How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
【小題1】How did the author get to know America?

Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his now place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult(成年人)I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boy friends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的)air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
【小題1】Why did the author feel bitter about her father as a young adult?

People often view the “l(fā)ast” moments of an event positively simply because they signal the end of an experience, say experts.
University of Michigan researchers found that even if an experience is painful or negative, but ends on a good note, people will consider it to be positive.
“Endings are powerful,” said Ed O’Brien, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
O’Brien and colleague Phoebe Ellsworth, the Frank Murphy Distinguished Professor of Law and Psychology, conducted a chocolate tasting experiment with 52 college students to test the theory.
Volunteers could taste five different Hershey’s Kisses chocolates—milk, dark, cream, caramel and almond – but did not know in advance how many pieces they would eat or the type. Participants rated how much they enjoyed the chocolate and described each flavor so that the researchers could record the order in which the randomly (隨機(jī)的) selected treats were eaten.
Volunteers were assigned to the “next” or the “l(fā)ast ” condition by chance.
In the “next” condition, the experimenter said “Here is your next chocolate” before offering each chocolate, including the fifth.
For the “l(fā)ast” condition, the experimenter said “Here is your last chocolate” before offering  the fifth chocolate.
These participants rated the fifth chocolate more enjoyable than volunteers in the “next” condition.
As predicted, participants who knew they were eating the final chocolate of a taste test enjoyed it more.
In fact, when asked to pick their favorite chocolate, the majority of “l(fā)ast” participants chose the fifth – even though the flavor of the fifth was randomly chosen.
They also rated the overall experience as more enjoyable than volunteers who thought they were just eating one more chocolate in a series.
O’Brien says these findings may have far-reaching implications. For example, the last book or film in a series or the last speaker in a symposium (研討會(huì)) may receive unwarranted praise.
The last job applicant, meanwhile, may look more qualified.
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE about the experiment?

I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights. I’d procrastinated（拖延，耽擱）long enough.
I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room. The garland(花環(huán))was the first to come down. The tree looked naked(光禿禿的)already. I took the large ornament（裝飾物）off next. They made a large pile on our bed. An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories. Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.
I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite. “Hey, little Santa!” I held the Santa from my childhood. “Thanks for being my friend for almost fifty years.” He was a little ragged but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories. “Until next year, my dear friend.”
There was a collection of handmade ones. My children made in the their first years of school, more than twenty years ago. Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree－memories of young giggles(咯咯地笑)on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work. “Look what we made, Daddy!”
“Oh! It is beautiful. Let’s find a special spot on the tree for it.” Every year since, they are displayed.
A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed(用吸塵器清掃)and I sat staring at a barren(空蕩蕩的)corner. The room seemed so empty. It took me two days of work to assemble(收集)and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.
My tree is like a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.
Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships. I take great care of those. They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live. I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage. Once they come down, they aren’t as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree. Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow.
【小題1】In the author’s eyes, the Christmas tree      .

“Confidence” is probably one of the most noticeable traits(品質(zhì))in the Americans. They show confidence in the way they talk, the way they smile, the way they dress and the way they walk. Living and competing with all these confidence American students, I find it extremely important to be confident as an international student and instructor. As a student, being confident means you should never hesitate to raise your hand whenever a question or a point comes to your mind. Don’t mind if it sounds simple or silly. Otherwise you will never get a chance to speak in class at all. What’s worse, the professors may think you are not prepared for the discussion or you do not have your own opinion on the issue-this is the last comment any graduate would like to receive。  
Being confidence for me as a foreign instructor means calmly asking the student to repeat what he or she has said if I did not get it. Pretending to understand what you actually did not may just bring yourself embarrassment or even disgrace. But the time I most need to be confident is when my students come to my office and bargain about the grades I have given for their Speeches。(The course I’m teaching here is Public Speaking). Modesty is a trait highly valued in China, but it won’t be of much help here if you want to survive and succeed in a good American graduate program．
【小題1】To compete with American students it’s very important to

Question: I have a one-year-old female bulldog, who has recently taken to biting my shoes when we are in the park and I’m on the mobile. She can be slightly aggressive and I’m starting to get worried and a bit annoyed. How do I stop her? ----Susan, London.
Answer: You need to get this problem under control before it could escalate (惡化). I always advise owners not to talk on the mobile phone when they go for a walk with their dogs, because they should be focusing on this time with their pets, but I know people have busy lives and need to make phone calls.
The behavior she is showing is either controlling or playfulness, but they both result from the same issue ---- you are not paying attention to her. If you must make phone calls while on a walk, try to still engage with your dog by speaking towards her, playing some sorts of game and so on. If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to try more of a training approach.
You will need a training line and some treats. Start your walk in the usual way, make a phone call, and when your dog starts displaying the undesired behavior, simply stop walking --- otherwise she will see it as a game. When she is calm and looking at you, or if she sits, give her a treat; then continue walking. If she starts up again, pick up the lead, gently pull it, and tell her “no”.  Then ask her to sit and give her a treat if she does.
The aim of this is to try to get her to forget how much fun it is biting your shoes. Do little sessions every day --- and try not to answer the phone if you know it’s going to be a long conversation. Be patient and good luck!
Remember that if an animal shows signs of distress or discomfort, an early visit to the vet is always recommended.
【小題1】What is Susan complaining about in her question?

閱讀下面短文，并根據(jù)短文后的要求回答問(wèn)題（請(qǐng)注意問(wèn)題后的字?jǐn)?shù)要求）。
[l]Fear and pain are two of the most useful things that human beings and animals have, if they are properly used. If fire did not hurt when it burnt, children would play with it until their hands were burnt away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear didn’t, a child would burn himself again and again, because fear would not warn himself to keep away from the fire that had burnt himself before. A really fearless soldier is not a good soldier because he will soon be killed; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which human beings and animals might soon die out.
[2] In our first sentence we suggested that fear should be properly used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. Even in your house you are not absolutely safe: A plane may crash on your house, or you may get cancer!
[3] The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but to use fear as your servant and guide instead. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.
[4] In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you. Fear warns you, then you jump out of the way, and all is well.
[5] In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to ___________. For example, you can’t prevent a plane crashing onto your house. In this case, fear is no longer of any use, and you have to try to overcome it.
【小題1】What is mainly talked about in this passage? (no more than 15 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
【小題2】How does the author support his idea in Paragraph 2? (no more than 5 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
【小題3】Why does the author say that a fearless soldier is not a good soldier? (no more than 15 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
【小題4】 What benefit can we get from “fear” according to the passage? (no more than 10 words)
__________________________________________________________________________
【小題5】Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
__________________________________________________________________________

It was the first day of second grade, and Sarah had been looking forward to this moment. The night before, she laid out her favorite clothes: a white coat and a bright yellow shirt.
When having breakfast, Sarah dropped some food on her shirt, so she had to change into her second-best clothes, blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt.
After breakfast Sarah rushed to catch the school bus and when she was just reaching the door the bus driver opened it. The door hit right in Sarah’s face and blood dripped from her nose. The driver wanted to send her home, but she refused, "It is the most important day of the year! I can’t miss it!"
Before classes, Sarah went to her favorite swing. When rising high, she saw her best friend little Jack. She let go of the swing and waved to him with one hand. Unfortunately, she flew out of the swing and landed hard on the sand, breaking a leg and an arm. As she lay in the sand, she noticed a shiny thing on the ground beside her. With her good hand she took it.
When Sarah’ mother rushed into the ward she was surprised by what she saw: her girl was lying in bed with an arm and a leg in the splint (夾板), a broken nose, and blood stains on her second-best clothes. Expecting to see her child crying, she was confused when she saw a big, bright smile on Sarah’s face.
"Sarah, look at you!" her mother cried. "You were hurt so badly and why are you smiling?"
"Look, Mommy, I found a diamond!" Sarah laughed.
Life can be like that. It can be tough, even painful sometimes. But there are always treasures that make the pain worth suffering.
【小題1】When Sarah went to school, she was wearing ________________.

John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted (提升) Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary worker. John couldn't understand it anymore, gave his resignation(辭呈) to the boss and complained that the boss didn't value hardworking workers, but only promoted those who flattered (奉承)him.
The boss knew John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your criticism(批評(píng)), but I have a request. I hope you'll do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you'll change your mind and take back your resignation."
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon on the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to tell the boss$1.2 per kg.
Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon on the market. Bobby went, returned and said,"Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, and $ 10 for 10 kg. He has 340 melons in all, 58 of which are on the table. Every melon weights about 2kg. Bought from the South two days ago, they're fresh and red, good quality."
John was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
My dear friends, chances exist in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to achieve his aim.
【小題1】According to the first paragraph, John thought that _____.

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit (追尋) of the dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral（葬禮） is Wednesday.”  Memories flashed（閃現(xiàn)）through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. it’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回憶) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it, ” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence (影響) in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things that he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture … Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore （撕）open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope（信封）. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside,
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bernett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack. Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh. My God! This is the thing he valued most …”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.
【小題1】Why did Belser send Jack his gold watch?