July 21st. 2007 was a typical English summer’s day--it rained for 24 hours! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was amiss. By the time I left work at 5p.m., however, the road into our village was flooded. Our house had never been flooded but, as I opened the front door, a wave of waters greeted me. Thank God! The kids weren’t with me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the wall’s ceilings pulled down.
At first we tried to push on through. We didn’t want to move the children out of home. So we camped upstairs. We put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we move to a wooden house in a park. The house was small, but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community. We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbors, and I’d never thought how much I’d miss that.
Although our situation was very bad, it’s difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what’s happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought. “We didn’t have a straw hut(茅草房) that was swept away, and our house is still standing. We’re lucky.” We moved back home in August. With December coming, there’s reconstruction work to be done, so it’s difficult to prepare for Christmas. But I can’t wait--I’m going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year, I won’t need any gifts--living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions. Although we are replacing things, there’s really no rush--we have our home back. And that’s the main thing.What does the underlined word “amiss” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Found. | B．Missing. | C．Right. | D．Wrong. |
It can be inferred from the text that the author _________.
| A．cared much about her children |
| B．was sick of staying upstairs alone |
| C．could not stand living in a wooden house |
| D．did not deal well with her family affairs during the flood |
Why does the author say that they were lucky in the third paragraph?
| A．Because her situation was not serious. |
| B．Because some others suffered even more. |
| C．Because she had ever been to Northern India. |
| D．Because very few other places were also flooded. |
What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story?
| A．She realized she needed no more possession. |
| B．She valued human feelings more than before. |
| C．She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed. |
| D．She thought her own home was the most important of all. |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves – the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, thoug
h. But we really shouldn’t be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solves problems, and calm ourselves down. Beware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a p
at on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in 
a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying, “Good job!”
Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and motive others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to he
al? The choice is ours.The author argues in the first paragraph that ________.
| A．words will never hurt us at all |
| B．words have lasting effects on us |
| C．positive effects last longer than negative effects |
| D．negative words last longer than positive effects |
Why should we not feel embarrassed when talking to ourselves?
| A．Almost everybody has the habit of talking to oneself. |
| B．It does harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone. |
| C．Talking to ourselves helps us to solve all the problems. |
| D．Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health. |
The underlined phrase “give ourselves a pat on the back” in Paragraph 3 means _________.
| A．blame ourselves | B．punish ourselves |
| C．praise ourselves | D．talk to ourselves |
Which of the
following statements would the author agree to?
| A．It is better to think twice before talking to others. |
| B．It is impossible for unkind words to be forgotten. |
| C．Words always possess long positive effects. |
| D．Kind words are sometimes not needed at all. |
It was a winter morning，just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005．While most peop
le were warming up their cars，Trevor, my husband，had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work．On arrival，he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does．After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone．
The bike，a black Kona 18 speed，was our only Transport．Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family．And the bike was also used to g
et groceries(食品杂货)，saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I Was so sad that someone would steal our bike that 1 wrote to the newspaper and told them our story．Shortly after that，several people in bur area o
ffered to help．One wonderful stranger even bought a bike，then called my husband to pick it up．Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job．It really is all honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before．
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so．This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole．And i
t has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we，too，can share with others．No matter how big or how small，all act of kindness shows that someone cares．And the results can be everlasting．
Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．The man's job was bike racing． | B．It was their onlypossession. |
| C．They used it for work and daily life． | D．It was a nice Kona 18 speed． |
We can infer from the text that_________.
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week | B．people were busy before Christmas． |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike | D．life was hard for the young family |
How did people get to know the couple's problem?
| A．From radio broadcasts． | B．From TV news． |
| C．From a newspaper． | D．From a stranger． |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help． | B．An act of kindness can mean a lot． |
| C．News reports make people famous． | D．One should take care of their bike． |
Many people write to newspapers and magazines to express their opinions. Letters to the editor must carry the writer’s full name, address and telephone number, although t
he information is not necessary for publication. This requirement to provide personal particulars is a clear indication that writers are responsible for what they say. When a writer wants his voice heard, he needs to claim ownership of his voice. Responsibility is the name of the game.
“People today prefer living together to putting their signatures on a marriage certificate because they refuse to accept responsibili
ty for the relationship,” said social worker Ken Yip, “and this is what is causing a lot of family problems.” When we sign a
paper, for example, a business contra
ct or a bank document, the signature is a seal of consent, an agreement to take the matter seriously. Most governments and many organizations will not process written complaints if they do not bear the writer’s signature. The absence of a signature, they explain, tells us that the writer cannot be too serious and therefore does not deserve a reply.
There are people who wish to remain anonymous(匿名的) for various reasons. Multi-billionaire Mr. King donates generously to charity several times a year. He gives simply because he wants to help but not for the publicity his donations may bring, and he doesn’t want his good deeds to make news. In other cases, people insist on anonymity because they are afraid of the consequences of
revealing their identity. Crime witnesses may be willing to assist the police, but most are unwilling to give their names when reporting a crime.
Name or no name? The answer is very personal and lies in how much we want to get involved. We all have a name. It is a matter of responsibility to use it when we make a statement, a claim or an accusation. We all want to honor our own name, and it is only by stamping our expression of an opinion with our name that we honor what we say.What does the writer mean by saying “Responsibility is the name of the game”?
| A．Writers should be responsible for their names. |
| B．Writers need to provide their personal information in the game. |
| C．Names are required to indicate writers’ responsibility for what they say. |
D．Publications must bear the writer’s full na me, address and phone number. |
The second paragraph suggests that a paper without a signature may______.
| A．not get a reply | B．be accepted all the time |
| C．become a family problem | D．help to end a relationship |
Some people don’t want their names known because they are_______.
| A．ready for involvement | B．hesitant to make a donation |
| C．afraid of an accusation | D．unwilling to draw public attention |
The passage is mainly about_____.
| A．honor and writers | B．signature and responsibility |
C．identity and sign ature |
D．anonymity and signature |
Over the last 70 years．researchers have been studying happy and Unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference．Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes．However of all the factors，wealth and age are the top two．
Money can buy a degree of happiness．But once you can afford to feed，clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference．
R
esearchers find that，on average，wealthier people are happier．But the link between money and happiness is complex．In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries，yet happiness levels have remained almost the same．Once your basic needs are met，money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends，neighbors and colleagues．
“Dollars buy Status(社会地位)，and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts，which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors，for example-may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs．
In a research，Professor Alex Mic
halos found that the people whose desires-not just for money，but for friends，family, job，health-rose furthest beyond what they already had，tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller
gap(差距)．Indeed，the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone．“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income，”says Michalos．
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age．Old age may not be so bad．“Given all the problems of aging，how 
could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen．
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it，or they're more realistic about their goals，only setting ones that they know they can achieve．But Carstensen thinks that with time running out，older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't．
“People realize not only what they have，but also that what they have cannot-last forever,” she says．“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85，for example，may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”According to the passage，the feeling of happiness _________.
| A．has little to do with wealth | B．increases gradually with age |
| C．is measured by desires | D．is determined partly by genes |
Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs _________.
| A．make them feel much better | B．provide chances to m ake friends |
| C．improve their social position | D．satisfy their professional interests |
Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more _________.
| A．optimistic | B．p ractical |
C．successful | D．emotional |
Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if __________.
| A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger |
| B．they have a stronger desire for friendship |
| C．their income is below their expectation |
| D．the hope for good health is greater |
“My kids really understand solar and earth-heat energy,” says a second-grade teacher in Saugus, California. “Some of them are building solar collectors for their energy course.” These young scientists are part of City Buildin
g Educational Program (CBEP), a particular program for kindergarten through twelfth grade that uses the stages of city planning to teach basic reading, writing and math skills and more.
The children don’t just plan any city. They map and analyze (分析) the housing, energy, and transportation requirements of their own district and foretell its needs in 100 years. With the aid of an architect (建筑师) who visits the classroom once a week, they invent new ways to meet these needs and build models of their creations. “Designing buildings of the future gives children a lot of freedom,’’ says the teacher who developed this program. “They are able to use their own rich imagination and inventions without fear of blame, because there are no wrong answers in a future context. In fact, as the class enters the final model-building stage of the program, an elected ‘official’ and ‘planning group’ make all the design decisions for the model city and the teacher steps back and becomes an adviser.
CBEP is a set of activities, games and imitations that teach the basic steps nec
essary for problem-solving: observing, analyzing, working out possible answers, and judging them based on the children’s own standards.The program is designed to_________.
| A．direct kids to build solar collectors |
| B．train young scientists for city planning |
| C．develop children’s problem-solving abilities |
| D．help young architects know more about designing. |
An architect pays a weekly visit to the classroom to ________.
| A．find out kids’ creative ideas | B． help kids with their p rogram |
| C． discuss with the teacher | D． give children a lecture |
Who is the designer of the program?
| A．An official. | B．An architect. | C．A teacher. | D．A scientist |
The children feel free in the program because __________.
| A．they can design future buildings themselves |
| B．they have new ideas and rich imagination |
| C．they are given enough time to design models |
| D．they need not worry about making mistakes |
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