Mistakes are a part of life. To err is human. Failure is also a part of life, not the end of life. Be happy facing life’s challenges. When you make the effort to be happy and to improve your life, you are actually rewarded along the way.
Life is like a game and maybe you can award points for every effort that has been a success for you. Try it. Add ten points for every achievement. And when you have reached 50 points, just yell, “Hey, I’ve won!” and give yourself a reward. If you happen to have missed your points for whatever reason, tell yourself, “Well, I tried!” which is better than not trying at all. Don’t let it be said you didn’t try.
What is it that you want to make yourself happy? Actually happiness means different things to different people. For example, an athlete will be happy winning his first race. For a new mother happiness would be seeing her baby’s first steps. Happiness for a poor person would mean having a meal just for today. So happiness for you is really something simple that you want for yourself.
It really doesn’t have to be big. As a matter of fact, you should be always realistic(现实的). Make the best out of every given situation. If you expect a certain result from a situation and it does not happen, don’t get despondent. This just means trying harder next time. We all have in us the power to succeed. Don’t let “give up” be a part of your vocabulary.
1.By saying “To err is human”, the author means that____________.
A．human beings should try to avoid making mistakes
B．no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes
C．mistakes and failures make up our life
D．human beings make mistakes easily
2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A．Try to reach 50 points. B．Try to get as many points as you can.
C．Award yourself for your success D．Don’t be afraid of missing your points.
3.The author proves his idea in Paragraph 3 through____________.
A．examples B．numbers C．experiments D．stories
4.The underlined word “despondent” in the last paragraph means____________.
A．frightened B．disappointed C．surprised D．excited
Few of us haven’t read Cinderella(灰姑娘), the story of a young woman living in poverty who meets the prince of her dreams. Some might not want to admit it, but there is a hidden Cinderella in everyone’s heart—we all wish we could achieve recognition or success after a period of obscurity(默默无闻). Mary Santiago has that secret dream, too. Her story is featured(特点) in Another Cinderella Story, a film set in a US high school.
Mary is shy but loves to dance. Compared with other girls, she is invisible. However, her world changes completely when a famous teenager pop singer, Joey Parker, appears. Joey is everything the rest of the boys in her class are not—kind, handsome and desirable. Mary and Joey’s paths cross at a ball. They meet and fall in love with each other. But when Mary has to rush back home, she leaves behind her MP3 player, which becomes the only clue Joey has to find the girl of his dreams. Of course, there is a wicked(邪恶的) stepmother, who turns out to be Dominique Blatt and she takes in Mary after her dancer mother dies. Dominique treats Mary like a maid and does everything she can to make sure Mary doesn’t get into the top dance school. Her two daughters are equally determined to stop Joey falling for Mary, even if that means embarrassing her.
The story, though it mostly follows Cinderella, does add a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale. Refreshingly, the film, unlike many high school films, does not focus on looks, although the actors are all beautiful. There is also a lot less materialism in Another Cinderella Story than in many similar movies.
“The movie takes the Cinderella fairytale as its jumping off point,” writes movie critic Amber Wilkinson, “The focus is firmly on following your dream.”
1.The first paragraph is mainly to ____________.
A．build interest and lead us to Mary’s secret dream
B．remind us why Cinderella is popular all the years
C．tell us what is the Cinderella Story
D．tell us how interesting the fairy tale Cinderella is
2.What can we infer from the passage?
A．Joey is just like other boys in Mary’s class.
B．Mary’s mother influences her a lot in singing.
C．Not many people have a dream to be realized.
D．The MP3 player helps Joey in finding Mary.
3.The passage is mainly about ____________.
A．an introduction to a novel B．a review about a film
C．a passage about dreams D．an advertisement of Cinderella
Ten years ago I used to be very fit. I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed doing.
Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like that any more.
There’s a lot of stress in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.
Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!
Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something as I used to. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think?
1.Compared with ten years ago, what is worse for the author now?
A．His job. B．His pay.
C．His means of transport. D．His health.
2.According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?
A．He got higher pay. B．His working hours weren’t long.
C．He found it very stressful. D．He had little free time at weekends.
3.After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him ____________.
A．not to work any longer
B．to take a long vacation abroad
C．to stop smoking and take exercise
D．not to eat out any more
4.What can we learn about the author?
A．The author is not sure what he should do now.
B．The author has taken the doctor’s advice already.
C．The author has got another new job.
D．The author feels much better now.
13-year-old Frank had received many presents he wanted. But Frank was not __36__ because this was his first Christmas without his brother. Frank said to his parents that he would __37__ to see a friend. __38__ it was cold outside, Frank put on his new jacket and took presents on his new sled(雪橇).
As Frank walked, he saw a house with the __39__ hanging over a fireplace. A woman was seated near them __40__. The stockings reminded Frank of the ones beside him and his brother. A sudden thought __41__ Frank.
So he knocked on the door. “__42__?” the sad voice of the woman answered. “May I come in?” “Please” she said, seeing his __43__ full of gifts, and thinking he was making a collection, “but I have no food or gifts for you. I even have __44__ for my own children.”
“That’s not why I am here,” Frank replied. “Please __45__ any present you like for your children from this sled.”
“Why, God bless you!” the __46__ woman answered. She chose until the stockings were full. “Won’t you tell me your __47__?” she asked. “Just call me the Christmas Scout,” Frank replied.
The visit __48__ the boy touched, with an unexpected __49__ in his heart. He understood that his sorrow(悲伤) was not the only sorrow. He __50__ all the gifts, including the new jacket.
“Where are your presents, Frank?” asked his father as he __51__ the house. “ I handed them out to other children.”
“Frank, how could you do so?” his mother asked in anger. The next morning, he came downstairs and __52__ his parents listening to Christmas news on the radio. Then the announcer spoke: “Merry Christmas! Several families __53__ their children were made happy by the gifts from a boy. No one could __54__ him.” Frank felt his father’s arms go around his shoulders, and he saw his mother smiling __55__ her tears.
1. A．lovely B．astonished C．lonely D．happy
2. A．leave B．turn C．grow D．become
3. A．When B．Since C．Where D．Though
4. A．present B．light C．stockings D．tree
5. A．sleeping B．crying C．smiling D．laughing
6. A．appeared B．worried C．occurred D．struck
7. A．Why B．What C．Yes D．When
8. A．stocking B．pocket C．sled D．bag
9. A．anything B．nothing C．something D．everything
10. A．buy B．borrow C．bring D．choose
11. A．amazed B．encouraged C．tired D．bored
12. A．address B．name C．number D．school
13. A．started B．left C．felt D．performed
14. A．joy B．surprise C．sorrow D．disappointment
15. A．took away B．gave up C．gave away D．picked up
16. A．visited B．came C．passed D．entered
17. A．made B．saw C．looked D．suggested
18. A．believed B．complained C．reported D．forecast
19. A．respect B．think C．realize D．recognize
20. A．by B．besides C．without D．through
If you cheat in the exam, you can hardly _________it.
A．put up with B．get away with C．break away from D．come up with
—Would you mind if I turned on the radio and listened to some music?
—_________. In fact, I also like listening to music.
A．Yes, I would B．No, you can’t C．No, go ahead D．Ok, no problem
