To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes(戲謔的引語)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this:” To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”This saying mirrors an deal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Commonsense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company,”the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推論)to that: if good excuse is “good”even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
1. According to tile passage, which of following seems the most human?
A. To search for truth．                    B. To achieve one’s ideal
C. To make fun of others’mistakes．          D. To criticize others for one’s own error.
2．According to the author, what is a sign of a man’s maturity?
A．Doing things his own way.
B．Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.
C．Making as few mistakes as possible．
D．Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.
3．Which of the following is N0T based on common sense?
A．A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.
B．A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.
C．A company’s next move follows a good plan．
D．A lawyer acts on fine judgments．
4. What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.
B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.
D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.
5. What would be the best title for his passage?
A. A Mirror of Human Nature            B. To Blame or to Forgive
C. A Mark of Maturity                  D. Truth or Excuse

The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world’s supply of water. With 97% of the world’s water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage（短缺）seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfull country, many of the world’s agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.
Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seaons, the costs of water redistribution(重新分配)are very high. Notonly is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys(山谷)are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water many flow easily through pipes to fields,but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.
This is particularly troubling ro countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation（灌溉）. In Texas, farmers’ overuse of irrigation water be resulted in a 25% redcution of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of south eastern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry vallege, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.
Saudi Arabia’s attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have been the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.
1. From the first two paragraphs we learnt that _______.
A.much of the world’s water is available for use
B.people in high rainfll countries feel lucky
C.the costs of water redistribution should be considered
D.water can be easily carried through pipes across the world
2.Which of the following is true?
A.The water  in Texas have been reduced by 75%.
B.Most industries in the world suffer from water shortagers.
C.The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years.
D.Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley.
3.What is most likely to be discussed in the paragreh that follows?
A.Steps to improving water use managet.
B.Ways tor redjuce the costs of builing dams.
C.Measured to dmal with worldwide water shortages.
D.Appmihes to handling the pressure on water supply.
4.The text is mainly about____________.
A.water supply and increasing population
B.water use management and agriculture
C.water redistribution and wildlife protection
D.water shornages and environmental protection.

There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, were to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penage. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia.I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train.I did not particularlf relish the long train joumey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar I sighed and sat down to read my Economics
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive, I decided to wave back.
From then on my joumey became imeresting.I threw my magazine into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life.Then everything came alive.The mountains seemed to speak to me.Even the trees were smiling.I stared t everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my wat ch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm.Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth I looked at the people all around me.They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrive with, I threw my around him to give him a warm hug.I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.
1.The author expected the train trip to be__________.
A. adventurous        B. pleasnt              C. exciting             D. dull
2.What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
A. The friendly country people.
B. The mountains along the way.
C. The crowds of people in the streets.
D. The simple lunch served on the train.
3.Which of the following words can best take the place of the word“relish”in the second paragraph?
A. choose                       B. enjoy                       C. prepare for               D. carry on
4.Where was the writer going?
A. Johore Baru.              B. The Causeway.     C. Bunerworth.            D. Singapore.
5.What can we learn from the story?
A. Comfort in traveling by train.
B. Pleasure of living in the country.
C. Reading gives people delight.
D. Smiles brighten people up.

There were smiling children all the way. Charily they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Maiaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (擁抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.
1. The author expected the train trip to be
A. adventurous  B. pleasant   C. exciting   D. dull
2. What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
A. The friendly country people.        B. The mountains along the way.
C. The crowds of people in the streets.    D. The simple lunch served on the train.
3. Which of the following words can best take the place of the word "relish" in the second
paragraph?    A. choose   B. enjoy    C. prepare for   D. carry on
4, Where was the writer going?
A. Johore Baru,   B. The Causeway.   C. Butterworth,   D. Singapore.
5. What can we learn from the story?
A, Comfort in traveling by train.   B. Pleasure of living in the country.
C. Reading gives people delight.    D. Smiles brighten people up.

Farming was once the chief way of life in nearly every country. People cannot live without food, and nearly all their food comes from crops and animals raised on farms. Not many people farm for a living any more, but farming remains the most important work in the world.
Before the nineteenth century, the typical American family lived on a small farm. They raised pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, and planted corn, fruits, garden vegetables, and wheat. Everyone worked long and hard, but the results were often poor. Families barely harvested enough food for themselves. This situation began to change during the last half of the 1800's and it changed remarkably(明顯地) in the next century.
Scientific methods and labor-saving machinery have made farming increasingly productive. The development of improved plant varieties and fertilizers has helped double and even triple the production of some major crops. More scientific animal care and animal raising have helped increase the amount of meat and products that animals produce. At the same time, the use of tractors and other modern farm equipment has sharply reduced the need for farm labor.
As farming has become less important as a way of life in the United States, it has become more important as a source which offers materials to industry. Today's successful farmers are experts not just in agriculture but also in accounting, marketing, and finance. Farms that are not run in a similar way have great difficulty surviving.
1. We are told in the first paragraph about ____.
A. the history of farming                       B. the importance of farming  
C. the development of farming                  D. the changes of farming
2. Which of the following describes American farming before the 19th century?
A. Farmers didn’t work hard on their farms.  
B. Farmers used tractors to help them.
C. Farming was the main way of living for most people.
D. Farmers could supply materials to industry.
3. Crop production has increased greatly now thanks to all the following EXCEPT __.
A. scientific methods                 B. labor- saving machinery    
C. farmers’ hard work                 D. chemical fertilizers
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Traditional American farming.            B. The increase in the number of crops in the US.
C. Modern farming methods.                D. American farmers’ hard work.
5. The passage mainly talks about_____.
A. the advantages of American farming      B. the changes in American farming 
C. the situation of American farms          D. how rapidly farming has developed

Beijing leading schools say “No” to students’ mobile phones.
Three reasons make some leading schools in Beijing discourage middle school students from bringing mobile phones to campus.
First, it is dangerous for children to bring valuable mobile phones along to school for it is possible for them to be lost during physical exercise and other activities and may cause unnecessary trouble to teachers.
Second, mobile phones are bad for students’ studies. Many teachers complain that some students have phone calls in class, disturbing themselves and others.
Third, mobile phones serve as a hotbed for students’ vanity（虛榮）. A new Grade One senior high school student in a leading school asked his parents to buy a 4000-yuan colored-screen mobile phone, which turned out to be his fifth one ever since he entered the middle school.
Most headmasters and teachers in leading schools of Beijing thought that IC telephones on campus have made it very easy for students to get in touch with others, so middle school students should not bring mobile phones to school at present.
1. According to the passage, without mobile phones, how can the students get in touch with others?
A. By writing letters to each other.                       B. By sending e-mails.
C. By using IC telephones.                          D. By no means.
2. Which is NOT the reason that makes the schools say “No” to students’ mobile phones?
A. It is not safe for children to bring mobile phones to school.
B. It may give students a feeling of vanity.
C. It is bad for students’ studies.
D. Most headmasters and teachers don’t want students to bring mobile phones to campus.
3. Why did the new Grade One student ask to buy him the fifth mobile phone since he entered the school?
A. His family had a lot of money.
B. He wanted to show that his family was very rich.
C. His parents loved him too much.
D. The first four mobile phones were all lost.
4. What is the writer’s attitude towards students’ bringing cell phones to school?
A. negative.         B. acceptable.        C. not mentioned.     D. positive. 

Dear Sir
I’m interested in the furnished （備有家具的）house near Dedham which you made known in yesterday’s paper, for my husband and I are coming to England in June and need accommodation（住所）for three months. Would you please tell me exactly where it is and give me details （細(xì)目）of bus and train services in the area ？We need a house on a busy street. And I would also like to know about the local（當(dāng)?shù)氐模﹕hops. Do the local shops still supply? I know they did ten years ago. 
I would be thankful also if you would tell me whether you supply sheets etc, and whether a laundry（洗衣房）calls at the house. The rent （房租）you ask sounds reasonable for the size of the house. How do you like it paid? Weekly, monthly or in advance （提前）？
I would be thankful for an early reply.
Yours
Pamda Smith
1．Pamda Smith got the news about the house from      . 
A．local shops       B．a(chǎn) newspaper     C．her friends       D．a(chǎn) telephone
2．Most probably, Mr and Mrs Smith      . 
A．a(chǎn)re coming to England from America    B．want to live in a beautiful place
C．a(chǎn)re very rich           D．once lived in Dedham ten years ago
3．How do they need a house on a busy street?
A．The rent is the cheapest   B．There is a laundry
C．They like the busy area very much  D．They don’t want to drive
4．Which of the following is not true? Mr. and Mrs. Smith     . 
A．a(chǎn)re not clear about the rent     B．Want to be in England for three months
C．will be on holiday in England       D．do not want to wash their clothes
5．In the passage, the word “accommodation” means      . 
A．cool weather    B．good service     C．furnished rooms      D．beautiful scenes

I had an experience some years ago, which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to hold two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “ full of years”, as the Bible would say. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence(吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.
At the first home, the son of the deceased(已故的)woman said to me, “ If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died.” At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “ If only I hadn’t insisted on my mother’s going to Florida, she would be alive today.That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”
You see that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out bad, they believe that the opposite course—keeping Mother at home, putting off the operation—would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?
There seem to be two elements involved in our willingness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens that leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.
The second element is the view that we are the cause of what happens , especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believe that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.
A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to its tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him , and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that childish view that our wishes cause things to happen.
1. What is said about the two deceased elderly women?
A. They lived out a natural life.
B. They died of exhaustion after the long plane ride.
C. They weren’t used to the change in weather.
D. They died due to lack of care by family members.
2. The author had to conduct the two women’s funerals probably because ______.
A. he wanted to comfort the two families
B. he was an official from the community
C. he had great pity for the deceased
D. he was minister of the local church
3. People feel guilty for the deaths of their loved ones because _____.
A. they couldn’t find a better way to express their sorrow
B. they believe that they were responsible
C. they had neglected the natural course of events
D. they didn’t know things often turn in the opposite direction
4. According to the passage, the underlined part in paragraph 4 probably means that_____.
A. everything in the world is predetermined
B. the world can be explained in different ways
C. there is an explanation for everything in the world
D. we have to be sensible in order to understand the world
5. What’s the idea of the passage?
A. Life and death is an unsolved mystery.
B. Every story should have a happy ending.
C. Never feel guilty all the time because not every disaster is our fault.
D. In general, the survivors will feel guilty about the people who passed away.

We don’t know how different our life will be in the future . We can only try to imagine it .
At first we think about human relationship . In the year 2050 , we will use computers almost every day . We will be making new friends through the Internet—even our husbands or wives will be met in this way . It will be much faster and easier for us . On the other hand , our relationships with people won’t be as important as they are today—we will feel a little lonely .
Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050 . For example , they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier . In addition , there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers , like robots which will do the housework for us .
Spending holidays will also be completely different . Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone . Means of transport will , of course , change , too . we will be using solar-powered cars , which will be much more environmentally friendly .
We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment . But it isn’t true .We will pay more attention to protecting the environment . And , scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases , like cancer or AIDS . Therefore , our surroundings as well as health will be in a better condition .
Although we can’t predict the exact changes which will be made in the world , we often think about them . We worry about our and our children’s future ; we have expectations , hopes as well as fears . But I think we should be rather sanguine about our future . We should be happy and believe good things will happen .
1. Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050 ?
A. Because the number of people will become much smaller .
B. Because there will be less face-to-face communication .
C. Because people won’t like making friends with each other .
D. Because people won’t communicate with each other much often .
2. The third paragraph mainly tells us_________.
A. that computers will do all the things for human beings
B. how people will use computers to communicate with each other
C. that machines like computers and robots will help people a lot
D. how people will use robot to do the housework
3. According to the passage , which of the following will happen in 2050 ?
A. The relationship between people will be more important than that of today .
B. The way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today .
C. It won’t be difficult for people to travel to other planets .
D. Our environment will be much more polluted with a growing number of cars .
4. What does the passage mainly talk about ?
A. How peoplewill communicate in the year 2050 .
B. What our life will be like in the year 2050 .
C. How people will travel and spend their holidays in the year 2050 .
D. What high technology will appear in the year 2050 .

You may be spending far too many of your present moments in efforts to win the approval of others, or in being concerned with some disapproval that you have encountered．We all enjoy applause, compliments(恭維)and praise, and approval in itself is not unhealthy. Approval-seeking is a misleading zone only when it becomes a need rather than a want.
If you want the approval, you are simply happy to have the recognition of the other people. But if you need it, you are going to break down if you don’t get it. That’s when the self-destructive forces move in. Similarly, when approval-seeking becomes a need, you give up a large part of yourself to the “outside person” whose advocacy(擁護(hù))you must have. If they disapprove, then you are immobilized(使喪失機(jī)動性)（even in a small way）. In such a case, you have chosen to wear yourself——worth on your sleeve for someone to rub or not to rub as they see fit. You feel good inside only if they decide to praise you.
The need for approval of another person is bad enough, but the real trouble comes with the need for the approval of everyone for every act. If you carry around such a need, then you are bound for a great deal of misery and frustration in your life. Moreover, you will be incorporating a wish——washy (軟弱無力的)non-person self-image that will result in the kind of self-rejection.
The need for approval must go! No question makes there. It must be completely got rid of from your life if you are to gain personal fulfillment. Such need is a psychological dead end, with absolutely no benefits to you.
1．Approval-seeking is healthy when________
A．you need the approval
B．you only want the approval
C．you need the approval of everyone for every act
D．you don’t care about the approval
2．The self-destructive forces move in when________
A．you need the approval and you get it
B．you want the approval and you get it    
C．you need the approval but you don’t get it
D．you want the approval but you don’t get it
3．What does the sentence” You hven chosen to wear your self-worth on your sleeve for someone to rub or not to rub as they see fit.” mean?
A．You have decided to give up yourself worth in order to get the approval.
B．You have decided to change yourself worth in order to get the approval.
C．You have decided to show yourself worth to others and allow them to make a judgment.
D．You have decided to put yourself worth in other’s hand and allow them to keep it or hurt it as they like.
4．The need for the approval of everyone for every act will enentually result in________
A．self-rejection        B．real troubles    C．misery     D．frustration
5．What can we infer from the passage?
A．People can benefit from the need of the approval.
B．Both the want and need for approval are unhealthy.
C．The need for the approval is a destructive feeling and people must get rid of it.
D．Since everyone enjoys praise and compliment, approval-seeking is a natural human need.