“Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,” mourns May Mitchell, a syndicated columnist known as “Ms Demeanor” and author of six etiquette(禮節(jié)) books. In her view, each generation, compared with the one before, is losing a sense of consideration for other people. “Without respect,” she says, “you have conflict.”
Ms. Demeanor would be proud of me: I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes. And such a gesture is important, says Ms. Demeanor, because “a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill, an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives. Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside---it’s an attitude based on respecting other people.”
A few years ago, as my children descended like piranhas (一種南美淡水魚(yú)，喜吞食或攻擊) on their presents under the Christmas tree, the only attitude I could see was greed. Where was the appreciation of time and effort?
A thank-you note should contain three things: an acknowledgement of the gift (Love the tie with the picture of a hose on it); a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it (You must have shopped all over the state find such a unique item!); a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way it has enhanced your life (I’ll be sure to wear it to the next Mr. Ed convention!).
So, five years ago, in one of my rare flashes of parental insight, I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel (裝飾用光亮金屬) is hot. To the horror of my children, I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately, on the spot.
I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail thank-you notes; though hand-lettered ones (at least to me) still seem friendlier. But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special—just as, we hope, the recipient feels. It’s a gesture that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays.
41. 【小題1】in Ms. Demeanor’s point of view, children born in the ______ is probably the least respectful generation.

A．1960s

B．1970s

C．1980s

D．1990s

42. 【小題2】 The phrase “set oneself apart” (Para. 2) means _______.

A．to reserve to a particular use	B．to put to one side
C．to make noticeable or outstanding	D．to determine to purse

43. 【小題3】According to the passage, a thank-you note may contain the following information EXCEPT “_______”.

A．I love the pearl necklace you bought me for my birthday
B．it must have taken you a long time to find just the right thing for me
C．is it very expensive	D．I promise I will wear it on my wedding day

44. 【小題4】How did the author feel when she saw her children searching under the Christmas tree for their presents?

A．Greedy.

B．Cheerful.

C．Laughable.

D．Disheartened.

45. 【小題5】Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE about the author?

A．She feels hand-written letters are friendlier than word-processed ones.

B．She does not allow her children to sent email thank-you note.

C．She thinks the best time to teach her children the basic etiquette of appreciation is to strike while the iron is still not.

D．She thinks a thank-you note can make the gift giver feel special just as the

recipient does.

Pressure too much?
In our daily life we are used to hearing these words, “I can't wait for my holiday,” “I wish I could stay home today” And “I'm very tired.” These words come from pressure at work. Now the “iron rice bowl”(鐵飯碗) is being broken into pieces. Workers may be fired if they don’t perform their duties well. They have to do their jobs better.
People feel pressure not only because they might find themselves out of work but also because they get no real pleasure from their work. For most of the workers, work is just a way of earning money. It appears to be meaningless and worthless.
But pressure is a natural part of work. There is no way to keep away from it. We should face up to it.
Work should be a cause of happiness and pride rather than a punishment or a burden .In fact, a certain amount of pressure can provide challenge and chance for learning. To a modern man who is worried and low in spirit, developing a hobby and finding a new interest is of first importance. I like listening to pop music, which makes me calm and gives me pleasure.
If pressure becomes difficult to deal with, we should turn to our friends or families. We can have a drink with our friends and talk about the problem. We should always discuss our problems with our families. Good advice, warmth and happiness that families bring to us can reduce our pressure and encourage us to smooth away all difficulties.
【小題1】Peopel feel pressure at work mainly because ______.

A．they will lose their jobs

B．most of them find less interest in their work

C．they can make more money after work.

D．they want to stay at home.

【小題2】Which of the following is WRONG in the writer’s opinion?

A．Where there is work there is pressure.

B．Work shouldn’t be regarded as punishment or burden.

C．All modern men are worried and low in spirit.

D．A certain amount of pressure is necessary.

【小題3】From the text we can know that when pressure is too big, ________.

A．we should drink coffee with our friends

B．we can get help and comfort from our friends or families.

C．we can go home because it is warm

D．to talk out the problem to our friends and families is the best way.

Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people．Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are concerned with their own appearance and actions too much．Negative thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: What kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people unfavorably．A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions．In general, the way people think about themselves has a deep effect on all areas of their lives．
Shy people, who have low respect, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others．They need faith that they are doing "the right thing"．Shy people are very sensitive to criticism．It makes them feel inferior（自卑）．They also find it difficult to be pleased by praises because they believe they are unworthy of praise．A shy person may respond to a praise with a statement like this one: "You're just saying that to make me feel good, I know it's not true．” It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful．
Can shyness be completely got rid of, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determination since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self respect．It is important for people to accept their weakness as well as their strengths．Each one of us has his or her own characteristics．We are interested in our own personal ways．The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our chances for a rich and successful life．
【小題1】The first paragraph is mainly about______．

A．the cause of shyness	B．the effect of shyness on people
C．the feelings of shy people	D．the questions in the minds of shy people

【小題2】According to the writer, self-awareness is______．

A．harmful to people	B．a(chǎn) weak point of shy people
C．the cause of unhappiness	D．a(chǎn) good characteristic

【小題3】What is the shy people's reaction to praise?

A．They are pleased by it．

B．They feel it is not true．

C．They arevery sensitive to it．

D．They feel they are worthy of it．

【小題4】We can learn from the passage that shyness can ______．

A．block our chances for a successful life

B．help us to live up to our full development

C．enable us to understand ourselves better

D．have nothing to do with lack of self respect

The Best of Friends
The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly held image(印象)of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past.” We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seen to be about their families,” said one member of the research team.” They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s more negotiation(商議) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends.” My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall. ”I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21,agrees.”Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenagers rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments,” Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over.”
【小題1】What is the popular images of teenagers today?

A．They worry about school

B．They dislike living with their parents

C．They have to be locked in to avoid troubles

D．They quarrel a lot with other family members

【小題2】The study shows that teenagers don’t want to ___

A．share family responsibility	B．cause trouble in their families
C．go boating with their family	D．make family decisions

【小題3】Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today’s parents___.

A．go to clubs more often with their children

B．a(chǎn)re much stricter with their children

C．care less about their children’s life

D．give their children more freedom

【小題4】According to the authour,teenage rebellion____.

A．may be a false belief	B．is common nowadays
C．existed only in the 1960s	D．resulted from changes in families

【小題5】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Negotiation in family	B．Education in family
C．Harmony in family	D．Teenage trouble in family

Children of all ages love birthday parties at the Staten Island Zoo. Where else can you invite real party animals to join in the fun?
Who is invited?
Parties at the Staten Island Zoo are designed for children who are turning 4 years old and older, with a maximum group size of 15 children and 4 adults．Along with your human guests，2-3 live animals will also be invited into your party room. No need for more introductions. By the end of your party, our teachers will make sure everyone is well familiar with their new scaly(有鱗的)，feathery or furry friends．
What is included?
Each party lasts an hour and a half (two hours if pizza is included) and includes live animal demonstration，games or stories，and animal skills．Each member will receive a goodie bag to take home for fun. Besides, birthday invitations will be given to you for giving to your guests．
Birthday party themes
Choose from four different themes：   
Animal Tracks
Discover different types of animal’s feet and their purpose．Track some animals and then make a take home plaster mold(石膏模型)．
African Savannah
Join in the fun at exploring the mysteries of the African Savannah．Learn about favorite foods of the Savannah’s people and make an animal mask to enjoy the fun．
Tropical Rainforest
Listen to the sounds of the jungle and find where the animals live．Create a colorful rainforest bird.
Barnyard Friends
Stories, games, activities and crafts will all focus on the differences between wild and domestic animals．Make a small bookmark to use at home．
Costs
Pizza，ice cream cake，juice and party (includes cutlery, paper plates, cups and napkins) --- $370 Staten Island Zoo members／$400 non．Members．
Party only --- $250 Staten Island Zoo members／$275 non．Members
【小題1】 What’s special about the birthday parties at the Staten Island Zoo?

A．There are 19 people in one party at least．

B．Parties are intended for those who are just 4 years old．

C．It is necessary to introduce the strangers at the parties．

D．Live animals will take part in the birthday parties．

【小題2】If you choose a theme of Tropical Rainforest，what kind of works of art can you make?

A．A take-home plaster mold．	B．A colorful rainforest bird．
C．An animal mask．	D．A small bookmark to use at home．

【小題3】 A non-member who only plans to hold a party at the Staten Island Zoo should pay______.

A．$250

B．$275

C．$370

D．$400

【小題4】What can we learn from the passage?

A．All birthday parties last one and a half hours．

B．We should buy birthday invitations for our guest at the zoo．

C．Animals will make a performance at the party．

D．Any party member will be given a bag to store rubbish at the party．

You are watching a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another hard. At the start they only fight with their fists. But soon they begin hitting one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes(撞擊） through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead！Of course he isn't really dead. With any luck he isn't even hurt. Why? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars and run out of them even when they catch fire, are professionals. They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen. That is to say, they perform tricks. There are two sides to their work. They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall on to hard ground but on to empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress（床墊）. Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar! But although their work depends on trick of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman’s success depends on careful timing. For example, when he is "blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment.
Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They often get seriously injured, and sometimes killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff（懸崖）a thousand feet high. His parachute（降落傘）failed to open, and he was killed. In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women when actresses have to perform some dangerous action. For nowadays there are stuntgirls too.
【小題1】 Stuntmen are those who ______.

A．often dress up as actors

B．prefer to lead dangerous lives

C．often perform seemingly dangerous actions

D．often fight each other for their lives

【小題2】Stuntmen earn their living by ______.

A．playing their dirty tricks	B．selling their special skills
C．jumping out of high windows	D．jumping from fast moving trains

【小題3】 When a stuntman falls from a high building, ______.

A．he needs little protection	B．he will be covered with a mattress
C．his life is endangered	D．his safety is generally all right

【小題4】Which of the following is the main factor of a successful performance?

A．Strength.

B．Exactness.

C．Speed.

D．Carefulness

【小題5】What can be inferred from the author’s example of the Norwegian stuntman?

A．Sometimes an accident can occur to a stuntman.

B．The percentage of serious accidents is high.

C．Parachutes must be of good quality.

D．The cliff is too high.

Some couples spend every waking minute together. Others fill their hours with personal hobbies,outside interests and even part-time jobs, just to keep their distance from each other! "There should be private time and couple time," suggests Dr. Stephen Treat at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia."You don't want your latter years to turn into a process where two people unite as one. If you hold too tightly to your partner, it's going to cause resentment and anger. If you're completely separate, you'll both be lonely and disconnected. You need balance. So you have to talk about how you'll achieve that."
The right balance? It's different for every couple. "Having a conversation about time can be difficult,but it's important for both partners to process those feelings out loud," Dr. Treat says. "You should not be accusing and act as a judge—ask the difficult questions, but do it in a loving way. You could say something like, 'How are we going to be as individuals and how are we going to be as a couple?' "
Barbara and Chris Christensen have achieved the balance that works for them. In addition to daily routines that keep them close—including about 10 minutes for a daily check-in and about a half hour of relaxation time—they each maintain separate interests and friendships.
"We have found that we need time apart," Barbara says. "I have a group of women friends that I have known for the last 30 years. We have dinner out once a month. We women also have parties and weekend or weeklong vacations as a group at a beach or somewhere. Chris, a former fighter pilot, has many aviation-oriented(航空的) groups and friends and also a poker-playing group of our friends. I may be with him during the poker night, but I don't play, and the wives usually watch a chick flick' DVD or something while the poker group has an evening of fun. We have found it important to have separate time as well as together time."
【小題1】The author writes the passage to ______.

A．offer some suggestions on how to spend the time after retirement

B．a(chǎn)dvise couples to develop their separate hobbies

C．warn couples not to be accusing each other

D．give people some advice on how to entertain themselves after retirement

【小題2】 Dr. Stephen suggests that _________after retirement.

A．couples stay together all the time

B．couples express their feelings in a loving way

C．couples be separate

D．wives make many friends

【小題3】It can be inferred that________.

A．many couples are faced with problems after retirement

B．America has a large population of retired people

C．most people join various social groups after retirement

D．playing poker is a popular activity among retired people

【小題4】Barbara and her friends do the following EXCEPT_______.

A．having dinner regularly

B．holding parties

C．having weekly vacations at the beach

D．having fun playing poker

【小題5】The second paragraph is mainly intended to_______.

A．warn the husband not to act as a judge

B．suggest couples have discussions about difficulties

C．suggest how to keep the correct balance

D．require couples to be considerate

AAAGH! The Generation 90s is coming!
Wearing earphones, using complex Net language and constantly text messaging friends, the Gen-90s following the Gen-80s begin to make their world debut（初次登臺(tái)）.
Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle．Read on and judge for yourselves if you fit the Gen-90s profile．                
Earphones
These little devices seem to grow on the heads of the Gen-90s．They might lead to MP3, MP4 or MP101 players, giving these young people a plugged-in，cool and perhaps self-addicted look, of course, life is not always music to the ears．      
Martian language
They have created their own code-like online language．It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand．This is an imaginative generation, though they need to be careful to keep it out of their term papers．                 
Self-Portrait
Saying “cheese” to their own digital cameras is routine for this generation．A little bit of narcissism （自戀） never hurts anyone．It helps them reflect a little on their own lives．But be aware of the risks of posting private photos online.
Text-messaging
They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak．This is a generation that respects efficiency．However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style.
【小題1】Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A．Teens

B．Educators

C．Socialists

D．Parents

【小題2】According to the passage , if you belong to the Gen-90s , you will ____________ .

A．just appreciate yourself and ignore others’ strengths.

B．make your presentation and have your own symbols and lifestyle.

C．have the same symbols and lifestyle of the Gen-80s．

D．like music and dance very much.

【小題3】According to the text, the writer will choose ______ as a good example to the Gen-90.

A．Li Hua likes music and always wearing ipod

B．Zhang Chao is not only an imaginative boy but do everything efficiently.

C．Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends.

D．Fangfang likes being taken photos and often posting them on line.

【小題4】According to this passage, which is FALSE?

A．Not all teens are cautious about posting photos．

B．They type their mobile phones so fast that it can catch the speed of speaking.

C．The Gen-90s have a preference for some music players, and even regard them as a necessary part of life．

D．They don’t use the cool and complex online language in formal writing.

【小題5】The main idea of the passage is about________.

A．the Gen-90s’ happy life

B．the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s

C．the Gen-90s’unique lifestyle and some practical warnings

D．the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s

Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh and do things with. Sure, there are times when we need to be alone. We don’t always want people around. But we would feel lonely if we never had a friend.
No two people are the same. Sometimes friends don’t get along well. That doesn’t mean they no longer like each other. Most of the time they will go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away. Then we feel very sad. We miss them very much. But we can call them and write to them. Maybe we would never see them again. And we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them. Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men and women, if they are friendly to people in a town. Some libraries are named in this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places.
There is more good news for people, if they have friends. These people live longer than those people who don’t have friends. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well. Or it could be just knowing that someone cares. If someone cares about you, you take better care of yourself.
【小題1】 The first paragraph tells us     .

A．what is the feeling of having no friends

B．we always need friends around us

C．making friends is a need in people’s life

D．we need to be alone in our life

【小題2】Which of the following places people name after their friendly people is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．A town.

B．A room.

C．A school.

D．A library.

【小題3】Why do people who have friends live longer?

A．They feel happier and healthier.	B．They know more about friendship.
C．They take less care of themselves.	D．They care more about their friends.

Happiness is for everyone. You don’t need to care about those people who have beautiful houses with large gardens and swimming pools or those who have nice cars and a lot of money and so on. Why? Because those who have big houses may often feel lonely and those who have cars may want to walk on the country roads in their free time.
In fact, happiness is always around you if you put your heart into it. When you are in trouble at school, your friends will help you; when you study hard at your lessons, your parents are always taking good care of your life and your health; when you get a success, your friends will say congratulations to you; when you do something wrong, people around you will help you to correct it. And when you do something good to others, you will feel happy, too. All these are your happiness. If you notice a bit of them, you can see that happiness is always around you.
Happiness doesn’t mean money. It is a feeling of your heart. When you are poor, you can also say you are very happy, because you have something that can’t be bought with money. When you meet with difficulties, you can say loudly you are very happy, because you have more chances to challenge yourself. As the saying goes, life is like a revolving（旋轉(zhuǎn)的）door. When it closes, it also opens. If you take every chance you get, you can be a happy and lucky person.
【小題1】When you do something wrong , people around you will    .

A．quarrel with you	B．help you correct it
C．do something wrong like you	D．laugh at you

【小題2】What will your friends say when you make great progress?

A．Oh, so do I	B．Congratulations!
C．Good luck!	D．Just so-so

【小題3】 Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．People who have cars would never like to walk in the open air.

B．You can get help from others when you are in trouble.

C．You can still be a happy person even if you have little money.

D．Happiness is always around you though difficulties come towards you.

【小題4】The passage mainly tells us      .

A．parents always care for our life and health

B．we’re not happy if we meet with difficulties

C．happiness is always around us

D．life is colorful