---You have to believe in yourself. No one else will, if you don't.

---______. Confidence is really important.

A．It's not my cup of tea                     B．That's not the point

C．I don't think so                          D．I couldn't agree more

 

Don’t talk to me; I’m busy with my iPhone

Riding a London subway, a person from China will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other. In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness—people are just too busy to bother looking.

Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet reflection, nor are they reading a book. New technology has replaced quiet habits. Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.

Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（乘车上下班的人）. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000—yes, that’s 40,000—“apps” （programs downloaded for the iPhone） have been designed.

Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks. Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. ISteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “ steam” on your phone screen.

For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be another choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music—iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.

And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied， then perhaps you would prefer a film. The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV show or film on the way to work. With all this entertainments, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.

1.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because they are busy ________.

A．playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films.

B．going to work

C．reading books

D．thinking private things

2.Those who like war games can download ________ to their iPhones.

A．Tube Exits   B．iShoot C．ISteam         D．iPod

3.The underlined word “occupied” in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A．delighted    B．busy    C．controlled   D．amused

4.The article tells us that ________.

A．London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B．Apple has earned a lo of money from selling 40,000 iPhones

C．with all the new time-fillers, London commuters often forget to get off the train.

D．technology is changing the way London commuters spend their traveling time.

 

A good friend of mine was complaining about her son the other day．“Did you notice,” she started, “how he didn’t wait for me to get my salad before he dove into his?”

True enough, the boy attacked his plate faster than a cat in the wild．Without manners, we’re no more than animals．Actually, that’s not true．I’ve been watching and feeding a group of wild cats, and they show unusual politeness toward each other．Even when food is scarce, they take turns, leaving at least a small part for the next in line．

My mother educated her three children to have good manners all the time．We were made to feel very uncomfortable as if we were sitting on pins and needles until we got used to saying please, thank you, pardon me, and I’m sorry．And I have to say, while it was a painful learning experience, it was one of the most valuable．

I can’t tell you how often I sat with my friends, eating at their dinner tables, and their parents thought highly of my good manners．While it was a little embarrassing, I knew even then that my mother’s teachings were paying off．

Many years later, when I was attending seminars across the country, my manners were quite useful．

While I regret that I haven’t been a perfect example, I’m still working on it．I suppose, in this regard, my mother lives on through me．I didn’t have her beautiful singing voice or her green eyes, but she did make sure I received one of her finest characteristics．

1.What did the writer’s friend most probably complain about?

A．Her son’s eating too quickly．

B．Her son’s not having a healthy diet．

C．Her son’s not having good table manners．

D．Teenagers’ not having good manners．

2.The underlined word “scarce” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”．

A．too much	B．not delicious
C．not enough	D．quite hot

3.We learn that the writer’s mother __________．

A．was strict about her children’s manners

B．never punished her children

C．had beautiful blue eyes

D．was not good at singing

4.What does the writer think of her experience of learning good manners?

A．Easy and relaxing	B．Painful and valuable
C．Easy but useless	D．Too horrible

5.We can infer from the passage that the writer _________．

A．is surely liked by everyone around her

B．is not satisfied with most people’s manners around her

C．thinks she has been a perfect example to the young

D．thanks her mother for teaching her the good manners a lot

 

Commencement (毕业典礼) is a time for idealism.

But economic reality is cruel everywhere; especially for new graduate. They have been told repeatedly that a college degree is an open sesame(芝麻) to the global economy. But that’s not necessarily so, according to new research by two economists at he Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Frank Levy and Peter Temin.

It is true that people with college degrees make more money than people without degrees. The gap has narrowed somewhat in recent years, which is disturbing. But the earning power of college graduates still far outpaces that of less-educated workers.

The bad news, though, is that a college degree does not ensure a bigger share of the economics pie for many graduates. In recent decades Mr. Levy and Mr. Temin show, only college-educated women have seen their income grow in line with economy wide gains in productivity. The earnings of male college graduates have failed to keep pace with productivity gains.

Instead, a huge share of productivity growth, which expands the nation’s income, is going to Americans on the top of the income scale. In 2005, the latest year with available data, the top of 1 percent of Americans---whose average annual income was $ 1.1 million--- took in 21.8 percent of the nation’s income, their largest share since 1929.

Administration officials, and other politicians and economists, often, believe that income inequality, reflects an education gap. But Mr. Levy and Mr. Temin show that in the case of men, the average bachelor’s degree is not enough to catch the rising tide of the global economy.

They argue that the real reason that inequality is worsening is the lack of strong policies that broadly distribute economic gains. In the past, for example, a more progressive income tax and unions promote equality. Positive measures have been eroding and new ones have not yet emerged, making the income gap even greater.

Mr. Levy and Mr. Temin conclude that only a new government policy can restore general prosperity. That’s a challenge to the nation’s leader and today’s graduates. America needs them to contribute to the development of the nation in global economy.

1.The passage is mainly about that _______.

A．there is a big income gap between female and male college graduates in America.

B．college graduates find it hard to find an ideal job after graduation in America.

C．research shows that American government should take measures to ensure income equality for college graduates

D．college degrees are losing value in America.

2.What is the main idea of paragraph 5?

A．The whole nation has enjoyed a big income growth with the growth of productivity.

B．Much of the total income in America has been gained by a few very rich people.

C．A small part of people in America have income increase.

D．Upper class Americans contribute most to productivity growth.

3.The underlined word “eroding” in paragraph 7 probably means _______.

A．being gradually destroyed by wind or rain

B．gradually reducing power

C．gradually disappearing

D．gradually not suitable

4.We can infer from the passage that _______.

A．female college graduates have higher income than male ones.

B．female college graduates have benefited from some governmental measures to ensure their income growth.

C．income tax can grantee income equality.

D．new measures and policies have been taken to promote income equality.

5.From the passage, some economists believe that the worsening income inequality is caused by ______.

A．lower college degree of college graduates

B．lack of proper governmental policies

C．gender discrimination

D．underdevelopment of economy and productivity.

 

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 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 clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh 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 true? 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 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.

1.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

2.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

3.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

4.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