If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
　　If you say to your children “I’m sorry I got angry with you, but …” what follows that “but” can render the apology ineffective: “I had a bad day” or “your noise was giving me a headache ” leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.
　　Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say “I’m sorry you’re upset”; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
　　Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying “I’m useless as a parent” does not commit a person to any specific improvement.
　　These pseudo-apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not resort to these pseudo-apologies.
　　But even when presented with examples of genuine contrition, children still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children’s expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that raiding the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent’s clothes without permission is not.
小題1:According to the author, saying “I’m sorry you’re upset” most probably means “_______”.

A．You have good reason to get upset

B．I’m aware you’re upset, but I’m not to blame

C．I apologize for hurting your feelings

D．I’m at fault for making you upset

小題2:We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry _______.

A．the complexities involved should be ignored

B．their ages should be taken into account

C．parents need to set them a good example

D．parents should be patient and tolerant

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is _______.

A．a social issue calling for immediate attention

B．not necessary among family members

C．a sign of social progress

D．not as simple as it seems

Have you ever intended to be fully absorbed in your work but found yourself distracted by e-mail, the Internet and other things throughout the day? According to the survey made by a famous university in the USA, most people have the experience.
"People often lose their concentration when they are bored, of course, but also when they are engaged in challenging tasks," says Peter Bregman, the head of the survey. "They sometimes have a feeling to escape from what's difficult or boring, so they jump out," he says. The part of the brain devoted to attention is connected to the brain's emotional center. Any strong emotion —quarrels with colleagues, problems at home —can interrupt our attention. Studies over the last decade have shown that too much work to do at a time can easily lead to distraction.
Refocusing is hard for many people. Robert Epstein suggests the following, "Stop and listen to some soft music for a few minutes. Find a good friend or a teacher and say out your matter on your mind. Go for a short walk or take a deep breath, where you breathe in deeply, count to five slowly, hold it and breathe out very slowly." This can "blow out all the tension and the unwanted in your mind to restore your focus."
Take more control by structuring your time and becoming more aware of your behaviors. "Setting the phone alarm to go off every hour is my way of creating awareness," Mr. Bregman says. "You have to inform yourself that you've lost focus in order to do something about it." Starting the day with a to-do list is also important, such as when to eat, when to go to the gym or take a walk. But if it's overly ambitious, you will put yourself in a state of anxiety, which makes it hard for the brain to concentrate. "Choosing three or four things as your priority for the day allows your brain to settle down and focus," he says.
小題1:According to the passage, which is NOT the reason why some people can be distracted from their work?

A．They don't want to be devoted to their work.

B．They are disturbed by the Internet and other things.

C．They can't find interest in their work.

D．They feel their work is too hard for them.

小題2:Which incident might NOT interrupt your attention?

A．You were scolded by your teacher.

B．You had words with your good friend.

C．You went to school at six as usual.

D．Your mother and father had a quarrel.

小題3:What's the meaning of the underlined word "restore" in the passage?

A．recover

B．reform

C．release

D．react

小題4:According to Robert Epstein, how can we refocus on what we should do?

A．Listen to rock music for some time.

B．Turn to your good friends or teachers for help.

C．Run around the playground for some time.

D．Take a breath from time to time.

Sailing Through History
A group of 1,309 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral on Sunday, in Southampton, England, on a voyage to retrace the path of the Titanic. The Titanic was the biggest ship in the world when it sailed on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. Of the 2,227 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died. The ship, which was headed to New York City, carried the rich and famous on its first voyage. It also carried immigrants, who were seeking a better life in America.
Relatives of people who sailed on the Titanic, historians, authors and people fascinated by the story of the unsinkable ship, are on the Balmoral. They want to remember the doomed ship and those who died on her first and last voyage. The historic liner had set sail on April 10, 1912, from Southampton. Late at night on April 14, she hit an iceberg. In the early morning hours of April 15, the Titanic sank.
The Balmoral is following Titanic’s original route from Southampton. First, the modern-day cruise liner docked in the port of Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic had picked up more passengers. On Monday afternoon, the Balmoral stops in Cobh, Ireland, the Titanic’s last port of call before sailing to New York.
Balmoral will then cruise the North Atlantic Ocean to the location where Titanic hit an iceberg that ripped the ship’s hull(外殼). On Sunday, April 15, at 2:20 a.m.—the time the Titanic went down—passengers and crew will hold a memorial service. The next two days will be spent in Halifax, Canada, where many victims of the sinking are buried. Then, the Balmoral will reach its final destination in New York City, where Titanic was supposed to dock—but never did.
Until today, several teams of divers have explored the site. They have recovered some items such as dishes and silverware and put them on public display. And more trips are planned to the wreckage in the future. The Titanic and its passengers and crew have been remembered in books, movies and TV programs. But there’s a much more important contribution that Titanic gave us. After she sank, lawmakers and shipbuilders made ships safer. It took a terrible tragedy to make ship travel safer for all.
小題1:How many passengers in Titanic survived at last?

A．More than 1500.

B．About 1309.

C．About 1000.

D．Less than 750.

小題2:How many countries does the Balmoral reach before sailing to New York?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．five.

小題3:The Balmoral will stay in Canada just __________.

A．in memory of the dead passengers in the Balmoral

B．in memory of the survivors in Titanic

C．in memory of the dead passengers in Titanic

D．in memory of the survivors in the Balmoral

小題4:What might be the most important contribution of sunken Titanic?

A．Its site attracts more exploring teams.

B．It makes the later ships more secure.

C．Some of its items are on public display.

D．More trips are planned to its wreckage.

When I asked my daughter which item she would keep; the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said“the phone”. Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual. Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
Point 1 The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?
Point 2 The mobile phone means that we are never alone. “The mobile saved my life,”says Crystal Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance(救護車) to her rescue.
Point 3 The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at and time of day to ask where they are , where they are going, and how their last meeting went.
Point 4 The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, “We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near——but we didn’t meet for the first two weeks!”
Point 5 The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously ( 同時地) on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn’t know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they’re space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access(進入) the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.
小題1:How do you understand‘Point 1 —The telephone creates the need to communicate,6…’？

A．People don’t communicate without telephone.

B．People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.

C．People communicate more since telephone has been created.

D．People communicate more because of more traffic.

小題2:Which of the following best shows people’s attitude towards mobile phones?

A．Mobile phones help people deal with the emergency.

B．Mobile phones bring convenience as well little secret to people.

C．Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged.

D．Mobile phones are part of people’s life.

小題3:Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people’s life?
a.      Point 1. b. Point2. c. Point3. d. Point 4. e. Point 5.

A．c, d

B．a, e

C．a, c

D．b, e

小題4:It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through .

A．the TV screen	B．a fax machine
C．the phone line hooked up to the computer	D．a microphone

小題5:The best heading for the passage is .

A．The power of Phone	B．Kinds of Phone
C．How to Use Phones	D．Advantage of Phones

Dear Teresa Silva,
The official of the university has reported to us that you are an English major who meets the high standards for membership in Sigma Tau Delta. As is known, Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. It is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 850 chapters in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Over 9,000 new members are admitted into the organization annually.
Sigma Tau Delta’s purpose is to promote literature and writing and to advance the study of the written word. Members gather annually in the spring at the international meeting to present papers and share experiences and ideas within the English subject. The Society offers tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships, awards, as well as publication chances in its journals The Rectangle and The Sigma Tau Delta Review.
It is our pleasure if you can complete the application for Sigma Tau Delta membership. If you would like to be included in this spring’s induction (入會) ceremony, please complete the application form, and include amount to cover both local and international fees. Your completed form must be received by date to be considered for the upcoming induction ceremony.
We congratulate you on your outstanding academic record and hope you will join us as a Sigma Tau Delta member. If you want to get more information, please visit our website www.sigmataudelta.org, or give us a call. The phone number is 583-2864.
Sincerely,
Emily Lister
小題1:According to the passage, Sigma Tau Delta ______.

A．deals with language learning

B．opens its door to all the students of English

C．changes its members every year

D．mainly takes charge of scientific publications

小題2:At the annual meeting, members of Sigma Tau Delta have the chance to ______.

A．meet all the chapter leaders

B．receive tens of thousands of dollars

C．share experiences and views

D．choose a particular subject as a major

小題3:This passage is basically a letter of _____.

A．introduction

B．congratulation

C．thanks

D．invitation

Who is your role model? Normally the answer to this question would be anyone around you who you find truly inspiring. It could also be someone like J. K. Rowling or Martin Luther King Jr. who have proven to be strong and intelligent people.
However, in today's world, stars are regarded as role models along with the heroes listed above, despite their intentions or actions. Teens attempt to imitate their actions for two major reasons. First, to be fashionable and accepted by popular culture, and second»because stars' actions are so well documented by the media that it seems to grab our attention and turns it to following stars' lives. Much of the reports about stars is shocking and exhibits bad morals or lifestyles that aren't right for teenagers. In addition, almost everything stars do is described beyond truth to make a shocking story by taking it to the next level.
However, teens must take responsibility for their actions. We can't always blame stars for influencing us. Only you have control over yourself and only you choose to do something. Our bodies and actions are in the hands of no one else.
Now, who ever said stars are role models? Whether they choose to be or not, stars set examples as soon as they step into the spotlight. With reporters following and recording every move they make, it is impossible not to be watched and then be imitated. These people influence, teens whether or not they want to. Why should someone who doesn't want to be setting an example set one? So，should we look up to them or to people who are true and good role models? It's our responsibility as teens to know right from wrong, and it's time for us to take responsibility for our actions. In doing so，we will lean toward those inspiring people that want to be setting an example, and follow in their steps to be like them. 
小題1:According to the first paragraph, _____can usually be role models.

A．political leaders

B．wealthy writers

C．people inspiring others

D．people with great intelligence

小題2:What are the major reasons for the teens to imitate stars? _____.

A．Interest in stars' life and expectation of getting rich

B．Motivation for being fashionable and inspiration from popular examples

C．Intentions to gain acceptance and encouragement from stars' lifestyle

D．Desires to be stylish and great influence from the mass media

小題3:The author writes the passage mainly to advise the teenagers to_____.

A．have a control over their own bodies and actions

B．be responsible for their own choices and behaviors

C．follow fashionable stars' steps to be more popular

D．choose right role models according to different reports

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that  .

A．stars have the responsibility for teenagers' actions

B．not all famous stars choose to influence teenagers

C．teenagers choose those inspiring people as their role models

D．stars set examples immediately they stepped into the spotlight

Mom and Dad are two of the most important people in your life. You probably see at least one of them every day. If your dad worships(崇拜) the Pittsburgh Stealers, you are likely to grow up being a big fun of that football team. And if your mom loves to read you just might grow up carrying everywhere you go, just like she does.
Here are four ways you can stay close and build a strong relationship with your parents.
1. Spent time together. How much time do you spend just enjoying each other’s company? Instead of playing a computer game or watching TV, maybe you can ask your mom and dad to play with you. Go outside together, try a board game, or read a book out.
2. Share your feelings and ask for help. Your mom or dad may not know that you are having a problem. Tell a parent if you are sad or struggling with something.
3. Show your care. Some families are always kissing, hugging, and saying “I love you”. It’s important to show that you care for each other. In addition to kisses and hugs, kids and parents show their love by respecting each other, being caring, polite, and thoughtful.
4. Whatever you do, do your best! You don’t have to be perfect, but when you do your best, you make your parents proud. It makes them happy to see how you are turning into such a great kid. Why? Because it lets them know they’re doing a good job.
小題1:The first paragraph mainly tells us___________.   

A．the Pittsburgh Stealers is a famous football team

B．the kid will like reading if his or her mother likes

C．parents influence(影響) their kids greatly.

D．we should follow our parents’ hobbies.

小題2:In the third paragraph, the author suggests that ____________.  

A．you keep your parents company all the time

B．you stay at home with your parents

C．you do something together with your parents.

D．you enjoy games when your parents watch TV

小題3:The underlined part “they’re doing a good job” means_____________. 

A．they have very good jobs

B．their jobs can bring the family much money

C．they make you become a great kid

D．they make you find a good job.

小題4:The text intends to（旨在）tell us______________. 

A．parents are important to everyone

B．how we get along with our parents

C．to respect our parents

D．to share feelings with our parents

Dear Bridge of Hope supporters,
July 2010 was a productive month for the teachers at BOH. Marilyn traveled to Liberia and helped Kathleen Ngenda with her teacher training program on Basic Adult Literacy. During the eight-day training, she helped the teachers learn to pronounce, spell and write correctly. They are currently working on personal sets of cards and lists so that they can teach this concept to students in the fall. Kathleen plans on two trips back to the school to monitor teachers in their teaching.
Marilyn found a very dedicated （投入的）and enthusiastic group of elementary teachers who are focused on bettering themselves as educators. BOHUSA will offer financial support for their further educational studies this fall. Our goal is to have all staff be certified by the end of 2013.
The Liberian government recommends a C-certificate for teachers of elementary students, which can be obtained in one year of education classes (taken on Saturdays).
There is a great need to add seventh and eighth grade classrooms and a library. There is actually no room, however, and so we need to add a second floor. Currently the ground floor houses the church and the school uses this space for daily services. The first floor would give space for three more classrooms, in addition to a large reading room and computer labs. About $40,000 to 50,000 is required to meet the educational needs.
If you would like to contribute to this building project, please make out your check to:
Bridge of Hope
12002 Arnold Rd.
Orrville, Ohio 44667
Bridge of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization. You do not have to pay tax on your contributions.
小題1:Marilyn went to Liberia to ______.

A．take a trip	B．visit a school
C．take training classes	D．help train teachers

小題2:What do we know about the school from Paragraph 4?

A．It needs repair	B．It needs expansion
C．It has no office.	D．It has an old library,

小題3:The purpose of the letter is to _________.

A．show the achievements of BOH

B．thank BOH supporters for their concern

C．raise money for an educational project

D．call people’s attention to education in Liberia

Time out
Cover Price: ￡2.35
Save up to 42%
Time out — London’s arts and entertainment weekly. This magazine offers the best listings and reviews of arts, music, films and nightlife, and it is a necessary guide to the entertainment capital of the world. If you’re not using Time out, you’re losing out on London.
School Sport Magazine
Cover Price: ￡4.40
School Sport Magazine is the only publication of its kind to celebrate the sporting achievements of schools, pupils and teachers in the UK. The purpose of the magazine is to report sporting news and record national and regional school sporting events as well as interviews with famous sport stars about their own sporting schooldays. Five issues (期) a year.
Time
Cover Price: ￡2.70
Save up to 76%
Every week, Time keeps you well informed of world news, covering all the matters that affect your life, from political struggles to scientific progress, environmental problems, and what’s new in business, fashion and arts. Its feature articles give you brief but true information and unique insights from world-leading journalists. Time is a great magazine, which can help you develop a truly global perspective.
FourFourTwo
Cover Price: ￡3.90
Save up to 25%
FourFourTwo is a monthly football magazine for grown-up readers. Feature articles and wonderful action photographs will keep you attracted. You can read interviews with big name football stars, from today, tomorrow and yesterday. You’ll love it!
小題1:Among all of the above, there is/ are ________ weekly magazine(s).

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．four

小題2: Which of the following magazines will probably provide you with articles about paintings and their painters?

A．Time Out & School Sport Magazine.

B．School Sport Magazine & FourFourTwo.

C．Time Out & Time.

D．only Time.

小題3:Which of the following magazines is suitable for a 13-year-old boy who wants to know about a famous football star’s playing experiences at school?

A．Time Out.

B．School Sport Magazine.

C．Time

D．School Sport Magazine or FourFourTwo.

小題4:We can learn from the passage that ________ .

A．all of the magazines are intended for adults.

B．among all the magazines, only School Sport Magazine is about sports.

C．Time Out & School Sport Magazine might be published in the United Kingdom.

D．among all the magazines, Time Out will cost you the least.

小題5:The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________ .

A．advertise four best-sellers

B．introduce four popular magazines to readers

C．ask readers to decide which of the four magazines is the best

D．get more people to buy these magazines

It took courage to stand up at work. Now more and more people like to have a change and stand up when they are on something important. Standing up is popular. Medical researchers have found that people who stand at work tend to be much healthier than those who sit.
In the last few years, many office supply companies have begun to sell the adjustable- height desk. These so- called “ sit/ stand” models are equipped with an electric motor that lets them shift from chair height to person height at the push of a button. Unfortunately, they’re regarded as specially furniture. Sit/ stand desks tend to be expensive, hard to find and not easy to test it in person.
When you worked standing up, your mind was more excited and new ideas kept coming out. This is because when you’re standing, you feel a bit unchained from your desk. If you got stuck on a word or sentence as you wrote, you found yourself shaking your arms, bouncing on your feet or stepping away from the desk for a bit------ things you couldn’t do in a chair. Often, standing up seemed to relax your mind enough for you to get over creative barriers.
There’s one other thing about standing for a long time;  you tended to get hungrier than you do when you sit on a chair. That felt like confirmation of the stand-up advocates’ belief that you burn more calories when you stand than when you sit. For this reason alone, I’m hoping that sit/ stand desks one day hit the mainstream, with mass- market furniture companies making many low- priced versions. We could all do with a bit more standing up.
小題1:We can learn that the adjustable- height desk is_______.

A．easy to find	B．easy to test
C．relatively cheap	D．smart in operation

小題2:According to para.3, standing up while working ______.

A．tends to make us much healthier

B．get us distracted from the work at hand

C．can make us relaxed and be creative

D．make us move about and unfocused

小題3:The underlined word “ unchained” in para.3 means “_______”

A．free

B．tired

C．uneasy

D．Unbalanced