An “apple polisher” is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment. It is not exactly a bribe(贿赂),but is close to it.
All sorts of people are apple polishers, including politicians and people in high offices ── just about everybody. Oliver Cromwell, the great English leader, offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party, but failed.
There are other phrases meaning the same thing as “apple-polishing” ── “soft-soaping” or “butter-up”. A gift is just one way to “soft-soap” somebody, or to “butter him up”. Another that is just as effective is flattery, giving someone high praise ── telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how talented and wise he is.
Endless are the ways of flattery. Who does not love or hear it ? Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is. In truth, flattery is good medicine for most of us, who gets so little of it.
We need it to be more sure of ourselves. It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it. But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment, as a cat laps up milk, then we can still remain true to ourselves.
Sometimes, however, flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it. A good example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England. The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers（朝臣）.They overpraised him to the skies, as a man of limitless power.
He decided to teach them a lesson. He took them to the seashore and sat down. Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in. The tide was too busy to listen to him. The king was satisfied. This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery.
【小题1】Which of the following activities has nothing to do with “apple-polishing” ?

A．A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks

B．An employee tells his boss how good he is at management

C．A knight(骑士)is said to be of limitless power by his followers

D．A teacher praised his students for their talent and wisdom.

【小题2】Which of the following statement about flattery is TRUE according to the author ?

A．Too much flattery can carry us away

B．Flattery is too empty to do people any good

C．Flattery can get nothing but excessive(过度的)pride

D．Flattery is one of the ways to apple-polish people.

【小题3】King Canute of Denmark and England took his followers to the seashore because __________.

A．he was sick of his normal

B．he disliked being overpraised any more

C．he wanted them to realize how wise he was

D．he wanted them to see how weak he was as a king

【小题4】The author thinks that flattery can do good to those who _________.

A．are really excellent

B．lack confidence

C．are politicians or in high offices

D．think highly of themselves

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。
Several Ways to Respectfully Disagree
It’s easier to agree than disagree. But we can learn a lot from conversations where we don’t see eye to eye—if we can listen and talk rationally(理性地), that is. _1  These tips can help keep disagreements constructive.
Don’t make it personal. If you get upset, it can help to remember you’re mad at the idea or concept your parent (or friend, coach, coworker, etc.) is raising, not the person.
Use “I” statements to communicate how you feel, what you think, and what you want or need. 2  For example, telling your mom or dad, “You always remind me about my chores on Wednesdays when you know I have a lot of homework” has a very different tone from “I’m feeling pressured because I have a lot of homework tonight. Can I do those chores tomorrow?”
 3  Being a good listener is a way of showing that you respect and understand the other person’s idea. That makes it more likely he or she will do the same for you. When the other person is talking, try to stop yourself from thinking about why you disagree or what you’ll say next. Instead, focus on what’s being said. When it’s your turn to talk, repeat back any key point the other person made to show you listened and heard what was said.  4  
Stay calm. This is the most important thing you can do to keep a conversation on track. Of course, it’s a huge challenge to stay calm and rational when you feel angry about something. You may need to be the mature one who manages the conversation.
 5  Being helpful and considerate toward family members, teachers, or coaches in our everyday actions helps all of us establish a foundation for those times when we might disagree. 

A．Listen to the other point of view.

B．Using “you” statements can sound argumentative.

C．Then calmly present your case and why you disagree.

D．Respect goes beyond difficult conversations, of course.

E. Avoid putting down the other person’s ideas and beliefs.
F. You want to find your own path and make your own choices.
G. Unfortunately, lots of us either shy away completely from disagreements or lose it when things don’t go our way.

As I was leaving to meet Lynne，my roommate told me that I’d better take some money，but I didn’t listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me.
I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I’d been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and a waitress came and took our order. The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed (尴尬) when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said，“Oh！I forgot my money! Can I call my roommate，please？” The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate.
In a few minutes he arrived with some money，but he couldn’t hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home.
Now，I think it’s funny too. But at the time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner meant the same thing in the United States as in my country. I guess you have to understand that your customs（习俗） are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country，you have to learn about their customs，too.
【小题1】Customs can be ________in different countries according to this passage.

A．close to each other	B．entirely different
C．quite the same	D．very similar

【小题2】The writer’s roommate advised the writer to take some money with him to________.

A．invite Lynne to dinner	B．pay for the table
C．share the cost of the meal	D．pay for the restaurant

【小题3】The writer and Lynne________.

A．shared a successful dinner

B．had a talk for three hours

C．traveled to Saudi Arabia together

D．enjoyed their meal without talking

【小题4】Why didn’t Lynne pay the check for the writer?

A．Because she thought it was natural for people to pay their own check.

B．Because she didn’t have the meal.

C．Because she wanted to embarrass the writer.

D．Because she didn’t have enough money with her.

【小题5】The roommate laughed all the way home because the writer________.

A．was embarrassed when he couldn’t pay his breakfast

B．would not listen to him when he left the house

C．telephoned him to bring some books to him

D．hadn’t told Lynne the truth

Lie in bed, by an open window, and listen…
“No air conditioning? How can you sleep?” a friend asks, horrified. I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill. On this first night of our cost-cutting plan, it’s only 85 degrees. We’re going to suffer, but the three kids complain anyway.
They have grown up in 72-degree comfort, protected from the world outside.
“It’s too hot to sleep,” my 13-year-old daughter complains. “I’m about to die from this heat,” her brother complains down the hall. “Just try it tonight,” I tell them. In truth I’m too tired to turn for long. My face is sweaty, but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of childhood.
The neighbor’s dog howls. Probably a passing squirrel. It’s been years since I took the time to really listen to the night.
I think about grandma, who lived to 92 and still helped with my mom’s gardening until just a few weeks before she died. And then, I’m back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I move my pillow to the foot of grandma’s bed and turn my face toward the open window. I turn the pillow, hunting for the cooler side.
Grandma saw me turn over and over. “If you just watch for the breeze(清风),” she said, “you’ll cool off and fall asleep.” I stare at the filmy white curtain, willing it to move. Lying still, waiting, I suddenly notice the life outside the window. The bug chorus. Neighbors, porch(门廊)-sitting late, speak in unclear words that calm me.
“Mom, did you hear that?” my seven-year-old son cries, “I think it was an owl(猫头鹰)family.”
“Probably,” I tell him, “just keep listening…”
Without the working air conditioner, the house is peaceful, and the natural night noises seem close enough to touch. I hope I’m awake tonight when the first breeze comes in.
【小题1】On the first night of the writer’s cost-cutting plan, her children ______.

A．live a comfortable life as usual

B．begin to be unhappy

C．are protected from the world outside

D．are about to die from the heat

【小题2】The author talks about her grandmother and her childhood to show that ______.

A．people used to live a hard life

B．people at that time were hardworking

C．it’s OK for people to live a simple life

D．she has learned a great deal from her grandma

【小题3】In the writer’s eyes, her children are ______.

A．free from parents’ protection

B．full of dissatisfaction with life

C．dependable because of parents’ love

D．lacking in real test of hardships in life

【小题4】Which of the following titles best suits the passage?

A．Waiting for the Breeze.

B．An Interesting Experience.

C．Life at Present and Life in the Past.

D．Different Times, Different Children

Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it.
In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.
The multiplication tables(乘法口诀表)are an exception to the general rule. that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood. The law of overlearning explains why cramming (突击学习)for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development
【小题1】What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1

A．Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

B．People remember well what they learned in childhood.

C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words.“

D．Stories for children are easy to remember

【小题2】The author explains the law of overlearning by

A．presenting research findings

B．setting down general rules

C．using examples

D．making a comparison

【小题3】According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is

A．a result of overlearning

B．a special case of cramming

C．a skill to deal with math problems

D．a basic step towards advanced studies

【小题4】What is the author's opinion on cramming?

A．It leads to failure in college exams.

B．It increases students' learning interest.

C．It's possible to result in poor memory.

D．It's helpful only in a limited way.