The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and knocked into the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. “How embarrassing! I am getting so clumsy in my old age.”
Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said, “Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment.”
Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. “I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home.”
He looked at us and said, “I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow. No matter how much my mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish.”
Frank’s voice dropped a bit. “When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck was older than he was. It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear it coming for blocks. As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink (畏缩) down into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time, he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch (喷出) a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here, I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!”
He paused and then went on, “I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, “No, Dad.” It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, “Dad, I’m too old for a goodbye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.” My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. Then he turned and looked out the windshield. “ You’re right,” he said. “ You are a big boy....a man. I won’t kiss you anymore.”
Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes, as he spoke. “It wasn’t long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most of the fleet (船队) stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its nets half in and half out. He must have gotten into a strong wind and was trying to save the nets and the floats.”
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. “Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek…to feel his rough old face… to smell the ocean on him… to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.”
【小题1】When his father drove him to the school, Frank would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear because ________.

A．he was ashamed of his father’s old truck

B．he thought he was old enough to go to school alone

C．he didn’t want his schoolmates to see his father

D．he hated the way his schoolmates stared at his father

【小题2】In Frank’s eyes, when his father said “You are a big boy… a man.”, he probably felt ________.

A．disappointed

B．hurt

C．excited

D．proud

【小题3】According to the story we can conclude that Frank’s father ________.

A．was quite confident in his skills in fishing

B．loved his children but hardly expressed it

C．seldom gave up faced with challenges

D．was full of devotion to his family

【小题4】Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?

A．The Smell of the Ocean	B．We All Need Love
C．A Goodbye Kiss	D．Father’s Embarrassment

There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact(接触) with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
【小题1】 People who are unhappy _______.

A．always consider things differently from others

B．usually misunderstand what others think or say

C．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things

D．usually are affected by the results of certain things

【小题2】The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “_______”.

A．make others unhappy	B．tend to scold others openly
C．have a good taste with social life	D．enjoy the pleasure of life

【小题3】We can conclude from the passage that _______.

A．we should pity all such unhappy people

B．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness

C．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life

D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons

【小题4】If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should _______.

A．prevent any communication with them

B．show no respect and politeness to them

C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects

D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes

【小题5】In this passage, the writer mainly _______.

A．describes two types of people

B．laughs at the unhappy people

C．tells people how to be happy in life

D．suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habits of unhappiness

In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The “spider story” is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times without success. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English. Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top from yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goal you’re trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about this question, “If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?” This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn’t be doing anyway.
The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it’s a part of life. Learn to “live with yourself” even though you may have failed. Remember, “You can’t win them all.”
【小题1】This passage deals with two sides of failure. In paragraph 1, the author talks mainly about ___ .

A．the value of failure	B．how people would fail
C．famous failures	D．the cause of failure

【小题2】The underlined phrase“made it” means        .

A．failed

B．succeeded

C．gave

D．got

【小题3】The lesson the spider taught Robert Bruce seems           .

A．interesting

B．difficult

C．deep

D．sorrowful

【小题4】The author tells you to do all the things EXCEPT ___.

A．to think about the cause of your failure

B．to check out whether your goals are right for you

C．to consider failure as a part of life

D．to bear in mind that you will never fail in your life

【小题5】Which of the following is NOT true?      

A．Bruce and Edison were successful examples.

B．Failure may be regarded as a way toward success.

C．Edison learned a lot from the lesson the spider taught Robert Bruce.

D．One may often raise a question whether his goals are worth attempting.

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental math.
Before World War I we spent out summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim(模糊的)memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys, Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into various investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries.Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle. Because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some may light honor, with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, a keen eye ,a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack, A scientist can be made a naturalist. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.
【小题1】According to the author, a born naturalist should first of all be      

A．full of ambition

B．self-disciplined

C．full of enthusiasm

D．knowledgeable

【小题2】The first paragraph tells us that the author    

A．lost his hearing when he was a child

B．didn’t like his brothers and sisters

C．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

D．was born to a naturalist’s family

【小题3】The author says that his a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he    

A．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

B．lacks some of the qualities required of scientist

C．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

D．comes up with solutions in most natural ways.

【小题4】The author can’t remember his clearly because    

A．He didn’t live very long with them	B．He was too young when he lived with them
C．The family was extremely large	D．He was fully occupied with observing nature

【小题5】Which of the following statements is true?

A．The author believes that a born naturalist cannot be a scientist

B．The author read a lot of books about the natural world and oil industry

C．The author’s brothers and sisters were good at music and languages

D．The author spent a lot of time working on riddles.

Silk production has a long and colourful history unknown to most people. Scientific discoveries have shown that silk production existed in China from around 2500 B.C., although it could be much older. For hundreds of years, China kept the secret of silk to itself as one for the most closely protected secrets in history. Anyone revealing the secret of silkworms or trying to take silkworm eggs out of ancient China was punished by death.
At one time silk was reserved only for the Chinese emperor. Gradually, others began wearing silk. In addition to being used for clothing, silk came to have industrial uses in ancient China, something that happened in the West only in modern times. Silk was used to make musical instruments, fishing lines, weapons, ropes and even paper. During the Han Dynasty silk became a form of money. Farmers paid taxes in both rice and silk. The prices of goods were calculated in lengths of silk just as they had once been calculated in gold. The importance of silk is even reflected in the Chinese language. For example, of the 5000 most common Chinese characters, around 500 have silk as their “key”.
In spite of their secrecy, the Chinese eventually lost their monopoly on silk production. It reached Korea in around 200 B.C. when immigrants from China arrived there. Silk production came to India in 300 A.D.. It was not until 500 A.D. that silk production came to Europe when travellers smuggled out silkworms in hollow tubes of bamboo. These were used to establish silk industry in Rome (modern-day Italy), although Chinese silk was still considered to be the best.
Silk was brought to Rome from China by means of the Silk Road. There were actually two Silk Roads, one over land and one on the sea. The land route in particular had a huge effect in history. All sorts of trade goods — silver, gold, jade, porcelain — passed along this road. Ideas travelled the Silk Road too. For example the religion of Buddhism was carried to China from India by traders on the Silk Road. The Silk Road created the first international culture, exposing many people to the ideas and treasures of both Western and Chinese cultures.
【小题1】How was China able to keep the secret of silk production?

A．It refused to sell its silk to other countries.

B．Foreigners were not permitted to enter China.

C．The silkworms needed were not able to survive outside China.

D．Chinese passing on the secret to foreigners were seriously punished.

【小题2】Which of the following uses of silk is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．A way of purchasing goods people sold.

B．A material used for making different products.

C．A method of paying money to the government.

D．A valuable gift given to foreigners travelling in China.

【小题3】In what order did silk production spread throughout the world according to the passage?

A．Europe àIndia àKorea àChina.	B．China àKorea àIndia àEurope.
C．China àIndia àKorea àEurope.	D．China àEurope àIndia àKorea.

【小题4】The underlined phrase “smuggled out” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.

A．quietly traded	B．openly removed
C．illegally transported	D．violently stole

【小题5】Which of the following is true about the Silk Road?

A．It allowed for economic and cultural exchanges between countries.

B．It made China the most powerful country in the ancient world.

C．It could only be completed by travellers with access to a boat.

D．It was first developed for transferring religious ideas.

Many years ago, I pulled a family out of a burning car somewhere in Wyoming. Last week I received a telephone call from a woman who could not stop crying as she told me that one of my stories had saved her son from committing suicide. In closing she called me a hero.
That got me thinking about what a hero is. Was I a hero because I pulled a family from a burning car? If so, how could I be a hero just because I wrote a story that saved someone’s life?
Today I looked up the word “hero” in the dictionary to see exactly what it meant. It read “a person who does something brave” and also “a person who is good and noble”.
That statement impressed me more than the part about being brave. So I thought about something very important. And I remembered what happened to me years ago.
After my marriage of twenty years ended, I was in such a condition. I was within hours trying to get enough courage to end the pain and misery. When I returned home, someone had sent me a card in the mail which told me how much they would appreciate me as a friend. That wonderful card probably saved my life. That person, without even knowing it, saved a life and became a hero.
The many stories I kept writing in the following years saved the life of a teenage boy. In turn that makes the person who sent me the card a double hero. I suppose that is why I fight so hard to help the children now living in orphanages (孤儿院). Most children come out of these institutions with a very hard and bitter attitude against the world. The gifts we send them let them know that they have not been forgotten. Hopefully, most of them will never hurt anyone because of the kindness shown to them by those of us who cared. If it works, we will also become "heroes".
【小题1】The main idea of the passage is _______________.

A．why the writer should be a hero	B．what a hero exactly is
C．whether the writer is a hero	D．that everyone is a hero

【小题2】Why did the woman call the writer a hero at the end of the call?

A．Because he asked her son not to kill himself.

B．Because he saved a family from a burning car.

C．Because his story saved her son’s life.

D．Because he was cute and kind to everybody.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “it” in the last sentence of Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．The wonderful card the writer received.

B．The action of sending the card.

C．The fact that the sender helped the writer.

D．The fact that the sender was a friend of the writer.

【小题4】 What’s the writer’s attitude to “brave people”?

A．neutral

B．supportive

C．objective

D．irony

I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”. But in memoir(回忆录) after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness.
The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement.
【小题1】According to the passage, “fun activities” ____________.

A．are the things we do before we find happiness

B．may help us relax and forget our problems sometimes

C．will lead us to the true happiness

D．could provide long-last positive effects

【小题2】In the author’s opinion, those Hollywood stars ____________.

A．possess happiness because they are rich and famous

B．experience almost all kinds of happy things

C．tell us happiness isn’t equal to fun using their own stories

D．have to suffer a lot before they become successful

【小题3】It is difficult for people to find real happiness because ____________.

A．they believe happiness is the fun life without pain

B．they find pain equals unhappiness

C．they fear to lose what they already have in life

D．they are afraid all their efforts were in vain

【小题4】The main purpose of the text is to ____________.

A．describe the difference between happiness and fun

B．show the true meaning of happiness

C．encourage people to pursue fun activities

D．advise people to find their real life

When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
【小题1】According to the passage, winners       .

A．blame themselves rather than others

B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives

C．have responsible and able colleagues

D．deal with problems rather than blame others

【小题2】The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．improve

B．accept

C．avoid

D．consider

【小题3】When problems occur, winners take them as ______.

A．excuses for their failures	B．chances for self-development
C．challenges to their colleagues	D．barriers to greater power

【小题4】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．A Winner’s Opportunity.	B．A Winner’s Problem.
C．A Winner’s Secret.	D．A Winner’s Achievement.

Please excuse me if I'm a little sad today. Mark is leaving, and I'm feeling kind of sad.
You probably don't know Mark, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him. He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years combining great professional skills with a sweet nature. He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well. And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity. It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we're genuinely, sincerely pleased for him. But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague.
Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation. A terrific neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage. The family's principle bread-winner is laid off.
But how do we do that? A friend of mine who works for the government once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow."
"It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride them where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. Sure, you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get. But mostly you just take them the way they come.
I'm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events—both good and bad. There will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control. That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true. It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, you work around them—and then you move on. Of course, some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others. A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one. But the principle is the same.
We're going to miss Mark, just like you'll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newlywed. But rather than drown ourselves in the sadness of our parting, we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future—for him, and for us. And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about ___________.

A．how to change yourself successfully

B．how to do if your colleague (同事) leaves

C．how to deal with unhappy things in life

D．how to deal with unexpected things in life

【小题2】In Paragraph 1 , the writer tells the story about Mike to _________.

A．let us know his colleague	B．praise his colleague
C．introduce a topic	D．describe his life

【小题3】The leaving of Mike makes the writer feel _________________.

A．really unpleasant	B．very angry
C．both happy and sad	D．a little disappointed

【小题4】Which is not an unexpected thing in life mentioned in the passage?

A．A rained-out picnic.

B．A terrific neighbor’s apology.

C．The sudden death of a loved.

D．The graduation of a family member.

【小题5】In the writer’s opinion, one should ________ when unexpected things come up.

A．accept them and hope for a better future

B．do as planned

C．overcome difficulties and let them in control

D．never give up until he succeeds

When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write and illustrate my own books. Half the students sneered. The rest nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be silly, only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this semester.” I was so humiliated(羞辱) that I burst into tears.
That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the Capri’s Weekly newspaper. To my astonishment, they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed it to my teacher and fellow students. They laughed. “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I tasted success. I’d sold the first thing I’d ever written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck, that was fine with me.
During the next two years I sold dozens of poems, letters, jokes and recipes. By the time I graduated from high school, with a C minus average, I had scrapbooks filled with my published work. I never mentioned my writing to my teachers, friends or my family again. They were dream killers and if people must choose between their friends and their dreams, they must always choose their dreams.
I had four children at the time, and the oldest was only four. While the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months, just like a baby.
A month later Crying Wind, the title of my book, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and Braille and sold worldwide. I appeared on TV talk shows. I traveled from New York to California and Canada on promotional tours. My first book also became required reading in native American schools in Canada.
People ask what college I attended, what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I’m not gifted and I don’t write right. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right but I’ve beaten the odds. Writing is easy, it’s fun and anyone can do it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.
【小题1】Why did many students laugh after hearing what the writer said?

A．Because they didn’t like him

B．Because they wished he could be successful as a writer

C．Because their teacher laughed, too

D．Because they felt it impossible for him to succeed

【小题2】When the writer graduated from high school, ___________.

A．he had become a famous writer

B．he had made progress in his studies.

C．his classmates and teachers changed their attitudes towards him

D．he decided he wouldn’t become a writer

【小题3】What prevented him telling others about his writing?

A．The characters in his story.	B．His teacher.
C．His early experience.	D．His parents.

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

A．It is difficult for a person, who cares about what others say, to succeed.

B．It is important for a person to tell others what he wants to do.

C．It is necessary for a person, who wants to succeed, to take others’ advice.

D．It is impossible for an ordinary person to be a writer in the future.

【小题5】Which of the following is the best title?

A．A famous writer

B．I Hate My Classmates and Teachers

C．I Never Write Right

D．A Genius Can Be a Writer