Why are so many people so afraid to fail? Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure (失败) becomes an experience that means growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.
Most parents work hard at preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards(标准). When a child finishes making a table, the mother describes it as “perfect” even though it doesn’t stand still. Another way is to blame (责怪) others. If John fails in science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.
There’s a problem with the two ways. It makes a child unprepared for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time, and that it’s possible to enjoy a game even when you don’t win. A child who’s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn’t make the honour list on the baseball team, feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick consolations (安慰), prize or say, “It doesn’t matter.” Because it does. The young should be allowed to experience failure and be helped to come out of it.
Failure never gives people pleasure. It hurts both grown-ups and children. But it can be really good to your life when you learn to use it. You must learn to ask “Why did I fail?” Don’t blame anyone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong and how you can improve. If someone else can help, don’t be shy about asking them.
【小题1】How do most parents prevent their children from failure?

A．They give them some presents.

B．They don’t tell them that they have failed.

C．They don’t blame others.

D．They help them to come out of failure.

【小题2】Which of the following can a person learn when he fails?

A．It’s impossible to enjoy a game if he misses it.

B．He is the worst of all.

C．It’s natural not to win a game and no one can win all the time.

D．His teammates are not good enough.

【小题3】The writer of this article thinks that if a child fails, parents should __________________.

A．give him a small prize

B．advise him to repeat failure

C．blame others

D．encourage him to learn from failure

【小题4】4. Which would be the best title (标题) for the passage?

A．Learning from Failure

B．Ways of Preventing Failure

C．Reasons of Failure

D．Getting Pleasure from Failure

What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 2l years. Harrison’s job has been responsible for approving（批准）large numbers of the sweet ice cream – as well as for developing over 15 flavors（味道）.
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job; after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No – there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a job in this “cool field”.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and grades 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12^oF. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the colour expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy – working at one cool job.
【小题1】What is John Harrison’s job?

A．An officer.	B．An ice-cream taster.
C．A chemist.	D．An ice-cream producer.

【小题2】According to John Harrison, what is useful to get a job in “cool field”?

A．To just like ice cream.

B．To find out new flavors each day.

C．To have new ideas every day.

D．To have a degree in food-science.

【小题3】What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?

A．He smells it.	B．He lets it warm up.
C．He tastes its flavor.	D．He examines its colour.

A young girl called Ida in Sweden decided to travel to a place she hadn't seen for 22 years. She had a happy life until some kids asked, "Why don't you look like your mom?" Ida was sent to her adopted(收养) family in Sweden right after she was born.She really didn't know anything about her birthplace, Korea, except for some information she recently heard about her birthparents.
During her schooldays, she was often questioned about her looks. Ida considered herself a normal Swedish person. She tried to be part of the group in her school, but she found it hard. She was still seen as an outsider.
As she grew older, she accepted(接受)who she  was. Still, she
wanted to find the missing piece of the puzzle (困惑). After finding out the place of her birthparents, Ida went to Korea in 2008. When she first arrived, she was surprised to see so many people who looked like her. However, apart from her looks, not much could be shared (分享) with others. She knew little about the culture, food, especially the language. Being in Korea wasn't always easy for her.
Perhaps Ida can never truly fit in either culture, but it's worth visiting her birthplace because she finally realized how special and different she is. She has two loving families, and most of all a better understanding of who she is. This helps her to have a positive view of her life.
【小题1】 Where was Ida born?

A．In Japan.

B．In Sweden.

C．In England.

D．In Korea.

【小题2】Why was she seen as an outsider in Sweden?

A．Because of the culture.	B．Because of her looks.
C．Because of the food.	D．Because of the language.

【小题3】What does the phrase "apart from" in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．except

B．as for

C．as well as

D．besides

【小题4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Ida hadn't seen her birthparents for at least 22 years.

B．Ida found it easy for her to get used to living in Korea.

C．Ida still couldn't accept who she was after she went back to Sweden.

D．Ida realized she can't live a happy life either in Sweden or in Korea.

How do you pay for things? Do you usually use cash(现金), or do you like to pay by credit card(信用卡)? If you are like a lot of people, you probably have at least one credit card. Also, you might use it more often than you probably should.
Credit cards first became popular in the 1920s, At that time, businesses, such as hotels and companies, gave credit cards to their best customers(顾客). Unlike today's credit cards, customers could only use these cards at the Store or business that gave out the card. Customers had to pay for things in full. They couldn't pay for something a little at a time.
In 1950, a businessman named McNamara started a credit card company — Diners Club. Unlike earlier credit cards, this card could be used by customers at many restaurants. Customers liked the card because they didn't have to carry a lot of cash with them. Restaurant owners liked the card, too. Why? They found out that customers usually spent more money when they could pay by credit card.
In its first year of business, Diners Club issued 200 cards, The customers who got the cards from the Diners Club could use them at 27 different restaurants. Today, Diners Club has about 8 million customers, and they can use their cards in over 7. 6 million businesses in more than 200 countries.
【小题1】What can we know about the earlier credit cards from the passage?

A．They could be used everywhere.

B．Customers had to pay for things in full.

C．They were very popular before the 1920s.

D．Everyone could get this kind of credit card.

【小题2】 The underlined word "issued" here probably means "      ".

A．showed

B．took

C．borrowed

D．provided

【小题3】 This passage is mainly about       .    

A．part of the development of credit cards

B．how to use cash

C．the number of people who use credit cards in the world

D．how credit cards help businessmen

Who is the superstar of the cat world? It has to be Uncle Cat. Uncle Cat is a fat white cat living in the countryside of Japan. He is already nine years old, as old as our 50-year-old uncle in cat years. That’s why he gets the nickname(绰号) Uncle Cat.
Uncle Cat is a lazy cat. He often half shuts his eyes and lies in the sun. It makes him look relaxed and peaceful. He also enjoys himself in a basket, so he has another name: Basket Cat.
Uncle Cat is clever. He knows exactly how to make himself look cool—to wear a pair of sunglasses. From hats to flowers, Uncle Cat likes everything that makes him a different cat.
Uncle Cat’s owner likes to take pictures of Uncle Cat. To his surprise, these photos are very popular on the internet. They make people from all over the world to know and love this cute cat.
Recently, a big earthquake happened in Uncle Cat’s hometown. But don’t worry. Uncle Cat is also a lucky cat. He is safe and sound. That means there will be more photos of Uncle Cat on time and he will soon bring us more fun!
【小题1】What do you know about Uncle Cat’s looks?
A. He is a fat white cat.
b. He is already nine years old.
C. He is a lonely cat.
D. He lives in the country of Japan.
【小题2】The main reason why Uncle Cat is called Basket Cat is that          .
A. He often half shuts his eyes.
b. He always lies in the sun.
C. He enjoys himself in a basket.
D. He looks relaxed and peaceful.
【小题3】People from all over the world get to know and love Uncle Cat           .
A. during a big earthquake.
b. on the Internet.
C. from photo collections.
D. in the newspaper.
【小题4】Which of the following can best explain “Uncle Cat knows exactly how to make himself look cool”?