Modern life is a lot less to the advantage of friendships and neighborliness than it used to be. The average American moves every five years. People drive straight into their garages, hire lawn services, hang out in their backyards instead of their front porches（前走廊）. These days, neighbors don't even know each other's names.
Good neighbors and good friends are a lot like electricity or running water: We don't know how much we depend on them until we don't have them. In fact, the authors of a recent book, Refrigerator Rights, claim that refrigerators are signs of close relationships--after all, you wouldn't snatch a drumstick（鸡腿）from the refrigerator of a stranger.
The surprising thing is that all it takes to strengthen your relationship with friends and neighbors is respect for their feelings, concern for their property, and a helping hand when it's needed. Here's how to develop your relationships with two types of vitally important people in your life.
_________________. A true friend doesn't flee when changes occur. The sign of a good friend is one who stays true through it all--marriage, parenthood, new jobs, new homes, the losses. Just because situations change doesn't mean the person has to.
Friendships fade away if there isn't an balance between the give and the take. So make sure you aren't being a burden to your friends. Be sensitive to how much your friend can and can't offer you--be it time, energy, or help -- and don't step over the line. Meanwhile, friendships that drain（耗尽）you will not last. If a friendship is out of balance in this way, you'll need to talk the situation through.
1. Which sentence in the passage is the closest in meaning to the following one?
A true friend will stay the same even when the situations change.
_______________________________________________________________
2. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with a proper sentence.（Within 10 words）
_______________________________________________________________
3. What advice is given in the last paragraph?（Within 10 words）
_______________________________________________________________
4. What do you think the author will go on talking about if the passage continues? （Within 10 words）
_______________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese．
_______________________________________________________________
任务型阅读（共 10 小题，每小题 1 分，满分 10 分）
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后第1至第10小题的空格里填上适当的单词。注意：每空1个单词。
The back-to-school season is upon us, and once again, parents across the country have loaded their kids’ backpacks up with snack packs and school supplies. It’s a good moment to reflect on what else we should be giving our kids as they head off to school.
American parents are feeling particularly anxious about that question this year. The educational process feels more than ever like a race, one that starts in pre-school and doesn’t end until your child is admitted to the perfect college. Most parents are more worried than they need to be about their children’s grades, test scores and IQ. And what we don’t think about enough is how to help our children build their character—how to help them develop skills like perseverance, optimism, responsibility, and self-control, which together do more to determine success than S.A.T. scores or I.Q.
There is growing evidence that our anxiety about our children’s school performance may actually be holding them back from learning some of these valuable skills. If you’re concerned only with a child’s G.P.A., then you will likely choose to minimize the challenges the child faces in school. With real challenge comes the risk of real failure. And in a competitive academic environment, the idea of failure can be very scary, to students and parents alike.
But experiencing failure is a critical part of building character. Recent research by a team of psychologists found that adults who had experienced little or no failure growing up were actually less happy and confident than those who had experienced a few significant setbacks in childhood. “Overcoming those obstacles,” the researchers assumed, “could teach effective coping skills, help engage social support networks, create a sense of mastery over past adversity, and foster beliefs in the ability to cope successfully in the future.”
By contrast, when we protect our children from every possible failure—when we call their teachers to get an extension on a paper; when we urge them to choose only those subjects they’re good at—we are denying them those same character-building experiences. As the psychologists Madeline Levine and Dan Kindlon have written, that can lead to difficulties in adolescence and young adulthood, when overprotected young people finally confront real problems on their own and don’t know how to overcome them.
In the classroom and outside of it, American parents need to encourage children to take chances, to challenge themselves, to risk failure. In the meantime, giving our kids room to fail may be one of the best ways we can help them succeed.
| Back to School: Why Perseverance Is More Important than Good Grades? |
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| Common phenomena |
☺Parents throughout America |
| ☺Many American parents don’t |
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| The writer’s |
Parents should pay more attention to their kids’ character building. |
| Evidence and |
☺Parents’ anxiety about their kids’ performance may |
| ☺Parents concerned only with a kid’s G.P.A. have a |
|
| ☺Adults who have experienced a few significant setbacks in childhood are |
|
| ☺Denying kids character-building experiences can |
|
| The writer’s suggestions |
☺ |
| ☺Give kids room to experience |
Section B (10 marks)
Directions： Read the following passage. Complete the diagram by using the information for the passage. Write NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS for each answer.
When Should a Leader Apologize and When Not？
Why Difficult？
When we wrong someone we know，even not intentionally，we are generally expected to apologize so as to improve the situation. But when we’re acting as leaders，the circumstances are different. The act of apology is carried out not only at the level of the individual but also at the level of the institution. It is a performance in which every expression matters and every word becomes part of the public record. Refusing to apologize can be smart，or it can be stupid. So，readiness to apologize can be seen as a sign of strong character or as a sign of weakness. A successful apology can turn hate into personal and organizational harmony—while an apology that is too little，too late，or too obviously strategic can bring on individual and institutional ruin. What，then，is to be done？How can leaders decide if and when to apologize publicly？
Why Now？
The question of whether leaders should apologize publicly has never been more urgent. During the last decade or so，the United States in particular has developed an apology culture—apologies of all kinds and for all sorts of wrongdoings are made far more frequently than before. More newspaper writers have written about the growing importance of public apologies. More articles，cartoons，advice columns，and radio and television programs have similarly dealt with the subject of private apologies.
Why Bother？
Why do we apologize？Why do we ever put ourselves in situations likely to be difficult，embarrassing，and even risky？Leaders who apologize publicly could be an easy target. They are expected to appear strong and capable. And whenever they make public statements of any kind，their individual and institutional reputations are in danger. Clearly，then，leaders should not apologize often or lightly. For a leader to express apology，there needs to be a good，strong reason. Leaders will publicly apologize if and when they think the costs of doing so are lower than the costs of not doing so.
Why Refuse？
Why is it that leaders so often refuse to apologize，even when a public apology seems to be in order？Their reasons can be individual or institutional. Because leaders are public figures，their apologies are likely to be personally uncomfortable and even professionally risky. Leaders may also be afraid that the admission of a mistake will damage or destroy the organization for which they are responsible. There can be good reasons for hanging tough in tough situations，as we shall see，but it is a high-risk strategy.
―→·Public apology is much more than a(an) act.
·It’s no job to strike a balance between apologizing or not.
·Apologies not offered can bring on individual and institutional ruin.
Why has the issue of public apology been so now in USA?―→ ·In an
， admission of all sorts of wrongdoings is more required than before.
·The of public apologies has been widely reported in the mass media.
―→ ·Being public figures， leaders are supposed to appear .
·There needs to be a sufficient reason for a leader to in public.―→ ·Making apologies is likely to be personally uncomfortable and
.
·Admission of a mistake or wrongdoing will probably do to their organization.
短文填空，从方框中选择正确的选项，将其字母标号填在文后横线上，完成短文。（选项中有两个是多余选项）（每空1分，计10分）
| A. usually B. mistakes C. rest D. hundred E. what F. making G. although H. under I. They J. thinks K. fly L. how |
Every morning, kids from a high school are working hard. They are and selling special coffee at a coffee shop. They are also making a lot of money.
These students can make up to nine dollars a day. They are selling their special coffee to airplane passengers. After the students get paid, the
of the money goes to a local youth project.
These high school students use a space in the Oakland airport. It is very crowded(拥挤的). Many people who
on the planes like to drink the special coffee.
One customer(顾客) that the coffee costs a lot but it is good and worth it. Most customers are pleasant but some are unhappy.
do not like it if the coffee shop is not open for business.
The students earn $ 6.10 an hour. They also get school credit(学分) while they learn to run a business. Many of the students enjoy the work
it took some time to learn how to do it.
They have to learn how to heat milk, load the pots, and add flavor. It takes some skill and sometimes are made. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the coffee.
任务型读写(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
If you took the strengths of others and compared them to your weaknesses, would this make you feel good? The funny thing is that this is what most of us do at one time or another—and some of us do it pretty often. It's a sure-fire recipe for a drop in self-confidence and for unhappiness. So how can we stop comparing ourselves with others? Here are some tips I've found useful.
Awareness.
Most often we do these social comparisons without realizing we're doing it. It's a natural act, I suppose. So the solution is to become aware. If you focus on these thoughts for a few days, it will become much easier with practice, and soon it'll be hard not to notice.
Stop yourself.
Once you realize you're making these comparisons, stop yourself. Don't feel bad—just admit the thought, and gently change the focus.
Count your blessings.
Focus on what you do have, and on what you are already blessed with. Count what you have, not what you don't have. Think about how lucky you are to have what you have, to have the people in your life who care about you. If you always want what others have, you will never have enough. You will always want more. That's an endless cycle, and it will never lead to happiness. Instead, learn to realize that what you have is already enough.
Focus on your strengths.
Instead of looking at your weaknesses, ask yourself what your strengths are. Be proud of them. Work on using them to your best advantage.
No one is perfect—we all know that. But we seem to feel bad when we don't reach perfection. You aren't perfect and you never will be. Keep trying to improve, but don't think you'll ever be the "perfect person". If you realize that imperfection is what makes you who you are, you are already perfect.
| Title: Tips ____ |
||
| ___ |
It is unwise to compare others’ ___ |
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| Detailed suggestions |
Awareness. |
Be __ |
| Stop yourself. |
Admit the thought and _ |
|
| Count your blessings. |
Focus on your ___ |
|
| Focus on your strengths. |
Be proud of your strengths and make the ___ |
|
| ___ |
It is imperfection that makes you who you are and keep trying to improve. |
|
“We see lots of adults being diagnosed as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (多动症) around age 38,” says Timothy Widens, MD, an professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “That’s right around the time people start doing more-tasks, juggling jobs, families, a home, and other personal duties，” he says.
But not everyone who slacks on work or forgets appointments has ADHD; there are plenty of other reasons you may be losing attentions. Here are five things that could be sucking your attention span dry.
1. Technology overload
Your computer, cell phone, and iPod all compete for your attention—no wonder you're distracted(心烦意乱)! To a certain point, your brain can act as secretary, keeping you organized and helping with time management. But the more tasks you try to do, the harder it is for you to stay focused on any single task, research shows. Learning basic organizational skills, like writing down responsibilities and maintaining a day planner, can help reduce these problems. So take a break from constant television, Internet, and email floods
2. Lack of sleep
If you’re missing out on enough shut-eye—most likely seven to eight hours a night—you’re probably easy-angry, dealing with mind fog, and have difficulty addressing daily tasks. That’s a normal reaction, says Dr. Widens.
3. Poor job satisfaction
Sure, everyone’s unhappy at work from time to time—maybe your customer presentation failed or your boss gave you a poor performance review. And if a disorganized working environment or a boring project make it difficult to focus, that's completely normal. But if you find that you often can't complete projects，you probably need medical attention, or a new job.
4. Too much stress
Stress takes side affects on concentration. Researchers at the University of Madison found that the relaxation technique can add to your ability to focus on your mind. Another study, from researchers at UCLA, suggests that in adults with ADHD, meditation improves attention and eases symptoms of anxiety and depression.
5. Too little exercise
Mounting evidence suggests that regular exercise can keep your mind sharp and increase learning and memory ability. It’s even more important in adults with ADHD. ” My patients who exercise all report that they see improvement in attention,” says Dr. Widens. Working up a sweat can also help you burn off the extra energy that causes you to feel uncomfortable, and it can help you sleep better at night.
Hopefully after you understand these helpful methods, you become more attentive on what you are doing.
| Reasons that You Lose |
|
| Passage outline |
Supporting details |
| The |
To tell us we can improve our concentration by following the five things. |
| Technology overload |
Your computer, cell phone, and iPod all compete for your attention—no wonder you're distracted! So |
| Lack of sleep |
If you’re missing out on enough shut-eye, you are |
| Poor job |
Everyone’s unhappy at work from time to time. When |
| Too much stress |
Stress takes side effects on concentration. Relaxing yourself can |
| Too little exercise |
Mounting evidence suggests that regular exercise can keep your mind sharp and increase learning and memory |
| After |
|
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