Frankly, I very much appreciate myself. Yes, I admit I’m in many respects not as good as other people, but I don’t think I’m always not good. When I find what I’ve done or written is okay, I’ll remain pleased with myself for quite a few days, and in case I receive praise for it, I’ll even become so excited as to add a few words to glorify myself.

True, I’m not modest at all. People may call me conceited (自负的). But I think otherwise.

I also appreciate other people. I appreciate anything good. Isn’t it unfair to forget appreciating myself while appreciating others?

We Chinese generally tend to be modest, and we take pride in being so. For example, a Chinese will call his own wife zhuojing, meaning “my humble wife”, and his own writings zhuozuo, meaning “my poor writings”. But if you should call his wife a “rustic (乡巴佬的) woman” or his writings “trash”, he would, I’m sure, slap the table in a rage and declare he would make a clean break with you. As a matter of fact, there is probably no difference at all between what is said by him and you respectively.

I don’t think it’s wrong for you to freely praise yourself if you’re really worthy of praise. As we know, there is an old Chinese saying disparaging (蔑视的) a melon peddler(商贩), named Lao Wang, who keeps praising his own goods. Well, why can’t he praise his melons if they are really sweet and juicy?

Friends, Lao Wang sells melons for a living. How could he carry on business if he, by imitating the affectations of us intellectuals, were to show false modesty about his melons? He would sure enough die of starvation.

Self-appreciation is therefore key to professional dedication (贡献) and enjoyment of work. One will lose confidence in continuing with writing when he pauses to admire his own essays.

Needless to say, the same is true of those who make a living with their pen.

49. The best title for the passage would be __________.

A. On Self-Appreciation                        B. Types of Appreciation

C. Power of Appreciation                     D. Uses of Appreciation

50. The underlined word “zhuojing” in Paragraph 4 means _________.

A. wife high in position                            B. wife low in position

C. wise wife                                           D. foolish wife

51. The writer points out with an example about an old Chinese saying that _________.

A. self-appreciation is also an active way of attitude to life and work

B. a false modesty will lose confidence in continuing with writing

C. one person pauses to admire his own essays without self-appreciation

D. one doesn’t praise his melons if his melons are really sweet and juicy

52. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. If I find what I’ve done or written is wrong, I’ll appreciate myself.

B. I never appreciate other people because I think others are foolish.

C. If you think poorly of your friend’s writings, perhaps he’ll be angry at you.

D. Lao Wang will die of starvation because he never praises his melons.

One evening, long after most people had gone to bed, a friend of mine and I         happily home through the          street. We had been to a music-hall and         about the people we had seen and heard in it.

“The show        him a star overnight, ” said my friend about one of them. “He was completely        before. And now thousands of people         him gifts and letters. ” “I thought him quite good, ”  I said , “ but not         thousands of letters . As a matter of       , one of his songs gave me a shock. It was too noisy. ” “What was that?” my friend asked me, “       it to me .” I began to sing. “Do be quiet. You will give everybody a shock and        them up for miles       , besides, there will be a policeman         us. ” My friend gave me a surprised look.

“Never mind. I don’t care. What is the matter?” I said and went on singing        the top of my voice .

Suddenly there came a policeman,       in front of me , his notebook       . “      , sir ,” he said , “You have a very good voice , if I       say so . Who taught you singing? I’d very much       to find someone who can give my daughter singing lessons. Would you be       to tell me your name and address? Then my wife and I would        you and we could discuss it .”

1.A. went            B. was coming

C. was making our way D. had lost our way

2.A. calm            B. crowded         C. silence               D. quiet

3.A. were thinking    B. were talking

C. knew             D. were discussing

4.A. called                  B. turned        C. named            D. made

5.A. famous                 B. forgotten      C. stranger         D. unknown

6.A. show                  B. write         C. send                D. brought

7.A. worthy                 B. worth        C. received            D. accepted

8.A. fact                    B. facts         C. a fact             D. the fact

9.A. Read            B. Sing         C. Say               D. Tell

10.A. call            B. pick          C. wake                  D. join

11.A. long           B. out           C. around          D. in

12.A. observing       B. after           C. besides                 D. in front of

13.A. with           B. on               C. in                       D. at

14.A. stood          B. going            C. standing           D. walking

15.A. closing         B. closed           C. open              D. gone

16.A. Wait a minute    B. Stop singing              C. I’m sorry      D. Excuse me

17.A. may            B. like              C. must           D. don’t

18.A. liked           B. wanted                   C. like           D. eager

19.A. brave          B. kind enough        C. willing        D. honest

20.A. try            B. drop in               C. invite         D. visit

Fred Ames and I haven’t much in common. I sometimes wonder why we are friends 1 Perhaps it is Fred’s skill as a craftman that I find so   2  He’s always busy making things. Everything he makes is so perfect that I sometimes feel a bit of envy. If I  3  to remark that one of my books is so  4  and loose that I shall have to  5  it away, Fred takes it home with him and  6  it a few days later beautifully bound（装订）. If I  7  a vase and it is broken into a thousand pieces, Fred puts it together again in such a way that only an expert would see the  8 .

My  9  is that I’m one of those hopelessly impractical and incurably lazy person. 10  my work at the office, the only thing that interests me is listening to classical music. I have a big 11  of records and all day long the only thing I can  12  is  13  I am going to get home to listen to a new piece of music.

I’ve often  14  to get Fred interested in music. When I’m in one of my talkative moods (which isn’t often , by the way), I spend hours  15  the beauties of a particular piece. I look at him as he’s gazing at that little black statue of monkey I   16  in the mantelpiece and  17  if he’s heard anything at all. 18  I look into those big, blue, expressionless eyes of his, I realize that he hasn’t been listening to a word I’ve said. “I’d love to make a  19  of that some day.” He remarks, indicating the statue.

One Saturday afternoon I came home from work even earlier than usual. Getting home from work is one of the few things I’m good at. It’s certainly the only time I ever  20 . But this day I excelled（胜过平时） myself. I had just bought a new record of some light music and I could hardly wait to listen to it.

1．A．after all                 B．above all            C．in all                   D．at all

2．A．good                     B．attractive            C．perfect             D．interesting

3．A．happen                 B．want                 C．intend           D．have

4．A．old                       B．broken              C．torn           D．tight

5．A．put                      B．give              C．throw             D．leave

6．A．returns                 B．gives          C．takes              D．brings

8．A．matter                 B．difference         C．damage             D．perfection

9．A．trouble                B．difficulty          C．habit               D．hobby

10．A．Outside              B．Except          C．Beside              D．But for

11．A．amount               B．number           C．many              D．collection

12．A．think over           B．think of            C．think up             D．think about

13．A．that                   B．how             C．when              D．what

14．A．managed             B．tried            C．failed              D．intended

15．A．pointing out        B．pointing at          C．setting up           D．setting down

16．A．keep                 B．put                C．lay                D．leave

17．A．think               B．imagine            C．suppose             D．wonder

18．A．As                  B．Since            C．When              D．While

19．A．piece              B．copy             C．statue               D．model

20．A．hurry            B．expect         C．enjoy              D．like

    My trouble is that I am one of those hopelessly impractical(顽固的) and incurably(不可救药的)lazy people. Outside my work at the office which is dull enough, the only thing that interests me is listening to classical music.  I have a big collection of records and all day long the only thing I can think about is when I am going to get home to listen to a new symphony(交响乐 )or concerto(交奏曲).

1. Fred Ames________.

A．and the author both enjoy making things and keeping busy

B．and the author is not different

C．is almost the same as the author

D．and the author don’t have any common interests

2. The author________.

A．is some times attracted by Fred’s skill as a craftsman

B．is never disappointed about Fred’s skill

C．doesn’t count Fred as his friend

D．thinks that Fred’s skill is poor

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Not all the things that Fred makes are perfect.

B．Anything made by Fred is wonderful.

C．Not everything that Fred makes is perfect.

D．Anything made by Fred is not worth the author’ s disappointment.

4．The author________.

A．is not hard-working

B．works very hard

C．likes his work very much

D．works in a factory