“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.

Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump(树桩) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.

A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s not about going to a temple to burn some incense(香) hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’s practical advice you can follow each day.

Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups; those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.

It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “lucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.

I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman’s studies I think not.

As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.

Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.

68. Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’s point?

  A. Make the best of a bad job.

B. Rome was not built in a day.

C. All is not gold that glitters.

D. A good heart conquers ill fortune.

69. What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?

  A. She became famous through her family background.

B. She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks in her life.

C. She is a British talk show host.

D. She became successful by her own effort.

70. The writer quoted the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show __________.

  A. luck is in your own hand

B. bad luck can turn into good

C. you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you

D. man can conquer nature

Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of nonfarm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September.

Not only have more and more women entered the labor market over the years, but the depression has been harder on men. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost eleven percent compared to eight percent for women.

Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women.

Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And women hold fifty-one percent of good-paying management and professional jobs.

Yet a study released Thursday said men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at the four hundred large companies in California. The results have remained largely unchanged in live years of studies from the University of California, Davis.

Also, a new research paper in the journal Sex Roles looks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their family. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found they all valued their independence and many enjoyed having the power of control, though not all wanted it.

But they also felt pressure, worry and guilt. Partly that was because of cultural expectations that working women will still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened.

The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year’s financial crash. Now, a judgment has been reached in the first case involving charges of criminal wrongdoing on Wall Street.

Last week, the government lost its case against two managers at Bear Stearns, the first investment bank to fail last year. A jury found Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin not guilty of lying to investors.

The hedge funds they supervised lost their value in two thousand seven. But jurors said there was no clear evidence that they meant to mislead investors.

The Justice Department continues to investigate other companies.

64. Why is the unemployment rate for men higher.

  A. Because there are more men workers in industries.

B. Because many industries mainly employing men now don’t need so many workers.

C. More and more women take the place of men.

D. Because health care and temporary employment services don’t employ men.

65. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

  A. women haven’t got complete equality as men

B. only by becoming the main earners in their family can women gain a high position

C. all women now value independence and the power of control

D. taking care of children is now shared by men and women

66. Which of the following is TRUE?

  A. Men hate that women earn more money.

B. It is commonly believed that women should take care of children.

C. The job market has recovered from the effect of the financial crisis.

D. Now women working full time earn more than men.

67. Why does the government accuse two managers?

  A. They contributed to the financial crash.     B. They led a corrupt life.

C. They lied to investors.                   D. A jury found them misleading investors.

A new report says only about half of all students in the main school systems of America’s largest cities finish high school. The report notes higher rates of graduation — over 70% —in areas surrounding the cities. Researchers studied high school graduation rates from the 2003, 2004 school year. They also identified the nation’s fifty largest cities. The largest, New York City, had a population of more than eight million. The smallest city was Wichita, Kansas. It had about three hundred and sixty thousand people.

Researchers used a system of measurement called the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates. School officials in many of the cities studied said the resulting numbers were too low. That is because different areas use different methods to find graduation rates. Critics say many methods do not give a true picture of the number of students who leave high school before finishing.

Other studies have put the national graduation rate at about 70%. But experts agree that too many students are not completing high school. They estimate the number at more than one million each year. The report was prepared for America’s Promise Alliance. The private group aims to help children receive services they need to succeed.

General Colin Powell was chairman of America’s Promise Alliance when it was formed in 1997. He attended the press conference Tuesday where the report was released. He said studies have shown that the US must do more to educate the leaders and work force of the future.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also spoke. She said the government will propose that states use the same methods when reporting graduation rates. Alliance officials also announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates. It is to include a series of meetings to be held in every state over the next two years. The meetings will bring together elected leaders, business owners, students, parents and education officials. They will develop plans to increase the number of Americans who finish high school.

60. The author wants to tell us ___________.

  A. too many Americans do not finish high school

B. different methods to find graduation rates

C. services American children need to receive

D. the increase of the number of Americans who finish their high school

61. From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.

  A. there are 8,360,000 people in the US’ fifty largest cities

B. Wichita in Kansas is the smallest city in the US

C. 50% of the people in the US don’t finish their high school education

D. high school graduation rates in or near the biggest cities are higher

62. The underlined word “picture” probably can be replaced by “_______”.

  A. situation        B. scene         C. image         D. mood

63. From the last paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that _______-.

  A. secretary of Education Margaret Spellings didn’t believe that number from the report

B. the government will stop using the cumulative promotion index to find graduation rates

C. secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the start of a nationwide campaign to improve graduation rates

D. the low graduation rates should be paid attention to by the government and the society

Born in a fishing village in Japan, Fujiyama, 25, recalls a childhood dominated by health concerns. Doctors told his parents that he had a hole in his heart and “they didn’t think I had a lot longer to live”. But during a later visit to the doctor, his family learned the hole had closed. “Somehow I was cured and I became a normal kid,” Fujiyama says. “And I had a second chance.”

During his second year at the University of Mary Washington, he volunteered in Honduras with a campus group and was struck by the extreme poverty he saw—barefoot children collecting cans and sleeping in the streets. Fujiyama realized he could help give other children their own second chance.

Today, his organization, Students Helping Honduras, brings education and community projects to children and families in need.

He started by telling his friends about his experience and collecting spare change at his two campus jobs. “When I had my very first meeting, only two people showed up,” he says. “I knew I had to keep fighting.” He persuaded his younger sister, Cosmo, to join the cause. “She’s dynamite,.” He says. “When she talks in front of a crowd, she can move mountains. Knowing that she was behind it, I knew I could do anything.” Since 2006, the siblings’ organization has grown to 25 campuses and raised more than $750,000 to fund projects, including the construction of two schools and the establishment of scholarships to help young women attend college.

Fujiyama says students are deeply committed to the organization. They raise money and then travel to Honduras to help building houses. While Fujiyama spends his summers in Honduras working alongside volunteers, he spends a large portion of the year on the road visiting colleges to raise funds. Cosmo Fujiyama, 23, lives in Honduras full time to coordinate（协调）the group’s building efforts on the ground.

Students Helping Honduras is working with community members of Siete de Abril to build a new village. Many of the families lost their belongings in Hurricane Mitch in 1998. A lot of them didn’t have access to clean water or health care, and they didn’t have a school. Fujiyama’s group helped build 44 homes in the village named “Sunshine Village”. The organization is also raising funds to build a water tower, an eco-friendly sanitation system and a library.

56. At the beginning of his organization, ________.

  A. Fujiyama was supported by many friends     B. things didn’t go on smoothly

C. Fujiyama had little idea of Honduras         D. many famous people joined in

57. We can infer that Fujiyama is a _______ man.

  A. diligent         B. mean           C. sympathetic        D. cheerful

58. The underlined word “siblings’ ” can be replaced by __________.

  A. brothers’        B. brother and sister’s        C. friends’        D. couple’s

59. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

  A. Help the people in need

B. Students lend a hand in America

C. Fujiyama helps build “Sunshine Village”

D. Fujiyama gives poor people in Honduras a second chance

I’ve always had strong opinions of how love should be expressed, but others had their own ways of showing care.

What I   36   most about visiting my boyfriend’s parents is the loud tick of the clock in the dining room as we   37   ate our meal. With so little conversation I was quick to   38  his family as cold. When we got into the   39   to go home, his father suddenly appeared. 40   , he began to wash his son’s windscreen. I could feel he was a caring man through the glass.

I learned another lesson about love a few years later. My father often  41   me early in the morning. “Buy Xerox. It’s a good sharp price,” he might say when I answered the phone. No pleasant  42  or inquiry about my life, just financial instructions. This manner of his  43  me and we often quarreled. But one day, I thought about my father’s success in business and realized that his concern for my financial security lay behind his  44    morning calls. The next time he called and told me to buy a stock, I  45   him.

When my social style has conflicted with that of my friends, I’ve often felt   46  . For example, I always return phone calls   47   and regularly contact with my friends. I expect the same from them. I had one friend who rarely called, answering my messages with short e-mails. I rushed to the   48   : She wasn’t a good friend! My anger   49    as the holidays approached. But then she came to a gathering I   50  and handed me a beautiful dress I had fallen in love with when we did some window-shopping the previous month. I was   51    at her thoughtfulness, and regretful for how I’d considered her to be   52   . Clearly I needed to change my expectations of friends.

Far too often, I ignored their   53    expressions, eagerly expecting them to do things in my   54  . Over the years, however, I’ve learned to   55   other persons, love signs.

36. A. remember      B. enjoy            C. value                   D. admire

37. A. excitedly       B. nervously       C. silently             D. instantly

38. A. regard         B. treat           C. take               D. think

39. A. bus           B. train            C. car                D. plane

40. A. Punctually       B. Carefully        C. Proudly            D. Coldly

41. A. visited           B. interrupted      C. warned            D. telephoned

42. A. greeting         B. meeting         C. apology             D. explanation

43. A. interested        B. angered         C. encouraged          D. surprised

44. A. long            B. short         C. warm              D. polite

45. A. praised          B. remembered     C. blamed              D. thanked

46. A. content          B. guilty           C. curious              D. disappointed

47. A. in order          B. in turn          C. without delay      D. without difficulty

48. A. feeling           B. suggestion      C. judgment            D. belief

49. A. disappeared       B. grew           C. helped              D. declined

50. A. opened          B. refused         C. hosted             D. invited

51. A. depressed         B. upset           C. fascinated          D. shocked

52. A. uncaring          B. dishonest       C. unhappy           D. uncooperative

53. A. unique           B. common      C. pleasant            D. familiar

54. A. opinion           B. way          C. mind                D. life

55. A. send            B. read            C. give                D. express

---Tom was caught cheating in the exam.   ---Just his luck. ______

  A. He has to kill the fatted calf.              B. He has to face the music.

C. He must be the apple of his parents’ eve.    D. He must be a black sheep.

 Not until ___ on TV ___ that the Chinese was rescued by the European Union Task Force.

A. did I turn; did I know          B. did I turn; I knew

C. I turned; did I know           D. I turned; I had know

---Oh, how depressed! I’m bound to lose to him in tomorrow’s competition.

   ---Cheer up! In fact, he is _________ than you.

  A. not more nervous   B. no more nervous  C. no less nervous   D. a little less nervous

______ the crisis of economy getting more and more serious, the government is searching for ways to improve people’s life.

  A. As        B. With          C. When         D. If

Each of us is likely to develop a personal _______ for certain types of entertainment.

  A. comparison        B. possession        C. preference        D. advantage