There is probably no field of human activity in which our values and lifestyles are shown more clearly and strongly than they are in theclothes that we choose to wear．The dress of an individual is a kind of “sign language” that communicates a set of information and is usually the basis on which immediate impressions are formed．Traditionally, a concern for clothes was considered to be an affair of females，while men took pride in the fact that they were completely lacking clothes consciousness．
This type of American culture is gradually changing as man’s dress takes on greater variety  and color．Even as early as 1955，a research in Michigan said that men considered that the value of clothing in daily life was very important．White—collar workers in particular viewed dress as a symbol of ability，which could be used to impress or influence others，especially in the work situation．The white-collar worker was described as extremely concerned about the impression his clothing made on his boss．Although blue-collar workers were less aware that they might be judged on the basis of their clothing，they recognized that any difference from the accepted pattern of  dress would be made fun of by fellow workers．
Since that time，of course，the patterns have changed，the typical white-collar worker may now be wearing the blue shirt，while the blue-collar may be wearing a white shirt，but the importance of dress has not become less. Other researchers in recent years have helped to prove its importance in the lives of individuals at various age levels and in different social and economic status groups.
【小题1】The passage tells us that       .

A．our values and lifestyles are in no field of human activity

B．the clothes that we choose to wear have something to do with our values and lifestyles

C．our values and lifestyles are from the sign language

D．the clothes we choose to wear depend on a set of information and immediate impression

【小题2】Traditionally，people usually thought that       .

A．men cared very much for clothes

B．neither men nor women showed interest in clothes

C．both men and women paid great attention to their clothes

D．women concerned greatly about what they wore while men didn’t

【小题3】White-collar workers pay great attention to their clothes because       ．

A．they extremely concern about the impression their clothes make on their bosses

B．they know that people might judge them on the basisof their clothes

C．they want to impress and influence others

D．they don’t want to be laughed at

【小题4】What does the underlined word“status”in the last paragraph mean？

A．雕塑

B．身份

C．状况

D．资格

I hated dinner parties. But I decided to give them another shot because I'm in London. And my friend Mallery invited me. And because dinner parties in London are very different from those back in New York. There, “I’m having a dinner party” means: "I'm booking a table for 12 at a restaurant you can't afford and we'll be sharing the checque evenly, no matter what you eat." Worse, in Manhattan there is always someone who leaves before the bill arrives. They'll throw down cash, half of what they owe, and then people like me, who don’t drink, end up paying even more. But if I try to use the same trick, the hostess will shout: "Where are you going?" And it's not like I can say I have somewhere to go: everyone know I have nowhere to go.
But in London, dinner parties are in people's homes. Not only that, the guests are an interesting mix. The last time I went to one, the guests were from France, India. Denmark and Nigeria; it was like a gathering at the United Nations in New York. The mix is less striking. It's like a gathering at Bloomingdale's, a well-known department store.
For New Yorkers, talking about other parts of the world means Brooklyn and Queens in New York. But at Mallery's, when I said that I had been to Myanmar recently, people knew where it was. In New York people would think it was a usual new club.
【小题1】What does the word "shot" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Choice.

B．Try

C．Style.

D．Goal

【小题2】What does the writer dislike most about dinner parties in New York?
A There is a strange mix of people.       B. The restaurants are expensive.
C. The bill is not fairly shared.        D. People have to pay cash
【小题3】What does the author think of the parties in London?

A．A bit unusual	B．Full of tricks.
C．Less costly.	D．More interesting.

【小题4】 What is the author's opinion of some New Yorkers from her experience？

A．Easy-going.

B．Self-centred.

C． Generous.

D．Conservative.

Dreaming is believing, claim researchers of a new study, who found that dreams have an effect on people’s behavior, judgment and they might contain important hidden truths as well.
“Psychologists’ interpretations (解释) of the meaning of dreams vary widely. But our findings show that people believe their dreams provide meaningful insight (见识) into themselves and their world,” said a lead author of the study Carey More wedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
In six different studies, researchers surveyed nearly 1,100 people about their dreams. One of the studies focused on general beliefs about dreams and involved 149 university students. All students were asked to rate different theories about dreams. The experts found that a surprising majority of the participants supported the theory about dreams revealing (揭示) the hidden truths about themselves and the rest of the world.
In a second experiment, they surveyed 182 people at a Boston train station, and asked them to imagine one out of four possible situations that could have occurred the night before a scheduled airline trip. Most of the participants said that dreaming of a plane crash would be more likely to affect their travel plans than would just thinking about a crash, or being warned by the government of a terrorism risk. They said a dreamed crash would influence their travel plans just as much as learning about a real crash on their planned route would.
Another experiment involved 270 men and women from across the United States. In a short online survey, they were asked to recall one of the dreams they had seen about any person they knew. The findings showed that people were more likely to remember and describe pleasant dreams about a person they liked, rather than a person they disliked. Meanwhile, in most cases they tended to consider an unpleasant dream as more meaningful if it was about a person they disliked.
“In other words,” said More wedge, “people attribute (归因于) meaning to dreams when it corresponds (与……一致) with their pre-existing beliefs and desires.” The researchers say that more investigation (研究) is needed to fully understand how people interpret their dreams. According to More wedge, most people realize that dreams are not predicting their future, but they still try to find some meaning in there.
【小题1】The purpose of the studies is to _______.

A．determine when people tend to remember their dreams

B．research whether dreams have anything to do with real life

C．find out how people interpret their dreams and what impact that has

D．understand what causes people to dream and how to interpret dreams

【小题2】According to the second experiment, what might influence people’s travel plans most?

A．Thinking about a past plane crash.

B．Dreaming about a plane crash.

C．Hearing a government’s warning of a terrorism risk.

D．Imagining a plane crashing on their planned route.

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

A．When a dream conflicts with people’s existing beliefs and desires, they tend to attribute less meaning to it.

B．Most people disagree that dreams help them better know themselves and the world.

C．A majority of people believes that dreams can predict their future and try to find their meaning.

D．Dreams can be a useful tool for learning and problem solving.

【小题4】Which kind of dream is seen as more meaningful than the rest?

A．A pleasant dream about a person the dreamer likes.

B．A pleasant dream about a person the dreamer dislikes

C．An unpleasant dream about a person the dreamer likes.

D．An unpleasant dream about a person the dreamer dislikes.

For a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st. At home, he asked his mom, “Am I more stupid than other kids? How come I always lag behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.” Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.
She was tempted (想要) to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would have so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.
Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.
Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鸥) are far less agile (灵活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.”
【小题1】 From the first paragraph, we could conclude the mother ______.

A．knew her son was not bright enough

B．saw the negative effects of the ranking system

C．decided to help with her son’s school work

D．was troubled by her son’s low rankings

【小题2】The mom was glad she didn’t give an answer at first because ______.

A．she knew her son would forget his rankings soon

B．she felt intelligence doesn’t mean everything

C．she knew he was not strong enough for the truth

D．she wanted to avoid another blow to her son’s self-respect

【小题3】The story conveys the message that ______.
a. only rankings show intelligence
b. hard work and confidence can lead to a change in rankings
c. parents should see children’s strengths and encourage them
d. competition between students is good for society

A．bc

B．cd

C．abc

D．bcd

【小题4】 Which of the following would be the best title for the story?

A．How important are rankings?

B．Little birds and seagulls

C．The answer Mom gave

D．Hard work pays off!

I have had just about enough of being treated like a second-class citizen, simply because I happen to be that unfairly treated member of society --- a customer. The more I go into shops and hotels, banks and post offices, railway stations, airports and the like, the more I am convinced the things are being run solely to suit the firm, the system, or the union. There seems to be a deceptive (欺骗的) new motto for so-called “service” organizations --- Staff Before Service.
　　 How often, for example, have you queued for what seems like hours at the Post Office or the supermarket because there were not enough staff on duty to man all the service grilles or checkout counters? Surely in these days of high unemployment it must be possible to hire cashiers and counter staff. Yet supermarkets, hinting darkly at higher prices, claim that uncovering all their cash registers at any one time would increase operating costs. And the Post Office says we cannot expect all their service grilles to be occupied “at times when demand is low”.
　　  It is the same with hotels. Because waiters and kitchen staff must finish when it suits them, dining rooms close earlier or menu choice is cut short. As for us guests, we just have to put up with it. There is also the nonsense of so many friendly hotel night porters having been thrown out of their jobs in the interests of “efficiency” and replaced by coin-eating machines which offer everything from lager to laxatives (从贮藏啤酒到通便剂). Not to mention the tea-making kit in your room: a kettle with a mixed collection of tea bags, plastic milk boxes and lump sugar. Who wants to wake up to a raw teabag? I do not, especially when I am paying for “service”.
　　Can it be stopped, this worsening of service, this growing attitude that the customer is always a bore? I angrily hope so because it is happening, sadly, in all walks of life.
　　Our only hope is to hammer home our anger whenever and wherever we can and, if all else fails, bring back into practice that other, older slogan --- Take Our Deal Elsewhere.
【小题1】The writer feels that nowadays customers __________.

A．deserve the lowest status in society

B．are unworthy of proper consideration

C．have received high quality service

D．have become victims of modern organizations

【小题2】The writer argues that the quality of service is changing because __________.

A．customers’ demands have greatly changed

B．the staff receive more consideration than customers

C．customers’ needs have become more complex

D．staff members are less considerate than their employers

【小题3】According to the writer, long queues at counters are caused by __________.

A．not having enough male staff on duty

B．difficulties in hiring more efficient staff

C．lack of cooperation between staff members

D．not providing enough staff on purpose to reduce budget

【小题4】The writer suggests that a customer __________.

A．be patient when queuing before checkout counters

B．put up with the rude manners of the staff

C．try to control his temper when ill-treated

D．go to other places where good service is available

I made a promise 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 passage from the Bible 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 the 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 medical 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】From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage __________.

A．with his family	B．with Evelyn
C．all by himself	D．with his children

【小题2】 During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because __________.

A．she looked lovely in her new clothes

B．he could afford time to care for her

C．he was willing to be a good husband

D．she was seriously ill

【小题3】The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?

A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her.

B．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated.

C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her.

D．He was so good to her that she thought she would be dying.

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

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

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

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

D．he is beginning to regret what he did to his wife before

Shay asked, “Do you think they’ll let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence.
Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, “We’re losing by six runs (分) and the game is in the eighth inning (局).I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the final inning.
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch (投) came and Shay missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The pitcher could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, “Shay, run to first! ” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked..
Everyone should, “Run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.
All were screaming，“Shay，Shay，Shay，all the way Shay.” Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, “Shay, run to third.” As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying, “Shay, run home！”Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who the who won the game for his team.
That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn’t make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day!
【小题1】Not expecting much, Shay’s father still asked the boy if Shay could play, mainly because the father _________.

A．noticed some of the boys on the field were tired

B．guessed his presence would affect the boy’s decision

C．learned some of the boys on the field knew Shay well

D．understood Shay did need a feeling of being accepted

【小题2】 In the bottom of the final inning Shay was given the bat because the boys _________.

A．believed they were sure to win the game	B．would like to help Shay enjoy the game
C．found Shay was so eager to be a winner	D．fell forced to give Shay another chance

【小题3】The smallest boy threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head, probably because that boy ________.

A．was obviously aware of the pitcher’s purpose

B．looked forward to winning the game for his team

C．failed to throw the ball to the second baseman

D．saw that Shay already reached second base

【小题4】Which of the following has nothing to do with Shay’s becoming the hero for his team?

A．The pitcher did not throw the ball to the first baseman.

B．The audience and the players from both teams cheered for him.

C．The opposing players failed to stop his running to home.

D．One of the opposing players ran to help him.

【小题5】What to you think is the theme of the story?

A．True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other.

B．Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled.

C．Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents.

D．The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players.

Every once in a while, it is necessary to take a step back in order to take a long, hard look at where we are in our lives. At this point, it is good to ask yourself a bunch of critical questions. Are you at the point in your career where you want to be ? Have you so far accomplished all of your goals in life ? If so, then maybe it is time to make goals that stretch yourself a bit more. If you have not accomplished your goals in life, then perhaps you have made the mistake of setting too many goals or trying to accomplish them at an unnaturally fast pace.
It is necessary to set reasonable, intelligent goals in order to succeed in life. Do not be unrealistic because life is not a fairy tale. But you should try to recognize what you want, and to be as specific as possible when attempting to visualize（形象化） or otherwise express what your goals in life are.
In order for a goal to sufficiently motivate you, it needs to be a major one. The bigger your goals are, then the more motivated you will need to be to work towards accomplishing them. If you want, for example, to be the greatest concert pianist, in the world, then you are going to find yourself a lot more motivated than you would be if your goal were merely to, say, play a couple of Beethoven pieces extremely well. If you are a beginner, then no doubt mastering those tough songs is a very intelligent and realistic goal to set. But if that is your only goal as a pianist, then you will stop growing as a pianist once that goal has been achieved. This is why it is necessary to constantly stop and re-evaluate our goals so that we are aware of what they are, and thus stay motivated.
【小题1】From the passage, if your goals have all been achieved, you should then ______.

A．ask yourself some serious questions

B．take a hard look at your success

C．set some other intelligent goals

D．stretch yourself to relax

【小题2】By saying “life is not a fairy tale”, the author suggests that you should ________ .

A．set as big a goal as possible

B．try hard to realize your dream

C．make your goals practical

D．abandon all your ambitions

【小题3】 To perform several Beethoven pieces well is a goal that _______.

A．is not suitable for the pianist

B．is appropriate for a beginner

C．stops you from growing as a pianist

D．is very easy to achieve

【小题4】What is the best title for the passage ?

A．Set Intelligent Goals for Yourself

B．Try to Accomplish Your Goals

C．Get Yourself More Motivated

D．Goals Help You to Succeed

On hearing the words “Just do it!”，you will know there is a Nike product nearby．If it’s “Always Coca-Cola”, you can be sure someone wants to sell you a refreshing drink．
An advertising slogan(广告标语)is to a brand what eyes are to a person．The slogan helps people understand the brand better by telling them what it wants to sell to its customers．Good slogans 1eave a message inside people’sminds．It’s almost certain that every brand has a popular slogan．
Here are a few examples：   
“Just do it!”一This slogan speaks out to teens．It tells them to do something，but only if they think it’s worth it．And if so，why not do it wearing Nike? “Always Coca-Cola．”一Coke’s slogans change every few years，but this one has enjoyed lasting popularity because it shows the brand’s spirit．It seems to say “coke is the only drink there is；there are no other forms of drinks．”   
“Share moments，share life．”——This slogan from Kodak connects photos and beauty．It asks people to remember the happy moments in life by taking photos of them—using Kodak film of course! 
【小题1】what would be the best title for the text?

A．Just Do It!

B．Slogan And Brand

C．Famous slogans

D．What Is A Good slogan?

【小题2】which of the following can best explain the underlined sentence ?(Para．2)  

A．A good advertising slogan should draw people’s attention．

B．A brand should have an advertising slogan just as people have eyes．

C．An advertising slogan is as important to a brand as eyes are to a person．

D．An advertising slogan acts as the eyes of a brand

【小题3】The word “them’’ in the last paragraph refers to

A．people	B．the happy moments
C．photos and beauty	D．Kodak film

Can we turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed”? Is there power in positive thinking?
Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply emphasize how unhappy they are．
The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by referring to older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better．If you tell your friend that he may be an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults．In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write passages opposing funding for the disabled．When they were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written．
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem（自尊）．The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes．Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell．When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable．”
Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the experiment．In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts．
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy（心理治疗） that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them．In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse．Meditation（静思） techniques, on the contrary, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a large, more realistic perspective（视野）．Call it the power of negative thinking．
【小题1】The Canadian researchers find that _____．

A．encouraging positive thinking may do more harm than good

B．there can be no simple cure for psychological problems

C．unhappy people cannot think positively

D．the power of positive thinking is limited

【小题2】What does the author mean by “… you’re just underlining his faults”（Line4, Para3）?

A．You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough．

B．You are pointing out the mistakes he has made．

C．You are emphasizing the fact that he is not clever．

D．You are trying to make him feel better about his faults．

【小题3】What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?

A．It is important for people to continually improve their self-esteem．

B．Thinking positively can bring a positive change to one’s mood．

C．People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings．

D．Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem．

【小题4】What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person．

B．Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy．

C．Different people tend to have different ways of thinking．

D．People can avoid making mistakes through meditation．