It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, " a brilliantly (精彩地）written book " . However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven't. In the World Book Day's " Report on Guilty Secrets " ，Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I'm not one to lie too often ( I'd hate to be caught out)，I'll admit here and now that I haven't read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell's 1984. I think it's really brilliant.
The World Book Day report also has some other interesting in-formation in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven't read him, but haven't lied about it either) and Herman Melville.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress “someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in-depth!
But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella ( ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story ( Til come clean ： I do this and am astonished that 58 per-cent said they had never done so). How did the author find his friend a book liar?
| A．By judging his manner of speaking. |
| B．By looking into his background. |
| C．By mentioning a famous name. |
| D．By discussing the book itself. |
Which of the following is a “guilty secret “according to the World Book Day report?
| A．Charles Dickens is very low on the top-ten list. |
| B．42% of people pretended to have read 1984. |
| C．The author admitted having read 9 books. |
| D．Dreams From My Father is hardly read. |
By lying about reading, a person hopes to _________.
| A．control the conversation | B．appear knowledgeable |
| C．learn about the book | D．make more friends |
What is the author's attitude to 58% of readers?
| A．Favorable. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Friendly. |
Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one’s own.
Then, in the country one can rest from the noise and hurry of the town. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the country. If one likes gardens, one can spend one’s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight’s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．People who like country things prefer to live outside the city. |
| B．People who work in London prefer to live in the country. |
| C．Because of certain disadvantages of living outside London, some people who work in London prefer to live inside London. |
| D．Because of certain advantages of living outside London, many people who work in London prefer to live outside London. |
One can use the same money for ________ to buy a little house with a garden in the country.
| A．getting a small flat with a garden | B．having a small flat with a garden |
| C．renting a small flat without a garden | D．buying a small flat without a garden |
When the flowers and vegetables in the garden come up, those _______ have the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
| A．who live in the country |
| B．who have spent time working in the garden |
| C．who have a garden of their own |
| D．who have been digging, planting and watering |
People who think happiness lies in the town would feel that _______ if they had to live it outside London.
| A．their life was meaningless | B．their life was invaluable |
| C．they didn’t deserve a happy life | D．they were not worthy of their happy life |
The underlined word rest in the last paragraph refers to ________.
| A．the rest time | B．the rest people |
| C．the rest of the country | D．the rest of the parks and of the sea |
Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it? Are you afraid to ask a boy (girl) for a date？
Many people are afraid to assert themselves (insist upon their own rights). Dr Robert Alberti, author of Stand Up, Speak Out, and Talk Back, thinks it’s because their self-esteem(自尊) is low. “Our whole set-up makes people doubt themselves,” says Alberti. “There’s always a 'superior' around — a parent, a teacher, a boss — who 'knows better’”.
But Alberti and other scientists are doing something to help people to assert themselves. They offer “assertiveness training” courses (AT). In the AT courses people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be aggressive(敢闯, 闯劲儿) without hurting other people.
In one way, learning to speak out is to overcome fear. A group taking an AT course will help the timid person to lose his fear. But AT uses an even stronger motive—the need to share. The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels. AT says you can get to feel good about yourself. And once you do, you can learn to speak out.In the passage, the writer talks about the problem that _______.
| A．some people are too easy-going |
| B．some people are too timid |
| C．there are too many superiors around us |
| D．some people dare not stick up for their own rights |
The effect of our set-up on people is often to _______.
| A．make them distrust their own judgment |
| B．make things more favorable for them |
| C．keep them from speaking out as much as their superiors do |
| D．help them to learn to speak up for their rights |
One thing AT doesn’t do is to _______.
| A．use the need of people to share |
| B．show people they have the right to be themselves |
| C．help people to be aggressive at anytime even when others suffer |
| D．help people overcome fear |
How to protect children Web fans from unsuitable material on-line while encouraging them to use the Internet has long been discussed in the U.S.
For some parents, the Internet can seem like a jungle, filled with danger for their children. But jungles contain wonders as well as dangers and with good guides, some education, and a few precautions(预防措施), the wilds of the Internet can be safely navigated(航行). “Kids have to be on-line. If we tell our kids they can’t have access(机会) to the Internet, we’re cutting them off from their future,” said an expert.
Most kids have started to use search engines. Many of them are great for finding tons of interesting Internet sites, and they can also locate places where you might not want your kids to go. There are search engines designed just for kids. A certain software contains only sites that have been selected as safe. The most popular way to limit access would be to use what is known as a “content screener(过滤器)”. But this can’t be wholly reliable(可靠), and the best thing parents can do is to talk to their kids and let them know what is OK or not OK to see or do on the Internet. Another way is that mum or dad is nearby when the child is surfing(浏览) the Internet.
A few other tips
●Don’t put the PC in a child’s room but keep it in an area where mum or dad can keep an eye on things. That also makes the Internet more of a family activity.
●Ask your child what he or she has been doing and about any friends they make on-line.
●Tell your child not to give on-line strangers personal information, especially like address and phone number.
●And tell your children never to talk to anyone they meet on-line over the phone, send them anything, accept anything from them or agree to meet with them unless you go along.The passage is mainly about the subject of _______.
| A．American children going on-line | B．Internet in America |
| C．appreciating Internet | D．opposing children’s on-line |
The best way to protect children from improper material is _______.
| A．to install(安装) a content screener on the computer |
| B．to buy some search engines for the children |
| C．to be nearby when they are surfing the Internet |
| D．to talk to the children and persuade them to tell right from wrong |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
| A．Surfing the Internet is the best method of educating children. |
| B．Children’s not having access to Internet may have effect on their progress. |
| C．Using a content screener is most reliable for keeping children having access to Internet. |
| D．Searching engines can help children to select materials fit for them. |
According to the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．soft wares fit for children want programming |
| B．a child who is on-line is in danger |
| C．Internet is a jungle full of danger |
| D．Internet contains a lot of harmful sites |
My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it’s Christmas again. They can’t see that we live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren’t much good. But Johnny and children can’t see this. What a pity it is that our neighbours have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we’ve saved isn’t nearly enough.
The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy(糖果)while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn’t eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer(下水道). Why, is it only because they have money ? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn’t there?
Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn’t rich, but she knows things. She understands people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I’d like to see the children be like Miss Jackson when they grow up. This passage mainly suggests that the writer _______.
| A．is easy to get along with |
| B．is unhappy with the life they are living |
| C．is good at observing and understanding |
| D．is never pleased with her neigbours |
What do you think of McGarity girl?
| A．She is proud and hungry. | B．She is selfish and cruel. |
| C．She is lonely and friendless. | D．She is unhappy and misunderstood. |
In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _______.
| A．money is the key to everything |
| B．the more money you have, the less happy you’ll be |
| C．there is something more important than money |
| D．when talking to people we should look into their eyes |
Pick out the one that does NOT describe the writer’s view on money.
| A．Why, is it only because they have money? |
| B．There is more to happiness than money. |
| C．Miss Jackson isn’t rich, but she knows things. |
| D．The money we saved isn’t nearly enough. |
Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s “no”.
What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.
Sweet and simple “no”.
Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”
Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.
Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Conneticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’… My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”
Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.
“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.
“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.
But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.” The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.
| A．you can have more time to play with others |
| B．you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy |
| C．you are selfish and treat others rudely |
| D．you can deal with your business as you have planned |
When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.
| A．secret way | B．polite way |
| C．proud way | D．guilty way |
In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.
| A．they say “no” at a suitable time |
| B．they say “no” as much as possible |
| C．they are afraid of saying “no” |
| D．they make others angry at them |
If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.
| A．enjoys a wonderful life | B．makes a lot of money |
| C．faces difficulty in life | D．forgets to say “yes” in the end |
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