“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    ．

A．be quite confident

B．be polite and friendly

C．have more discussions with them

D．understand what they think about

【小題2】A professor will have the worst opinion of a student who            ．

A．gives a silly or simple answer

B．tries to seize any chance to speak in class

C．shows no interest in the course

D．is considered to have no opinion of his own

【小題3】The author is most likely to feel embarrassed if         ．

A．he asks a student to repeat what he has said

B．the students bargain with him

C．he pretends to know what he doesn’t

D．he has to give a speech

【小題4】We learn from the second paragraph that      ．

A．we should also remain modest in America

B．modesty doesn’t help you much in America

C．Americans also like modest people

D．modesty can help you through an American graduate program

【小題5】The passage is mainly developed by       ．

A．providing examples

B．making comparisons

C．giving different figures

D．telling personal experiences

In a cab, a woman seemed in such a hurry．She constantly rushed the cab driver to drive quickly．She was so absorbed in her own thoughts of getting to the airport as soon as possible that she was not aware they were going by a different route.
All of a sudden, a young man got inside the cab．He took her handbag in which she had put her visa, passport, and all the money for the trip.
The cab driver, who was in collusion with the robber, left her in the exactly middle of a dark street．She thought that she was rather unfortunate in the very situation.
During the very night, she was told a piece of shocking news．Tears came down her cheek．Flight 360, the plane that she should have got on board, had crashed．Had she not lost her important belongings, she could surely have lost the thing far more precious——her life.
Sometimes bad things really happen．There are times when nothing seems to go our way．So what should we do about it? We must get rid of all these frustrations and start all over again in the faith that we will get what we deserve．
Don’t waste your time and energy on things that can’t be changed．Continuous worrying will only affect your health and you’ll be doing much more damage than what was previously done.
What if it was the other way round? What if we never ran out of good luck?
There was a man who won the lottery．He became greedy and wasted all his money on everything he could get his hands on.
But when he one day made it to the front page of the newspaper again, it was a different story．He had been killed because of his riches．If you attain good luck, you can never be too secure about it．Life is so unpredictable．You never know what will happen next.
Live one day at a time．We sometimes subject ourselves to unnecessary emotional trouble．But please don’t forget: sometimes misfortune can be the source of happiness．Live for the moment．Do what must be done for the present and the future will turn out just fine．Believe me．And believe in yourself．As Captain Planet always says, “The power is yours！”
【小題1】The underlined phrase “in collusion with” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________.”

A．was forced by	B．was fighting bravely against
C．was doing one’s best to beg	D．had cooperated with

【小題2】From the passage, we learn that ________.

A．robbers are sure to get what they want

B．somebody never runs out of good luck

C．the woman was lucky to miss her flight

D．if one feels oneself lucky, he or she will continue to be so

【小題3】The writer presents the second example in order to ________.

A．warn people of the danger of winning the lottery

B．tell people life is unpredictable

C．encourage people to buy lottery

D．persuade people not to be greedy

【小題4】According to the author, which of the following choices is the correct attitude to adopt to life?

A．Never waste any time or energy because time is so limited.

B．One needn’t be worried or feel frustrated．Believe in yourself.

C．Even while everything appears to be going smoothly, we should keep fully alert.

D．Worrying about what you don’t have

【小題5】The passage above is intended to tell us ________.

A．misfortune sometimes is a blessing

B．we should save up for a rainy day

C．fortune just goes with those prepared minds

D．both losses and gains go hand in hand

There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers, he used two buckets. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one, which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carry a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled (溢出). The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say, "See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don't know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are!"
And all that the old bucket could say was: "I know I am not very useful, but I can only do my best. I am happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least."
One day, the gardener heard that kind of conversation. After watering the flowers as usual, he said, "You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back. I want you to look carefully along the path."
Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare (光禿禿的) earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.
【小題1】What does the underlined word "dilapidated" probably mean?

A．dirty

B．dark

C．worn-out

D．plain-looking.

【小題2】What was the old bucket ashamed of?

A．His past.

B．His aging.

C．His manner.

D．His leaking.

【小題3】The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to ________.

A．laugh at the old one	B．take pity on the old one
C．show off its beautiful looks	D．praise the gardener's kindness

【小題4】Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?

A．Because it was used to keep a balance

B．Because it stayed in its best condition

C．Because it was taken as a treasure

D．Because it had its own function

Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased.  Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
【小題1】According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our___.

A．friendly relationship	B．financial rewards
C．a(chǎn)dvertising ability	D．self-respect

【小題2】The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.

A．lying

B．cheating

C．stealing

D．a(chǎn)dvertising

【小題3】The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.

A．a(chǎn)sking the clerk to be more attentive

B．offering advice to the clerk

C．telling the truth to the clerk

D．reminding the clerk of the charged item

【小題4】Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．How to Live Truthfully

B．Importance of Peacefulness

C．Ways of Gaining Self-respect

D．Happiness through Honorable Actions

Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are.
Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now.
When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment.
When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more.
When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment. Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition.
Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural.
【小題1】How can we live with contentment?

A．To change our lifestyle.

B．To have a motivation in life.

C．To give less attention to what we are grateful for.

D．To realize the difference between needs and desires.

【小題2】What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Make wise decisions.	B．Know the present situation
C．Let go of regrets.	D．Remember the past.

【小題3】The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “__”.

A．enjoy

B．change

C．create

D．neglect

【小題4】What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?

A．Make time for simple pleasures.

B．Learn from successful people.

C．Focus on your future goals.

D．Create chance to learn more.

During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany's mom.
Tiffany's mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn't give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn't get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany's mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. "Every time, my morn would calmly say "Poor Tiffany". I couldn't understand her. "She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Tiffany!" I thought. "She should be feeling sorry for me."
One day, I couldn't help saying to Mom, "Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her? " I burst into tears.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. "Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught. "
I looked up at her. "What are you talking about?"
Mom said with care, "One day she will really want something. Maybe she'll find out that she can't have it. Her mother won't always be around to give her money, and what's more, money can't buy everything. "
She continued, "I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You'll know how to look for bargains and save money, but she won't. You'll understand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won't. When Tiffany is a grown woman, she'll wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you've got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food. "
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom's words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.
【小題1】During the author's elementary school years, she        .

A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany's

B．went to school with Tiffany every day

C．usually compared her lesson with Tiffany's

D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany

【小題2】Why did the author's mom always say "Poor Tiffany"?

A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor.

B．She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author.

C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother.

D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany.

【小題3】What do we learn about the author's mother?

A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent.

B．She cared for other people's children more than her own.

C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money.

D．She was so poor that she couldn't give the author much money.

【小題4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past.

B．The author's mother felt sorry for Tiffany.

C．Tiffany's mother took the author's mother's advice.

D．The author is thankful to her mother now.

One day I heard that one of my dear friends had lost his mother. This made me sad, for my friend was very close to his mother. He had been by her side as she traveled through her long and hard journey with cancer. At this time, many memories about my loved ones that had passed away came back to me. Finally these memories passed, but it was really sad to think that my friend would have to go through the pain. Three times I tried to write an email to my friend and three times words failed me. I am not the one that is often lost for words and I decided to have a sleep. Upon waking up，I could hardly wait for my computer to work；the words I needed were there. I was still left with a heavy heart although I had sent the email. They say that everything in this universe is balanced (平衡的) and indeed it is.
Three days later, I received his reply letter. I was happy to hear that he’d been admitted (被錄取) to Cambridge University. It served as a gentle reminder for me that my friend would be okay and that life would go on. Everything in life is balanced；the lowest feelings change places with the highest feelings. Without the lows, we would never appreciate the highs. No matter how dark the clouds seem to be, sunshine is always there and you just wait for the opportunity to shine through.
【小題1】After the author learnt her friend had lost his mother, she ______.

A．gave him some money

B．wrote an email to him

C．went to visit him

D．went on a journey with him

【小題2】What good news did the author’s friend receive?

A．He received the author’s email.

B．He was told that life would go on.

C．He would go to Cambridge University.

D．His life would go back to normal again.

【小題3】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The author wrote four emails to her friend.

B．The mother of the author’s friend died of cancer.

C．The author’s friend is a teacher in Cambridge University.

D．The author became relaxed after sending the email.

【小題4】From the passage, we can learn that the author is ______.

A．sincere and warm-hearted	B．proud and confident
C．serious and friendly	D．funny and responsible

【小題5】The author aims to tell us that ______.

A．life is fair to everybody

B．time waits for no man

C．everyone has good and bad times in life

D．on sunny days it doesn’t often rain

Dear David,
I’m glad you would like to share your feelings with me．It’s hardly surprising that your feelings of not being “grown up” have come on strongly at this point in your life, just before you’re about to become a father．You are asking: Will I make a good father? How will I cope? I think nearly every man must have the occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth．
It’s difficult, honestly, to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to．The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he’s at home．But as he walks through the office door, and knows he’s going to be surrounded by staff for advice, he grows into a fully mature man．And I think it’s a mistake to imagine that we all feel, as we age, a kind of progress of states, from the baby to the adult．Most people feel, on Tuesday, about three years old, and on a Wednesday, around 80．
There’s a common remark that“all men are little boys”, but it’s not true．It’s more true that men often behave like little boys．But nearly all people, at some moments in their lives, are able to be greatly mature．．Once your baby arrives, you’ll soon feel less childlike．When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug, the adult in you will rise up to prevent it．
Comfort yourself, David, with two truths．One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they, like you, feel frightened．And remember that people who haven’t grown up don’t go around talking about the fact．
Good luck to you and your little one．
Sincerely Yours,
Miss Advice
【小題1】According to the passage, Miss Advice thinks David’s self-doubt ________．

A．valuable

B．unusual

C．natural

D．bearable

【小題2】From Paragraph 2, we can learn that people’s sense of maturity ________．

A．will increase with age

B．is obviously seen at home

C．changes with different situations

D．becomes stronger with familiar people

【小題3】Miss Advice holds that ________．

A．a(chǎn)ll men behave like little boys

B．people tend to laugh at the subject

C．men with a baby feel more grown-up

D．people enjoy talking about their immaturity

【小題4】Miss Advice wrote the letter to ________．

A．offer suggestions to a future father

B．teach people how to grow up

C．encourage people to be responsible

D．solve problems of the less grown-up D

A person, like a commodity（商品）, needs packaging. But going too far is absolutely undesirable. A little exaggeration(夸張) will do no harm when it shows the person’s unique qualities to their advantages. To show personal attractiveness in a casual and natural way, it is important for one to have a clear knowledge of oneself. A skilled packager knows how to add art to nature without any signs of embellishment so that the person so packaged is not a commodity, but a human being, lively and lovely.
A young person, especially a female, shining with beauty and full of life, has all the favor granted. Youth however, comes and goes in a flash. Packaging for the middle-aged is primarily to hide the marks made by years. If you still enjoy life enough to keep self-confidence and work at pioneering work, you are unique in your natural qualities, and your attractiveness and grace will remain. Elderly people are beautiful if their river of life has been, through plains, mountains and jungles, running its course as it should. You have really lived your life, which now arrives at a self - satisfied stage of quietness and calmness with no interest in fame or wealth. There is no need to make use of hair dyeing. The snow-capped mountain itself is a beautiful scene of fairyland. Let your looks change from young to old in step with the natural ageing process so as to keep in harmony with nature, for harmony itself is beauty, while the other way round will only end in unpleasantness. To be in the company of the elderly is like reading a thick book of good edition, which attracts one so much that one is unwilling to part with it. As long as one finds where one stands, one knows how to package oneself, just as a commodity sets up its brand by the right packaging.
【小題1】The underlined word in the first paragraph is closest to the word ______ in meaning.

A．decoration

B．clarification

C．movement

D．identification

【小題2】It can be concluded from the text that ______.

A．people should be packaged at all ages

B．people should be packaged in a special way

C．elderly people also care about packaging

D．proper packaging makes people attractive

【小題3】For the middle-aged, attractiveness ______ .

A．hardly exists	B．is the strongest
C．comes from the inside	D．comes from the appearance

【小題4】According to the author, if you want to keep in harmony with nature, you should ______.[源

A．dye your hair	B．make up at a young age
C．follow the ageing process	D．give up fame and wealth

【小題5】The underlined sentence means that elderly people ______.

A．a(chǎn)re usually packaged like a finely-made book

B．experience a lot and have rich knowledge of life

C．do a lot of traveling and can give you much information

D．enjoy reading thick books about beautiful nature and fairyland

Some people think that success is only for those with talent or those who grow up in the right family, and others believe that success mostly comes down to luck. I’m not going to say luck, talent, and circumstances(環(huán)境) don’t come into play because they do. Some people are born into the right family while others are born with great intelligence, and that’s just the reality of how life is.
However, to succeed in life, one first needs to set a goal and then gradually make it more practical. And, in addition to that, in order to get really good at something, one needs to spend at least 10,000 hours studying and practicing. To become great at certain things, it’ll require even more time, time that most people won’t put in.
This is a big reason why many successful people advise you to do something you love. If you don’t enjoy what you do, it is going to feel like unbearable(不可忍受的) pain and will likely make you quit(放棄) well before you ever become good at it.
When you see people exhibiting some great skills or having achieved great success, you know that they have put in a huge part of their life to get there at a huge cost. It’s sometimes easy to think they got lucky or they were born with some rare talent, but thinking that way does you no good, and there’s a huge chance that you’re wrong anyway.
Whatever you do, if you want to become great at it, you need to work day in and day out, almost to the point of addiction, and over a long period of time. If you’re not willing to put in the time and work, don’t expect to receive any rewards. Consistent(堅持不懈的), hard work won’t guarantee(保證) you the level of success you may want, but it will guarantee that you will become really good at whatever it is you put all that work into.
【小題1】What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．the meaning of success	B．the reasons for success
C．the standards of success	D．the importance of success

【小題2】Paragraph 2 tells us     .

A．how to succeed	B．why to set a goal
C．how to get good at something	D．how to practice

【小題3】That successful people suggest doing what one loves is based on the fact that       .

A．work makes one feel pain	B．one tends to enjoy his work
C．it takes a lot of time to succeed	D．one gives up his work easily

【小題4】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Having a goal is important to success.

B．Luck, talent and family help to achieve success.

C．Being good is different from being great.

D．One cannot succeed without time and practice.