Most people hate change, which is sad since we often go through intense changes in life. And for some of us, even the smallest changes can upset our day. So the question is: Why do most of us find making adjustments to our lives so hard?

    Fear of change is nothing new. Over a century ago, the Parisians were unhappy over a particular addition to their city: the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the citizens were so angry about the plans for the tower that they protested its construction. As strange as it may seem, their anger was completely natural. They were given no choice about the huge change that was going to be made, so they became angry.

    But we get upset over changes even when we do have a say in the matter and think about them carefully. Changes are brought about every day by the decisions we make: which school to attend, which job to take, whom to marry. Voluntary changes also make most of us uneasy because we don’t know how those changes will affect our future.

    People have discovered that the key to overcoming the fear and anger associated with change is to be flexible. When they are flexible, people can adapt to new situations more easily. Being flexible is especially important in the 21st century as technology makes change occur faster than ever before. Those who oppose change, especially with technology in the workplace, may find themselves out of a job.

    When change comes, and you have no choice but to face it, embrace it. A positive attitude helps a lot. In fact, the change may turn out to be the best thing for you. That new job you got may end up being much better than your old one. You may make the best friends of your life in the new city you moved to. Don’t merely focus on how you feel about change; instead decide to accept the change. The change is the reality, and it’s up to you whether the change will be a success or a failure. You never know – your next change may be your life’s Eiffel Tower!

1.Why did the building of the Eiffel Tower make the Parisians unhappy?

A. Because they didn’t like the design of the Eiffel Tower.

B. Because they couldn’t avoid accepting the Eiffel Tower.

C. Because it was no use building the Eiffel Tower.

D. Because the Eiffel Tower seemed strange.

2.According to the passage, it can be inferred that what won’t disturb us are _____________.

A. the changes that have agreement with one’s will

B. the small changes we meet in our daily life

C. the changes whose effect we can predict and control

D. the changes that we discuss or consider thoroughly

3.How should we overcome negative emotions that the changes bring?

A. We are not supposed to face the changes and let them alone.

B. We should actively accustom ourselves to the new circumstance.

C. We should not take the changes seriously and avoid them as much as possible.

D. We should know that the changes merely bring us bad influence.

4.What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A. The change will probably make you fail like the Eiffel Tower.

B. The change is like the Eiffel Tower which is not good for our future life.

C. Your future life is never known just like the Eiffel Tower unknown to the Parisians.

D. Your future life is likely to be a great achievement due to the change.

5.What is the best title for the passage?

    A. The Psychology of Change            B. The ways to Overcome the Fear

    C. Changes That Disturb Us             D. The Bad Effect of Changes

Most people hate change, which is sad since we often go through intense changes in life. And for some of us, even the smallest changes can upset our day. So the question is: Why do most of us find making adjustments to our lives so hard?
Fear of change is nothing new. Over a century ago, the Parisians were unhappy over a particular addition to their city: the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the citizens were so angry about the plans for the tower that they protested its construction. As strange as it may seem, their anger was completely natural. They were given no choice about the huge change that was going to be made, so they became angry.
But we get upset over changes even when we do have a say in the matter and think about them carefully. Changes are brought about every day by the decisions we make: which school to attend, which job to take, whom to marry. Voluntary changes also make most of us uneasy because we don’t know how those changes will affect our future.
People have discovered that the key to overcoming the fear and anger associated with change is to be flexible(可弯曲的). When they are flexible, people can adapt to new situations more easily. Being flexible is especially important in the 21st century as technology makes change occur faster than ever before. Those who oppose change, especially with technology in the workplace, may find themselves out of a job.
When change comes, and you have no choice but to face it, embrace it. A positive attitude helps a lot. In fact, the change may turn out to be the best thing for you. That new job you got may end up being much better than your old one. You may make the best friends of your life in the new city you moved to. Don’t merely focus on how you feel about change; instead decide to accept the change. The change is the reality, and it’s up to you whether the change will be a success or a failure. You never know – your next change may be your life’s Eiffel Tower!
【小题1】Why did the building of the Eiffel Tower make the Parisians unhappy?

— You seemed to be angry with what he said.

—Well，not exactly so. It was the way ____he spoke ____what he said that made me angry.

A. that; other than    B. /; rather than

C. which; more than      D. in which; together with

Robby was 11 years old when his mother dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I  36  that students begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby, but Robby said that it had been his mother’s  37  to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student.
Hard  38  Robby tried, he lacked the basic sense of music. However, he persisted, and at the end of each weekly  39 , he always said, “My mom’s going to hear me play some day.” But it seemed  40 . He just did not have any gift for music.
I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby  41  or waited in her old car to  42  him up. She always  43  and smiled but never visited my class. Then one day Robby  44  coming to our lessons. He telephoned me and said his mother was  45 .
Several weeks later I was preparing my students for the upcoming recital(独奏会)  46  Robby came and asked me if he could be in the recital. “Miss Hondorf ... I’ve just got to  47 !” he insisted. I agreed.
The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was  48  with parents, friends and relatives. The recital went off well. Finally Robby came up on stage. I was  49  when he announced that he had chosen Mozart’s Concerto(协奏曲) No. 21 in C Major. I was not  50  what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys. He played so  51  that everyone  52  to applaud him. In tears I ran up on  53 . “Oh, Robby! How did you do it?”
“Well, Miss Hondorf ... I kept on  54  at home. Remember I told you my mom was sick? Well, _55  she had cancer and passed away this morning. And well ... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play ...”

. —What made him so angry?

—______ in the snow for one hour.

A. Being kept waiting    B. Keeping waiting

C. Because of waiting  D. She was kept waiting