Imagine the following scenario(情景): A woman buys her lunch every day from a fast food outlet near her job. After some years, she finds herself 30 pounds overweight, and feeling unhealthy. So what does she do? She chooses to bring a lawsuit against the fast food outlet, claiming that the food served there was the cause of her being overweight and in poor health.
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t? The only thing more absurd than the story itself is the fact that is not fiction. There are people who have sued（控告）fast food chains for causing their weight problems.
This is an example of one of the ways in which many of us spend enormous amounts of energy trying to deny the undeniable and universal fact that we are all ultimately responsible for our own choices and our own lives.
How much easier would we make it for ourselves if we could accept this fact rather than resist it? But how can we embrace the truth, that we are living the lives we choose to live, that we are enjoying or suffering the consequences(結(jié)果) of our own choices, and that blaming others for our problems and shortcomings is nothing more than a comfortable fantasy?
We must acknowledge the truth of our lives, however unpleasant this may be. If we are overweight, in a bad relationship, in a dead end, we need to accept that this is where we are, at this moment in time.
Imagine that woman decided that she was unhappy with the extra pounds she’d gained after many years of eating fast food on a regular basis. Imagine that this woman took the time to really understand and accept that she and no one else was responsible for her eating choices. Having acknowledged this fact, she then decides to make the changes in her lifestyle to become the healthier, slimmer person she wants to be.
【小題1】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Be responsible for Our Own Choices.

B．Overcome the Challenges in Our Life.

C．Acknowledge the Truth Rather than Deny It.

D．More than a Comfortable Fantasy.

【小題2】 Why is the woman mentioned twice in the passage?

A．To show the right way of dealing with weight problems.

B．To describe a familiar scenario in life.

C．To give support to the author’s viewpoint.

D．To compare the consequences of different choices.

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

A．Fast food chains contribute little to people’s overweight problems actually.

B．Fast food outlets are responsible for many people to become overweight.

C．Many people tend to blame others for their own problems.

D．The author himself is a supporter of fast food chains.

【小題4】 What should a person do if he is in a bad relationship with his roommates, according to the author?

A．Acknowledge the truth of his life and let it be.

B．Think about what’s wrong with himself and then put it right.

C．Accept that this is where we are and wait for things to improve.

D．Do whatever he likes regardless of what others think and say.

Most American students go to traditional public schools．There are about 88, 000 public schools, all over the US．Some students attend about 3000 independent public schools called charter schools．
Charter schools are self-governing．Private companies operate some charter schools．They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools．They receive tax money just as other public schools do．Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning．These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate．
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools．Local, state, or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach．Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them．Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools．
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students．But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools．One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools．
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study, which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress．Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools．
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools．Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress．
【小題1】If a private company wants to operate a charter school, it must______．

A．try new methods of teaching	B．prove its management ability
C．obey the local and state laws	D．get the government's permission

【小題2】What's the government's attitude toward charter schools?

A．Doubtful

B．Supportive.

C．Subjective．

D．Optimistic．

【小題3】What can we learn from the text?

A．More students choose to attend charter schools．

B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools．

C．Students in charter schools are well educated．

D．People have different opinions about charter schools．

【小題4】It can be interred from the text that ___.

A．charter schools are part of the public education system

B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students

C．the number of charter schools will be limited

D．charter schools are all privately financed

Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for the toy cars,  a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences.
Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 infants aged nine months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were stereotypically boys' toys - a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy.  The rest were girls’ toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys, and could pick whichever toy they liked. Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
Of the youngest children (nine to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two-and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched. There was no link between the parents’ view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls, and the children’s choice.
Dr Brenda Todd said: “Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be given ‘toys that go’ while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects, probably through hunting instincts（本能）, while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the color of a newborn baby.”
【小題1】Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because         .

A．baby boys are much more active

B．baby girls like bright colors more

C．their parents treat them differently

D．there is a natural difference between them

【小題2】What can we infer from Paragraph 3 ?

A．Nine-month-old baby boys don’t play with dolls at all.

B．Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls.

C．The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is.

D．Parents should teach their babies to share each other’s toys.

【小題3】What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?

A．Adults purposely influence their babies preference.

B．Babies’ preference isn’t affected by social surroundings.

C．Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting.

D．Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted.

【小題4】We may read this article in a        section of a newspaper.

A．science

B．health

C．education

D．entertainment

The area of child psychology is one of the most significant and well studied of all the branches of psychology. It aims to help with achieving a greater understanding of the behavior of children through an understanding of their minds. It deals with children who range from the prenatal(出生前的)stage right up to the stage of adolescence.
The psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980) has been credited with making a major breakthrough in this area when he put forward his idea that children were not actually less intelligent than adults, rather they just thought in a different way. Preciously the development of children right from birth through to adulthood was an area that was almost completely neglected. In fact very little work was done in this area. However, interest in this field has now developed to the point of being one of the most debated of all the areas of psychology.
Despite popular belief that factors such as genetics or personal characteristics are the only determining factors that influence a youth’s behavior, this is not in fact the case. In reality, development actually includes many more factors than those contained within an individual. Factors such as environment, which can include social relationships and the surrounding culture, also play important roles. Relationships with both peers and adults will no doubt affect how children think and learn, and therefore develop. These relationships can include those that are found not only within families but also in schools and peer groups.
Culturally speaking, this factor will contribute greatly to how children develop their personality concerning the values they end up holding (perhaps for a lifetime) as well as how they view such things as traditions and customs.
Nowadays, psychologists have agreed that a child’s psychology is both unique and highly complex. However, there are debates on many different points in this field and many viewpoints exist.
【小題1】The word “neglected” underlined in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “______”.

A．ignored

B．destroyed

C．developed

D．explored

【小題2】What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Popular belief about child psychology.

B．The role families play in a child’s development.

C．Factors that affect a child’s development.

D．The importance of relationships to a child.

【小題3】The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to ____.

A．introduce an important psychologist.

B．give a brief introduction to child psychology.

C．compare some of the areas of psychology.

D．explain the development in psychology.

This selection of books and guides offers insight to hidden charm in many favorite cities and destinations and gives you the knowledge to uncover unusual sights to see and places to visit. We hope you enjoy our choices and welcome your comments. Email your feedback to books@ gounusual. com.

The following are taken from these books. You will find much more information about these hotels in the books.
Kakslauttanen Hotel

It is the home of the famous Igloo（冰屋）Village with the unique glass and snow igloos and the world’s largest snow restaurant. In addition , their guests can enjoy the winter activities including watching the Northern Lights visible generally from late August to late April. Guests can sample the peace of sleeping in snow. Their glass igloos are fantastic for lying on your bed at night, watching the Northern Lights in the warm. You can enjoy cold or warm night sleep as required.
Art Hotel in Ronda

Beautifully situated in the oldest paved street of Ronda and surrounded by historic buildings, Art Hotel is decorated with original and historical artwork and atmospheric lighting. There is lots of fun and funky touches, e. g. lights and birds nesting in old basketballs, wall murals（壁畫(huà)）of Michael Jackson , car tyres converted to occasional tables.
During your stay, all drinks, breakfast and the use of all facilities are included in the price of the room.
Otter Creek Tents
The tents are separated from the rest of the world by a quiet salt-water creek. A coconut plantation dating back to 1886, the secret location preserves the privacy and peace of guests, with the salt water of the creek keeping even the mosquitoes away.
Each tent sleeps 2 in a four-poster double bed and has a western style toilet and bathroom with running water and hot shower. The tents use the dining facilities of the charming “Elsewhere” beach houses and enjoy over a mile of the pristine（處于原始狀態(tài)的）beach where one can still see the footprints of fishermen , and during the season , possibly the prints of sea turtles.
The Original Icehotel

“Imagine a hotel built from thousands of tons of snow and ice, and rebuilt every winter”--that is ICEHOTEL in northern Lapland, Sweden.
This is the original ICEHOTEL, first created in the early 1990s. It has become the global ambassador for this genre and now licenses ICEBARs around the world too. With 80 ＋ rooms, the property is a huge undertaking to be rebuilt every year, and their expertise inspired other similar properties in North America and elsewhere.
【小題1】People staying in Kakslauttanen Hotel can watch the Northern Lights EXCEPT in ________.

A．August

B．April

C．December

D．June

【小題2】What is special about Otter Creek Tents?

A．You can sleep in a house made of ice there.

B．It is surrounded by a forest.

C．You can enjoy the scenes of a beach.

D．You can enjoy turtles cooked in a special way there.

【小題3】If you want to experience sleeping with snow or ice around, you can choose ________.

A．Kakslauttanen Hotel and Art Hotel in Ronda

B．Otter Creek Tents and Icehotel

C．Art Hotel in Ronda and Otter Creek Tents

D．Kakslauttanen Hotel and Icehotel

【小題4】What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To show us the advantages of staying in hotels.

B．To introduce and promote some books.

C．To encourage people to travel around the world.

D．To explain to us how people manage the hotels.

The popular college rankings focus primarily on prestige as measured by the SAT scores of incoming students and how many applicants are turned away． An initiative（措施）started last fall by the Obama administration could help families go beyond these limited, and far too easily exploited, indexes to learn quickly and easily how a college is compared with its competitors nationally on important criteria like graduation rates, what a degree actually costs and how much debt a student can expect to run up by graduation day．
If the federal government makes it legally necessary to disclose this information in a clear and consistent（一貫的）way, as it should, families will be better able to make informed college choices． And this will help put pressure on colleges that perform poorly to improve．
Critics may regard this initiative as an example of government overreach． But given that the federal government spends nearly $190 billion a year on higher education aid to students, it has a legitimate interest in making sure that the money flows to the schools that best meet their responsibilities to families and students．
Congress has taken some steps to require greater transparency（透明）from colleges． The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates． And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account．
But many colleges have done a poor job of obeying federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place． The administration’s new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools．
President Obama wants to expand campus-based aid to about $10 billion from the current $2．7 billion． He has proposed moving money away from colleges that fail to control tuition increases or provide good value to others that do a better job． That is a worthy idea in principle, but he will need strong data-based evidence to determine how colleges are doing．
The transparency initiatives are a good place to start and should be embraced by both parties in Congress． If students and families, facing higher tuition and rising debt, are to make sound choices, they need more and better information．
【小題1】Why did the Obama administration start the initiative last fall?

A．To require colleges to make their graduation rates known to the public．

B．To help colleges perform better in the future．

C．To help parents and students make better choices of colleges．

D．To put more pressure on colleges that are not doing well enough．

【小題2】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Critics agree that the government should require colleges to obey the disclosure rules．

B．Congress has approved and made the transparency initiatives a law．

C．SAT scores alone do not determine one’s choice of college．

D．Students and families find it very difficult to choose their ideal colleges now．

【小題3】A most suitable title for the passage could be______．

A．Congress To Require Greater Transparency

B．What College Parents and Students Need to Know

C．What a Good College Is Measured By

D．Parents and Students Need to Make Wise Choices

【小題4】What attitude does the author hold towards the transparency initiative?

A．supportive

B．critical

C．indifferent

D．not stated

IELTS: international English language testing system
Introduction: The IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (劍橋大學(xué)考試委員會(huì)), the British Council (英國(guó)文化委員會(huì)) and IDP Education Australia (澳洲教育國(guó)際開(kāi)發(fā)署)
Why more and more people are taking the IELTS test?
The IELTS test is widely recognized by the colleges, universities and other academic institutions of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. More and more universities and colleges in the US are also accepting an IELTS result as a language requirement for application to degree courses.
IELTS is accepted by many important organizations, such as the New Zealand Immigration Bureau, the Australian Immigration and Cultural Department, the Canadian Immigration Bureau, the Australian Medical Council and the British Medical Association (總會(huì)).
Choice of two test types
There are two test models: Academic and General Training. The candidate must select the one suitable to his/here purpose for taking the test.
Academic: for candidates who want to apply for undergraduate or postgraduate courses.
General Training: for candidates who take IELTS for immigration purpose, training programmes, or work experience.
If you have any questions about which type to take, consult the Examinations Services staff at the British Council offices.
Content
The test is composed of four papers: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The first three papers must be taken at one sitting on one day, and the speaking paper may be taken up to two days later. Usually in China, the Listening paper is taken on a Saturday morning, followed by the Reading paper, and then Writing paper. The Speaking test is usually taken on the Saturday afternoon or on the following Saturday. Candidates must complete all four papers in order to obtain an overall score.
【小題1】How many organizations is IELTS managed by?

A．6.

B．5.

C．4.

D．3.

【小題2】Why are more and more people taking the IELTS test?

A．It is widely accepted by many countries.

B．It is widely recognized by many colleges, institutions and many important organizations.

C．It’s proof for people’s ability.

D．It’s interesting and acceptable.

【小題3】What kind of candidates should choose Academic test?

A．Candidates who want for immigration.

B．Candidates who want for training.

C．Candidates who want for work experience.

D．Candidates who want for undergraduate or postgraduate courses.

【小題4】In China, what’s the test order?

A．Reading, writing, speaking, listening.

B．Reading, speaking, listening, writing.

C．Listening, reading, writing, speaking.

D．Speaking, reading, listening ,writing

Everybody knows that words can carry messages. People communicate with words. Books, magazines, TV, radio and films all help us to communicate with others. They all help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.
Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you put up your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask a question. You shake your head, and people know you are saying “No”. You nod and people know you are saying “Yes”.
Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the wall of your school helps you to find the library. Signs with arrows on doors tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?
People can communicate in many ways without words. For example, an artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, about the sea and many other things.
【小題1】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．It is a most popular way for man to communicate with words.

B．Words are the only way for man to communicate.

C．Using radio is one of the ways for man to communicate.

D．TV can help people to know the world better.

【小題2】Besides words, which can also be used to express oneself?

A．Sign language.

B．Smile.

C．Head shaking.

D．Nodding.

【小題3】Which of the following signs is usually used to show you the direction?

A．Picture.

B．A number.

C．A kind of color.

D．An arrow.

【小題4】According to the passage, how does an artist often express himself?

A．He writes articles.

B．He gives reports.

C．He sings songs.

D．He draws pictures.

It might sound ridiculous that goal setting could actually hold you back from completing tasks and dreams you may have. But it seems like everyone tells you should be setting goals for everything you want to accomplish, short term and long term. Goals can help you sometimes, but in some cases they just lead to constant frustration and they actually bring you down.
Let’s look at this a little closer with an example. A lot of people might set forth as a goal. Many people jump online and are looking to start a business online as a way to make money from home and let’s say they set a goal to make $10,000 in their first month. They do this because they seem tons of people making large sums of money in very little time so they think, $10,000 a month, that shouldn’t be too hard.
But what happens when you only bring in $1,000 in your first 30 days online? If this is pure profit you might still be happy but this is nowhere near reaching the goal you originally set out to meet. So naturally you would feel like you failed to reach your goal and you may be a little disappointed in yourself.
If you continue not to reach this goal month in month , it starts to add up and really weighs on you. I’m not saying that they are bad and you shouldn’t set them but you need to realize that you should not be emotionally attached to your goals.
An alternative approach would be to set certain milestones for when you want to accomplish things and start out small. Build your confidence by accomplishing smaller feats and if you overproduce, then it will be a nice surprise. You have to have some sort of end result in mind but break it down in to a day by day task. It makes it a lot easier for you to handle by just knowing everyday you have to complete a few small tasks and over time the snowball will roll into great things.
【小題1】The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A．show that it’s necessary to set goals

B．prove the disadvantages of setting goals

C．suggest way of setting goals to reach success

D．introduce how to reach success by setting high goals.

【小題2】In Paragraph 2 , the writer used the example to _______.

A．persuade readers not to be greedy for money

B．prove that goals often result in frustration.

C．show goal setting sometimes stops you realizing your dreams

D．a(chǎn)dvise readers not to set goals to avoid frustration

【小題3】According to the passage, always sticking to our goals is ______.

A．important

B．unnecessary

C．ridiculous

D．natural

【小題4】What belief does the writer most probably hold?

A．The higher goals we set, the more success we’ll achieve

B．Goal setting is not always necessary and helpful

C．We shouldn’t set higher goals than other people

D．Goals should be set for short term and long term.

【小題5】What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?

A．Another helpful tip for setting goals	B．Benefits of setting small goal
C．Side effects of goal setting	D．Success achieved without goal setting.

Success is everybody’s dream. But what is the key to success? How can you be successful? I think we should measure success based on how much we give rather than how much we receive. Fortunately, it also works nicely the other way around since those who give more almost always will also receive more. So how do you pave your way to success? How do you become more successful? The answer is amazingly simple: the key to success is making yourself as useful as possible to others. Here are some ideas on how to do it.
1. Be observant of needs
To be useful to others, you should always be aware of even the slightest clues of needs. The more sensitive you are to the needs of others, the more appreciative people will eventually become. The best plan is being able to anticipate a need before the other people are even aware of it.
2. Find solutions to the needs
Now that you are aware of needs, the next step is finding solutions to them. The solutions you offer should be as useful as possible. To be able to do so, there is no other way but to continuously build your own value. It is from the value you have that you could give value to others.
3. Be proactive to help
Do not wait for the other person to ask for your help. Be proactive. Give your help even before they ask.
4. _________________
What matters is not only the solution you offer, but also the way you deliver it. Being sincere means being glad to help others without expecting anything in return. Make it your joy to give something to others. People can somehow distinguish whether or not you are sincere.
5. Go the extra mile
Doing the above four steps is good, but add this one if you can: give more than expected. First, give what is expected, and then add a little more. If you do the above four steps people will be appreciative, but if you add this one step they will be impressed.
【小題1】 What is the measure of success according to the author?

A．Success means giving more as well as asking for more.

B．Success is based on how much money you make.

C．The more you receive from others, the more successful you will be.

D．The more you give, the more successful you will be.

【小題2】The underlined word anticipate in para 2 probably means_______

A．offer

B．expect

C．prevent

D．change

【小題3】What’s the best title for the fifth paragraph?

A．Solutions Are Important.	B．Give More Help to Others
C．Expecting More	D．Be Sincere

【小題4】The author would NOT agree that______

A．people should continuously build up their own value.

B．the best time to help others is when they ask for help.

C．people should help others without expecting anything in return.

D．it is good to give others more help than what is expected.

【小題5】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How to measure success accurately.

B．How to make your dreams come true.

C．Giving is more important than receiving.

D．How a person can be most useful to others.