How difficult change is depends a lot on your attitude towards it and your resistance to it. Your attitude to change can make the whole transformation process much easier.
Imagine change as a pair of shoes and this will help you understand change and how it works. I am sure that you have ever had a comfortable pair of shoes in your life. A pair of shoes is so comfortable that you really don’t want to get rid of them.
You know you need a new pair, and may even have them, but you don’t want to wear them because you are comfortable with your current pair. Besides, the new pair may hurt your feet, give you blisters(水疱) or be awkward to wear to start with. So, you resist the new shoes. However, you know that this new pair would be much better for your feet, and after the initial discomfort they would probably be even more comfortable, yet you still resist.
Do you know I’m doing this now? I’m wearing my comfortable shoes and they feel good. They have a hole in each heel, and the sole is starting to fall off, but I’m persisting in wearing them.
This describes change exactly; change of our habits, change of our thought patterns. We stick with the old patterns because they are comfortable. Yet once we get over the initial pain of the transformation, the new pattern will be comfortable and feel good until the time comes when we need another new pair of shoes.Why do people prefer old shoes to new ones?
| A．They have much emotion in the old ones. |
| B．They are more comfortable. |
| C．New shoes always harm the feet. |
| D．They look better than the new ones. |
According to the passage, we know that people ______.
| A．don’t realize the benefit of the new shoes very well |
| B．are positive and open-minded to accept new things |
| C．actually know the change will finally be good for them |
| D．don’t accept new patterns because they are not good |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Once we form a habit, it’s difficult to change it. |
| B．Most people pay more attention to the future life. |
| C．One’s attitude towards something is usually traditional. |
| D．The more often we change, the better our life will be. |
Xu Shu was much valued by Liu Bei for his strategic talents. After several victories on the battleground against Cao Cao, Xu was made the chief military advisor. Cao Cao was greatly surprised at the news. “If you want this person,” one of his advisors said, “you can bring his mother to Xuchang and send a forged letter in his mother's handwriting, asking Xu Shu to desert Liu Bei and come here. As Xu is well-known for a strong filial（孝顺的） affection, surely he will come.” This plot worked. For Xu, on receiving the letter, cried tearfully, asking Liu Bei for an immediate departure. Feeling sad, though, Liu persisted in his stay for another night, during which the two aired their sad feelings.
The next day Liu laid a banquet outside the city for Xu. Holding the latter's hand, Liu said, “After we separate today, only heaven knows when and where we will meet again.” He wept bitter tears.
After setting off on his way, Xu suddenly turned his horse and returned. “I almost forgot an important matter.” He said to Liu. “Ten kilometers from Xiangyang City, in a place called Long zhong, there is a talent called Zhuge Liang. Do you want to meet him？” Liu expressed his willingness at once, but also aired doubt about whether Zhuge Liang was as talented as Xu. “He tells positions of stars in the heavens,” Xu assured him, “and recognizes everything on earth. He knows a person's real nature at the first meeting----the number one talent under the heaven. If you have him as your military advisor, you'll have the country under your name.” Liu suggested a visit to Zhuge by Xu on his behalf. At this, the latter shook his head in disapproval. “You must go and offer your invitation personally, and his acceptance depends entirely on your sincerity.” With these words said, Xu turned his horse and left. Later, Liu paid three trips to Zhuge's straw house, another favorite story among Chinese people.The underlined word “forged” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
| A．forced | B．false | C．friendly | D．touching |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Zhuge was able to tell a person’s personality at first sight. |
| B．No sooner did Xu receive the letter than he departed for Cao Cao. |
| C．Liu showed little interest in visiting Zhuge because he was doubtful of the stranger’s ability. |
| D．Liu showed his disapproval when Xu advised him to call on Zhuge in person. |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．There was no doubt that Zhuge was competent as a military advisor |
| B．No one would be better than Zhuge in terms of giving military advice |
| C．Zhuge was such a talent that he could make the country named after Liu |
| D．With the help of Zhuge, Liu would be able to rule the whole country |
The paragraph following the last one most probably deals with __________.
| A．why people considered Zhuge as a talent |
| B．the difficulty Xu met with on the way to meet his mother |
| C．the plot Cao Cao made to bring Xu’s mother to Xuchang |
| D．how Liu sincerely invited Zhuge to assist him in military affairs |
The text is developed in the order of __________.
| A．space | B．logic | C．time | D．cause and result |
Pat O’Burke was a poor Irishman with a large family, and one morning, waking up very early from cold and hunger, he decided to go shooting in a wood near his cottage. The wood belonged to Lord Northwood, a rich gentleman, Pat had no right to go there, but in it there were swarms of rabbits and flocks of birds that were good to eat, and Pat determined to take the risk. Suddenly he saw the owner, with a group of friends, coming towards him in the wood. There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face as he caught sight of the gun in Pat's hands. Pat's heart sank with fear, but he saw there was no hope of escape, so he walked boldly (大胆) up to the group and said to Lord Northwood, “Good morning, sir, and what has brought you out so early this morning?” Lord Northwood, rather surprised, said he and his friends were taking a little exercise to get an appetite(食欲) for their breakfast. Then, looking at Pat with suspicion(怀疑), he said, “but why are you out so early in the morning?” “Well, sir” said Pat, “I just came out to see if I could get a breakfast for my appetite.” The whole crowed burst into laughter at Pat's ready wit(机智，风趣), and with a smile Lord Northwood walked on, leaving Pat to try his luck with the rabbits.This is a story about _____.
| A．a rich man who owned a big wood |
| B．a poor Irishman who lived all by himself |
| C．a clever man who tried to get something to eat |
| D．an Irish hunter with a large family |
There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face. Why?
| A．He was not expecting Pat at this early hour. |
| B．He knew Pat was coming for shooting. |
| C．He didn't like the poor Irishman at all. |
| D．Pat had not told him he would come. |
Why was Lord Northwood surprised?
| A．He had not expected such a bold question from Pat. |
| B．He wondered why Pat didn't run away. |
| C．Pat wasn't afraid of him. |
| D．Pat had a gun in his hands. |
What made the whole crowd burst into laughter?
| A．Pat's funny looks | B．Pat's interesting remarks |
| C．Pat's quick and humorous response | D．Pat's promise to leave fight away |
Guess the meaning of the underlined word “right”.
| A．对的 | B．右边 | C．正好 | D．权利 |
Do you always understand the directions on a bottle of medicine? Do you know what is meant by “Take only as directed”? Read the following directions and see if you understand them.
To reduce pain, take two tablets with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours, as required. For night time and early morning relief take two tablets at bedtime. Do not take more than six tablets in twenty-four hours.
For children six to twelve years old, give half the amount. For children under six years old, ask your doctor’s advice.
Reduce the amount if you suffer from restlessness or sleeplessness after taking the medicine. How many tablets at most can a person over 12 have in 24 hours?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Six | D．Eight |
How many tablets should a nine-year-old child normally take in 24 hours?
| A．Half a tablet | B．One tablet | C．Two tablets | D．Four tablets |
What is the advice for one who can not sleep well after taking the medicine?
| A．Stop taking the medicine at bedtime | B．Continue to take the normal amount |
| C．Take more than the normal amount | D．Take less than the normal amount |
It can be inferred from the directions that this medicine ___________ .
| A．helps you to fall asleep quickly | B．may be dangerous to small children |
| C．cannot be taken if one feels sleepy | D．should not be taken by children under six |
This text is most probably taken from a _____________ .
| A．textbook | B．newsreel | C．doctor’s notebook | D．bottle of medicine |
Mr. Jackson was tired of living in his old house in the countryside and wanted to sell it and buy a better one. He tried to sell it for a long time, but was not successful, so at last he decided to go to an estate agent.
The agent advertised(登广告) the house straight away, and a few days later, the owner saw a very beautiful photograph of his house, with a wonderful description of his garden in an expensive magazine.
Having read the advertisement through, the house owner hurried to phone the estate agent, saying, “I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, but I've decided not to sell my house after all.” “Why?” the agent asked in a surprised voice. “Because from the advertisement in that magazine I can see it's just the kind of house I've wanted to live in all my life.” Mr. Jackson wanted to sell his house because _____.
| A．he needed some money to support his family |
| B．his house was too old to live in |
| C．he wanted some money to buy a new one |
| D．he didn't want to live in the house any longer |
The reason why Mr. Jackson went to the estate agent was _____.
| A．he had failed in selling his house by himself |
| B．he wanted the estate agent to help him to get a good price |
| C．he was sure that the estate agent could help him |
| D．he wanted the estate to advertise his house in the magazine |
At last Mr. Jones _____.
| A．was successful in selling the house |
| B．felt sorry to have lost a sale by his doing too good a job |
| C．was satisfied with what he had done in the advertisement |
| D．didn’t understand why Mr. Jackson had changed his mind |
What do you think of the advertisement in magazines?
| A．They are worth reading. |
| B．They usually make things far better than they really are. |
| C．They are a great help to those who want to buy something. |
| D．They describe things as they really are. |
What’s the meaning of “an estate agent” in paragraph one?
| A．a person who has a house to sell |
| B．a person who helps others to advertise houses in magazines |
| C．a person whose work is to sell houses for others |
| D．a person who likes beautiful houses |
My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.
If you come to visit, you’ll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN （个人身份号码）to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it’s dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I’ve put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I’ve put in today.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, “How will I live without them?” What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．How to develop a new system. | B．The function of the PIN. |
| C．A home for the future. | D．Easy life in the future. |
What’s the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?
| A．To let readers know why his ideas are new. |
| B．To let readers know how special his house is. |
| C．To explain the importance of the PIN and the console. |
| D．To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are. |
The writer’s new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.
| A．it has been controlled by computers |
| B．you can make a telephone call anywhere |
| C．it has your favorite music following you |
| D．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
| A．An IT expert. | B．A famous doctor. |
| C．An idealist | D．An experienced teacher. |
What can’t be done in the writer’s new house?
| A．turns on the lights | B．play music |
| C．get a telephone call | D．go swimming |
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