You wake up in the morning, the day is beautiful and the plans for the day are what you have been looking forward to for a long time. Then the telephone rings, you say hello, and the play starts. The person on the other end has a sad tone in his voice as he starts to tell you how terrible his morning is and that there is nothing to look forward to. Yon are still in a wonderful mood(心情)? Impossible!
Communicating with negative people can wash out your happiness. It may not change what you think, but communicating long enough with them will make you feel unhappy for a moment or a long time.
Life brings ups and downs, but some people are trapped in the wrong idea that life has no happiness to offer. They only feel glad when they make others feel bad. It is not strange that they can hardly win others’ pity or respect.
When you communicate with happy people，you will stay happy. When the knife of a negative person is put in you, you feel the heavy feeling that, all in all, brings you down.
Sometimes we have no choice but to communicate with negative people. This could be a co-worker, or relative. In this situation, say what needs to be said as little as possible. Sometimes it feels good to let out your anger back to the negative person，but all this cannot reduce your bad feelings and they won’t feel ashamed(羞愧) of themselves about that.
Unhappiness often influences happiness without even being realized. The depressing(令人沮丧的) words of another at the start of the day can be with you throughout the rest of your day，which makes you feel bad and steals your happiness. Life is too short to feel unhappy.
| A．make a comparison(比较) | B．offer an evidence(证据) |
| C．introduce a topic | D．describe a daily scene |
| A．By influencing our feelings. |
| B．By telling people the nature of life. |
| C．By changing our way of thinking. |
| D．By comparing their attitude to life with ours. |
| A．other people’s pity for them | B．making other people unhappy |
| C．holding an active attitude | D．other people’s respect for them |
| A．to change negative people’s attitude to life |
| B．to show our dislike to negative people |
| C．to make negative people feel ashamed of themselves |
| D．to communicate with negative people as little as possible |
Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Italian are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Or do they? Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (实业家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the B
ritish public .
Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy (嫉妒) . As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood”. Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green-eyed monster” and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported that the UK was now the world’s fourth largest economy .That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy , either .
“It’s not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a Professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in
a way that seems arrogant (傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots .”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.What does the underlined “it” in the second paragraph refer to?
| A．One group of people | B．A great survey |
| C．National character | D．A nation |
Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that
| A．they are not popular simply because they are successful |
| B．the British public are hardworking |
| C．love of success is Britain’s national character |
| D．they are considered as “green-eyed monsters” |
What does the result of the Warwich University test show?
| A．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money |
| B．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed |
| C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people |
| D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others |
The writer of the passage seems to suggest that .
A．Jealousy is Brit ain’s national character |
| B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated |
| C．the scientists are Warwich University did a successful test |
| D．the British dislike the entrepreneurs because they do not behave properly |
Work is a part of living —my grandparents understood that. They lived and worked on a farm that has been in my family for 150 years. They raised chickens for eggs , pigs and cattle for meat . Cows were kept for milk and the cream, from which Grandma made butter and cheese. What little yard they had became a garden.
The Depression, therefore, didn’t make much change in their lives. But it did bring an unending flow of men out of work, drifting from job to job, to the farm. The first to show up at the door of the kitchen was a man in rags. He took off his hat and quietly explained that he hadn’t eaten for a while. Grandpa stood watching him a bit , then said , “There’s a stack of firewood against the fence behind the barn (谷仓). I’ve been needing to get it moved to the other si
de of the fence . You have just about enough time to finish the job before lunch .”
Grandma said a surprising thing happened. The man got a shine in his eyes and he hurried to the barn at once. She set another place at the table and made an apple pie. During lunch, the stranger didn’t say much, but when he left, his shoulders had straightened. “Nothing ruins a man like losing his self-respect,” Grandpa later told me.
Soon after, another man showed up asking for a meal. This one was dressed in a suit and carried a small old suitcase. Grandpa came out when he heard voices. He looked at the man and then offered a handshake.” There is a stack of firewood along the fence down behind the barn I’ve been meaning to get it moved. It’d sure be a help to me . And we’d be pleased to have you stay for lunch.” The fellow set his suitcase aside and neatly laid his coat on top. Then he set off to work.
Grandma says she doesn’t remember how many strangers they shared a meal with during those Depression days-or how many times that stack of wood got moved.When he was asked to move a stack of firewood, the first man who asked for a meal got a shine in his eyes for he was glad that .
| A．he had found a good job |
| B．he would have something to eat |
| C．he would no longer suffer from the Depression |
| D．he would get what he wanted without losing his self-respect |
The writer’s grandfather asked those jobless men to move the stack of firewood because .
| A．he didn’t want them to have a meal free of charge |
| B．he had been needing to get it moved |
| C．he wanted to help them in his own way |
D．he wanted to show them his kindness and  respect |
The writer’s grandfather was all of the following but .
| A．kind | B．thoughtful | C．wealthy | D．sympathetic |
The best title for the story would be .
A．The Depression B．The Pleasure of Helping Others
C
．No Pains , No Gains D．Work-A Part of Living
Water problems in the future will become more intense and more complex. Our increasing population will tremendously increase urban wastes, primarily sewage. On the other hand, increasing demands for water will decrease substantially the amount of water available for diluting wastes. Rapidly expanding industries which inv
olve more and more complex chemical processes will produce larger volumes of liquid wastes, and many of these will contain chemicals which are noxious. To feed our rapidly expanding population, agriculture wil
l have to be intensified. This will involve ever - increasing quantities of agricultural chemicals. From this, it is apparent that drastic steps must be taken immediately to develop corrective measures for the pollution problem.
There are two ways by which this pollution problem can be dwindled(减少). The first relates to the treatment of wastes to decrease their pollution hazard . This involves the processing of solid wastes "prior to" disposal and the treatment of liquid wastes, or effluents, to permit the reuse of the water or minimize pollution upon final disposal .
A second approach is to develop an economic use for all or a part of the wastes. Farm manure is spread in fields as a nutrient or organic supplement. Effluents from sewage disposal plants are used in some areas both for irrigation and for the nutrients contained. Effluents from other processing plants may also be used as a supplemental source of water. Many industries, such as meat and poultry processing plants, are currently converting former waste products into marketable byproducts. Other industries are potential economic uses for waste products. The purpose of this passage is ________.
| A．to alert the reader to the dwindling water supply |
B．to explain industrial uses of water |
| C．to acquaint the reader with water pollution problems |
| D．to demonstrate various measures to solve the pollution problem |
Which of the following points is NOT included in the passage?
| A．Industrial development includes the simplification of complex chemical processes. |
| B．Diluting wastes needs certain amount of water. |
| C．Demands for water will go up along with the expanding population . |
| D．Intensive cultivation of land require more and more chemicals. |
The reader can conclude that _________.
| A．countries of the world will work together on pollution problems |
| B．byproducts from wastes lead to a more prosperous marketplace |
| C．science is making great progress in increasing water supplies |
| D．some industries are now making economic use of wastes |
The author gives substance to the passage through the use of________.
| A．interviews with authorities in the field of water controls |
| B．opinions and personal observations |
| C．definitions which clarify important terms |
| D．strong arguments and persuasions |
The underlined words "prior to"(para. 2)probably man________.
| A．after | B．during | C．before | D．beyond |
| Welcome to my Message Board! |
|
| Subject: Slimming down classics? |
|
| Mr. Handsome 2007-5-12  6: 34 AM |
Orion Books, which decides there is a market in creating cut-down classics (经典著作), is slimming down some novels by such great writers as L. Tolstoy, M. Mitchell and C. Bronte. Now, each of them has been whittled down to about 400 pages by cutting 30 to 40 pages per cent of original, with words, sentences, paragraphs and, in a few cases, chapters removed. The first six shortened editions, all priced at ￡6.99 and advertised as great reads “in half the time”, will go on sale next month, with plans for 50 to 100 more to follow. The publishing house believes that modern readers will welcome the shorter versions. |
| Mr. Edwards 2007-5-12 9: 40 AM |
Well, I’m publisher of Orion Group. Thanks for your attention, Mr. Handsome. I must say, the idea developed from a game of “shame” in my office. Each of us was required to confess (承认) to the most embarrassing blanks in his or her reading. I admitted that I had never read Anna Karenina and tried but failed to  get through Gone with the Wind several times. One of my colleagues acknowledged skipping (跳读) Jane Eyre. We realized that life is too short to read all the books you want to and we never were going to read these ones.As a leading publishing house, we are trying to make classics convenient for readers but it’s not as if we’re withdrawing the original versions. They are still there if you want to read them. |
| Ms. Weir 2007-5-12 11:35 AM |
I’m director of the online bookclub www.lovereading.co.uk Mr. Edwards, I think your shortened editions is a breath of fresh air. I’m guilty of never having read Anna Karenina, because it’s just so long. I’d much rather read two 300-page books than one 600-page book. I am looking forward to more shortened classics! |
| Mr. Crockatt 2007-5-12 4:38 PM |
I’m from the London independent bookshop Corckatt & Powell. In my opinion, the practice is completely ridiculous. How can you edit t  he classics? I’m afraid reading some of these book is hard work, and that is why you have to develop as a reader. If people don’t have time to read Anna Karenina, then fine. But don’t read a shortened version and kid yourself it’s the real thing. |
According to the message board, Orion Books ___________.
| A．opposes the reading of original classics |
| B．is embarrassed for cutting down classics |
| C．thinks cut-down classics have a bright future |
| D．is cautions in its decision to cut down classics |
In Mr. Edwards’ opinion, Orion Group is shortening classics to _________.
| A．make them easier to read | B．meet a large demand in the market |
| C．increase the sales of literary books | D．compete with their original versions |
By describing the shortened classics as “a breath of fresh air”, Ms. Weir ________.
| A．speaks highly of the cut-down classics |
| B．shows her love for original classics |
| C．feels guilty of not reading the classics |
| D．disapprove of shortening the classics |
Mr. Crockatt seems to imply that _________.
| A．reading the classic works is a confusing attempt |
| B．shortening the classics does harm to the original |
| C．publishing the cut-down classics is a difficult job |
| D．editing the classic works satisfies children’s needs |
How many classics are involved in the massage board?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five |
Imagine a boy from a small village in East Africa, He from a very early age has been looking after cattle. At twelve years old he knows more about cattle than most of you. However, he has never been to school. Has this boy ever had any education?
Education is discovering about ourselves and about the people and things around us. All the people who care about us — our parents, brothers, sisters, friends — are our teachers. In fact, we learn something from everyone we meet. We start learning on the day we are born, not on the first day" we go to school. Every day we have new experiences, like finding a bird's nest, discovering a new street in our neighborhood, making friends with someone we didn't like before. New experiences are even more fun when we share them with other people.
Encouragement from the people around us enables us to explore things as much as possible. As we grow up, we begin to find out what we are capable of doing. You may be good at cooking, or singing or playing football. You find this out by doing these things. Just thinking about cooking doesn't tell you if you are good at it.
We learn so much just living from day to day. So why is school important? Of course you can learn some things better at home than at school, like how to do the shopping, and how to help old or disabled people who can' t do everything for themselves. At school, teachers help us to read and write. With their guidance, we begin to see things in different ways. The writer takes the African boy as an example to show that _______.
| A．African children are very poor |
| B．some children are unlucky |
| C．education takes many ways |
| D．schools are of great importance |
In the eyes of the writer .
| A．we have to learn from the people around us |
| B．school is not important at all |
| C．only the people caring for us can teach us |
| D．education takes place everywhere |
One can find out what he is good at by _.
| A．the encouragement of people around | B．the teachings of those he or she meets |
C．thinking of it when gro wing up |
D．trying practicing it |
How the writer looks at the role of school is that .
| A．school is not so important as our living places |
| B．school enables us to understand the world in other ways |
| C．school teaches us something useless at home |
| D．school cannot prepare us for our daily lives |
The passage tells us that _ .
| A．everyone gets education from the day he or she is born |
| B．different education trains different classes of people |
| C．school is absolutely necessary if one wants to understand the world |
| D．everyone will find out what he or she is good at |
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