My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation(甘蔗種植園) in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed(耕) the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox(牛), guiding him with a broomstick. For $ 1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.
It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I’ve never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn’t want to work.
I was only six years old, but I was doing a man’s job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $ 18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person can have.
When I was seven, I got work at a golf course(高爾夫球場(chǎng)) near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.
The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb(番石榴樹枝) and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity. I learned working in the field — except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick. 
【小題1】The word “tedious” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _______.

A person, like a commodity, 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.

One of the greatest sources of unhappiness，in my experience，is the difficulty we have in accepting things as they are．
When we see something we don’t like，we wish it could be different．We cry out for something better．That may be human nature，or perhaps it’s something ingrained(根深蒂固的) in our culture．The root of the unhappiness isn’t necessarily that we want things to be different．However, it’s that we decided we didn’t like it in the first place．We’ve judged it as bad，rather than saying, “It's not bad or good，and it just is it．”
In one of my books，I said“You should expect people to mess up and expect things to go differently than you planned”．Some readers said it's too sorrowful to expect things to go wrong．However, it’s only negative if you see it as negative and judge it as bad．Instead，you could accept it as the way the world works and try to understand why that is．
This can be applied to whatever you do：how other people act at work，how politics works and how depressing the news media can be．Accept these things as they are，and try to understand why they’re that way．It will save you a lot of sadness，because you’ll no longer say,“Oh．1 wish bad things didn’t happen!’’
Does it mean you can never change things? Not at a11．But change things not because you can’t accept things as they are，but because you enjoy the process of changing，learning and growing．
Can we make this world a better place? You can say that you’11 continue to try to do things to help others，to grow as a person，to make a difference in this world．That’s the correct path you choose to take，because you enjoy that path．Therefore，when you find yourself judging and wishing for difference，try a different approach：accept，and understand．It might lead to some interesting results．
【小題1】The author believes that we feel unhappy maybe because ___________.

When you are little, it’s not hard to believe you can change the world. I remember my enthusiasm when, at the age of 12, I addressed delegates at the Rio Earth Summit. “I am only a child,” I told them .“Yet I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on ending poverty and finding environment answers, what a wonderful place this would be. In school you teach us not to fight with others, to work things out, to respect others, to clean up our mess, not to hurt other creatures, to share, not to be greedy. Then why do you go out and do the thing you tell us not to do ? You grown-ups say you love us, but I challenge you, please, to make your actions reflect your words.”
I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation. Some of the delegates even cried. I thought that maybe I had reached some of them, that my speech might actually spur(激勵(lì)) action. Now, a decade from Rio, after I’ve sat through many more conferences, I’m not sure what has been accomplished. My confidence in the people in power and in the power of an individual’s voice to reach them has been deeply shaken.
When I was little, the world was simple. But as a young adult, I’m learning that as we have to make choices — education, career, lifestyle — life gets more and more complicated. We are beginning to feel pressure to produce and be successful. We are taught that economic growth is in progress, but aren’t taught how to pursue a happy, healthy or sustainable(可持續(xù)的) way of living. And we are learning that what we wanted for the future when we were 12 was ideal and innocent.
Today I’m no longer a child, but I’m worried about what kind of environment my children will grow up in. I know change is possible, because I am changing, still figuring out what I think. I am still deciding how to live my life. The challenges are great, but if we accept individual responsibility and make sustainable choices, we will rise to the challenges, and we will become part of the positive tide of change.
【小題1】The purpose of what the writer said at the age of 12 was to _____.

People think what I do is so wonderful because I interview stars.And I have to admit that when I first started working at Sassy in 1987 I was excited about that part of my job for the first couple of months，anyway.Then I noticed how stars would fool me around for months.I could never get enough time with a star to find out anything interesting，and some acted just simply rudely.I started hating the way I was treated，and I was really disappointed to see that these people I had worshipped (崇拜) before were pretty ordinary.So I decided I would just tell the truth instead of keeping up their myths (神秘)．If the star was a bad guy，I would say so.If I thought anyone was stupid，I did not hold back that information.
I thought readers would appreciate that kind of honesty.Surprisingly，many of them hated me for it.I have gotten so many attacks on my character.In their eyes，being famous is everything，even more desirable that being truly creative and talented.
Why do we need stars？In fact，the media created stars to satisfy our basic need for gossip (閑聊)．Over time，talking about people we have never met and we are never likely to meet has become what we are crazy about.Thus，some people are more interested in the personal lives of the stars than in the lives of their own family and their own friends.That is why it is so ridiculous when a star wants to discuss only his or her work in an interview—as we care.We want the dirt on their personal lives.
There is another reason we worship stars.As a whole，our society is not as religious as it once was.It seems that people need something to fulfill them the way religion once did.Star worship exists as an unfulfilling desire for true heroes.
We make them stars，but then their reputation makes us feel unimportant，and we truly feel better about ourselves when they die.I am part of this whole process.No wonder I feel soiled at the end of workday.
【小題1】What are the stars like according to the author?

On the night of November 14, 1978,a six-year-old Korean boy was flying to the United  States. All he knew was that he was on a plane heading for somewhere. The plane landed at  Kennedy International Airport, where he was greeted by a family. This young boy was me.
I have grown up in a town where there were few Asians, so I stuck out in the crowd. I  made friends quickly and they treated me just like anyone else. You may ask if anyone made  fun of my appearance. Well, of course, I met that' kind of person. I just shrugged it off.
As an adopted child, I have something that others don't have. I have had the benefit of two  families. I'm lucky to have got a chance to start a new life. But we must try never to forget our  past. Someday I will go back to Korea to find out what kind of culture I left behind.
There is only one thing that I regret about being adopted. When I argue with my parents and they realize they are losing the argument, they sometimes wonder what I would be doing if  I were back in Korea. I don't understand this because I thought the purpose of adopting  someone was to give them a better chance of growing up in a family. Some day when I am  older, I want to adopt a girl and raise her the way my parents have raised me, but I would do it  better, for I know what went well and what did not.  
【小題1】We learn that when the writer was on the way to his new family,______.

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame others, and you play the role of victim , chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.
【小題1】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

Rented Boyfriends
Taobao. com, China's largest online marketplace, is never short of bizarre offers.
And here is the latest one: boyfriends for rent.
A rented boyfriend can do the following: accompanying the girl to visit friends and families, go shopping, having meals and even getting a kiss out of courtesy. The charge is by the hour.
The services become hot with the approach of the Spring Festival, the most important festival for family reunions.
In China, parents especially worry about unmarried daughters.
Single women will have to face the same old question at the family dinner table: have you got a boyfriend?
And for those who haven't found their Mr. Rights, renting a boyfriend emerges as a solution.
So, which men are willing to offer that service?
“I offer such a service only because I'm bored and know fewer female friends at work," said Ding Hui, 27, a salesman in the plastic industry in Shanghai, with a monthly salary of more than 10,000 yuan.
He rented himself twice last year: during the Spring Festival and National Day. His customers were two 28-year-old women.
He charged 3,000 yuan each, and the customer had to cover his round-trip tickets, accommodations and bought him clothes to make him look smart.
More than 260 rent-a-boyfriend services can be found on the taobao.com, with the number climbing.
An anonymous female netizen, who claimed to have rented a boyfriend, said on the website, "My parents are very satisfied, so my pressure is greatly reduced."
Another comment read, "It's good that I've achieved the wish of my parents."
【小題1】On which site can women rent boyfriends?  (within 4 words )
                                                                                   
【小題2】How does a rented boyfriend get paid? (within 3 words)
                                                                                  
【小題3】What question may single women have to face at the family dinner table? (within 5 words)
                                                                                   
【小題4】What did Ding Hui’s customer have to pay besides his service?(within 18 words )
                                                                                   
【小題5】For what reasons do single women rent boyfriends? ( within 15 words)
                                                                                   

While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy is ruining their life plans, I couldn't help but think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children who grow up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment –my husband and I probably won't be able to buy a house until we're in our forties, and we two are burdened by student loans. But why should it be different? Being young people in America, shouldn't they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won't be able to have children for at least a decade because they can't afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury, not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old man in the story is disappointed that he can't afford to get a Ph. D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it's sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people's expectations grow up when their wealth appears to be increasing. Their parents probably see their home values rise along with their investments. "So we have people who have grown up in an environment where people have great expectations of what living well means," says Kobliner.
This recession will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems much better for our mental health to focus on being grateful—for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day—than on longing for some kind of luxurious life.
【小題1】What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?

There is a problem each of us faces in following advice on emotional healing: apologizing is difficult. We are trapped in what we think of ourselves by holding onto our pride. We can be selfish and not willing to admit our most obvious mistakes. Pride eats away at us as we argue or ignore the mistake.
It's happened to me. I have had too much pride and selfishness to apologize to a loved one I hurt. When I did want to apologize, I couldn't bring myself to face the other person. This is the pride I'm talking about. Maybe apologies come difficult for men because they're expected to be dominant. It's like the joke that a man never asks for directions when lost. Ladies are more emotionally open than guys and are willing to express it. Still, both genders wonder how to correctly apologize.
In shifting the focus on apologizing away from you, what does not apologizing do to other people? They feel hurt that you are not willing to communicate your mistake. They lose trust in you as you hide behind your mistake avoiding reality. They become angry with you, wondering why you do not tell them the truth. They may begin to counter your lack of apologies by not apologizing themselves and from this the relationship goes downhill as the two of you get caught in a power struggle.
You need to communicate your mistakes. A mistake you made is like a scratch and by not apologizing you are making the scratch a deeper wound and rubbing salt into it. You need to stop hurting the other person and yourself by learning to apologize. There is real power in apologizing and emotional healing.
【小題1】Why are men more unwilling to make apologies?