I was with a group of businessmen, and we were dealing with a question—What is a good person?
At a certain point during the discussion, one of the students—a young man of about thirty—described an event that happened at Christmas. He and his five-year-old son were decorating the Christmas tree, and a little boy came to the front door begging. If you ever visit Mexico, you will see that the people there take begging as nothing to get upset about and nothing to get embarrassed by.
So, this little boy came to the door, a boy about the same age as my student’s son. The father and the son went to the front door, and the father went back with his five-year-old son and said to him, “Give him one of your toys.” At the words, the little boy quickly picked up some toy, and his father said to him, “No, no－give him your favorite toy.”
And the little boy, like a little tiger, said, “No way!” He cried; he refused. But the father, like a big tiger in a way, insisted gently, “No, you must give him one of your favorite toys.”
And finally the boy, with his head down, picked up a toy he had just gotten. The father waited in the living room, and the boy walked to the front door with the toy in his hand. The father waited and waited.
What do you think happened?
After a couple of minutes, his son came running back into the living room, his face radiant (喜氣洋洋). “Daddy,” he said, “can I do that again?”
I think I have got the answer to the question.
【小題1】From the passage, we can learn that in Mexico ________.

A．begging is looked down upon

B．begging is considered as a normal part of life

C．visitors all over the world treat beggars kindly

D．few people are living a poor life

【小題2】The sentence “can I do that again?” showed that the boy ________.

A．got pleasure by helping the little beggar

B．wanted to please his father

C．began to like the little beggar

D．wanted to be the little beggar’s friend

【小題3】According to the writer, being a good person means ________.

A．having the courage to correct his/her mistakes

B．being friendly to beggars

C．being ready to give

D．being able to teach children to tell right from wrong

Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip (啜飲) of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (誘惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (諷刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.
【小題1】What do most people think causes bad behavior?

A．Being forced by others.

B．Not having enough will power.

C．Enjoying their first experiences.

D．Following the examples of their friends.

【小題2】The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.

A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes

B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers

C．self-control should be developed when one is young

D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations

【小題3】In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.

A．without self-control, no one can succeed

B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results

C．a(chǎn)pplying self-control correctly is important

D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior

【小題4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．My First Sip of Beer	B．Do You Have Will Power ?
C．Does Will Power Benefit Us?	D．Dark Side of Self-control

There’s been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China’s urban vernacular（土話(huà)）—green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane（車(chē)道）, and explore new ways of living “green”.
Living green doesn’t mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China’s big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan （about US $700）.
The life of a green collar may go something like this; Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help the underprivileged. 
Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a “be happy, healthy and helpful” spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief（擺脫貧困）projects in China.
“They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it.” said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?

A．Differences between white-and-blue collars and green collars.

B．The increasing awareness of environmental protection.

C．New trends of life in China’s big cities.

D．The lifestyle of green collars.

【小題2】Green collars will     after work.

A．prefer to be left alone

B．have fun with old friends

C．think nothing about work and more

D．do a lot of extra work at home

【小題3】What ’s Zuo Shiguang’s attitude towards green collars?

A．Appreciative.

B．Doubtful.

C．Negative.

D．Neutral.

【小題4】The underlined part “the underprivileged” probably refers to those who are        .

A．in heavy polluted areas	B．in faraway places
C．in a poor state of education	D．in unfavourable conditions

Researchers are placing robotic dogs(機(jī)器狗)in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck，an expert in human animal relationship，and Nancy Edwards，a professor of nursing，are leading the animal assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression，physical activity，and life satisfaction.“No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active，challenged，or stimulated(刺激)，”Edwards points out.“The problem is how we promote(使……成為現(xiàn)實(shí))that，especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study，the robot，called AIBO，is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home，researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO. Then，the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time，and he responds to my voice，”says a seventy year old lady.“When I’m watching TV，he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs，especially for old people.Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercises and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning，it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog，because it was metal and not furry.”Beck says.“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
Hopefully，down the road，these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure，oxygen levels，or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate old people’s minds.
【小題1】The purpose of Beck and Edwards’  study is to________.

A．understand human animal relationship

B．make lonely old people’s life better

C．find the causes of old people’s loneliness

D．promote the animal assisted research

【小題2】In the research，the old people are asked to________.

A．note the activities of AIBOs

B．keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks

C．record their feelings and activities

D．a(chǎn)nalyze the collected information

【小題3】What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?

A．It is easier to keep at home.

B．It can help the disabled people.

C．It responds to all the human orders.

D．It can watch TV with its owner.

【小題4】The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may________.

A．cure certain diseases

B．keep old people active

C．change people’s beliefs

D．look more like real dogs

【小題5】According to the passage，which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The professors are leading the animal assisted study concerning old people’s life.

B．The AIBOs will always listen to their owners without their own minds.

C．The researchers will know from the data whether AIBO can help its owner.

D．AIBOs can have games with the old people to stimulate their minds.

I got tired of living the life that everybody told me I “should” be living , so one day I decided to start living life on my own terms. Frustrated（挫�。﹚ith my job, I came home, put on my shoes, and just started running. It felt so good to be free. That first day I ended up running 30 miles without stopping. Yes, I had rediscovered my old passion ( 酷愛(ài)的事物) — and it felt so good I set a goal to support myself and my family from my running alone.
I trained hard every day. Since I wanted to be the best I could be, I knew I would have to set some clear goals for myself. A couple of my goals were: run a 135-mile ultra-marathon(超級(jí)馬拉松) across Death Valley, win the Badwater Ultra-Marathon, and run a marathon to the South Pole.
I had no idea how I was going to achieve these goals, but they certainly encouraged me to work hard. Today, I am really grateful to say that I have achieved all of them. Shortly after completing these goals, I set another goal: to run fifty marathons, in fifty states, in fifty days. Nobody had done anything like this before. To be honest, I was not quite sure if I could. But there was only one way to find out…so I just started training and preparing to give it my best try.
I completed that goal one year ago, and it felt great! But for me, life is not all about achieving goals. Sure, it feels good to succeed, but the greatest reward for me was learning more about myself and what I was able to do.
Only by stepping out into the unknown and stretching(使傾注全力) ourselves can we really discover what our true potential(潛能) is。
【小題1】Why did the author decide to become a runner?

A．He was out of work.

B．He wanted to treat his illness.

C．He wanted to live his dreams.

D．He suddenly found running interesting.

【小題2】Which played an important role in the author’s success?

A．Setting goals	B．Learning from others.
C．Being honest	D．Keeping on reading .

【小題3】According to Paragraph 3, before achieving the goals the author felt _____________

A．very grateful	B．not quite confident
C．quite afraid	D．not very satisfied

【小題4】What does the underlined part “that goal” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Win the Badwater Ultra-Marathon.

B．Run a marathon to the South Pole.

C．Run fifty marathons, in fifty states, in fifty days.

D．Run a 135-mile ultra-marathon across Death Valley.

【小題5】The author probably agrees that____________.

A．life means achieving goals

B．success is the greatest reward

C．sports help develop our potential

D．everyone may have great potential.

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易動(dòng)感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
【小題1】The passage shows that ______.

A．mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B．mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

C．mother cared much about her daughter in words

D．mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

【小題2】The word “gulf” in the passage means ______.

A．deep understanding between the old and the young

B．different ideas between the mother and the daughter

C．free talks between mother and daughter

D．part of the sea going far in land

【小題3】What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?

A．She had never received the letter.

B．For years, she often talked about the letter.

C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D．She read the letter again and again till she died.

【小題4】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My letter to Mother	B．Mother and Children
C．My mother’s Desk	D．Talks between Mother and Me

Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement.
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in purple cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(效忠宣誓).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (核心) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
【小題1】What’s the article mainly about? 

A．An American graduation ceremony.

B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting.

C．A presentation of college diplomas.

D．A US college’s farewell party.

【小題2】According to the text, which of the following statements about the author is TRUE?

A．Hollywood superstars went to attend the ceremony.

B．Every single senior became a superstar at the ceremony.

C．When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were cheers.

D．All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives.

【小題3】The right order of the following events is________.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates.     
b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played.       
d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.

A．b-c-a-d-e

B．b-d-c-e-a

C．e-d-b-a-c

D．e-d-c-b-a

【小題4】From the text, we can infer that_______.

A．foreign exchange students could get a diploma

B．a(chǎn) diploma guarantees a bright future

C．the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life

D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma

One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift． Unlike other gifts，it came without wrap（包裝）．
On September 11 ^th , 1 958，Mum gave birth to Richard．After she brought him home from hospital，she put him in my lap，saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is．” What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own．I played with it day and night． I sang to it, I told it stories．I told it over and over how much I loved it!  
One morning, however，I found its bed empty． My doll was gone! I cried for it．Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital．It had a fever． For several days，I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”，“pitiful"，and “dying”, which sounded Ominous．
Christmas was coming, “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room． “If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough．” As he spoke，his eyes filled with tears． I’d never seen him cry before．
The phone rang early on Christmas morning．Dad jumped out of bed to answer it．From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs． “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!” “Thank God!” I heard Mum cry．
From the window upstairs，I watched my parents rush out to the car．I had never seen them so happy． And I was also full of joy． What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home． I ran downstairs． My socks still hung there flat．But I knew they were not empty: they were filled with love !
【小題1】What happened to the author on September 11^th,1958?

A．He got a baby brother．	B．He got a Christmas gift．
C．He became four years old．	D．He received a doll．

【小題2】What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Impossible．

B．Boring．

C．Difficult．

D．Fearful．

【小題3】Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?

A．Excitement．

B．Happiness．

C．Sadness．

D．Disappointment．

When I was struggling with cancer a few years ago，my wife and I formed our own “couple caution circle”．Anytime a doctor came with news of my progress，my wife would give me a big hug. The reports were seldom good during the early stages of my illness，and one day a doctor brought particularly frightening news.Staring at my reports，he said in a low voice，“It doesn’t look like you’re going to make it.”
Before I could ask him a question，my wife stood up，handed me my clothes，adjusted the tubes fastened to my body and said，“Let’s get out of here.This man is a risk to your health.” As she helped me struggle to the door，the doctor came near us.“Stay back，” demanded my wife.“Stay away from us.”
As we walked together down the hall，the doctor attempted to catch up with us.“Keep going，” said my wife，pushing the intravenous (靜脈注射的) stand.“We’re going to talk to someone who really knows what is going on.” Then she held up her hand to the doctor.“Don’t come any closer to us.”
The two of us moved as one.We escaped to the safety and hope of a doctor who did not confuse diagnosis with conclusion. I could never have made that walk toward wellness alone.
【小題1】From the passage we know ________.

A．hearing that the husband was not going to make it，the wife went out of her mind

B．the wife’s decision in crisis (危機(jī)) contributed to the husband’s wellness

C．the husband was diagnosed with cancer by mistake

D．the husband became weaker and weaker as a result of the treatment conducted by the doctor

【小題2】What’s the author’s feeling when writing the passage?

A．Angry.

B．Thankful.

C．Excited.

D．Sad.

【小題3】What can be inferred from the passage ?

A．The wife was a woman hard to get along with.

B．The doctor was a dangerous man.

C．The wife loved her husband very much.

D．The husband was a man who believed everything would be OK.

【小題4】What would be the best title for the passage ?

A．A Happy Couple In Crisis	B．Struggle With Cancer
C．In Crisis，Become As One	D．Don’t Believe The Doctor

I still remember the last time I went to the playground with two of my children. It had rained during the night and the playground was very muddy (泥濘的). They had just put on clean clothes, so I was a little worried about the mud on the playground. It was not long before Kathy got her beautiful skirt dirty on the playground. She dug through the rocks. I was about to blame (指責(zé)) her for getting her clothes dirty when she ran towards me with a smile on her face. When she got to me, she handed me a little heart-shaped rock and said, “Here, Mom! Here is a heart for you —just because I love you! Keep it!” With tears in my eyes, I thanked her.
Should I blame her for getting her clothes muddy? No way! I still have that little heart-shaped rock. It is one of the best gifts that I have ever received. I realized that many times it was not necessary for us adults to worry about the small things our children did. Let them do what they’d like to.
I will spend a lot more time on the playground with my children. I’m sure I will learn a lot from them. It makes me think of the days when my grandfather told me, “You would not enter the kingdom of happiness until you pretended (假裝) to be a small child.”
【小題1】At first, the author wanted to blame Kathy because she __________.

A．ran on the playground

B．dug through rocks

C．gave her a muddy rock

D．got her clothes dirty

【小題2】The author was deeply moved by her daughter’s _____.

A．digging task on the playground

B．special way to show her love

C．smile on her face when running

D．love of the muddy playground

【小題3】From Paragraph 2, we can learn that the author thought parents should _________.

A．not worry about the small things their children do

B．a(chǎn)llow kids to do whatever they like

C．keep the presents given by children

D．not give too much care to their own children

【小題4】The author’s grandfather’s words imply that _______.

A．children care more about happiness than adults

B．a(chǎn)dults can not share children’s happiness

C．children may find happiness more easily in life

D．a(chǎn)dults find it hard to know children’s happiness