Many of us spend a great deal of time and energy trying to prove that we are right and others are wrong. Many people  21  that it’s their job to show others how their positions, statements, and points of view are   22  , and that on doing so, the person they are correcting is going to somehow  _23 it, or at least learn something. Wrong!
Think about it. Have you ever been  _24 by someone and said to him, “Thank you so much for showing me that I’m wrong and you’re right”? Or, has anyone you know ever   25 you when you corrected them, or made yourself “right” at their  26  ? Of course not. The truth is, all of us   27 to be corrected. We all want our position to be   28  and understood by others. Being listened to and heard is one of the greatest  29  of the human heart. And those who learn to  30  are the most loved and respected. Those who are in the   31 of correcting others are often resented(怨恨 ) and   32   .
A wonderful way for becoming more peaceful and loving is to practice   33   others the joy of being right ---give them the glory.   34 correcting. When someone says, “ I really feel it’s important to …”, rather than breaking   35  and saying, “No, it’s more important to…“, simply let it go and allow their statement to  36  . The people in your life will become less defensive and more   37  . They will appreciate you more than you could ever have   38  . You’ll discover the joy of joining in and witnessing other people’s   39  , which is far more rewarding than a battle of egos( 自我 ). Starting today, let others be  “ 40 ” , most of the time.

小题1:	A．believe B．doubt C．prove D．tell

小题2:	A．unimportant B．unbelievable C．incorrect D．imperfect

小题3:	A．consider B．appreciate C．understand D．refuse

小题4:	A．fooled B．helped C．taught D．corrected

小题5:	A．thanked B．rewarded C．cared D．accepted

小题6:	A．side B．price C．expense D．value

小题7:	A．like B．hate C．prefer D．afford

小题8:	A．admired B．received C．realized D．respected

小题9:	A．shortcomings B．advantage C．desires D．wishes

小题10:

A．talk B．praise C．help D．listen

小题11:

A．habit B．form C．position D．purpose

小题12:

A．punished B．avoided C．left D．laughed

小题13:

A．letting B．lending C．allowing D．owing

小题14:

A．Stop B．Continue C．Practise D．Try

小题15:

A．out B．up C．in D．off

小题16:

A．last B．send C．work D．stand

小题17:

A．helpful B．loving C．careful D．popular

小题18:

A．dreamed B．requested C．asked D．demanded

小题19:

A．sufferings B．worries C．progress D．happiness

小题20:

A．happy B．right C．sorry D．proud

It is six o’clock in the morning. You are asleep in my left arm and I am learning the art of one-handed typing. Your mother, more tired yet more happy than I’ve ever known her, is sound asleep in the room next door.
When you’re older we’ll tell you that you were born in Hong Kong in the lunar year of the pig. “It's a boy, so lucky,” our neighbours told us. They said you were the first baby to be born in the block this year. This, they told us, was good Feng Shui, in other words, a positive sign. Naturally your mother and I were only too happy to believe that.
Your coming has turned me upside down and inside out. I am pained by the memory of each suffering child I have come across on my journeys as a journalist. To tell you the truth, it’s nearly too much for me to even think of the children being hurt and abused and killed.
Last October, in Afghanistan, when you were growing inside your mother, I met Sharja, aged twelve, motherless, fatherless, guiding me through the grey ruins of her home. Everything was gone, she told me.
There is another memory of Rwanda, and the churchyard where I found a mother and her three young children huddled(蜷缩) together where they’d been beaten to death. The children had died holding on to their mother.
Daniel, these memories explain some of the protectiveness I feel for you, and the occasional moments of blind terror when I imagine anything bad happening to you.
小题1:We can see that this text is written to ________.

A．the author’s wife	B．the author’s neighbour
C．Daniel	D．a suffering child

小题2:The author mentions some of his painful memories because ________.

A．he wants his son to care for others

B．he feels more pain thinking about them as a father

C．he hopes to forget the tragedies he witnessed

D．his experience has affected his mental health

小题3:The underlined word “blind” in the last paragraph means ________.

A．unable to see	B．meaningful
C．not clear	D．not based on reason

小题4:Which of the following words best describes the author’s feeling when typing this text?

A．Relieved.

B．Regretful.

C．Loving.

D．Calm.

Long before they became doctors, lawyers, CEO’s or real estate developers, they played in garage bands and maybe even dreamed of becoming rock stars. That’s why they signed up for Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp.
For nearly a week, the mostly middle-aged “campers” had practiced in the West 54th Street studios. They came from as far away as London and Tokyo and as close as Long Island and downtown New York to prepare for their moment of onstage glory.
“I feel like I’m 18 again,” said Jerry Goldberg, a 60-year-old investment banker and guitar player, whose family was in the audience.” I admit that I felt a little uncertain when I first got here, but this has turned out to be a wonderful experience, one of the greatest of my life.”
Everybody has two businesses, their own business and show business. This can be a life-changing experience for them. Mr. Daltrey, who has appeared at several fantasy camps, was asked why he keeps coming back.
“I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that it's bad for my image,” he acknowledged. “But that’s rubbish. Look, it’s all so positive, and everybody is having so much fun. So what’s bad about that?”
Jeff Munger, a drummer and rancher(农场主) said. “I’m at a point in my life where I’m going to spend my money on things I’m passionate about, and I’m absolutely crazy about music.”
Most of the campers are successful executives or professionals: a founder of the Oracle Computer Company, a businessman whose father invented the Big Mac, a plastic surgeon, presidents of health care and seafood companies.
小题1:This text is mainly about________.

A．a music course for the elderly people

B．a pop club for professional musicians

C．a rock music camp for music lovers

D．a studio for wealthy businessmen

小题2:What do the middle aged campers have in common?

A．They are all interested in charity.

B．They are all passionate about music.

C．They are all retired business people.

D．They were all rock stars when they were young.

小题3:According to the text, Mr. Daltrey ________.

A．once played in a garage band

B．has come with his family

C．has joined in the camp a couple of times

D．is very careful about his image

小题4:We can infer from the text that the campers _________.

A．enjoy their regular jobs	B．come from different countries
C．do part-time jobs	D．have a great many fans

Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam's story is a tale of two cities -- one during the day and a completely different one at night．
During the day, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River．You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi．But when the sun goes down, the partying begins．In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke．
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam．And they're all within a short cab ride of each other．For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events．Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there．And there's the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall．
But at night party-seekers come to the square．Hip hop or funk music is heard there．．So if you come, be ready to dance．The clubs don't shut down until 4 am．
And while you're there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city．Don't worry about getting lost．Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions．And you'll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent．
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system．For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise（巡游） the "Venice of the North"．
The city has a historic past．One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets．It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II．Visitors can view Anne's original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years．
小题1:What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?

A．A carriage．

B．A bicycle．

C．A canal bus．

D．A water taxi．

小题2:When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in _______．

A．only Dutch	B．Dutch or English
C．only English	D．Spanish and English

小题3:What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?

A．The experience of a beautiful girl survivor．

B．The glorious past of Amsterdam．

C．The life of Jewish during World War Ⅱ．

D．The suffering of the Dutch in wars．

小题4:The passage is intended to _______．

A．call up people’s memories of World War Ⅱ

B．tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about

C．instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland

D．offer readers some information about Amsterdam

Most recently, it’s very common in students who need a parent present for job interviews． Naturally, it’s easy to blame the students in these situations, but the bigger problem is us． We—as parents—are so eager to shelter our kids that we fail to realize that this in itself is harming them．As the mother of two young sons, I have to remind myself constantly that the biggest responsibility I have as a parent is to help them develop the skills needed to live in, to live without me．So, I’ll let them fail．
I’ll let them fail because as long as they are safe and warm inside their comfort zones, they will never grow．And failure — along with loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc．— will be part of growth for them．Call me the anti-tiger mom, but leaving them alone, is my way of helping them become equipped to fit in this world as we know it today．From terrorism and seemingly endless natural disasters, to our national debt and beyond, if we expect the next generation to stand up to the very real problems of our time, we need to stop feeding them and start teaching them how to fish．
My children now are becoming little masters of compromise, but they try to negotiate （协商） everything now．It’s a small price to help them learn a skill they’ll use for the rest of their lives, including when I don’t accompany them on job interviews．
小题1:Why do parents accompany their kids on job interviews?

A．Because they want to protect their kids from difficulties．

B．Because they think they can help them on the questions．

C．Because their kids are too shy to attend interviews．

D．Because their kids strongly request them to do so．

小题2:According to the author, what is beneficial to kids’ development?

A．Sheltering them．	B．Keeping them safe．
C．Leaving them alone．	D．Blaming them．

小题3:Why does the author stress failure in kids’ life?

A．To make them stronger than other kids．

B．To help them grow in this tough world．

C．To help them develop all social skills．

D．To make them learn to compromise．

小题4:Which of the following might be the best title for die text?

A．Never Shelter Your Kids	B．Let Your Kids Fail
C．Be Eager to Grow Up	D．Live Without Parents

Not too long ago, a Chicago brewery (酿造厂) introduced a new beer that was supposed to be the least fattening（making people fat） on the market. It was lighter, so they called it LITE. Only two months after the new beer had been on sale, however, strange new ads appeared in the Chicago newspapers. They read ’LITE Tastes Soapy’. The public, of course, was confused. Who wanted a beer that tasted like soap（肥皂）, even if it was non-fattening?   
The new ads weren’t talking about LITE beer, however. They were for a product of the LITE Soap Company. The president of the LITE Soap Company, Mrs Ruth Ascott, was very upset with the brewery for taking the name of her high-powered detergent (洗涤剂) and using it as the name of a new beer. LITE Soap had had the same name for 53 years. She wrote to the brewery, insisting that they should not use the word LITE in their beer ads. The brewery replied that they could—and would—because beer and soap were so different. They planned to ignore the ’LITE Tastes Soapy’ ads, since the public knew which LITE was which.
Mrs Ascott then wanted to plan a new campaign. The ads would read ’LITE Is Wonderful for Washing Clothes’.
小题1:It is clear that _____.
A. the Chicago brewery was sure the soap company would add to its fame
В. the LITE Soap Company is happy to know the name of the beer
С. the ad ’LITE Tastes Soapy’ did harm to LITE the beer
D. the brewery was not surprised at all to see the ad ’LITE Tastes Soapy’
小题2:It seems that_____.
A.  the new beer may lose weight         В.  the brewery was right
С.  making ads is not difficult           D.  most beer makes us fat
小题3:When the ad ’LITE Tastes Soapy’ comes out, _____.
A. the beer sold well on the market     
В. it confused some consumers of the beer
С. people thought the beer was the least fattening
D. people began to like the product from LITE Soap Company
小题4:We may conclude that_____.
A. neither of the two products sells well
В. both the two companies get on very well
С. the brewery did wrong to the LITE Soap Company
D. it was wrong of the soap company to have LITE as her own name
小题5:When the public read the ad in the last paragraph, they _____.
A. might wash their clothes with the beer       В. are likely to stop to buy the beer
С. might be more confused than ever before     D. may find out which LITE was which

What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course．I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America, and it’s readily apparent no one lives there．Earlier this year, I had dinner in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’ bed -- a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since．
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives．There Edwards writes, " This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped．The houses and circumstances are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar．"     
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about．
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years．The loose windows that make noise in the wind．The fireplace so shallow it holds only one log．The kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by．It’s where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed．I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home．Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines．
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are．As Edwards writes, "Home is family．Home is safety．Home is faith．"
Happy homecoming．
小题1:What would be the best title for the text?

A．Home Means Everything	B．What’s Inside Makes Us Feel at Home
C．Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives	D．The Importance of the Home

小题2:The purpose of the second paragraph is to __

A．mean the author likes living in grandest houses

B．prove the author got along well with the hostess

C．mean the feeling of home isn’t related to the size

D．show the author’s different feelings about houses

小题3:About the book Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives, we know that __

A．it was the description of Edwards’ houses

B．it is mainly about houses

C．it helps us understand the concept of home

D．it was written by the author of the text

小题4:What did the author mainly mean when he mentioned the loose windows and the shallow fireplace ?

A．His house was too old to live in．	B．He missed the feelings of home．
C．He hated living there．	D．He missed his old friends too much．

小题5:It can be inferred according to the text that __

A．the author’s family were very rich	B．every happy home is the same
C．the author has been living a hard life	D．the author and Edwards hold similar ideas

American middle school students don’t seem to care that they’re worse at maths than their counterparts (同龄人) in China’s Hong Kong and Finland. “I don’t need it,” my student says, “I’m going to be a basketball star.” Or a car mechanic, or a singer.
Middle school students’ maths skills were tested by the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The United States ranked 28th out of 41 countries tested. After all, when was the last time you used algebra (代数)？
But maths isn’t just about training Americans to become scientists. It has its own value. It helps you see patterns and develops your logic skills, and it teaches you to concentrate and to separate truth from falsehood. Maths helps you make wise financial decisions, so you can avoid false claims from advertisers, politicians and others. It helps you determine risk. For example, after an airplane crash, studies show that people are more likely to drive than to take a plane in spite of the fact that they are much more likely to be killed or injured while driving. Planes are not like criminals who repeat the same crime over and over. One plane is not more likely to crash just because another plane recently did. In fact, the most dangerous time to drive is probably right after a plane crash because so many people are on the road.
It is not possible to really understand science and the scientific method without understanding maths. A rainbow is even more beautiful and amazing when we understand it.
The precision (精确性) of maths helps us think in a very special way. How do we bring the learning of maths back to life? I don’t have the big answer. I try my best to help pupils find answers to some maths problems. When I can get one to say, “Wow, that’s great,” I feel the joy of a small victory.
小题1:Some American students don’t care about their poor maths results because __________.

A．maths is useless to most people

B．they have no interest in maths

C．they think maths has nothing to do with their future

D．they don’t do well in maths

小题2:The example in Paragraph 3 is used to show __________.

A．every coin has its two sides

B．we should not be cheated by fault facts

C．maths is close to our daily life

D．a simple fact shows complicated rules

小题3:The writer would agree that __________.

A．it’s normal that America kids are weak in maths

B．without maths we’ll miss much in our life

C．maths is the most important subject at school

D．American kids don’t work hard at school

小题4:This text is most probably written by __________.

A．a student career guide	B．a researcher on students’ problems
C．a specialist in students’ studies	D．a maths teacher

Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you learn English well.
Speak, speak, speak
Practise speaking as often as you can—even speaking to yourself is good practice.
Try recording yourself whenever you can. Compare your pronunciation with the master version, see how you can do better and have another go. If you do this several times, you will find that each version is better than the last.
Why not learn with someone else?
It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or a family member to study with you, it will make you keep working.
Don’t get stuck by a word you don’t know.
Practise improvising（即兴的）ways of getting your meaning across when speaking spontaneously（本能地）, even if you don’t know the exact words or phrases. Think of things you might want to say whenever you have spare time. Use facial expressions, hand movements, anything to get your meaning across.
Language learning is also about intuition（直觉）.
Guesswork is an important way to learn a new language. When listening to recorded material, you aren’t expected to understand everything first round. If you play the same piece several times, you will most probably understand something new each time.
Build up your vocabulary.
A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don’t try to learn too much at once. It’s best to study frequently, for short periods of time. Take at most six or seven items of vocabulary and learn them. Put them into sentences to fix them in your mind, then come back to them later.
And above all, have fun!
小题1:Why should one have himself recorded when practicing speaking?

A．To improve his speaking.	B．To record his own progress.
C．To encourage others to start.	D．To compare himself with others.

小题2:In the writer’s opinion, which of the following is the most important in leaning English?

A．Speaking.

B．Pleasure.

C．Intuition.

D．Vocabulary.

小题3:It is implied in the passage that _______ is helpful when you are learning English.

A．body language	B．a good material
C．a good friend	D．a proper dictionary

小题4: According to the passage, one should ______ when you are learning English.

A．always work with other people	B．be able to guess everything new
C．often review what he has learnt	D．take little notice of grammar

It is Saturday afternoon. You and your friends are planning to go to the movies and then spend the night together. Just as you start to get ready, your dad reminds you it is your aunt's birthday and the whole family is going out to dinner to celebrate. How can this possibly end without a huge argument?
One of the greatest sources of tension(紧张情绪)between teenagers and their families is the struggle to balance personal desires with family expectations. As you are getting older, you are becoming more independent and more interested in being with your friends.
However, at the same time，your family is trying to figure out how to deal with these changes. While you once spent most of your free time with your family, you are now often absent from home. Parents may get their feelings hurt. Or they might feel that they are losing control of their family during this period. You might feel angry that so many family demands are placed on you.
There are a few things you can try to make it a little easier to ease(缓解)the tension.
* Make your plans in advance．Ask your parents if there is anything else planned at that time.
* When something with your friends interferes(干扰；冲突)with a family event, try to figure out if there is any way you can do both.
* Suggest something you would really like to do with your family. Sometimes parents feel better just knowing their teenager wants to spend time with them.
Some of the time you won’t be happy with the outcome(结果). You might either have to disappoint your parents or have to miss out being with your friends. However, if you show consideration(体谅)for the feelings of both your family and your friends, you can solve the problem in a tender way.
小题1:The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.

A．show a disagreement of views

B．serve as a description of teenager trouble

C．serve as an introduction to the discussion

D．show the popularity of teenager problem

小题2:The tension between teenagers and their families is caused by the fact that____________.

A．teenagers don’t like to take family demands

B．parents want to keep their family under control

C．parents feel unhappy that their children make so many friends

D．both parents and teenagers don’t pay attention to each other’s feeling much

小题3:Which of the following is NOT the advice given in the passage?

A．Don’t feel angry if your parents ask you to do something．

B．Try to think of ways to balance family event with friend event．

C．Tell your parents before you decide to spend time with your friends．

D．Advise your parents to do something that you are interested in with you．

小题4:What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform us of parent and teenager tension．

B．To tell us about a common teenager problem．

C．To persuade parents to show consideration for teenagers．

D．To advise teenagers how to deal with their tension with their family．