We often focus on building relationships with others so that we forget the essential first step: being friends of ourselves. That is the crucial first step if we are to have good relationships with others. How can we have good relationships with others if we don't even have good relationship with ourselves? The problem might be worse than we expect. Maybe we don't like ourselves without realizing it.

For example, maybe you have made mistakes in the past which you feel bad about. You might be disappointed with yourself on why you could make such mistakes. Even if that happened in distant past, your subconscious (潜意识) mind still has a reason not to like yourself.

You might wish that you were born in different family, or that you have different background. Maybe you could not accept the fact that you are not as lucky as others, who seem to get whatever they want effortlessly because of their background.

You might have some personal traits that you don't like. For example, you may be an introvert ( 内向的人) and you don't like it; you wish you are an extrovert (外向的人).

Your achievements relate to others. They might have better achievements than you, and no matter how hard you tried, it might seem impossible for you to match them. You might then think that it's because you are not smart enough or don't have enough talents.

Is there anything that resonates (产生共鸣) with you? All these give reasons to you not to like yourself. That in turn makes it difficult for you to be a good friend to yourself.

Fortunately, there are always things you can do to fix the situation. Here are some tips:

1. Forgive yourself.

2. Accept things you can't change.

3. Focus on your strengths.

4. Write your success stories.

5. Stop comparing yourself with others.

6. Always be true to yourself.

59. The underlined word "traits" in the fourth paragraph probably means

A. particular qualities                       B. some disadvantages

C. special abilities                           D. training courses

60. One can't be friends with himself because

A. he won't forgive others' mistakes

B. he dislikes his background

C. he accepts some of his personal traits

D. he is proud of himself

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

A. Resonating is very important for making friends.

B. How to make friends with ourselves is very difficult.

C. Writing your success contributes to stopping comparing with others.

D. Realizing your own advantages and good is good to you.

62. Which of the following is NOT mentioned according to the passage?

A. It's normal to make mistakes, so do yourself a favor by giving yourself forgiveness.

B. You will feel much relaxed if you treat things you can't change the way they are.

C. It's useless to compare yourself with others.

D. If you have a good family, you'll make friends with yourself.

 

Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.

      Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.

     Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.

     Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?

     In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased.  Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.

     There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.

1. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our

A. self-respect B. financial rewards C. advertising ability D. friendly relationship

2.The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.

A. lying     B. stealing     C. cheating     D. advertising

3.The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.

A. telling the truth to the clerk B. offering advice to the clerk

C. asking the clerk to be more attentive D. reminding the clerk of the charged item

4. How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?

A. We'll be very excited.         B. We'll feel unfortunate.

C. We'll have a sense of honor.    D. We'll feel sorry for the clerk.

5.Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.*

A. How to Live Truthfully        B. Importance of Peacefulness

C. Ways of Gaining Self-respect   D. Happiness through Honorable Actions

 

A low-carbon lifestyle means cutting carbon dioxide emissions and living a life characterized by low-energy use, low consumption and low spending. This way of living is being accepted by a growing number of average people in China.

Before low-carbon became a popular word here, some environmentally conscious people known as "Lohas" had already devoted themselves to living green, low-carbon lifestyles. Lohas is for "lifestyles of health and sustainability." It was first introduced in 1998 by American sociologist Paul Ray and later became a popular lifestyle in western countries. After this concept was introduced into China a few years ago, Lohas was translated into a proper Chinese word "lehuo," meaning happy living.

Zhang Tao from a joint venture in Beijing is a Lohas supporter and follower. He and some others set up a Lohas club two years ago. They often get together to share their experiences about living green lifestyles or to volunteer for environmental protection activities.

Zhang says Lohas is both a lifestyle and an attitude towards life rather than just a fashion or slogan.

"A Lohas lifestyle means a natural and healthy life with low costs. We don't drive cars, and we try our best to save water and electricity. Some people misunderstand us as being too stingy. But in fact, most of us are well-paid. We don't do it to save money, but for the sake of the environment. Living a rich life doesn't mean you can waste resources. We hope what we do can help save energy and reduce the pressures on earth. I know our personal strength is too small, but the changes will be great if everyone can make a little contribution."

64. A low-carbon lifestyle has the following features except_______.

A. low energy     B. low wages     C. low consumption   D. low spending

65. A Lohas is most likely to_______.

A. drive a car to work every day   B. save money to live a better life

C. turn off the tap when not using   D. leave the light on day and night

66. What does the word “stingy” mean in the last paragraph?

A. generous               B. mean              C. rich                D. willing

67. In Zhangtao’s opinion, _________.

A. Lohas is just a fashion or form     B. one shouldn’t get well paid

C. one should live a happy life             D. environment protection depends on everyone

 

FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields (梯田) and "splendid" irrigation systems.

It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries.

"I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams."

"We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds (资金), but also create job opportunities and cultivate (培养) talents."

In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic (松下) came to China as the first foreign business to invest (投资) here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth.

However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism (资本主义).

"The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng.

"China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical (制药的) company.

1.Guo Fenglian was ______ at the sight of the modern equipment in harvesting when she visited the US in 1978. 

A. shocked     B. delighted C. excited         D. attracted

2.______ was the first big country to invest in China. 

A. America  B. Japan C. Swiss D. Panasonic

3.Many people have doubts about the reform ________. 

A. in 1978              B. in 1980        

C. in 1981              D. at the end of the 1980s

4.According to remarks by Deng, which one is NOT the criterion for judging the success or failure of our work in various fields?

A. whether it helps develop socialist productive forces.

B. whether it strengthens the overall capacity of the country.

C. whether it brings about better investment and more profit.

D. whether it improves the peoples living standards. 

 

The reading skills of young male students may improve more when huts are tutored (辅导) by women, a Canadian study shows, contradicting some school policies to hire male teachers to improve boys' literacy.

Herb Katz, an education professor at the University of Alberta, took 175 boys in the third and fourth grades, identified as struggling readers, and paired them with a research assistant who worked on their reading skills for 30 minutes a week over 10 weeks.

On average, the boys paired with female tutors felt better about their reading skills after the 10 weeks than those who were guided by a male research assistant, the study found.

Katz said the study, published in the US journal Sex Roles, may cause educational policy - makers in countries such as Australia and Britain to rethink policies that call for more male teachers to be hired to provide role models for boys whose reading skills fall behind their peers (同龄人). "It tells us that the way governments respond with policy is perhaps a little too quick and a little too simple," Katz said." Boys and girls enter kindergarten with similar reading skills, Katz said, but by the end of the third grade, boys have lower reading scores than girls. The reasons behind that difference are not entirely clear. "I don't know that reading skills fade so much as teachers may not recognize what boys are doing," he said. "We don't really know a lot about boys, even in those early years."

The boys involved in the study attended 12 schools in the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Most were from downtown neighborhoods. About a third were native Canadians and 55 percent came from ethnic minority groups.

60. What's the purpose of this passage?

A. To encourage boys to do more reading.             B. To persuade schools to hire female teachers.

C. To advise good ways for reading skills.              D. To provide some information about a study.

61. The underlined word "contradicting" in the first paragraph probably means"_________".

A. finding out       B. going against        C. standing by         D. bringing about

62. Which of the following is TRUE about the boys taking part in the study?

A. They have difficulty in reading.           B. They take no interest in reading.

C. They come from different Canadian cities.   D. They have no female teachers at school.

63. It can be known from the passage that _________.

A. women must be better al teaching than men

B. girls do more reading than boys

C. male teachers are preferred to help reading- troubled boys in Australia

D. governments will change their policy on hiring teachers