Many people write to newspaper and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although the information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are held responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibility for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a paper, for example, a business contract or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous（匿名的）for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he does not want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter if responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honour our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our own name that we honour what we say.

1. 1.

   What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?

   1. A.
      Writers need to provide their personal information in the game.
   2. B.
      Publication must bear the writer’s full name, address and phone number.
   3. C.
      Writers should be responsible for their names.
   4. D.
      Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say.
2. 2.

   The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may _______.

   1. A.
      help to end a relationship
   2. B.
      not get a reply
   3. C.
      be accepted all the same
   4. D.
      become a family problem
3. 3.

   Some people don’t want their names known because they are ________.

   1. A.
      hesitant to make a donation
   2. B.
      unwilling to draw public attention
   3. C.
      afraid of an accusation
   4. D.
      ready for involvement
4. 4.

   The passage is mainly about _______.

   1. A.
      honour and writers
   2. B.
      identity and signature
   3. C.
      signature and responsibility
   4. D.
      anonymity and signature

People who put a smiley face at the end of a message, in an attempt to show feeling, show no feeling. I wish there was a symbol for two fingers in the air.
I had some bad news this week. My manager informed me of this news via email. It was like hearing about the death of a loved one via pigeon. Bad news should only ever be delivered face to face or voice to voice.
We seem to celebrate our numerous methods of communication, but really there is no communication at all. I talk to my plants more than I talk to my neighbors, I get text messages that take me three hours to read because they’re written like this: “Hi, I ope you av a gr8 day. Call me La8tr.” I had an email from someone this week that read, “Da ut ov 2day are really annoying me!” Ut? I had to say this 20 times before I understood it. Youth has now become ut. Haven’t we taken enough from them—now we have to take their letters?
I had an email recently from a girl who used to live over the road from me as a child. She wrote, “Hi Shazia, howz u? Im sure u used 2 live across the road from me. We sumtimes played tennis 2 gever at the park and you was in your eliment. I am married now wif 3 daughters.” Then, to my horror, she ended the email with: “Im now teachin in Leeds. Luv Clare.”
Teaching? With English like this. It’s like saying you’re a train driver when you’ve never seen a train. It was like reading modern Morse code.
Getting bad news via email makes it seem so much worse than it actually is. Just a few lines, no emotion, no comfort, not really an explanation. Just a few cold hard words. It’s an excuse. Just write a few words and the problem of delivering it is no longer yours. A close friend recently told me she was very happy to announce she was getting married—and made the announcement by email. I don’t know how she didn’t fall off her chair with excitement while writing it. If you are really happy or really sad to announce something important, wouldn’t you like a human reaction? Some euphoria, elation, tears, a punch in the face?
I receive long text messages every day with information and explanations that I don’t bother reading. They’re boring, and annoy me. In the time it took someone to write me three laborious texts, they could have called, spoken to me, made some tea. People who put a smiley face at the end of a sentence, in an attempt to show feeling, show no feeling. I wish there was a symbol for two fingers in the air, because that’s the one I’d send back.
The telegram has been responsible for reporting world-shattering events when there were very few other options(选择权). Now we have options, and people opt for the least humane one. My mum, in an attempt to get down with the ut of today, asked me to teach her to text. Now she constantly texts me in block capitals, so it looks as if she is still angry and annoyed with me after all these years.
People don’t even write by hand any more. My doctor prints out prescriptions from his computer; even my mechanic prints out a receipt. I get typed Christmas cards and my friends send me emails. I get very excited when hand-written letters come through my door, only because they rarely do.
When I was at school, the girls used to write letters to each other, even though we sat side by side and spoke to one another all day. I think it was a way of expressing private things we were afraid to say when we were 14 and too shy. We used to write things like, “You are my best friend, can’t wait to sit next to you in math.”
I miss the personal method of communication. Once the pen was mightier than the sword, now it seems the keyboard is mightier than the pen.
【小题1】We can learn from paragraph 3 and paragraph 4 that the writer wants to say ________.

Every day is a gift, and if you look forward to spending each day with happiness, wake up every morning with a positive attitude and enjoy a beautiful day!
Set up a daily plan for yourself and ensure that you reserve enough time for your homework. Also, don’t forget to spare some time for play! Stop being lazy and start participating in your life instead of just watching it pass by. Try to do something fun and constructive every day. Read a book, write something interesting in your diary, try a new hobby, spend time with your friends, or just watch your favorite show on television, and you will see how every moment of your day unfolds. You’ll achieve better results, and ultimately greater success.
However, every day will not be the way you want it to be. Some days will be good, while some will be bad. You won’t be always happy and smiling. You may come across many challenges. Don’t forget to remind yourself to slow down and take care of yourself. In today’s busy lifestyle, it is necessary to relax to bring balance and joy back into your life. So, take charge of your life. Enjoy and appreciate the small things around you. Do a good deed and make others happy. Sometimes, doing something as simple as having a cup of tea with an old friend or a family member, listening to a cheerful song, or just writing down all the things that make you happy could indeed turn your day around!
Review and analyze your day before you retire at night. Reward yourself for completing the set goals and prepare the stage for the next day. This will impact your sleep and overall happiness levels. Plan for the next day, take a good rest, and wake up fresh the next morning!
If you will you are doing the same things every day, step out of your comfort zone and set aside some time to do things you have never done before. Stretch your limits. Not only will it make a boring day exciting but it will also build your confidence.
1.Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A．Teachers? B．Students? C．Workers? D．People in general

2.Why is “Read a book” mentioned in the second paragraph?

A．To show readers how to make them happy.

B．To tell readers to learn hard for their future.

C．To supply readers with ways of killing time.

D．To offer readers suggestions on hobbies.

3.What can we infer from the third paragraph?

A．Every day is beautiful and worth-remembering.

B．Your future is up to yourself and your friends.

C．A good start is definitely good for the future.

D．You should make a difference in your day.

4.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Planning your schedule for the next day the night before.

B．Getting into the habit of self-praising with goals achieved.

C．Rising early to get ready for your day with positive energy.

D．Trying something new to learn from it to stretch your limits.

5. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．How to make the most of your day

B．How to lead a happy and satisfying life

C．Act now without delay to change your life

D．Spare time to focus on daily responsibilities

My school makes students take one religion (宗教) class every year. But religion is really hard, especially with Mr Frank Smith for a teacher.

Mr Smith is 55 years old, with grey hair and a moustache (胡子). He always wears a blue school T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes with long white socks. My friends say he looks like a cat.

In his class, we did yoga (瑜珈) and meditation (冥想) (actually most of the children in my class lay on the ground sleeping), tasted some strange tea, had classes outside in the garden, and watched videos and movies about Tibetan Buddhism (藏传佛教), God, and so on.

It was fun sometimes. However, the course (课程) was quite hard when it came to tests. The girls often worked until one or two o'clock in the morning on nights before the tests, but they still got bad scores.

When our test scores were bad, he would give us some makeup assignments (补考作业). Once I got a B, which I thought was bad, so I asked Mr Smith for an assignment to bring up my grades.

As a matter of fact, his assignments were often worse than the tests. The tests were just a lot of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, or short essays (文章). But his assignments usually included a speech in class.

I was not afraid of public speaking, yet it took me three days to collect the information, two days to write the speech, one day to make a PowerPoint and several hours to prepare. I knew my presentation (课堂展示) was good, because I saw Mr Smith's big smile when he listened to me. He gave me an A at last.

After finishing the course, I may not remember how hard it was or the meaning of some vocabulary. But through Mr Smith, I learned a lesson that will be with me my whole life. That is: no matter what we do, we need to put our hearts into it, and then our work will pay off.

The religion class is hard because Mr Smith _______.

A. uses strange ways to teach in his class.

B. never gives good scores, however hard you try.

C. gives difficult tests and make-up assignments.

D. likes students to make good presentations.

How could students get good scores in Mr. Smith’s class?

A. Work hard by studying late into the night.                  

B. Remember all of the vocabulary.

C. Pay attention and take notes in class.                              

D. Do well on the make-up assignment.

From the course, the writer learned that ____.

A. people should always be given a second chance

B. people should always put their hearts into their work

C. it is good to do yoga and meditation             

D. it is good to choose strict teacher

My school makes students take one religion (宗教) class every year. But religion is really hard, especially with Mr Frank Smith for a teacher.
Mr Smith is 55 years old, with grey hair and a moustache (胡子). He always wears a blue school T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes with long white socks. My friends say he looks like a cat.
In his class, we did yoga (瑜珈) and meditation (冥想) (actually most of the children in my class lay on the ground sleeping), tasted some strange tea, had classes outside in the garden, and watched videos and movies about Tibetan Buddhism (藏传佛教), God, and so on.
It was fun sometimes. However, the course (课程) was quite hard when it came to tests. The girls often worked until one or two o'clock in the morning on nights before the tests, but they still got bad scores.
When our test scores were bad, he would give us some makeup assignments (补考作业). Once I got a B, which I thought was bad, so I asked Mr Smith for an assignment to bring up my grades.
As a matter of fact, his assignments were often worse than the tests. The tests were just a lot of multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, or short essays (文章). But his assignments usually included a speech in class.
I was not afraid of public speaking, yet it took me three days to collect the information, two days to write the speech, one day to make a PowerPoint and several hours to prepare. I knew my presentation (课堂展示) was good, because I saw Mr Smith's big smile when he listened to me. He gave me an A at last.
After finishing the course, I may not remember how hard it was or the meaning of some vocabulary. But through Mr Smith, I learned a lesson that will be with me my whole life. That is: no matter what we do, we need to put our hearts into it, and then our work will pay off.
【小题1】The religion class is hard because Mr Smith _______.