention to their families. Their marriages may end in   35   as they spend little time with their families.

Is workaholism   36   dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people who work   37   under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in work. They feel   38   is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment are the same thing. Their jobs   39   them with a challenge; this keeps them busy and creative.

  40   do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several  41   to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offer  42  financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction   43   they have produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say “I   44   it”. Psychologists claim that their work gives people an identity（自身价值）. After they take part in work, they    45   a sense of self and individualism.

1.A．strange                     B．boring                           C．pleasant               D．normal

2.A．for example              B．on the other handC．what’s more                 D．after all

3.A．agree                          B．promise               C．dare                     D．want

4.A．slight                           B．serious                 C．obvious                D．difficult

5.A．still                     B．probably              C．certainly              D．mostly

6.A．afford                        B．enjoy                             C．watch                            D．allow

7.A．dream              B．decide                            C．intend                           D．hate

8.A．physical            B．cultural                C．social                             D．mental

9.A．Therefore                 B．However             C．Anyway                 D．Besides

10.A．happiness      B．silence                          C．failure                           D．surprise

11.A．sometimes    B．always                           C．seldom                 D．hardly

12.A．sadly                        B．differently                    C．efficiently            D．slowly

13.A．study                       B．family                            C．life                        D．work

14.A．equip                       B．pack                     C．provide                D．fill

15.A．When                      B．Why                     C．How                      D．Where

16.A．factors           B．advantages          C．steps                    D．ways

17.A．no more                  B．more or less                  C．no more than     D．more than

18.A．when                       B．before                           C．unless                            D．until

19.A．valued            B．failed                             C．caught                           D．made

20.A．give                          B．lose                      C．get                        D．need

 

As Apple tries to maintain its growth and success in China, the world's largest smart-phone market is becoming even more critical. Apple's shares(股份) fell sharply as the company's earnings for the holiday quarter through December disappointed investors.
The sales of the iPhone, which include both the iPhone 5 and older models, came in at the low end of analysts' expectations, while the company's income plan for the second quarter was below analysts' forecasts, though Apple is known to give conservative (保守的) forecasts.
Some analysts have said that for Apple to regain its growth, the company needs a more aggressive strategy(进攻型策略) for markets, or more specifically for China, where the market for smart phones has been expanding more rapidly than anywhere else. In China, demand is particularly great for inexpensive phones that run on Android(安卓) operating system, sold by many Chinese phone makers as well as South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co.
But Apple says it's already enjoying strong growth in China. "We saw big growth in iPhones," Chief Executive Tim Cook said. He said that the company has been quickly expanding its sales channels in China, including the number of Apple stores. "This isn't nearly what we need, we're not even close to that, but we're making great progress.” he said.
In China, a big missing piece for Apple is China Mobile Ltd. , the biggest local telecom carrier that doesn't yet sell the iPhone. Earlier this month, Mr. Cook met China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua in Beijing and discussed cooperation, stirring hopes that the world's largest mobile carrier may soon start offering the iPhone.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is working on a lower-end iPhone that could launch as early as this year. But one possible challenge for Apple in China is that low-priced Android-based phones are getting better in terms of quality. A report from CLSA in late November showed that many smart-phones sold at about1,000 yuan ($160) came with higher- resolution screens, better cameras and more powerful processors than phones at that price did a year earlier.
【小题1】Apple's shares dropped sharply because in December______________.

A．the iPhone wasn't popular in China

B．its product quality was widely criticized

C．the earnings for the holiday quarter was disappointing

D．the investors were not satisfied with Apple's management

【小题2】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Apple tends to offer a lower sales forecast.

B．China Mobile Ltd began to team up with Apple.

C．Cook is pessimistic about what Apple did in China.

D．Apple didn't take measures to develop Chinese market.

【小题3】The author uses the report from CLSA to prove         _____.

A．their prices are actually lower than a year earlier

B．Apple in China has ability to deal with any problem

C．low-ended Android-based phones are progressing fast

D．the promotion of lower-end iPhone will face a challenge

【小题4】The main purpose of the passage is to show the readers ______________.

A．Apple's high popularity in China

B．the challenge Apple faces in China

C．the approaching failure Apple will suffer in China

D．Apple's aggressive strategy in its market expansion