Despite the burning heat, the summer holidays are drawing to a close. After a period of pleasant relaxation, spending time with friends and family, our thoughts now turn towards the new school term. This can be an exciting time, filled with new opportunities, ambitions and challenges. Such new challenges can be frightening as we face unfamiliar situations, people and places. Many of you will be facing a new term in a higher grade. This may well mean a greater workload and more exam pressure. Maybe you are starting a new school and are worried about how to make new friend. Whichever new situation you face, there is no shamed in admitting you are worried of concerned. The fact that you are older and are facing more challenges does not mean that you have to deal with your problems alone. No matter how old we are, all of us need help sometimes, and admitting to weakness can be one of our greatest strengths. How else can we get the help we need to face our problems with confidence?

Also, this can be a good way to connect with new people in a similar situation. On the first day of a new term or at a new school, everyone will be nervous and uncertain. Admitting to this makes us seem much more human. After all, would you really want to be friends with someone who believes that they know everything and claims to never be afraid?

Whatever you new situation is at the beginning of this new term, relax, and remember that every student you come across is just as nervous as you are. Share what you believe to be your weaknesses and see just how strong you really are.

1．This passage may be _________.

       A．an official report                     B．a piece of news

       C．a speech to students                 D．a letter to friends

2．The underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 means __________.

       A．a similar situation                       B．our greatest strengths

       C．connection with new people              D．lack of confidence

3．Which of the following is true according to the writer?

       A．Being confident will make you lovelier.

       B．Sharing your weakness with others will make you strong.

       C．Showing your weakness will cause trouble.

       D．The strong know everything and are never afraid.

4．The best title for this passage may be __________.

       A．Admitting To Weakness                 B．Being Confident

       C．Fearing Nothing                       D．Being As Strong As Possible

Five years ago, I was sent to a better middle school. For me, everything there was new and strange. After I had been there for two months, there was an important test in the middle of the term. It covered all my courses. In that test, I didn’t get a good grade, but most of my classmates got an A or A’.
It made me upset for a long time. I felt everything in the world was changing. I thought my classmates were all better than me. During those days I was very unhappy.
One day, my aunt, after talking with my teachers, talked to me. She told me to think about what I had done in the past and what I should do in the future. I was shocked by her words. I thought about what I had done during the past months, and I found I had done nothing to improve my grades. I thought I should work harder.
After that, I paid more attention to the teachers’ talking in the classes, and I asked my teachers or my classmates when I didn’t understand something. I studied very late at night when I met with difficult problems. Most of all, I came to understand the importance of taking notes in class. As a result, I did better in some tests.
About three months later, the most important test came at the end of the term. This time, I stood out not only in my class but also in the grade. From then on, I have tried to do my best when I do something because I know if I want something, I should work hard for it.
【小题1】Why did the writer fall behind in the new middle school?

A．Because the teachers didn’t treat him well enough.

B．Because the subjects were becoming more difficult.

C．Because he hated the life in the new school.

D．Because he didn’t put his heart into study.

【小题2】What did the writer’s aunt do to help him out?

A．She punished him for not working hard.

B．She helped him find out the reasons for his poor performance.

C．She forced him to work harder.

D．She asked his teachers to talk with him about his problems.

【小题3】 Which of the following studying methods helped the writer most?

A．Asking teachers for help when in difficulty.	B．Working deep into the night every day.
C．Making notes in class.	D．Listening to every word his teachers said.

【小题4】What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．The writer failed again in the exam.	B．The writer did very well in the exam.
C．The writer became the cleverest in the class.	D．The writer was very proud of his progress.

For many years, I was sure that my suffering was because of my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts, and rejections with it.
Many obese（overweight）people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin means being loved, being special, and being cherished. We imagine what it will be like when we reach the long-awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally realize its promise of happiness, and of course, love.
It took me a long while to know that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards are different with culture. In Somoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us try hard to change our body, but with no result. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves,  the whole world changes.
【小题1】The passage tries to tell us the importance of ______.

A．body size

B．attitudes toward life

C．culture difference

D．different beauty standards

【小题2】What does the underlined word “everything” (paragraph 2) mean?

A．All the problems.	B．All the bodies.
C．The whole world.	D．The truth.

【小题3】What can be inferred about the author?

A．The author is a Samoan.

B．The author succeeded in losing weight.

C．The author has been troubled by her/his weight.

D．The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents.

【小题4】According to the author, what is the common view of those who have lost some weight first and gained it back later?

A．They feel angry about the regained weight.

B．They don’t care about the regained weight.

C．They feel optimistic（乐观的）about future plans on weight control.

D．They think they should give up their future plans on weight control.

For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts, and rejections with it.
Many weight – conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved, being special, and being cherished. We fantasize（梦想）about what it will be like when we reach the long – awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self–worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us work hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortable inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.
【小题1】The passage tries to tell us the importance of          .

A．body size	B．attitudes
C．culture difference	D．different beauty standards

【小题2】 What does the word “everything” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．All the problems.	B．All the properties
C．The whole world	D．The absolute truth

【小题3】 What can be inferred about the author?

A．The author is a Samoan

B．The author succeeded in losing weight

C．The author has been troubled by her/his weight.

D．The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents.

【小题4】. According to the author, what is the common view of those who have lost some weight first and gained it back later?

A．They feel angry about the regained weight

B．They are indifferent to the regained weight

C．They feel optimistic about future plans on weight control.

D．They think they should give up their future plans on weight control.

For many years, I had a belief that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts, and rejections with it.
Many weight－conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved，being special, and being cherished. We fantasize（幻想） about what it will be like when we reach the long－awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self－worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.
【小题1】The passage tries to highlight the importance of ________.

A．body size

B．attitudes toward life

C．culture difference

D．different beauty standards

【小题2】What does the word “everything” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．All the problems.	B．All the properties.
C．The whole world.	D．The absolute truth.

【小题3】What can be inferred about the author?

A．The author is a Samoan.

B．The author succeeded in losing weight.

C．The author has been troubled by her/ his weight.

D．The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents.

【小题4】According to the author, what is the common view of those who have lost some weight first and gained it back later?

A．They feel angry about the regained weight.

B．They are indifferent to the regained weight.

C．They feel optimistic(乐观的) about future plans on weight control.

D．They think they should give up their future plans on weight control.