One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering（阻止）your growth in this company passed away . We invite you to join the funeral（葬礼）in the room that has been prepared in the gym . ”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here!”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin（棺材） and when then they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
1.Who has ever hindered the employees of the large company in St. Louis, Missouri?
A. The boss B. The leader of their group
C. The sign D. The employees themselves
2.Who passed away in the large company?
A. No one B. The boss C. One of the employees D. One of the colleagues
3.What’s the best title of this paragraph?
A. Independent B. Hard Working C. Team Work D. Last Respects
Fruit powered digital clock
Fruit’s not only good to eat，but it can also power this Fruit digital Clock. This clock use the scientific rules on which modern electrical storage batteries are based, The acid from the fruit helps transmit(传递)an electrical flow between two metal poles。The clock is priced at US $15.Connecting any fresh fruit or vegetable to the clock will make it work．The fruit is a clean，renewable source of electrical power．
USB vacuum
Do you know the dirtiest pans of your desk are probably your keyboard and mouse? Get a USB Mini Vacuum with retractable(可伸缩的)cable and suck（吸） away all that gunk．The US-made product is priced at US$ 14．
SIM card reader
Making useful USB 2．0 multi—card readers even handier, this card can also read and write data to phone SIM cards. It comes with SIM editing software．Download your phonebook to your computer,．If you lose your cell phone，you can store missing phone numbers in your new one．The US-made IMOMO SIM，card +Multi Card Reader is priced at US $19．
Beer in your ear
The beer barrel(桶)-shaped Nat Naf Hyp MP3 is a musical box that can be used to play radio，CDs and cassettes，It’s got all the standard features of the typical clock-radio，but with the relaxing look of a big beer barrel. The Danish product is priced at about US $130.
1.What is TRUE about Fruit powered digital clock?
A．It gives out the smell of the fruit．B．It uses the fruit as its power．
C．It also needs batteries．
D．As a limited source，any fruit or vegetable connected to the clock will do．
2.What does “gunk” mean in the second item?
A．dirt B．desk C．keyboard D．USB
3.Which of the following statements is True?
A．If you have US$30，you can buy a USB vacuum or a Nat Naf Hyp MP3．
B．USB vacuum can be used to clean your house and yard
C．With SIM Card reader you may not lose phone numbers．
D．Nat Naf Hyp MP3 can also play radio，CDs and cassettes when used as a beer barrel at the same time.
4.The passage is mostly likely a(n) .
A．entertainment information B．science reports on new high-technology
C．introduction of some kinds of cell phone or computer parts
D．advertisement for new products
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9— Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate (房地产) market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted（兑换） to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate (控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.
1.What is the average housing price per square meter in China?
A. 8000 yuan B. 10000 yuan C. 7000 yuan D. It’s not mentioned here
2.Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities.
B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.
C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses.
D．There are more people who need houses in China than in the United States.
3.How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
A．Four B．Three C．Five D．Two
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A．The Chinese government should do something to control the housing price.
B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market.
C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.
D．The Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.
In a book called Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas, a description is given of people helping others but doing it secretly. When difficult problems worried an individual（个人）, friends nearby would meet to discuss possible solution without the individual knowing their actions. When a solution was agreed upon, one or two of the friends would carry out the plan and solve the problem secretly , to the great delight of the worried individual. The helpers would stand by privately, content（满足的） with their success. No reward was given to the problem solvers, not even a sincere “thank you”, because they were never known.
This concept is popular today but in a different way. The phrase “pay it forward” is now used when one person helps another. However, the person helped may not be able to repay the person or group that helped them. So rather than return the favor to their helpers, they are supposed to help someone else in the future, which means they pay it forward. It is a sense of responsibility which makes us want to give back in equal measure to the one who has helped us. But , in this case, the responsibility turns to helping someone in the future.
Suppose your elderly grandmother pays part of your schooling. She may tell you there is no need to repay her because it is a gift from someone who loves you very much. Nothing would please her more than to have you use her money to get a good education.
You may never be able to repay her for such a gift. However, she not only gave you some money , but she provided you with an example that you should also help other people who need it.
People with serious needs are everywhere. Many are children who need better clothes, more books and even better schools. Some are elderly people who can’t afford their medicine or a doctor’s care. Consider how you can “pay it forward” rather than pay money back to your grandmother.
1.The helpers in the book “Magnificent Obsession” were not rewarded because ______________.
A. they hadn’t solved the problems thoroughly
B. they had solved the problems secretly
C. they were friends of the worried individual
D. they expected to be paid back in the future
2.The underlined word “pay it forward” means ____________________.
A. to repay someone who has helped you B. to pay someone else who needs help
C. to help someone who has helped you D. to help someone else who needs help
3.What does the writer suggest with the example of “your elderly grandmother”?
A. We should learn to respect our grandparents.
B. We should work hard to get a good education.
C. We should also lend a hand to other people in need of help.
D. We should never forget to repay people for their help.
4.From the passage we know_________________.
A. everybody needs help B. more children need help than elderly people
C. it costs a lot of money to “pay it forward”
D. nowadays many people help others without being repaid
5.By writing the passage, the author wishes people in the world to be _____________.
A. unselfish B. mysterious C. honest D. unforgettable
At the end of a party，he invited her to have coffee with him．In a nice coffee shop，he was too nervous to say anything，and she felt uncomfortable，thinking，“Please let me go home．’’
Suddenly he asked the waiter，“Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee．’’
Everybody，stared at him—so strange! His face turned red，but，still，he put the salt in his coffee and drank it．
She asked him curiously，“Why do you have this hobby?”
He replied，“When I was a little boy，I was living near the sea．I liked playing in the sea，and I could feel the taste of the sea，just like the taste of the salty coffee．Now every time I have the salty coffee，I always think of my childhood．I miss my hometown and my parents so much．’’
She was deeply touched．A man who can tell out his-homesickness must be a man who loves home，cares about home，and has responsibility for home．
They continued to date．She found that actually he was such a good person，but she almost missed him!
Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story went just like every beautiful love story．．．And，every time she made coffee for him，she put some salt in the coffee．
After 40 years，he passed away，leaving her a letter which said，“My dearest，please forgive my whole life lie．This was the only lie I told to you—the salty coffee．
“Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time．Actually I wanted some sugar，but I said salt．It was hard for me to change，so I just went ahead．
“I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life，but I was too afraid to do that，as I have promised not to lie to you for anything．
“Now I'm dying，I'm afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth：I don’t like the salty coffee．What a strange bad taste! But I have had the salty coffee in my whole life!…”
Her tears made the letter totally wet．Someday，someone asked her，“What’s the taste of salty coffee?” “It’s sweet.” she replied．
1.After ordering some salt for his coffee，the young man must have felt ．
A．excited B．satisfied C．embarrassed D．displeased
2.Why did the man have salty coffee all his life?
A．To change lifestyle． B．To please his wife．
C．To keep his word． D．To remember the past．
3.What did the writer mean by saying “she almost missed him” in Paragraph7 ?
A．She meant to leave him on their first date。
B．She thought of him every now and then．
C．She nearly misunderstood his explanation．
D．She could hardly believe this simple fact．
4.It is implied in the passage that the woman when reading the letter left by her husband．
A．was confused about his behavior B．was touched by his white lie
C．felt sorry to know the truth too Late D．felt angry about his dishonesty
阅读下面短文，从各题所给的四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
He was 11 years old and went fishing every chance he got from the dock（码头） at his family’s cabin on an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day __1__ the bass (鲈鱼) season opened, he and his father were fishing early in the evening, __2__ sunfish with worms. Then he tied on a small lure (鱼饵) and practiced casting. When his pole（竿） __3__, he knew something huge was __4__. His father watched __5__ as the boy skilfully worked the fish alongside the dock. Finally, he very carefully lifted the __6__ fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, __7__ it was a bass. It was 10 P.M.-- two hours before the season opened. The father looked at the fish, then at the boy.
“You’ll have to __8__, son,” he said.
“Dad!” cried the boy.
“There will be other fish,” said his father.
“Not as big as this one,” cried the boy.
__9__ no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could __10__ by his father’s firm voice that the decision was __11__. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into __12__. The creature moved its powerful body and __13__. The boy thought that he would never again see such a great fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today, the boy is a successful architect in New York City. And he was __14. He has never again landed such a big fish as the one he __15that night long ago. But he does see __16fish again and again every time he comes up against a question of principles. As his father taught him, principles are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of principles__17difficult. Do we __18_when no one is looking?
We would if we __19__ to put the fish back when we were young. For we would have learned the truth. The decision to do right remains __20__ in our memory. It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and grandchildren.
1.A．until B．when C．after D．before
2.A．providing B．catching C．feeding D．supplying
3.A．bent over B．came up C．turned over D．broke down
4.A．on the other end B．on the other hand C．on one hand D．at the either side
5.A．with anxiety B．in surprise C．with admiration D．for fear
6.A．delighted B．frustrated C．frightened D．exhausted（精疲力竭的）
7.A．and B．but C．however D．yet
8.A．bring it home B．put it aside C．put it back D．pick it up
9.A．Even though B．Now that C．Ever since D．In case
10.A．tell B．say C．speak D．talk
11.A．passed B．changed C．fixed D．refused
12.A．the wide container B．the broad sea C．the black water D．the small river
13.A．fled B．disappeared C．floated D．swam
14.A．wrong B．right C．satisfactory D．pleased
15.A．caught B．saw C．cast D．threw
16.A．a different B．many big C．even bigger D．the same
17.A．which is B．it is C．that is D．this is
18.A．do wrong B．do right C．do harm D．do good
19.A．were taught B．told C．were let D．ordered
20.A．freshly B．fresh C．clearly D．strongly
