Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure(結(jié)構(gòu)), but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It's uncommon that many students who are bad speakers of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their idea in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence (自信).
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don't be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you succeed.
【小題1】What's the best topic for the passage?

A．How to Speak to Foreigners	B．How to Study English Well
C．How to Organize the Idea in English	D．Practice Speaking English All the Time

【小題2】 Many Chinese students can write English very well, but they cannot speak English fluently because _______________.

A．they seldom meet foreigners

B．they seldom practice speaking English

C．they had no chance to speak English

D．they think it's enough to master the basic language structure only

【小題3】So many Chinese students are afraid to speak to foreigners because __.

A．they are afraid they can't understand foreigners

B．they don't think their English is poor

C．they worry about making mistakes in their speaking

D．they didn't like speaking to foreigners

【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking.

B．If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English.

C．If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well.

D．Any Chinese students can't speak English fluently because they are afraid of making mistakes.

【小題5】In the last paragraph, the expression "get rid of" means_______.  

A．throw away

B．free oneself from

C．give up

D．do with

What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from  you. You say “I wish I could help you, but I am short of money myself.” In fact, you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don’t want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Jerald Jellison of the University of southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better lies than men, particularly when telling a “white lie”, such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it’s terrible. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise that they have no intention of carrying out. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has been done into the way people’s behavior changes in a number of small, unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying “I wish I were somewhere else now”. They also tend to touch certain parts of the face, particularly the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose is very sensitive to changes and the increased pressure makes it itch.
Another gesture that gives liars away is what the writer Decmond Morris in his book Man Watching calls the “mouth cover”. He says that there are several typical forms of this, such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers, touch the upper lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side off the mouth. Such a gesture can be understood as an unconscious(未察覺的) attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, moving about in a chair can not be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to happen more often in this situation. It is one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and in particular the context(上下文) which the lie is told.
【小題1】According to the passage, a white lie seems to be a lie ______.

A．that other people believe

B．that other people don’t believe

C．told in order not to hurt someone’s feelings

D．told in order to take advantage of someone

【小題2】Research suggests that women _____.

A．a(chǎn)re better at telling less serious lies than men

B．generally lie for more than men do

C．often make promises they intend to break

D．lie at parties more often than men do

【小題3】Researchers find that when a person tells lies _____.

A．his blood pressure increases measurably

B．he looks very serious

C．he is likely to make some small changes in his behavior

D．he uses his unconscious mind

【小題4】The writer of the passage______.

A．hates lying

B．enjoys lying

C．often tells a lie

D．tries to study about lying

【小題5】Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a sign of lying ?

A．Touching one’s ears	B．Rubbing the nose
C．Moving in a chair	D．Covering the mouth

Knowing about yourself not only means finding out what you’re good at and what you like，but also means discovering what you’re not good at and what you don’t like．Both help you to see your aim in life．
Although most students would be unhappy if they failed a very difficult physics examination，they have in fact learned a lot about themselves．They know that they should not become engineers or physical scientists．So failing can help a student to live a happier life if he  learns something from it．They may then decide on their aims and choose the work they like and are fit for．
It is impossible to decide whether you like something until you have tried it．If you decide to play the piano，you need to take more than one lesson before knowing whether you are really interested in it or able to do well．It is not enough if you want to be a great pianist．You also have to like the hard practice and long training．If you enjoy being a great pianist but hate the work，forget it．
It’s a good plan to try as many ideas as possible when you are young．Then you will find out what your true interests are．
【小題1】If you say you really know yourself，        ．

A．you know what you don’t like

B．you know what you are good at

C．you have no interest in your work

D．you’ve got the whole picture of yourself

【小題2】Failing can turn into something good      ．

A．if you have aim in life	B．if your decision is fight
C．if you lead a happier life	D．if you learn something from it

【小題3】What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．Failure is a better mirror

B．Success is more helpful

C．No one is fit for the job of a physical scientist

D．Physics can help students live a better life

Some kids start to drink alcohol （酒精） at a young age． They think it is part of becoming an adult．They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it．They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs （毒品）． It is easy for kids to get liquor（酒精飲料）by using fake identification （偽造證件）．
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking． Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do．They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things．They act moody（喜怒無常） and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits．
Parents need to stay involved （牽涉） in their kids’ lives． They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes．
Parents can be the best protection． Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves． It helps them resist（抵抗） doing bad things even when other kids are doing them． Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving． They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows．
Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party． Try not to overreact or panic （驚慌） if the child tries alcohol． How you handle it can affect their attitude． It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews （宵禁令） and rules about parties or other events．
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?

A．They want to show their maturity （成熟） by drinking alcohol．

B．Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs．

C．They are affected by many other people around them．

D．They can get liquor easily．

【小題2】According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?

A．Nothing serious will happen to them．

B．They keep the same eating and sleeping habits．

C．They can control their moods quite well．

D．Sometimes they act secretly．

【小題3】According to the writer, if parents find their children try alcohol, they had better ________．

A．punish them at once

B．a(chǎn)sk the police for help

C．a(chǎn)sk their children’s friends for help

D．set up curfews and rules about parties or other events with other parents

【小題4】Which is the main subject discussed in the passage?

A．Teen health．	B．Teen education．
C．Teen drinking	D．Parents’ worries．

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the younger people learn a second language, the greater the effect is.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density(密度)in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible(靈活的),”he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.
【小題1】The main subject talked about in this passage is_____________.

A．science on learning a second language

B．language can help brain power

C．man's ability of learning a second language

D．language learning and maths study

【小題2】 In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to_____________.

A．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language

C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language

D．say language is also a kind of physical labor

【小題3】 The underlined word “bilingual” probably means_____________.

A．a(chǎn) researcher on language learning

B．a(chǎn)n English native speaker

C．a(chǎn)n active language learner

D．a(chǎn) person who can speak two languages

【小題4】We may know from the scientific findings that_____________.

A．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time

B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language

C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain

D．the earlier you start to learn a second language the higher the grey matter density is

【小題5】 In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that_____________.

A．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in study other subjects

B．learning a second language is the same as studying maths

C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language

D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language

Forgiving someone who has hurt you or let you down is never an easy thing. Several new studies, however, say that it could have a lot of health benefits. When you think of forgiveness, you probably don’t think of it as being a health or medical problem. Studies from Stanford University, on the other hand, show that something like anger can change your well-being.
When cartoon book characters like the Incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That’s why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says holding on to anger and hatred can harm your physical and mental health. Two new studies seem to show the same idea.
The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression. They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.
So it doesn’t matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it’s worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.
Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it’s OK. Instead, it’s a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past.
【小題1】The example of the cartoon book characters is taken in the passage to______.

A．support the viewpoint that anger and hatred harm physical and mental health

B．introduce a famous expert

C．let the reader know the different colours of cartoon faces

D．show how to control one’s temper

【小題2】The underlined phrase“holding on to”in this passage possibly means“______”.

A．removing

B．keeping up

C．getting rid of

D．learning about

【小題3】 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in this passage?

A．People who are able to forgive feel less stress.

B．People who are able to forgive feel less depression.

C．People who are able to forgive have fewer problems on sleeping.

D．People who are able to forgive feel less tired.

【小題4】 The best title for this passage is probably _______.

A．Forgiveness	B．Forgiveness Is Good for Health
C．A Secret to Keeping Health	D．Anger Is Bad for Health

I’ve been writing for most of my life. The book Writing Without Teachers introduced me to one distinction(區(qū)別)and one practice that has helped my writing processes tremendously. The distinction is between the creative mind and the critical mind. While you need to employ both to get to a finished result, they cannot work in parallel no matter how much we might like to think so.
Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest barrier to writing that most of us encounter. If you are listening to that 5th grade English teacher correct your grammar while you are trying to capture a fleeting (稍縱即逝的) thought, the thought will die. If you capture the fleeting thought and simply share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking that it is.
The practice that can help you past your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls “free writing.” In free writing, the objective is to get words down on paper non-stop, usually for 15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The goal is to get the words flowing. As the words begin to flow, the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your notepad or your screen.
Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you’ve persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly. Most likely, you will believe that this will take more time than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near.
Instead of staring at a blank start filling it with words no matter how bad. Halfway through your available time, stop and rework your raw writing into something closer to finished product. Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices.
【小題1】When the author says the creative mind and the critical mind “cannot work in parallel” in the writing process, he means                .

A．one cannot use them at the same time	B．they cannot be regarded as equally important
C．they are in constant conflict with each other	D．no one can be both creative and critical

【小題2】What prevents people from writing on is                .

A．putting their ideas in raw form	B．ignoring grammatical soundness
C．a(chǎn)ttempting to edit as they write	D．trying to capture fleeting thoughts

【小題3】What is the chief objective of the first stage of writing?

A．To organize one’s thoughts logically.	B．To get one’s ideas down.
C．To choose an appropriate topic.	D．To collect raw materials.

【小題4】One common concern of writers about “free writing” is that                .

A．it overstresses the role of the creative mind	B．it does not help them to think clearly
C．it may bring about too much criticism	D．it takes too much time to edit afterwards

【小題5】In what way does the critical mind help the writer in the writing process?

A．It allows him to sit on the side and observe.	B．It helps him to come up with new ideas.
C．It saves the writing time available to him.	D．It improves his writing into better shape.

An inventor seeks to create a new product that serves a specific need and fulfills a role that other products do not. Sometimes an inventor comes up with a wholly new idea, but more often inventions are simply improvements on an older design. With a little imagination and creativity (創(chuàng)造力), an old idea can suddenly become something new.
However, creating a new invention means much more than having a brilliant idea. A good designer follows the design process: identifying the challenge, researching and brainstorming ideas(集思廣益), designing a solution, testing and evaluating the ideas, and finally building the product. Designers also use science, math, technology, and engineering to design a tool that satisfies the need they identified.
Anyone can be an inventor —even kids! For example, Chester Greenwood was just fifteen years old when he invented a product that changed his life. In fact, his idea was so good that his invention supported him for the rest of his life. You may not know his name, but you probably know his invention —earmuffs (保暖耳罩)!
The inspiration for his earmuff design came to Chester when he was ice-skating. His ears were cold, and he decided to find a way to keep them warm. With the help of his grandmother, he made a new product to protect his ears and at the age of eighteen, Chester patented his earmuff design.
Many other famous inventors started young as well. Margaret Knight —the inventor of the flat-bottomed brown paper bag —is said to have created a safety device for textile looms(織布機) when she was just twelve years old. Another example is Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in history, who applied for his first patent when he was just twenty-one years old. Over the course of his life, Thomas Edison patented a total of 1,093 inventions!
【小題1】 In most cases, an invention ________ according to the first paragraph.

A．comes from a complete new idea

B．is usually based on an old product or idea

C．will change its creator’s life completely

D．is created by scientists in different fields

【小題2】The second paragraph mainly wants to tell us _______.

A．the difficulty in making a new invention

B．the common steps of creating new things

C．having a good idea is the key to creation

D．designing a tool is the first step in inventing

【小題3】The example of Chester Greenwood is used to show that ________.

A．children can also invent something

B．it is easy even for children to make inventions

C．kids have more advantages in inventing things

D．to be an inventor is the best way to change one’s life

【小題4】At first Chester designed his earmuffs in order to ________.

A．protect his ears while ice-skating

B．earn money to support his poor family

C．realize his dream of becoming an inventor

D．make himself look fashionable while ice-skating

Remembering names is an important social skill．Here are some ways to master it．
Recite and repeat in conversation．
When you hear a person’s name，repeat it．Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips．You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial．
Ask the other person to recite and repeat．
You can let other people help you remember their names．After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you．Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names．
Admit you don’t know．
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed．Most of them will feel sympathy if you say．“I’m working to remember names better．Yours is right on the tip of my tongue．What is it again?”
Use associations．
Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual．For example，you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair.” To reinforce (加強) your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others -- an automatic review for you.
【小題1】How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?

A．They will be moved.	B．They will be annoyed.
C．They will be delighted.	D．They will be discouraged.

【小題2】If you can't remember someone's name, you may __

A．tell him the truth	B．tell him a white lie
C．a(chǎn)sk him for pity	D．a(chǎn)sk others to help you

【小題3】When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember __

A．a(chǎn)ll their names	B．a(chǎn) couple of names first
C．just their last names	D．a(chǎn)s many names as possible

【小題4】What does the text mainly tell us?

A．Tips on an important social skill.	B．Importance of attending parties.
C．How to make use of associations.	D．How to recite and repeat names.

Whether in the workplace or on the football field, effective teamwork can produce amazing results．However, working successfully as a team is not as easy as it may seem．Effective teamwork certainly does not just happen automatically; it take s a great deal of hard work and compromise．There are a number of factors that must be in place to make a good team．
Effective leadership is one of the most important components of good teamwork．The team’s leader should possess the skills to create and preserve a positive working environment and motivate and inspire the team members to take a positive approach to work and be highly committed．An effective team leader will promote a high level of spirit and make them feel supported and valued．
Communication is a vital factor of all interpersonal relationship and especially that of a team．Team member s must be able to articulate their feelings, express plans and goals, share ideas and see each other’s opinions．
Conflicts will arise no matter how well a team functions together．The best way to deal with conflicts is to have some organized methods of handling conflicts．Team members should be able to voice their concerns without fear of offending others．Instead of avoiding conflict issues, a hands-on approach that settles them quickly is much better．It is often advised that the team leader sit with the conflicting parties and help work out their differences without taking sides and trying to remain objective if possible．
The team leader must set a good example to create good teamwork．In order to keep team members positive and committed and motivated, the team leader herself / himself needs to show these qualities．The team turns to the leader for support and guidance．So any negative words or behaviors on the leader’s part can be disastrous．
Regardless of what type of work you are in, knowing how to effectively work on and with a team is going to be extremely important to your success and that of your team．
【小題1】Effective leadership is important partly because ___________________．

A．it creates a positive working environment

B．it helps a leader to develop lots of skills

C．it makes a leader feel supported and valued

D．it depends on interpersonal relationship of a team

【小題2】The underlined word “articulate” probably means _________________．

A．hide

B．feel

C．plan

D．express

【小題3】When conflicts arise among team members, the team leader should ___________________．

A．worry about the team members	B．ignore the team members’ voices
C．work out their differences	D．try to avoid conflict issues

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

A．Football And Teamwork	B．Communication And Teamwork
C．What Makes Effective Teamwork	D．How to Handle Conflicts in a Team