How to improve my life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, "This is my fate, my destiny. I cannot change it."
Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly. Your destiny depends on you, not on any other outer factors.
I know someone who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, then goes to sleep. Next day, the same things cycle follows.
Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that God has intended for her to live; that her luck can only change if God wills it. Of course God wants us to be happy and live our life to the fullest, but we have to do our share of exerting (运用) the effort to live the life of our dreams.
Remember that you reap what you sow. You just don't sit around and wait for a million dollars to fall from the sky. You have to get off the couch, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone. Don't expect your luck to change unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary(临时的) setback; but use it as feedback. Learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It's not enough to think positively（积极地）; you also have to act positively.
If someone's life is in the trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don't just stand (or sit ) there, do something to improve your life.
1.According to the woman mentioned in Para.3, her life _______.
A. doesn't need improving
B. couldn't be improved
C. will be better some day
D. Will be worse in the future
2.What does the author think of the woman's life?
A. positive B. satisfying
C. colorful D. passive
3.Which of the following statements is the author's opinion?
A. Your temporary problem is not discouraging.
B. Your luck can be changed by your hard work.
C. You can only achieve success when God wills it.
D. You should treat yourself in the way you treat friends.
4.In Para.5, the author emphasized the importance of _______.
A. positive action
B. positive thinking
C. hope for the best
D. intention to succeed
5.The text is mainly written to advise you to _______.
A. understand yourself
B. improve your life
C. believe in yourself
D. change your normal way
“I love you Bob.” “I love you too, Nancy.” It was 2 a.m., and I was hearing my parents’ voices through the thin wall separating my bedroom from theirs. Their loving words were sweet, touching —and surprising.
My parents married on September 14, 1940, after a brief dating. She was nearly 30 and knew it was time to start a family. The handsome well-educated man who came by the office where she worked looked like a good bet. He was attracted by her figure, her blue eyes. The romance didn’t last long.
Seeds of difference grew almost immediately. She liked to travel; he hated the thought. He loved golf; she did not. He was a Republican, she a loyal Democrat. They fought at the bridge table, at the dinner table, over money, over the shortcomings of their parents.
There was a hope that they would change once they retired (退休), and the angry winds did calm somewhat, but what remained changed itself into bright, hard bitterness. “I always thought we’d …” my mother would begin, before making a detailed list of my father’s faults. The complaints were recited so often, I can repeat them by heart today. As he listened, my father would say something angrily in a low voice.
It wasn’t the happiest marriage, but as their 60th anniversary (纪念日) came nearer, my sister and I decided to throw a party. Sixty years was a long time, after all. Why not try to make the best of things? We’d provide the cakes, the balloons, the toasts, and they’d follow one rule: no fighting.
The agreement was honored. We had a wonderful day. When we thought back, we found it was an important celebration, because soon after, things began to change for my parents.
1.Bob married Nancy because of ______.
A. her nice appearance
B. her good education
C. her romantic nature
D. her position as an office girl
2.When the writer told the story, the mother was probably ______ years old.
A. 60 B. 70 C. 80 D. 90
3.What do we know about the writer’s parents?
A. Their marriage is a total failure.
B. They had different hobbies.
C. They had serious money problem.
D. They stopped quarrelling after they had children.
4.The purpose for the writer to hold the party is ______.
A. to recall the 60 years’ marriage life of her parents
B. to stop the long fighting between her parents
C. just to celebrate her parents’ 60th anniversary
D. to have a good time for family’s reunion
5.Suppose this passage is taken from the Reader’s Digest, which column do you think it is taken from?
A. Everyday Heroes B. My Planet
C. Turning Point D. Unforgettable
When talking about colds, maybe some people say it is very common. During the cold winter days, many people will complain the cold winter makes them catch a cold, and what they feel upset are not only the headache, cough but also the runny nose. It is so embarrassing when they forget to take a handkerchief or tissue along with them.
Want to stay away from colds? Put on a happy face.
Compared to unhappy people, those who are cheerful and relaxed are less likely to suffer from colds, according to a new study. It’s possible that being happy helps the body fight illnesses, say the researchers from New York University.
“It seems that positive(积极的) feelings may reduce (减少)the danger of illness,” said the study’s chief researcher Sheldon Cohen.
In an earlier study, Cohen found that people who were cheerful and lively caught coughs and colds less often. People who showed feelings were also less likely to tell their doctors that they felt ill.
In this study, Cohen has interviewed 193 adults every day for two weeks. During the interviews, the people told researchers that they were given colds by doctors and had to stay alone in a room for six days.
The results showed that everyone in the study was equally(相等地) likely to get ill. But for people who said they felt happy during the research period, their illness are less serious and lasted for a shorter time.
Cohen believes that when people experience positive feelings, their body may produce a chemical that helps fight illness and disease. So if you are worried about your health, look on the brighter side more often.
1.The underline part in Paragraph 5 is probably means ___________.
A. sad B. bad-tempered
C. thoughtful D. outgoing
2.What did the study find?
A. People who felt happy never got ill.
B. People’s feelings didn’t influence their health.
C. People with good feelings became ill more easily.
D. People with positive feelings had less serious illnesses.
3.According to Cohen, which of the following may help fight illness?
A. Eating. B. Laughing C. Crying D. Sleeping.
4.This passage is a/an_______.
A. advertisement B. story
C. newspaper report D. scientist’s diary
5.What is the best title for this passage? ________
A. Smiles can fight colds B. Cause of colds found
C. The danger of colds D. How people get sick
An eight-year-old girl heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money.
When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “Only a miracle can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore (药店) with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman.
“It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.”
“Pardon?” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.” said the girl.
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man.
“$ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$ 1.11, the price of a miracle for little brother.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?
1.What was the trouble in the little girl’s family?
A. Miracle was hard to get in the drugstore.
B. They were poor and no one can lend them money.
C. Nothing could save her brother.
D. Her brother was badly ill and her family couldn’t afford the operation.
2.In the eye of the little girl, a miracle might be ______.
A. something interesting
B. something beautiful.
C. some useful medicine
D. some good food
3.The little girl said again and again “I can try and get some more.” That shows _______.
A. she had still kept some money
B. she hoped not to be refused
C. There was no need to worry about money
D. she thought money was easy to get
4.What made the miracle happen?
A. The girl’s love for her brother.
B. The girl’s money.
C. The medicine from the drugstore.
D. Nobody can tell.
5.From the passage we can infer that _______.
A. The salesman didn’t sell miracle to the girl
B. A miracle is sure to happen if you keep on
C. The little girl is lovely but not so clever
D. Andrew was in fact not so sick as they had thought
根据句子结构的语法性，在下面空格处填入一个适当的词语或使用括号中词语的适当形式填空, 并将答案填写在答卷相应位置上。
1.She couldn’t understand his teacher___________(entire).
2.Last month, thousands of houses __________ (destroy) in the storm.
3.John Goodall has devoted all her life _______________ the protection of wildlife.
4.The number of people taking part in the lecture last week _______(be) 320.
5.They were ___________(shock)to see the terrible scene.
6.We are talking about the village and the farmers _________they visited.
7.He is __________ determined person and no one can change him.
8.The prize will go to the writer ________ story shows the most imagination.
9.The little boy found ________ hard to get along with his new classmates when he came to this new school.
10.I’d like to live in a house ______ there is plenty of sunshine.
11.Please throw away the ___________(use)papers.
12.We have been classmates ever_________ we entered high school.
13.It was the third time that he______________ (attend) this kind of lecture.
14.The mother left the room, with her baby _______ (cry) alone.
15.She was especially fond ______ a little girl named Betsy.
The Secret of Happiness
An old man walked slowly into a restaurant with his cane（拐杖）. His overcoat and worn-out shoes made him stand out from the usual Saturday morning breakfast crowd.
A young waitress named Mary watched him move toward a by the window. Mary ran over to him, and said, “Here, Sir. Let me give you a hand with that .”
Without a word, he smiled and nodded a thank-you. She pulled the chair away from the table and helped him get seated . In a soft, clear he said, “Thank you, Miss. And bless you for your .”
“You’re welcome, Sir,” she responded. “I’ll be in a moment, and if you need anything in the meantime, just wave at me!”
After he had finished a meal, Mary helped him up from his chair, him his cane, and walked with him to the front door. Holding the door open for him, she said, “Come back and see us, Sir!” The old man around and smiled.
When Mary went to clean his table, she was to find a business card, a one-hundred-dollar bill and a which read, “Dear Mary, I respect (尊敬) you very much, and you respect yourself too. It shows the way you treat others. You have found the secret of ! Your kind gestures will shine through those who meet you.”
Actually the man she had served was the of the restaurant. That was the first time that she or any of his employees had seen him.
1.A. cleanB. oldC. strangeD. funny
2.A. roomB. waiterC. tableD. girl
3.A. chairB. dishC. deskD. menu
4.A. sayingB. speakingC. readingD. telling
5.A. sadlyB. quietlyC. graduallyD. safely
6.A. languageB. soundC. attitudeD. voice
7.A. attentionB. kindnessC. invitationD.cooperation
8.A. readyB. busyC. backD. fine
9.A. cheapB. expensiveC. terribleD. delicious
10.A. showedB. handedC. lentD. took
11.A. turnedB. walkedC. lookedD. moved
12.A. excitedB. worriedC.disappointedD. surprised
13.A. noteB. tipC. messageD. title
14.A. kindnessB.unselfishnessC. happinessD.helpfulness
15.A. customerB. ownerC. partnerD. host
