Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be a simple fact ? Do you argue whether it’s cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit ?
If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant．The first blind man who felt the elephant’s trunk said it was like a snake．The second who felt the elephant’s side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal’s tusk．The fourth, who had hold of the elephant’s tail insisted that it was like a rope．The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arm around one the elephant’s legs.
The sixth, who was tall and got hold of the elephant’s ears, said it was like a huge fan.
Each man’s idea of the animal came from his own experience．So if someone disagrees with you about a “simple fact”, it’s often because his experience in the matter is different from yours.
To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a “simple fact”, try this simple experiment．Get three large bowls．Put ice water in one．Put hot water in the second．Put lukewarm water in the third．Now put your left hand in the ice water．Put your right hand in the hot water．After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water．Your right hand will tell you the water is cold．Your left hand will tell you it’s hot !
1.What makes people think about simple facts differently ?
A．The fact that simple facts differ from one another
B．The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact
C．The fact that people often disagree with one another
D．The fact that it’s hard to make up one’s mind about simple facts
2.The writer’s advice is _______________.
A．We should never think about simple facts
B．We should never judge something with a one-sided view
C．We should not agree about simple facts
D．We must learn from the six blind men
3.After reading the last paragraph, we may think of __________.
A．Newton’s law B．Galileo’s theory of falling objects
C．Einstein’s theory of relativity D．Marx’s On Capital (资本)
After we meet people it is up to us to make them our friends．Let us stop a moment and consider what really makes a friend．The major qualities like faithfulness, devotion, friendly company, flash through our minds．But it is the large number of very small particular qualities that make up one’s whole character, such as cheerfulness, friendliness, and punctuality (守时).After all, “ to make a friend, be a friend” is not such a big and difficult order．There are particular favorable qualities, which attract others to us, and some elements which do have an effect on people in fundamental psychology(基础心理学) or not.
If you are in the presence of a shy person, talking and asking casual (随意的) questions may bring him out of his shell．Think of what would be most acceptable to the other person, for you to talk, or to listen．Either way the goal is to make yourself pleasant.
Always remember to listen, but listen intelligently．To have anyone “ hang on our words” is the most unnoticeably clever way in the world to please somebody．For a few extremely happy seconds we are the centre of attraction, but when it is our turn to be audience, let us remember how we felt as the actor, and let’s be genuinely (真正地) interested in what the other fellow is saying.
Other people will like us, if we like them．If you want friends, keep your mind and heart open to friendship．Be alive to the other person’s world.
1.This passage is mainly about_________________.
A．the ways of talking to a shy person
B．some favorable qualities to be a psychologist
C．how to make yourself attractive to your listeners
D．how to make a friend and be a friend
2.The words “ bring him out of his shell” in this passage most probably means ____.
A．make him become active
B．make him feel more nervous
C．help him understand the question better
D．help him listen intelligently
3.According to the passage, an important way in making friends is to ________.
A．attract them B．be attracted
C．listen attentively D．talk widely
4.The words “ Be alive to” in the last sentence of this passage most probably means________.
A．be aware of B．keep with
C．deal with D．be ignorant of
“ Down-to-earth” means someone or something that is honest, practical and easy to deal with．It is 36 to find someone who is down-to-earth．A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to 37 accepts other people as equals．A down-to-earth is just the 38 of someone who acts importantly and proudly.
Down-to-earth persons may be 39 members of society, of course．But they do not let their importance “ go to their 40 ”．They do not 41 themselves to be better persons than others of less importance, someone who is filled with his own importance and 42 , often without cause, is said to have “his nose in the air”．There is no way a person with his nose in the 43 can be down-to-earth．Americans use another expression that means almost the same 44 “down-to-earth”．The expression is “both-feet-on-the-ground”．Someone with both-feet-on-the-ground is a person 45 a good understanding of reality．He has what is called “ 46 sense”．He may have 47 , but he does not allow them to 48 his knowledge of what is real．The opposite kind of person is 49 who has his “head-in-the-clouds”．A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the 50 world.
Sometimes 51 a dreamer can be brought back to earth． 52 words from a teacher can usually bring a day-dreaming student down-to-earth.
Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very 53 to have both-feet-on-the-ground.
54 we have both our feet on-the-ground, when we are down-to-earth, we act 55 and openly toward others．Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
1.A．common B．sad C．pleasant D．surprising
2.A．but B．yet C．and D．while
3.A．kind B．like C．example D．opposite
4.A．important B．famous C．successful D．necessary
5.A．nose B．heads C．minds D．forehead
6.A．wish B．desire C．expect D．consider
7.A．proud B．pride C．famous D．fame
8.A．air B．sky C．tree D．cloud
9.A．like B．with C．of D．for
10.A．has B．who C．is D．with
11.A．usual B．ordinary C．common D．daily
12.A．dreams B．fortunes C．advantages D．luck
13.A．prevent B．protect C．block D．gain
14.A．one B．those C．that D．the one
15.A．reality B．real C．dreamful D．true
16.A．so B．such C．each D．that
17.A．Sharp B．No C．All D．Bad
18.A．able B．probable C．likely D．possible
19.A．When B．While C．As D．Since
20.A．kindly B．directly C．friendly D．honestly
_______________, his idea was accepted by all the people at the meeting.
A．Strange as might it sound B．As it might sound strange
C．As strange it might sound D．Strange as it might sound
--- Where did you get to know her ?
--- It was on the farm _________ we worked.
A．that B．there C．which D．where
To avoid the car ______ the child, the driver had to make a sharp turn.
A．to hit B．hit C．hitting D．being hit
