If practicing an attitude of gratitude(感激) during the storms of life is too much for you right now, that’s OK. When things are tough, most people have a hard time being thankful. They’re so caught up in what’s wrong in the present moment that they simply can’t see some things are still right.
If that’s true for you, then accept it. You’re going through a particularly difficult or unhappy period of time, and you don’t like it one bit. Very normal, very human. But remember this: there is always something to be grateful for. It maybe only a small comfort right now, but it is a start. Make a list of some of the terrible things that didn’t happen. For example:
●You’re in debt...but you’re not homeless.
●You lost your job...but you didn’t lose your health.
●You broke your leg...but you didn’t break your neck.
●Your mother has Alzheimer’s disease...but your father doesn’t.
No matter how bad things are, they could always be worse. Start finding gratitude for what might have happened, but didn’t. It does help a lot. Of course, you may not be thankful for everything— but you can always be thankful for something.The passage is intended for those who ________.
| A．have done a lot for others | B．have met with difficulties in life |
| C．have something to do in return | D．don’t know how to be thankful |
The writer thinks it ______ for people to feel unhappy in time of difficulty.
| A．understandable | B．necessary | C．impossible | D．helpful |
How many “terrible things that didn’t happen” are listed in this passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To discuss ways to make a list of terrible things. |
| B．To explain what is gratitude towards the storms of life. |
| C．To persuade people to be thankful for what didn’t happen. |
| D．To show people different ways to consider their tough situations. |
How is the passage organized?
| A．Explanation—Comparison—Topic |
| B．Argument—Opinion—Discussion |
| C．Comparison—Argument—Explanation |
| D．Introduction—Discussion—Conclusion |
Just as the world’s most respected scientific bodies have confirmed that the world is getting hotter, they have also stated that there is strong evidence that humans are driving the warming. Countless recent reports from the world’s leading scientific bodies have said the same thing. For example, a 2010 summary of climate science by the Royal Society stated that: “There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity.”
The idea that humans could change the planet’s climate may be counter-intuitive(与直觉不符的), but the basic science is well understood. Each year, human activity causes billions of tons of greenhouse gases to be released（释放）into the atmosphere. As scientists have known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket.
Of course, the planet’s climate has always been changing thanks to “natural” factors(因素) such as changes in solar or volcanic（火山的）activity, or cycles relating the Earth’s going around the sun. According to the scientific literature, however, the warming recorded to date matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere – not the warming we would expect from other possible causes.
Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming observed so far, that would beg a difficult question. As Robert Henson puts it in The Rough Guide to Climate Change: “If some newly discovered factor can account for the climate change, then why aren’t carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?”
The only way to prove with 100% certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two identical Earths – one with human influence and one without. That obviously isn’t possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an absolute certainty. In most scientists’ opinion, the global warming is mainly caused by ________.
| A．solar activity |
| B．volcanic activity |
| C．the Earth’s going around the sun |
| D．human activity |
The text is developed by ________.
| A．giving typical examples |
| B．following the order of space |
| C．analyzing a theory and arguing it |
| D．comparing and finding differences |
The underline word “identical” means ________.
| A．totally different |
| B．exactly the same |
| C．extremely important |
| D．relatively independent |
Which of the following can be the best title?
| A．Are All the Scientists Really Scientific? |
| B．Where Is Global Warming Leading Us to? |
| C．Are Humans Definitely Causing Global Warming? |
| D．What’s Relation of Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases? |
Fly into Lisbon and spend a couple of days exploring the capital, which is a terrific bargain. In addition to some worthwhile and affordable dining and lodging(住宿) choices, must-see sights include the Romanesque Lisbon Cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century, and the Moorish Alfama quarter, with its markets and winding cobblestone streets. Take a taxi or bus to the Belém district, where you’ll find the Tower of Belém and the Jerónimos Monastery. After Lisbon, you can take a day trip, by train, to Sintra, a beautiful town nestled(依偎) against the hills about 20 miles west of Lisbon; its castle and palaces, like the Sintra National Palace and the Pena National Palace, are well worth a visit.
To see the countryside, rent a car and drive southeast about 90 minutes to the Alentejo region. Base yourself in Évora, an architectural precious stone. By foot, explore its winding cobblestone streets, fountains and whitewashed houses. Attractions include the Roman Temple of Évora. And make sure to hear some fado, the traditional music of Portugal(葡萄牙).
Alternatively, head north from Lisbon to Oporto, about three hours, and then east to the winemaking region of the Douro River Valley. In his article Portugal Old, New and Undiscovered, Frank Bruni wrote: “All around us mountains undulated(波动) into the distance. The slopes（斜坡）in the foreground were an amazing patchwork of greens, reds, browns and grays, as if some grand hand had fashioned it into a picture on all that nature and agriculture can do.”
You can NOT enjoy the beauty of ________ in Lisbon.
| A．the Sintra National Palace |
| B．the Moorish Alfama quarter |
| C．the Tower of Belém |
| D．Romanesque Lisbon Cathedral |
In Alentejo region, a tourist can ________.
| A．walk by the sea bare feet |
| B．appreciate traditional music |
| C．enjoy a good view of the city |
| D．buy some precious stones cheap |
Frank Bruni’s words help the readers to get a better picture of ________.
A. Douro River Valley
B. Lisbon
C. Oporto
The text is meant to ________.
| A．advise on travelling in Portugal |
| B．describe the beauty of Portugal |
| C．introduce the attractions in Lisbon |
| D．compare the city with the countryside |
Finding the right school for your child is a process. You will want to read about the school, talk to any friends who are involved in the school and, most important of all, visit the school.
The first step in finding out about Indian Creek is to request an information packet. We will be happy to send you a packet containing a brochure(小册子), the fee structure and an application. The packet should answer most of your general questions about the school.
In order to get a true sense of Indian Creek School, you should come for an Admission Tour, which includes a personal meeting focusing on your child, a tour of the building and the classrooms, and a discussion of the curriculum(课程).
This visit is no less important if the child for whom you are seeking admission is a teenager than if he or she is a three-year-old one. Every school has a different “school climate.” If you visit two or three schools, you will notice that each “feels” different. You know your child best and you will quickly develop a sense of whether a school is the right match or not.
●The initial point of entry for Indian Creek Students is at the pre-kindergarten level for three year olds.
●Children must be three years old by August 31st.
●We also have major points of entry from grade six to grade nine. At each of these levels, we open new sections and accept students in addition to those moving up from our own lower grades.
●There are scattered(零散的) openings available throughout the program due to attrition(学生流失). Once an opening occurs, students spend a day at ICS, part of which includes admission testing. You can NOT get to know about ICS by ________.
| A．getting an information packet |
| B．taking an admission tour |
| C．asking friends involved in ICS |
| D．taking an admission test |
During the Admission Tour, you can ________.
| A．having a meeting with the children |
| B．decide on the design of the classrooms |
| C．talk with the school about the courses |
| D．choose the weather suitable for study |
Which of the following is NOT accepted for ICS when there is no attrition?
| A．A boy who will be 3 years old by July. |
| B．A fifth grader originally studying in ICS. |
| C．An eighth grader from another school. |
| D．A fourth grader from another school. |
The text is intended for ________.
| A．teachers |
| B．parents |
| C．kindergarteners |
| D．school kids |
Dear Abby,
I am a very conservative woman. I don’t drink, dance, wear makeups or pants. I enjoy the company of friends despite（尽管）our differences and thought they enjoyed mine.
On our most recent outing, however, they laughed at my religious jewelry, commented on my “lack of fashion,” and made me feel guilty for not wanting to stay out late.
Despite this, they are great friends and would help me at the drop of a hat. I don’t bring up their being overweight, or that I think some of the clothes they wear are ugly. I don’t criticize them for sleeping around. I wish they would accept me for who I am.
I am considering not going out with them the next time they ask, but I don’t really want it to come to that. Any suggestions?
—Just an Old-Fashioned Girl
_____________________________________________________________________
Dear Old-Fashioned Girl,
Just this: It’s time for you to start cultivating relationships with people whose values are more like your own. The friends you have described may be lovely, but their comments were out of line and folks are known by the company they keep. If you spend a lot of time with the women you have described, people will begin to make assumptions(臆断) about you.
—Abby The underlined word “conservative” is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．beautiful |
| B．old-fashioned |
| C．overweight |
| D．ordinary-looking |
When did Old-fashioned Girl feel guilty?
| A．When her friends stayed out late. |
| B．When she stayed out late with her friends. |
| C．When she refused her friends’ request to stay out late. |
| D．When her friends refused her to stay out late with them. |
Which of the following could Old-fashioned Girl most possibly agree to?
| A．It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. |
| B．Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. |
| C．The friend is the one who knows all about you, and still likes you. |
| D．True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable. |
According to Abby, it’s a good idea for Old-fashioned Girl to ________.
| A．talk with her friends |
| B．understand her friends |
| C．forgive her friends |
| D．break up with her friends |
Suddenly all the lights on that crowded underground train went out. Then it stopped in that dark tunnel(隧道).
We waited. We expected the lights to come on again soon. But nothing happened. Then I began to smell something. Yes, I could smell smoke. So I asked myself, “Is this train on fire?” People around me then began to cry out in fear. “The train is on fire!” they cried.
Then the woman standing next to me suddenly fell on the floor. I realized she was overcome by the smoke. Then I saw flames appearing. “If something does not happen soon,” I said to myself, “I will be burnt alive!”
But as I stood there in the dark in that crowded burning train, I could see no way to escape. I thought, “No one can save me from certain death but God. Only God can make a way for any of us to escape death in this train.”
Before the flames reached me, I found the open door and I climbed out of the train into the dark tunnel. Then as quickly as I could, I ran from the burning train down the tunnel. Now as I ran I could hear hundreds of people that were locked in that burning train, crying out for help. I knew I could do nothing to help them, so I ran on.
Then for two hours I kept walking in that dark train tunnel. At last I saw a light in the distance. I asked myself “Why did God enable me to escape death?” I decided, “God must have a purpose for saving my life. He must want me to help other people experience what He could do for them.” What caused the woman next to me to fall?
| A．The fire. |
| B．Fear. |
| C．The smoke. |
| D．Anxiety. |
The passengers failed to escape because ________.
| A．they didn’t find the way out |
| B．they were too frightened to move |
| C．the fire and smoke were too much |
| D．too many people were in their way |
What would the author most possibly do after he saw the exit from the tunnel?
| A．Going home. |
| B．Blaming himself. |
| C．Calling reporters. |
| D．Returning to help. |
Between which two paragraphs can the following paragraph be put?
I cried, “God, if it is not my time to die, please help me!” Then I heard a noise. It was like a door opening. It was on my right hand side. So in the dark, I at once began to push my way forward to where that noise came from.
| A．Between Paragraph 2 and 3. |
| B．Between Paragraph 3 and 4. |
| C．Between Paragraph 4 and 5. |
| D．Between Paragraph 5 and 6. |
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