When I was growing up, I was ashamed to be seen with my father. He was severely disabled and very short, and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. If he ever noticed or was bothered, he never let on.
　　It was difficult to coordinate（协调）our steps—his slow, mine impatient—and because of that, we didn’t say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.”
　　He never talked about himself as an object of sympathy, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart”, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him. I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know accurately what a “good heart” is.
　　Unable to join in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. I now know he participated in some things indirectly through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he “played” too. When I joined the Navy, he “joined” too. And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, “This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different.” Those words were never said aloud.
　　He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my unwillingness to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about small affairs, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”.
At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you.”
【小题1】The author felt unhappy walking with his father because ________.

A．he felt sympathy for his father’s physical disability

B．it was hard for them to walk at the same pace

C．he didn’t want others to know he had an ugly father

D．it was not easy for his father to keep balance

【小题2】In the father’s view, the most important quality a good person should have is ________.

A．beautiful appearance

B．excellent health

C．a smart head

D．a good heart

【小题3】It can be inferred from the text that ________.

A．the father was proud of his only son

B．the father took part in all his son’s activities

C．the author was upset when asked to his father’s office

D．the author was an outstanding player

【小题4】According to the last paragraph, by saying “You set the pace. I will adjust to you.” the author means that ________.

A．he is now glad to help his father to walk

B．he regrets his unwillingness to walk with his father

C．he will follow Father’s standards of being a good man

D．he will never forget how mentally strong his father was

Once again, I had run away and really did not know why. I walked out of the gate to go to school and then kept walking, and walking, and walking. I was 11years old. It was almost dark; I was tired, cold, and all alone. I had not eaten all day and was afraid to turn myself over the police. I knew I would receive another beating once I returned to the Children’s Home Society. There was nothing for me to do, except keep on walking.
As darkness fell, I entered the darkened area in a city park sat down on a wooden bench hoping to avoid the police cars. It was cold and I began to tremble uncontrollably. All was quiet except for the passing cars in the distance.
“Well, hello young man.” A voice came from behind me. I jumped, almost falling off the park bench. My heart was beating ninety miles per hour. I gasped and I could hardly catch my breath. I looked up and saw a woman standing behind me in the shadows.
“You look cold and hungry,” she said. She took off her scarf, wrapped it around my shoulders and asked me to follow her. We walked about twenty feet, and then stopped under one of the park streetlights.
She held out her hand and said, “Here, you take this letter.” Seeing nothing in her hand., I stood still.
“Reach out and take the letter from my hand,” she insisted. Slowly I reached out, acting as though I was taking something from her hand. “Now hold the paper tightly and take it to any store owner,” she instructed.
I closed my thumb and finger as though I were grasping the letter and began walking toward Five Points. Several blocks down the road, I came to a store with a woman sitting behind a counter. I opened the door, walked in, and stopped directly in front of her. Very slowly I held out my hand toward her. I watched her face to see if she might think I was crazy or something.
She reached out and as her hand touched mine, I opened my tightly closed fingers and stood there waiting. She pulled back, smiled, and looked down at her hands.
She immediately turned and walked to the back of the store. After a while, the woman returned holding a paper plate.
“Here is something for you to eat.” She smiled and signaled to me to eat. Within two or three minutes, I downed the entire plate of food and several Coca Colas.
Before I left, she held out her hand and asked me to take the letter. Again seeing nothing, I held out my hand and closed my thumb and finger as though I were taking something from her. Tightly grasping nothing more than air, I walked out into the street and headed back to the park. The old woman was still there.
“It is really magic. Can I have the letter so I can be magic too?” I asked her.
She reached out, took my hand, and opened my tightly closed fingers. Whatever was being held between my fingers, she took and placed into her apron pocket. “Would you help someone if they were hungry?” she asked me.
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Would you help someone if they were hurt, cold or scared?”
“Yes Ma’am. I would be their friend.”   
“You are a very lucky little boy. You will never need the magic letter,” she responded.
【小题1】What can we learn about the boy?

A．Though lost in the city, he didn’t feel worried or lonely.

B．He had nowhere to go and wandered aimlessly in the street.

C．He avoided the police for the fear that he would be sent to prison.

D．He had to run away because of his bad performance at school.

【小题2】What can we infer from paragraph 3?

A．The boy was out of breath as he did some exercises.

B．The boy felt excited at the appearance of the woman.

C．The boy was scared by the sudden voice of the woman.

D．The boy held his breath, waiting for the woman to come.

【小题3】Why does the store owner offer the boy a good dinner?

A．Because she had great sympathy for him.

B．Because she knew the boy and his parents.

C．Because he was a kind boy who deserved it.

D．Because the woman in the park had paid for it.

【小题4】What does the writer want to tell us through the story?

A．It's better to give than to take.

B．Kindness is a universal language.

C．Don't cry even if life cheats you.

D．Life is full of the getting over of suffering.

【小题5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．A Kind Woman.

B．A Sleepless Night.

C．A Magic Letter.

D．A Lucky Boy.

Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just be­cause the salesman talked you into it? Many people are afraid to support themselves. Dr Robert Albert, author of Stand Up, Speak Out, and Talk Back thinks it' s because their self-respect is low. "There's always a' superior' around­— a parent, a teacher, a boss— who knows better."
But Albert and other scientists are doing something to help people help themselves. They offer "assertiveness training" courses , A.T. for short. In the A.T. Course people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be aggressive without hurting other people.
In one way, learning to speak out is to get rid of fear. A group taking an A.T. Course will help the timid person to lose his fear. But A.T. uses an even stronger motive— he need to share. The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels. Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-respect. If someone you face is more "important" than you, you may feel less of a person. You start to doubt your answers to problems. You can get to feel good about your­self. And once you do, you can learn to speak out.
【小题1】The problem the writer talks about is that ________.

A．some people buy things they don't want

B．some people are afraid to speak out for their rights

C．there are too many superiors

D．some people don't think enough of themselves

【小题2】The cause of the problem talked about in this pas­sage is that ________.

A．some people have a low self-respect

B．there is always someone around who "knows better"

C．salesmen talk people into buying things they don't want

D．people don t share enough

【小题3】The A.T. Courses often ________.
A. make people distrust their own answers
B. make things more favorable for "superiors"
C. help people know as much as their "superiors"
D. help people become more important
【小题4】A good title for this passage could be "________".

A．The Need to Share	B．Talk Back When Necessary
C．One Way to Build Self-Respect	D．One Way to Train Speaking Ability

Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh and do things with. Surely, there are times when we need to be alone. We don't always want people around. But we would feel lonely if we never had a friend.
No two people are the same. Sometimes friends don't get along well, which doesn't mean that they no longer like each other. Most of the time they will go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away, then we feel very sad. We miss them much, but we can call them and write to them. Maybe we would never see them again, and we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them. Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men and women, if they are friendly to people in a town. Some libraries are named this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places.
There's more good news for people, if they have friends. These people live longer than those people if those don't have friends. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well. Or it could be just knowing that someone cares, if someone cares about you, you take better care of yourself.
【小题1】The first paragraph tells us ________.

A．none needs friends

B．we always need friends around us

C．making friends is the need in people's life

D．we need to be alone

【小题2】Which of the following is the most probable place people name after friendly people?

A．A house.

B．A room.

C．A library.

D．A village.

【小题3】If people have friends, they would live longer, because ________.

A．they feel happier and healthier

B．they get a lot of help from their friends

C．they take better care of themselves

D．both A and C

【小题4】This passage tells us ________.

A．that people are all friends	B．that people need friends
C．how to get to know friends	D．how to name a place

Two traveling angels (天使) stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor，the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: “Things aren’t always what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable(好客的)farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had，the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning，the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen?” “Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement，I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune，I asked God if I could seal(封口) the wall so he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed，the angel of death(死神) came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
【小题1】The underlined part “the pair” in the second paragraph two refers to　　　 .

A．the poor couple

B．the rich couple

C．the angels

D．the guests

【小题2】The younger angel was very angry because 　　　　.

A．the older angel killed the farmer’s cow

B．the older angel treated the two families unfairly

C．the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live

D．the angel of death took the cow away

【小题3】Why did the older angel let the farmer’s cow die?

A．Because God wanted the older angel to take the cow.

B．Because she wanted to teach the younger angel a lesson.

C．Because she was sympathetic to the rich.

D．Because she wanted to save the farmer’s wife.

【小题4】The story tries to tell the reader that 　　　　.

A．sometimes things are not what they seem

B．angels are always ready to help the poor

C．angels are always ready to help the rich

D．the young should always learn from the old

Mom was right! If you say thank you, for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness, you’ll feel happy.
Gratitude, says Robert A. Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California, is an important element of happiness. In his recent book, Thanks!, Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom’s point.
As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement, he admits gratitude may be difficult to express. He advises you to begin by admitting that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder. Second, recognize that the source of life’s goodness is more than just you. That source may be your mom, a friend, partner, child, colleague at work or play.
Gratitude is always other-directed, notes Emmons. You can be pleased or angry with yourself and feel guilty about doing something wrong, but you can never be grateful to or for yourself.
Expressing gratitude shouldn’t be a reaction; it should be a state of mind. To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy. To feel grateful in time of crisis—anger, hatred and bitterness—is easier. Also, too many people are aware of life’s blessings only after these are lost.
It’s crisis and chaos—danger, disease, disability and death—that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others. Yet it’s the way each of us begins life and ends it. It’s too bad that so many people waste those decades in between laboring under the illusion(幻觉) they are self-sufficient, says Emmons.
The abundance of voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals with chronic health problems is many. But Emmons goes beyond his “groundbreaking” science to make his case for gratitude by including the inspirational writings of philosophers, novelists and saints, as well as the beliefs of various religious and their respective scripture(经文). Taken together, these observations are summed up quite nicely by famous humanist Albert Schweitzer, who said the secret of life is “giving thanks for everything”.
To enable and embrace gratitude, Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary. He even provides easy-to-follow directions on how to practise and develop gratitude.
I’m not a reader or advocate of self-help books, but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients. The chance discovery led me to this book.
Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving, receiving and repaying. So I’ll pay attention to her professional advice and say: Thank you, professor Emmons.
【小题1】. What is the text mainly discussed?

A．There are many ways of being thankful.

B．Gratitude is important to happiness.

C．Mom is great for her being thankful.

D．Being thankful will keep you fit.

【小题2】. The author mentions Robert A. Emmons’ book Thanks! in order to prove that __________.
A. Professor Emmons supports mom’s study on psychology.  
B. mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons.
C. Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist.
D. mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitude.
【小题3】. It will be easier for you to feel grateful when___________.

A．you live a comfortable life

B．you receive gifts on your birthday

C．you get help during your hard times

D．you are congratulated on your success

【小题4】 What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?

A．It is enough to thank others orally

B．Whether you are thankful is always up to you

C．Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere

D．It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others.

【小题5】 In the writer’s opinion, Emmon’s book Thanks! On gratitude is________.

A．one-side

B．reasonable

C．puzzling

D．helpful

I believe in leaving work at five o’clock. In a nation with such a strict work ethic(道德规范) , this is considered strange. Working only 40 hours a week? I just don’t know many people who punch out (打卡下班) at five o’clock anymore.
My father tried to teach me the importance of hard work, long hours and devotion to a career. But then there are the things he taught me unintentionally, like when he arrived home from work for the last time and crawled up the stairs.
My father, a self-employed sales trainer, was that sick, that tired. His body was wracked with liver cancer, and he suffered the effects of a diabetic ulcer（糖尿病）. Despite all this, he insisted on traveling a long way to give a lecture. He probably earned a lot of money that day, but he paid the price. He returned to the hospital soon afterwards and was dead within three months, aged just 58.
It’s been 10 years since I saw my father come home that night and since then, I’ve thought a lot about work. I’ve decided something: I will never crawl up the stairs exhausted. As much as I love my job as a newspaper reporter, I will never work myself into the ground, physically or emotionally. Not taking my work home didn’t come easily to me at first. After all, I am my father’s daughter. In college, I was the girl who sat on the library steps each morning, waiting for the doors to open. I even dreamt about schoolwork.
My dad once told me he was unable to just gaze at a sunset; he had to be doing something as he looked at it—writing, reading, playing chess. You could say he was a success: He was a published author, an accomplished musician, fluent in many languages. That’s an impressive list, but the thing is I want to gaze at sunsets. I don’t want to meet a deadline during them or be writing a column at the same time, or glance at them over the top of a book.
This raises the question: If I leave work at five o’ clock to watch the sunset, what are the consequences? Do I risk not reaching the top of my profession? Maybe, because honestly, knocking off after eight hours probably won’t earn me the best promotion. But hey, leaving work at five o’ clock means I eat dinner with my family. I get to hop on my bike and cycle through the streets of my hometown when there is no traffic.
And I get to take in a lot of sunsets. That’s got to be worth something.
【小题1】Which of the following about the author’s father is true?

A．He set a good example to his daughter.

B．He tried to force his values on his daughter.

C．He gained much pleasure from his work.

D．He achieved great success at the expense of his health.

【小题2】What does the author mean by saying “Not taking my work home did not come easily at first” in Paragraph 4?

A．There was so much work to do.

B．All her colleagues took work home.

C．She was educated to be a workaholic.

D．She wanted a promotion in her work.

【小题3】What’s the author’s attitude toward promotion?

A．She doesn’t care about it at all.

B．She is eager to get promoted

C．She thinks it’s for the ambitious people

D．Getting promoted at all costs is not worthwhile

【小题4】 This text is developed________.

A．by giving examples	B．by making comparisons
C．by describing process	D．by order of time

【小题5】 What does the writer intend to tell us?

A．To praise his father’s diligence

B．To ask us to take time off work to enjoy life

C．To complain about the strict work ethic

D．To stress the importance of hard work

An older friend once gave me a piece of advice, “Enjoy the last few weeks of college,” she said, “since college is the best time of your life.”
This was not the first time I’d heard such a statement, but with graduation fast coming close, her words especially struck me. It seemed a bit disappointing to reach one's life peak at only 22 years of age, but in her opinion, college had been one of the best times in my life so far. I made friends, took classes, and learned a great deal about myself. But I was also excited for the time after college—moving to a new city, starting a new job, and becoming a "real" person. I hoped that my great dreams were practical.
Then, last week I read a column in Real Simple Magazine called 100 Years of Attitude, in which women 100 years or older shared their life experiences and views. I noticed that none of them considered college as the "best" time of their life. Not all of them went to college, but still in most cases their teens and twenties were not the best times of their life. They said some of their favorite times were raising their children, traveling after retirement, and even enjoying their present time and age.
Enjoying one's present time and age was a clear theme of the interviews. A piece of advice given by the women was about the importance of making the best of all situations. I think it more accurate than that of my friend; I can say with certainty that if I am lucky enough to make it to 100, I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting (跌落) downhill, or even leveling off.
I am sure that our eagerness and devotion will make us college students live a meaningful life. We will not just look backwards or miss our college days. We will look forward in excitement about continued journey uphill.
【小题1】Which of the following opinions does the writer agree with?

A．College is the best time of one’s life.

B．Twenties were the best time of the old people.

C．One should make the best of all situations.

D．One should not look backwards at their college time.

【小题2】In the second paragraph, the writer wants to say ______.

A．her achievements in college would be the peak of her success

B．she is looking forward to living as a “real” person in college

C．she becomes more and more uneasy with graduation

D．she is satisfied with the college life but is hopeful for the future

【小题3】The column the writer read is mainly about those old women’s ______.

A．best time of life at youth	B．life experiences and views
C．different opinions about life	D．favorite time with best friends

【小题4】By saying “I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting downhill, or even leveling off” (in Paragraph 4), the writer really means ______.

A．she will not spend the rest of her time at college

B．she will not just obtain a college level certificate

C．she will not be satisfied with what she has already accomplished

D．she will not be content with the life in the future

I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and when I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib（肋骨）might have pierced（穿透）a lung...”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy… I am so sorry…”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay. ”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said. “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though. ”He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
【小题1】The author was in bad mood that morning because _______.

A．his father had a terrible accident

B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends

C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema

D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends

【小题2】Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?

A．Because he didn’t go along with his father.

B．Because he was rude to his father that morning.

C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident.

D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital.

【小题3】The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that _______.

A．he had a poor memory

B．he didn’t hear what his son said

C．he just wanted to comfort his son

D．he lost his memory after the accident

【小题4】What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?

A．Don’t treat your parents badly.

B．Don’t hurt others with rude words.

C．Don’t move the injured in an accident.

D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things.

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame (责怪) others, and you play the role of victim (受害者), chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard (标准) for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.
【小题1】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．A friend in need is a friend indeed

B．How to make friendship last for ever

C．You are who your friends are

D．Friends are the most important in one’s success

【小题2】The underlined sentence “they’re rubbing off on you” in Paragraph 6 means ______.

A．they’ll push you ahead

B．they’ll influence you

C．they’ll cover your shortcomings

D．they’ll help you achieve your goal

【小题3】The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show ______.

A．the musicians’ living conditions are quite poor

B．people have poor taste in music

C．people have different attitudes towards the same thing

D．young people have greater chances of succeeding

【小题4】By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7, you can ______.

A．improve a lot in making more friends

B．come to the right way of making friends

C．develop a better relationship with your friends

D．arrange the time with your friends properly

【小题5】The passage is mainly written for ______.

A．musicians	B．managers
C．negative people	D．people wanting to succeed