After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
【小题1】The boy looked forward to meeting the author because          .

A．he was also good at weight lifting

B．he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal

C．he was one of the author’s fans

D．he admired the author very much

【小题2】The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that_______.

A．the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease

B．the boy never complained about not being able to go to school

C．the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before

D．the boy never complained about not getting a medal

【小题3】Matthew didn’t accepted the author’s medal because           .

A．he thought it was too expensive

B．he was sure that he could win one in the future

C．he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon

D．he would not be pitied by others

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

A．A sick boy.

B．A special friend

C．A real champion.

D．A famous athlete.

Every summer, no matter how urgent work schedule is, I take off one day exclusively for my
son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement panic, where we discovered
that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters (过山车)in the world. We experienced through face-stretching turns and circles for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, in a calm voice, he remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he’d been on. As I listened, I began to sense something seriously out of balance.
Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents found it hard to find new stimulations for cold kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young feces were looking disappointed and bored
Facing their children’s complaints of "nothing to do", parents were spending large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy relief from the terrible complaint of their bored children. This set me thinking the obvious question: "How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there’s been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?"
What really worries me is the strength of the stimulation. I watch my little daughter’s &ce as she absorbs bloody special effects in movies.
Why do children facing such excitement seem starved for more? Thai was, I realized, the point I discovered during my own adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Excitement has less to do with speed than changes in speed.
I am concerned about the increasing effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear uninterested and burned out, with a "been there, done that" air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends’ children are advised to take medicine to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants (抗抑郁药)to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives—I question the role of kids’ boredom in some of the diagnoses (处方).
My own work is focused on the chemical imbalances and biological factors related to behavioral and emotional disorders. These are complex problems. Yet I’ve been reflecting more and more on how lie pace of life and the strength of stimulation may be contributing to the rising rates of psychological problems among children and adolescents in our society.
【小题1】The reason why the author felt surprised in the amusement park was that ________.

A．his son was not as excited by the roller coasters ride as expected

B．his songs enjoyed turns and circles with his face stretched

C．his son appeared upset but calm while riding the roller coasters

D．his son could keep his balance so well on the fast moving roller coasters

【小题2】According to the author, children will probably feel excited ________.

A．if their parents allow them to ride roller coasters very often

B．since parents spend money on the same form of entertainment

C．after they take anti-depressants according to the diagnoses

D．if they are often exposed to more stimulating entertainment

【小题3】From his own experience, the author came to the conclusion that children seem to expect _______.

A．a much wider variety of sports facilities

B．activities that require complicated skills

C．the change of the forms of recreation

D．more challenging physical exercise

【小题4】. In order to relieve children’s boredom, the author would probably suggest ________.

A．adjusting the pace of life and strength of stimulation

B．promoting the practice of dad-son days

C．consulting a specialist in child psychology

D．balancing school work with after school activities

I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It’s hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.
【小题1】Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?

A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service.

B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains.

C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic.

D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness.

【小题2】We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．China can make and sell any product all over the world

B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment

C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand

D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination

【小题3】Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Look for a New Way of Learning.	B．Reward Creative Thinking.
C．How to Become a Creator.	D．Establish a technical Environment.

I made a pledge (发誓) to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical (圣经) passage about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”
“Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled.
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… that checkup I had several weeks ago… our doctor… did he tell you something about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me… am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”
【小题1】In the first paragraph, “No ifs, ands or buts” probably mean ________.

A．unnecessarily

B．unconditionally

C．impossibly

D．unintentionally

【小题2】From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage ________.

A．alone

B．with his family

C．with Evelyn

D．with his children

【小题3】During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ________.

A．she looked lovely in her new clothes

B．she was seriously ill

C．he was determined to be a good husband

D．he had made a lot of money in Wall Street

【小题4】 By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that ________.

A．he is beginning to feel regret for what he did to his wife before

B．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change

C．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life

D．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband

Most students hate their endless homework. The students from Class 2, Senior 2 of the High School Affiliated to Peking University certainly did before they published their own collection of English novels at home.
Their small book contains stories about a holy (神圣的) war, the happy life of a self-taught artist and the story of a laid-off worker who devoted his last breath to playing his beloved accordion (手风琴). The book becomes an instant hit on campus. About 3,000 copies have been sold and the class is already working on the second volume.
"We’re up to our ears in homework. Exercises and exams make us out of breath. But to do something creative and full of imagination is such a great achievement," said Yu Xiaoxiao, 16.
"I took the writing as an ordinary homework at the beginning, but after I finished the first part of my story, I could not help but let it flow," said Wang An, who wrote "Accordion".
Inspired by "Lord of the Rings", Jiang Lu wrote his story about magic wars between angels from the light and the dark side. "The main message of the story was to look at the balance of the world. Both dark and light angels fight with love as their weapons. I want to tell people that selfish love might bring hate," Jiang said.
"I was shocked by their work and felt so proud to be the editor of my students’ book," said Nathaniel Timmermann, the oral English teacher at the school. Liu Xiuqin, an English teacher, started the project by asking students to write whatever was in their mind every week. "They have performed beyond expectation," Liu said. "They wrote interesting stories and their English has improved after they started to express their real minds."
"We never imagined that our homework would be so popular and profitable (盈利的). We sell the novels at five yuan, but many teachers pay more to encourage us," said Yuan Mengyao.
【小题1】 After Wang An finished the first part of his story, he _________.

A．couldn’t go on	B．had to put it aside
C．just wanted to express it freely	D．lost it

【小题2】What was not the outcome of the students’ homework of writing whatever was in their mind?

A．Being popular.	B．Being profitable.
C．Improving their English.	D．Winning prize.

【小题3】What is the reason for the students’ liking to write interesting stories?

A．It is creative and imaginative.

B．It is profitable.

C．Interesting stories are sure to be popular.

D．Interesting stories can be well sold.

【小题4】What is the best title of this passage?

A．Creative homework leads to a popular book

B．Writing interesting stories

C．Students’ new book

D．A popular book

Some people are lucky enough to be born with a good sense of direction and even if they have only visited a place once, they will be able to find it again years later.
I am one of those unfortunate people who have poor sense of direction and I may have visited a place time after time but I still get lost on my way there. When I was young I was so shy that I never dared ask complete strangers the way and so I used to wander round in circles and hope that by some chance I would get to the spot I was heading for.
I am no longer too shy to ask people for direction, but I often receive replies that puzzle me. Often people do not like to admit that they didn’t know their hometown and will insist on telling you the way, even if they do not know it; others, who are anxious to prove that they know their hometown very well, will give you a long list of directions which you can not possibly hope to remember, and still others do not seem to be able to tell between their left and their right and you find in the end that you are going in the opposite direction to that in which you should be going.
If anyone ever asks me the way to somewhere, I always tell them I am a stranger to the town in order to avoid giving them wrong direction but even this can have embarrassing results.
Once I was on my way to work when I was stopped by a man who asked me if I would direct him the way to the Sunlight Building. I gave my usual reply, but I had not walked on a few steps when I realized that he had asked for directions to my office building. However, at this point, I decide it was too late to turn back and search for him out of the crowd behind me as I was going to meet with someone at the office and I did not want to keep him waiting.
Imagine my embarrassment when my secretary showed in the very man who had asked for directions of my office and his astonishment when he recognized me as the person he had asked.
【小题1】What is the writer going to do when someone asks him for direction?

A．He will direct the right way to the person willingly.

B．He will reply to it by the means of being a stranger to the town.

C．He will give the very person long list of direction.

D．He is going to show the man an opposite direction.

【小题2】 Why did the writer consider himself to be an unlucky dog?

A．Because of his poor sense of direction.

B．Because he always forget the way to home.

C．Because he did not have any friend.

D．Because he used to be shy and dared not ask others the way.

【小题3】How did the visitor feel when he was showed into the very room?

A．He felt strange.	B．He felt embarrassed.
C．He felt very sad.	D．He felt astonished.

【小题4】 Who showed the right way to the interviewee according to the passage?

A．Someone we don’t know.	B．The writer did it for himself.
C．The secretary did so.	D．A warm-hearted old lady did such a thing.

One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of : a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him. Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill of the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right down, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoes out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi’s forty-fifth birthday.
My wife and I heard none of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself.
I found in my baby’s behavior a symbol of the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don’t read and they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight about it? Let them watch it all they want!
【小题1】Why did the author bring a TV set into his son’s room?

A．To make his son keep quiet.

B．To spend the night by watching TV programs.

C．In order not to let his son feel lonely.

D．To make his son go to sleep as soon as possible.

【小题2】The baby’s reaction to the TV program was _______ .

A．unexpected

B．encouraging

C．exciting

D．nervous

【小题3】From this passage we know that the author is           .

A．a doctor

B．a reporter

C．an editor

D．a teacher

【小题4】Accordingg to the passage, which is true of the school children?

A．They prefer reading to watching TV.

B．They like watching TV after school.

C．They would rather watch TV than read books.

D．They like their teachers who teach them reading.

One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的) to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,
“My I get you something?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee, we talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee. Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,
“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with
respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.
【小题1】 What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?

A．Unfriendly.

B．Kind.

C．Elegant.

D．Untidy.

【小题2】The author bought coffee for the old man because    .

A．he wanted to start a conversation	B．he thought the old man was poor
C．he intended to show his politeness	D．he would like to thank the old man

【小题3】How did the author probably feel after he talked with his friend?

A．Surprised.

B．Pitiful.

C．Proud.

D．Regretful.

【小题4】 What is the message mainly expressed in the story?

A．We should learn to be generous.

B．It is honorable to help those in need.

C．We should avoid judging people by their appearances.

D．People in high positions are not like what we expect.

A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin （顽童） was walking around the shining car. “Is this your car, Paul?” he asked.
Paul answered, “Yes, my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I wish…” He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He wished he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, and then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?”
“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes shining, said, “Paul, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again．“Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled （残疾） brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it… Then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas window that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.
【小题1】The street urchin was very surprised when __________.

A．he saw the shining car	B．Paul told him about the car
C．he was walking around the car	D．Paul received an expensive car

【小题2】From the story we know that the urchin __________.

A．wished to give his brother a car

B．wished Paul’s brother to give him a car

C．wished Paul could be a brother like that

D．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s

【小题3】The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ______.

A．to show he had a rich friend	B．to show his neighbors the car
C．to let his brother ride in the car	D．to tell his brother about his wish

【小题4】We can infer from the story that __________.

A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin

B．the urchin’s wish came true in the end

C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother

D．the urchin had a deep love for his brother

This is a time of year when we think about giving and receiving presents. Can you find a little extra to give? On this page we suggest a few organizations you might like to help.
Littleton Children’s Home
We DON’T want your money, but children’s toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome.
Also, we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much ─will you share it?
Phone Sister Thomas on 55671
Children’s Hospice
We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursing staff. We also need storybooks and toys suitable for quiet games.
Please contact the Secretary, Little Children’s Hospice, Newby Road.
Street Food
In the winter weather, it’s no fun being homeless. It’s even worse if you’re hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It’s hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you offer a little money? We use a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans(平底锅). Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed.
Contact Street Food, c/o Mary’s House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 27713
Littleton Youth Club
Have you got an unwanted chair? ─a record-player?─a pot of paint ? Because we can use them!
We want to get to work on our meeting room!
Please phone 66231 and we’ll be happy to collect anything you can give us.
Thank you!
The Night Shelter
We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive, we never seem to have quite enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds? Any amount, however small, will be such a help.
Send it to us at 15, Green St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter.
【小题1】 What kind of people are these organizations designed for?

A．Homeless and sick children

B．Less fortunate members of our society

C．Hungry people who have no beds to sleep in

D．Friendly members of our society to help others

【小题2】If you like children and you could offer a happy family to a homeless child, you may contact _____.

A．Street Food	B．The Night Shelter
C．Littleton Children’s Home	D．Children’s Hospice

【小题3】 What can be concluded from the passage?

A．There are too many social problems in this society.

B．People are very poor during the time of giving.

C．To offer help is just an excuse for these organizations to collect money.

D．There are many organizations trying to solve social problems.