I find some of the ways in which Chinese parents show love for their children rather surprising. Obviously there are some pretty big differences between our behaviors and theirs in this respect. Most Chinese children seem to get whatever they want, from ice creams, sweets and toys to endless attention from the adults around them. Is this a sort of spoiling or love? I wonder.
Most westerners would think it is a sort of spoiling rather than love. We think love means educating your children and bringing them up to lead an independent life. That includes learning to accept the fact that he can't get everything he wants. As an adult, he will not always get the quite expensive car he hunts for; she will not always manage to acquire the beautiful dress she longs for. So we try to teach our children early to cope with the disappointment of not getting what they want.
I find too much such kind of love for the children can actually spoil them. To my surprise, it seems that the life of a Chinese child is rather hard. Without doubt, the child is the very center of a whole circle of adults, but on the other hand he or she is also expected to start studying according to adults' wishes. Many children of my son's age take piano lessons, painting classes and even English lessons. It looks as if Chinese adults think that just playing without learning anything is a waste of time. So in this respect our children appear spoiled, just because they are allowed to play. But without this sort of play how can western children develop such free and rich imaginations? In fact the connection between this imagination and the creativity is so important in the children’s future life.
【小題1】In which way do most Chinese children seem to be spoiled?

A．They can be supported by their parents.

B．They can play whenever they want.

C．They need not behave themselves.

D．Their demands can always be satisfied.

【小題2】In the author's opinion, the life of a Chinese child is         .

A．rather hard

B．rather easy

C．independent

D．colorful

【小題3】The author thinks Western children appear spoiled because         .

A．they can manage time by themselves

B．they can have the freedom to play

C．they can take piano lessons

D．they may have expensive toys

【小題4】The best title of the passage could be         .

A．Chinese children's early education

B．How to develop kids' imagination

C．What is the real love for children

D．The imagination and creativity

It’s such a shame to lose a free throw. Playing in the court has pressure from the opponent, time, your teammates, the audience, and yourself. You have to shoot the ball despite all the pressures around. But with a free throw, you have the ball, no one will try to get it from you, and you have all the time to shoot the ball. But why is it that many players, even good shooters, miss most of their free throws? Maybe they need more practice or maybe they need to apply more ways to improve their free throw.
Improve your player or your free throwing skills by following the tips below:
Make it personal. The truth is, there is no rule on how one should handle and throw the ball in a free throw. What matters is that the player should shoot the ball from the free throw line no matter how he does it. So when trying to improve your free throw shooting, better stick to what works the best for you. Do not copy other people’s techniques. Make it your own and leave those techniques as theirs.
Formulate (公式化) a repetitive way of shooting the ball. A free throw should be personalized. But it should also be repetitive. You should be able to repeat your free throw techniques whether you are in your court or in another court, whether you are energized or tired. You can’t say you have a personal free throw technique if you can’t repeat it over and over again.
Shoot at the same position and distance for every free throw. Basketball courts may be located in different places or maybe marked with different paint colors. But all of these courts maintain the same distance from the ring to the free throw line. Familiarize your perfect position when making your free throws. That should help you do your perfect throw.
【小題1】Why do so many players fail to make a successful free throw?

A．Because they don’t have any special skills

B．Because they are lacking in practice and tips.

C．Because they are not so familiar with rules

D．Because many of them are green hands.

【小題2】What can you do if you want to be a wonderful free thrower?

A．Learn from others.

B．Form your own throwing skills.

C．Keep active in the court.

D．Learn to throw in different locations.

【小題3】The underlined word “ring” in the last paragraph may most probably mean “________”.

A．sound

B．basket

C．ball

D．group

【小題4】Which of the following might serve as the best title of the above passage?

A．How to play basketball successfully in the court.

B．How to improve your basketball throw skills.

C．How to gain more points in throwing.

D．How to improve your basketball free throwing.

How did your friendships begin? Most start with a short conversation on a random day. Asking about a homework assignment in class or complaining about your painful legs after playing in a soccer game, you found your best pal by accident.
“Small talk is where all your relationships begin,” Forbes magazine summed up.
The following is a five-step guide to making small talk from Bernardo J. Carducci, the director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast, US. Let’s have a look.
Getting started
Begin by talking about the setting, such as the weather outside or the room you are in (“It’s cold in here, isn’t it?”). The purpose of talking about the setting is to show the other person that you are willing to make a conversation.
②The personal introduction
You should mention something about yourself, such as your name. A good personal introduction helps move the conversation forward.
③Looking for topics
At this point, you and your conversation partner need to find common ground. This is a good time to ask questions or to refer back to things you’ve said or heard earlier. Don’t worry if it gets quiet. The other person is probably just thinking of something to say.
④Expanding the topic
The goal is to keep the conversation going. At every stage, you should be careful not to talk too much. But don’t let the other person dominate the conversation either. If that starts to happen, mention something about yourself when he or she takes a breath.
⑤A polite ending
When ending a conversation, let the person know you’ll be leaving soon, express gratitude for the conversation and set the stage for a future conversation. For example, you could say, “I really must be going soon, but I had a great time chatting with you. I really liked hearing your opinion about that new movie. Here’s my phone number. Call or text me if you know of any other movies you think I might enjoy.”
【小題1】According to the article, starting by talking about the setting is meant to ________.

A．find common ground	B．impress the other person
C．make a conversation	D．make the room warmer

【小題2】What does the underlined word “dominate” mean in Tip④?

A．interrupt

B．control

C．a(chǎn)dapt

D．simplify

【小題3】When ending a conversation, you’d better ________.

A．talk about how much you want to keep talking

B．show that you’ve not enjoyed the talk

C．mention a specific movie that you love

D．give your opinion about the other person’s earlier comments

【小題4】The main purpose of the article is to ________.

A．encourage students to make more friends

B．give students tips on making small talk

C．introduce popular topics for students

D．teach students how to create friendships

October 15, 1970 was declared International White Cane Safety Day (IWCSD) for the first time by the President of the International Federation of the Blind (IFB). This date was adopted at the first convention of the IFB, held in Colombo on October 4, 1969. The object of the exercise is to enable the general public to have a better understanding of blindness and visual handicap, and to make people more aware of the white cane as a mobility aid.
Peguilly d’Herbemont was born on 25th June 1888 into an old French noble family of the same name. In her youth she led the conventional and protected existence, lack of great activity, of a girl from a “good family”, an existence reminding of the life of the aristocracy(貴族) before the French Revolution. She never visited a public school, but was educated by German and English governesses and nuns. Her movements were restricted and were mainly confined to the family positions in Paris and Belgium, but she spent most of her time at the castle of Charmois not far from Verdun.
In the process of helping individual blind people across the road, Peguilly d’Herbemont was made aware by narrow scrapes(刮擦) which almost led to accidents, of the dangerous situation of the visually impaired brought about by the steadily increasing traffic on the roads. She first spoke about measures to protect the blind against street hazards to her mother in 1930, but she was of the opinion that it was unfit for a lady of good society to create a public outcry and advised her to stick to the transcription of books, a popular pastime of ladies of rank at the time.
But the idea did not leave her. The urgent wish to encourage the integration(成為一體) of the blind into society by providing them with a means of moving about more freely without endangering others, and at the same time attracting the attention of passers-by ready to offer assistance, caused her to take the unusual step of writing to the editor of the Paris daily Echo de Paris in which she suggested issuing the blind of the Paris region with white sticks similar to those used by the traffic police.
The editor took up the idea, published it in November 1930 and saw to it that the relevant authorities acted with atypical speed. Thus it was that the white cane received official backing, and on 7th February 1931.
【小題1】The underlined words “the exercise” here refer to _____.

A．the founding of the IFB	B．the declaration of IWCSD
C．the convention of the IFB	D．the first convention of the IFB

【小題2】 Which of the following is true about Peguilly d’Herbemont?

A．She led a typical aristocrat life when she was young.

B．Though she could travel around Europe, she spent most time at Charmois.

C．She was taught German and English at a public school.

D．She worried about possible street hazards for the blind, witnessing many traffic accidents.

【小題3】_____ gave her the white cane idea.

A．Her concern about the dangerous situation for the blind caused by the increasing traffic

B．The accident she had when helping blind people across the road

C．The scrapes she got when crossing the road

D．Her urgent wish to integrate into society together with the blind

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

A．Peguilly d’Herbemont’s mother didn’t want her to draw the public’s attention.

B．It was common for people to write to newspapers to voice their opinion at the time.

C．Peguilly’s strong desire to help the blind made her not a looker-on but an advocate.

D．The editor contributed a lot to the declaration of International White Cane Safety Day.

【小題5】This passage mainly wants to tell us _____.

A．Peguilly d’Herbemont’s achievements

B．how to care for the blind

C．the function of the white cane

D．how International White Cane Safety Day came into being

As you grow rapidly through your teenage years，you will experience a lot of changes.The changes may seem difficult and they may seem to happen quickly.Don't panic！You will deal successfully with them！You are a young adult now!
With more responsibility，you will find more freedom to make your own choices.This is a time to be well informed about your choices so that you can make healthy balanced decisions that will help shape your future.You may already know your career path or you may have no idea at all what you want to do.Both situations are fine！Work hard and the right opportunity will present itself to you.
Young adulthood means greater freedom and more choices.You will probably want to be independent.But try not to shut your family out of your life.You should learn to think of others even though you are old enough to look after yourself.Your family have been with you since you came into this world.
It is also perfectly natural in this time for you to spend more time with your friends than your family.Choose your friends wisely.A true friend will stand by you no matter what happens.
This period is part of the life cycle.There are some people who will be with you throughout life's journey and there will be some people with whom you part and go separate ways.Leaving school can be hard.The reality is that you may not ever see all of your classmates again.
You are a young adult.It is your life.No one can live it for you.The choices that you make from now on will be your choices.So making the right choices will be important to you.Life is for living.Enjoy your life wisely!
【小題1】The best title for this passage would be   ________.

A．The Choices in Life	B．The Key to Success
C．Say Goodbye to the Past	D．Becoming a Young Adult

【小題2】Who do the underlined words“some people”(Paragraph 5)probably mean?

A．your parents

B．your deskmates

C．true friends

D．your relatives

【小題3】 The author thinks teenage years are ________.

A．a(chǎn) period of complete freedom

B．too hard for young people to get through

C．a(chǎn)n important time for the young to make the right choices

D．a(chǎn) very important period for young students to leave their parents

【小題4】Who is the passage mainly written for?

A．Teenagers

B．Teachers

C．Young parents

D．Adults

Rock stars and their money
Around the world young people are spending unbelievable sums of money listening to rock music. Forbes reports that at least fifty rock stars have incomes between two million and six million dollars per year.
"It doesn't make sense," says Johnny Mathis, one of the older music millionaires, who made a million dollars a year when he was popular in 1950s. "Performers aren't worth this kind of money. In fact, nobody is."
But the rock stars' admirers seem to disagree. Those who love rock music spend about two billion dollars a year for records. They pay 150 million to see rock stars in person.
Luck is a key word for explaining the success of many. In 1972 one of the luckiest was Kon Mclean, who wrote and sang "American Pie". Mclean writes his own music, so he earns an additional two cents on every single record of the song.
Neil Young who performs in torn blue jeans, sometimes sings to an audience of 10,000, each of whom has paid five dollars for a ticket. After paying expenses, Young leaves with about $ 18,000 in his blue jeans at the end of an evening.
How do the rock stars use their money? What do they do when the money starts pouring in like water? Most of the young stars simply show the money around. England's Elton John gave someone a $ 38,000 Rolls car and bought himself 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses, then lighted up and spelt ：E-L-T-O-N. He also bought himself two cars, "one for each foot".
Many rock stars live like Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane. Those performers return from a tour, pay their bills, and buy new toys. Then when they need money again, they do another tour. They save no money and live from hand to mouth.www.zxxk.com
In the end the rock stars' life is unrewarding. After two or three years riches and fame are gone. Left with his memories and his tax problems, the lonely star spends his remaining years trying to attract strangers. New stars have arrived to take his place.
【小題1】 This passage is mainly about       .

A．the success of a rock star	B．the way rock stars live
C．rich rock stars	D．the admirers of rock stars

【小題2】 How much expense does Neil Young pay for a performance?

A． $10,000

B．$33,000

C． $32,000

D．$38,000

【小題3】According to passage, the underlined phrase "from hand to mouth" means       .

A．they have to earn money by hand

B．They know how to spend money in a reasonable way

C．they earn money only for their immediate enjoyment

D．they steal to feed their mouth when they need money

Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job’s pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas;  
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don’t happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers？
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy？
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won’t know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
【小題1】What is unnecessary in your job hunting?

A．Assessing your skills

B．Taking your personality into consideration

C．Matching your skills with a position

D．Going to different areas

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

A．Isolating usually drive people mad.

B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.

C．Extreme people tend to work with others.

D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.

【小題3】The underlined word “stability” in the passage most probably means?

A．no anger.

B． no movement.

C．gentleness.

D．enthusiasm.

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

A．Lifestyles and Job Pay	B．Personalities and Jobs
C．Job Skills and Abilities	D．Jobs and Environment

Sometimes ideas do not appear when you are concentrating your attention and mysteriously appear when you are not. Modern science recognizes this as a result of incubating (醞釀) the problem in your subconscious (潛意識(shí)) yet can't account for why it occurs.
When you quit thinking about a subject and decide to forget it, your subconscious mind doesn't quit working. Your thoughts keep making associations. This is why you're experienced suddenly remembering names, getting solutions to problems you've forgotten about, and ideas out of the blue when you're relaxing and not thinking about any particular thing.
You may try solving a problem with your subconscious mind by writing a letter to it. The letter should read just like a letter you would send to a real person. Seal the letter and put it away.
Let go of the problem. Don't work on it. Forget it. Do something else. This is the incubation stage when much of what goes on occurs outside your focused awareness, in your unconscious. Open the letter in two days. The answer might magically pop into your mind.
An advertising agency was under pressure to come up with a marketing campaign to introduce new television shows. Bob, the creative director, wrote the following letter which he addressed to his subconscious mind. He called his subconscious mind "Secret Expert".
Secret Expert,
I need to come up with a new marketing program to introduce a new season of TV shows. I'm interested in coming up with some kind of campaign that will capture the audience's attention more than one time. Is there something people need that we can advertise on? What kind of products, foods and services should we investigate? I need a fresh approach to advertising. Your mission is to give me a new idea on how to advertise TV shows.
Thanks, Bob
Bob mailed the letter to himself and when he read what he had written, he got his brainstorm, which was to advertise on "eggs". Somehow an association between "foods", "need", and "fresh" approach" inspired the thought of using "fresh eggs to advertise". He arranged to place laser imprints of the slogans for the TV shows on eggs —some thirty million.
The consumers look at a single egg at least a few times, when they buy the eggs at the store, when they transfer them to the refrigerator, and when they crack them open. It's unlike any other ad medium in the world, because you're looking at it while you're using it.
【小題1】You remember names when you're not thinking about them because your subconscious mind ____.

A．is still working	B．is full of names
C．stops working	D．improves your memory

【小題2】Which of the following was included in Bob's letter to his subconscious mind?

A．How the solution could be found.

B．When he would need its help.

C．What product could be advertised

D．What he wanted it to do

【小題3】During the incubation stage, your focused awareness _____.

A．waits for an answer	B．controls your thoughts
C．doesn't work	D．helps your unconscious

【小題4】 In what way did the ad on eggs help?

A．It helped Bob to get a brainstorm

B．It made the TV shows known to people repeatedly.

C．It greatly increased the sales of eggs.

D．It made sure consumers could get fresh eggs.

【小題5】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Difference between Subconscious and Awareness

B．A fresh Approach to Advertising

C．Communicating with Your Subconscious Mind

D．Solving problems with your Subconscious Mind

Of all the websites, one that has attracted attention recently is myspace.com. Most of this attention has come from the media and tells every reason why the website should be shut down. The danger of internet predators(竊掠者) is indeed a tough reality, but shutting down the site is not the answer. If myspace.com were shut down, another site would quickly take its place. Therefore, the right way is to teach teens how to use the site safely and educate them about who may be predators and how to avoid them.
The key to staying safe on the Internet is to make sure that your profile(個(gè)人資料) is secure. The simplest way is to change the privacy setting on your profile to “private”, which protects your information so that only the people on your friend list can view it. Although this is effective, it is not perfect. Predators can find ways to view your profile if they really want to, whether through hacking(非法侵入) in or figuring out their way onto your friend list. Thus, you should never post too much personal information. Some people actually post their home and school addresses, date of birth, and other personal information, often letting predators know exactly where they will be and when. The safest information is your first name and province. Anything more is basically inviting a predator into your life.
Another big problem is photos. I suggest completely skipping photos and never posting a photo of a friend online without asking permission.
Most importantly, never, under any circumstances, agree to a real-life meeting with anyone you meet online. No matter how well you think you know this person, there are no guarantees that they have told the truth. But you could feel free to chat with people you meet on the site, but just remember that not everyone is who they say they are. Hopefully, the next time you edit your profile, you’ll be more informed about the dangers of Internet predators and take the steps to defend yourself.
Lastly, do not send money to anyone you meet online. A common scam among Internet criminals is to request to pay for “expensive Internet charges” or “unreasonable Internet cafe fees”. While it is indeed true that many countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America do not yet have Internet service readily available in all cities and towns, a sincere friend from one of these countries will be more than happy to pay their own Internet charges. Never, under any circumstances, should you send money to a stranger from another country(or within your own country for that matter) who claims monetary assistance is required to continue their contact with you.
【小題1】Kids can avoid web predators successfully by________.

A．a(chǎn)ttracting more public attention

B．shutting down the “myspace.com”

C．learning different ways to try other sites

D．recognizing and getting away from them

【小題2】We can learn from the text that________.

A．everybody you meet online isn’t honest and reliable

B．it is not acceptable to post a photo of a friend online

C．it is not safe to chat with grown-ups on the website

D．only you and your friends can view your personal profile

【小題3】What does the underlined word “scam” in the last paragraph mean?

A．A thing that you can have two choices.

B．An unpleasant task that tests one’s ability.

C．A possibility of something happening.

D．An illegal plan for making money.

【小題4】What could be the best title of this passage?

A．Personal Safety.	B．Web Safety for Teens.
C．Web Hackers in the past.	D．Predators’ Tricks.

It is often said that man has become the enemy of our planet. This is no exaggeration(夸張), for reports show that man’s greed has done much to destroy the earth. Man, in his greedy desire for financial growth, has polluted the air, land and water, and has robbed our valuable natural resources. Man’s industrial plants pour out poisonous waste that pollutes the sea and puts life in the sea under the threat of dying out; at the same time, they release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other pollutants. Small wonder that the air now is much warmer and more impure than ever before.
Of course, this is not just because of man’s greed—it is man’s pressing need as well. For instance, in developing countries, huge financial foreign debts have forced governments to approve the cutting of forests for agriculture or ranching. As a result, forests are cut down just to meet man’s immediate needs.
Perhaps unknowingly，man has changed the make-up of the earth's atmosphere. Scientific studies have shown that CFCs used in refrigerators and industrial cleaners are fast destroying the ozone layer—a protective layer in the atmosphere that protects us against the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (紫外線(xiàn))rays. In fact, documented reports have shown a terrible fact that there are “holes” in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. And they appear to be expanding.
Faced with these environmental problems, world leaders have shown deep concern. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) has arranged international agreements like the Vienna convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to preserve the ozone layer by controlling the production, use and trade of destructive chemicals.
There may be some doubt as to how effectual these agreements may be, given that some countries still maintain an “I-don’t-care” attitude. Their attitude is probably due to their failure to grasp the importance of the problem. Then, there is no doubt that environmental education on an international scale（規(guī)模）is greatly needed, so that all countries, great and small—the “haves” and the “have nots”—may realize their responsibilities for our planet.
In the meantime, the UNEP seems to have taken steps in the right direction, and it is hoped that in the not so distant future, all nations of the world will join hands in saving mother earth.
【小題1】Which of the following is a reason for the cutting and burning of forests?

A．To build houses for more population.

B．To have land for agriculture.

C．To export trees to other countries.

D．To build industrial plants.

【小題2】The holes in the ozone layer are largely due to________.

A．man’s research activities	B．the greenhouse effect
C．the ultraviolent	D．harmful chemicals

【小題3】Why don’t some countries care about the problem of the environment?

A．They don’t want to put their lives in danger.

B．They just don’t know how to solve the problem.

C．They haven’t realized the seriousness of the problem.

D．They don’t want to break their international commitment.

【小題4】What is the author’s attitude towards the future of the environment?

A．Hopeful.

B．Unconcerned

C．Doubtful

D．Objective