A while ago my family and I went sledding（滑雪橇）and as I watched my children climbing up the slope I started thinking.

Many people are   1   that most of today’s social problems are because of the “me” generation. Youngsters are just out for themselves and pay no   2   to others or their needs. Indeed, a common belief is that today’s youngsters won’t do anything   3  there is something in it for them.

Yet, while sledding, I saw a   4   side. I watched my two oldest children （then five and four） take my youngest （then two years old） by the hand to help her up the slippery slope   5   they went up. They would have been   6  without her, but not once did they try to sneak by her without helping. And when the sled  7   my two daughters was aimed toward the edge, it was my five year old son who ran to them to   8   them falling and hurting themselves.

These children sometimes  9  among themselves and, on occasion, behave horribly. But I can   10   them shopping and know that they won’t ask for anything, I can talk to them about tsunami or hurricane victims and know that they will offer to   11   some of their own money to the cause, and I can ask them to play with those children   12   on the sideline （作为旁观者）and know that they will befriend them.

Perhaps, therefore, the “me” generation is to blame   13   much of society’s problems – not the youngsters who want everything,   14   the adults who have taught them to selfishly   15   only of themselves.

Most adults have been   16   at some time or another, sadly, many   17   that disappointment down to their children. Then the children learn to put themselves first!

Most young children want to help. We can   18  that feeling by teaching the lesson my children learned while sledding: Life is a slippery slope with   19   of bumps （撞伤） and bruises （擦伤）, but we can all make it to the   20  if we remember to help those who need it.

1．A．convinced             B．confirmed            C．informed             D．approved

2．A．thought                 B．attention              C．permission           D．pleasure

3．A．if                          B．as                       C．while                  D．unless

4．A．same                    B．different              C．strange                D．moral

5．A．some time             B．any time              C．each time            D．the time

6．A．faster                    B．slower                 C．easier                  D．lighter

7．A．containing             B．loading                C．driving                D．carrying

8．A．keep                     B．stop                    C．help                    D．warn

9．A．cry                       B．cooperate            C．assist                  D．fight

10．A．take                    B．drive                   C．accompany          D．guide

11．A．lend                    B．send                    C．collect                 D．pay

12．A．forgotten             B．missed                C．left                     D．ignored

13．A．of                       B．within                 C．on                      D．for

14．A．and                     B．but                      C．thus                    D．though

15．A．consider              B．speak                  C．sacrifice              D．think

16．A．depressed            B．awkward             C．disappointed        D．embarrassed

17．A．extend                 B．transfer               C．pass                    D．spread

18．A．encourage           B．prohibit               C．discourage           D．approach

19．A．opportunities        B．occasions            C．promises             D．fates

20．A．top                     B．bottom                C．middle                 D．tip

For a while, my neighborhood was taken ever by an army of joggers(慢跑者). They were there all the time: early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces. “Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening. “You’ll feel great.”
Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army. I’m not alone in my opinion.
First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet a real pounding（追击）ruining down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn’t kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.
Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn’t my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.
And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn’t just the first week: it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn’t fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?
I don’t jog any more, and I don’t think I ever will. I’m walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I’m getting exercise, and I’m enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I’ve found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.

1. 1.

   From the first paragraph, we learn that in the writer’s neighborhood ______.

   1. A.
      jogging became very popular
   2. B.
      people jogged only during the daytime
   3. C.
      Alex organized an army of joggers
   4. D.
      jogging provided a chance to get together
2. 2.

   The underlined word “them”(Paragraph 3) most probably refers to _____.

   1. A.
      heart attacks
   2. B.
      Back problems
   3. C.
      famous joggers
   4. D.
      physical weaknesses
3. 3.

   What was the writer’s attitude towards jogging in the beginning?

   1. A.
      He felt it was worth a try.
   2. B.
      He was very fond of it.
   3. C.
      He was strongly against it.
   4. D.
      He thought it must be painful.
4. 4.

   Why did the writer give up jogging two months later?

   1. A.
      He disliked doing exercise outside.
   2. B.
      He found it neither healthy nor interesting.
   3. C.
      He was afraid of having a heart attack.
   4. D.
      He was worried about being left alone.
5. 5.

   From the writer’s experience, we can conclude that______.

   1. A.
      not everyone enjoys jogging
   2. B.
      he is the only person who hates jogging
   3. C.
      nothing other than jogging can help people keep fit
   4. D.
      jogging makes people feel greater than any other sport.

When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers（铜钱）.The book wasn’t very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip（条）of vellum（牛皮纸）on which was written the secret of the “Touchstone”!

The touchstone was a small pebble（小园石）that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.

So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold-throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about mid-afternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.

So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant（警惕的）, it’s easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.

The book was special to the man because ______.

         A. it was made of vellum

         B. it was the only book that survived the great fire

         C. it was a story about how to tell the touchstone from ordinary stones

         D. it included the secret of the touchstone

He threw pebbles into the sea ______.

         A. to test how far he could throw

         B. to practice throwing pebbles

         C. to avoid picking up the same pebble once again

         D. to express his disappointment at failing to find the touchstone

What message does the story want to convey?

         A. Careful habits can lead to success.

         B. Habits can benefit you but also hold you back.

         C. Never judge a person or a thing by appearances.

         D. Opportunity only visits the ready and watchful mind

If you want to keep fit, please refer to the following:

   Move More

   Make it a daily to find ways to move your body.     Climb stairs instead of taking the elevator. Walk your dog; play with your kids. It doesn’t have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute dance class. But that’s great when you’re up to it. At the same time, move more.

   Quit Smoking

   Ever since 1960 when it was announced that smoking was harmful to health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products. Just recently, we’ve seen more and more teens smoking. Could it be the Hollywood influence?    Take care! Warn your children against smoking.

While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney(肝肾) disease and cancer.

Reduce Stress

Easier said than done, stress comes in many ways.     Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like such as walk on the beach or in a park, read a good book, visit a friend, listen to relaxing music, and watch a funny movie.

Protect Yourself from Pollution

If you can’t live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms.     Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good.

A. Avoid Excessive Drinking

B. There are many things you can do to move your arms and legs.

C. Think carefully about what you will do.

D. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low.

E. It seems that the stars in every movie smoke cigarettes.

F. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook

G. Some techniques given by experts are to think positive thoughts.

When someone says, "Well, I guess I’ll have to go to face the music", it does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this or that, and why you did not do this or that. Sour（剌耳的; 拙劣的）music, indeed, but it has to be faced.

The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from?

The first information comes from the American writer James Fennimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their cue（提示，暗示） to go on, they often said, "It’s time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did--- face the orchestra (管弦乐队) which was just below the stage.

An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly or perhaps unfriendly especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. So, “to face the music" came to mean having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.

The other explanation comes from the army. Men had to face inspection(视 察)by their leader. The soldiers worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean--shiny enough to pass inspection? Still, the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do?

According to the passage, the word “music" means________.

A．your boss’s criticism(批评)              B．your leader’s inspection

C．something unpleasant to be experienced    D．sour pop music

The phrase ‘to face the music" was first used by _______.

A．all the Americans       B．the American writer James Fennimore cooper

C．some American actors   D．the American orchestra

An actor might feel frightened or nervous when going on stage. One of the reasons is that ______.

A．his performance was not good at all

B．he might not remember what he should say on stage

C．he had to face the unfriendly audience

D．most of the audience might be his friends

to face the music" is also used to mean that soldiers were not willing _______.

A．to be examined about their equipment    B．to be found weak

C．to show themselves up in public         D．to be inspected by their leader

The passage is mainly about_______.

A．the meaning of the phrase ‘to face the music"  B．how to deal with something unpleasant

C．how to learn English phrase                D．how to go through difficulty