When you are at odds with someone close to you, the One-Minute Drill can show you how to express your feelings effectively – and how to listen more skillfully. All it requires is two individuals who are committed to improving their relationship.
Set aside at least ten minutes, and then sit facing each other. Decide who will be the Talker and who will be the Listener. It makes no difference, because later you will change roles.
How to perform the One-Minute Drill
For approximately 30 seconds, the Talker can say anything he or she wants. Your job will be to express your thoughts and feelings. You can discuss problems you've had a hard time talking about. Remember to limit yourself to about 30 seconds. When the Talker finishes, the Listener will summarize what the Talker just said, as well as how the Talker was feeling inside, as accurately as possible.
The Talker now gives the Listener a grade between 0 and 100 per cent to indicate how accurate the summary was. If the rating is 95 per cent or more, you can change roles; the new Talker can continue with the same topic or move on to something entirely new.
However, if the grade is below 95 per cent, the Talker should point out what the Listener missed or got wrong, and repeat the process until the overall rating is 95 per cent or more. Then you can change roles and repeat the exercise for as long as you both like.
How it works
Thirty seconds of emotionally charged information is sufficiently challenging for anyone. Express your feelings in strong, clear, direct language, but as your partner will be listening attentively, you won't need to shout, exaggerate or put your partner down.
The Listener should sit and listen respectfully without interrupting. Look into your partner's eyes, but avoid using negative body language. If you like, take a few notes.
So the Talker might say: "When I come home from work, I feel tired and I need some quiet time. But you tell me I'm supposed to spend time with the kids. This makes me feel frustrated. I work hard and I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I feel like I deserve a little time to relax, not listen to more demands."
In response, the Listener might summarize like this: "You just told me that you feel exhausted when you come home at night because you've been working hard all day. When I tell you I want you to spend time with the kids, you feel frustrated and ticked off because you're tired and you need time to relax. You see me as very demanding, and you're probably feeling like I don't appreciate you."
The first time you attempt the One-Minute Drill, you may get a low score. Don't worry, because you'll get up to speed quickly. Once you've tried this exercise a few times, you'll find that you can nearly always get ratings of 95 per cent or better on the first or second try.
【小题1】 Who is the One-Minute Drill intended for?

A．Those who are to act some roles in a certain play for the first time in their life.

B．Those who are preparing for the interview in order to make a good first impression.

C．Those who have difficulty communicating with their colleagues or family members.

D．Those who have troubled relationships with their friends or family members and try to improve them.

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．In the One-Minute Drill, the Talker and the Listener change roles in the process.

B．The Talker should talk about his / her thoughts and feelings in a brief way.

C．The Listener should listen carefully, respectfully and later summarize accurately.

D．After the Talker finishes talking, the Listener is to give him / her a grade.

【小题3】From the example given in “How it works,” we can guess that the talk might be between _____.

A．husband and wife

B．father and son

C．mother and daughter

D．sister and brother

【小题4】What does the underlined part “ticked off” probably mean in this reading?

A．fast asleep	B．very angry
C．burst into tears	D．marked with a symbol

Tight-lipped elders used to say, "It's not what you want in this world, but what you get．"
Psychology teaches that you do get what you want if you know what you want and want the right things．
You can make a mental blueprint of a desire as you would make a blueprint of a house, and each of us is continually making these blueprints in the general routine of everyday living．If we intend to have friends to dinner, we plan the menu, make a shopping list, decide which food to cook first, and such planning is an essential for any type of meal to be served．
Similarly, If you want to find a job, take a sheet of paper, and write a brief account of yourself．In making a blueprint for a job, begin with yourself, for when you know exactly what you have to offer, you can intelligently plan where to sell your services．
This account of yourself is actually a general description of your working life and should include education, experience and references．Such an account is valuable．It can be referred to in filling out standard application blanks and is extremely helpful in personal interviews．While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you and your abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner．
When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something tangible to sell．Then you are ready to look for a job．Get all the possible information about your could-be job．Make inquiries about the details concerning the job and the firm．Keep your eyes and ears open, and use your own judgment．Spend a certain amount of time each day seeking the position you wish for, and keep in mind: Obtaining a job is your job now．
【小题1】What do the elders mean when they say, “It’s not what you want in this world, but what you get．”?

A．You’ll certainly get what you want．

B．It’s no use dreaming．

C．You should be dissatisfied with what you have．

D．It’s essential to set a goal for yourself．

【小题2】A blueprint made before inviting a friend to dinner is used in this passage as ________．

A．an illustration of how to write an application for a job

B．an indication of how to obtain a good job

C．a guideline for job description

D．a principle for job evaluation

【小题3】According to the passage, one must write an account of himself before starting to find a job because ________．

A．that is the first step to please the employer

B．that is the requirement of the employer

C．it enables him to know when to sell his services

D．it makes him become clearly aware of himself

【小题4】When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something______．

A．specific to offer	B．imaginary to provide
C．precious to supply	D．desirable to present

HOW would you like to step into the world of other people’s dreams? That’s just what Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) does. His work is to steal secrets from people when they are asleep and dreaming. He has an even rarer ability: He can plant an idea in someone’s sleeping mind, and watch it grow and take root in reality. This ability is called inception.
The movie Inception (《盗梦空间》) was on show in Chinese cinemas not long ago. It is imaginative, of course. The movie leads one to wonder just how much we know about dreams. For years, scientists and researchers have been trying to solve sleep’s greatest mystery.
Is it possible to enter someone’s dreaming mind? In the movie, DiCaprio uses a drug and a dream machine to put a scenario (某一特定情节) into someone’s sleeping mind. He then goes to sleep himself, connected to the machine, and enters the other person’s dream.
In real life, there is a machine that can read someone’s mind. A brain scanner takes pictures of brain activity, and then the software recreates images of what the person was looking at.
Researchers say it may be possible one day to record someone’s dream – without the danger (or the fun) of actually sharing that dream.
What’s a dream, anyway? A dream is a group of images and sounds our brain creates when we’re sleeping. In the 1950s, researchers discovered a sleeping condition that happened around every 90 to 120 minutes during sleep: rapid eye movement, or REM. During this period you’re fast asleep, yet your eyes move around quickly under your eyelids (眼皮) and your brain is nearly as active as during the day. That’s when most dreams happen.
What do dreams mean? Dreams are not always filled with meaning. Sometimes dreams are just your mind playing with thoughts and images from your life, or things you may have read or seen on TV. But at other times, dreams show things that you want to achieve in real life, or things that cause you trouble or stress.
【小题1】The movie Inception is mentioned at the beginning of the article to ______.

A．encourage readers to watch the movie

B．tell readers about people with special dreaming abilities

C．inform readers about the science of dreams

D．warn reader about the threat of dream stealers

【小题2】According to the article, how does a brain scanner work?

A．It records dreams.

B．It uses a special drug that causes no pain.

C．It finds out what dreams mean.

D．It takes pictures of brain activity and recreates images.

【小题3】 According to the article, which of the following statements about REM sleep is TRUE?

A．Most dreams occur in REM sleep.

B．Over the last ten years scientists have solved the mystery of REM sleep.

C．People always remember what they have dreamed in a REM sleep.

D．People can have REM sleep all night.

【小题4】 The article claims that ______.

A．dreams tell us a lot about a person’s character

B．dreams are connected to real life

C．dreams are useful and help keep our brains active

D．dreams are usually about meaningful things

I keep hammering this because I keep seeing people who don’t do it.
1. Look up English to Elvish.
2. Look up the Elvish word in the best Elvish dictionary you have, and, preferably, find out the context（上下文） in Tolkien’s language dictionary.
3. Change the word to suit rules of grammar: singular or plural, mutations, verb tenses, etc.
You cannot leave out any of these steps. If you do, you’re almost certain to have errors. Why you have to do step 2:
Languages never match up one- to-one. English and Elvish are closer than usual, but there are still problems. And English has strange idioms: why are there no baths or beds in public bathrooms or restrooms? You can’t translate literally（逐字地）. You have to understand the meaning behind each word.
In Elvish this is even more true, since our dictionaries contain more or less questionable reconstructions, and words that Tolkien later threw away or replaced. Find the best one you can.
Consider the word “fair”. We tend to use it to mean “just”. Tolkien tends to use it to mean “beautiful”. In Elvish, these are two entirely different words. So when you look up “fair”, you’ll have to go to the Elvish dictionary to see that you’ve got the right one.
Consider the nightmare（噩梦）of He left the bar. Is “left” the opposite of “right” （which also has two meanings） ? Is “bar” extruded steel（型材钢）, or something to do with law? You have to know what words mean in both languages.
And you’d be amazed at how many people ignore step 3, forgetting that language is more than a string of words, and there are rules about how to fit those words together. You can’t simply look up the word “I” and use it everywhere. Sometimes you need “me” or “my”. There’s a reason it takes a while to learn a language: you have to learn the rules.
It drives me completely mad when people give a questionable translation they insist is right because “it’s in the dictionary”. A dictionary is a tool, a resource. but its entries（词目）should not be mistaken for a finished product. They are raw materials.
【小题1】The underlined word “this” in paragraph 1 refers to         .

A．consulting the dictionaries when translating between languages

B．finding out the true meaning in context

C．ignoring the rules of grammar

D．leaving out some of the three steps the author mentions

【小题2】 According to the author, you have to do step 2 because         .

A．you have to understand the meaning behind each word

B．Elvish and English are quite different in forms

C．there are no baths or beds in public bathrooms

D．Elvish has some words which are hard to find

【小题3】Grammar is also very important because it         .

A．helps fit the words together

B．takes a while to learn a language

C．is a rule to obey

D．is often forgotten in translating

【小题4】In the last paragraph, the author shows         .

A．his impatience to those who insist their wrong translation is right

B．his puzzle to the questionable translation

C．the importance of the correct use of dictionaries

D．the mistaken entries in the dictionaries

【小题5】 The passage is mainly about how to         .

A．learn a foreign language with a dictionary

B．avoid errors when looking up a dictionary

C．understand the meaning of a strange word

D．use a dictionary to translate between languages

Sooner or later, many families will face the situation of moving. The experience can be very bad for kids, who may not be a part of the decision to move and may not understand it. You can take steps to make the whole process (过程) easier for everyone.
Many kids like to stay in familiar places. So as you consider a move, weigh the benefits (好处) of that change against the comfort that neighborhood, school, and social life give your kids. If your family has recently dealt with a big life change, such as death, you may want to put off a move to give your children time to accept the fact.
The decision to move may be out of your hands, perhaps because of a new job or money problems. Even if you’re not happy about the move, try to keep a positive (积极的) attitude to it. During the move, a parent’s attitude can greatly influence kids.
No matter what the results are, the most important way to prepare kids to move is to talk about it. Try to give your children as much information about the move as possible. You can ask kids to join in the planning such as house-hunting or the search for a new school. This can make the change feel less like it’s being forced (被迫) on them. If you’re moving across town, try to take your children to visit the new house and the new neighborhood.
A move can have many problems, but good things also come from this kind of change. Your family might grow closer and you may learn more about each other by going through it together.
【小题1】According to the text, a move can be a bad experience for kids because ________.

A．they may feel they’re forced to do so	B．they often feel lonely in a new school
C．they don’t like their busy parents	D．they are tired of the moving process

【小题2】In which situation does the author advise to put off a move?

A．The child’s birthday is coming.	B．A family member has died.
C．The new neighborhood isn’t safe.	D．The parents have money problems.

【小题3】Which is the most important when making the move easier for children?

A．Allowing them to choose a school by themselves.

B．Trying not to show them the bad parts of a move.

C．Offering them as much information as possible.

D．Promising to choose a new house with them.

【小题4】The author wrote this text mainly to tell us ________.

A．what we should do before a move

B．how to prepare children for a move

C．how a move can change the family

D．why parents should talk to children often

There are hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child. And it’s a good thing, too — kids need this kind of protection and assistance, because they aren’t mature enough to take care of themselves and make careful decisions on their own.
But eventually, kids grow up and become teens. It’s totally normal for teens to create their own opinions, thoughts, and values about life; it’s what prepares them for adulthood. But as you change and grow into this new person who makes his or her own decisions, your parents may have a difficult time adjusting themselves to it.
In most families, it’s this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents. Teens get angry because they feel parents don’t respect them and aren’t giving them space to do what they like, and parents get angry because they aren’t used to not being in control or they disagree with the teens’ decisions.
It’s easy for feelings to get very hurt when there are conflicts like these. And more complicated issues can cause even bigger arguments, because your parents will always be intent on protecting you and keeping you safe, no matter how old you are.
The good news about fighting with your parents is that in many families the arguing will lessen as parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teens have a right to certain opinions. It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles, though. In the meantime, concentrate on communicating with your parents as best you can.
Sometimes this can feel impossible — like they just don’t see your point of view and never will. But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents, and you may be able to reach a compromise that makes everyone happy. Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases, they can relate to what you’re going through.
【小题1】Why do parents always want to control their children?

A．They are afraid to lose their children.

B．They want to protect their children.

C．They don’t believe the ability of their children.

D．They can’t accept their children are growing.

【小题2】 What does the underlined word “lessen” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．disappear.	B．increase.
C．strengthen.	D．decrease.

【小题3】The author suggested that teenagers ____.

A．fight with their parents bravely for their rights

B．obey their parents without any doubt

C．communicate with their parents actively

D．persuade their parents in as many ways as possible

【小题4】 It can be inferred from the passage that ____.

A．most parents will give in while fighting with their children

B．the conflict between parents and teenagers can be solved

C．the only way for teens to get freedom is to leave home

D．only few parents do well in facing the growth of their children

While in Banff, make time for a walk around town. A special treat is to go up the mountainside on the Banff Gondola for a surprising view of the valley below. Here is The Pines, whose cook has developed a special way of mixing foreign food such as caribou, wild boar, and reindeer with surprising sauces.
Best time to visit is during the off-season, from early May to mid-June, or in October. This way you can avoid sharing the highway with mobile homes which can be pulled by cars. But whatever the season, take some lunch with you from Banff, because there are only a few food stops on the road.
Forty minutes north of Banff, side by side with the Banff National Park, sits world-famous Lake Louise. This surprisingly small body of water is attractive with towering mountains around it. Glaciers, huge masses of ice, moving very slowly against rocks, produce what is called glacier rock flour, making its water dark to see. It is worth taking a walk around the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise, another beauty, proud of its early 20th century history.
Back on the road, and it’s time to continue north past the astonishing Columbia Icefield, then turn off the highway and take the short road to the base of the Athabaska Glacier. You can rent ice cleats (夹板) and do some climbing or do a more pleasant snowmobile tour. Either way, you can enjoy endless beautiful sights.
Finally you’ll reach Jasper, the usual turning around the place for the Banff-Jasper loop (回路). It’s worth riding the Jasper Skytram, and be sure to visit the wonderful Jasper Park Lodge, also dating back to the 1920s. If you can have lunch there, do it. The restaurant has an adventurous menu and their wine list would put a smile on any visitor’s face.
【小题1】According the passage, The Pines is a                                .

A．place in which you can see many mobile homes

B．mountain where you can get a good view of the valley

C．town which happens to be near the Banff National Park

D．restaurant where you can ask for some special kinds of food

【小题2】What will probably happen when visitors come at the end of June?

A．They may have trouble finding a restaurant.

B．They may come across traffic jams.

C．They may travel more easily with cars.

D．They may do much more sightseeing.

【小题3】Similar to the Chateau Lake Louise,                           .

A．the Banff National Park is to the west of Banff

B．the Columbia Icefield lies between Lake Louise and the Banff National Park

C．the Jasper Skytram has a history of more than 80 years

D．the Jasper Park Lodge was built in the 1920s

【小题4】Besides the beautiful sights in Jasper Park Lodge, visitors to Jasper can enjoy themselves by                                   .

A．taking the Jasper Skytram and eating in the restaurant

B．taking the Banff-Jasper loop and Jasper Skytram

C．having a lot of food to order in the restaurant

D．taking the Jasper Skytram back to Banff

Have you ever had the strange feeling that you were being watched? You turned around and, sure enough, someone was looking right at you!
Parapsychologists (灵学家) say that humans have a natural ability to sense when someone is looking at them. To research whether such a “sixth sense” really exists, Robert Baker, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky, performed two experiments.
In the first one, Baker sat behind unknowing people in public places and stared at the backs of their heads for 5 to 15 minutes. The subjects were eating, drinking, reading, studying, watching TV, or working at a computer. Baker made sure that the people could not tell that he was sitting behind them during those periods. Later, when he questioned the subjects, almost all of them said they had no sense that someone was staring at them.
For the second experiment, Baker told the subjects that they would be stared at from time to time from behind a two way mirror in a laboratory setting. The people had to write down when they felt they were being stared at and when they weren’t. Baker found that the subjects were no better at telling when they were stared at and when they weren’t. and they were no better at telling when they were stared at than if they had just guessed.
Baker concludes that people do not have the ability to sense when they’re being stared at. If people doubt the outcome of his two experiments, said baker, “I suggest they repeat the experiments and see for themselves.”
【小题1】The purpose of the two experiments is to                                 .

A．explain when people can have a sixth sense

B．show how people act while being watched in the lab

C．study whether humans can sense when they are stared at

D．prove why humans have a sixth sense

【小题2】In the first experiment, the subjects                             .

A．were not told that they would be stared at

B．lost their sense when they were stared at

C．were not sure when the would be stared at

D．were uncomfortable when they were stared at

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

A．People are born with a sixth sense.

B．The experiments support parapsychologists’ idea.

C．The subjects do not have a sixth sense in the experiments.

D．People have a sixth sense in public places.

Do you know that a Mom deserves a special gift this year for Mother’s Day? Sure, flowers can always brighten Mother’s day and a dinner out is always appreciated. However, doesn’t she deserve something more personal or something that lasts longer than an evening?
I’m talking about the gift of fitness. Improved fitness is a gift that is invaluable to everyone. When you give a woman the gift of fitness, you are helping her open a door to better health. I can’t think of a more thoughtful gift that shows the recipient(接受者) how much you care about their well-being. By giving the gift of fitness you are providing them with unlimited health benefits. And, its a gift that you can truly feel proud to give.
Of course, we all know that exercising can help people stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great benefits of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better. Fitness has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis(骨质疏松). Not to mention that exercising also improves self-esteem, increases energy and helps you be able to do continuous work for longer.
All Moms would find these fitness benefits extremely invaluable. If they are like most of us, they have probably even mentioned how they would like to drop a few pounds or just get in better shape. In fact, experts say that about 62% of Americans are currently on a diet. By giving the gift of fitness you are helping provide your mom with extra motivation. She may be more motivated to actually get fit because she doesn’t want to feel guilty about ignoring such a thoughtful gift .
【小题1】The first paragraph is most likely to tell us that___________.

A．we should invite our mom to a dinner for Mother’s Day

B．it is good to send flowers to moms for Mother’s Day

C．we should give a special gift to our Mom for Mother’s Day

D．moms aren’t worth special gifts for Mother’s Day

【小题2】You would like to send the gift of fitness to your mother because__________.

A．it is very expensive

B．it doesn’t cost you too much

C．it makes your mother healthy

D．you will be proud of it

【小题3】You want to keep healthy you should__________.

A．reduce stress and have a good sleep

B．try your best to get rid of depression

C．increase your energy and work longer

D．take an active part in physical activity

【小题4】According to this passage the gift of fitness will____________.

A．help moms to lose some more weight

B．encourage moms to do more exercise

C．keep moms having a healthy diet

D．make moms look even more beautiful

【小题5】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．This Mother’s Day, Give the gift of Fitness

B．Better Pay Attention to Your Mom’s Health

C．Mom Like to Accept the Gift of Fitness

D．Help Your Mom Keep a Good Shape

In all one’s lifetime it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with. But it is exactly oneself that one has the least understanding of.
When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself, mistaking difficulties for your own incompetence.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself is to gain a correct view of oneself-aware of both one’s strengths and shortages. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for ideals can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts. That’s to say so long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself there won’t be difficulties you can’t overcome.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself needs self-appreciation. Whether you think you are a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature that has its own value. If you earnestly admire yourself you’ll have a real sense of self-appreciation, which will give you confidence. As soon as you gain full confidence in yourself, you’ll be enabled to fight and overcome any adversity.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself also requires doing oneself a favor when it’s needed. In time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a gloomy mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep. As you are aware, what a person physically has is but a human body that’s vulnerable when exposed to the elements. So if you fall ill, it’s up to you to take a good care of yourself.
In a word, to get a thorough understanding of oneself is to get a full control of one’s life. Then one will find one’s life full of color and flavor.
【小题1】 What is described in Paragraph 2 is to show that           .

A．a person is easy to estimate himself too high when succeeding

B．it is difficult for one to have a perfect knowledge of oneself

C．you should keep up high spirits whatever difficulties you meet

D．it is essential that a person get a thorough understanding of himself

【小题2】 Remember not to expect too much of yourself when looking forward to the future because         .

A．your shortages might stop you succeeding

B．ideals can never be turned into realities

C．you are likely to lack enough courage

D．you haven’t understood yourself quite well

【小题3】Having a real sense of self-appreciation can enable one         .

A．to realize one’s shortages	B．not to be too proud
C．to gain enough self-confidence	D．not to go downhill

【小题4】If this passage is divided into three parts, the second part should consist of        .

A．Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3	B．Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 5
C．Paragraph 3 to Paragraph 5	D．Paragraph 4 and Paragraph 5