Here’s a piece of very simple but life changing advice that I first heard from Brain Tracy. Cut down on the TV at night by just one hour. Instead, use that hour to read books that could improve your life.
If you’re a salesman, google for the best and most useful books on improving your sales.
This applies(适用) to all fields, not just the workrelated（与工作相关的）ones. Maybe you want to improve your health, become a more energetic person. Or maybe you want to improve your study, your relations or perhaps do some personal development.
One hour a day is not much. But if you read for one hour a day on weekdays, that’s about 260 hours a year. That’s a large number of books and a lot of useful advice.
If you follow the ideas, who knows what great things and feelings could come into your life. Also, all that information and advice will start to open up your mind. You will start to see more chances in your life.
Now, you might think something like this:
I really don’t have the money….
Answer: Visit your public library or search the database(数据库). Or look for books that are used in places like amazon.com.
I really don’t have the time….
Answer: Buy audiobooks(有声读物) and listen to them in the car while driving to and from work. Or copy them to your MP3-player and listen while riding your bike/bus to work or school. Recently selling audiobooks through MP3-downloads has become popular….
Shut off the TV a little earlier and start reading.What is Brain Tracy’s life changing advice about?
| A．Watching TV. |
| B．Listening to MP3. |
| C．Using the Internet. |
| D．Reading helpful books |
What should you do if you really don’t have the money to read?
| A．To buy some books from amazon.com. |
| B．To download MP3 free. |
| C．To visit the public library. |
| D．To borrow audiobooks and listen to them. |
What is the writer’s idea about audiobooks?
| A．They are more useful. |
| B．Listening to audiobooks is easier than reading books. |
| C．It’s dangerous to listen to audiobooks while driving or riding. |
| D．Audiobooks are a good solution to the problem of having no time to read. |
Which is NOT true about reading an hour a day?
| A．It will open up your mind. |
| B．You will have about 260 hours a year to read. |
| C．You will read lots of books and get much useful advice. |
| D．It will probably bring great things and feelings into your life. |
Music education hasn’t changed much since the 1970s. Students are still taught to read notation（乐谱）so they can recite compositions that they would never listen to on their MP3 players or play with friends. Playing music enriches life. The question is: Why do schools teach music in a way that turns off so many young people rather than catch their imagination? Can we do a better job of using the power of music to get kids excited about school?
The experience of an organization called Little Kids Rock suggests the answer is yes — if we change the way music is taught. Little Kids Rock has helped music programs in over a thousand public schools and served 150,000 children. The organization has given 30,000 free instruments out, mainly guitars, and trained 1,500 teachers to run music classes in which students quickly experience the joys of playing their favorite songs, performing in bands（乐队）, and writing their own music.
The key to Little Kids Rock is that it teaches children to play music the way many musicians learn to play it — not by notation, but by listening, imitation（模仿）and meaningful experimentation. “The knowledge you need to get started playing rock music is very limited,” explains Dave Wish, the founder of Little Kids Rock. “In high school, my friend Paul taught me a couple of chords（和弦）and my life was changed forever. On the first day of class, Little Kids Rock teachers place guitars in the hands of their students and get them practicing chords that will enable them to play thousands of songs. The kids decide what songs they want to learn and the class is off and running. Their progress is surprising. Within a year, eight and nine-year-olds are playing musical instruments, and giving concerts, even performing their own songs.
One of the biggest advantages that music offers is the ability to encourage students who are otherwise bored by school. “I’ve had students start coming back to school because of this program,” said Adkison Thomas, who heads up music for the Dallas Independent School District. He added, “One of the best things is that the teachers discover a new side of their students. They see kids become successful who weren’t before.”The expression “turn off” in Paragraph 1 means “______”.
| A．make kids feel cool |
| B．make kids feel bored |
| C．make kids feel confident |
| D．make kids feel nervous |
How did Little Kids Rock help the school?
| A．By writing music for kids. |
| B．By playing kids’ favorite songs. |
| C．By making instruments for school. |
| D．By training teachers for music classes. |
Little Kids Rock is successful because ______.
| A．it encourages kids to experience music |
| B．it helps kids learn from great musicians |
| C．it allows kids to decide how to learn music |
| D．it offers musical programs all over the country |
What does the writer want to tell us?
| A．Learning music is a good way to become successful. |
| B．Teaching in a proper way does good to students’ development. |
| C．It’s necessary for students to practice a lot in learning music. |
| D．It’s important for teachers to discover the new sides of students. |
A few months ago I was at a bus stop in town in the evening. The bus came on time and I took the window seat. The bus was running by the seashore and I was enjoying the wind while watching the sea waves. After a few minutes the bus made its next stop. A young boy and a girl got on. They were standing on my left when the bus pulled off. I looked at them curiously and realized that all the window seats were taken up. They could sit but not together. Suddenly a different wave passed through my body and my mind gave me the advice to get up. I got up and gave them my seat. The young lady smiled kindly and said thanks. I took another seat. I don’t remember whether I got off the bus before them or not.
Months passed by. Suddenly one day while I was standing at the same bus stop waiting some time for the bus to arrive I heard a voice.
“Excuse me, Uncle.” I looked in the direction of the voice. It was a beautiful young lady.
Puzzled, I said, “I do not recognize you.”
She said, “Do you remember you gave us your window seat?”
Puzzled, I said, “Maybe, but what is so great in that?”
She said, “If you had not given your seat that day, perhaps I would have not sat with my friend. By sitting together it helped us break up a misunderstanding that had been between us for a long time. Do you know we are getting married next month?”
“Good! God bless both of you,” I replied.
The young lady again said thank you and went on her journey. I realized the importance of giving that day.What does the underlined word “curiously” mean?
| A．生气地 | B．好奇地 | C．惊喜地 | D．失望地 |
Why were the young boy and the girl standing on the bus?
| A．Because they wanted to enjoy the sea view. |
| B．Because they couldn’t sit together. |
| C．Because there were no empty seats. |
| D．Because they preferred to stand. |
The author’s act of kindness helped the young boy and the girl ______.
| A．begin to talk to each other again after a quarrel |
| B．sit together and become friends very soon |
| C．clear up a misunderstanding between them |
| D．know each other and get married |
From the story, we can conclude（推断）that ______.
| A．small things can create great happenings in life |
| B．it is giving rather than receiving that is important |
| C．offering one’s seat to others may win respect |
| D．we sometimes forget what happened in the past |
Actually, long-distance bicycle camping is one of the happiest activities I have ever experienced. I generally sleep poorly at night, but in the woods on a tour, I sleep like a baby with the music of insects. In the morning, birds wake me up. I eat a snack before getting up, and then I quickly pack my sleeping bag, tent, and other things and get on the road. Usually I have less speed. Traveling by bike allows me to stop anywhere, such as lakes（especially places to swim）, woods, and scenic spots（景点）.
Somewhere near lunch, I find a small drugstore and buy some bread, sandwich materials, and fruit. In the afternoon, my speeds are higher, and I spend less time at stops. In the late afternoon, I start thinking about stopping. I finally find a place in the early evening, cook a simple meal, and rest and cool off. As it starts to get dark, I put up my tent, and fall asleep.
There are exciting times and difficult times as well. Visiting strange or famous places are always exciting to me. I meet and talk with interesting people along the way. Enjoying beautiful scenes, meeting wild animals（usually at my camping site）, and traveling up and down hills also make me cheerful. On the other hand, I may run into rainy or hot days, have to repair my bike, or just find myself in a bad state. The problems are easily dealt with. The pleasures remain in my mind for years.Where does the writer usually have a good sleep?
| A．In a hotel. | B．At home. |
| C．In the woods. | D．In a drugstore. |
From the passage, we know the writer has the following abilities EXCEPT ___.
| A．Cooking outside | B．Talking with animals |
| C．Putting up tents | D．Fixing up bikes |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer has to sleep late during the tour. |
| B．The writer doesn’t want to get up early. |
| C．The writer always has fruit for breakfast. |
| D．The writer rides faster in the afternoon. |
It can be inferred from the passage that the writer _______.
| A．enjoys a free and pleasant bike ride |
| B．rides a bike to work every day |
| C．is afraid to meet animals on the road |
| D．is unhappy to ride a bike alone |
 Tourist Service Center |
It lies at the western gate, just beside the ticket center. The center provides a series of services, such as guide service, free water supply, guide books, charging mobile phones, baby carriage, first-aid medicine, and simple health care. You can also buy some souvenirs like stamps, postcards and tiger toys. |
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It lies at the eastern and western gates of the Pearl Spring Scenic Area. There are all kinds of tickets, such as tickets for the scenic area and tickets for amusement park. |
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Dingshan Pavilion Dining Hall, a large-scale dining centre, can receive 300 people for dining at the same time. It lies in the Scenic Area. Tourists can enjoy the beautiful scenery while eating. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. |
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You can take No. 168 bus from Gulou Bus Stop and get off at Pearl Spring Bus Stop. The bus stop is just outside the Scenic Area. You can also drive here. |
According to the passage, visitors can ______ at Tourist Service Centre.
| A．take a bus | B．buy a ticket |
| C．get guide books | D．have snacks |
Dingshan Pavilion Dinning Hall ______.
| A．is a large-scale dining centre |
| B．is next to the Ticket Centre |
| C．is open to the public 16 hours a day |
| D．can receive 300 people for dinner in a day |
Visitors to the Scenic Area can ______.
| A．only take a bus there |
| B．get water for free if they are thirsty |
| C．have one choice if they want to buy tickets |
| D．sell souvenirs, such as stamps and postcards |
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