When John was growing up, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him weeding the garden, carrying out the garbage and delivering newspapers. But when John reached adulthood, he was better off than his childhood playmates. He had more job satisfaction, a better marriage and was healthier. Most of all, he was happier. Far happier.

These are the findings of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 teenage boys from Boston. The study showed that those who had worked as boys enjoyed happier and more productive lives than those who had not. “Boys who worked in the home or community gained competence (能力) and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society,” said George Vaillant, the psychologist (心理學(xué)家) who made the discovery. “And because they felt good about themselves, others felt good about them.”

Vaillant’s study followed these males in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25, 31 and 47. Under Vaillant, the researchers compared the men’s mental-health scores with their boyhood-activity scores with their boyhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.

The link between what the men had done as boys and how they turned out as adults was surprisingly sharp. Those who had done the most boyhood activities were twice as likely to have warm relations with a wide variety of people, five times as likely to be well paid and 16 times less likely to have been unemployed. The researchers also found that IQ and family social and economic class made no real difference in how the boys turned out. Working----at any age----is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence---the underpinnings (基礎(chǔ)) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. The most competent adults are those who know how to do this. Yet work isn’t everything. As Tolstoy once said, “One can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one’s work.”

1.What do we know about John?

A. He enjoyed his career and marriage.

B. He had few childhood playmates.

C. He received little love from his family.

D. He was envied by others in his childhood.

2.Vaillant’s words in Paragraph 2 serve as _____.

A. a description of personal values and social values

B. an analysis of how work was related to competence

C. an example for parents’ expectations of their children

D. an explanation why some boys grew into happy men

3.Vaillant’s team obtained their findings by _____.

A. recording the boys’ effort in school

B. evaluating the men’s mental health

C. comparing different sets of scores

D. measuring the men’s problem solving ability

4.What does the underlined word “sharp” probably mean in Paragraph 4?

A. Quick to react B. Having a thin edge

C. Clear and definite D. sudden and rapid

5.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. competent adults know more about love than work.

B. Emotional health is essential to a wonderful adult life.

C. Love brings more joy to people than work does.

D. Independence is the key to one’s success.

Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has. There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding.

We experience this tiredness in two ways: as start-up fatigue(疲憊) and performance fatigue. In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it has either too boring or too difficult. And the longer we delay it, the more tired we feel.

Such start-up fatigue is very real, even if not actually physical, not something in our muscles and bones. The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first.

Years ago, I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors. Applying my own rule, I determined to write them in alphabetical(按字母順序), never letting myself leave out a tough idea. And I always started the day’s work with the difficult task of essay-writing. Experience proved that the rule works.

Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle. Though willing to get started, we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that, however hard we work, we fail again and again. In such a situation, I work as hard as I can-then let the unconscious take over.

When planning Encyclopaedia Britannica (《大英百科全書》), I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and day after dat I kept coming up with solutions, but none of them worked. My fatigue became almost unbearable.

One day, mentally exhausted, I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved. I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me. Relived, I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep.

An hour later, I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind. In the weeks that followed, the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind provided correct at every step. Though I worked as hard as before, I felt no fatigue. Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing.

Human beings, I believe must try to succeed. Success, then, means never feeling tired.

1.People with start-up fatigue are most likely to .

A. delay tasks B. work hard

C. seek help D. accept failure

2.What does the author recommend doing to prevent start-up fatigue?

A. Writing essays in strict order.

B. Building up physical strength.

C. Leaving out the toughest ideas.

D. Dealing with the hardest task first.

3.On what occasion does a person probably suffer from performance fatigue?

A. Before starting a difficult task.

B. When all the solutions fail.

C. If the job is rather boring.

D. After finding a way out.

4.According to the author, the unconscious mind may help us .

A. ignore mental problems B. get some nice sleep

C. gain complete relief D. find the right solution

5.What could be the best title for the passage?

A. Success Is Built upon Failure

B. How to Handle Performance Fatigue

C. Getting over Fatigue: A Way to Success

D. Fatigue: An Early Sign of Health Problems

完形填空

The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.

Cathy suffered some terrible _________ in her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she _________ became healthy.

Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer, she wanted to _________out local swim team. She practiced hard and finally _________ it. The team practice, _________ was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly _________ her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to _________ her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swimsuit _________ to go! I told her she shouldn’t swim after a whole night’s coughing, but she refused to_________ and insisted she go .

From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn’t _________ a single practice. She had a_________ intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten—year—old was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this _________ human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of _________of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn’t a _________ ---ever. But that didn’t stop her from trying.

Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn’t expect any award but was still there to _________ her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach _________ , “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her _________ and enthusiasm. _________ skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset(財(cái)富)one can hold is the heart.”

It was the greatest _________ of my daughter’s life. With all she hade been _________ in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph(成功).

1.A. failure B. pressure C. loss D. illness

2.A. usually B. finally C. firstly D. frequently

3.A. improve B. train C. join D. contact

4.A. increased B. found C. created D. made

5.A. however B. therefore C. otherwise D. instead

6.A. use B. survive C. save D. waste

7.A. pull B. tell C. hide D. fire

8.A. afraid B. nervous C. ready D. free

9.A. take off B. set off C. give up D.show up

10.A. attend B. miss C. ban D. Start

11.A. rich B. weak C. firm D. kind

12.A. trusted B. determined C. experienced D. embarrassed

13.A. frustration B. delight C. excitement D. surprise

14.A. beginner B. learner C. partner D. winner

15.A. cheer on B. compete with C. respond to D. run after

16.A. admitting B. explaining C. announcing D. whispering

17.A. humor B. will C. honesty D. wisdom

18.A. Although B. Since C. Once D. Because

19.A. discovery B. choice C. influence D. moment

20.A. through B. under C. across D. around

單詞拼寫

1.She has one of the most _________(才華橫溢的) minds in the country.

2.Scientists have made a major_______(突破) in the treatment of cancer.

3.Please help me to _______(計(jì)算) out my income tax.

4.They made use of ______(先進(jìn)的) technology to send up a man-made satellites.

5.The stamp ______(附著) to the envelope is unique.

6.The surgeon _______(診斷) his illness as a rare bone disease.

7.During the most productive time in her _____(生涯)， she wrote five novels.

8.Please tell me what happened in ______（簡潔）；I don’t go into the details.

9.Our main task now is increasing _____(產(chǎn)量)。

10.________(農(nóng)業(yè)) plays an important part in our daily life.

11.The public should be ______(教育) in how to use energy more efficiently.

12.There was a woman lying _____(昏迷不醒的) on the floor.

13.Although we were busy, we accepted the _______(邀請) to the wedding.

14.She got into a ______(恐慌) when she couldn’t find the keys.

15.I hope our holiday will be ____(延長)

16.We asked for _______(平等)

17.He won a round of _______(掌聲) when he ended his speech.

18.Some historians think the dreams of ancient peoples led to the development of _______(宗教)

19.I seem to have ________(使參與) myself in something I don’t understand.

20.The old man knows how to _____(交流) with dogs.

21.If it is ____(方便的) to you, I will call on you after work.

22.Because of the heavy traffic, I had to get to my ______(目的地) two hours before the lecture time.

23.Have you found a ______(解決方法) to your trouble?

24.Not many people agree with the government’s ________(預(yù)言) that he economy will be improved.

25.After some argument, Ruth was ________(最終) won over to our side.

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當(dāng)?shù)膬?nèi)容（1個單詞）或括號內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。

If you feel stressed by responsibilities at work, you should take a step back and identify (識別)those of 1. (great)and less importance. Then, handle the most important tasks first so you’ll feel a real sense of 2. (achieve). Leaving the less important things until tomorrow 3. (be) often acceptable.

Most of us are more focused 4. our tasks in the morning than we are later in the day. So, get an early start and try to be as productive 5. possible before lunch. This will give you the confidence you need to get you through the afternoon and go home feeling accomplished.

Recent 6. (study) show that we are far more productive at work if we take short breaks 7. (regular). Give your body and brain a rest by stepping outside for 8. while, exercising, or dong something you enjoy.

If you find something you love doing outside of the office, you’ll be less likely 9. (bring) your work home. It could be anything-gardening, cooking, music, sports—but whatever it is, 10. (make) sure it’s a relief from daily stress rather than another thing to worry about.

短文改錯

The summer holiday is coming. My classmates and I are talking about how to do during the holiday. We can chose between staying at home and take a trip. If we stay at home, it is comfortable but there is no need to spend money. But in that case, we will learn little about world. If we go on a trip abroad, we can broaden you view and gain knowledges we cannot get from books. Some classmates suggest we can go to places of interest nearby. I thought that it is a good idea. It does not cost many, yet we can still learn a lot.

The Exterminating Angel

Director: Luis Bunuel

Country/Date: Mexico/1962(black and white)

Introduction: A party is organized in a high class society house. Many people are drinking and eating. It’s getting late, but nobody is leaving. Even though the door is open, people seem to be locked in the house. They can’t leave either the day or on the following days. So a rescue began.

The Net

Director: Irwin Winkler

Country/Date: USA/1995

Introduction: Angela Bennettt is a computer programmer who has devoted her life to computers and the Internet. She spends hours and hours in front of the screen. She does everything over the Internet, and she has some close friends in a chat room, though she has never talked to her neighbors.

Kung Fu Panda

Director: Mark Osborne & John Stevenson

Country/Date: Mexico/2008

Introduction: The leading character is a panda whose name is Po. He is lazy first but he has a great dream--to be a kung fu master. To make his dream come true, he goes to a faraway temple to learn kung fu from a master. However, one of his brothers, Tai Long wants to become the kung fu master, killing many of his brothers even the master. So Po fights against Tai Long and defeats him. The film is good especially for kids.

Life is Beautiful

Director: Roberto Benigni

Country/Date: Italy/1998

Introduction: In 1939, during World War II in Italy, Guido, a hopeful man, the main character fell in love with Dora, and they got married. Five years later, their lives changed. Guido and Joshua were taken by Nazis(納粹) to a concentration camp and Dora also went there with her husband and son. At that place, Guido tried his best to save his son’s life in a special way.

1.Who is the director of The Net ?

A．Luis Bunuel B．Mark Osborne

C．Irwin Winkler D．Roberto Benigni

2.Which film is black and white?

A．The Net B. The Exterminating Angel

C．Kung Fu Panda D．Life is Beautiful

3.Which film is especially fit for kids?

A．The Exterminating Angel B. Kung Fu Panda

C． The Net D．Life is Beautiful

4.What can we learn about Life is Beautiful?

A． The story is set in World War II.

B．It is about a rescue of people who can’t leave a house.

C．It was made in America in 1995.

D．The main character is absorbed in computer.

In American schools there is something called Homecoming Day. Many high schools and colleges with a football team have a homecoming game. This can be the most important event of the year except graduation or commencement day(畢業(yè)典禮)．Students plan Homecoming Day for many weeks in advance.

Several days before Homecoming，students start to decorate the school. There are signs to wish luck to the team，and many other signs to welcome all the graduates. Many people still come to Homecoming twenty or thirty years after their graduation.

The members of school clubs build booths(攤位) and sell lemonade(檸檬)，apples and sandwiches. Some clubs help to welcome visitors.

During the day people like to look for teachers that they remember from long ago. Often they see old friends and they talk together about those happy years in school.

Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When the game is half over，the band comes onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the Homecoming Queen or King appears. All the students vote a most popular student. It is a great honor to be chosen.

Homecoming is a happy day，but it is not perfect unless the football team wins the game. Even if the team loses，the students still enjoy Homecoming. Some stay at the school to dance，and others go to a party. For everyone it is a day worth remembering.

1.The most important event of the year in American high schools and colleges is ________.

A．Homecoming B．the football game

C． winning the game D. graduation．

2.When do students begin to arrange everything for Homecoming?

A．.Many weeks before the day.

B. The day before Homecoming

C．When the guests arrive

D．In the days before Homecoming.

3.Which of the following is NOT done on Homecoming Day?

A．To see old friends.

B．To call on teachers they remember.

C．To go home to see their family

D．To watch the football game

4.Who can probably become Homecoming Queen or King?

A．The guest who is most popular with the students.

B．The student who is liked most by the others.

C．The student who is most liked by the guests.

D．The player who plays best in the football game.

When he was driving home one evening on a country road, he saw an old lady, stranded(拋錨的) on the side of the road. He stopped in front of her car and got out. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. He looked poor and hungry. He knew how she felt. He said’ “I am here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Joe.”

She had a flat tire(輪胎). Joe crawled under the car, changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She could not thank him enough and asked him how much she owed him. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the help they needed, and Joe added, “And think of me.”

She drove off. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small restaurant. She went in. The waitress had a sweet smile, and was nearly eight months pregnant(懷孕) The old lady wondered how someone like her who seemed poor could be so kind to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her change from a hundred-dollar bill. But she stepped right out the door.

When the waitress came back, she noticed something written on a napkin(餐巾), “I am helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here ‘s what you do--Do not let the chain of love end with you.”

That night when she got home, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. She and her husband needed money with the baby due (預(yù)產(chǎn)期)next month. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe.”

1.When Joe stopped to help the lady, she _______.

A. became excited B. refused his offer

C. was afraid to be hurt D. thanked him

2.Why did the lady leave the restaurant without getting her change?

A. She forgot it.

B. She wanted to give the waitress some help.

C. She would get it later.

D. She wanted to help Joe.

3.We can learn from the text that____________.

A. Joe’s boss fired him.

B. Joe’s wife was the waitress.

C. Joe worked as a driver.

D. Joe had an unhappy marriage.

4.By telling the story, the writer tries to show that_______.

A. helping others made oneself happy.

B. a happy family depends on a happy marriage

C. poverty is not a threat to a happy marriage.

D. kindness can be spread

Hi, everybody! Welcome to our newly-opened Richards Cinema Bookstore!

Now let me introduce to you some of the new film books in our store.

Are you Chinese film fans? OK, here comes the latest 25 New Takes about Chinese films. It is a collection of 25 fresh readings of different Chinese films from the 1930s to the present. In recent years, Chinese films are very popular in the States, such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Flowers of Shanghai.

Do you like French films? Well, here is The French Cinema Book. It covers French films from the 1890s to the beginning of the 21st century. It is written for all lovers of French cinema: students and teachers, specialists and fans, and so on.

Maybe you are Indian film fans and star-chasers. Then here is Encyclopedia (百科全書) of Indian Cinema. The book is a complete introduction to all the best Indian films. It also offers a full list of names of the famous and successful film stars in the past ten years. You know, the Indian film industry is the largest in the world after our Hollywood.

If you like British films, we have The British Cinema Book. It is a good review of British cinema. This book contains a good many nice pictures.

In our bookstore, you can also find books about Mexican, Japanese, Australian, German and Italian films.

Well, please help yourselves to some coffee or tea, and have a good time here!

1.The speaker of the passage is most probably _______.

A. the author of 25 New Takes

B. the manager of the cinema bookstore

C. a tourist in the cinema bookstore

D. a reader of Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema

2.How many Asian countries does the speaker refer to when he talks about the film books?

A. Two. B. Four. C. Three. D. Nine.

3.Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage？

A. Indian cinema is second only to Hollywood.

B. The French Cinema Book covers over a century's French films.

C. Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon is well received in the States.

D. The British Cinema Book includes a complete list of names of stars.