After studying the daily habits of 177 self-made millionaires over the course of five years, Thomas C. Corley found that they avoid one costly habit: procrastination (拖延症).

“It prevents even the most talented individuals from realizing success in life,” he writes in his upcoming book, “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life.”

This goes hand-in-hand with author Napoleon Hill’s claim that the wealthiest people are also the most decisive people.

Out of the 500 millionaires Hill studied in the early 20th century, “Every one of them had the habit of reaching decisions quickly,” Hill wrote in his 1937 classic, “Think and Grow Rich.”

One of the major causes of procrastination is lack of passion, Corley emphasizes: “We simply like to do the things we like to do and we put off the things we do not like to do.”

“According to Gallup, only 13% of employees are ‘engaged’ in their jobs, or emotionally invested in their work,” Corley writes.

“Whether you realize it or not, procrastination is a big reason why you are struggling financially in life. It damages your credibility with employers and fellow colleagues at work. It also affects the quality of your work and this affects the business you or your employer receive from customers, clients, and business relationships.”

The good news is that anyone can overcome procrastination — and it’s simpler than you may think. He also notes that “the voice of procrastination screams just as loud and clear in the minds of those who excel in life as it does in the minds of those who do not.”

How do they silence it? They rely on “to-do” lists to get things done. They create firm deadlines, and they meet with “accountability partners” to ensure they’re sticking to their goals and deadlines, Corley says.

Nearly everyone is susceptible to procrastination — but fighting against it can make all the difference.

1.According to the passage, millionaires______.

A. usually succeed through their own efforts

B. are only passionate about making money

C. don’t hesitate when making decisions

D. create both long-term and short-term goals

2.What can people do to overcome procrastination?

A. Do whatever they like to do.

B. Avoid things they are unwilling to do.

C. Be fully prepared for emergencies.

D. Accomplish things on schedule.

3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “excel”?

A. struggleB. stand outC. thinkD. work hard

4.What might be the best title for the passage?

A. Fighting procrastination

B. How to become a millionaire

C. Research on a bad habit

D. The importance of making “to-do” lists

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和 D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one’s mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a (n) ________ thing like “I was wrong about that,” and it is even harder to say, “I was wrong, and you were right about that.”

And I had an experience recently with someone ________ to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the ________ of a certain grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me ________ I remembered the egg boxes. Then he ________ an incident and I began to remember vaguely the incident he was describing.

I was about eight years old ________, and I had wandered into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping. On that ________ day, I must have found my way to the dairy food department ________ the incident took place. There must have been a special ________ on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and half-dozen boxes. The boxes were ________ three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of them to ________ the boxes. Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart, ________ the boxes and left. For some reason, I ________ that it was up to me to put the display back together even though it was not my ________, so I began to work.

The manager heard the ________ and came rushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my ________ checking some of the boxes to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as if I was the wrongdoer. He severely ________ me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs to ________ the loss. I protested my innocence and tried to explain, but it did ________ good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident, ________ the manager did not.

1.A. pleasantB. enjoyableC. simpleD. difficult

2.A. arguingB. notingC. promisingD. admitting

3.A. bossB. cleanerC. cashierD. manager

4.A. ifB. howC. whyD. when

5.A. imaginedB. rememberedC. performedD. related

6.A. at a timeB. at the timeC. at timesD. at one time

7.A. usualB. luckyC. wonderfulD. particular

8.A. whereB. afterC. untilD. though

9.A. displayB. exhibitionC. saleD. design

10.A. piledB. decoratedC. wrappedD. packed

11.A. inspectB. admireC. arrangeD. destroy

12.A. knocked onB. knocked overC. knocked offD. knocked at

13.A. declaredB. pretendedC. decidedD. regretted

14.A. faultB. taskC. goalD. plan

15.A. screamB. alarmC. noiseD. call

16.A. back B. kneesC. stomachD. head

17.A. praisedB. hitC. shoutedD. scolded

18.A. set asideB. sort outC. make up forD. pick up

19.A. nothingB. noC. anyD. something

20.A. obviouslyB. frequentlyC. unfortunatelyD. unnecessarily

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

A castle is a type of fortified（加固的）structure 1. (build) in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. This is different from a palace 2. is not fortified, though there are a large number of 3. (similarity) among these types of construction. Since then usage of the term 4. (apply) to diverse structures.

The European castles 5. (origin) in the 9th and 10th centuries, resulting in its land divided among nobles, who built castles to control the area 6. (surround) them. The castles were also 7. (defense) structures. Although army uses are often emphasized in castle studies, the structures also served 8. centers of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were 9. (usual) used to control the local people and important travel routes, 10. rural castles were often built near farmland.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

In our daily life, music plays a important part. It can give us energy and making us happy. There is many kinds of music, such as country music, R&B, rock music and so on. Different people have different ideas about music. My friend Betty enjoys listen to the music she can dance. John likes rock music and Jazz music so he thinks that they are interesting. Jane is fond of listening to some relaxed music. She likes country music a lot of, because it is easy to learn, and this kind of music can easy make people calm. What about you? What kind of music did you prefer?

假定你是李华，正在新西兰学习，你计划寒假期间在当地旅行，请写一封e-mail向旅行社询问相关的旅行信息。

内容应包括：

1．旅行信息（如景点、费用等）；

2．当地特色（如食品、风俗等）；

3．注意事项。

注意：1．词数100左右；

2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3．开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数。

Dear Sir or Madam,

I’m Li Hua, a Chinese student studying in New Zealand. I’m writing to ______

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Sincerely yours,

Li Hua

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel.

Green said, “Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority.”

Blue interrupted, “You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life.”

Yellow chuckled(咯咯地笑). “The sun is yellow, as well as the moon and the stars. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile.”

Red could bear it no longer. “I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood-life’s blood! I am the color of danger and bravery. I bring fire into the blood. I am the color of passion and love.”

Purple stood at his full height. “I am the color of royalty(皇室) and power. I am the sign of authority (权力) and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey.”

Finally Indigo(靛蓝) spoke with determination, “Think of me and I am the color of silence. I represent thought and reflection. You need me for balance and contrast(对比), for prayer and inner peace.”

The colors went on boasting(吹嘘), each showing off his or her own advantages. Suddenly there came a flash of bright lightening. Thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down. The colors were scared to death.

In the midst of the quarrelling, rain began to speak, “You foolish colors. Don’t you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me.”

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.

From then on, when it rains, colors will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color.

Whenever a rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.

1.Why did the colors quarrel?

A. Because they often fought for some reasons.

B. Because they were not liked by each other.

C. Because they all claimed to be the best.

D. Because they all wanted to rule other colors.

2.To show their power, the kings would prefer to ________.

A. yellowB. redC. indigoD. purple

3.We can know that ________.

A. the colors lived in peace at last

B. rain was the ruler of the colors

C. the colors kept quarrelling all the time

D. thunder was angry with the boasting

4.The rainbow across the sky reminds us that ________.

A. the rain bow is the sign of the rain

B. each color is unique and different

C. everything should be put in right order

D. joining hands makes perfect

You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.

First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.

Let’s start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.

If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45°angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn't flap(摆动). It shouldn’t look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.

Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can’t go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you’re tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.

1.What should you consider first while sailing?

A. Sailors’ strength.

B. Wind directions.

C. Size of sail.

D. Wave levels.

2.What does the word “It” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. The sail.B. The wind.C. The boat.D. The angle.

3.What do you have to do when sailing against the wind?

A. Move in a straight line.

B. Allow the sail to flap.

C. Tack the boat.

D. Lower the sail.

4.Where can you probably find the text?

A. In a tourist guidebook.

B. In a physics textbook.

C. In an official report.

D. In a popular magazine.

When you choose to send one of our free E-cards, you save paper and give friends and family the opportunity to enjoy the wonder of nature.

Celebrate the beauty of our natural world and send an E-card to friends and family who care about protecting our planet. Feel free to set your E-card to arrive on any day you please.

Looking for something to do besides sending an E-card?

Check out our Everyday Environmentalist page with eco-tips on how to live greener, and become an e-member of our free global online community or calculate(计算) your carbon footprint. You can even upload your photos to our site and your photo may be featured in an E-card next year!

1.For what purpose is the passage written?

A. Offering free E-cards to call on planet protection.

B. Celebrating the beauty of our natural world.

C. Introducing various cheap and wonderful E-cards.

D. Advertising the E-cards for some commercial profit.

2.To your little sister who is an animal lover, you’d better send her ________.

A. a special occasion E-card

B. a habitat E-card

C. a seasonal E-card

D. a wildlife E-card

3.For your father’s birthday, you’d better choose an E-card from column ________.

A. Seasonal E-card

B. Special Occasion E-card

C. Habitat E-card

D. Best of Nature E-card D

“Have a nice day!” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day!” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.

“Have a nice day. Next!” This version(版本) of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.

The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”

The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.

Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.

1.How does the author understand Maxie’s word?

A. Maxie really wishes the author a good day.

B. Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.

C. Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.

D. Maxie really worries about the author’s security (安全).

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. The salesgirl is rude.

B. The salesgirl is bored.

C. The salesgirl cares about me.

D. The salesgirl says the words as a routine(惯例).

3.By saying “Have a nice day.” a stranger may ________.

A. express respect to you

B. give his blessing to you

C. try to be friendly to you

D. share his pleasure with you

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A. Have a nice day—a meaningless expression

B. Have a nice day—a Heart-warming Greeting

C. Have a nice day—a Social Custom

D. Have a nice day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation

What is a big dream? 1. or, is a big dream something that provides only entertainment? Children dream big dreams, but there are three barriers(障碍) to realizing dreams. They often kill them before they ever have a chance to grow.

The Self

Immediately following the birth of a big dream, a negative self-talk takes over and gives all the reasons why it can’t happen. This inside voice is the ego (自我). It is there for protecting and should be listened to. Sometimes it is right, but more often it is wrong. 2.

That’s why only a handful of people make their dream come true.

3.

Family and friends are a lot like the ego. They want to protect those they love, so they will often list all the reasons why the big dreams won’t come true. Sometimes, family and friends destroy dreams of those they love most, out of their own fear of being left behind.

The World

If one gets past the first two barriers, one has to face the world. 4. In the past, big dreamers were locked up and sometimes even killed when they were shown to the world. Fortunately, in most of the world today, big dreamers just get laughed at.

The way to realize a big dream is with confidence and action. When children have confidence and then take action, they will be ready to accept any failure. The truth is that every great dreamer whose dreams have never seen the light of success knows failure well. 5.

A. How Big Dreams Die

B. Family and Friends

C. They simply fail until they succeed.

D. Does a big dream show one’s future?

E. Most people are influenced by the inside voice.

F. It is the last and the most terrible barrier.

G. And their big dream is to be a rock star or a famous artist.