Are you an optimist? Do you look at your glass and see it as half full? Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that generally things turn out for the best? Do you believe that if something is meant to be, it will be? If you reply “yes” to all of these questions, then you are an optimist. You probably are enthusiastic, cheerful and outgoing. You may well be successful atwork and in love.

But you may be misguided because things don’t turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (for example，you may fail to obtain a new job，another chance will come around soon), Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams in your face. That's bitter reality.
Now a book has been published which confirms what we pessimists(悲觀者）have suspected all along. It's called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, “What’s interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation’s outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better. ”
So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on a date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a back-up plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and “ Don’t count your chickens until they hatch. “ To have a confident and optimistic approach to life’s problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien，the American comedian says, ”Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.”
There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don’t feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．A book that has recently been published.

B．The dangers of being too optimistic.

C．How to become successful in life.

D．The benefits of defensive pessimism.

【小題2】The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science” in paragraph 4 means     .

A．it is quite simple to understand	B．there is no real proof
C．it’s not a dangerous thing to do	D．the cost is not so high

【小題3】The writer would probably describe himself as          .

A．a(chǎn)n optimist

B．a(chǎn) defeatist

C．a(chǎn) realist

D．a(chǎn) scientist

【小題4】Which of the following English expressions would a defensive pessimist believe?

A．“Every cloud has a silver lining.”	B．“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
C．“Whatever will be, will be.”	D．“The glass is half full not half empty.”

My father never wanted his children to know what he did for a living．Dad worked in Plant C．Lying beside lake Erie, it saw him in at sunrise and out at nightfall．Sometimes my mother would take my siblings （兄弟姐妹） and me to the public beach in our hometown of Ashtabula． she'd gather us round and point to the smokestacks, coughing clouds into the sky．
"Wave to daddy!" she'd shout. Four little hands would shoot into the air．I never knew what Dad did in Plant C, but during 34 years of hard work, he had surgery （手術(shù)） on his shoulder and hand．At 48, he had his first heart attack．He retired in 1993, right after the last kid graduated from college．But the damage was done．A few years later, the next heart attack killed him．
I saw my dad in Plant C only once, when I took dinner to him．That night, I looked at my father, covered in sweat and coal, and for the first time I knew why he was so often angry for no reason．
Recently my father' s friend, Toby Workman, walked me there．I knew my father never wanted me to see it．At every station, he described the job and the danger．It was like listening to a foreign language．I walked past many DANGER signs．Toby put his hand on my shoulder．"look," he said, "you need to understand something．Your dad was a maintenance mechanic．He worked the most dangerous job．If something broke, he fixed it．"
A few days later, my daughter graduated from college．I gave her the hard hat Toby handed to me as I left, and this notes: " Whenever you feel something difficult, put this on, look in the mirror, and remember your roots．"
【小題1】How many siblings does the author most probably have? ____．
A．Three siblings   B．Two siblings                  C．One sibling      D: Four siblings
【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE of the facts about the author's father? ____
A．He didn't suffer a heart attack until he retired．
B．He worked in Plant C for 48 years in all．
C．He was hardly angry in his daily life．
D．He did physical work in Plant C.
【小題3】When Toby Workman described the author' s father' s job, the author ____．

A．felt familiar with the job	B．didn’t quite understand
C．wanted to learn a foreign language	D．decided to do the same work

【小題4】The author gave her daughter the hat, hoping that her daughter could ____．

A．remember her grandfather	B．overcome all difficulties by wearing it
C．get encouraged by her grandfather	D．follow her grandfather' s work

Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not. I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account). I love how singer Judy Garland put it. “Always be a first-class version(版本) of yourself, instead of a second-class version of somebody else. ” Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that
In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off. At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that any more, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.
It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit(儲蓄) into your PBA and will build strength.
【小題1】The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the FIRST paragraph means________.

A．to be unreal	B．to be honest
C．to become clear	D．to come from an imagined world

【小題2】Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?

A．Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.

B．Be your true self rather than follow others.

C．Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.

D．Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.

【小題3】What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story?

A．Honesty can be of great help.

B．A bad thing can be turned into a good one.

C．One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.

D．Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.

【小題4】In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express________.

A．one must be brave to be honest

B．it’s difficult to be honest when others are not

C．one should be honest when making a deposit

D．honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future

A young boy was sitting in the back seat of the car eating an apple. He asked his father, “Why does my apple turn brown?” his father answered, “When the skin is removed, air reaches the flesh of the apple and causes oxidation. This changes the apple’s molecular structure and results in a brownish color.” The boy asked, “ Daddy, what are you talking about?”
I know how that boy feels. Sometimes I want answers to some of those confusing questions that we all meet with, such as how to get through difficult times or what to do in a tough situation. I just want to get it right.
The problem is that I don’t always have the answer I need. Nobody else seems to have them, either. So I go on making mistakes and think that I’ll never get it right.
Often I didn’t know what to do. I often made poor choices, but I gradually improved. Then I realized that I don’t HAVE TO always get it right. I don’t have to always know what to do all the time. All I really need to do is try my best, learn from my mistakes and go on.
Dr. Leo Buscaglia once said, “ No one gets out of this world alive, so the time to live, learn, care, share, celebrate and love is now. That would be pretty hard to do when you’re waiting for all the answers first.”
So you got it wrong. You made a mistake. So what should you do next? Forgive yourself and try again. You may not get out of this world alive, but you can get plenty of life out of this world if you are not too worried about always getting it right.
【小題1】 In the beginning, the author tells the story of a boy and his father to ____.

A．show that the father is very knowledgeable

B．say something interesting about apples

C．introduce the subject of the passage

D．show that children nowadays ask more questions

【小題2】 How did the boy feel when he heard his father’s explanation?

A．He admired his father very much.

B．He knew what his father meant.

C．He thought that he had learned a lot from his father.

D．He felt it was difficult to understand.

【小題3】 What do Dr. Leo Buscaglia’s words mean?

A．We must make right choices as often as possible.

B．We can search the answers when enjoying life itself.

C．People have many desires when they enter the world.

D．It is hard to lead a happy and satisfying life.

【小題4】 What can be concluded from the passage?

A．We should learn from our mistakes and try again.

B．We should try to learn and understand the answers to questions.

C．It is very important to try to avoid mistakes.

D．It is our duty to make the world a better place.

【小題5】 What is the style of the passage?
A. novel       B. news     C. essay     D poem

Human wants seem endless. When a starving man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat; when a manager gets a new sports car, he dreams of country clubs and pleasure boats dance into view.
The many wants of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels. When there is money enough to satisfy one level of wants, another level appears.
The first and most basic level of wants is food. Once this want is satisfied, a second level of wants appears: clothing and some sort of shelter. By the end of World War II these wants were satisfied for a great majority of Americans. Then a third level appeared. It included such items as cars and new houses.
By 1957 or 1958 this third level of wants was fairly well satisfied. Then in the late 1950s a fourth level of wants appeared: the “l(fā)ife-enriching” level. While the other levels mean physical satisfaction—the feeding, comfort, safety and transportation of the human body—this level means mental needs for recognition, achievement and happiness. It includes a variety of goods and services many of which could be called “l(fā)uxury” items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical care and entertainment. Also included here are fancy foods and the latest styles in clothing.
On the fourth level, a greater percentage of consumers spending goes to services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consumers raise their sights to a fifth level of wants as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level?
A fifth level probably would be wants that can be achieved by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes and crime. After filling our stomachs, our garages, and our minds, we now may seek to ensure the health and safety to enjoy more fully the good things on the first three levels.
【小題1】According to the passage, man will begin to think about such needs as housing and clothing only when _______

A．he has saved up enough money

B．he has grown dissatisfied with his simple shelter

C．he has satisfied his hunger

D．he has learned to build houses

【小題2】It can be inferred from the passage that by the end of World War II most Americans ______

A．were very rich

B．were very poor

C．Had the good things on the first three levels

D．didn’t own cars

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT related to “physical satisfaction”?

A．A successful career	B．A comfortable house
C．A good service	D．A family car

【小題4】The author thinks that a fifth level______

A．would be a little better than the fourth level

B．may be a lot more desirable than the first four

C．can be the last and most satisfying level

D．will come true if the government takes actions

I had applied for the nuclear（核）submarine(潛艇) program, and Admiral Rickover was interviewing me for the job. It was the first time I met Admiral Rickover, and we sat in a large room by ourselves for more than two hours, and he let me choose any subjects I wished to discuss. Very carefully, I chose those about which I knew most at the time – recent events, seamanship, music, literature, naval tactics(海軍戰(zhàn)術(shù)), electronics, gunnery(射擊學(xué)) – and he began to ask me a lot of questions that were more difficult. Every time after my answers, he soon showed that I knew rather little about the subjects I had chosen.
He always looked right into my eyes, and he never smiled. I was saturated with cold sweat.
Finally, he asked me a question and I thought it was my turn to show myself off. He said, “How did you stand in your class at Georgia Tech before entering Annapolis as a first year student?” I had done very well, and I threw my chest with pride and answered, “Sir, I stood thirty-ninth in a class of 820!” I sat back to wait for the congratulations – which never came. Instead, the question: “Did you do your best?” I started to say, “Yes, sir,” but I remembered who this was, and thought of several of my times at the Academy when I could have learned more about our allies(二戰(zhàn)時(shí)的同盟國), our enemies, weapons strategy(戰(zhàn)略) and so on, so I finally said, “No, Sir, I didn’t always do my best.”
He looked at me for a long time, and then turned his chair around to end the interview. He asked one final question, which I have never been able to forget – or to answer. He said, “Why not?” I sat there for a while, shaken, and then slowly left the room.
【小題1】The passage suggests that ___.

A．the atmosphere of the interviews was very serious

B．the author always did his best in doing everything

C．the author and Admiral Rickover were good friends

D．Admiral Rickover knew the author quite well

【小題2】The word “saturated” in the second paragraph may probably mean ___.

A．very satisfied

B．completely wet

C．rather sad

D．too excited

【小題3】When the author said: “Sir, I stood thirty-ninth in a class of 820!’’ He meant __.

A．he did better than most of his classmates at the Academy

B．he had 820 classmates and he was Number thirty-nine

C．he was proud that the class he was in was very large

D．in the class only thirty-nine students stood in front of him

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhh!!!” To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountains: “AAAhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
Curious, he shouts: : “Who are you?” He receives the answer:” “Who are you?” And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!” The voice answers: “I admire you!”
Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward (one without courage)!” He receives the answer: “Coward!”
He looks to his father and asks: “What's going on?” The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.”
Again the man screams at the top of his voice: “You are a champion!” The voice answers: “You are a champion!”
The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: “People call this ECHO (回音) , but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.”
This relationship applies to (適用于) everything, in all aspects of life; life will give you back everything you have given to it.”
【小題1】The boy is surprised because __________.

A．he falls over his own feet.	B．his father can shout as loud as he does.
C．he hears his screams repeated.	D．someone calls him a coward.

【小題2】What’s the father’s attitude towards life?

A．hopeful

B．disappointed

C．upset

D．hopeless

【小題3】Which of the following sayings is in keeping with the father’s teachings?

A．Faith will move mountains.	B．A great talker is a great liar (說謊者).
C．Love me, love my dog.	D．Do well and have well.

It doesn’t matter if you have one friend or 20, because there are only a few people in this world that can make you truly happy. For me, my family and my three best girlfriends mean everything to me.
Some days I didn’t want to go to school because I felt so disappointed in myself but I don’t regret a thing. It makes you stronger as a person, and if you are able to mend your friendships as I have done, then you can do anything.
My mother always told me, “Stephanie, remember that a friend is a gift that you give yourself. A friend will make you laugh and be there for the good or bad. A true friend will never make fun of you. If a friend is a piece of work, then he or she has never been a friend at all. A friend is the biggest gift to yourself.”
Everyone is going to make mistakes but please don’t push them away, especially if it’s someone you really care about. I know when I make a mistake I beat myself up about it. I just wish someone would reach out a hand to help me back  on my feet as my best friends did. If someone is new or doesn’t have a friend, please reach out and behind him/her because that small action could mean the world to him/her. Now that I’m older, I understand what my mom has been trying to tell me, and now I know that the friends that I choose will also be the kinds of friends that I would want to be surrounded by forever.
【小題1】According to the passage, a true friend should be a person that _________.

A．often gives you gifts

B．makes you happy

C．does both good or bad things to you

D．seldom makes fun of you

【小題2】It can be inferred from the passage that the writer _________.

A．understands what a friend means to her

B．doesn’t think that friends will make her truly happy

C．doesn’t have many friends

D．has nothing except her family and three friends

【小題3】If you hope to have a friend, you should do the following EXCEPT_________.

A．giving advice and offering help if he or she makes mistakes

B．regarding him or her as a piece of work

C．considering him or her a valuable gift

D．trying to treat a newcomer as a friend

【小題4】The last sentence probably means_________.

A．people around me are all my friends

B．I only choose the people around me to be my friends

C．the friends I choose will surround me every day

D．my true friends would always be by my side for my joys and sorrows

On September 22, 1986, Jay Brunkella, a police-officer in the Rogers Park district in Chicago, was shot during a drug arrest and died. Shortly afterwards, fellow officer Ken Knapcik, a 20-year veteran (老警官) of the force, returned home after work to find a note from his 15-year-old daughter on the dining table.
Dad---This poem came directly from my heart. I love you so much! It scares and amazes me that you go out every day and risk everything to provide us with all that we have. I wrote this to express how much I love you and how much lost I’d be without you-Laura. P.S.: Hey, let’s be careful out there.
Titled “The Ultimate Cop”, Laura’s poem was dedicated “To all the cops in the world who have daughters who love them with all their hearts. And especially to my dad.” It was about a police-officer’s daughter who sees on the night time news that her father has been shot. Part of poem: “Daddy, my Daddy, can you hear me cry? Oh, God, I need my Daddy, please don’t let him die.”
Ken Knapcik stood alone as he read the poem. “It took me several minutes,” he said. “I’d get through part of it and have to stop before I could go on. I was weeping. She had never told me she was scared.” He took the poem to work the next day and showed it to his fellow officers. “I’ve never seen so many grown men cry. Some couldn’t finish it.”
Knapcik keeps Laura’s poem in the pocket of his police jacket. He takes it with him every time he leaves the house for a new shift. “I don’t want to be out there without it.” he said, “I’ll probably carry it with me forever.”
【小題1】Laura wrote the poem ______.

A．in memory of her father who was shot in the drug arrest

B．to show her great sorrow in losing her father

C．to show her respect to all the cops who lost their lives

D．to tell Officer Ken Knapcik how much she loved him

【小題2】All the officers cried because ______.

A．Jay Brunkella was shot and died

B．they were greatly touched by the poem

C．the poem was so sad that they couldn’t hold back their tears

D．they thought of their dangerous life

【小題3】Knapcik keeps Laura’s poem in his pocket ______.

A．to treasure her daughter’s love and to value his own life

B．to keep it from missing

C．because he can’t go out without it

D．to mourn over the death of officer Jay Brunkella

【小題4】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Poem for a cop	B．An officer’s death
C．Daughter’s love	D．Love my job, love my daughter

This week was busier than usual, and I was very tired today. All I wanted to do was to go home and enjoy a bowl of good hot soup.
But when I saw my daughter’s car, I knew that it was Bryan’s night. Since his parents separated, I had tried to have my six-year-old grandson spend a few hours with me at least once a week. I had always tried to make it a special time for him. We did many interesting things; Bryan loved all these activities, and so did I. But today I had to give up our evening. I said how tired I was feeling. “Bryan, I’m sorry. Tonight I don’t feel like having fun or playing games. We’ll have our night together some other time.” I saw the sadness in Bryan’s eyes. He said, “I like soup, Grandma.” I knew he meant “Please don’t send me away. Please let me stay.” I saw the shadow (陰影) in Bryan’s eyes. Something else was changing. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t want to have him come any more — not tonight, not next week, not ever. Finally, I said OK. I was glad to see his eyes light up. After I put the soup on the stove (爐子) and turned on the TV, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, there was a coat over my legs, and the soup was gone. Bryan was on the floor, reading a coloring book and watching a television show at the same time. The poor boy must have been so bored (煩躁的)! When he found I was awake, he ran over and gave me a big hug. “I love you, Grandma,” he said. “Haven’t we had a nice time together?” His big smile and happy eyes told me that this time he meant exactly what he was saying. That was the keyword — together. We had done nothing exciting or special. But we were together.
【小題1】What does the underlined part (in Paragraph 2) mean?

A．It was time to cook hot soup for Bryan that night.

B．This was the evening when Bryan stayed with his grandma.

C．Bryan would have a good rest that night.

D．Bryan would stay with his parents that night.

【小題2】Why didn’t the author want to stay with her grandson that night at first?

A．She was too tired to have fun or play games with him.

B．She was sick and wanted to have a good rest.

C．She was too busy and had to work overtime that night.

D．She had to prepare soup for the whole family.

【小題3】How many times did the author describe Bryan’s eyes?

A．1.

B．2.

C．3.

D．4.

【小題4】From the passage, we can infer that _____.

A．Bryan’s parents separated so he had to live with his grandma

B．Bryan was sad that night because his grandma didn’t play with him

C．the author wouldn’t want to stay with her grandson any more

D．the author and her grandson loved each other very much