Have you ever complained why life is so tiring? Does the sky sometimes seem dark to you? Are your
studies sometimes not successful? Well, friends, cheer up and smile all the time. If you see the world with
your warm heart, you'll find that the whole world smiles to you. While in school, sometimes you are tired
of your lessons, but have you ever noticed the happy smile on your teacher's face when you did a good job?
     One day it is fine. Just before you go out, it suddenly starts to rain. Maybe you would feel very sad and
start to complain about the weather. Butfriends, why don't you sit down and listen to the free concerts that
the nature offers you? And with the timely (及時(shí)地) rain, crops in the fields will grow better and better and
farmers will have a good harvest.
     Although everyone wants to succeed in what he tries to do, sometimes failure can't be avoided. I think
failure is not terrible, and the terrible thing is that we are afraid of it and give up hope. When we face failure,
we must be confident (信心) in ourselves, draw a useful lesson from it and try our best to finish what we
have decided to do. As a popular saying goes,"Failure is the mother of success".
      Attitude (態(tài)度) decides everything. With an optimistic (樂觀) attitude life is easy and pleasant. Let's smile
to whatever we meet and the whole world will smile to us.

1. People sometimes complain ______.

A. the sky is always dark
B. their studies are successful
C. they see the world with their heart
D. life is tiring

2. When we face failure, we _______.

A. must be confident in ourselves 　　　
B. shouldn't be afraid of it
C. shouldn't give up hope 　 　　
D. All of the above

3. The best title for the passage is_______.

A. Smile and the World Smiles to You 　
B. Complaining about Life
C. Failure is the Mother of Success 　　
D. It is Very Hard to Succeed

     People know the dangers of fires. It's good for a family to learn how to prepare for a fire. Here are some
suggestions.
     Put a smoke alarm in the house. Smoke from a fire causes the alarm to go off. The alarm makes a loud
sound. The sound tells everyone to leave the house at once.
      Make escape (逃脫) plan. They should know all the ways out of the house. If there is a fire, everyone
follows the plan to get out. Part of the plan is to check all the windows to make sure they can be opened
easily.
     Buy fire extinguishers(滅火器) in the house. Everyone in the family should know how to use them.
     Practice for a fire. They do fire practice because they teach children about fire safety. Ever yone in the
family should know the following fire rules:
     ＊ Don't open a hot door! The fire can grow more quickly if you open the door.
     ＊ Stay close to the floor! Smoke can be more dangerous than the fire. The best air is near the floor
because smoke rises.
     ＊ What will you do if your hair or clothes start to burn? First, Stop! Don't run! The fire burns faster
because of more air. Drop! Fall to the floor. Then roll! Turning over and over will make the fire go out. Put
a blanket(毯子) around you to keep air away from the fire that may still be on you. 
     There are many possible causes for fires. A wise family is ready all the time. If there is a fire, don't forget
to call 119 for help.

1. The writer advises people to do the following to prepare for a fire except that _____.

A. they prepare for a fire 　
B. they make escape plans
C. they buy fire extinguishers 　
D. they use electrical cookers

2. What are the right steps you should take when your hair or clothes catch fire?

A. Stop, run, roll.
B. Stop, drop, roll 　
C. Run, drop, roll
D. Roll, drop, stop

3. What is the best title for this passage?

A. The Dangers of a Fire
B. The Causes of a Fire
C. Learn to Use a Fire Extinguishers
D. Be Ready For a Fire

     Members of the working class have blue-collar jobs. They are construction workers, truck drivers,
mechanics, steel workers, electricians, and the like. What makes this class differ from the lower class is,
first, longer periods of employment-and therefore, more fixed incomes -and, second, employment in skilled
or semiskilled (半熟練的 ) occupations, not unskilled ones. Although unemployment hits all levels of the
American economy, including those of skilled and semi-skilled workers, it is most common at the bottom
of the class structure and increasingly less common at each level upward. They consider themselves to be
respectable and hard working and they look down upon members of the"lower" class, whom they often
consider to be lazy, dis-honest, and too ready to exploit public assistance.
     Most people in the working class have at least high school education. Many have some experi-ence of
college ( especially community college), though few are college graduates.
     Unionization has helped the working class, but a rapidly changing economy and frequent periods of high
unem-ployment make it difficult for most of its members to be able to increase their savings great-ly.
Purchasing a house for people in this class is extremely difficult, although a certain percentage may receive
houses from their parents. (Home-owning rises with social class. )
      A greater number of the members of the working class take relatively little satisfaction in their jobs,
because much of their work is ordinary and boring. As a result, many seek their main satis-faction in
recreational ( 娛樂的) activities. Many members of this class would like to earn enough money to leave their
jobs and start their own businesses, though few make it. Many place their expectations on their children,
hoping that they at least will rise in the ladder of success, American style.

1. Which of the following is true about the working class.?

A. They are often employed as skilled and semi-skilled workers.
B. They are often offered jobs with high incomes.
C. They are often considered lazy and dishonest.
D. They are often exploited by the public.

2. The underlined word "hit" (paragraph 1 ) roughly means _____.

A. strike with a blow
B. have bad effects on
C. break up

3. Most people in the working class _____.

A. have difficulty increasing their savings greatly
B. have at least some experience of college
C. receive houses from their parents
D. buy houses by themselves

4. Many members from the working class are not satisfied with their jobs because _____.

A. they could not rise in the ladder of success
B. they are not interested in their jobs
C. they could not earn much money
D. they are not their own bosses

     The best thing you can say about the roofs of most city buildings is that you don't have to look at them.
That's very good, since an urban landscape viewed from above can be an unlovely thing-block after block
of tarred (鋪有瀝青的) black rooftops, sticky in summer, ugly year-round. Or at least that's the way it used
to be.
     But urban roofs are going green. Environmental designers have begun to realize that the tops of buildings
don't have to be wastelands. Indeed, they can be gardens, planted with grasses, flowers and bushes.
     A planted roof usually comes in one of two varieties: extensive or intensive. The extensive type is wide
and shallow, with a soil depth of less than 8 inches, able to support smaller plants. The intensive type may
be smaller, but it's relatively deeper and home to larger plants. Whatever the design, green roofs are not so
simple as ordinary gardens. The have multiple layers beneath the soil, including a drainage layer, waterproofing,
structural support, and so on. But this system can do a great deal of good. A recent paper in the journal Bio
Science tells that green roofs can control temperature, contain water and clean the air. And most impressively,
they can cut heat loss from a building by 50%, lower air-conditioning costs by 25%, and reduce the
urban-heated-island effect by 2℃.
     Of course, apart from the square feet greened and heat reduced, green roofs are even more valued since
people can gain some psychological comfort simply by having a quiet place to go. as so often happens, what's
good for the planet can also be good for the spirit.

     Critics say Microsoft Windows 95 must be able to do what the company has said or sales will fall sharply.
This could mean the public would reject future Microsoft products. The public would lose trust in the company. Some people say this will not happen. They say Microsoft sent out several thousand copies of their new product to computer experts to test several months before it was released. Problems that these testers found were
immediately corrected. Microsoft representatives are working to solve all the other problems buyers find when
they try the new system. Computer industry experts say that if there are no major problems Microsoft can
expect to earn about 7 thousand million dollars from Windows 95 in the first two years. The experts say this
could be just a beginning for Microsoft and the whole computer industry. The experts say Windows 95 can
help the user do many different and difficult tasks. They say this means the sale of more powerful computers
and other computer products will increase as people learn about the new Microsoft product. Other companies
say Windows 95 is not a big improvement. The Apple Computer Company says its Mackintosh Operating System has been able to do many of the same things since 1989. For example, it has been able to let users work two
different programs at the same time. The Amega Computer also has offered this for almost ten years. And IBM
says the operating system it developed about 7 years ago is very similar.

1. In the passage the writer _____.

A. thinks Windows 95 will be a success
B. is doubtful about what Microsoft Company has promised
C. shows no opinion of his own
D. is advertising Windows 95 for Microsoft Company

2. Some believe that Windows 95 will not only bring in a lot of money but also _____.

A. replace the older products
B. threat (威脅) other computer companies
C. help sell other products produced by Microsoft Company
D. bring about changes in other fields

3. All the following show Windows 95 is important to Microsoft Company except _____.

A. Windows 95 will build up people's faith (信心) in the country's future products
B. Windows 95 will bring about a great change in the whole computer industry
C. other companies don't think highly of Windows 95
D. Windows 95 will help sell more powerful computers

     There are many famous museums throughout the world where people can enjoy art. Washington, D.C. has
the National Gallery of Art (美術(shù)館); Paris has the Luvre; London, the British Museum. Florida International
University (FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see. And it does so without a building, or even a wall for
its drawings and paintings. FIU has opened what it says is the first computer art museum in the United States.
You don't have to visit the University to see the art. You just need a computer linked to a telephone. You can
call the telephone number of a university computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored
in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a
few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings.
     Robert Shostak is director of the new computer museum. He says he starts the museum because computer
artists had no place to show their works.
     A computer artist can only record his pictures electronically and send the records, or floppy discs, to others
to see on their computers. He can also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the
computer artist needs an expensive laser printer.
     Robert Shostak says the electronic museum is mostly for art or computer students at schools and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostak said the FIU museum will make
computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work
much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge
audience for the electronic museum.

1. The main purpose of this text is to give information about _____.

A. museums throughout the world
B. an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A.
C. art exhibitions in Florida International University
D. latest development of computer art

2. To see the art in FIU museum, you need _____.

A. floppy discs
B. a computer and a printer
C. pictures and drawings on paper
D. a computer connected to the museum by telephone line

3. The museum was started when _____.

A. Robert Shostak wanted to do something for computer scientists
B. Robert Shostak wanted to help computer artists
C. art students needed a place to show their works
D. computer scientists wanted to do something about art

4. The words "an audience"in the last paragraph refer to _____.

A. art students
B. computer owners?
C. exhibits in the museum
D. those who will enjoy art

     Who are the elders in your family? The most common answer is that they are your parents, grandparents,
uncles, aunts, and elder cousins--in a word, any relative who is older than you. But that doesn't really answer
the question, does it? In a normal family, there is a big difference between being elderly and being an elder.
     Elders are the storytellers, the cooks, the historians, the authorities, the knitters, and the workhorses. They
are the people we respect and turn to for answers or help when we are in trouble, because of their many years
of life experience. Most of all, they are the people who raised you and your loved ones and helped you growing
into the people you are. For many years, they carried the burden of caring for your family and leading it to
better times. Now it's your turn to dote on them. Ensuring the welfare of your elders should come as naturally
to us as raising our children.
     Unfortunately, too many people take their parents' and grandparents' ability to care for them for granted.
And in a country where so many of us live hundreds of miles from our families, looking after loved ones can
be difficult. Even so, you should make sure your loved ones are taken care of no matter where they live, and
try to look after the seniors living alone in your neighbor, too. Taking responsibility for the elders in our society
in an important thing that all citizens should do.

1. According to the author, elders are those who _____.

A. are much older than us
B. bring us up by working hard
C. give us money and food
D. have many interesting stories

2. Which of the following opinions doesn't the author agree with?

A. naturally that the elders should take care of themselves
B. It's our duty to take care of the elders when they are old
C. We should take care of the elders even if a long distance separates us from them
D. Looking after the elders is as important as raising our children

3. In which of the following columns would you most probably read this passage?

A. Education
B. Parenting
C. Society
D. Family

4. The passage was written to _____.

A. explain what elders are like
B. criticize those people who don't respect elders
C. Explain why we should love elders
D. Call on people to respect and love elders

     Depression (抑郁癥) is a serious problem today. Depression causes workers to be unproductive, causing
companies and countries to lose billions of dollars. One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is
"widespread,costly and deadly". Depression hits one person in five around the world.
     Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated, studies show that
depression is a problem among everyone. Over any six-month period, between five to seven percent of the
world's population will be suffering from a serious depression.
      Suicide (自殺) rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme,or clinical form were 80
percent higher than in the population at large, and sufferers were four times more likely to have heart attacks.
People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping,getting upon time, and doing work
productively. 
      Depression,which researchers agree has its origin in the genes (基因), brings loss of confidence and
ability to concentrate-making it impossible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
     Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese's inability to face it.Many people believe that
depressed people are either weak or lazy. Besides, there is no good treatment,with few specialists available.
      "Most patients in China just don't get help, "a Chinese doctor says."In my hospital.I have to see 30 or 40
patients in a morning,just have time to say "Hello how do you feel?"
      In Western countries,people are not afraid to admit that they have depression,but most do not tell it to their
boss,because they fear that their boss would fire them.
      "In my experience, aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it. Because they feel the most
secure about themselves,"an American doctor says.
     Hopefully,in the near future,people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that
they can get the right treatment.

1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression.
B. Depression brings great problems to its sufferers in their life and work
C. Depression is a commonly-existing problem only in rich countries.
D. The poorer and the less educated a person is,the less he will suffer from depression.

2. Compared to normal people,the depressed people are likely to be _____.

A.very unconfident and often absent-minded
B. easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks
C. working efficiently and productively
D. either weak or lazy

3. Depression becomes more serious in China because of _____.

A. the understanding of the problem
B. the lack of treatment and doctors
C. their unwillingness to tell it to their boss
D. the doctors' careless work

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A. People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists.
B. The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed.
C. More and more patients will turn to specialists for help.
D. Western people are braver than Chinese people.

     Parents should stop blaming themselves because there's not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager
problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and
helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.
     I've seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right
from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman.
I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself (懶散地躺) on the sofa in full length, he made no
attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick
glance at me. His mother was ashamed. "I don't know what to do with him these days," she said.
     "He's forgotten all the manners we taught him." He hasn't forgotten them. He's just decided that he's not
going to use them. She confessed (坦白) that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from
the sofa onto the floor.
     Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare
at me and say, "I don't like your dress; it's ugly." One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school.
The other has left home.
     "Where did we go wrong?" their parents are now very sad. Probably no one is to blame on this issue.

1. This text is most probably written by _____.

A. a specialist in teenager studies
B. a headmaster of a middle school
C. a parent with teenage children
D. a doctor for mental health problems

2. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to _____.

A. the change from good to bad that's seen in a child
B. the way that parents often blame themselves
C. the opinion that a child has of his parents
D. the advice that parents want their children to follow

3. From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters _____.

A. pay no attention to them
B. are too busy to look after them
C. have come to hate them
D. feel helpless to do much about them

4. What is the writer's opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?

A. Parents have no choice but to try to accept it.
B. Parents should pay still more attention to the change.
C. Parents should work more closely with school teachers.
D. Parents are at fault for the change in their children.