Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.

Recite and repeat in conversation

When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You should also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.

Ask the other person to recite and repeat

   You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.

   Admit you don’t know

   Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say, “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”

   Use associations.(联想)

   Link each person you meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng-tall, black hair.” To reinforce(加强) your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.

   Limit the number of new names you learn at one time

   When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.

   Go early

   Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That’s fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others—an automatic review for you.

Most people will feel ______ when you try hard to remember their names.

   A. moved         B. annoyed       C. delighted     D. discouraged

If you can’t remember someone’s name, you may ____________.

A. tell him the truth        B. tell him a white lie

C. ask him for pity         D. ask others to help you                

When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember ________.

A all their names          B. a couple of names first

C. just their last names     D. as many names as possible

What does the text mainly tell us?

A. Tips on an important social skill.  B. Importance of attending parties.

C. How to make use of associations.  D. How to recite and repeat names

Native English speakers can understand each other __________ they don’t speak the same kind of English.

  A. as if      B. even if       C. if         D. unless

People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.

These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.

Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.

Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?

A. Parents bring up children.   

B. Parents give love and care to children.

C. Parents educate children to be good persons.  

D. Parents pass away before children grow up.

What do you think “florists” do?

A. They sell flowers.                       

B. They make and sell bread.

C. They offer enough room for having family parties.

D. They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Which do you think is right about “carnation”?

A. It has only two kinds of colors.

B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.

D. People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.

What do you know from the passage?

A. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.  

B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.

C. Not all the children respect their parents.         

D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.

On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,        .

A. people usually have family parties   B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery

C. children always go to parents’ home D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts

So far, my home village has changed      recognition.

 A．from                           B．beyond                   C．over                       D．with

— It is understandable for him to make such mistakes.

— You are right, ______ that he is only a new hand.

A. considering              B. being considered      C. to be considered       D. considered

Remember never to leave your dog ______. It might bite people around.

  A. lose               B. lost               C. losing             D. loose

His calculation of the result of the exam _______ to the fact, but he failed again．

     A．approximated B．focused      C．consisted     D．contracted

Nate suffered a hard blow when he lost his job.His boss had spoken rudely, “Your services are no longer needed.” Nate left the building filled with disappointment.By the time he reached home, he was in a deep depression.When he entered his house, he blurted out to his wife Sophia, “I lost my job.I am a complete failure.” A tense silence followed.Then a smile crept across Sophia’s face.“What great news!” she responded.

“Now you can write the book you have always wanted to write.”

“But I have no job and no prospect of a job,” he objected, completely without hope．“If I struggle to be an author, then what will we live on? Where will the money come from?” Sophia took her husband by the hand and led him to the kitchen．Opening a drawer, she took out a box that was full of cash．“Where on earth did you get this?” Nate gasped.“To whom does it belong?”

“It’s ours!” Sophia replied.“I always knew that one day you would become a great writer if only you were given the chance．From the money you gave me for housekeeping every week, I have saved as much as I could so you would have your chance．Now there is enough to last us a whole year.”

What a surprise! What encouragement! What a wife! The unemployed husband did concentrate on writing that year, and the novel he wrote became a literary(文学)masterpiece.The book is The Scarlet Letter.Sophia had an even greater achievement, and she turned Nathaniel Hawthorne from a poor clerk into a world famous master. 

Which of the following can be inferred from the first paragraph?

       A.Sophia was very disappointed to hear the news  

       B.Nate was too sad to speak any more

       C.Sophia was thinking of how to encourage Nate 

       D.Neither husband nor wife had any idea what to do

Sophia saved money because _______________________．

       A.she knew her husband would lose his job one day  

       B.she knew their life would be in difficulty

       C.she was very careful with money  

       D.she was trying to help her husband in every possible way      

From the passage we can know that Sophia was __________________________．

       A.kind and brave               B.careful and encouraging

       C.friendly and warm-hearted D.honest and determined

What would be the best title for the passage?

       A.Sophia’s Achievement      

B.A Great Writer’s Struggle to Success

       C.Great Encouragement in Hard Times      

D.Failure is the Mother of Success

The quest for success always begins with a target．As Berra once said，“You got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going，because you might not get there．”

Too many people wander through life like sleepwalkers．Each day they follow familiar routines，never asking，“What am I doing with my life?’’and they don’t know what they’re doing because they lack goals．

Goal-setting is a focusing of the will to move in a certain direction．Begin with a clear conception of what you want．Write down your goals and date them—putting them into words clarifies them．Rather than concentrating on objects to acquire and possess，focus on fulfilling your desires to do，to produce，to contribute—goal-setting that yields the true sense of satisfaction we all need．

It’s important to visualize(想象)yourself accomplishing your goal．While losers visualize the penalties(不利)of failure，winners visualize the rewards of success．I’ve seen it among athletes，statistics contrasting air and highway safety，but it made no difference．I had read too many articles describing crash scenes and imagined these scenes vividly．I had programmed myself，without realizing it，to stay off planes．

Then one summer I had the opportunity to fly on a private plane with friends to a resort；I didn’t want to miss out on a great vacation．So I spent two weeks imagining a smooth flight on a beautiful sunny day and an easy landing．

When the day arrived，I was eager to go．To everyone’s surprise，I got on the plane and I loved every minute of it，and I still use the techniques I employed that day．

【小题1】According to the passage，if you want to be successful，the first thing for you to do is          .

       A．find the right methods                       B．be careful about everything

       C．know your ability                               D．have a clear goal

【小题2】If you have a target，you will          .

       A．wander like a sleepwalker                         B．know well what you are doing

       C．do the same work every day                  D．put it into words

【小题3】The problem with the author before he overcame his fear of air travel is that          .

       A．he didn’t know air travel is safer than highway travel

       B．he couldn’t imagine himself accomplishing his goal

       C．he read too much about plane crashes and tried to avoid flying

       D．he wanted to take a private plane instead of a public one

【小题4】What would be the best title for this passage?

       A．Define Your Coal

       B．Visualize Rewards of Success

       C．Overcome The Fear of Air Travel

       D．Sleepwalking Through Life

Graduates of 2009 share        fate of entering the work force at a bad time,when the world is sinking deeper into        financial crisis.

A．the；the                 B．a；the                    C．a；不填          D．the；a