It’s 5:00 in the morning when the alarm (闹钟) rings in my ears. I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom. I turn on the light and put on my glasses. The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully. Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD, Insanity. Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes. My heart races as I face my body to finish each movement. As I near the end of the exercise, I feel extremely tired, but a smile is of my face. It’s a smile because the DVD is over, but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit.

Some people enjoy shopping,smoking,food,work,or even chocolate. But I need exercise to get through each day. Some shake heads when they see me run through the town. Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother’s chocolate cake. They raise their eyebrows, surprised by my “no thank you,” or by my choice to have a salad. Over the years,I have learned it’s okay to just say “no.” I shouldn’t feel sorry for refusing food that I don’t want to eat.

So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m.? What gives me the reason to just say to ice cream? Commitment. A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases self–confidence and energy, extends life and above all improves my body shape. This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right. It’s through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out.

1.Why is there a smile on the author’s face in the morning?

A. Because she sees her family sleeping peacefully.

B. Because she feels a sense of achievement.

C. Because she enjoys the interesting DVD.

D. Because she finishes her favorite exercise.

2.Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2?

A. Others don’t understand what she does.

B. She likes to make others surprised.

C. She doesn’t like others politely.

D. Others try to help her by offering her food.

3.What does the underlined word “commitment” in the last paragraph mean?

A. Good health. B. A regular habit.

C. A strong power. D. Firm belief.

4.What can we learn about the author from the text?

A. She aims to develop a good body shape.

B. She wants to look different from others.

C. She acts in a strange way.

D. She has difficulty getting along with others.

Most of us know about the Nobel Prize, especially the Nobel Peace Prize, but few of us know anything about the man who set them up. His name was Alfred Nobel. He was a great scientist and inventor himself. Besides, he had a big business. His business may surprise you. He made and sold explosives(炸药). His companies even made and sold weapons. Isn’t this something that surprises you? The man who made money from weapons should set up the Peace Prize?

Though Alfred Nobel had a lot of money from weapons, he hated war. He hoped that there would be no war in the world. He was one of the richest in Europe. When he died in 1896, he left behind him a lot of money and his famous will. According to his will, most of his money was placed in a fund(基金). He wanted the interest(利润) from the fund to be used as prizes every year. We know them as the Nobel Prizes. The Nobel Prizes are international. Alfred Nobel wanted the winners to be chosen for their work, not the country they came from.

Alfred Nobel had given his whole life to his studies and work and to the benefits of mankind. He made money all by his own efforts, but he left the world share his wealth. His inventions and wealth stay with the world for ever.

1.Alfred Nobel did the following EXCEPT ________.

A. choosing the winners of Nobel Prize

B. making and selling weapons

C. setting up the Nobel Prize

D. making and selling explosives

2.Nobel wanted to set up the Nobel Peace Prize because ________.

A. he made enough money

B. he hated war

C. he wanted to get more interest from the fund

D. he liked to live in a peaceful world

3.Nobel Prizes come from ________.

A. all Nobel’s money in the fund

B. all Nobel’s money in his company

C. all the interest from the fund

D. some of the interest in the fund

4.Which statement of the following is Right according to the passage?

A. Nobel set up his company to sell clothes.

B. Most of Nobel’s money was used for the world wars.

C. Nobel Prizes are only for some people from some special countries.

D. Nobel worked hard in his life and saved lots of money for the world to share.

Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)

Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)

Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects (影响) of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Angela Merkel (1954 - )

In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 - )

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.

Margaret Thatcher (1925 - 2013)

In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.

Marie Curie (1867-1934)

Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.

1.Who once won the Nobel Prize?

A.Jane Addams and Marie Curie.

B.Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher.

C.Marie Curie and Angela Merkel.

D.Marie Curie and Rachel Carson.

2.What do Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher have in common?

A.Both of them were scientists before coming to power.

B.Both of them are the first woman head of their country.

C.Both of them are famous for being strict.

D.Both of them have worked for three terms.

3.Who once failed to find a job?

A.Jane Addams. B.Sandra Day O’Connor.

C.Rachel Carson. D.Margaret Thatcher.

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A.Great women. B.Famous scientists.

C.Strong leaders. D.Ways to success for women.

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