What does it mean to say that we live in a world of persuasion? It means that we live among competing interests. Your roommate’s need to study for an exam may take priority（优先）over pizza. Your instructor may have good reasons not to change your grade. And the object of your romantic interest may have other choices.
In such a world, persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our point of view. When we persuade, we want to influence how others believe and behave. We may not always prevail— other points of view may be more persuasive, depending on the listener, the situation, and the merits of the case. But when we practice the art of persuasion, we try to ensure that our position receives the attention it deserves.
Some people, however, object to the very idea of persuasion. They may regard it as an unwelcome interruption into their lives. Just the opposite, we believe that persuasion is unavoidable — to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be ethical（合乎道义的）or unethical, selfless or selfish, inspiring or degrading. Persuaders may enlighten our minds or catch our vulnerability(弱点). Ethical persuasion, however, calls on sound reasoning and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of listeners. Such persuasion can help us apply the wisdom of the past to the decisions we now must make. Therefore, the most basic part of education is learning to resist the one kind of persuasion and to encourage and practice the other.
Beyond its personal importance to us, persuasion is necessary to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the bedrock of the American political system, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution（美国宪法）.According to the passage, persuasion means ________.
| A．changing others’ point of view |
| B．exercising power over other people |
| C．getting other people to consider your point of view |
| D．getting people to agree with you and do what you want |
The underlined word in the second paragraph “prevail” means“________”.
| A．win | B．fail | C．speak | D．listen |
The passage states that some people object to persuasion because they think it is ________.
| A．a danger to society | B．difficult to do well |
| C．unwelcome behavior | D．never successful |
The passage mainly discusses ________.
| A．people’s different opinions towards persuasion |
| B．the reasons why people persuade |
| C．that persuasion is both good and bad |
| D．that persuasion is important and it is all around us |
I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development, I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby’s point of view.
Mothers, doctors and nurse alike have no idea of where a baby’s blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.
It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. Baby feeding shouldn’t follow a timetable set by the mum. What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.
Well, at last we have copper-bottomed research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding. The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5, 7, 11 and 14, than babies fed according to the clock. By the age of 8, their IQ scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable. This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample（样本）of 10,419 children born in the early 1990s, taking account of parental education, family income, a child’s sex and age, the mother’s health and feeding style. These results don’t surprise me. Feeding according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.
I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeding practices.What does the author think about Dr King?
| A．He is strict | B．He is unkind |
| C．He has the wrong idea. | D．He sets a timetable for mothers |
The word copper-bottomed in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to __________.
| A．basic | B．reliable | C．surprising | D．interesting |
What does the research tell us about feeding a baby on demand?
| A．The baby will sleep well. |
| B．The baby will have its brain harmed. |
| C．The baby will have a low blood sugar level. |
| D．The baby will grow to be wiser by the age of 8. |
The author supports feeding the baby __________.
| A．in the night | B．every four hours |
| C．whenever it wants food | D．according to its blood sugar level |
Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people of your age could live to be 150, so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging (抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age!
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles(粒子) much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change clothes’ color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk, and it knows the milk is old. In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed,” says scientist Andrew Zolli, “it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example. What will be the next?We can learn from the text that in the future ___________.
| A．people will never get old |
| B．everyone will look the same |
| C．red will be the most popular color |
| D．clothes will be able to change their pattern |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Milk will be harmful to health. |
| B．More drinks will be available for sale. |
| C．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information. |
| D．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Food and clothing in 2035. |
| B．Future technology in everyday life. |
| C．Medical treatments of the future. |
| D．The reason for the success of new technology. |
Most of us are the only child in our family. We have no brothers or sisters. Our family mainly consists of our mom,our dad and us. We are growing up in a world differently from our parents’. And we will be the future leaders of China. Some day we have to work hand in hand with each other and make China more and more beautiful. So we must learn to love each other like brothers and sisters.
It’s hard to think how difficult life would be if we had a sibling(同胞，手足).We never have to share anything at home. Of course, we might have cousins, but we don’t have to live with them! Our parents try to give us the best, and the best doesn’t need sharing between two or three children. Do we ever ask ourselves if we are (宠坏) spoiled?
A recent study has found that many children don’t know how to love others! We don’r know the value of money. We don’t know how hard our parents are to support us. We don’t want others to regard us as spoiled, do we? Well, why not start now to help our parents at home, share a game with one of our friends or value the opinions of our classmates, even if we don’t always agree? In a word, we must learn to love each other!The underlined phrase “consists of ” means ____________in Chinese.
| A．由...组成 | B．由...反映 | C．由...提示 | D．由...覆盖 |
As Chinese teenagers, what’s our duty in the future?
| A．To save money |
| B．To learn to love each other |
| C．To look after our brothers and sisters |
| D．To make China more and more beautiful |
Why do some people think we are spoiled?
| A．We don’t know how to love each other |
| B．We only share games with our friends |
| C．We don’t know how to use money |
| D．Our parents work hard to support us. |
Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother.Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favorite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park.”he’d told his wife.“I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”---Mike,Randy, and Alex --- came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted“breakfast,daddy.” When food had not appeared on within thirty seconds,Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat(节拍) . Mike chanted“Where’s my toast,where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their eyes. Someone named “Not me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the fish bowl refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating（装饰）kitchen wall with his color pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the sitting room, but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare center(日托所).“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife is away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously“Yes” because Brad was smiling.When his wife left home, Brad expected___________.
| A．go out for a walk in the park |
| B．watch TV talk show with his children |
| C．enjoy his first day off the work. |
| D．read the newspaper to his children |
Which of the following did Randy do?
| A．drawing on the wall | B．eating apple jam |
| C．feeding the fish | D．reading in a room |
Why did Brad ask the daycare center for help?
| A．Because he wanted to clean his house. |
| B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office |
| C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys |
| D．Because he had to take his wife back home. |
The text is developed ____________.
| A．by space | B．by comparison | C．by process | D．by time |
There is a small village named Bugu in the mountains of Shanglin County, Guangxi. The place is so small that it can’t be found in the map of the county of Shanglin. However, the place has strongly interested experts(专家) both at home and abroad.
There are altogether 81 families in the village with more than 540 people. Among them as many as 156 villagers have a university education. Take this year’s college entrance examination for example. Six out of nine students from the village who took the examination were taken into universities.
Going to school has been a great thing for the whole village. To encourage children to study hard and become useful people, the village has set up a special group made up of four old villagers. Every day, the four villagers go round the village. If they find any child who is not going to school, the child’s parents will be punished（惩罚）.
When university students come back to the village for the Spring Festival,the old villagers of the special group always ask them to make up test papers and let the children take the special “Village Test”. Those who are taken into university can receive money from the village’s education fund. The whole village also helps the poor families send their children to school.The main idea of the news story is __________.
| A．how Bugu villagers get education. |
| B．how Bugu villagers pay attention to education. |
| C．how many students go to university in Bugu village. |
| D．how Bugu villagers encourage children to study hard.. |
The four old villagers’ job is________.
| A．to collect the children together in the village. |
| B．to go around the village to keep it safe. |
| C．to take care of children’s education. |
| D．to solve family problems in the village. |
If a child who is not going to school is found by the four villagers,________.
| A．his parents are punished |
| B．the child is punished |
| C．the four old villagers are punished |
| D．the child’s whole family members are punished. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．The villagers respect those with knowledge |
| B．The villagers are rich enough in this village. |
| C．All the children prefer to go to university |
| D．Poor families are supported by the other villagers. |
The First Day at My Senior High School
Today is September1,2012.It is the first day of my senior high school.Everything in the school is new to me.
The school is very modern. The gate of the school is artistic(艺术的). When you go through the main gate,you can see a high stadium (体育场)on the left side of the road, which has a 400-meter runaway and a soccer field with green grass. Buildings are tall and beautiful. The library is the most attractive building on the right side of the main road. There are many green trees and colorful flowers on both sides of the roads. The classrooms are amazing. They are big, clean and bright. In each classroom, there is a computer and a big screen,through which our teachers can show us tests,photos, and so on.
In my class, there are 60 students. We don’t know each other, but we are all friendly.Everyone has a smile on his/her face. When we meet, we always say “Hello”to each other.
Most of our teachers are young. Some students think young teachers cannot teach well, but I do not think so. In my opinion,young teachers are very energetic and easy to make friends with. What’s more, they may have a lot of new teaching methods.
I love my new school very much. I hope, in my new school, I can learn more from my teachers and make progress together with my classmates.The writer’s new school is a very _________one.
| A．strange | B．modern | C．artistic | D．amazing |
according to the passage,which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Green trees and colorful flowers are planted on either side of the roads. |
| B．The library is on the right of the main road, while the stadium is on the left. |
| C．The soccer field is outside of the school yard. |
| D．The classrooms are big, clean and bright. |
The writer thinks differently from other students about _________in the school.
| A．teaching methods | B．classes | C．young teachers | D．buildings |
From the passage, we can know that _______.
| A．The writer’s new school is the best school. |
| B．All students in this school like old teachers. |
| C．Students say Hello to each other to introduce themselves. |
| D．The writer loves his new school at first sight. |
Saturday, March 24th
We have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok. This is our first trip to Thailand（泰国）. All the different smells make us want to try the food. We are going to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel we are staying in is cheap, and very clean. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places in the city, and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North.
Tuesday, March 27th
Bangkok is wonderful and surprising. The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have taken hundreds of photos already! Later today we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai.
Friday, March 30th
Our trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet life—no computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. They always smile and say“hello”. Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Thai, so smiling is the best way to show our kindness. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year.The diaries above show the writer’s __________________ days in Thailand.
| A．3 | B．7 | C．15 | D．8 |
It seems that visitors ______ in Bangkok.
| A．often feel hungry |
| B．can’t take any photos |
| C．can have a good time |
| D．feel a little bored |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Chiang Mai is a beautiful city in the south of Thailand. |
| B．The writer left Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai by bus. |
| C．The writer is traveling alone in Thailand. |
| D．The writer will take a bus to Chiang Mai. |
The people in the village _______________________.
| A．are friendly to others |
| B．like to speak English |
| C．hope to live in the cities |
| D．live a very busy life |
What is the best title（标题）for the whole diary?
| A．My First Travel |
| B．The Outside World |
| C．Traveling in Thailand |
| D．My Trip to Chiang Mai |
In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends, who will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities (品质) of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person’s place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults (过错) in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (经验) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I’ve found a friend! If you have fair-weather friends, _____.
| A．they will give you all that they have when you need help |
| B．you will be refused when you get into trouble |
| C．you will become rich |
| D．you can be sure that you get real friends |
Good friends need to ______.
| A．always point out each other’s mistakes |
| B．be helped with money |
| C．understand each other’s feelings |
| D．have money or luck. |
This passage mainly discusses ________.
| A．the qualities of a friend |
| B．where to choose friends |
| C．how to get along with friends |
| D．the importance of having a friend |
Bicycles are very popular in China. In our country you can see bicycles almost everywhere. When you walk on the road, you will find a lot of people riding bicycles to schools, shops and anywhere else. Therefore, China is known as “the kingdom of bicycles”. In China, many families have one or two bicycles.
Compared with cars, bicycles have many advantages. First, they are much cheaper than cars. Most Chinese can’t afford cars, but they can afford bicycles. Second, bicycles are small enough to park anywhere, while cars need a larger piece of land to park. What’s more, with lower speed, bicycles are safer than cars.
However, bicycles also bring some problems. Some riders don’t obey the traffic rules and some riders don’t think about others safety. So they ride too fast. During the rush hour, too many bicycles may cause traffic accidents. We still have a long way to solve the problem. Where can you see bicycles in China?
| A．In the big city | B．In the town |
| C．Almost everywhere | D．In the countryside |
“The kingdom of bicycles” here is saying .
| A．China has plenty of bicycles | B．China makes bicycles |
| C．Only China has bicycles | D．All the Chinese have bicycles |
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of bicycles
| A．Bicycles are much cheaper than cars. | B．Bicycles are more beautiful than cars |
| C．Bicycles are easy to park | D．Bicycles are safer than cars. |
What does the last sentence mean?
| A．We should drive cars instead of riding bicycles |
| B．It’s too far to ride bicycles |
| C．We still need to do much to solve the problem |
| D．we should walk farther to solve the problem |
If women are mercilessly exploited(剥削) year after year, they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend large sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time changing their old-fashioned dresses. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with necessary things like warmth, comfort and durability (耐用). They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn’t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or picking her way through deep snow in high heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women’s clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability(稳定耐用)? That is for you to decide.Designers and big stores always make money _______.
| A． by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry |
| B． because they are capable of predicting new fashions |
| C． by constantly changing the fashions in women’s clothing |
| D． because they attach great importance to quality in women’s clothing |
To the writer, the fact that women change their old-fashioned dresses is seen as _______.
| A．a waste of money | B．a waste of time |
| C．an expression of taste | D．an expression of creativity |
New fashions in clothing are created for _______.
| A．the commercial exploitation of women |
| B． the women’s strength of character |
| C． basic qualities of inconstancy and instability |
| D． an important contribution to society |
Molly was a peasant girl. Her parents did not have much money and Molly did not have many nice clothes.
One day Molly’s father said to her, “Molly, take this pot of milk to market and sell it. You may keep the money.”
Molly was very happy. She put the pot of milk on her head and started her journey to market. While she was walking alone she began to think. “I will get quite a lot of money for this milk,” she thought. “What will I do with the money? I will buy a lot of eggs. I will take the eggs home with me. One of our hens will sit on them. Then there will be lots of little chickens. I will not sell the chickens. They will grow into hens. Then there will be more eggs. And these eggs will give me still more chickens. Soon I will have hundreds of hens. Then I will sell them all. They will bring me a lot of money. I will be rich. I will buy lots of new clothes. I will always wear nice clothes. Then a rich man will marry me. We will have a beautiful house, a big car and nice children...”
Molly was very happy. She jumped into the air. The pot of milk fell from her head onto the road. And that was the end of all her dreams.
In English there is a proverb. It says: Do not count your chickens before they are hatched(孵化).Molly was happy to go to market because ________.
| A．she liked to go there | B．she wanted to buy nice clothes |
| C．she could have the money of her own | D．she wanted to buy some eggs |
On her way to market, Molly began to________.
| A．count her eggs | B．have a happy dream |
| C．think of her happy family life | D．think how to sell the milk |
What was the end of all Molly’s dreams?
| A．She jumped up and fell onto the ground. | B．She was happy about her house. |
| C．She woke and found the milk on the road. | D．She married a rich man. |
The proverb: “Do not count your chicken before they are hatched.” means ____.
| A．one must count his chicken after they are hatched |
| B．it is foolish to make plans |
| C．one must depend more on what is in real life |
| D．one must make plans before they begin to work |
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing(评定) your skills and matching them with a particular position．If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay．There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job．Here are a few of those main areas;
1） Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating（使孤立）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy．Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer．There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation．
2） How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others．If you need to be stable in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often．Other people would be bored of the same daily routine．
3） Do you enjoy working with computers？
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic．There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day．Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well．
4） What type of work environment do you enjoy？
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly．
5） How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that．The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this．
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you．I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love．It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for it can change the course of your life for the better．What is unnecessary in your job hunting?
| A．Assessing your skills |
| B．Going to different areas |
| C．Matching your skills with a position |
| D．Taking your personality into consideration |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad． |
| B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily． |
| C．Extreme people tend to work with others． |
| D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs． |
The underlined word in the passage means ________.
| A．not likely to move or change |
| B．calm, reasonable and not easy to upset |
| C．being in the same chemical state |
| D．a group of people working for the same company |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Lifestyles and Job Pay | B．Jobs and Environment |
| C．Job Skills and Abilities | D．Personalities and Jobs |
Five people are at our table, including myself. I’ve already learnt a great deal about them in the short time we’ve been at sea, although we rarely meet except at mealtimes.
First of all, there is Dr. Stone. He is a man of about sixty-five, with gray hair and a friendly face. He gave up his work a short while ago and is now traveling round the world before he retires to some quite country village. As a young man, he served for many years as a doctor in the army and visited many countries. He’s told us a great deal about the city to which they are going.
Then there is “Grandmother”. I call her that because her name escapes me. In spite of being a grandmother, she looks remarkable young, no more than fifty. She is on her way to visit a daughter who went to Australia some years ago. Naturally she is very excited at the thought of seeing her again, and her three grandchildren, whom she has never seen.
Then there is a man I don’t care for very much, the engineer by the name of Barlow. He has been on leave in England and is now returning to his work in Singapore.
The other person who sits at our table is Mrs. Hunt. I’ve found out hardly anything about her. She’s extremely quiet and rarely talks, except to consult the doctor about children’s various illnesses. She is on her way to join her husband in India.What can we know about Mr. Stone?
| A．He is a doctor in the army now. |
| B．He is going to give up his work. |
| C．He has been retired for many years. |
| D．He knows a lot about the city the author is going to visit. |
Who live in India?
| A．Mrs. Hunt | B．Grandmother | C．Mr. Hunt | D．The doctor |
The writer calls the second person “Grandmother” because _____.
| A．She looks old. | B．he respects her | C．She has three daughters | D．he can’t think of her name |
The underlined phrase “on leave” in Paragraph 4 probably means _____.
| A．on vacation | B．at home | C．about to leave | D．leaving |
One very cold day，a snowstorm blew into our area. Needing firewood，I quickly set out with my best friend，Bruce，to look for a tree to cut down. I was glad to have Bruce along with. Cutting down a tree in a snowstorm can be dangerous. So it was important to have a friend who could warn me of danger.
When I chose a big tree about 23 meters tall and prepared to cut it down，my best friend suddenly warned me，“Don’t cut down that tree！It’s too close to the power line！﹙电线﹚”I wasn’t sure about it. So I decided to disregard his warning. I wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. So I began cutting down the tree. When the tree fell，there was no longer any doubt that my friend was right.
The tree caught the power line，bringing it to the ground. I considered cutting the tree off the line. After all，electricity can’t travel through wood，so I could safely remove the tree. As I reached out my finger to touch the tree，pain ran up my arm and through my head. I was shocked!
After I returned home and told my mother what had happened，she quickly called the power company. The workers from the power company soon arrived on the scene. One of them asked if I had touched the tree，and when I told him I had，his face turned pale.
“You should have been killed，” he said.
So why am I still alive？It was my boots that saved my life.
Within two hours，the workers removed the tree. Soon the snowstorm calmed down—but not my mother.
Even though she was glad I wasn’t hurt，my mother was still serious. After all，I shouldn’t have brushed off my friend’s warning.
Through this experience，I learn it’s important to listen to people who offer a different perspective. Taking time to listen might actually save a lot of time and trouble. It certainly would have kept me from getting the “shock” of my life.The underlined word “disregard” in the second paragraph means “________”．
| A．pay no attention to | B．take notice of | C．consider | D．follow |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．But for his boots，the author would have died. |
| B．The author regretted having brushed off his friend’s warning. |
| C．The author knew nothing about electricity. |
| D．When the tree was cut down，the author realized his friend was right. |
The underlined part “the snowstorm calmed down—but not my mother” means “________”．
| A．my mother was still angry with me for not listening to my friend’s warning |
| B．my mother was still in fear of the terrible accident |
| C．my mother was still comforting me |
| D．my mother was still worried about my safety |
The author wrote the passage mainly to________.
| A．give an account of one of his terrible experiences |
| B．make us know it’s important to listen to people who offer a different perspective through his experience |
| C．tell us not to cut trees down any more |
| D．remind us to be careful while we are working |
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