We can make mistakes at any age．Some mistakes we make are about money．But most mistakes are about people．“Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?” “When I got that great job，did Jim really feel good about it，as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?” And Paul-“why didn’t pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?” When we look back，doubts like these can make us feel bad．But when we look back，It’s too late．

Why do we go wrong about our friends or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning．And if we don’t really listen，we miss the feeling behind the words．Suppose someone tells you，“You’re a lucky dog．” that’s being friendly．But “lucky dog” ? There’s a bit of envy in those words．Maybe he doesn’t see it himself．But bringing in the “dog” bit puts you down a little．What he may be saying is that he doesn’t think you deserve（值得） your luck．

“Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for” is another noise that says one thing and means another．It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole．But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn’t important．It’s telling you to think of all the starving （挨饿的）people in the world when you haven’t got a date for Saturday night．

How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking．Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture（姿态）? The look in his eyes? Stop and think．The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people to you may save another mistake．

（    ）1．This passage is mainly about?

A．how to interpret what people say

B．what to do when you listen to others talking

C．how to avoid mistakes when you communicate with people

D．Why we go wrong with people sometimes

（    ）2．According to the author，the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that _____．

A．We fail to listen carefully when they talk

B．People tend to be annoyed when we check what they say

C．People usually stay one thing but means another

D．We tend to doubt what our friends say

（    ）3．In the second paragraph，“it” refers to______．

A．being friendly          B．a bit of envy            C．lucky dog               D．your luck

（    ）4．When we listen to a person talking，the most important thing for us to do is ______．

A．notice the way the person is talking

B．take a good look at the person talking

C．mind his tone，his posture and the look in his eyes

D．examine the real meaning of what he says based on his manner，his tone and his posture

There is, for many of us, a moment in life when we make a choice that changes us forever. This moment marks a turning point, when we realize that the life we're living is not a mirror of who we really are.
For some, the moment comes as a result of something dramatic: the sudden loss of a job, or the death of a loved one. For others, they have to deal with difficult situations, such as financial hardship. In these challenging times, it's more critical(关键时刻的) than ever for us to seize the possibility of positive change. As I travel and talk to people about their lives, I often see a distant, vacant look in their eyes -- a look that says “I’m so busy trying to survive my life that no soul left to live it”.
As a result, we end up feeling lonely. Yet we keep on going the way we've been going. We tolerate high levels of stress at work, take important relationships for granted, or put our health needs on hold. We get so caught up in the details of living that our busyness becomes an excuse from the inner voice that begs us to listen. When you finally pay attention to that little voice and begin to make even small changes, you will slowly improve yourself.
To start positive change, you need the power of your mind. I've come up with a five-step strategy that will help you. You will be able to identify what you want and then go after it. It's easier than you might think.
1. Reset your happiness set point. Don't limit yourself! When I decided that I wanted more control over my life, I set goals in physical, emotional, financial, professional, material, and play. I challenged myself to consider every possible choice. Imagine things you've never believed you could achieve. Don't let your past determine your future.
2. Trust your courage. Too often, when you're first learning to take control of your life, you doubt yourself. It's important to develop a strong connection with your inner guidance system. I've heard many stories about the persistent voice inside your head.
3. Take action. Once you have set goals, adjusted your beliefs, and got ready, you can start making things happen. Again, turn to those people you respect -- the ones achieving what you desire -- for support and guidance. They will both inspire you and give you practical advice on what steps you need to take.
4. Have faith. Believe that the positive energy of grace will support your efforts to improve your life. When you've done all you can, let go and trust that the right result will occur. When we have faith, we give up the need to be in control, and we set ourselves up to actually enjoy the process of change.
5. Be patient. This can be the toughest step. It's not easy to trust that your life will improve in a best way. Remind yourself of the benefits of patience. In my experience, those life changes are always worth the wait.
【小题1】What does the author intend to say in the second paragraph?

A．The start of some turning points in one’s life is caused by crisis.

B．Loss of a job or the death of a loved one are all dramatic things.

C．No one can live a life without any turning points.

D．No one can predict his future of being good or not.

【小题2】In the author’s opinion, we should ______________.

A．adjust our beliefs from time to time	B．always control ourselves for anything
C．keep on going the way we are going	D．seize the challenging times to live an active life

【小题3】The author suggests that when setting your happiness set points, you should _______.

A．know the limitation of your set point	B．build self-confidence without doubt
C．limit your goals in different ways	D．consider every possible choice with care

【小题4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．When you've done all you can, you may believe that the right result will occur.

B．When you set goals, and take action, it is possible to make things happen.

C．When you first learn to take charge of your life, you will always doubt yourself.

D．If things do not happen in a way that is best, patience is always worth the wait.

Why do parents have such a difficult time to communicate openly and honestly with their teens? For this, there are many reasons but most of them stem from not being able to properly understand their teens. It is a dangerous gap because parents will have to communicate with their teens about a wide variety of issues during the most important years of their lives. Thus, parents must know how to communicate openly and honestly with their teens.
Here are a few tips to make communication easier between parents and teenagers.
1. Try not to talk down to your teens. Make them feel as if their views really matter, which not only helps your discussions with your teen but bring you closer to him.
2. Imagine what it would be like to be a teen. Try to remember some of the negative feelings you experienced as a teenager and apply it to your teen's situation.
3. Never make negative remarks to your teen about what she has said or done.
4. Remember how much courage it would have taken for your teen to come and talk to you about his personal issues. So listen respectfully.
5. Don't ignore your teen's feelings because it is usually a cry for help. For instance, if your teen is unusually angry, it may be time to spend a bit of quality time with your teen to determine what is wrong and where he is coming from.
It is, therefore, necessary for parents to strive to keep lines of communication open at all times with their teens. Try to remember what it was like to be a teenager and how vulnerable（脆弱的）you felt. Then you will be well on your way to help your teen communicate more openly and honestly.
【小题1】Why don't teens want to talk about their personal issues with their parents?

A．Because they can't respect their parents.

B．Because they can't understand their parents.

C．Because their parents won't understand them well.

D．Because their parents are not honest.

【小题2】When your son comes to you for help, you should NOT _____.

A．listen respectively	B．treat him seriously
C．care about his feeling	D．make negative remarks

【小题3】Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined phrase  “talk down to”?

A．put down

B．look down upon

C．chat with

D．quarrel with

【小题4】The best title for this passage is _____.

A．Causes of generation gap

B．Relations between teens and parents

C．Suggestions for parents-children effective communication

D．Problems with communication between teens and parents

The new mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan, is a man of the people, ready to listen to their problems, but only until 6 p.m. Then he has to do his homework. Michael Sessions, 18, beat former mayor Douglas Ingles, 51, by just two votes and became the new mayor of Hillsdale. He is America's youngest mayor.

As Sessions was too young to enter the election in the spring of 2005, he registered- to vote on Sept. 22, one day after his 18-year-old birthday. The day after that he started his write-in campaign, which means he should persuade voters to remember his name and write it by hand on the voting ballots（选票）.

To help get his name known, Sessions earned＄700 by selling apples over the summer. He spent the money on posters and put them on the Hillsdale's lawns.

Sessions' month-long campaign included going door to door, explaining his ideas of the town's future in the kitchens of his neighbors. "They'd look at me, and say‘How old are you again? How much experience do you have?'And I say‘I'm still in high school', "he said. Sessions promised Hillsdale's voters he would renew local economy. “I was hopeful the whole time, ”he explained. One day he spent so long out on the streets knocking on the doors that he ended up in a hospital emergency room.

Sessions said that his schoolwork will not get in the way of his job as a mayor. “From 7:50 a.m. to 2:30p.m., I'11 be a student. From 3 to 6, I'11 be the mayor of Hillsdale," he said.

“He did a very brave thing that couldn't have been easy for him to do, "said Jack Vettel, a councilman in Hillsdale, a city of 8,200 about 75 miles southwest of Detroit. "He does care about this town. He's been here all his life. ”

Sessions will receive＄3, 600 a year during his four-year term, and will work out of his bedroom since the town does not provide the mayor with an office.

1.What is TRUE of Sessions' election campaign according to the text?

A．Sessions launched his election campaign on Sept. 22.

B．Sessions worked so hard that he once tried to persuade people in a hospital.

C．Sessions won the election campaign by a very close outcome.

D．Sessions felt disappointed when asked about his age and experience.

2.In order to gain more support from the voters Sessions had to do all these things EXCEPT＿.

A．put up posters'                         B．renew the economy

C．sell apples                             D．talk to neighbors in kitchens

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A．American mayors usually work from 3 p. m. to 6 p. m.

B．In America, young people are encouraged to get involved in politics.

C．All teenagers are allowed to enter political elections.

D．American mayors receive a salary of 3, 600 a year during their 4-year term.

4.Which of the following would best summarize the text?

A．Schoolboy becomes American's youngest mayor.

B．How to become a teenage mayor.

C．Hard work is the ticket to success.

D．Never too young to shake the world.