The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.

 This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.

 Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, he delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems—how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.

 The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.

The passage mainly deals with________.

A. the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer

B. the relationship between genius and success

C. the decisive factor in making a genius

D. the way of gaining some sense of distinction

By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could________.

A. come to understand the inner structure of writing

B. join a fascinating circle of writers someday

C. share with a novelist her likes and dislikes

D. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security

In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.

 A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success.

 B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance

 C. she acquires the magic of some great achievement

 D. she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write

What can be concluded from the passage?

 A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success

 B. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.

 C. As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. Doesn’t matter, but just his|her effort.

 D. What really matters is what you do rather then who you are.

Climate change will force exhausted birds migrating to Europe from Africa to travel further, with possibly disastrous consequences, according to a study.

The annual voyage of some species, which fly north in search of food and suitable habitats, could increase by as much as 400 kilometers (250miles), the research found. “Marathon migrations for some birds are set to become even longer，” said Stephen Willis, a professor at Durham University in Britain and the main architect of the study. “This is bad news for birds like the Whitethroat, a common farmland bird. The added distance is a considerable threat. As temperatures rise and habitats change, birds will face their biggest challenge since the Pleistocene era (更新世：始于距今180万年), which ended 11,000 years ago，” he said in a statement.

Some 500 million birds migrate each year from Africa, some weighing as little as nine grams (three－tenths of an ounce). To complete a voyage that can be thousands of kilometers long, birds have to fatten themselves up to twice their normal weight. Some even shrink their internal organs (收缩内脏) to become more fuel efficient, so any additional distance may be dangerous.

The study finds that from 2071 to 2100, nine out of 17 species examined are going to face longer migrations, particularly birds that cross the Sahara Desert. Some birds traverse the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea in a one go, while others have a break in northern Africa before crossing. Many fly at night, when temperatures are cooler.

A few—such as the Blackcap—have started to adapt by spending winters in Britain, but such behaviour remains exceptional, the study said. The study forecasts that the migration distance of the Orphean Warbler will jump from 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) to between 3,050 and 3,350 kilometers (1,900 and 2,100miles), with even longer increases for the Subalpine and Barred Warblers.

6. What does travelling extra distance mean for some migrating birds?

A. Better living conditions.       B. Better physical health.

C. Stronger ability to fly.         D. Bigger threat to life.

7. To complete the marathon migrations, some birds have to do the following except________.

A. have a break in Sahara  

B. put on more weight

C. reduce the size of internal organs

D. fly at night to avoid the heat

8. What does the underlined word “traverse”in the fourth paragraph mean?

A. Examine.            B. Face.         C. Cross.         D. Challenge.

9. What can we infer from the text?

A. Birds have to migrate from Africa to Europe in winter.

B. Global warming is bad for all birds worldwide.

C. Birds that are of small size don't need to migrate.

D. Some birds have to migrate unless they adapt to climate change.

10. What's the BEST title of the text?

A. Climate change leads to disastrous consequence

B. The annual voyage of some species

C. How birds migrate for longer distances

D. Climate change pushes birds to migrate farther

　

African-American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is the world’s most powerful celebrity (名人), according to Forbes （福布斯） magazine. It placed Winfrey at the top of the annual ranking of the 100 people with the biggest pull （影响力）.

      Winfrey, 51, draw 30 million viewers weekly in the United States. Her talk show reaches 112 countries. She earned US ＄225 million over the past 12 months to rank second in celebrity riches. The annual Forbes list gives most weight to annual earnings. But it also looks at the celebrity’s presence on the Internet and in the media. “After 21 years, her exciting chat show still rules the airwaves,” the magazine said.

      Winfrey is most popular with her popular talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. She can always attract the superstars and let them open up to her intimate interviewing style. Winfrey’s approach appears to be simple. She is in a pursuit （追求）of self-improvement and self-empowerment. This has proved to be just what people, especially women, want.

  Winfrey often talks about her personal secrets on her show. That pulls in viewers. For example, she made it known that she had been sexually abused as a child, and has spoken freely of her struggle with her weight.

      Her success has not just been on the screen. Her media group includes a women’s TV network and websites for women. Her work has extended to social change. In 1991, she did a lot of work for the National Child Protection Act. She testified before the US Senate to establish a national database （数据库）of dangerous child abusers. The then President Bill Clinton later signed the “Oprah Bill” into law.

The annual Forbes list selects its celebrities according to ____.

  A. their names                              B. their annual earnings

  C. their presence on the Internet and in the media

  D. their annual earnings and presence in the public

Which of the following statements is WRONG?

  A. Oprah Winfrey was the first of the 100 celebrities according to Forbes magazine.

  B. Oprah’s success has been only on the screen.

  C. Oprah can attract superstars and get them to open up to her interview.

  D. Oprah ranked second in celebrity riches that year.

The underlined phrase “rules the airwaves” in the passage means ____.

  A. attracts many readers’ attention              B. causes many people to take planes

  C. has a large number of viewers               D. measures the airwaves

What’s the best title of the passage?

  A. Oprah Winfrey Conquering the Americans.     B. Oprah Winfrey—the No 1 Celebrity.

  C. Forbes Ranking First.                      D. The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In the 1960s,medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They found out that any major change can be stressful. Negative events like “serious illness of a family member” were high on the list, but so were some positive life-changing events, like marriage. When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not show how you deal with stress—it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you deal with these events has a great effect on your chances of staying healthy.

By the early 1970s,hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow, the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women's magazines ran headlines like “Stress causes illnesses”.If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy, the articles said, avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. ven if stressful events are dangerous, many—like the death of a loved one—are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription(处方) for staying away from opportunities as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be ?completely? free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move.?

The idea that all stress makes you sick also takes no notice of what we know about people. It is supposed that we're all weak and passive in the face of difficulty. But many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom, and physical and mental damage.?

The result of Holmes-Rahe's medical research tells us _______.?

A. the way of dealing with major events may cause stress?

B. what should be done to avoid stress?

C. what kind of event would cause stress?

D. how to deal with sudden changes in life?

The studies on stress in the early 1970's led to_______.?

A. widespread worry over its harmful effects?

B. great fear about the mental problems it could cause?

C. a deep research into illnesses connected with stress?

D. popular avoidance of stressful jobs?

According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become_______.

A. discouraged when faced with difficulty

B. physically and mentally weak?

C. more experienced in the face of difficulty

D. uninterested in what happens to them?

What's the purpose of writing the text??

A. To tell people the discoveries about stress.?

B. To tell people how to keep healthy.?

C. To help people avoid stressful events.?

D. To help people view stress properly.

Knowing how much her own children loved presents at Christmas, Ann Sutton always tried to seek help for one or two poor families．With a social worker mother, the Sutton children had inherited her commitment to service, and knew never to take their good fortune at Christmas for granted．This year, Kinzie, her seven-year-old daughter was thrilled that Santa Claus would make a special visit to a 22-year-old mother named Ashley who worked in a factory raising her 12-month-old son by herself．

The phone rang on Sunday．A representative from a local organization was calling to say that the aid Ann had requested for Ashley had fallen through．No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing．

Ann saw the cheer vanish from her children’s faces at the news．Without a word, Kinzie ran into her bedroom．She returned, her face set with determination．Opening up her piggy bank, she put all the coins onto the table: $3.30．Everything she had.

“Mom,” she told Ann, “I know it’s not much．But maybe this will buy a present for the baby.”

At a breakfast meeting the next day, Ann told her coworkers about her daughter’s story．To her surprise, staff members began to open their purses and empty their pockets to help Kinzie．By day’s end, the story of Kinzie’s gift had spread beyond Ann’s office．She received a call from an unknown donor．If a seven-year-old could give everything she had, he said, he should at least match her gift 100 to 1．He contributed $300．

On Christmas Eve, Ann drove through the pouring rain to the small trailer where the Ashleys lived．Then she began to unload the gifts from the car, handing them to Ashley one by one．

Ashley was very moved．Reflecting on a little girl’s generosity, Ashley says she’ll one day be able to do something similar for someone else in need．“Kinzie could have used that money for herself, but she gave it away,” Ashley says．“She’s the type of kid I’d like my son to grow up to be.”

According to the text, Ann Sutton ______________.

       A．is making lots of money  B．is ready to help others

       C．is only caring about herself     D．is a hard-working mother

Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

       A．Ashley lived a hard life with her little son.

       B．The Sutton children took Anne as an example to follow．

       C．The coworkers of Ann helped Kinzie to realize her wish.

       D．Ann Sutton tried to ask for help for her own children.

What can we learn about Kinzie?

       A．She was afraid that Santa Claus would visit the Ashleys.

       B．She should get some presents from her mother at Christmas．

       C．She devoted all her coins to buying a present for the baby.

       D．She was cheerful when hearing the aid had fallen through.

Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

       A．It rained heavily on Christmas Eve.

       B．Ann handed gifts to Ashley one by one.

       C．Ashley hoped she would help someone else in need.

       D．A good deed can influence many people’s behavior.

What would be the best title for the text?

       A．A Young Girl’s Gift B．A Mother’s Love

       C．A Story of Young Girl     D．An Unknown Donor