It’s obviously true that not all people like to work, but everyone likes to play. All over the world, men and women, young and old, enjoy recreational activities. So, beyond doubt, entertainment plays an important role in our daily lives. In modern society, there is a broad range of recreational activities—from online computer games to lovely picnics—that meet the needs of different groups of people. Therefore, it won’t be difficult for you to find some recreation to refresh your body and mind.

Recreational activities have a number of benefits, especially in this highly competitive society. They can help us relax, have fun and relieve stress. In fact, I believe there is no better way to get exercise and relieve stress than to take an active part in recreational activities. But can recreational activities do us harm? Of course they can. Let’s take TV as an example. There is no denying that TV offers access to the latest news and to useful knowledge, while providing us with entertainment. However, if we spend too much time watching TV, it will numb our mind and destroy our creativity, which is exactly the opposite of what we really want. What’s more, TV can also show some pornographic programs, which are absolutely unsuitable for us young students. So, just as the old saying goes, every coin has two sides, and watching TV is no exception.

As a student, I think recreational activities are very important for us. But this doesn’t mean we should take up whatever recreational activities are available. Instead, we should strike a balance between work and rest. We should have our own judgment, which means knowing what is good for us and what is not. And we should exercise self-control so as not to become addicted to them. I believe moderate recreational activity will benefit us in many ways and help us live a full, meaningful life.

56. Why does entertainment play an important role in people’s daily lives?

A. Because online computer games are popular with people.

B. Because entertainment can help people have fun instead of relieving stress.

C. Because people of all ages enjoy recreational activities.

D. Because it is easy and convenient to take up any recreational activity.

57. Which of the following statements is not counted as the disadvantage of TV?

A. People are addicted to watching TV.

B. TV provides people with the latest news.

C. Some programs are unsuitable for young students.

D. Spending too much time on it may destroy people’s creativity

58. In the author’s opinion, what is the proper attitude to recreational activities?

A. Spending as much time as we like watching TV.

B. Taking part in any recreational activities available.

C. Learning to control ourselves about entertainment.

D. Benefiting us by taking part in different activities.

Just getting accepted to an American college or university does not guarantee that you will get a visa. And getting a visa just lets you arrive in the United States. It does not guarantee that an immigration officer will permit you to enter the country.

If you are requesting a visa for the first time, you will probably have to go to an American embassy or consulate（領(lǐng)事館）. You will need to bring a government form sent to you by your American school that shows you have been accepted.

You will also need banking and tax records that show you have enough money to pay for your education. And be prepared to provide evidence that you will return to your home country after your studies end.

All of this is important in satisfying the requirements to get a visa. A consular official will also take your picture and your fingerprints.

Foreign students must contact their local embassy or consulate to request an interview and to get other information. This includes directions about how and where to pay the visa application charge. The cost is two hundred dollars.

You should apply for the visa as soon as you have been accepted to a school in the United States. The government needs time to perform a background investigation.

You cannot receive a visa more than one hundred twenty days before the start of your program. And if you are coming as a student for the first time, you cannot enter the country more than thirty days before classes begin.

Once you come to the United States, you can stay for the length of your period of study. Your school is required to provide the Department of Homeland Security with reports on your status as a student.

63. What do you have to take to the American embassy if you request a visa for the first time?

A. A government form.　　　　　　　　 B. Banking and tax records.

C. Pictures and fingerprints.　　　　　　 D. Both A and B.

64. When should you apply for a visa?

A. The moment you have been accepted to a school in the US.

B. One hundred twenty days before you go to the US.

C. Thirty days before classes begin.

D. After the immigration officer permit you to enter the US.

65. How much will you be charged for the visa application?

A. Free of charge.　　　　　　　　　 B. Two hundred dollars.

C. One hundred twenty dollars.　　　 D. Thirty dollars.

66. What may be the main idea of this passage?

A. When to get a visa.　　 B. Some tips on how to get a visa.

C. How to enter the US.　　 D. Ways to be accepted by American universities.

Most people who are thought as being successful often owe their success to people in their lives that they consider to be a coach. In fact，the most successful people on the planet have their own personal coach．The reason for this is simple．

While friends，family and colleagues can be wonderful supporters，they often provide guidance to you based on their own purpose．Their purpose is often a well meaning one，but the bottom line is: it's “their" purpose. While their wants for you may sometimes agree with your own life desires and goals，it is difficult for them to be completely unbiased(公正的)in actions．

None of us can be truly“unbiased”in the ways we interact(相互作用)with those closest to us because our lives are so directly intertwined with one another． That’s where a personal coach comes in． 

The purpose of a personal coach is to provide you with a professional who is skilled at unbiased listening and whole．hearted helping．  Your coach expertly assists you in creating a strong personal foundation that allows you to dream big and achieve those dreams about what you can or cannot accomplish．

 A coach is your personal trainer in life．A coach helps you discover your undeveloped potential and works with you to develop every aspect of your personal greatness· With the right coach you can’t help but succeed． It's not surprising that almost all recognize leaders have a personal coach． Of course, all professional athletes do． So do Fortune 500 CEOs，cutting edge business leaders and recognized role models·

72．According to the passage，a coach is the following EXCEPT       ·

 A．your personal trainer in life                       B． quite successful in his career and love

 C．a(chǎn) professional who is skilled                      D．important for a person to be successful

73．The most successful people have their own personal coach because        。

 A．they have quite a few friends

 B．their lives are full of difficulties

 C．their friends and colleagues seldom help them

 D．the personal coach can provide fair advice

74．The underlined word “intertwined” in Paragraph 3 means        ·

 A．decorated           B．connected            C．compared    D．surrounded

75．The purpose of this passage is to tell US that———·

 A．you need a personal coach in order to be successful

 B．families are the foundation of a lot of successes

 C．families and friends can help you to be successful

 D．setting life goals is very important for you to succeed

In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition.  Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity.  Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people. 

I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills.  For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs.  In their single-minded pursuit of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten. 

However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude.  In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition.  Among the most vocal are the youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressure from their parents or society.  Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail.  They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success.  By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.  ” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot.  Such a loss would be a measure of their worth.  Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves.  Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others.  Both are afraid of not being valued.  Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition. 

51. What does this passage mainly talk about?

A.  Competition helps to set self-respect. 

B.  Opinions about competition are different among people. 

C.  Competition is harmful to personal quality development. 

D.  Failures are necessary experiences in competition

52.  Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?

A.  It pushes society forward                    B.  It builds up a sense of duty. 

B.  It improves personal abilities             D.  It encourages individual efforts

53.  The underline phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means ____________. 

A.  those who try their best to win

B.  those who value competition most highly

C.  those who are against competition most strongly

D.  those who rely on others most for success

54.  What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?

A.  One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others. 

B.  One’s success in competition needs great efforts. 

C.  One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills. 

D.  One’s success is based on how hard he has tried. 

55.  Which point of view may the author agree to?

A.  Every effort should be paid back. 

B.  Competition should be encouraged. 

C.  Winning should be a life-and-death matter. 

D.  Fear of failure should be removed on competition. 

 “Happiness consists in the multiplicity of agreeable consciousness,” wrote Samuel Johnson, a famous British writer and lexicographer（詞典編寫者）of the eighteenth century.

Today, amid the large amount of worldly temptations and material sources of modem-day enjoyment, people from all walks of life are still searching for the key to happiness. The question “How can we be happy?” seems to worry everyone. Indeed, in this day and age of scientific advancement and heavenly comforts, people still do not seem able to find a definite answer to the age-old problem of finding happiness. Happiness seems to be a very difficult thing. Solon’s dictum “Count no man happy until he is dead” seems to present both the poor and the rich with a continual threat causing them no end of anxiety.

In Oxford, England, a noted psychology professor, Dr Michael Argyle, has succeeded in his quest for happiness. Over the past eight years, he has been researching the mysterious antithesis（對(duì)立面）of depression, and has found convincing clues which he has embodied in his books.

"The Psychology of Happiness”, and “The Social Psychology of Everyday Life”.

Dr Argyle explains that happiness comprises three essential elements ― first, positive emotions like joy; second, the absence of negative emotions like anxiety, and lastly, the non-emotional element which means a general, more profound satisfaction with life.

“The bigger source of happiness is a happy marriage,” Dr Argyle explains. “Job satisfaction.” he continues, “is another essential ingredient of happiness.” Do you feel you are doing a useful job? Do you feel you are achieving, or stand a chance of achieving your ambitions?

If you honestly have positive answers to these questions, then eventually, you will be happy; if not, then you can still be happy by reducing your ambitions and lowering your expectations in order to achieve happiness. The fact is, the higher your ambitions and dreams are, the more difficult it will be for you to achieve your goals and therefore it will be harder to achieve satisfaction and happiness.

Dr Argyle offers other avenues people can take to find real happiness. Music, games or sports, a drink with a friend, a simple gathering at tea, lunch or dinner with loved ones, or simply thinking of nice things, call give a person happiness, if only for a few hours. Surprisingly, television programs, especially soap operas offers nothing but a bit of pleasurable moments. Often, television viewers are so carried away emotionally that they feel depressed or emotionally tired. Non-soap programmers, on the other hand, bore many viewers or sometimes deepen their misery. Dr Argyle further explains that wealth and worldly success do contribute to happiness. But in the ultimate analysis, Dr Argyle says, it is the person's temperament（性情）that makes him happy or unhappy. "There are in our midst people who are naturally happy, and there are the sad ones.”

Happiness is indeed mysterious. As one wise man put it, “Few are those who have never had the chance to achieve happiness, but fewer those who have never taken that chance.”

51. The writer quotes Solon’s dictum in paragraph 2 to prove that ________.

A. happiness is everyone's business            B. the dead are happier than the living

C. man is generally hard.                     D. happiness is not easy to find

52. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an ingredient of happiness?

A. Happy marriage.                         B. Entertainment.

C. High ambitions.                          D. Wealth and power.

53. The writer believes that television programs_______.

A. do more harm than good                 B. offer only limited enjoyment

C. should be avoided altogether by viewers     D. are a genuine source of enjoyment

54. Dr argyle believes that ________.

A. the temperament of a person is largely affected by his working

B. there are people who are by nature happy or unhappy

C. there are people who blame others for their low self-esteem

D. most people often feel depressed because they worry about them.

55. In the last paragraph, the writer implies that ________.

A. happiness is false                           B. people may not know it but they are, in fact, happy

C. people should not bother seeking happiness

D. most people have been happy at least once in their life

Until the 1980s, the American homeless population was made up of mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient（變化無常的）and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems, both legal and educational, for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.

Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.

One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.

Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions（規(guī)定）of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.

67. What can be implied from the first paragraph?

A. Before the 1980s, the homeless population mainly consists of children.

B. Urban schools are seriously short of academic facilities.

C. Many homeless children gather in inner cities.

D. Homeless children are deprived of the opportunity to receive free education.

68. The National Coalition for the Homeless believes that the number of homeless children is ___.

A. 350,000　　　 B. 440,000 　　　　C. 3,000,000　 　　D. 220,000

69. The reason why one part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate might be that ___.

A. the homeless children are usually making a living by themselves.

B. the homeless population is growing very fast.

C. some homeless children are abandoned by their families.

D. the homeless children usually don’t attend school regularly.

70. The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ____________.

A. all homeless people are allowed to receive a good education.

B. there is an increasing number of homeless children in America.

C. it is necessary for homeless children to be counted as children.

D. the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized.

　 In order to host the Olympics, a city must submit a proposal(提交提案) to the IOC. After all proposals have been submitted, the IOC votes. If no city with the fewest votes is eliminated(淘汰), the voting continues, until a majority winner is determined. Typically the Games are awarded several years in advance, allowing the winning city time to prepare for the Games.

In selecting the site of the Olympic Games, the IOC considers a number of factors, and chiefly among them is which organizing committee seems most likely to stage the Games effectively. The IOC also considers which parts of the world have not yet hosted the Games. For instance, Tokyo, the host of the 1964 Summer Games, and Beijing, that of the 2008 Games, were chosen in part to popularize the Olympic movement in Asia. Because of growing importance television worldwide, the IOC in recent years has also taken into account the host city’s time zone. Whenever the Games take place in the USA or Canada, for example, American television networks are willing to pay specially higher amounts for television rights because they can broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours.

Once the Games have been awarded, it is the duty of the local organizing committee----not the IOC or the NOC of the host city’s country to provide them with money. This is often done with a part of the Olympic television revenues(收入), and corporate sponsorships(社團(tuán)贊助), tickets sales, and other smaller revenue sources. In many cases there is also direct government support. Although many cities have achieved amounts of money by hosting the Games, the Olympics can be financially risky. When the financial gains from the Games were less than expected, the city was left with large debts.

66. _______will be determined to host the Olympic Games by the IOC.

A. A city that submits a proposal 　　　　　　 B. One that hasn’t hosted the Games

C. A city that has perfect time zone 　　　　　D. A majority winner in voting

67. If the Games take place in Canada, American television networks___.

A. are willing to pay much higher amounts for television rights

B. will be forbidden to broadcast live sporting events

C. can’t broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours

D. will not pay for the Canadian television networks

68. According to the last paragraph, which following statement is true?

A. The host city must be left with large debts B. The city may achieve a lot of money

A. There is no financial risk in hosting the Olympic Games

B. It is impossible that the host city couldn’t make money

69. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A. Applying for host for Olympics B. Winner or loser

C. How to host Olympic Games　　 　　　　 D. The Olympic Games

According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36% of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship, in truth it may just be a form of financial protection. With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship.

    The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, job and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner, in other words, an "escape fund".

    Margaret's story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings. Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000. Margaret says if her husband found about her secret savings he'd be hurt and would take this as a sign that she wasn't sure of the marriage. "He'd think it was my escape fund so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure."

    Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was hurt in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money.

    Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Taken Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. "I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day."

    56. The trend to keep a secret bank account is growing because _______.

    A. "escape fund" helps one through rainy days   B. days are getting harder and harder

    C. women are money sensitive               D. financial conflicts often occur

    57. The word "savvy" (Line4, Para1) probably means ________.

    A. suspicious            B. secure          C. wise            D. simple

    58. Which inference can we make about Margaret？

    A. She is a unique woman.                  B. She was once divorced.

    C. She is going to retire.                    D. She has many children.

    59. The author mentions Colleen's example to show __________.

    A. any couple can avoid marriage conflicts  B. privacy within marriage should be respected

    C. everyone can save a fortune with a happy marriage

    D. financial disclosure is not necessarily bad

    60. Which of the following is the best summary of this passage?

    A. Secret Savers                           B. Love Is What It's Worth

    C. Banking Honesty                       D. Once Bitten, Twice Shy

　　　 We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects（缺陷）that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 　36 !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe 　37 . These comments may come from stories about us that have been 　38 for years—often from 　39 childhood. These stories may have no 　40 in fact. But they can set low expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical（操作機(jī)械的）skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations 　41 my development? I was never 　42 to work on cars or be around 　43 . When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!

Six years later, 　44 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree. One of my professors, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do. On the positive side, I 　45 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the 　46 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”

Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life 　47 and told him about my 　48 performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “ 49 is it that you can solve 　50 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”

Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 　51 from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 　52 . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 　53 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true. 　54 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 　55 we choose.

36. A. away B. off 　　　　 C. up 　　　　　 D. down

37. A. them B. myself C. yourself D. others

38. A. said 　　　　 B. spoken 　 C. spread 　 D. repeated

39. A. as long as B. as far back as 　C. as well as　　 　D. as much as

40. A. basis B. plot 　　　 　　 C. cause 　 　　　 D. meaning

41. A. lead 　 B. improve 　　 C. affect 　 　　　 D. change

42. A. encouraged B. demanded 　　 　　 C. hoped 　 　　　　D. agreed

43. A. means 　　 B. tools 　　　 　　　 C. facilities 　　　　 D. hammers

44. A. therefore B. somehow 　　　 　　　　C. instead 　 　　　　 D. however

45. A. settled 　　 B. turned 　 　　　　C. took 　　　 　　　　 D. got

46. A. passive 　　 B. active 　　 　　　　C. negative 　　　 D. subjective

47. A. experiences 　B. trips 　　　　C. roads 　　 　　　　　 D. paths

48. A. unexpected 　　 B. poor 　　　 　　　　C. excellent 　　　　　 D. average

49. A. When　 　　 B. What 　　 　　　　C. How 　　　 D. Why

50. A. complex 　 B. advanced 　　　 　　　　 C. common D. primary

51. A. arise B. separate 　　　　 C. suffer 　　　　 D. come

52. A. believe 　　 B. suspect 　 　　　　　C. adopt 　　　　 D. receive

53. A. weakening 　　　 B. strengthening 　　　　 C. abandoning 　　　　 D. accepting

54. A. As a result 　　 B. At the same time 　　C. In addition 　　　 D. On the contrary

Just listen

       I suspect that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our  36 , and especially if it’s given from the  37  . When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but  38  them. Just take them   39  . Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than  40  it.

One of my patients told me that when she  41  to tell her story, people often  42  to tell her that they had once had something just like that happen to her. Subtly her pain became a story about themselves.  43  she stopped talking to most people. It was just too  44  . We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the  45  of attention to ourselves. But when we listen, they know we care.

I have ever learned to  46  to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the tissues(紙巾)  47   I realized that passing a person a tissue may be just another way to shut them  48  , to take them out of their  49    of sadness and pain. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there  50  them.

　　This  51  thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been  52  since I was very young at school. I thought people listened only because they were too  53   to speak or did not know the answer. A loving silence often has far more  54  to connect than the most well-intentioned  55  .

36．A．introduction         B．instruction           C．a(chǎn)ttention              D．relaxation

37．A．head                   B．memory              C．mind                   D．heart

38．A．talk to                 B．listen to               C．object to           D．stick to

39．A．in                       B．up                       C．off                      D．a(chǎn)way

40．A．denying               B．remembering        C．questioning          D．understanding

41．A．managed             B．tried                    C．hoped                 D．expected

42．A．encouraged          B．interrupted           C．discouraged         D．urged

43．A．Eventually           B．Immediately         C．Completely          D．Especially

44．A．impolite               B．meaningless         C．lonely                  D．selfish

45．A．middle                 B．focus                  C．center                 D．choice

46．A．respond               B．compare              C．link                     D．regret

47．A．unless                 B．if                        C．until                    D．when

48．A．down                  B．a(chǎn)way                   C．in                       D．off

49．A．experiment          B．mixture               C．judgment             D．experience

50．A．with                    B．a(chǎn)gainst                C．for                      D．a(chǎn)mong

51．A．complex              B．simple                 C．complicated         D．single

52．A．mentioned           B．published             C．taught                 D．proved

53．A．shy                     B．greedy                 C．a(chǎn)ctive                  D．proud

54．A．strength              B．energy                 C．power                 D．force

55．A．gestures              B．praise                  C．criticism              D．words