Do you have a dream, something you always see yourself doing? Perhaps you see yourself as a lawyer, businessman, or even a scientist. Whatever it is, don’t let it die.
A dream is a wonderful thing. It can give you hope for your future and encourage you to try when all odds are against you.
However, there are dream killers that want to kill your dream. They may tell you that it is impossible for you, that you are not smart enough or that it’s never been done before. However, many times the biggest dream killer is yourself.
Don’t let fear, doubt or lack of finances prevent you from fulfilling（实现） your dream. Talk back to these killers, “I can and fulfill my dream.” You may have to do this every day. The more often you talk to your heart that you can do it, the more safely your dream will be held within you.
It is very important to take steps towards fulfilling your dream. For me, in order to fulfill my dream of one-day owning my own magazine, I needed to go back to school and finish my college degree. For you, it may be something different. You know deep inside what the voice of your dream calls for. Don’t be afraid and just do it. Try not to let too much time go by. Time is another one of those dream killers.
Think about the words of a song by Yolanda Adams, “Keep the dream alive. Don’t let it die. If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don’t stop. And never give up. Don’t ever give up on you. Sometimes, life can place a stumbling block in your way. But you have to keep the faith.”
When you dream, dream big and never give up. Your dream is just yours. Never let anyone tell you that your dream can’t happen -- it can! Keep seeing yourself do what’s never been done before. As you continue to feed your dream and protect it, not only will you keep it alive, but it will come true.
【小题1】What does the underlined words “all odds are against you” in Parragraph 2 mean?

A．You are in hopeless situation.

B．You find everything seems strange.

C．You are not feeling quite well.

D．You have all your friends against you.

【小题2】What did the author dream of doing?

A．Getting his own book published	B．Owing a colledge degree
C．Becoming a writer	D．Publishing his own magazine

【小题3】 What do we learn from Paragraph 5?

A．It takes money to fulfill our dream.

B．The first step is to know our dream.

C．It is important for us to take action.

D．We should not listen to the call of our heart.

【小题4】 The words of Yolanda Adams’song are mentioned in the text     .

A．to support his main point

B．to make his writing interesting

C．to show they share the same view

D．to mean Yolanda Adams is popular

I moved to this area seven years ago. For years I have had noisy neighbours. Ever since I moved into this flat, I’ve had to put up with noise during the night. I decided I’d had enough and I’ve been looking for a new flat since the beginning of the year. I haven’t found anything till now. Every week I go to the estate agent’s（当地房地产代理人的）office, but it’s the same story. “I might have something by the end of the week” he says, or, “Wait till next week. I think I might have a few flats by then.” I’ve seen a few flats during my search, but I don’t like any of them. One flat I saw has been empty for two years. “It’s got a busy road on one side and a railway on the other!” I said loudly, “I want peace and quiet.” Last week I visited the agent again. “I won’t leave till you show me something,” I said. “I’ve got just the flat for you.” I went to see it and I was frightened. “But it’s next to a cemetery!” I cried. “But you won’t have noisy neighbours,” my agent said. “It’s exactly right for peace and quiet!”
【小题1】The writer has had to bear the noise in this area for             years.

A．about seven

B．six

C．nine

D．four

【小题2】The writer decided to move away because            .

A．he had been looking for a new flat	B．his neighbours were not friendly
C．he could no longer stand the noise	D．he wanted to sell his old flat

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The writer would like a quiet place to live in.

B．The agent didn’t want to help the writer at all.

C．The writer has seen several flats already.

D．It seemed rather difficult to rind a fight flat.

【小题4】The main idea of the passage is         .

A．how the agent tried to help the writer find a flat

B．why the writer was satisfied with the agent’s service

C．how difficult it was to find a new flat

D．you can depend on the estate agents for a nice flat

My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the worst time in my life. I even wanted to kill myself. Just for my kids, I had to continue to live and work as a small town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. Then they asked me to have a family trip.
On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids：“ I'm going to Afghanistan.”And a few weeks later, International Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs ，we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule.Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away.
In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami (海啸), Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil war, and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees,_and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “Adventure or not？”I often asked myself.
When my wife passed away, I thought my life was gone. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have.
I thought about the moment many times during my“adventures”. I didn't know how predictive those words would be，but I knew that she was still with me.
【小题1】Where has the doctor been in the past few years?

A．Some countries where he could set up clinics.

B．Some African countries where flu broke out.

C．The places where the earthquakes happened.

D．The places that the horrible disasters struck.

【小题2】How would the doctor describe his life after he had worked in Afghanistan?

A．Tired and troublesome.	B．Busy and risky.
C．Meaningful and helpful.	D．Frightening and depressing.

【小题3】The underlined word“ refugees” means people________.

A．who are robbed, killed, or wounded	B．who suffer from flu in movable clinics
C．who like to take adventures	D．who have lost homes because of disasters

【小题4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The doctor's wife encouraged him to work in foreign countries.

B．What the doctor said to his wife before her death became reality.

C．The doctor's adventures made him understand the love of his wife.

D．With the true love of his wife, the doctor started to change his life.

It was early morning. Peter Corbett helped Mark Wellman out of his wheelchair and onto the ground. They stood before El Capitan, a huge mass of rock almost three-quarters of a mile high in California’s beautiful Yosemite Valley. It had been Mark’s dream to climb El Capitan for as long as he could remember. But how could a person without the use of his legs hope to try to climb it?
Mark knew he couldn’t finish the climb alone, but his friend Peter, an expert rock climber, would be there to lend a helping hand. He and Mark thought that it would take seven days to reach the top.
Peter climbed about 100 feet up and hammered a piton(岩钉) into the rock. Fastening one end of a 165-foot rope to the piton, he let one end of the rope fall down. Mark caught the rope and fastened it to his belt with a special instrument. This instrument would allow Mark to move upward, but would prevent him from falling even as much as a single inch. He next reached above his head and fastened a T-shaped bar to the rope, using the same kind of instrument.
Mark took a deep breath, pushed the T-bar up almost as far as his arms could reach, and began the first of the 7, 000 pull-ups needed to reach the top. High above, Peter let out a cheer. “You’re on your way.”
Seven years before, at the age of twenty-one, Mark had fallen while mountain climbing, injuring his backbone. The fall cost him the use of his legs, but he never lost his love of adventure or his joyful spirit.
For the first four days the two men progressed steadily upward without incident. But on the fifth day an unbearably hot wind began to blow, and as time went by, it became stronger and stronger, causing Mark to sway(摇摆) violently on his rope. But Mark kept on determinedly pushing up the T-bar and pulling himself up. In spite of that, he had to admit that he felt a lot better when the wind finally died down and his body touched solid rock again.
It took them one day more than they had expected, but on July 26 at 1:45 in the afternoon, the crowd of people waiting on the top went wild with joy as the two heads appeared. Mark Wellman had shown that if you set your heart and mind on a goal, no wall is too high, no dream impossible.
【小题1】What had Mark Wellman long desired to do?

A．To finish one of the most difficult rock climbs in the world.

B．To be the first to climb El Capitan.

C．To climb the highest mountain in California.

D．To help his friend Peter climb El Capitan.

【小题2】How did Mark climb the mountain?

A．He fastened the rope to his wheelchair.

B．He hammered in pitons so that he had something to hold on to.

C．He held on to the T-bar and Peter pulled him up.

D．He pulled himself up using a T-bar and special equipment.

【小题3】 How did Mark lose the use of his legs?

A．He lost his footing and fell from the side of a mountain.

B．He fell during his first attempt on El Capitan.

C．His legs were broken by falling rocks.

D．While working out in the gym, he injured his backbone.

【小题4】What was the worst problem Mark had during the climb?

A．He struck against the rock and hurt his arms.

B．A strong wind blew him away from the rock.

C．He kept falling several inches.

D．While swaying in space, he became terrified.

【小题5】How did Mark react to difficulties during the climb?

A．He admitted that he was frightened.

B．He often worried about his friend’s condition.

C．He was able to remain clam and determined.

D．He was joking to cheer himself up.

Women who want to succeed at work should resist the temptation to act like men, scientists have said. Studies show that ambitious women are often less likely to get ahead than those who show more female characteristics. However, if they try to adapt, promotion comes their way. The findings, which will let assertive (过分自信的) women down, suggest that the best way for a woman to succeed in a man’s world is to act like a lady.
Past research has shown that women with self-confidence and other characteristics linked with successful management can be put aside at work in favor of gentle types. It is thought that while such characteristics are highly praised in men, ambitious women are penalized for not being feminine enough. Instead of being seen as strong managers, ambitious women are in an unfavorable situation.
In one US study, researchers explored personal details from university students applying for a summer job at a bank. A women applicant who attempted to apply for special wages to pay her transport or living costs was three and a half times less likely to get a job offer than a similar male. In fact, this kind of woman was the least likely to get taken on.
The latest study set out to explore what women who are naturally assertive could do to get ahead in the workplace. Eighty young men and women completed surveys about their personality while studying in college. Around eight years later, the researchers got back in touch with them to find out how their careers were going. Some had been promoted five times, others just once or twice. The results showed that ambitious women who stick to their decisions had been promoted less than more feminine groups. But the ambitious women who made a conscious effort to not appear to be threatening by “self-controlling” their behavior had done better than those who had carried on ignoring others’ views.
【小题1】 What does the underlined word “penalized” mean in the second paragraph?

A．Treated badly	B．Asked to leave
C．Looked down upon	D．Made sb. have a disadvantage

【小题2】According to the passage, if an ambitious woman and a similar man both ask the company for an extra payment, ______.

A．the woman is less likely to be accepted

B．the woman will work harder if she gets the payment

C．the man can make a good impression on the boss

D．they can be both accepted if they use proper words

【小题3】The ambitious women in the latest study ______.

A．had been promoted only once or twice

B．tried hard to be as successful as gentle types

C．were more accepted at work after they controlled their behavior

D．filled in the surveys after they graduated from college

【小题4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Successful management is highly praised in women.

B．Some women will be disappointed by the massage.

C．Men acting like a lady are likely to be promoted at work.

D．The latest study was aimed at how to become a successful boss.

【小题5】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．How assertive women can control their behavior.

B．Feminists can do better by controlling their behavior.

C．Acting like a man won’t get women promoted at work.

D．How the ambitious women can avoid acting like men.

There is one thing that everyone wants more than anything else .Some people try to get it by making money .They think that when they have enough money to buy such things as houses ,arms ,and cars ,they will have the one thing that everyone wants .
Other people believe that if they know enough, they will find this thing .They study all their lives in search of it .Still others think that if they have power, they will find this thing .They keep telling themselves: When I am a boss, I will no longer have to search for this thing.
What is it that everyone wants more than anything else? What is it that all of us keep working and searching for each day? It is happiness.
Happiness is a strange thing .It does not mean the same to all men .What will make one man happy may not make another man happy .Some men say that happiness comes from helping others ,other men say that happiness comes from making life more pleasant for everyone .What do you mean when you say“That makes me happy.”
Read what different people have said about happiness .Perhaps you will learn something that will bring you peace of mind ,comfort ,money or may bring you what you search for happiness.
【小题1】The main idea of this passage is that          

A．happiness means the same to everyone

B．happiness is the thing that everyone wants to get

C．money makes one happy, so does helping others

D．not all people are searching for happiness

【小题2】The first sentence in the second paragraph means          

A．other people think if they know a lot they will be able to get enough money and that will make them happy

B．other people think it true that knowledge will bring them enough money

C．other people hold the opinion that the less they know, the happier they are

D．other people hold the opinion that if they become knowledgeable enough they will feel happy

【小题3】“What will make one man happy may not make another man happy ”this sentence means
        

A．when one man feels happy, another man will feel sad

B．when one man feels happy, another man will feel happy, too

C．different people hold different opinions about happiness

D．different people have the same opinion about happiness

【小题4】Which of the following is NOT true according to this passage?

A．Anyone who owns lots of money will feel happy

B．Not all the people in the world would help others

C．What makes one happy may make another sad

D．All the people in the world work and search for happiness.

Over the last 70 years．researchers have been studying happy and Unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference．Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes．However of all the factors，wealth and age are the top two．
Money can buy a degree of happiness．But once you can afford to feed，clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference．
Researchers find that，on average，wealthier people are happier．But the link between money and happiness is complex．In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries，yet happiness levels have remained almost the same．Once your basic needs are met，money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends，neighbors and colleagues．
“Dollars buy Status(社会地位)，and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts，which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors，for example-may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs．
In a research，Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires-not just for money，but for friends，family, job，health-rose furthest beyond what they already had，tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap(差距)．Indeed，the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone．“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income，”says Michalos．
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age．Old age may not be so bad．“Given all the problems of aging，how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen．
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it，or they're more realistic about their goals，only setting ones that they know they can achieve．But Carstensen thinks that with time running out，older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't．
“People realize not only what they have，but also that what they have cannot-last forever,” she says．“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85，for example，may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”
【小题1】According to the passage，the feeling of happiness _________.   

A．has little to do with wealth	B．increases gradually with age
C．is measured by desires	D．is determined partly by genes

【小题2】Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs _________.

A．make them feel much better	B．provide chances to make friends
C．improve their social position	D．satisfy their professional interests

【小题3】Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more _________.   

A．optimistic

B．practical

C．successful

D．emotional

【小题4】Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if __________.

A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger

B．they have a stronger desire for friendship

C．their income is below their expectation

D．the hope for good health is greater

Being a winner
【小题1】          Everyone wants to succeed in their career or life. Sometimes it is easy to get carried away with the eagerness to win and forget about the things in everyday life which are important.【小题2】          Education is the tool to succeeding in life and a person’s greatest accomplishments(成就) start with good education. School will prepare you for your toughest challenges and learning as much as you can will only make those challenges easier to face.
【小题3】       Families are quite often a person’s biggest asset(财产) when facing a difficult obstacle(障碍). Support from a person’s family can help him or her accomplish anything. It is equally important for you to give your parents and family support when they face their challenges. You can learn from the challenges and accomplishments of others and at the same time know that your support made a difference in the outcome of a difficult obstacle. 
【小题4】       But always remember that being a winner is more than coming in first place in a tournament(锦标赛). The most important accomplishments are those that occur in everyday life. 【小题5】       

A．Being a winner is important to all of us.

B．Your efforts will pay off sooner or later.

C．Children need to work hard to be a winner in school.

D．Being a winner is something that we all work hard for in life.

E. It is also important to be a winner to your parents and family.
F. It is important to know how to win support from your family or friends
G. Being a good person and treating others with respect make you a true winner.

“Little lies” sometimes come to easily to us that we don’t even consider them to be lies. Read about these lies of everyday life:
1.  Lying about your age or your kid’s age to get a cheaper ticket.
2.  Telling the host of a dinner party that the terrible food he prepared is wonderful.
3.  Lying to your aunt about how much you love the gift she gave you---the one that you really hate.
4.  Telling a friend with a terrible haircut that she looks great.
5.  Lying to a friend about how much you want to see her again when you really don’t
6.Telling the salesperson who calls when you’re watching TV that you’re very busy.
Are these serious lies? Probably not, but if you would lie about your age to a stranger, what’s going to stop you from lying about something more serious later? If we tell a lie or act dishonestly and get what we want, that might make us feel good today. But what about tomorrow? The future results of our lies are uncertain.
Still, no one is saying that everyone can or should be completely honest all the time. More people lie, often for a good reason. Lies are told all the time and are part of our everyday social life. Many times people lie to protect the feelings of other people, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Honesty is usually the best policy, but like any other policy, you have to make exceptions. 
【小题1】The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his argument by___________.

A．making suggestions.	B．explaining reasons and results.
C．providing examples and facts.	D．discussing questions.

【小题2】The author’s attitude towards little lies is that_________.

A．he feels very fond of them.	B．he feels they are necessary sometimes.
C．he feels strongly against telling little lies.	D．he feels ashamed of telling little lies.

【小题3】According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Some people are born liars.	B．People often lie to avoid hurting others.
C．Some people can be honest all the time.	D．Little lies are not serious things.

Mark was walking home from school one day when he saw the boy in front of him fall over and drop all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a basketball and a walkman（随身听）. Mark stopped and helped the boy pick up these things. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of his things. As they walked, Mark knew that the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved computer games, basketball and history, and that he was having lots of troubles with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed happily with a few laughs and some small talk, and then Mark went home. They often saw each other at school, had lunch together once or twice, and then they both finished middle school. They ended up in the same high school where they sometimes saw and talked with each other over the years. At last just three weeks before they finished high school, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill asked Mark if he still remembered the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever think why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker(锁柜) because I didn’t want to leave anything for anyone else. I had put away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to kill myself. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I began to understand that if I killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”
【小题1】When Mark met him the first time, Bill was going _______.

A．to have a basketball game	B．to his classroom
C．to see Mark	D．back home

【小题2】 From what Bill was carrying, we can know that he _______.

A．was a good student	B．liked sports and music
C．liked all the subjects in school	D．was a good friend

【小题3】Mark and Bill _______.

A．were in the same middle school and high school

B．were in the same middle school but not in the same high school

C．often had lunch together at school

D．had known each other before they began to study in middle school

【小题4】In this passage, the phrase “break up” means _______.

A．相处很好

B．和好如初

C．关系破裂

D．保持联系

【小题5】When Mark helped Bill to pick up some of his things, he _______.

A．knew he could save Bill’s life

B．knew who Bill was and wanted to help him

C．didn’t know why he was going to help him

D．didn’t know what he was doing was very important to Bill