My boss’s daughter was studying in the Philippines. He asked me if my husband and I could take care of her. He thought his daughter would be able to improve her English communication skills in this way.
After days of thinking, we agreed. He then brought her here and left after 3 days. I thought that my boss’s daughter was well-mannered, but that was wrong.
After a month of staying in the Philippines, she started to show her true colors. When my husband asked her what she wanted for breakfast, she answered him in a rude way. From then on, we experienced fights at home. There was a time when we didn’t talk to her for a week as a punishment of not being good to us. What I hated most was that she didn’t care about other people’s feelings. She ate ahead of us when we were still working and didn’t leave anything for us. So we had to separate her food from ours to avoid such a problem.
The worst thing about her was that she shouted at us. I was wondering if she did this to her parents. We told this to her parents, but unfortunately I didn’t think that solved the problem. This situation lasted for almost 8 months. Our patience was tested during that time.
We tried to teach her everything we could to make her a better person, but I guess 8 months may not to be enough. We even tried to understand her and adjust for her, but it didn’t work. I just hope that she learned something from us and from other Filipinos.
【小题1】This passage is mainly about the writer’s experience of              .

A．trying to please her boss

B．changing a girl’s bad behavior

C．improving her communication skills

D．dealing with a teenage girl staying in her house

【小题2】Why did the boss want his daughter to stay with the writer ?

A．Because he was too busy to take care of his daughter

B．Because he wanted his daughter to take a holiday there

C．Because he wanted his daughter to improve her English in this way

D．Because he wanted the writer to teach his daughter good manners .

【小题3】What do the examples in paragraph 3 tell us ?

A．The daughter wasn’t behaving well.

B．The writer and her husband were careless.

C．The writer and her husband hated children.

D．The daughter tried her best to make others happy.

【小题4】The underlined word “that” in paragraph 4 refers to               .

A．being patient with her

B．her parents punishing her

C．asking her parents about her

D．telling her parents about her behavior

【小题5】After reading the passage , we learn that               .

A．the writer had known the daughter was hard to deal with

B．the daughter learnt to behave well in the end

C．the writer didn’t enjoy the daughter’s stay

D．the daughter hated dealing with others

I was the youngest of five boys and also had four sisters who had to pull together and take care of each other. Dad wasn't around, so I never knew him well. He killed himself when I was three years old, leaving mom with the job of raising nine kids. She was a very hard worker, and in order to make ends meet, she hardly ever rested. With my mom as my example, I learned that hard work is the best way to get what you want.
Even as a little boy, I knew I was going to be successful. Regardless of what I chose, I wanted to make my brothers, sisters and mom proud of me—not only by being successful in what I chose to do, but also as a person who could be looked up to for the right reasons.
Surprising as it might seem, basketball wasn't in my plans. One day, my mom cut a rim(边缘) off an old water barrel(水桶) and then held it up for me to throw an old rubber ball through. By junior high, I started playing basketball on a team. I loved to compete. For me, it paid off. I always put the effort in, every day.
I am grateful for the life I've enjoyed as a basketball star. Basketball is not life. It can be exciting. But the most important thing about basketball is that it gives me a way to do good things for others as I move through this journey called life.
【小题1】It can be inferred that the author's________.

A．brothers were more famous than him

B．mother had a great influence on his career

C．father loved his children and wife very much

D．family was rich and happy when he was a child

【小题2】Why did the author's father kill himself?

A．Because the family was poor.

B．Because he often quarreled with his wife.

C．Because he was seriously ill.

D．The passage didn't tell us the reason.

【小题3】From the second paragraph, we can infer that________.

A．the author was respected as a brave boy

B．the author's family didn't like his career

C．the author got on well with his mother, brothers and sisters

D．the author helped his brothers and sisters succeed

【小题4】What does the author get from basketball?

A．How to do good things for others.

B．Life is as hard as playing basketball.

C．Cooperation with others is important.

D．Two heads are wiser than one.

I still remember my first day at school in London and I was half-excited and half-frightened. On my way to school I wondered what sort of questions the other boys would ask me and practiced all the answers: “I am nine years old. I was born here but I haven’t lived here since I was two. I was living in Farley. It’s about thirty miles away. I came back to London two months ago.” I also wondered if it was the custom for boys to fight strangers like me, but I was tall for my age. I hoped they would decide not to risk it.
No one took any notice of me before school. I stood in the center of the playground, expecting someone to say “hello”, but no one spoke to me. When a teacher called my name and told me where my classroom was, one or two boys looked at me but that was all.
My teacher was called Mr. Jones. There were 42 boys in the class, so I didn’t stand out there, either, until the first lesson of the afternoon. Mr. Jones was very fond of Charles Dickens and he had decided to read aloud to us from David Copperfield, but first he asked several boys if they knew Dickens’ birthplace, but no one guessed right. A boy called Brian, the biggest in the class, said: “Timbuktu”, and Mr. Jones went red in the face. Then he asked me. I said: “Portsmouth”, and everyone stared at me because Mr. Jones said I was right. This didn’t make me very popular, of course.
“He thinks he’s clever,” I heard Brian say.
After that, we went out to the playground to play football. I was in Brian’s team, and he obviously had Dickens in mind because he told me to go in goal. No one ever wanted to be the goalkeeper.
“He’s big enough and useless enough.” Brian said when someone asked him why he had chosen me.
I suppose Mr. Jones, who served as the judge, remembered Dickens, too, because when the game was nearly over, Brian pushed one of the players on the other team, and he gave them a penalty (惩罚). As the boy kicked the ball to my right, I threw myself down instinctively (本能地) and saved it. All my team crowded round me. My bare knees were injured and bleeding. Brian took out a handkerchief and offered it to me.
“Do you want to join my gang (帮派)?” he said.
At the end of the day, I was no longer a stranger.
【小题1】The writer prepared to answer all of the following questions EXCEPT “          ”.

A．How old are you?

B．Where are you from?

C．Do you want to join my gang?

D．When did you come back to London?

【小题2】We can learn from the passage that           .

A．boys were usually unfriendly to new students

B．the writer was not greeted as he expected

C．Brian praised the writer for his cleverness

D．the writer was glad to be a goalkeeper

【小题3】The underlined part “I didn’t stand out” in paragraph 3 means that the writer was not       .

A．noticeable

B．welcome

C．important

D．foolish

【小题4】The writer was offered a handkerchief because          .

A．he threw himself down and saved the goal

B．he pushed a player on the other team

C．he was beginning to be accepted

D．he was no longer a newcomer

If you’re finding it tough to land a job, try expanding your job-hunting plan to include the following:
Set your target.
While you should always keep your options open to changing your mind , you should also be sure to target exactly what you want in a job. A job-hunt with a clear target will surely help you achieve better results than an aimless one.
Schedule plenty of interviews.
Use every possible method to get interviews-answering ads, using search firms , getting in touch with companies directly , surfing the Web, and networking(向同行请教 ). Even if a job is not perfect for you, every interview can become one of your positive experiences.
Follow up
Even if someone does not hire you ,write them a thank –you note for the interview. Then, some weeks later, send another brief  letter to explain that you still have not found the perfect position and that you will be available to interview again if the original position you applied for—or any other position , for that matter –is open. Do this with every position you interview for, and you may just catch a break!
Make it your full-time job
You can’t find a job by looking sporadically( 断续地) . You have to make time for it. If you’re unemployed and looking , devote as much time as you would to a full –time job. If you have a job while you’re looking, figure out an organized schedule to maximize your searching time.
Network vertically(纵向地 )
In the search stage of your job hunt , talk to people who are on a level above you in your desired industry. They’ll have an accurate and deep understanding that people at your level won’t have , and will be in a good position to hire you or recommend you to be hired .
Keep your spirits up
Looking for a job is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do, keep up your confidence , continue your efforts, and think positively, and eventually you will get a job you want.
【小题1】From the passage , it can be learned that to get a job , one should absolutely avoid___.

A．having as many interviews as possible

B．looking without a clear target

C．applying for the same position a second time

D．changing his goal set previously

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．It will be of great help for you to seek advice from experienced job hunters

B．There can’t be too much time for you to hunt for a job if you are out of work

C．There is no point having the interview unless a job is perfect for you.

D．There is no need for you to write letters to the company that refused you

【小题3】According to the passage , it can better help job hunters get hired by ______.

A．consulting higher level people in their desired industries in advance

B．working out a well organized timetable for their job interviews

C．recommending themselves to the company they desire to work for

D．taking a positive attitude toward their future job–hunt success

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

A．Procedures in Searching for a job

B．Advice for Successful Job Hunters

C．Tricks for Job-hunt Success

D．Guidance from Successful Job Hunters

My friend Jim and I finally decided to spend our 14 days off in the eastern country.We were arranged to stay with a local family, which made it possible for us to share a real life experience with the locals and in return bring ourselves a richer experience of the native culture and tradition.
In the company of one of our well-informed local tour leaders, we started one of the trips to the nearby town . As we were passing elephants, we stopped , confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by a small rope tied to their front legs . No chains, no cages. It was obvious that these elephants could, at any time, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not . My friend went up to the trainer and asked why these beautiful animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,”he said , “When they were young and much smaller we used the same size rope to tie them and at that age, it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are accustomed to believing that they can not break away. They believe that the rope can hold them, so they never try to break free. We were amazed . These animals could at any time break away from their ropes but just because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we can not do something , simply because we failed at it once before ? How many of us are being held by outdated belief that no longer serves us ? How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limited belief? Worse still , how many of us are being held back by someone else’s limiting beliefs? Your attempt may fail but never fail to make an attempt.
【小题1】What was the author most interested in during his visit?

A．The local people and elephants

B．The local culture and tradition

C．The history of the eastern country

D．The local food and scenery

【小题2】What amazed them was to see__________.

A．the trainer playing skillfully with the huge animals

B．the trainer attracting the visitors’s attention in such a way

C．the huge elephants tied only by a small rope

D．the elephants being trained with small ropes

【小题3】The elephants never tried to get away because_______.

A．they believed they couldn’t break away from the small ropes

B．they got used to being raised and controlled by human beings

C．they had a very close relationship with their trainers

D．it was hard to break away from the strong and powerful ropes

【小题4】The author holds the view that _______.

A．people should never fail to make an attempt or get held by false beliefs

B．people should travel around and try new things

C．animals should be trained to obey their masters

D．it’s necessary to train creatures when they are young

It was Monday. Mrs. Smith's dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house.
　　Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it：“Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently：“Take this to the butcher（* person whose job is selling meat）and he's going to give you your lunch today.”
　　Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
　　At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
　　The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers（*people who buy sth. from a shop）.
　　But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He  said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it！
【小题1】Mrs. Smith treated her little dog quite____.

A．cruelly

B．fairly

C．kindly

D．friendly

【小题2】It seemed that the dog knew well that the paper Mrs. Smith gave it ______ .

A．might do it much harm	B．could do it much good
C．would help the butcher	D．was worth many pounds

【小题3】The butcher did not give any meat to the dog __________ .

A．before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith

B．when he found that the words on the paper were not clear

C．because he had sold out all the meat in his shop

D．until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith

【小题4】From its experience, the dog found that ________.

A．only the paper with Mrs. Smith's words in it could bring it meat

B．the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it

C．Mrs. Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher

D．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat

【小题5】At the end of the story, you'll find that _______.

A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper

B．the dog dared not go to the butcher's any more

C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog

D．the butcher found himself cheated by the clever animal

How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
【小题1】How did the author get to know America?

A． From her relatives.	B． From her mother.
C． From books and pictures.	D． From radio programs.

【小题2】Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.

A．confused

B．excited

C．worried

D．amazed

【小题3】For the first two years in New York, the author _________.

A．often lost her way

B．did not think about her future

C．studied in three different schools

D．got on well with her stepfather

【小题4】What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

A．She worked as a translator.

B．She attended a lot of job interviews.

C．She paid telephone bills for her family.

D．She helped her family with her English.

【小题5】The author believes that______.

A．her future will be free from troubles

B．it is difficult to learn to become patient

C．there are more good things than bad things

D．good things will happen if one keeps trying

Outside our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a seemingly ancient woman waited beside the door with her hand outstretched. Every day I put my hand in hers as our eyes met. She never failed to return my smile, my grasp, and my greeting.
On the last day of our visit, I found myself alone on a busy corner across the street from our hotel. Bicycles and motorbikes rushed in front of me. As I hesitated on the sidewalk, I felt a hand on my elbow and looked down to see the smile of my small beggar friend looking up at me. She nodded her head toward the street, indicating that she would take me across. Together, we moved slowly into the chaos.
Then we moved on toward the sidewalk, where she pulled my face down to hers, kissed me on both cheeks, and then left, still smiling and waving back to me.
Traveling in poorer nations, I have witnessed a variety of ways to deal with beggars. The most common response of tourists faced with the poverty-stricken is to ignore them and focus their eyes elsewhere. I have seen people push away an outstretched hand in angry annoyance. A few may drop a few coins into the hand in a hurry, hoping that other ragged pursuers won’t immediately appear on the scene.
For many reasons, giving money is not the best response to an outstretched hand. Many world travelers have discovered that the greatest gift they can give is their time and respect. Everyone needs recognition, to be seen as worthy of being known, to feel appreciated and loved. And I believe that everyone is worthy and worth knowing.
【小题1】The woman beggars helped the author go across the busy street because __________.

A．the author gave her material assistance

B．the author treated her kindly and friendly

C．the author would help her as a reward

D．the author was a foreigner

【小题2】From the story, what position of the beggars in the author’s mind might be?

A．equal

B．superior

C．lower

D．valuable

【小题3】In common cases, people will do the following things to the beggars EXCEPT for ________.

A．pretending to see nothing

B．handing out some money

C．refusing them angrily

D．greeting them normally

【小题4】According to the author, the most important things beggars really need are _________.

A．mercy and pity	B．money and food
C．smile and greeting	D．attention and respect

【小题5】The purpose of the passage is to _________.

A．show how poor the beggars are in Vietnam

B．offer some advice on dealing with begging

C．express what we should offer the beggars

D．describe an experience with a beggar

Abuse can be defined as “to treat wrongfully or harmfully”. There are different categories of abuse that have been recognized and within our case study there appear to be two distinct forms of abuse, family abuse and child abuse. These can be subdivided into terms of physical abuse and psychological abuse. Physical abuse is the intentional physical injury or harm or deliberately not preventing harm occurring. The minimum physical signs seen in our study of James are bruises but they might feel more painful to his heart than the more serious invisible injuries. Emotional abuse is the continual failure to meet basic emotional needs. Emotional development is prevented and well-being harmed. The emotional signs in our case study can be seen in James by his actions of being withdrawn and non-communicative. The behavioural sign to abuse taking place to James is his aggressive behaviour.
The short term effect of physical abuse on James is physical pain. In the long term, injuries that often happen can result in secondary illness and complications, permanent scars or even disabilities. His emotional effects in the short term are a fear of people, withdrawal, and poor relationship with others. The long term emotional effects could be low self-respect, depression, inability to form relationships.
Abuse can arise for many reasons and there are a number of theoretical views which may be useful in clarifying why the abuse has taken place. The female view believes that sex and family roles give approval to a culture of abuse. Considering the historical and fixed ideas, men have power and control. In James’ case he lives in a re-constructed family with the father being rude and a heavy drinker. From a psychological angle, alcohol misuse can bring mental health problems which may increase aggression in the person and so James is more at risk from abuse by his stepfather. The relationship between the mother and James involves a dependency of James on his mother. With other problems in James’ mother’s life, this leads to increasing stress and the inability of his mother to cope with and manage a family with four children borne by two mothers. The attachment theory states that significant separations of a child from the carer in the early years can have an effect on their emotional development and can lead to psychological and social difficulties in later life. The loss of both his father and his half sister’s father with whom he lives may have contributed to his behaviour.
Abusive behaviour can sometimes be the result of mental health problems, brain damage or being abused themselves. By becoming the abuser they believe they are taking control; some even believe that they are not doing anything wrong and cannot stop themselves. When working with individuals who have abused, it is important to be aware that they may go on to abuse again and there is a need to protect the community from the abuser.
【小题1】Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “bruises” in Paragraph 1?

A．Slight injury

B．Deep Cut

C．Body disability

D．Inner wound

【小题2】According to the writer’s case study, which of the following cases can be defined as abuse?

A．A father scolds his son because he doesn’t pass the exam in school.

B．A car knocks down a woman but the driver doesn’t take her to hospital.

C．A father never talks to his daughter and shows no interest in what she does.

D．A husband is angry with his wife when she stays out late into the night.

【小题3】From the passage we can infer that ______________.

A．James’ step father doesn’t show any concern for his mother

B．James’ mother gave birth to a girl in the re-constructed family

C．James’ stepfather is rude to all the children in the family

D．James’ mother loves her husband more than her own son

【小题4】Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage? zxxk

A．Categories of Abuse	B．How to Prevent Abuse
C．Abuse and Its Causes	D．Effects Caused by Abuse

I was feeling a little blue because my mother had been laid off from her job and she had lots of bills to pay. It left me wondering what was going to happen to us now. But it reassured me some when my mother told me she was relieved to be leaving since her boss wasn't the nicest person to be around.
I got off the college shuttle bus and started walking. That's when I heard piano music and singing rising above the noise of the people and the traffic. I walked a little slower so I could find out where it was coming from. Through the crowd I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a carriage next to her.
She was singing songs about love, keeping on trying, and not underestimating the power within yourself. The way she was singing comforted me a bit. I stood there watching her play for about fifteen minutes, thinking that it must take courage to perform on your own in the middle of a crowded New York ferry terminal. 
So I stood there listening.
She must have felt my presence because she would occasionally look in my direction. By now I was telling myself that if she could perform in front of hundreds of people she didn't know then I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked over and put some money in her carriage and she said, "Thank you." Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, "I have been going through a rough time lately, but you've made me hopeful again."
"I'm happy that I could help," she replied. "Why are you so sad?"
"Well, my mum told me she had got fired from her job, and that made me sad. I'm not so sure what to do ..."
"You see, here's the problem," she explained. "The way you were walking, your head was down. Don't look defeated, because opportunity comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should smile more ... lift your head up."
I smiled faintly, amazed by how she was encouraging me. So, I asked her, "Why are you playing the piano in the middle of a crowded place? I've seen you do this more than once."
She explained to me that she sees a lot of negative people in the world and she tries to alleviate the pain and bring more positivity by sharing motivational music. She told me that when she wasn't making music she studied psychology. So, that was how she knew some of the things she was telling me.
I smiled a little wider because I knew that she was doing a good thing. So, after that we parted, my heart touched and lightened by a musical soul!
【小题1】We can learn from Paragraph 3 that the young lady sang to _________.

A．show her love for life

B．rid herself of low spirits

C．earn money for her schooling

D．inspire others to live positively

【小题2】Which word may best describe the young lady?

A．helpful

B．outgoing

C．ambitious

D．humorous

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

A．An Unforgettable Experience

B．A Heart Touched By A Musical Soul

C．Music Can Do Wonders

D．A Good Deed Helped Me Out