Any day we wish；we can discipline ourselves to change it a11．Any day we wish；we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge．Any day we wish；we can start a new activity．Any day we wish；we can start the process of life change．We can do it immediately，or next week，or next month，or next year．

We can also do nothing．We can pretend rather than perform．And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable，we can remain as we are．We can choose rest over labor，entertainment over education，delusion(幻想)over truth，and doubt over confidence．The choices are ours to make．But while we complain about the effect，we continue to nourish(助长)the cause．

As Shakespeare uniquely observed，“The fault is not in the stars，but in ourselves．’’We created our circumstances by our past choices．We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today．

Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth .They need the whole truth .And the responsibility to nothing but the truth．

We cannot allow our errors in judgment，repeated every day，to lead us down the wrong path．

We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out．And then we must make the very choices that will bring life，happiness and joy into our daily lives .

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life—If you don’t like how things are，change it !You’re not a tree．You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life — and it all begins with your very own power of choice．

1.The first paragraph tells us that_________.

A．no one wants to be disciplined

B．we often need some new knowledge

C．taking activities does good to our health

D．we want to change all the time

2.We may conclude from the second paragraph that

A. whatever happens, we have to change ourselves

B. people tend to nourish the cause of bad results???

C. whether we change or not depends on ourselves

D. most choices we made are not good enough

3.From Shakespeare’s words，we know________.

A．it? is our duty to change for the better

B．we complain a lot about our past choices

C．sometimes we have to face the fate

D．we should believe in ourselves in life

4.In the author’s opinion，if。you want a good life，what you need most is_______.

A．self confidence??? B．good choices??? C．strong wills? D．the truth

Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．
In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．
Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(强调)the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．
Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by  Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．
【小题1】The passage mainly tells us       ．

Even if you are an experienced backpacker or climber，you need to know what to do if something goes wrong．It is not that Alaska is that much more dangerous than other places．It is no more hazardous than elsewhere，as long as the proper precautions(预防措施)are taken．So, being prepared is crucial to ensure a safe trip．
First of all，make sure you pack everything you will need for your trip．Even if you are traveling by car，pack clothes and gear for backpacking．Because of the bad weather, cars break down frequently. Pack a survival(生存)kit full with：a down coat, boots ,mittens, a hat, snow-pants，sleeping bags，candles，a flashlight，and high-energy food. If you are traveling by car , also pack extra belts, a shovel, and a chain.
If you are camping or hiking，make sure you know how to avoid bears．If you are lost in the wilderness, there is no doubt you will encounter them.
However，there is no need to be nervous．Just take these precautions：make noise as you walk，bears will avoid you；cook your food away from where you sleep，and store your food away from where you sleep，so the bears are not attracted．Both of these should keep the bear away．However，if you do encounter a bear，there are two different schools of thought．One is to make noise and scare the bear away．The other is to stand still and speak softly to get the bear to leave．If you are dealing with a brown bear，you can climb a tree，since it cannot follow．But，black bears can climb．If for some reason the bear attacks，play dead．Try to protect your head and neck，and hopefully the bear will leave its“dead” prey.
【小题1】The underlined word “hazardous” in Paragraph l most probably means________．

Even if you are an experienced backpacker or climber，you need to know what to do if something goes wrong．It is not that Alaska is that much more dangerous than other places．It is no more hazardous than elsewhere，as long as the proper precautions(预防措施)are taken．So, being prepared is crucial to ensure a safe trip．

First of all，make sure you pack everything you will need for your trip．Even if you are traveling by car，pack clothes and gear for backpacking．Because of the bad weather, cars break down frequently. Pack a survival(生存)kit full with：a down coat, boots ,mittens, a hat, snow-pants，sleeping bags，candles，a flashlight，and high-energy food. If you are traveling by car , also pack extra belts, a shovel, and a chain.

If you are camping or hiking，make sure you know how to avoid bears．If you are lost in the wilderness, there is no doubt you will encounter them.

However，there is no need to be nervous．Just take these precautions：make noise as you walk，bears will avoid you；cook your food away from where you sleep，and store your food away from where you sleep，so the bears are not attracted．Both of these should keep the bear away．However，if you do encounter a bear，there are two different schools of thought．One is to make noise and scare the bear away．The other is to stand still and speak softly to get the bear to leave．If you are dealing with a brown bear，you can climb a tree，since it cannot follow．But，black bears can climb．If for some reason the bear attacks，play dead．Try to protect your head and neck，and hopefully the bear will leave its“dead” prey.

1.The underlined word “hazardous” in Paragraph l most probably means________．

2.The author seems to tell us in Paragraph 2 that________．

3.Yon should prepare your food away from where you sleep so that________．

4.All the following can most probably protect you EXCEPT that________．

5.Which of the following is the main idea of this passage?

Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．

    In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．

    Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(强调)the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．

    Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by  Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．

1.The passage mainly tells us       ．

    A．how to make friends with Americans

    B．how to make proper conversations with Americans

    C．what Americans like to talk about in their dailv life

    D．what to avoid in talking with Americans

2.When you talk to an American for the first time，you can ask him the following questions EXCEPT “   　 ”.

    A．How does America treat other countries

    B．Where did you buy your wonderful car

    C．What do you do

    D．How is the dessert the nearby restaurant offers

3.When you find that an American has made a mistake, you’d better       ．

A．point it out directly and politely

    B．pretend not to see it

    C．tell his friends about this

D．cover it up for him