How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes（糖尿�。�. Believing my career was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it — the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success — you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kirsten Best
Poet & Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological tool．”
小題1:What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?

A．Difficulties influenced his career．

B．Specialists offered him medical advice．

C．Training helped him defeat his disease．

D．He overcame the shadow of illness to win．

小題2:What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?

A．Her sports career．

B．Her achievements．

C．Her daily happenings．

D．Her training schedule．

小題3:What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to？

A．Ways that help one to focus．

B．Words that help one to feel less tense．

C．Activities that turn one's attention away．

D．Habits that make it hard for one to relax．

小題4:According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?

A．Self-confidence．	B．Hard work．
C．Devotion．	D．Courage．

Dear Aunty,
After years of her crying, I finally gave in and allowed my daughter to have a cat. I now regret my decision. As someone needs to have a clean, tidy house, I no longer feel relaxed in my own home. If I tell her, “sorry, the cat has to go.” She will be heartbroken. What can I do?
-Feline Phobic
Dear Phobic,
I’m an animal lover and on your kid’s and cat’s side. Tell your daughter your problem. Ask her to help you come up with a plan. Perhaps you can agree to allow the cat only in certain areas of the house. This is a chance for your daughter to develop the sense of responsibility owning a pet requires.
Dear Aunty,
I got the highest grade on a biology test. Now the popular kids think I’m brainy, and want me in their lab group. I knew I was being used. Now, they want my homework. What should I do?
-Lily
Dear Lily,
Popularity can come at a price, but it’s no excuse to cheat. Offer to help new friends with their homework, but don’t give them yours.
Dear Aunty,
I’m one of six assistants in a dental (牙科的)office. But I’m new there just four months. I’ve tried to join conversations, but they just ignore me. They go shopping together. No one invites me. How can I break into the circle?
-Crystal
Dear Crystal,
Humans run in packs like dogs. When a new dog enters the pack, a lot of discovery goes on. So bring cookies for everyone! Then try making friends with one co-worker. Invite her to lunch. When you get familiar with each other, tell her how hard you’re finding the situation at work. Chances are, she’ll take you under her wing.
小題1:Aunty thinks that Phobic should _____.

A．try to persuade her daughter to give in

B．spend more time cleaning the house

C．a(chǎn)sk her daughter to help tidy up

D．find a better way to keep the cat

小題2:The underlined word “brainy” in the passage means _____.

A．excited

B．friendly

C．intelligent

D．hard-working

小題3:According to the passage, _____.

A．Phobic can’t get along well with her daughter

B．Aunty is fond of animals like cats

C．Crystal’s coworkers are cheating her

D．Lily has no interest in lab experiments

When newspapers and radio describe the damage caused by a hurricane（颶風(fēng)） named Hazel, girls named Hazel are probably teased（取笑） by their friends. To keep out of trouble, the Weather Bureau says,“Any resemblance between hurricane names and the names of particular girls is purely accidental.”
Some women became angry because hurricanes are given their names, but many other women are proud to see their names make headlines. They don’t even care that they are the names of destructive storms. Because more women seem to like it than dislike it, the Weather Bureau has decided to continue using girl’s names for hurricanes.
In some ways a hurricane is like a person. After it is born, it grows and develops, then becomes old and dies. Each hurricane has a character of its own. Each follows its own path through the world, and people remember it long after it gone. So it is natural to give hurricanes’ names, and to talk about them almost if they were alive.
小題1:What happens to girls named Hazel according to the passage?

A．They suffer from hurricanes.

B．The Weather Bureau look for them.

C．Others often make fun of them.

D．They can’t find boyfriend.

小題2:The underlined word“resemblance”probably means ______.

A．trouble

B．difference

C．sameness

D．success

小題3:Public opinions make the Weather Bureau ______.

A．consider the disagreement of some women

B．go on naming hurricanes after women

C．name hurricanes after men

D．look for a new method to name hurricanes

Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes— they are failing because the “ academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art— there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge — certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
小題1:Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because________.

A．the school committee pays no attention to them

B．the school is afraid of losing financial support

C．the students are not interested in both of them

D．the state standardized test is more important.

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test

B．students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons

C．The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts

D．Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’s school system.

小題3:We can learn that music and art can ________.

A．make students round-shaped people in future

B．provide students with analytical thinking

C．motivate students in creativity and expression

D．prevent students graduating from high school

小題4:The best title of the passage can be ________.

A．Who Killed Music and Drama?

B．Can Curriculum Go Without Music?

C．Why is Music So Important?

D．How To Prepare For the Real World?

Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with doubts by many as being a major part of the “l(fā)ive now pay later” syndrome（綜合癥）．Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes（租賃項(xiàng)目）, they provide encouragement to spend more money．Of course, it is only the hotheaded who give way to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards．
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They prevent need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies．
All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet sensible purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit．Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further．
It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets（經(jīng)銷(xiāo)店）, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen．A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card．
However, if used wisely, a credit card can cost nothing, or at least help to tide you over a period of financial difficulty．
小題1:The hotheaded are people who ________．

A．spend more money than they have

B．spend less money than other people

C．save money

D．make money

小題2:The disadvantage of credit cards is ________．

A．to enable you to buy things without carrying large amount of cash

B．to encourage people to spend more money

C．to be always useful in emergencies

D．to help people tide over a period of financial difficulty

小題3:Deciding on a particular credit, you do not have to consider ________．

A．the amount of credit granted

B．the number and range of outlets

C．the possibility of loss of money

D．the department stores where you are going to use your credit cards

小題4:The underlined words in the last paragraph probably means ________．

A．floating with the tide of	B．going through a difficult period of
C．rising and falling with the tide of	D．a(chǎn)ttempting to go against the tide of

It’s a nightmare for Huazhong University of Science and Technology （HUST）: within a week，two students committed suicide by jumping off dorm buildings．對(duì)于整個(gè)華中科技大學(xué)來(lái)說(shuō)，這簡(jiǎn)直就是場(chǎng)噩夢(mèng)：一周之內(nèi)，兩名學(xué)生在宿舍跳樓自殺。
Officials from the university are reluctant to give interviews．校方官員們不愿接受采訪(fǎng)。
“We had a hard time calming down students who were shocked at the suicides,” said Zhang Jingyuan，one official of HUST．
“Media coverage may arouse some students’ negative emotions again．Suicide can be contagious,” Zhang said．他說(shuō)，“媒體的報(bào)道將會(huì)再次引發(fā)學(xué)生的消極情緒，自殺是會(huì)傳染的�！�
The university reacted promptly to the first suicide on October 23．對(duì)于今年10月23號(hào)發(fā)生的第一起自殺事件，華中科技大學(xué)迅速做出應(yīng)急措施。
Advisors and class leaders conducted dorm-to-dorm checks to find students suffering depression．Then psychologists offered one-on-one counseling to them．輔導(dǎo)員和班長(zhǎng)們走訪(fǎng)了每個(gè)宿舍，找出遭遇抑郁的學(xué)生。然后，心理咨詢(xún)師會(huì)為這些學(xué)生提供一對(duì)一的心理咨詢(xún)。
Notice boards publicizing tips for identifying peers’ mental problems and offering help were set up in front of dorm buildings．Leaflets carrying similar information were handed out to each dorm．宿舍樓前豎起一些布告欄，為同學(xué)們普及關(guān)于如何發(fā)現(xiàn)身邊人遭遇心理問(wèn)題并提供幫助的小貼士。印有類(lèi)似內(nèi)容的小冊(cè)子也被分發(fā)給每個(gè)寢室。
However，the second suicide came seven days later．然而，七天后，第二起自殺事件發(fā)生了。
Both students were described as men of few words．Their schoolmates didn’t see anything to indicate suicide．據(jù)周?chē)�人描述，這兩名學(xué)生都很少言寡語(yǔ)。他們的同學(xué)都沒(méi)有覺(jué)察到任何自殺前的征兆。
Zhang revealed that the two students had been bothered by mental disorders．But the school didn’t know this until the students’ close friends outside school and their parents unveiled the truth after the suicides．章勁元透露，這兩名學(xué)生曾經(jīng)飽受心理疾病的困擾。但是學(xué)校對(duì)此并不知情，他們校外的好友和家長(zhǎng)也是在自殺事件發(fā)生后才說(shuō)出實(shí)情。
According to Zhang，there are only three full-time counselors working in the university’s counseling center for its 60,000 students．He complained: “It’s unrealistic to rely only on counselors to detect students’ mental problems．”據(jù)章勁元說(shuō)，全校共有六萬(wàn)名學(xué)生，但學(xué)校的心理咨詢(xún)中心只有三位全職心理咨詢(xún)師。他抱怨說(shuō)：“僅僅依靠心理咨詢(xún)師來(lái)察覺(jué)學(xué)生的心理問(wèn)題，這是不現(xiàn)實(shí)的�！�
Effective prevention comes from long-term education for life instead of temporary intervention to meet an emergency，said Hu Yi’an．Hu delivers a course of lectures on life and death at Guangzhou University．He worries that universities have paid little attention to education for life．有效的預(yù)防來(lái)自于長(zhǎng)期的生命教育，而并非遭遇緊急狀況時(shí)的臨時(shí)干預(yù)，胡毅安（音譯）說(shuō)。他在廣州大學(xué)教授以生命和死亡為主題的課程。他為各大高校給予生命教育的關(guān)注少之又少而擔(dān)憂(yōu)。
“Education for life helps students respect and love life so they won’t resort to ending their lives when they have difficulties,” said Hu．“生命教育可以幫助學(xué)生尊重、熱愛(ài)生命，這樣一來(lái)，當(dāng)他們遇到困難的時(shí)候就不會(huì)選擇結(jié)束生命了,” 胡毅安說(shuō)。
According to Hu，the principles can be incorporated into everyday teaching．胡毅安還表示，這些觀念可以融入到日常教學(xué)中去。
Hu is also concerned that some universities are conveying discriminatory message that will hold back students from seeking help．胡老師也很擔(dān)心一些大學(xué)傳遞出帶有歧視性的信息會(huì)使得學(xué)生們不愿去尋求幫助。
When HUST conducted the dorm-to-dorm examination，students with poor academic performance were paid special attention．In March，Peking University also released a controversial policy，which required teachers to have a chat with students “with biased thinking”．當(dāng)華中科技大學(xué)校方挨個(gè)宿舍進(jìn)行走訪(fǎng)時(shí)，學(xué)習(xí)成績(jī)較差的學(xué)生也被給予了特別關(guān)照。三月份，北京大學(xué)也推行了一項(xiàng)備受爭(zhēng)議的政策，該新規(guī)要求教師們要找那些學(xué)生中的“激進(jìn)分子”談話(huà)。
However，Hu suggested that students step out of their comfort zone to seek real-life communication．
小題1:The underlined word “reluctant” in paragraph 2 probably means “       ”．

A．willing

B．unhappy

C．refused

D．decided

小題2:Which measure the university took to the first suicide is incorrect?

A．Conducting checks to find out the students’ depression．

B．Offering counseling to the students．

C．Setting up notice boards publicizing tips for identifying peers’ mental problems and offering help．

D．Handing out leaflets to each student．

小題3:Which of the following is right according to the text?

A．Officials of HUST were willing to give the details about the suicide．

B．HUST didn’t respond to the first suicide．

C．What the university about the suicide was a success．

D．Their close friends and parents did know the students had mental disorder．

小題4:What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Two students of HUST committed suicide．

B．What can we do to prevent the student’s suicide?

C．The reasons why the students committed suicide．

D．The dangers in the universities in China．

Peter King, 15 and Mary King, 13 went to see a doctor together. Peter had a bad cold, so the doctor gave him some pills to take. Mary had a bad cough, so the doctor |gave her some cough medicine.                                                      
These are the words on the bottle of medicine:

Cough Medicine Shake well before use. Take three times daily after meals. Dosage: Adults 2 teaspoonfuls Children 8 -14  1 teaspoonful Child 4-7  1/2 teaspoonful Not suitable for children below the age of 4. Store in a cool place. Use before October 1998.

小題1:Mary should take ____ in a day.

A．2 teaspoonfuls	B．3 teaspoonfuls
C．4 teaspoonfuls	D．1 teaspoonful

小題2:People aged ____ cannot take this medicine.

A．80

B．15

C．20

D．3

小題3:Mary or her mother should ____ the medicine after the tenth month of 1998.

A．throw away	B．take two times
C．stop to take	D．take 3 times more

Children, especially at young ages, are very creative. And creativity can be a glorious thing. Look at all the amazing artists and architects that have created glorious pieces of history. Look at all the authors with the award winning books. Now I am not saying everyone is going to end up this way but creativity is an important part of growing up and becoming who you are. This should be encouraged in young children as well as the older children.
Young children grow up playing with make-believe. And so many people try to make their young child see that their invisible friend isn’t real or that talking when someone is not in the room is weird. To adults it is, but for small children it is them being creative. May it be them playing house, or chef, or playing with stuffed animals, it is their creative part coming out. Some kids can have fun playing with rocks and sticks and it’s because of their creativeness that they can do this. The invisible friend part is another part of being imaginative, and is not a bad thing since they will grow out of that phase. So encourage this and play along with them, play house or stuffed animals or whatever they want to play. Help keep their imagination running. You can even make up games, like treasure hunts, dinosaurs, or super heroes; there is just so much you can choose from.
For older children, talk to them. Help them see things through others’ eyes, or help them see things from a different point of view. Helping children see things from other views helps them keep their minds open for new ideas and new things.
All this can help your children’s minds stay creative. The arts and music, even thoughts are an important part of life and important in our society. If we didn’t have and encourage creative thinking, we wouldn't have had inventors, or philosophers, or as I said before, artists.
小題1:The underlined word “weird” is the closest in meaning to “_______”.

A．similar

B．strange

C．common

D．natural

小題2:If a child plays with his invisible friend, it shows that _______.

A．the child is longing for friendship

B．the child has no one to play with in life

C．the child has great imagination

D．there is something wrong with the child’s mind

小題3:According to the author, if a child talks alone in a room, we should _______.

A．let him be

B．stop him from doing so

C．give him some advice

D．know that he is suffering from loneliness

小題4:What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A．How creative artists and architects can be.

B．How to help children grow up in a healthy way.

C．What kind of activities children like.

D．How to protect and encourage children’s creativity.

Many people say pennies are not worth saving. After all, a penny is only worth a cent. But one unusual penny turned out to be worth a lot more when a coin collector paid $1.7 million for it earlier this month.
The coin is one of a kind. It is the only penny that the Denver mint(鑄幣廠(chǎng)) made out of copper, instead of steel, in 1943. Because it is unique, it is also very valuable. No penny has ever sold for so much money.
The Changing Penny
The Lincoln penny first appeared in 1909. For 34 years, the one-cent coin was made out of copper. Then, in 1943, the penny changed. World War II was going on, and copper was needed for equipment. So for one year, pennies were made out of steel instead. At least most of them were.
Only a few coins were made out of unused copper. There are three main mints, or places where coins are made, in the United States. Of the known copper pennies from 1943, twelve were made in the Philadephia mint, and five were made in the San Francisco mint. Only one was made in the Denver mint.
Nobody knows for sure why a copper penny was made at the Denver mint in 1943, coin dealers Andy Skrabalak told Time for Kids. “There is a rumor that a mint employee made the coin in the middle of the night.”
A Special Set
The coin collector who bought the $1.7 million penny wants to remain unknown. But the reason for the trade is known. He already had two copper pennies from 1943 – one from the San Francisco mint and one from the Philadephia mint. To complete the set, he needed the Denver penny. The three coins will go on display at a coin exhibition in Tampa, Florida.
The collector who sold the penny is also keeping his name a secret. It took four years to convince him to give up the rare coin. Now that he has finally donating all of the money to charity.
小題1:Why is the Lincoln penny worth over one million dollars?
A. Because it has a history of thirty-four years.
B. Because it was made out of a rare material.
C. Because it was made on one night of 1943 by the Denver mint.
D, Because it was the only coin Denver mint made out of copper in 1943.
小題2:Before the Lincoln penny was sold, people thought one-cent coins __________.

A．were worth collecting for selling later

B．were surely valuable if not made out of steel

C．wouldn’t be sold for large amounts of money

D．were only useful for some coin museums

小題3:At least how many copper coins were made in 1943?

A．Five

B．Twelve

C．Seventeen

D．Eighteen

小題4:What can we learn about the collector who sold the penny?

A．He already had two copper pennies from 1943.

B．He wanted to complete the set of copper pennies.

C．He didn’t want to sell his penny in the beginning.

D．He was a well-known coin dealer in Tampa, Horida.

As soon as you meet, or even see, a person, you form an impression of him based on his posture, gesture and facial expressions. This is why it is important to make a good first impression on the person who will be interviewing you. Within the first 60 seconds of meeting you, the interviewer will have formed an impression about what type of person you are and what kind of employee you would become, and 55% of this will be based only on your body language. Here are some tips to make you that impression a good one.
First of all, relax. Think positive thoughts and you are more likely to come across as a positive, confident person during the interview. Dress smartly, as your appearance is one of the first things an interviewer will notice you. Stand up straight, and walk in with your shoulders back and your head up. Try to avoid slowing down as you walk into the room because this suggests fear and uncertainty. Shake hands with the interviewer firmly. You should have a positive handshake and a warm smile. Open your coat or jacket as you sit down shows that you, too, are open.
Posture is important. You should be sitting well back in your seat. Sit up straight and lean forward slightly, but not too much. Sitting at too much of an angel expresses discomfort and distrust. Two of the most common defensive(防衛(wèi)的) signals are crossing your arms and legs, so try to avoid them.
Another important issue is eye contact. Looking someone in the eye shows confidence in yourself and trust in the other person. However, don’t overdo it, as too much eye contact or starring will make the other person uncomfortable. Use more eye contact when listening than when talking, and when you look away, look down. Looking up at the ceiling will make you seem bored and rude.
小題1:The purpose of the first impression is to tell readers __________.

A．what a good first impression is

B．how to make a good first impression

C．how long it takes to make a first impression

D．the importance of making a good first impression

小題2:Which of the following does the author advise you to do when you are being interviewed?

A．Cross your arms or legs

B．Open your coat or jacket when sitting down

C．Go into the room more slowly than usual

D．Avoid looking at the eyes of the interviewer directly

小題3:If you lean forward too much, it means __________.

A．you are very bored

B．you are too nervous

C．you don’t have confidence

D．you don’t trust others

小題4: What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to use body language to win an interview

B．How to answer questions in an interview

C．How to understand body language

D．How to deal with an interviewer