I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’ t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile —warm and reassuring — and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers，” she said.
“Yes, she’ s special，” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’ s only our second date，but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one’ ，”Jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’ t figure out why she’ d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said. “My husband used to bring me flowers every week — even when times were tough and we didn’ t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and — of course — I miss him since he’ s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said, “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased.“You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later，when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me，she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her — that was the night that I won her heart.Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
| A．He was to meet his girlfriend. |
| B．He had to go back to school soon. |
| C．He was delayed by an elderly lady. |
| D．He had to pick up some groceries. |
What does the underlined phrase “her gift” (Paragraph 2) refer to?
| A．Her words. | B．Her smile. | C．Her flowers. | D．Her politeness. |
Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
| A．She told him a nice story. | B．She allowed him to pay first. |
| C．She gave him encouragement. | D．She liked flowers very much. |
What does the underlined word “ seal” mean in the last paragraph?
| A．envelop | B．block | C．an animal | D．decide |
What is the message conveyed in the story?
| A．Flowers are important for a date. |
| B．Small talk is helpful. |
| C．Love and kindness are rewarding. |
| D．Elderly people deserve respecting. |
Everyone worries. But how do you deal with your worries? Whether your worries are big or small, you can take these three steps to deal with your worries:
1. Try to find out what you're worried about
Sometimes, you will know what you're worried about. Other times ,you might not. Try to find it out first; if you can't, you can ask for help.
2. Think of ways to make it better
There is always something you can do to help you feel less worried. Sitting there worrying is no fun and it won't solve your problem.111
Grades at school are often top worries for kids. If you're worried about grades, ask yourself these questions:
★ Why are grades important? What do grades mean to me?
★ How do I get ready for class? Do I go over my notes even when there isn't a test?
★Do I have a good place to do my homework?
★ Have I tried different ways of studying?
If your worry is about a fight you had with a friend, you might write down all the things you could do: write a note to him or her, invite him or her to a basketball game, say sorry to him or her, etc. Once you have a list of things you could do, you can choose the one that gets your friend back.
3. Ask for help
When you're worried, it can help to find someone to talk to. You can ask your parents, friends, or teachers for help. How many steps of dealing with your worries are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Seven. |
When you don't know what you're worried about,_________
| A．you don't need to think of ways |
| B．you can't ask for help |
| C．you should try to find it out. |
| D．you can sit there worrying |
If you're worried about grades, you can ask yourself these questions except “_____”
| A．Why don't my friends like me? |
| B．What do grades mean to me? |
| C．How do I get ready for class? |
| D．Why are grades important? |
According to the passage, what will you do if you have a fight with your friend?
| A．Make a new friend. |
| B．Don't talk to him or her any more. |
| C．Have another fight with him or her. |
| D．Invite him or her to a basketball game. |
The passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．who is often worried |
| B．when people are worried |
| C．how to deal with our worries |
| D．what kind of worries people have |
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him. He had tripped (绊倒) and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with some clothes, a baseball bat and a glove.
Mark knelt (跪) down and helped the boy pick up the things. Since they were going the same way, he offered to carry some things for the boy.
As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill. He loved video games, baseball and history, but he was having trouble with some of his subjects.
They arrived at Bill’s home first. Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with some laughs and talk. Then Mark went home.
They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior school.
Three days before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded (提醒) Mark of the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill.
“You see, I took away all my things from school. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills (安眠药). I was going home to kill myself. But after we spent some time talking and laughing, I realized that if I had died, I would have missed so many good times. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more._____________________”When Bill fell down on his way home, Mark ________.
| A．didn’t notice that |
| B．went away quickly |
| C．carried all the things for him |
| D．helped him pick up the things |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Mark was a warm-hearted boy. |
| B．Bill and Mark were in the same school. |
| C．Bill was good at all of his subjects. |
| D．Bill loved video games, baseball and history. |
At Bill’s home, they didn’t ________.
| A．drink some Coke | B．play video games |
| C．have a pleasant talk | D．watch TV |
Three days before graduation, Bill asked Mark to talk because he ________.
| A．hoped to go on holiday together |
| B．wanted to kill himself again |
| C．hoped to have lunch together |
| D．wanted to tell him his story |
What would Bill probably say at last?
| A．You saved my life. | B．I should die. |
| C．You did a good job. | D．You helped me a lot. |
It’s cool, and it’s hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about it often, and friends tell other friends how good they look. Sound like a fashion? It’s actually another trend(倾向): “blog”. What’s a blog? A blog is a personal online diary. The word “blogger” means a person who writes diaries online.
Many bloggers are teens who’ve been logging(进入) onto sites to discuss anything in their lives. Many of today’s teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teens complain(抱怨) about parents and homework. They share diaries, post songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems, say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.
However, many parents are afraid of these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don’t like studying. They are using language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get message from strangers. Most of the time, it’s older men asking to meet teenage girls. “These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words, “ said Cara Cabral, a mother of two.
Many teens and young adults know it’s not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place they can be seen by anyone. But teens are unlikely to give up these new communication tools that have becomes a way of life for many of them.
Are you a bloggers? What do you think of the blog? What does the underlined word “it” mean in the first paragraph?
| A．the blog | B．talking online |
| C．the Internet | D．the website |
A blogger is a person ___________.
| A．who teaches kids bad words |
| B．who posts songs from the latest bands |
| C．who got drunk last weekend |
| D．who writes diaries online |
According to this passage, teen bloggers mostly __________.
| A．complain about parents and homework |
| B．write down what they do every day |
| C．offer support to each other |
| D．share diaries and show pictures of theirs |
Parents think it’s dangerous for their kids to use blogs because ________.
| A．their kids use a surprising language |
| B．their kids talk about how they don’t like studying |
| C．teen bloggers got messages from strangers |
| D．their kids talk about their girlfriends or boyfriends |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Many teens know it’s not safe to use the blog on the Internet. |
| B．Most of today’s teenagers aren’t afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. |
| C．A blogger’s information about himself can be seen by anyone on the Internet. |
| D．It’s easy for teenagers to give up blogging. |
As the price of a college degree continues to rise, there's growing evidence that the monetary（货币的） payoff isn't quite as big as often advertised. The best estimate now is that a college degree is worth about $300,000 in today's dollars--nowhere near the million figure that is often quoted.
"That million number has driven me crazy!" says Sandy Baum, a Skidmore economist who studied the value of a college degree for the College Board last year.
Baum's research showed that college graduates earn, on average, about $20,000 a year more than those who finished their educations at high school. Add that up over a 40-year working life and the total differential is about $800,000, she figures. But since much of that bonus is earned many years from now, taking away the impact of inflation means that$800,000 in future dollars is worth only about $450,000 in today's dollars.
Then, if you remove the cost of a college degree--about ,$30,000 in tuition and books for students who get no aid and attend public in-state universities--and the money a student could have earned at a job instead of attending school, the real net value in today's dollars is somewhere in the $300,000 range, a number confirmed by other studies.
But, especially these days, that still makes a college degree one of the most lucrative investments a person can make, Baum notes.
Better yet, college graduates can go on to earn advanced degrees, which return even bigger payoffs. The average holder of a bachelor's degree earns about$51,000 a year, Baum calculates. But those who've gone on to earn MBAs, law degrees, or other professional degrees earn about $100,000 a year.
In addition, Baum found that there are plenty of other rewards for a degree. The quality of the jobs college graduates get is far better, for example. College graduates are more likely to get jobs with health insurance. And it is easier for them to find and hold jobs. The unemployment rate for college graduates was just 2.2 percent last year, half the unemployment level of those with only high school diplomas.
There are lots of other nonmonetary benefits as well. College graduates are healthier, contribute more to their communities, and raise kids who are better prepared academically, studies show.
Other researchers have found that the payoff of a degree is especially lucrative for students from low-income families, since the education and degrees give them a chance to break out of low-paying careers. What can be inferred from Para 1 ?
| A．The payoff of a college degree is still big enough to match the advertised. |
| B．It’s more and more difficult to get a college degree. |
| C．The return of a college degree is less than often quoted. |
| D．A college degree is worth about one million dollars. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “lucrative” in Para.5?
| A．attractive | B．worthless | C．approachable | D．balanced |
How can a college graduate increase his or her yearly income according to the passage?
| A．By getting jobs with health insurance immediately. |
| B．By going on for higher degrees. |
| C．By breaking out of low-paying jobs. |
| D．By contributing more to his or her community. |
Which of the following statements can be learned from the text ?
| A． According to Baum's research, high school graduates earn more than those who have college degrees. |
| B． College education is enough to ensure you a good life. |
| C． Nonmonetary benefits from the degree attract students more than monetary ones. |
| D．Students from low-income families still think degrees are profitable to change their life. |
No satisfactory way exists to explain how to form a good idea. You think about a problem until you're tired, forget it, maybe sleep on it, and then flash! When you aren't thinking about it, suddenly the answer arrives as a gift from the gods.
Of course, all ideas don't occur like that but so many do, particularly the most important ones. They burst into the mind, glowing with the heat of creation. How they do it is a mystery but they must come from somewhere. Let's assume they come from the "unconscious." This is reasonable, for psychologists use this term to describe mental processes which are unknown to the individual. Creative thought depends on what was unknown becoming known.
All of us have experienced this sudden arrival of a new idea, but it is easiest to examine it in the great creative personalities, many of whom experienced it in an intensified form and have written it down in their life stories and letters. One can draw examples from genius in any field, from religion, philosophy, and literature to art and music, even in mathematics, science, and technical invention, although these are often thought to depend only on logic and experiment. All truly creative activities depend in some degree on these signals from the unconscious, and the more highly insightful the person is, the sharper and more dramatic the signals become.
A type of creative experience is illustrated by the dreams which came to Descartes at the age of twenty-three and determined his life path. Descartes had unsuccessfully searched for certainty, first in the world of books, and then in the world of men. Then in a dream on November 10, 1619, he made the significant discovery that he could only find certainty in his own thoughts, cogito ergo sum ("I think; therefore, I exist"). This dream filled him with intense religious enthusiasm.
Descartes' experience is representative of countless others in every field of culture. The unconscious is certainly the source of instinctive activity. But in creative thought the unconscious is responsible for the production of new organized forms from relatively disorganized elements.Good ideas come from ________according to the writer.
| A．the unconscious | B．creative activities | C．dreams | D．logic and experiments |
The underlined word “these” (paragraph 3) probably refers to __________.
| A．philosophy, music, mathematics and science |
| B．religion, philosophy, literature, art and music |
| C．mathematics, science, and technical invention |
| D．both B and C |
What point can we see in the example of Descartes ?
| A．Dreams are the sources of instinctive activities. |
| B．Dreams sometimes contribute to important discoveries. |
| C．Geniuses have creative thoughts in their dreams. |
| D．Important discoveries are always made in dreams. |
The best title for this passage may be __________.
| A．The Unknown Becoming Known | B．The Role of Dreams |
| C．The Unconscious and Creative Activities | D．Birth of Bright Ideas |
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