How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes（糖尿病）. Believing my career was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it — the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success — you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kirsten Best
Poet & Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological tool．”What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
| A．Difficulties influenced his career． |
| B．Specialists offered him medical advice． |
| C．Training helped him defeat his disease． |
| D．He overcame the shadow of illness to win． |
What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
| A．Her sports career． |
| B．Her achievements． |
| C．Her daily happenings． |
| D．Her training schedule． |
What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to？
| A．Ways that help one to focus． |
| B．Words that help one to feel less tense． |
| C．Activities that turn one's attention away． |
| D．Habits that make it hard for one to relax． |
According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?
| A．Self-confidence． | B．Hard work． |
| C．Devotion． | D．Courage． |
Imagine being able to recall just about anything, your mind functioning as a nearly endless encyclopedic（百科全书的）book of names, pictures, dates and events.
Brad Williams’ excellent memory recall makes him a personified version（个人版）of Google. His wide memory allows him to recall almost any news event and anything he has experienced, including specific dates and even the weather. “I was sort of a human Google for my family. I’ve always been able to recall things,” the 51-yearold said on Good Morning America in his first television interview.
Williams’ type of detailed, complete memory is called hyperthymesia and few known cases exist. Brad’s brain scan are now being studied by scientists at the Center for Neurobiology（神经生物学）of Learning and Memory, at the University of California.
At first, the drive-time radio broadcaster didn’t think his ability to recall so much was anything special. Gradually, over the years, other people noticed how much he was able to remember in detail about events. Then in 2006, he read an article about a wman whom scietists called AJ, which prompted Williams to come forward. AJ is a writwer of a medical journal, and the only scientifically-documented case of superior memory.
“When I read about AJ, my immediate thought was : Oh my God. That’s Brad!” said williams’ brother, Eric Williams.
Eric Williams is eager to learn about the inner working of his brother’s mind. He is in the process of making documentary（纪录片）about Brad, appropriately titled: “Unforgettable.” In the film, which hasn’t been finished yet, Williams takes on a person who is Googling answers to 20 questions. He answers 18 of them correctly and is 11 minutes faster than the Google user.
“All of us have the ability to store this information, but the difference with Brad is that he can recall it,” Eric Williams said.According to the passage, which of the following is true about Brad Williams?
| A．He has worked for Google, so he recall any news events. |
| B．He may be one of the rare cases of people with a superior memory. |
| C．He is now the host of Good Morning America. |
| D．He is working as a teacher in California. |
Why does Brad Williams have such a good memory?
| A．Because he was born with a rare ability. |
| B．Because his work requires a good memory. |
| C．Because he has to answer others’ questions. |
| D．Because he was specially trained in his chilhood. |
The underlined word “prompted” most probably means _______.
| A．helped | B．wanted | C．warned | D．encouraged |
The best title for this passage might be ___________.
| A．The Ability to Store All Information |
| B．A Documentary called Unforgettable |
| C．“Google Man” Recalls Nearly Every Thing |
| D．Brad Williams and Google User |
Active vacations are often the most relaxing of all. But Wait! It's all in defining what an active vacation is. We don't expect you to take up jogging, backpacking, or hang gliding. we ask the sedentary（爱坐的）vacationers to spend two to four hours a day doing things, such as walking the city streets, exploring a nature preserve, or taking a leisurely rowboat ride.
These kinds of activities aren't just good for your physical health. They improve your mental health, even your spiritual health. And they make vacations memorable and worthwhile. Here are some fresh ideas for active and healthy vacation.
Make the morning your activity time. At that time it is most likely that the weather will be friendlier, your energy level higher, and your schedule emptier than later in the day.
Have a walk at dawn or dusk. Such activity is called rejuvenation（恢复活力）. Try to make this a daily routine of life away from home, and you will guarantee yourself both physical and spiritual youth.
Get into the water as much as you can. Don't allow yourself to spend your entire time sitting in front of the water. Whether it is the ocean, a swimming pool, or a tree-lined lake, make sure you get into the water for swimming or games or even walking. Merely standing in waist-high water is a good workout, thanks to the action of the water. And you'll feel so much more alive!
Choose a cruise for your trip. It's amazing how active you can be being stuck on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic. Most cruise ships offer numerous options for seaworthy exercise. During your sea and land trips you can burn calories as you swim, hike, dive, and horseback ride.
Get out of the car every two hours. Many of us spend a large part of our vacations on the road, either getting to and from our destinations, or using the car for sightseeing. But no matter how beautiful the scenery is, great and memorable vacations don't happen in a car seat. Don't wait for tiredness or nature's call to get you to pull over. Frequently get out and stretch, walk, picnic, shop, visit, and have fun. It's important for your health and energy, and it makes traveling a lot more active and interesting.The first paragraph mainly tells us ____________.
| A．that active vacations are very relaxing |
| B．the activities we should join in |
| C．how many hours we should exercise every day |
| D．what an active vacations is |
How many tips does the writer give in the passage?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．Usually the weather in the morning is better. |
| B．You can have a memorable vacation in a car. |
| C．Swimming can make you feel much more alive. |
| D．Don’t drive your car very often to go sightseeing. |
Which of the following is probably the best title for this passage?
| A．Driving Tips | B．How to Relax Without cars |
| C．Give up Your Car and Walk | D．Make your Vacation Healthy |
The Wal-Mart in Cleburne, Texas, was crowded. People were waiting in long lines at checkout counters to pay for small things that would be next-morning treasures under someone’s Christmas tree.
The woman standing in cashier Jeffrey Kandt’s line seemed to be living on the edge of subsistence（生计）. Her clothes were worn and her hands were those of a person who’d worked hard for what she had. She held a single item in her arms as she patiently waited to move to the front of the line — a Sony CD player. She had saved all year for this. With tax, the total would be close to $ 220.
As the woman got close to the cashier, she suddenly shouted, “Where’s my money? All of my money fro my son’s gift! Oh no!”
“Why my line?” Kandt thought as he watched the poor woman searching through her clothes. He was going to have to call his manager to avoid the sale but it would mean a long wait for the customers behind her. “I am going to go home late tonight,” Kandt thought.
Then an amazing thing happened. At the back of the line, a man took out his wallet, pulled out $100 and passed it forward. As the cash moved up the line, a twen5ty-dollar bill was added here, and a ten-dollar bill was added there. When the collection finally reached the registewr, Kandt counted $ 220.
Strangers had fulfilled a poor woman’s Christmas wish.
The poor in his line at the Wal-Mart in Cleburne, Texas, had come together on Christmas Eve, 2002.According to the passage, the woman’s Christmas wish was to ______.
| A．collect $ 220 for her family | B．buy her son a CD player as a gift |
| C．buy enough food for her family | D．organize a big party for her son |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Jeffrey Kandt when the woman couldn’t find her money?
| A．He was impatient and wanted to go home. |
| B．He wanted to see whether the woman had money or not. |
| C．He wanted the woman to stand in another line. |
| D．He didn’t think about the customers waiting behind the woman. |
What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?
| A．a description of a man standing in the line |
| B．the cashier, Jeffery Kandt |
| C．the collection of $ 220 |
| D．a reason why the strangers collected he money |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The woman collected money by herself. |
| B．The woman seemed to be poor, but in fact had lots of money. |
| C．Strangers in the line volunteered to help the woman. |
| D．The woman had never ay money. |
On June 5, 1981 the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, U.S. announced the presence of a rare, infectious disease in five American homosexuals(同性恋). Soon doctors were finding similar cases all over the country and the world. The AIDS epidemic(流行病)had officially begun. By 1983 it was clear that AIDS had spread around the world. More than twenty years later, AIDS has left twenty-six million dead and another forty million infected. AIDS has become the worst medical disaster ever experienced by mankind.
Hundreds of young people between the ages of 20 and 45 died each week during the early years of the U.S. AIDS. More than 600,000 cases of AIDS have been reported since 1981 in the United States, and it is estimated that there may be as many as 900,000 Americans infected with HIV.
Though the rate of HIV infections continues to increase in the United States, the number of AIDS cases has fallen sharply since 1996, when antiretroviral drugs came onto the market. Unfortunately, the AIDS epidemic continues today in Africa and much of Asia, where antiretroviral treatment is not available and health care is far from enough. AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, and the No. 1 cause of death due to infectious disease.
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, was first separated in 1983 by a team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. That discovery made it possible to develop a test for AIDS and trace back to victims who may have died before doctors were aware of the disease.
However, scientists still don't know exactly how and where AIDS started. Finding the source of AIDS could be important in developing a vaccine(疫苗) and be important in mapping the future course of the epidemic.It can be inferred from the passage that
A．antiretroviral drugs will be obtained easily all over the world
B．the best way to stop AIDS is to develop a vaccine
B．scientists will soon find a way to cure AIDS
D．there will be fewer AIDS cases in the world in the futureWhich areas are the most worrying places where AIDS spreads quickly?
| A．Africa. | B．Asia. | C．The United States. | D．France. |
The number of AIDS cases has greatly decreased in the United States due to the fact
A．a team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris succeeded in separating HIV
B．some effective medicine has been invented
B．scientists understand AIDS better and better.
D．The rate of HIV infections continue to rise in the United StatesWhat's the importance of the discovery of the source of AIDS?
A．It can be used to develop a test for AIDS.
B．It can stop HIV forming AIDS.
B．It can reduce the rate of death caused by AIDS.
D．It can help develop a drug to prevent AIDS.
In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum(highest) rent that a landlord can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartments. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits(利润). They do not invest（投资） in new buildings which would also be rent—controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.
Some theorists argue that the minimum（lowest） wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal（联邦） government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low—paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics claim, an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.
Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.
Economic theory predicts the results of economic decisions such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be correct only if “other things are equal”. Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions. There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may .
| A．cause a shortage of apartments |
| B．worry those who rent apartments as homes |
| C．increase the profits of landlords |
| D．encourage landlords to invest in building apartment |
According to the critics, rent control .
| A．will always benefit those who rent apartments |
| B．is totally unnecessary |
| C．will eventually bring negative effects |
| D．is necessary at any time |
Some theorists believe the problem of unemployment will arise .
| A．if the minimum wage is set too high |
| B．if the minimum wage is set too low |
| C．if the workers are unskilled |
| D．if the maximum wage is set |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The results of economic decisions can not always be predicted. |
| B．Minimum wage can not always protect employees. |
| C．Economic theory can predict the results of economic decisions if other factors are not changing. |
| D．Economic decisions should not be based on economic theory. |
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