"Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday？"Lindsey whipers to Tori．
With her eyes shining，Tori brags，"You bet I did，Sean told me two days ago．"
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about？It just happens to be yours truly，Adam Freedmam，I can tell you that what they are saying is （a） not nice and （b） not even true．Still，Lindsey and Tori aren't very different from most students here at Linton Higt School，including me．Many of our conversations are gossip（闲话）．I have noticed three effects of gossip：it can hurt people，it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction，and it can cause social pressures in a group．
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about．Usually，gossip spreads information about a topic﹣breakups，trouble at home，even dropping out﹣that a person would rather keep secret．The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is，the juicier the gossip it makes．Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie．People often think of gossipers as harmless，but cruel lies can cause pain．
If we know that gossip can be harmful，then why do so many of us do it？Tht answer lies in another effect of gossip：the satisfaction it gives us．Sharing the latest rumor（传言）can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don't．Similarly，hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the"in group．"In other words，gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority（优越感）．
Gossip also can have a third effect：it strengthens unwritten，unspoken rules about how people should act．Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group．Translated into high school terms，this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said，then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention．The do's and don'ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook．
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation．The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news，thing about why you want to gossip and what effects your"juicy story"might have．
41．The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passahe to ．
| A． |
introduce a topic |
| B． |
present an argument |
| C． |
describe the characters |
| D． |
clarify his writing purpose |
42．An important negative effects of gossip is that it ．
| A． |
breaks up relationships |
| B． |
embarrasses the listener |
| C． |
spreads information around |
| D． |
causes unpleasant experiences |
43．In the author's opinion，many people like to gossip because it ．
| A． |
gives them a feeling of pleasure |
| B． |
helps them to make more friends |
| C． |
makes them better at telling stories |
| D． |
enables them to meet important people |
44．Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can ．
| A． |
provide students with written rules |
| B． |
help people watch their own behaviors |
| C． |
force school to impove student handbooks |
| D． |
attract the police's attention to group behaviors |
45．What advice does the author give in the passage？
| A． |
Never become a gossiper |
| B． |
Stay away from gossipers |
| C． |
Don't let gossip turn into lies |
| D． |
Think twice before you gossip． |
Mr. Knight was the manager of a hotel. One weekend all of the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. On Friday, three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr. Knight said there were no rooms ready because of the meeting. The men were unhappy.
Mr. Knight wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 418, a small room, was empty. He asked them if they could share a room. The three men said they would. Mr. Knight said the room would be thirty dollars; ten dollars for each person. Each man gave him the money and then went up to the room.
Mr. Knight soon began to feel sorry. “Thirty dollars is a lot to ask as a price for that small room.” he thought. He called his assistant over and said, “Here is five dollars. Take it to the men in Room 418. I asked too much for their room.”
The assistant took the money. While he was on the way there, he started to think, “How can three men divide five dollars? I’ll give them each only one dollar and keep the two dollars for myself. The men will be happy to get something back. And Mr. Knight will never know.” So the assistant returned one dollar to each man.
Each man had at first paid ten dollars. After the assistant returned them one dollar each, each had actually(in fact) paid nine. There were three men. $9´3="$27." The assistant kept$2. $27+$2="$29." Where is the missing dollar?
With the help of the manager, the three men___________.
| A．went to another hotel |
| B．each got a small room for the night |
| C．stayed together in a small room |
| D．got a small room Mr. Knight kept for himself |
At first___________.
| A．$27 was paid by the three men |
| B．$30 was paid by each of the three men |
| C．$25 was paid by the three men |
| D．$10 was paid by each of the three men |
The assistant___________.
| A．helped the men to divide the money |
| B．kept two dollars for himself |
| C．kept three dollars for himself |
| D．returned three dollars to the men and two to the manger |
Where is the missing dollar?
| A．It was taken by the assistant, too. |
| B．It was taken by Mr. Knight. |
| C．It was taken by the three men. |
| D．In fact, there wasn’t any missing dollar. |
Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan’s life. “Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything,” Gloria said. “Cubans,” she added, “are a musical people”.
Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English!
When Gloria was ten, her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn’t well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister.
She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine.
Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978 Gloria and Emilio married.
At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars.
Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Gloria has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. “We needed a party after that disaster,” she said.
Gloria said, “You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, ‘that won’t work.’ You’ve got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it—that’s the main thing.”Gloria’s father was ill_________.
| A．when they settled down in Miami. |
| B．before they left their home country |
| C．after he returned from Vietnam War |
| D．as soon as she finished high school |
According to the passage, probably Gloria did the following excep________ .
| A．organizing an all-star concert for Hurricane victims |
| B．winning an award for reading in English |
| C．teaching at school to support the family |
| D．taking care of her father and sister |
The underlined word “disaster” in this passage refers to __________ .
| A．the concert | B．the celebration | C．the victims | D．the hurricane |
When we talk about stars ,especially women stars ,it seems that they are always young, pretty and own charming body shapes. But recently a Britain's Got Talent（英国达人）star Susan Boyle has changed our views absolutely.
Simon Cowell ,one of the judges of the talent show spoke of his shock over Ms Boyle's voice. "This lady camp up ,and I'm thinking, 'This will take five seconds and I can go to have a cup of tea'. That changed when she began to sing I Dreamed to Dream from Les Miserables. She knew we were going to have that reaction and just to see that look of satisfaction on her face through -it was one of my favorite moments," Cowell said.
The performance was posted on line and before long, the 47-year-old Scottish woman has been famous all over the world.
Speaking from her home in Scotland, Ms Boyle said that she hasn't thought of changing her appearance. She said that her friend helped her with make-up. "I mean, that's hardly a makeover," she added.Ms Boyle also spoke of the reason she first began to explore her vocal talents, "I was kind of slow at school, so getting like singing was a good way of hiding behind that and thus it built my confidence."Susan Boyle is _________
| A．a judge | B．a reporter | C．a beautiful | D．a Scottish woman |
Susan Boyle had a look of satisfaction on her face when she was singing because______.
| A．she was confident of her singing |
| B．she was satisfied with the judges |
| C．she was pretty and in good shape |
| D．she sang the song I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables |
According to the passage, which is NOT true?
| A．It was the vocal talents that built Susan's confidence |
| B．Susan Boyle was not good at her lesson when at school. |
| C．Susan Boyle became famous because of her appearance. |
| D．Simon Cowell didn't think Susan Boyle a good singer at the first sight. |
What can we learn from Susan Boyle's success
| A．It's never too old to learn. |
| B．It's easier to succeed at the age of 47. |
| C．If you have a dream, try to make it come true! |
| D．If you are not able to study well, to be a singer instead. |
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind. First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament (证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy, don't be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you'd like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat-this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it!
So please treasure your college years - make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.
Love
Dad & MomWe can read between the lines that ________.
| A．Dad has a strong love for his daughter |
| B．Dad is very strict with his daughter |
| C．Dad always worries about his daughter |
| D．Dad is much concerned about his daughter's health |
The underlined word "destiny" in the passage is the closest in meaning to "_______".
| A．weight | B．life | C．position | D．time |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Plan things before you do them. |
| B．Self－learning is very important in college. |
| C．Follow your passion and what other people say. |
| D．Leading a life is just like driving a car. |
The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to ________.
| A．smile to her trouble in life |
| B．fight till she succeeds |
| C．be confident and happy |
| D．make the most of her college |
Today’s children are the “result” of the modern society. Our parents have jobs that keep them busy almost all day long. They only have a free day in a week. This doesn’t allow them to keep an eye on their children.
On the other hand, the modern society gives more freedom to the children than they could “handle”. As a child, you don’t know how to grow up by yourself until you reach a certain age. That is why you need school and parents to be by your side all the time. If you don’t have either of them you may make a lot of mistakes. The social system of the modern society is very lenient especially with the children.
Most of the children today are rebels (判逆者). They are rude. They are given too much freedom by their families. This is their parent’s mistake. They ought to know that the freedom they give to their children is misunderstood.
For example it is a bad thing for a 17 – year – old child to go out in the evening on weekends. Parents are also guilty of the way their children show up in the street or at school. The same guilt belongs to the teaching system as well. Pupils shouldn’t be allowed to dress like they were on a fashion presentation at school.
Another important fact we can think of regarding the freedom of children is their free will of spending money. Parents shouldn’t allow their children to spend money on whatever they want.
I think children are given too much freedom not only by their parents, but also by the society. The latter is more to be blamed!The writer implies that parents’ busy lifestyle .
| A．makes their children become independent |
| B．may lead to a tense parent – child relationship |
| C．is harmful to their children’s health |
| D．is likely to create a troubled generation |
What does the underlined word “lenient” (in Para 2) mean?
| A．Not responsible | B．Not strict. | C．Unkind. | D．Unfair. |
It seems that the writer agrees that students .
| A．should stay at home on weekends |
| B．can wear trendy clothes at school |
| C．had better wear school uniform at school |
| D．can be allowed to go out in the evenings |
According to the writer, which of the following takes the primary responsibility for children’s problems?
| A．The social environment. | B．The educational system. |
| C．Each family. | D．The school. |
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