“A lot of learning comes through play,” says Mardy McGarry, 52, who has been a special education teacher for 28 years. But her students were too often left out. She had seen the wood chips and sand of traditional playgrounds stop wheelchairs dead in their tracks. When she wanted to build a playground for children with special needs，she knew it wouldn’t take long to develop interest in it around the small fishing village. But she never expected that 2,800 people — a third of the town—would all be willing to make a great effort to bring her vision to life.

McGarry started doing some research into play equipment and contacting design companies and she also found a piece of land available. When the city council(市议会) agreed to set aside an area for a playground, she also asked physical and professional therapists(治疗专家) for their investment. And she turned to her friend, Sue, for help. “Neither of us is good at maths, which is why $450,000 didn’t sound like a lot of money,” McGarry says of the initial estimate.

Her Kiwanis Club came through with $7,000，and that’s when the grassroots movement really got started. One woman gave $25,000 and had her company match it. Soon, smaller businesses were joining in. There was a silent effort to collect money. The local Pieper Family Foundation offered to donate half of the remaining $170,000. All McGarry needed was 500 volunteers to work six 12-hour days.

On September 16, 2008, the first day of construction, they came. Two women heard about the project on the way to work and took the day off to help. A couple in their 80s operated their tractors. Ten-year-olds cleared up the mess. “None of them was paid. It was truly an amazing week,” says McGarry. Only three building managers were paid. Volunteers with “building experience” became coordinators(协调人); those who could operate power tools formed a separate group. One team served meals donated from local restaurants and churches, and another organized activities for the children of volunteers.

Today, Possibility Playground is one of the most popular destinations in Ozaukee County. All children, including the ones with special needs, play shoulder to shoulder. “Some playgrounds have special equipment in a different section. Here, you see all the kids in the same playground, all having fun.”

It’s exactly what McGarry imagined. “People used to ask, ‘Why do you want to build a playground just for children with disabilities?” She says, “It’s only when you build a playground for children with disabilities that you build one for all children.”

It didn’t occur to Mardy McGarry that __________.

A. her plan would soon draw the interest of people in the small village

B. so many people would volunteer to help her realize her dream

C. she would meet with so many difficulties in raising funds

D. the playground would be the most popular destination in Ozaukee County

We can learn from the fourth paragraph that __________.

A. the playground was finished in September 2008

B. everything was well prepared, apart from the volunteers

C. everyone worked unpaid, except for three building managers

D. the playground is so popular that it is overcrowded all the time

It can be inferred from the text that __________.

A. Mardy McGarry is a famous architect in the small town

B. Sue was forced to join in the project because of her son

C. people always ignore the real needs of disabled children

D. Mardy McGarry’s vision has been successfully accomplished at last

What would be the best title for this text?

A. Mardy McGarry: A Woman with Great Determination.

B. Cooperation: The Greatest Power in Overcoming Any Difficulty.

C. Show Real Concern for Poor Disabled Children.

D. Make it Matter to Build a Playground for Disabled Children.

Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It has bad effects on their ability to study, so do their test results.

If so, use these tips to help you.

Study Techniques

 You should always study in the same place.?? You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.

 Your eyes will?? become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.

 Be realistic and don’t try to complete too?? much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.

Test-taking Skills

 All your hard work?? will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts a few months.

 Exercise is a great way to reduce?? pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.

 When you arrive in the examination?? room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.

Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. You should study in a different place every day so that you don’t get bored.

B. Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time.

C. Check the time during the exam at a certain time.

D. Staying up all night is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method.

What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A. Your study desk or table.           B. Your textbook.

C. Your dictionary.             D. The equipment you need.

What can be inferred from the passage?

A. You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test.

B. You’ll have enough energy to deal with and concentrate on your study and exams better by eating healthy diet.

C. You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you.

D. If you need a break during study, you can walk around for a few minutes.

D

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic (逻辑) behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”

Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea how right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain twenty minutes from now.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

71. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. A Way on How to Write

   B. Increase Your Brain Power through Writing

   C. Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing

   D. How to Start Your Writing

72. According to the text, writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ______.

   A. the increase of your brain power

   B. the ability to remember

   C. the development of your interest in study

   D. the better understanding of a topic

73. If a writer writes something, it means that he or she _______.

   A. has understood it very well

   B. needs to understand it better

   C. wants to remember it in his or her mind

   D. is exercising his or her “explain power”

74. The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in the fifth paragraph implies that ______.

   A. you are already successful

   B. you still need to work hard

   C. writing can help you walk half way

   D. writing is important to solve problems

75. What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?

   A. To advise readers to start their writing.

   B. To explain the importance of writing.

   C. To persuade readers to become writers.

   D. To increase readers’ brain power.

Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It has bad effects on their ability to study, so do their test results.
If so, use these tips to help you.
Study Techniques  
You should always study in the same place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.
Your eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.
Be realistic and don’t try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
All your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts a few months.
Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
When you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.
31. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. You should study in a different place every day so that you don’t get bored.
B. Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time.
C. Check the time during the exam at a certain time.
D. Staying up all night is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method.
32. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A. Your study desk or table.                               B. Your textbook.
C. Your dictionary.                                                D. The equipment you need.
33. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test.
B. You’ll have enough energy to deal with and concentrate on your study and exams better by eating healthy diet.
C. You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you.
D. If you need a break during study, you can walk around for a few minutes.

B
Whether rich or poor, we all have problems: that unfaithful mate, that annoying colleague, that persistent(持久的) disease, and the investment that is turning into a huge loss.
How can we remain calm, positive and even elegant in the face of all these difficulties of
life?
The following suggestions may help.
It comes with the pay. I have a friend who used to complain about her dead-end job and
unreasonable boss. Sounds familiar? One day I told her, "Look at it this way. You are getting
paid for the annoyance as well as the work. It comes with the pay. "
This has become my favorite saying for work-related frustrations. "Take every day as a bo-
nus. " When we learn to treasure every moment of what we have, we begin to see life in a whole
new attitude.
It's all in the mind. Sure, the psychologists tell us it is important that we work at resol-
ving problems. But they also say if you try to resolve a problem that would not go away, it would
only compound(使更复杂) the frustration.
If you tell yourself there isn' t a problem, there won' t be one. It is all in the mind.
Stop thinking about your own problem-help others instead. A lady who is struggling a
life-threatening disease showed she coped with her illness by making herself useful, by offering
help to others in a similar situation.
She has spoken to at least five other women with breast cancer. She says that the sharing
has helped her to find fresh meaning in her own life.
Never give up on your dream. Why do we give in or give up when we meet difficulities?
ls it because we have no confidenee in our cause and no commitment (承担义务)for what we
pursue?
One strong-hearted lady was the late head of the tragic Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy.
She said this on nationwide television one week after losing yet another son to assassin's( 暗杀者) bullet--Boddy Kennedy:"And we go on our way with no regrets not looking backwards to
the past, but we shall carry on with courage. "
Not the end of the world. Do you know something else? I' ve learned that care as you
might, love as,you might, some people don't care back.
And it is not the end of the world. After all, it's not the event that makes a person, is it?
It's what we do about what happens to us.
It was said that Albert Einstein' s last request on his death bed was to be given his equa-
tions(方程式) and his unfinished statement. Einstein first picked up his equations and lament-
ed(悲叹) to his son, "if only I had more mathematics!" What a great persistent spirit!
45. All of the followings are wrong EXCEPT_____.
A. some people have many problems while some have none
B. Albert Einstein pursued his dream till the last minute of his life
C. Rose Kennedy must be a timid (缺乏自信的) woman
D. we shouldn' t love those who don' t care about us
46. The passage is intended to inform the readers_____ .
A. how to face problems                       B. how to resolve problems
C. how to hold on to your dreams              D. how to help others
47. By saying "Take every day as a bonus", the author is trying to tell us __.
A. we should get a bonus every day     B. we should treasure every day in our life
C. we should make advances every day  D. we should enjoy ourselves every day
48. The last paragraph of the passage is out of place; it should be put under the subtitle of_____.
A. It comes with the pay                      B. It' s all in the mind
C. Never give up on your dream               D. Not the end of the world