I made a pledge (发誓) to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving .  No ifs, ands or buts.

The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting (引用) a Biblical (圣经的) passage about husbands being thoughtful（体贴的） of their wives. Then he went on to say," Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love." To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well , for  two weeks that would change.

And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said," That new yellow sweater looks great on you."

"Oh, Tom, you noticed," she said, surprised and pleased, maybe a little puzzled.

After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, "Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all the week and now she wants to stay with me. " We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.

So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed, I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love. There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. Last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.

“What’s the matter?” I asked her.

“ Tom ,” se said in a voice filled with distress, “ do you know something I don’t?”

"What do you mean?"

"Well...that checkup(体检) I had several weeks ago...our doctor...did he tell you something about me? Tom , you've been so good to me... am I dying?"

It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.

"No, honey," I said, wrapping her in my arms. "You're not dying; I'm just staring to live."

1.In the first paragraph, "No ifs, ands or buts" probably means___.

A. unnecessarily     B. unexpectedly    C.   impossibly    D. unconditionally

2.From the story we may infer that Tom went to the beach cottage___.

A. with his family    B. with Evelyn     C. alone            D. with his children

3.During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because___.

A. she looked lovely in her new clothes

B. he had made a lot of money in Wall Street

C. he was determined to be a good husband

D. she was seriously ill

4.The underlined words "one thing" in the passage refer to the fact that___.

A. he praised her sweater, which puzzled her

B. she insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated

C. he knew something about her illness but didn't tell her

D. he was so good to her that she thought she must be dying

5.By saying "I'm just starting to live", Tom means that___.

A. he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life

B. he is just beginning to enjoy his life as a loving husband

C. he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change

D. he is beginning to feel regretful for what he did to his wife

 

The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like "I never do anything right" into positive ones like "I can succeed." But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."

Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.

The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.

What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

A. It is a highly profitable industry.

B. It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

C. It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

D. It has yielded positive results.

What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?

A. Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good.

B. There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

C. Unhappy people cannot think positively.

D. The power of positive thinking is limited.

What does the author mean by "… you're just underlining his faults" (Line 4, Para. 3)?

A. You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.

B. You are pointing out the errors he has committed.

C. You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.

D. You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.

What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?

A. It is important for people to continually boost their self-esteem.

B. Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one's mood.

C. Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.

D. People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings.

Section C.

Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading that you do not need. （请注意题号，将答案填涂在答题卡相应的位置）

Chinese politeness have always been formal to follow strict rules, although sometimes Chinese people seem to be impolite according to Western standards in public places. To well understand Chinese, some concepts should not be ignored.

Mianzi

The idea of shame, usually expressed as 'face' could be loosely defined as the 'status' or 'self-respect' in Chinese and by no means alien to foreigners. It is the worst thing for a Chinese to lose face. Never insult, embarrass, shame, yell at or otherwise demean a person. Since all these actions would risk putting a Chinese in a situation that he might lose face, neither try to prove someone wrong nor shout at him in public. In order to get a successful effect without letting a Chinese lose face, any criticism should be delivered privately, carefully, or else, just opposite to what you wish.

Guanxi

Throughout much of Chinese history, the fundamental glue that has held society together is the concept of guanxi, relationships between people. It is very important for the Chinese to have good relationships. They often regard good social relations as a symbol of personal ability and influence. Someone who has no connections would be disrespected and is only half-Chinese.

Keqi

Keqi not only means considerate, polite, and well mannered, but also represents respect and modesty. It is impolite to talk too proudly about oneself or one's inner circle. The expression is most often used in the negative, as in buyao keqi, meaning "you shouldn't be so kind and polite to me," or "you're welcome."

Besides, Chinese seldom express what they think directly and they prefer a roundabout way. Neither show their emotions and feelings in public. They rarely greet people with a handshake, though it is very popular among foreigners, and say nothing of embracing or kissing when greeting or saying good-bye. Consequently, it is better not to behave too carefree in public, even though you are well-intentioned. Also, it is advisable to be fairly cautious in political discussions. Do not particularly push yourself forward, or else you are unwelcome.

To sum up, do in Rome as Rome does, but you need not worry about these cultural barriers since most Chinese are hospitable and friendly and will not mind your no accomplishment.

1.In most Chinese’s eyes, the fundamental glue holding society together is the idea of ____.

A. relationships between people           B. influences upon others

C. dependence on others                   D. kindness to others

2.The underlined word “demean” in the first paragraph means make people _____.

A. respectful         B. happy            C. shameful        D. weak

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

A. It is impolite to insult, embarrass, shame or shout at a person.        

B. It is polite that you should bring gifts to others when invited to dinner.

C. It is necessary to show your character of being considerate, polite, and well mannered.     

D. It is important for the Chinese to have good relationships between people.

4. Which of the following proverbs has the same meaning as the underlined sentence “Do in Rome as Rome does.”?

A. Caution is the parent of safety.        B. Many hands make light work.

C. There’s no smoke without fire.          D. If you are elsewhere, live as they do there.

 

The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath the long branches of an old willow tree.   31   at life, I have a good reason to frown, for the world was intent on   32   me down.

And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath   33  me, all tired from play. He stood   34   in front of me with his head tilted down and said with great excitement, "Look what I found!" In his hand was a   35  . What a pitiful sight, its petals were all worn - not enough rain, or too little light. Wanting him to take his dead flower away and go off to play, I   36   a small smile and then looked away.

But instead of   37   , he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and   38   loudly with certainty, "It sure smells pretty and it must be beautiful, too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you." The weed before me was dying or dead, not vibrant of   39  , orange, yellow or red. But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I  40  for the flower, and replied, "Just what I need." Again,  41   placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan. It was then  42  I noticed for the very first time that the boy could not see: he was  43 .

I heard my voice trembling. Tears shone like the sun as I thanked him for picking the very best one. "You're welcome," he smiled, and then ran off to play, not realizing the  44  he'd had on my day. I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a  45   woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he 46  my self-indulged plight(困境)? Perhaps he'd been  47  with true sight from his heart by God.

Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see, the problem was not with the world; the problem was me. For all of those times I myself had been blind. I decided to see beauty, and  48  every second that belongs to mine.  49  I held that dead flower up to my nose and breathed in the  50  of a beautiful rose , I smiled as that young boy. Another flower in his hand was about to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.

	A. Disappointed	B. Delighted	C. Excited	D. embarassed
	A. slowing	B. making	C. letting	D. pressing
	A. stopped	B. supposed	C. informed	D. approached
	A. absolutely	B. definitely	C. right	D. rightly
	A. leaf	B. branch	C. weed	D. flower
	A. exposed	B. showed	C. managed	D. tried
	A. leaving	B. answering	C. reacting	D. responding
	A. whispered	B. shouted	C. spoke	D. declared
	A. styles	B. sizes	C. colors	D. shapes
	A. left	B. handed	C. reached	D. held
	A. in pace of	B. in addition to	C. instead of	D. in return
	A. where	B. before	C. when	D. that
	A. deaf	B. blind	C. cripple	D. dumb
	A. impression	B. appearance	C. power	D. influence
	A. self-satisfied s	B. elf-respecting	C. self-educated	D. self-pitying
	A. approve of[来源:Z#xx#k.Com	B. convince of	C. inform of	D. know of
	A. presented	B. crowded	C. blessed	D. equipped
	A. appreciate	B. treasure	C. spend	D. admire
	A. As	B. Though	C. Unless	D. Since
	A. sight	B. shade	C. fragrance	D. flavor

One morning in Philadelphia, the sun shone bright through all the thick jungles and the tall churches. John, 6, wearing the worn-out clothes, walked from a far place, his dark small hands holding a piece of stolen bread.

John stopped for a moment at the entrance to the church and then left tightly holding the bread,      

He was an orphan(孤儿), whose parents were killed in World War II leaving him alone in the orphanage for five years, Like many children in the house, he had a lot of free time. Mostly no one took care of them, so they had to learn how to steal those they wanted.             

John believed God to be real, so every Sunday morning in any case he would go to the church to have a look and listen to those people singing inside or reading the Bible. He felt only at this moment he was the child of God and so close to God. But he couldn’t enter because his clothes were so dirty. John himself knew it.

John was quietly calculating the times. This was his 45th Sunday at the entrance to the church. He stood on tiptoe（踮着脚尖） for a while and walked away.

As time passed, the pastor(牧师) noticed John and learned from others that he was the small boy who liked stealing things in the orphanages.

On the 46th Sunday, the sun was shining and John came still holding a piece of bread with his dark small hands. When he just stood there, the pastor came out. He felt like running away, but he was carried by the pastor's friendly smile.

The pastor walked up to his side, clearly seeing John's small hands shaking.

"Are you John?"

John didn't answer, but looked at the pastor and nodded.

"Do you believe in God?" the pastor patted John on his head with dust.

"Yes, I do!" This time John told him loudly.

"So you believe in yourself?"

John looked at the pastor, without a word.

The pastor went on saying, "At the first sight of you, I find you're different from other kids because you have a good heart."

His face turning red, John said nervously, "In fact, I'm a thief." With that, he lowered his head.

The pastor didn't speak, but held John's dark small hands, slowly opened them and put them against his wrinkled face.

"Ah" Just at the same time, John shouted and was about to take out his dark small hands. Yet the pastor tightly held his small hands and spread them out in the sun.

"Do you see, John?"

"What?"

"You're cupping the sunshine in your hands."

John blankly looked at his hands: when did they become so beautiful?

"In God's eyes, all children are the same. When they are willing to spread out their hands to greet the sun, the sun will naturally shine on them. And you have two things more than they do. First is courage and the second is kindness." With that, the pastor led him into the church. It was the first time that John went into this sacred place, and at this moment he didn't feel inferior, but the unspeakable warmth.

On that morning greeting the sunshine, John found himself again, along with the confidence, satisfaction, happiness, dreams he had never had.

Twenty years have passed. Now the boy who ever tightly held the bread with his dirt hands has been the most famous cook in Philadelphia and made many popular dishes.

Every Sunday morning, he would personally send the bread he baked to the orphanage. Those children who greeted him with cheers were used to consciously spreading their palms before they got the bread.

Because they all knew when we are willing to spread out our hands to greet the sunshine, the sun will naturally shine on us.

1.The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph is ______________

A．presenting contrasts (对比)                B．showing causes （原因）

C．offering analyses                        D．providing explanations

2.Why didn't John go inside whenever he went to the church?

A．He was frightened to be recognized by the pastor

B．He was not welcomed by those singing in the church.

C．He was sorry for his dirty clothes and identity as a thief.

D．He was left alone in the orphanage and nobody cared for him.

3.Which of the following questions did John reply certainly?

A．“Are you John?"                        B．"Do you see, John?"

C．"So you believe in yourself?"               D．"Do you believe in God?"

4.Which of the following can best describe the pastor's great effect on John?

A．John became a famous cook.

B．John admitted his bad behavior. (行为)

C．John believed God to be real

D．John spread warmth to other orphans.

5.According to the passage, the sunshine cupped in hands can bring _______________

A．cheers and confidence                   B．dreams and imagination

C．courage and kindness                    D．forgiveness and satisfaction