完形填空

　　Making friends is a skill．Like most skills, it improves 　　1　　 practice．If you want to meet people and make friends you must be 　　2　　 to take actions．You must first go to where there are people．You won’t make friends 　　3　　 home alone．　　4　　 a club or group, for

talking with those who 　　5　　 the same things as you do is easier, or join someone in some activity．

　　Many people are 　　6　　 when talking to people．After all, meeting strangers means facing 　　7　　．And it’s human nature to feel a bit uncomfortable 　　8　　 the unknown．

　　Most of our fears about dealing with new people 　　9　　 from doubts about ourselves．We 　　10　　 other people are judging us, 　　11　　 us are too tall or too short, too this or too that．　　12　　 don’t

　　forget that they must be feeling the same way．Try to accept yourself 　　13　　 you are, and try to put the other person at ease．You’ll 　　14　　 feel more comfortable．

　　Try to act self-confident even if you don’t feel that way 　　15　　 you enter a room full of strangers, such as a new classroom, walk 　　16　　 and straight, look directly at other people and smile．If you see someone you’d like to 　　17　　, say something．Don’t wait for the other people 　　18　　 a conversation．

　　Just meeting someone 　　19　　 doesn’t mean that you will make friends with that person．Friendship is 　　20　　 on mutual(相互的)liking and “give and take”．They take time and effort to develop．And there are things that keep a new friendship from growing．

阅读理解

　　In the Harry Potter films, Hermione Granger is better than her male friends and is considered the brightest pupil in her grade．Isn't it often the same in schools of our real world?

　　“It's surprising but true that most of the top students have been girls since primary school．Girls are class leaders, club presidents and the top ones in exams,” said Wang Feixuan, 15, who studies at a Chengdu school．By any measure, Wang herself is a high-achiever．She is a top student, a team leader in her school's sports club and a winner in national English and IT competitions．

　　But why do so many girls outperform their male peers?

　　In Sun Yunxiao's latest book Save Our Boys, he points out that the education system is “more suited to girls, who are good at memorizing and like to sit quietly and read．” Yet he also says that girls have to do so much more when they compete with males for honors, top universities and later good jobs．They can feel great pressure nearly every day．

　　This seems to be the same in most countries in the world．Young women in the United States are also reported to feel the same pressure to be perfect．

　　“Let's look at what we ask of our teenage girls,” says Professor Stephen Hinshaw in an interview．He thinks that it's no longer enough that a girl does well in school and is a caring friend．On the TV, on the Internet and everywhere, girls see images of impossible perfection．

　　Today's young women must be good learners, good athletes, and fill their after-school lives with other activities．But they are also asked to have the styles and looks of popular stars．“Be pretty, sweet and nice．Be athletic, competitive and get straight．Be impossibly perfect．” Stephen Hinshaw sums up．

阅读理解

　　In the Harry Potter films, Hermione Granger is better than her male friends and is considered the brightest pupil in her grade．Isn’t it often the same in schools of our real world?

　　“It’s surprising but true that most of the top students have been girls since primary school．Girls are class leaders, club presidents and the top ones in exams,” said Wang Feixuan, 15, who studies at a Chengdu school．By any measure, Wang herself is a high-achiever．She is a top student, a team leader in her school’s sports club and a winner in national English and IT competitions．

　　But why do so many girls outperform their male peers?

　　In Sun Yunxiao’s latest book Save Our Boys, he points out that the education system is “more suited to girls, who are good at memorizing and like to sit quietly and read．” Yet he also says that girls have to do so much more when they compete with males for honors, top universities and later good jobs．They can feel great pressure nearly every day．

　　This seems to be the same in most countries in the world．Young women in the United States are also reported to feel the same pressure to be perfect．

　　“Let’s look at what we ask of our teenage girls,” says Professor Stephen Hinshaw in an interview．He thinks that it’s no longer enough that a girl does well in school and is a caring friend．On the TV, on the Internet and everywhere, girls see images of impossible perfection．

　　Today’s young women must be good learners, good athletes, and fill their after-school lives with other activities．But they are also asked to have the styles and looks of popular stars．“Be pretty, sweet and nice．Be athletic, competitive and get straight．Be impossibly perfect．” Stephen Hinshaw sums up．

完型填空

　　Roberta appeared on the stage．She took a deep breath and began to 　　1　　．Now she was Portia, a strong–willed 　　2　　 in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice．The theater was filled with people．She was speaking with a power she had never before experienced, the words flowing 　　3　　 from her．

　　　　4　　, Roberta had never acted in her life before the audition(选拔试演)．She 　　5　　 being in front of other people．She was very 　　6　　 at school．She had never thought she was good enough at anything to 　　7　　 much attention．She stayed mostly to herself, making 　　8　　 friends．She had excellent grades, 　　9　　 she always thought that something was missing．

　　Two weeks before the audition, Roberta’s mother had heard about it and 　　10　　 her to join in．

　　“I can’t think of anyone else better suited to 　　11　　 the part．Remember all the plays you used to act out for us?”

　　Her mother wouldn’t let the 　　12　　 drop．“You’re just a little scared．Everyone gets scared．You know you 　　13　　 do it．The trick is to look past(忽视)the 　　14　　 to find the love of what you’re doing．’’

　　So Roberta had made an appointment(预约)with the head of the Drama Club．She had read the play and found herself excited by the 　　15　　 of speaking such rich words．In secret she practiced Portia’s part, 　　16　　 the lines by repeating them over and over．It wasn’t hard; she 　　17　　 every minute of it．Every time she spoke the words, she had a new 　　18　　 of the lines, as if Shakespeare had written Portia on many levels．

　　On the day of the audition, she 　　19　　 two of Portia’s famous speeches for the auditors．When she had finished, the head of the Drama Club announced the 　　20　　 was hers．