There used to be a term that was used to describe someone who drove their vehicles down the highway while staring at the scenery. These drivers just drove slowly, taking their own sweet time, as if they had nothing to do and no place in particular to go. Thus, the expression, “Sunday driver”, was born. Consequently, a Sunday driver wasn’t necessarily someone who was driving on a Sunday. A person could be a Sunday driver any day of the week. The expression simply meant that the person was an obstacle to other drivers who were in a hurry.
The expression probably came about because there was a time when people would often decide to go for a relaxing drive on Sunday afternoons. A Sunday drive was a common occurrence years ago and especially on a nice warm sunny day. There were no stores open on Sunday because of the “blue laws”, so you needed to be sure and fill up the gas tank and make any other needed purchases before Sunday arrived.
Some of the states had strict blue laws that even prohibited some activities on Sunday. However, there is still a lot to be said for the slow, gentle life that once existed. It was a time when very few people worked on Sunday except for those professions vital to our well-being such as those in the medical profession. It was a day “set apart” that was used to rest, visit with neighbors and friends, or maybe go to grandma’s house for supper. Today there are many who return to work and children who go back to school overly tired on Monday due to a lack of rest. Perhaps there would be less stress related illnesses if we really kept Sunday as a day of rest

1. 1.

   According to the passage, “Sunday driver” refers to the person who ______

   1. A.
      drives his vehicle on Sundays
   2. B.
      drives for fun and relaxation
   3. C.
      enjoys a weekend break
   4. D.
      makes a Sunday purchase
2. 2.

   What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph l mean?

   1. A.
      Sunday drivers affected traffic flow
   2. B.
      Sunday drivers drove too slowly
   3. C.
      Sunday drivers increased traffic speed
   4. D.
      Sunday drivers felt hatred for other drivers
3. 3.

   What kind of activity was strictly prohibited on Sunday by the laws?

   1. A.
      Visiting with neighbors and friends
   2. B.
      Going to the hospital to see a doctor
   3. C.
      Having a family get-together
   4. D.
      Selling goods or services
4. 4.

   According to the author, Sunday rest would help people______

   1. A.
      earn a lot more money
   2. B.
      experience less pressure
   3. C.
      keep pace with society
   4. D.
      improve academic performance

 单词拼写

1.      It is difficult to get used to other country’s c______(风俗)。

 2. He didn’t really lose her wallet- that’s just a t_____(骗局)。

 3. A balanced d_____(饮食) is necessary for good health.

 4. We must l____(限制) the amount of money we spend.

 5. On the c_____(相反), I don’t like the way you’re taking.

 6. Slowly it turned its face and s_____(凝视) straight at Mrs Cousins.

 7. Now we still don’t know whether life e_____(存在) on Mars.

 8. On April 20, 2013, a v______(猛烈的) earthquake struck Lushan County, Sichuan, China.

 9. The town lies on the b______(边境) between the US and Canada.

 10. We saw them sailing e______(向东).

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking：

“I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio．They cannot

even understand rhythm(韵律)”

“'Nobody wants to pay musicians anything．I’m sick of all the people who want you to play

without paying you .”

One younger musician said．“There are several clubs who want me to play．for a few nights a month．and I’m trying to find other places to play．

I’m also planning to join in several summer festivals this year．”Ｉreally liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him．

Attitude is important．Whether they’re positive ole negative，they're all rubbing off on you．If

you’re around people who are always complaining or blaming(责备)others，it is possible that

you will start doing the same as well．If you spend lots of time with people who don’t support

your dreams，it is time to take a look at the people you call“friends”．

There is an easy exercise you can try．Make a list of the people who you often stay with ,and

simply stop spending time with the negative ones on your list．Set a new standard for yourself and

don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard．

Of course．this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself．We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goalor dream．

1．What can we conclude from the musicians’ conversation at the beginning?

A．musicians’ living conditions are terrible

B．people differ in their attitudes

C．young musicians are more likely to succeed

D．people in that town have poor taste in music

2．Why did the author want to make friends with the younger musician？

A．He is younger than the others．

B．He has more positive attitudes.

C．He is more capable than the others，

D．He is more careful than others.

3．What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence ? __________ ．

A．they’11 make you make progress　 B．they’11 help you make your dreams come ture

C．they’l l stop you from moving on you D．they’11 have an effect on you.

4．You can try the easy exercise to ______________.

A．develop a better relationship with your friends

B．train your ability to make friends

C．make the right kind of friends

D．make more friends than others

5．Which of the following statements is not mentioned?　　

A．one should avoid making friends with people who have lots of difficulties

B．one will start complaining if one spends too much time with negative people

C．the exercise can help you keep close to really helpful friends

D．the younger musician is a positive person and would be a good friend

– I’m very tired.
– We really should stop _____.

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

    We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

    This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

    Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clear will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

    Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.

    Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

A. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us 

B. inspiring words give us confidence

C. negative words may let us down

D. words have a lasting effect on us

There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______

A. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves

B. we can benefit from talking to ourselves

C. talking to ourselves always gives us courage

D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone

The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______

A. praise ourselves                                                         B. remind ourselves

C. make ourselves relaxed                                              D. give ourselves amusement

The author would probably hold the view that ___________

A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers  

B. negative words may stimulate us to make more progress

C. people tend to remember friendly words

D. it is better to think twice before talking to others