I’m trying to be a writer, but I can’t even start. What should I do?

Abraham, Nebraska

There are many ways to come up with ideas, one of which is to write down a list of your experiences, as well as things from your imagination. When you want to write, look in the notebook for ideas.

Books for writers often have good suggestions, too. One we like is Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. Perhaps your library has it.

My classmates keep asking about a new movie I’ve seen. But I don’t want to spoil it for them. What should I do?

Corinne (by e-mail)

You could ask your classmates whether they are sure they want to know and if they insist, go ahead and tell them. You may be able to give them a general idea of the movie without revealing details of the ending.

I’m going to a soccer camp for youth, but I’m not sure if I’m good at soccer or if I’ll make friends.

Louise, New Hampshire

Soccer camp is for people who share an interest in the sport. No matter what a person’s ability is at the beginning, it’s likely that everyone will leave camp with improved skills.

Sharing a common interest may make conversations easier. Smile, be friendly, and have a sense of humor. Before long, you may find that you’ve made some good friends.

Someone invited me to a birthday party. When I got there, kids were doing stuff I’m not interested in, like watching scary movies. I told them my mom would pick me up, so I just left. Was I rude for doing that?

Sam (by e-mail)

You just did the right thing and that isn’t being rude.

We hope you’ll talk with your parents about this. They’re probably proud of what you did. They may have other suggestions for you, too. Talk about different situations that might come up and what would be the best way to handle (处理) them.

1.Who is interested in Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook?

A．Corinne.          B．Louise.            C．Abraham.          D．Sam.

2.What can we learn about the soccer camp?

A．The practice is hard but interesting.

B．It is difficult to make friends in the camp.

C．The camp only wants people who are new to soccer.

D．One’s skills can be improved when leaving the camp.

3.The answer to Sam’s question shows what Sam did is _____.

A．funny            B．strange           C．foolish            D．smart

4.According to the passage, you can make friends by the following means EXCEPT _________.

A．keeping smiling                         B．Being humorous

C．Changing your habits                     D．Being friendly to others

5.This purpose of the text is to _____.

A．give advice        B．tell stories         C．find friends        D．share interests

 

I’m trying to be a writer, but I can’t even start. What should I do?
Abraham, Nebraska
There are many ways to come up with ideas, one of which is to write down a list of your experiences, as well as things from your imagination. When you want to write, look in the notebook for ideas.
Books for writers often have good suggestions, too. One we like is Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. Perhaps your library has it.
My classmates keep asking about a new movie I’ve seen. But I don’t want to spoil it for them. What should I do?
Corinne (by e-mail)
You could ask your classmates whether they are sure they want to know and if they insist, go ahead and tell them. You may be able to give them a general idea of the movie without revealing details of the ending.
I’m going to a soccer camp for youth, but I’m not sure if I’m good at soccer or if I’ll make friends.
Louise, New Hampshire
Soccer camp is for people who share an interest in the sport. No matter what a person’s ability is at the beginning, it’s likely that everyone will leave camp with improved skills.
Sharing a common interest may make conversations easier. Smile, be friendly, and have a sense of humor. Before long, you may find that you’ve made some good friends.
Someone invited me to a birthday party. When I got there, kids were doing stuff I’m not interested in, like watching scary movies. I told them my mom would pick me up, so I just left. Was I rude for doing that?
Sam (by e-mail)
You just did the right thing and that isn’t being rude.
We hope you’ll talk with your parents about this. They’re probably proud of what you did. They may have other suggestions for you, too. Talk about different situations that might come up and what would be the best way to handle (处理) them.
【小题1】Who is interested in Spilling Ink: A Yong Writer’s Handbook?

A．Corinne.

B．Louise.

C．Abraham.

D．Sam.

【小题2】What can we learn about the soccer camp?

A．The practice is hard but interesting.

B．It is difficult to make friends in the camp.

C．The camp only wants people who are new to soccer.

D．One’s skills can be improved when leaving the camp.

【小题3】The answer to Sam’s question shows what Sam did is _____.

A．funny

B．strange

C．foolish

D．smart

【小题4】According to the passage, you can make friends by the following means EXCEPT _________.

A．keeping smiling	B．Being humorous
C．Changing your habits	D．Being friendly to others

【小题5】This purpose of the text is to _____.

A．give advice

B．tell stories

C．find friends

D．share interests

 

第二部分：阅读理解（第一节20小题，第二节5小题；每小题2分，满分50分）

第一节：阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。

Being interested in a theme park since the time that I was a child, I have learned a thing or two over the years about packing for a day of fun. A trip to a theme park is always a adventure, but if you’re not prepared, your day of fun could easily turn into a tiny little nightmare(噩梦). It is important to pack long sleeved(带袖的) shirts or jackets for all members of your family. I is also a good idea to pack an extra pair of socks for each member of the family, especially the children, as those wonderful water rides can be fun, but wet socks that won’t dry aren’t so much fun.

You don’t want to pack too much food, as you will probably want to experience at least some of the food offered at the theme park of your choice(that’s half of the fun), but it’s always a good idea to bring some energy increasing snacks, such as fruit,trail mix,etc. This can mean the difference between spending a lot of money on snacks or a little money on one or two good meals.

Theme parks,while fun and exciting, can wear a person out,especially a child, so it’s important to keep hydrated(含水的). I would suggest packing one bottle of water per person, and possibly a couple of cans of soda or bottles of juice as well.

It’s a good idea to have at least two cell phones or even a set of “walkie-talkies” in the event that your family gets,separated in the park. It’s a good idea to give one of these things to the children and one to the parents and make sure that each of them knows how to use it. This could be the difference between trouble and a happy ending,

1.You should get well prepared before going to a theme park__________.

  A. because the trip always costs much money

B.because there are always too many people in a theme park.

C. so as not to suffer from bad dreams when going back

D.so as to cut down your trip expenses and have more fun

2.From the passage, we can know_______________.

  A.the author was fond of visiting theme parks when he was a child

B.wearing wet socks in a theme park will bring children much fun

C.it is terrible to have a taste of the food offered in a theme park.

D. we’d better bring enough food, clothing and water when going to a theme park

3.What does th underlined part”walkie-talkies” in the last paragraph probably refer to?

  A. A kind of transportation tool           B.A kind of musical instrument

C.A kind of CDplayer                  D.A kind of phone

4.How many types of things does the author advise us to pack for day trips to a theme park?

  A Three         B.Five      C.Six      D. Eight

 

People who are married or in committed relationships are healthier, wealthier, and happier. So why do more than 60 percent of marriages end in divorce? Why has the national divorce rate climbed more than 200 percent in the last thirty years? And why are fewer people getting married today than ever before?

The answers to these questions are plentiful, but the main reason is simple. It's easy to “fall” in love but very few people know how to stay in love. Even though staying in love is our “smartest” choice all the way around! Recent studies on marriage prove it's one of the major ingredients in life-frog success for men and women. Marriage has also been found to boost happiness, reduce the degree of depression, and provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

So let's wake up, make up, and turn this trend around! One of the most amazing pieces of evidence that shows people are not in touch with what's really going on in their partnerships is the fact that the majority of people who put in for divorce say they didn't think there was a relationship-threatening problem just six months prior to breaking up. Another shocker is that most couples wait six years or more to seek professional help when their relationship is in danger. By the time they do wake up and smell the coffee, it's often too late.

Truly there is no reason to resign yourself to a bad relationship? Whether you're dating or married. Rather than changing partners and ending up this same predicament(困境) again, you can learn to have a fabulous (难以置信的) relationship with the partner you already have! I strongly encourage you to make the relationship you have work, because there is a higher rate of divorce in second marriages.

　　  1. According to the author, which of the following is NOT true?

　　　　 A. A happy marriage can be beneficial for both partners' mentality.

　　　　 B. More and more people face marriage crisis.

　　　　 C. Large portions of people are not quite sure of the meaning of true love.

　　　　  D. More and more people tend to be single.

　　  2. The fundamental reason for marriage crisis is——.

　　　　   A. that people are too easy to fall in love without a comprehensive understanding

　　　　   B. that people do not know how to get along well with partners after marriage

　　　　   C. some kinds of economic pressure and stress

　　　　   D. to maintain a life-long love is too difficult for common people

　　  3. What does the author mean by saying “...smell the coffee, it's often too late” in Para. 3？

　　　　   A. Partners who like drinking coffee are more likely to experience divorce.

　　　　   B. People are always not aware of enough about marriage crisis.

　　　　   C. Partners should have a happy ending of marriage when facing crisis.

　　　　   D. People should value their marriage.

　　  4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author may be a (an)

　　　　   A. journalist　　　　　　   B. professor

　　　　   C. advisor　　　　　　　　 D. official

 

People who are married or in committed relationships are healthier, wealthier, and happier. So why do more than 60 percent of marriages end in divorce? Why has the national divorce rate climbed more than 200 percent in the last thirty years? And why are fewer people getting married today than ever before?

The answers to these questions are plentiful, but the main reason is simple. It's easy to “fall” in love but very few people know how to stay in love. Even though staying in love is our “smartest” choice all the way around! Recent studies on marriage prove it's one of the major ingredients in life-frog success for men and women. Marriage has also been found to boost happiness, reduce the degree of depression, and provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

So let's wake up, make up, and turn this trend around! One of the most amazing pieces of evidence that shows people are not in touch with what's really going on in their partnerships is the fact that the majority of people who put in for divorce say they didn't think there was a relationship-threatening problem just six months prior to breaking up. Another shocker is that most couples wait six years or more to seek professional help when their relationship is in danger. By the time they do wake up and smell the coffee, it's often too late.

Truly there is no reason to resign yourself to a bad relationship? Whether you're dating or married. Rather than changing partners and ending up this same predicament(困境) again, you can learn to have a fabulous (难以置信的) relationship with the partner you already have! I strongly encourage you to make the relationship you have work, because there is a higher rate of divorce in second marriages.

　　  1. According to the author, which of the following is NOT true?

　　　　 A. A happy marriage can be beneficial for both partners' mentality.

　　　　 B. More and more people face marriage crisis.

　　　　 C. Large portions of people are not quite sure of the meaning of true love.

　　　　  D. More and more people tend to be single.

　　  2. The fundamental reason for marriage crisis is——.

　　　　   A. that people are too easy to fall in love without a comprehensive understanding

　　　　   B. that people do not know how to get along well with partners after marriage

　　　　   C. some kinds of economic pressure and stress

　　　　   D. to maintain a life-long love is too difficult for common people

　　  3. What does the author mean by saying “...smell the coffee, it's often too late” in Para. 3？

　　　　   A. Partners who like drinking coffee are more likely to experience divorce.

　　　　   B. People are always not aware of enough about marriage crisis.

　　　　   C. Partners should have a happy ending of marriage when facing crisis.

　　　　   D. People should value their marriage.

　　  4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author may be a (an)

　　　　   A. journalist　　　　　　   B. professor

　　　　   C. advisor　　　　　　　　 D. official