Autumn means different things to different people.It all depends on your personality, said British
naturalist Richard Mabey."Personality shapes your view of the season, " he said."You may see it as a
fading away, a packing up (結(jié)束), or as a time of packing in another sense-the excited gathering of resources before a long journey."
     If this is true, perhaps it tells us a little about, for instance, Thomas Hood, the 19th century English poet.About November, he wrote:
     No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease
     No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees
     November!
     On the other hand, another English poet John Keats, already sensing he was seriously ill, was inspired
by a late September day to pen one of the most famous poems in the English language, To Autumn.He
wrote to a friend afterwards that there was something comforting and healing about it.
     According to Richard Mabey, Keats has the biological evidence on his side.Autumn is not a time of
slowing down, but a time of new beginnings and great movements of creatures.For example, just at the
moment that Keats's "gathering swallows" (in To Autumn) are departing for Africa, millions of creatures
are fleeing from the frozen north like Iceland, Greenland and Russia to winter along the east and south
coasts of Britain.According to scientists, before falling, the leaves transfer their chlorophyll (葉綠素) and
carbohydrates into the woody parts of the tree for safekeeping over winter.What remains are the natural
antioxidants (防老劑) in the leaves:the yellow and orange carotenoids (類胡蘿卜素), and another
protective chemical specially produced for autumn, the brightred anthocyanin (花青素). High color is not a signal of deterioration (退化) and decline, but of detox (排毒的) ability and good health.
     A century after Keats, the American poet Loren Eiseley wrote in his journal:"Suppose we saw
ourselves burning like maples in a golden autumn, and that we could disintegrate (分解) like autumn
leaves...dropping their substance like chlorophyll.Would_not_our_attitude towards_death be_different? "

1. From Thomas Hood's poem, we may infer that________.

A. he suffered a lot from cold November
B. he missed the shining summer days very much
C. he had a negative attitude towards autumn
D. he enjoyed butterflies and bees very much

2. Which word can best describe John Keats's attitude towards autumn?

A. Optimistic.  
B. Fearful.  
C. Doubtful.  
D. Realistic.

3. In autumn, leaves turn yellow before falling because________.

A. they can't bear the freezing
B. they can't get enough water from the woody part
C. chlorophyll and carbohydrates have been lost through leaves
D. chlorophyll and carbohydrates have come back to the woody part

4. What does the underlined sentence mean?

A. Man can never live long, just as leaves must leave the tree annually.
B. Man is different from autumn leaves, which will come again the next spring.
C. Man should treat death calmly, just like autumn leaves fall to the ground.
D. Man should have a positive attitude towards death, quite different from autumn leaves.

    When you are little,it's not hard to believe you can change the world.I remember my enthusiasm when,at the age of 12,I addressed the people at the Rio Earth Summit."I am only a child," I told them."Yet I know
that if all the money spent on war was spent on ending poverty and finding environmental answers,what a
wonderful place this world would be.At school you teach us not to fight with others,to work things out,to
respect others,to clean up our mess,not to hurt other creatures,to share,not to be greedy.Then why do you
go out and do the things you tell us not to do.You grownups say you love us,but I challenge you,please,to
make your actions reflect your words."
    I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation.Some of the people even cried.I thought that
maybe I had reached some of them,that my speech might actually spur (刺激) action.Now,ten years from
Rio,after I've sat through many more conferences,I'm not sure what has been achieved.My confidence in
the people in power and in the power of an individual's voice to reach them has been deeply shaken.
    When I was little, the world was simple. But as a young adult, I'm learning that as we have to make
choices-education,career,lifestyle-life gets more and more complicated.We are beginning to feel pressure
to produce and be successful.We are taught that economic growth is progress,but we aren't taught how to
seek a happy,healthy way of living.And we are learning that what we wanted for the future when we were
12 was idealistic and naive (天真的)．
    Today I'm no longer a child,but I'm worried about what kind of environment my children will grow up in.
I know change is possible,because I am changing,still figuring out what I think.I am still deciding how to live
my life.The challenges are great,but if we accept individual responsibility and make choices,we will rise to
the challenges, and  we will become part of  the positive tide of the change. I  hope  this goal will be met
through our common efforts.Thank you all.

1．The purpose of what the speaker said at the age of 12 was to________.

A．end poverty and make schools beautiful
B．find environmental answers and show off
C．focus people's attention on some social problems
D．find a wonderful place and clean it up

2．What does the underlined word "ovation" in the second paragraph refer to?

A．A long period of laughing.
B．A cold and unfriendly welcome.
C．An expression used for greeting.
D．Great applause or cheering.

3．The information in the text is presented mainly through________.

A．question and answer  B．a(chǎn) personal lecture
C．cause and effect  D．listing steps in a process

4．Which of the following best describes the speaker?

A．He is an experienced educator.
B．He is an impolite man.
C．He is a man of great worries.
D．He is a man of social responsibility.

    A new guidebook says being_happy_is_just_like_being_fit-you need to practice the skills needed to get
this emotion,even during the darkest times.
    Roadtesting Happiness:How to be Happier  by Australian journalist and author Sophie  Scott is a
selfhelp book with a difference. " Being happy is something you need to focus on；it doesn't come as a
matter of course,"  Scott said."You always need to make an effort to be happy,even if you reach the point
of saying you are contented, you still need to keep focusing and  working on  the things  that made you
happy." Scott also said the book was born out of her interest in the human mind as well as how difficult she found it to cope after her mother died of cancer two years ago.
    "I was always interested in psychology,but a lot of happiness books don't address the fact that you can
be happy even if your life isn't going according to plan.The key is managing expectations." She says,"In the
book,I focused on what were the things most likely to make people happy,the ones with the most scientific evidence."  People should think that being happy is yet another task you have to do and then feel guilty
when you don't do it.Scott says the road to a positive outlook begins with very easy,small steps.
    "Women in particular today______________:they've got to be thin,got to have a career,got to have a
perfect relationship so the last thing you need is to be thinking you've got to be happy all the time,"  she
said."But it is important to improve your quality of life.Stop rushing around and filling each moment of the
day with things to do,and then sit down and think about your life and how you're feeling.The things I got
out of this were not things that take a lot of effort:feeling more grateful for the things you've got；adjusting
your reaction to situations and people.It's about changing small habits,more tinkering around the edges
instead of totally checking and changing your life."

1．By saying "being happy is just like being fit",the author probably means________.

A．people should practice how to remain happy
B．people should spend more time working out
C．keeping happy is the key to continuing our life
D．it's difficult for people to keep happy all the time

2．What should we do if we want to remain happy in Scott's opinion?

A．Do some scientific research into the skills of being happy.
B．Work hard to achieve your expectations.
C．Read more books about psychological activities.
D．Think that being happy is a very important task to do.

3．Which of the following would be proper to be filled in the blank?

A．get high expectation
B．feel overloaded
C．can't look after themselves well
D．have no friends to help them

     After winning a big game, athletes are often asked how they attained that success. Most say their
achievement is the result of gruelling hard work and intense practice. Usually athletes say how hard it is
to win the big games. At the opposite end of the spectrum, however, is the fact that losing the big game,
or, in my case, all the games, can be even tougher.
     From the spectators'point of view, last year's basketball season for my high school team was nothing
short of an embarrassment. And while 0 and 20 is certainly nothing to be proud of, that season had a
bigger impact on me than any other, and probably more than any season since.
     As a team captain, I knew it probably wouldn't be the easiest year, but did I ever think we would lose
every game? Of course not. Since six of our top players had graduated, it was clear that we were a
young team who would struggle. The struggle began earlier than expected, though, as our team's starting
center was suspended for the season, and two key members decided to quit after two weeks. At some
point, quitting probably passed through every player's mind, but, in the end, we all stuck it out, vowing
to work even harder.
     Then there came a time when even our own coach had given up on us. Personally, I felt like it was no
longer worth giving my all. I thought, if even the coach doesn't believe in us, why should I? But just as my
hope began to fade, a teammate called a meeting. He said, "Nobody thinks we're going to win, and
heck, we may not, but, as teammates and friends, we_owe_it_to_each_other_to give_it_our_all_every_
game. "
     Sure, it was a little clich? (陳舊的), but it was that moment that taught me how to be a leader. It hit
me then that I may have been a captain, but I, like others in my position, certainly didn't deserve the role.
As a leader you can never quit on the team who looks up to you. It is one thing to be named captain and
feel great and go through the motions, but it is quite another to be a real captain and make sure everyone
works to their potential all the time.
     I am sure it is great to go through high school without losing and bringing home awards. But in all
honesty, I relish the fact that my team lost every game last year. It may not help me to become a better
basketball player, but it already has made me a better leader and person.

1. What was the biggest problem with the author's team last season?

A. Several key members were unable to play the games.
B. Their coach no longer wanted to instruct them.
C. There were no actual leaders on the team.
D. Most of players lost hope and wanted to quit.

2. In the text, the author seems to suggest that a good leader should________.

A. be confident about himself
B. make sure everyone goes all out
C. work hard to win the games
D. feel great about his team

3. By saying "we owe it to each other to give it our all every game." (Paragraph 4) the teammate means
that all of them should________.

A. be responsible for the losses
B. try their best on the court
C. feel thankful for what they've done
D. get together to win every game

4. What is the main idea the author aims to express in the text?

A. Success is the result of hard work.
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. One can learn something from the failure.
D. A real leader should never give up.

1. According to the author's opinion, ____.

A. a small matter may cause great trouble
B. accidents may happen anytime
C. troubles always come in groups
D. anyone may have trouble any day

2. When the telephone rings,____.

A. you'd better have your baby a little distant from your table before answering it
B. your trouble is sure to come
C. you'd better just let it ring all the way
D. you should never go to answer it in a hurry

3. What did the police do after the accident?

A. They helped the driver clean up the road.
B. They helped the drivers to go on with their journey.
C. They tried to stop the people from arguing.
D. They would find out who should be responsible

4. From the story we can see ____.

A. such accidents are rather common
B. such accidents are rather strange
C. no one can explain why such accidents happen
D. some drivers are too careless

     Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some
friendships don't last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to treat your friend the way you want your
friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous (寬宏大
量的); be understanding.
     Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don't tell the
truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest, you may lose your friend's
trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
     Generosity (大度) means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You don't have to give your lunch
money or your clothes, of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies
and your interests. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a
friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them you help your friend know you better.
     Sooner or later every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school.
Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve (解決). Turning to a friend can be the first step in solving
the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's
place so you can understand the problem better.
     No two friendships are ever exactly alike (相同). But all true friendships have three things in common. If
you plan to keep your friends, you must practise honesty, generosity and understanding.

1. Some friendships don't last very long because ____.

A. there are too many people who want to make friends
B. they don't know friendship is something serious
C. those who give others friendships receive friendships from others
D. those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others

2. According to the passage honesty is ____.

A. as important as money
B. more important than anything else
C. something countable
D. the base of a friendship

3. Which of the following isn't mentioned in the passage?

A. A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend.
B. Always tell your friend the truth.
C. Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem.
D. Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value.

4. The best title of this passage is ____.

A. A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed
B. Honesty Is the Best Habit
C. How to Be a Friend
D. Three Important Points in Life

     When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own
and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate (照亮) me and train me up for love. It is
for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
     When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and "too serious" about our studies when it
was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behavior. We said little at school,
but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say,
"Let's start with a train whistle today." We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that
grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were
changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
     When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship
was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because
we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked
until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
     For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long
letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the
other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most
interesting moments, I often think, "Yes, I must tell..." We have never met.
     It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than
the lifetime services of a psychologist, who will only fill up the healing silence necessary to those darkest
moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.

1. When I was in the eighth grade, we did not learn acceptable social behavior because ______.
2. According to paragraph three, we gave London to each other by ______.
3. In the author's opinion, what kind of person can be regarded as a friend?
    ___________________________________________________________________________
4. In the darkest moments why does the author prefer to stay with her best friend?
    ___________________________________________________________________________

1. ______We pay more attention to what we want to hear. (Bad news travels fast. / Bad news has
wings.)
2. ______Know which way the wind blows. (People act according to their interests.)
3. ______No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. (An act of kindness is never wasted. /
Even the weak have something to offer the strong.)
4. _____A man is known by the company he keeps. (You are known by the company you keep.)  
5. _____Do not attempt too much at once.
     A. A dog used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to bite them without notice. His
master put a bell about his neck so that the dog might give notice of his presence wherever he went.
Thinking it a mark of distinction, the dog grew proud of his bell and went tinkling it all over the
market-place. One day an old dog said to him, "Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That
bell that you carry is not, believe me, any order of merit, but on the contrary a public notice to all men to
avoid you as a bad-mannered dog."
     B. A man once stood up at a market-place in the east and said, "I have been ordered by the king to
collect all the well-born and well-bred and bring them before him, since he wishes to reward them."
Everybody that heard him joined him, and he went towards the palace, surrounded by the whole town.
Then he suddenly turned round and said, "The king has just sent me word that he means to help only
those that have been ill-born and ill-bred to make up for their misfortunes." The crowd lingered behind
for a while, and then one after another joined the man as ill-born and ill-bred to receive the king's gifts.
The man said, "The world goes as the wind blows!"
     C. A lion was awakened by a mouse running over his face. Rising up angrily, the lion caught the
mouse and was about to kill him, when the mouse begged, "If you would only spare my life, I would be
sure to repay your kindness." The lion laughed at the idea of the mouse being able to repay a favor, but
let him go in the end. Later, the lion was caught by some hunters, who bound him with strong ropes to
the ground. The mouse, recognizing the lion's roar, came and gnawed the rope with his teeth and set him
free.
     D. A fox had long been the dread of the village poultry yard. One day, he was found lying breathless
in a field. The report went abroad that, after all, he had been caught and killed by someone. In a moment,
everybody in the village came out to see the dead fox. The village cock, with all his hens and chicks, was
also there, to enjoy the sight. The fox then got up and said, "I ate a number of hens and chicks last night.
So I must have slept longer than usual." The cock counted his hens and chicks, and found several chicks
were missing. "Alas!" said he, "how is it that I do not know of it?" "My dear sir," said the fox, as he ran
back to the wood, "it was last night that I had a good meal of your hens and chicks, yet you did not
know of it. A moment ago they found me lying in the field, and you knew of it at once."
     E. A boy put his hand into a pitcher (大罐) full of nuts. He grasped as many as he could possibly
hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so by the neck of the pitcher.
Unwilling to lose his nuts, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears, crying with
disappointment. A person who was passing by said to him, "Be satisfied with half the quantity and you
will draw out your hand at once."
     F. A man wished to purchase an ass (a donkey), and decided to give the animal a test before buying
him. He took the ass home and put him in the field with his other asses. The new ass moved away from
the others to join the one that was the laziest and the biggest eater of them all. Seeing this, the man led
him back to his owner. When the owner asked how he could have tested the ass in such a short time,
the man answered, "I didn't even need to see how he worked. I knew he would be just like the one he
chose to be his friend."