Listening to music can help me focus better. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or to focus creatively. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.

I first noticed the good effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days before Christmas in 2005 and I was playing online video games. My parents had just given me a new MP3, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a great change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. The music relaxed me, and, to a certain extent, distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious (潜意识的) talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thoughts or actions.

Music can also have a great effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work, I’ll listen to some of Bob Marley’s and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer, I did a boring job collecting bottle openers by hand. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background, I would have hated life.

Listening to music with relaxing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts. But the results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. By trial and error you’ll finally discover your best choice. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music works best for me.

We can infer that the passage was written in __________.

  A. 2005     B. 2006    C. 2007     D. 2008

The author first discovered the effects of music __________.

  A. from his parents       B. by chance

  C. at work           D. when he was a child

Which of the following statements is NOT an effect of music for the author?

  A. It helps him block out the outside world.

  B. It arouses his subconscious talent.

  C. It helps his mind relax.

  D. It makes him work without any thought.

The author mentions the experience of collecting bottle openers in Paragraph 3 to ________.

  A. tell us that life is dull

  B. prove that music affects mood

  C. tell us how to seek happiness

  D. tell us bad mood can affect work

In order to get the greatest effect of music, you are advised to ________.

  A. listen to some of Bob Marley’s

  B. only choose relaxing music

  C. test all kinds of music

  D. listen to classic rock


E                          
A letter to Edward, a columnist (报刊专栏作家)
Dear Mr. Expert:
I grew up in an unhappy home. I always promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at the age of 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.
Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine so much that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes — it makes the place feel comfortable and warm — but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?
Joan Edward’s reply to Joan
Dear Joan:
If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you’ve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere, you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with— or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”
Edward
73. We can learn from the first letter that Joan      .
A. lives away from her parents          B. takes pride in her friends
C. knows Mr. Expert quite well         D. hates her parents very much
74.We can infer from the first letter that       .
A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy
B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept
C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all
D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over
75. According to Mr. Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?
A. She likes her friends very much              B. She does not understand true friendship.
C. Her family experience stops her from doing so.   D. She does not put her needs first.

The day my fiancé fell to his death, it started to snow, just like the bottom hadn’t fallen out of my world when he fell off the roof. His body, when I found it, was lightly covered with snow. It snowed almost every day for the next four months, while I sat on the couch and watched it pile up.
One morning, I shuffled(拖着脚步走) downstairs and was surprised to see a snowplow(扫雪机) clearing my driveway and the bent back of a woman shoveling my walk. I dropped to my knees, crawled through the living room, and back upstairs so those good Samaritans would not see me. I was mortified. My first thought was, how would I ever repay them? I didn’t have the strength to brush my hair, let alone shovel someone’s walk.
Before Jon’s death, I took pride in the fact that I rarely asked for help or favors. I defined myself by my competence and independence. How could I respect myself if all I did was sit on the couch everyday and watch the snow fall?
Learning how to receive the love and support that came my way wasn’t easy. Friends cooked for me and I cried because I couldn’t even help them set the table. “I’m not usually this lazy,” I swept. Finally, my friend Kathy sat down with me and said, “Mary, cooking for you is not a burden. It makes me feel good to be able to do something for you.”
Over and over, I heard similar words of comfort from the people who supported me during those dark days. One very wise man told me, “You are not doing nothing. Being fully open to your grief may be the hardest work you will ever do.”
In many ways I have changed for the better. I have been surprised to learn that there is incredible freedom that comes from facing one’s worst fear and walking away whole.
【小题1】What made the author feel sad?

A.Her fiancé’s sudden death.B.Constant heavy snow.
C.Her fiancé abandoning her.D.Her job being refused again.
【小题2】What’s the meaning of the underlined word “mortified” in Paragraph 1?
A.Surprised.B.Angry.C.Ashamed.D.Moved.
【小题3】It is _______ that helped the author out of darkness.
A.herselfB.her friendsC.her fiancéD.a snowplow
【小题4】Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The author was a capable and independent woman.
B.The author was so lazy that she wouldn’t shovel the walk.
C.Finally the author got through hardest work bravely.
D.When facing the worst fear, you will get strength.
【小题5】What’s the author’s purpose in the passage?
A.To talk about her hardest work in her life.
B.To talk about her real love between her and her fiancé.
C.To tell us to walk out of hardest work confidently and bravely.
D.To tell us the importance of friendship.

Have you ever felt sick to your stomach during a test? Have you ever been so worried about something that you ended up with a terrible headache?

If so, then you know what it's like to feel stress. You've probably heard people say, "Wow, I'm really stressed out.” ___1.____ But children have lots of things going on in their lives that can cause stress, too.

What is stress?

Stress is what you feel when you are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry, frustrated, scared, or afraid --- which can give you a stomachache or a headache.

What causes stress?www.zxxk.com

Plenty of things can cause stress in a child's life.___2.____Good or normal stress might show up when you're called on in class or when you have to give a report. Have you ever gotten butterflies in your stomach or sweaty hands? Those can be signs of good stress. ___3.____ For example, you may do a better job on your book report if the anxiety inspires you to prepare well before you get up and read it to the class.

But bad stress can happen if the stressful feelings keep going over time. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting, if a family member is sick, if you're having problems at school, or if you're going through anything else that makes you upset every day. ____4.____

Once you recognize that you're feeling stressed, there are several things you can do. You can try talking about what's bothering you with an adult you trust, like a parent or teacher. ___5.____ An adult may have ideas about how to solve whatever is worrying you or making you uncomfortable.

A. This kind of stress can help you to get things done.

B. Maybe you hear adults say those kinds of things all the time.

C. Bring up what's been on your mind and how it makes you feel.

D. Everyone experiences stress at times --- adults, teens, and even kids.

E. There are ways to reduce stress and manage the stress that's unavoidable.

F. That kind of stress isn't going to help you, and it can actually make you sick.

G. The trick is to remember that some types of stress are good and others are bad.

 

“I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to Father Christmas, written after his father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched everyone’s heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.

But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father there too, either in your mind or heart. I find that my parents, who died years ago, still linger (留连) in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all my mother said was “I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.

It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence has been to face the aggressors(入侵者), and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, which gives me pause.

I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword and my darling from the power of the dog.” Yet I know death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live together, but live as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.

1. According to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ___________.

A.puts forward the subject of the text

B.shows the author’s pity on the kid

C.serves as an introduction to the discussion

D.makes a clear statement of the author’s views

2.In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us____________.

A.how much he misses his parents now

B.why his parents often appear in his dream

C.when Lucien will get over all his sadness

D.how proud he was when he succeeded in life

3.What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?

A.Proud.

B.Happy.

C.Disappointed.

D.Worried.

4.In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is _____________.

A.to leave a precious memory to the people related

B.to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

C.to care what others will remember and treasure

D.to share happiness and sadness with his family

5. What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?    

A.Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

B.Advise parents stay with their children safely at home.

C.Spend every day meaningfully in memory of death.

D.Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.

 

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