I never thought I would have a life-changing experience at Wal-Mart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed, the checkout line I was standing in wasn't moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies, wearing glasses and a nice smile. I thought, well, he's an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before scanning the items. Sure, his words were the usual, "How's it going?" But he did something different--he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was odd. I has grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don't give any thought to the question and just mumble something back. I could say, "I just found out I have six months to live," and someone would reply, "Have a great day!"
But that wasn't the end.
He gave them the change, walked around the counter, and extended his right hand in an act of friendship. He looked the customers in the eyes. "I sure want to thank you for shopping here today," he told them. "You have a great day. Bye-bye."
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some sheepish grins. All had been touched by his simple gesture--and in a place they never expected. They would gather their things and walk out, smiling.
Of course, he did the same to me and I got to know his name--Marty.
Who was that guy? It was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy's body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that

  1. 1.

    What was most customers' reaction to Marty's behavior?

    1. A.
      They thought it priceless
    2. B.
      They thought it awful and odd
    3. C.
      They felt somewhat offended
    4. D.
      They were in some way moved
  2. 2.

    The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because______

    1. A.
      the cashier did more than scanning the items
    2. B.
      the cashier couldn't work as fast as others
    3. C.
      there were some big purchases
    4. D.
      the writer was not patient enough
  3. 3.

    What can we infer about Sam Walton?

    1. A.
      He might be Marty's father or grandfather
    2. B.
      He might have died while working in the market
    3. C.
      He might be friendly and devoted to Wal-Mart
    4. D.
      He might have come back from the dead once before
  4. 4.

    According to the writer, when common people ask you "How's it going?"

    1. A.
      they are just practicing their conversation ability
    2. B.
      they are inquiring about your private information
    3. C.
      they don't expect to hear any negative answers
    4. D.
      they don't really care what you may answer
  5. 5.

    What does the writer intend to express through the text?

    1. A.
      Our everyday life is always full of surprises
    2. B.
      Being different is a good way of doing business
    3. C.
      A little positive action can make a big difference
    4. D.
      Most customers enjoy being treated this way

My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him, but the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card （成绩报告单）arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six failing grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I'm giving the whole thing up to you.” Just then, I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster, “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands.” For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “Thank you for your time” and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a great improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll（光荣榜）. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-­teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home，he said, “Mum，remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was me. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”

  1. 1.

    By saying “Karl became withdrawn” the author means that the boy changed entirely and ________

    1. A.
      he preferred to stay at school
    2. B.
      he stayed at home all day
    3. C.
      he refused to talk to his mother
    4. D.
      he began to like his life
  2. 2.

    There was silence on the other end of the line because ________

    1. A.
      the speaker was too moved to say anything to his mother
    2. B.
      the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking
    3. C.
      the speaker didn't want the mother to recognize his voice
    4. D.
      the speaker didn’t want to interrupt the mother
  3. 3.

    What is the main idea of this passage?

    1. A.
      Children in single-­parent families often have mental problems
    2. B.
      Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life
    3. C.
      Being understood by parents is not necessary to teenagers
    4. D.
      School education is a failure
  4. 4.

    Which is not true according to the article?

    1. A.
      Karl changed a lot after his father died
    2. B.
      What Karl did at school showed that he didn’t love his mother
    3. C.
      Karl’s mother tried many ways to help him
    4. D.
      Karl’s teachers were surprised at his change

In the 19th century, there used to be a model of how to be a good person. There are all these torrents of passion flowing through you. Your job, as captain of your soul, is to erect dams to keep these passions in check. Your job is to just say no to laziness, lust, greed, drug use and the other sins.
　　These days that model is out of fashion. You usually can’t change your behavior by simply resolving to do something. Knowing what to do is not the same as being able to do it. Your willpower is not like a dam that can block the torrent of self-indulgence. It's more like a muscle, which tires easily. Moreover, you're a social being. If everybody around you is overeating, you’ll probably do so, too.
　　The 19th-century character model was based on an understanding of free will. Today, we know that free will is bounded. People can change their lives, but ordering change is not simple because many things, even within ourselves, are beyond our direct control.
　　Much of our behavior, for example, is guided by unconscious habits. Researchers at Duke University calculated that more than 40 percent of the actions we take are governed by habit, not actual decisions. Researchers have also come to understand the structure of habits—cue, routine, reward.
　　You can change your own personal habits. If you leave running shorts on the floor at night, that'll be a cue to go running in the morning. Don’t try to ignore your afternoon snack craving. Every time you feel the cue for a snack, insert another routine. Take a walk.
　　Their research thus implies a different character model, which is supposed to manipulate the neuralnetworks inside.
　　To be an effective person, under this model, you are supposed to coolly examine your own unconscious habits, and the habits of those under your care. You are supposed to devise strategies to alter the cues and routines. Every relationship becomes slightly manipulative, including your relationship with yourself. You're trying to arouse certain responses by implanting certain cues.
　　This is a bit disturbing, because the important habitual neural networks are not formed by mere routine, nor can they be reversed by clever cues. They are burned in by emotion and strengthened by strong yearnings, like the yearnings for admiration and righteousness.
　　If you think you can change your life in a clever way, the way an advertiser can get you to buy an air freshener, you’re probably wrong. As the Victorians understood, if you want to change your life, don’t just look for a clever cue. Commit to some larger global belief

  1. 1.

    Which of the following is the first-to-none element in the 19th-century character model?

    1. A.
      Action
    2. B.
      Capacity
    3. C.
      Resolution
    4. D.
      Enthusiasm
  2. 2.

    The 19th-century model supposedly does not work on the grounds that ________

    1. A.
      one’s wished should be pondered before acting
    2. B.
      the comparison of free will to a dam is groundless
    3. C.
      it has been proved impractical and cannot hold true
    4. D.
      there were many other factors beyond one's control
  3. 3.

    The research at Duke University indicated that ________

    1. A.
      One’s behavior is tough to change
    2. B.
      Habit has an unidentified structure
    3. C.
      Habit plays a vital role in one's behavior
    4. D.
      Both habit and will power are of significance
  4. 4.

    According to the new character model, personal behavior could be altered through

    1. A.
      techniques to break old routines
    2. B.
      techniques to provide different physical cues
    3. C.
      cues to change all the former unconscious habits
    4. D.
      cues to manipulate the habitual neural responses
  5. 5.

    We can learn from the passage that the new character model ________

    1. A.
      can generate changes in one's life like what advertisers do
    2. B.
      highlights the neural and psychological aspects of habit change
    3. C.
      has been identified a new method of changing behavior perfectly
    4. D.
      has an advantage over others in dealing with emotional aspects of behavior

The television news feature about Ben Heckmann, an eighth grader from Farmington, Minn, was breathless in its praise. “At 14, he has accomplished something many adults can’t achieve,” the reporter said, “Ben is a twice-published author.” But Ben’s two “Velvet Black” books, describing a fictional rock band, were not picked from a pile of manuscripts（手稿）by an eagle eyed publisher. They were self-published, at the cost of $400 by Ben’s parents.
Over the past five years, print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to avoid the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who could call himself a “published author.”
The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy equipment for a promising baseball player. But others see self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about hardship and perseverance. Mr. Robbins, a critic, thinks it is wonderful to start writing at a young age, but worries self-publishing sends the wrong message. “There are no prodigies(神童) in literature,” he said. “Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not.” Alan Rinzler, a publishing industry veteran, suggested parents hire a professional editor like him to work with their child to tear a manuscript apart and help make a better. Ben’s father, Ken, said Ben’s ambitions “weren’t to knock Harry Potter off the list,” but “to get that good feeling inside that you’ve done something.”
Ajla Dizdarevic, 12, who has self-published two books of poetry, has been on television and in local newspapers. “Being a published author,” she said, “was always a dream of mine.” Her new dream: three books by age 15

  1. 1.

    Which of the following is true of Ben?

    1. A.
      He has achieved something unusual for his age
    2. B.
      His self-published books were well received
    3. C.
      His manuscripts were favored by the publisher
    4. D.
      He was thought little of by the public media
  2. 2.

    What makes it possible for writers of all ages to self-publish their works?

    1. A.
      The rapid increase of online readership
    2. B.
      The increasing number of publishers
    3. C.
      The immediate access to marketing agencies
    4. D.
      The development of printing and publishing
  3. 3.

    Why do some parents pay the self-publishing bill?

    1. A.
      They want to offer opportunities to their children
    2. B.
      They want to give encouragement to their children
    3. C.
      They want to help their children avoid hardship
    4. D.
      They want to show love and care for their children
  4. 4.

    What dose Alan Rinzler suggest that children should do?

    1. A.
      Be forbidden to write books
    2. B.
      Start writing at an early age
    3. C.
      Be professionally guided
    4. D.
      Learn from experience
  5. 5.

    Why do some children self-publish works according to the last part?

    1. A.
      Just to achieve their dreams
    2. B.
      Just to earn more money
    3. C.
      Just to gain self-confidence
    4. D.
      Just to satisfy their parents

Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge(知识)．If you remember the following information，your life will be much safer．
Always notice the environment around you．You shouldn’t walk alone outside．Make sure where the public phones are．If anything dangerous happens，you can find them easily．
Your bag should be carried towards the front of your body instead of putting it on your back．When a bus is full of people, it is easy enough for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back．
If you are followed by someone whom you don’t know, cross the street and go to the other way，let the person understand that you know he or she is after you．Next，don’t go home at once．You are safer in the street than you are alone in your home or in a lift(电梯)．
If you have to take a bus to a place far away, try to get to the stop a few minutes earlier before the bus leaves．This stops other people from studying you．On the bus，don’t sit alone．Sit behind the driver or with other people．Don’t sleep．

  1. 1.

    Which of the following is NOT safe when you are out?

    1. A.
      Go home alone late at night．
    2. B.
      Make sure where the public phones are．
    3. C.
      Don’t get to the bus stop too early．
    4. D.
      Always notice the environment around you．
  2. 2.

    When you are followed by someone on your way home，you should  to make yourself safe．

    1. A.
      run home
    2. B.
      find a lift and go in
    3. C.
      turn back and walk towards him or her at once
    4. D.
      cross the street and go to the other way
  3. 3.

    What can you learn from the text?

    1. A.
      How to notice the environment around you
    2. B.
      How to be safe in your everyday life
    3. C.
      How to cross the street
    4. D.
      How to use the public phones

It was in the Victorian Era (维多利亚时期) that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronté sisters and others.
Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes.
The Bronté sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year.
An interest in rural(田园的) matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others.
Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well-known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children’s books, which featured (以……为特色) animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902

  1. 1.

    What can we know about Charles Dickens from the text?

    1. A.
      He showed an interest in rural matters in his writing
    2. B.
      He focused on changing social and economic situation of the countryside
    3. C.
      He wrote about the struggles of the poor in London?
    4. D.
      He published the highly successful children’s book
  2. 2.

    Which is TRUE about the Bronté sisters?

    1. A.
      They were English writers of the 1830s
    2. B.
      They paid to have their first book published
    3. C.
      They began their writing from the rural life
    4. D.
      Their first book was successful
  3. 3.

    Who wrote the famous children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit according to the text?

    1. A.
      Lewis Carroll
    2. B.
      The Brontésisters
    3. C.
      Thomas Hardy
    4. D.
      Helen Beatrix Potter
  4. 4.

    The author states in the last paragraph that ________

    1. A.
      Edward Lear was famous for writing about animals
    2. B.
      adventure novels were not written for children at first
    3. C.
      Thomas Hardy was not as famous as Lewis Carroll
    4. D.
      society changed rapidly in the Victorian Era
  5. 5.

    This text is mainly about ________

    1. A.
      literature in the Victorian Era
    2. B.
      writing styles in the Victorian Era
    3. C.
      famous works in the Victorian Era
    4. D.
      the importance of literature in the Victorian Era

Have you ever been in a meeting while someone was making a speech and realized suddenly that your mind was a million miles away? You probably felt sorry and made up your mind to pay attention and never have daydreaming again. Most of us from earlier school days have been told that daydreaming is a waste of time.
“ On the contrary,” says L.Giambra, an expert in psychology（心理学）, “ daydreaming is quite necessary. Without it, the mind couldn’t get done all the thinking it has to do during a normal day… .
You can’t possibly do all your thinking with a conscious（有意识的） mind. Instead, your unconscious mind is working out problems all the time. Daydreaming then may be one way that the unconscious states of minds have silent dialogues.”
Early experts in psychology paid no attention to the importance of daydreams or even considered them harmful. At one time daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illness. They did not have a better understanding of daydreams until the late 1980s. Eric Klinger, a professor of psychology, is the writer of the book Daydreaming. Klinger says, “we know now that daydreaming is one of the main ways that we organize our lives, learn from our experiences, and plan for our futures… Daydreams really are a window on the things we fear and the things we long for in life.”
Daydreams are usually very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams which may be hard to understand. It’s easier to gain a deep understanding of your life by paying close attention to your daydreams than by trying to examine your sleep dreams carefully. Daydreams help you recognize the difficult situations in your life and find out a possible way of handling them.
Daydreams cannot be predicted; they move off in unexpected directions which may be creative and full of useful ideas. For many famous artists and scientists, daydreams were and are a main source of creative energy.
So the next time you catch yourself daydreaming, don’t stop. Just pay attention to your dream. It may be more important than you think

  1. 1.

    In what way are daydreams different from sleep dreams?

    1. A.
      Daydreams help to develop an unconscious mind
    2. B.
      Daydreams are not so easy for us to control and direct
    3. C.
      Daydreams help us to handle more difficult situations
    4. D.
      Daydreams are easier for us to understand
  2. 2.

    Professor Eric Klinger believes that _______

    1. A.
      our fears and longings in life are shown in our daydreams
    2. B.
      we may study our experiences just through our daydreams
    3. C.
      daydreaming is one of the important ways that we recognize our lives
    4. D.
      we should be able to tell our futures by having daydreams
  3. 3.

    The writer of the article thinks that ______

    1. A.
      daydreaming is more helpful than sleep dreams
    2. B.
      many artists and scientists are famous because they have daydreams
    3. C.
      professor Eric Klinger has a better idea than L. Giambra
    4. D.
      daydreaming with an unconscious mind will do good to health
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

    1. A.
      Daydreaming was once regarded as a cause of mental illness
    2. B.
      Experts began to have a better understanding of daydreams in the late 1980s
    3. C.
      Scientists believe that we can know daydreams before having them
    4. D.
      Many well-known artists gained energy of creation from daydream

Do you know that a fast reader can get the ideas better than a slow reader can? Of course, you save time by reading fast, but this is not the main reason for fast reading. The main reason is that you understand better what you are reading when you read fast.
As your eyes move along the line of print, they make fixations(固定) or pauses. It is important that you see several words at a fixation. It is also important that your eyes leave a group of words quickly and move on to another group. The number of letters or words that you see at a fixation is called your eye span. Pay more attention to improving your rate of reading. With practice you can learn to read faster than you usually read.
The way in which you read always depends on what you are reading and for what purpose. You should know the different ways of reading so that you can apply whatever method that is necessary. Here are four ways of reading:
(1) Skimming is an important kind of reading. This method can be used when you wish to review something that you have forgotten. You can skim to get the main points.
(2) Rapid first reading and then rereading certain parts carefully is important. You may use this type of reading to study a science lesson or a history lesson.[来源:学.科.网]
(3) You need to do careful reading and rereading sometimes. This type of reading is necessary for making an intensive(精深的) study of your school subjects, solving maths problems or reading directions.
(4) Rapid reading is used when reading stories for enjoyment. You may also do rapid reading when reviewing material that you already know well

  1. 1.

    The main reason for reading fast is that you can           what you are fast reading

    1. A.
      get the ideas
    2. B.
      save time
    3. C.
      understand better
    4. D.
      learn well
  2. 2.

    The way of reading always depends on           

    1. A.
      the method that you like
    2. B.
      your reading material
    3. C.
      your reading purpose
    4. D.
      both B and C
  3. 3.

    The underlined word “skimming” in the fourth paragraph means              

    1. A.
      reading very fast
    2. B.
      looking carefully
    3. C.
      reading only the main points
    4. D.
      reading some parts of the material
  4. 4.

    Careful reading is an important kind of reading              

    1. A.
      when you read a story for enjoyment
    2. B.
      when you go over a lesson that you have already known well
    3. C.
      when you read the directions before using a camera which is expensive
    4. D.
      when you wish to find a lost place that you have read

First Lady Michelle Obama urged students to visit China at the "100,000 Strong" China Study Abroad forum at Howard University in 2011.
President Barack Obama announced the "100,000 Strong" Initiative （倡议） during his 2009 visit to China. The program aims to increase and diversify the number of American students studying in China by making studying abroad more affordable.
During the event at Howard, Mrs. Obama spoke about the importance of studying abroad, something she never did while in college. "Studying in countries like China is about so much more than just improving your own prospects（前景） in the global market. The fact is that with every friendship you make and every bond of trust you establish you are shaping an image of America projected to the rest of the world," she said.
David Marzban from Pepperdine University recalled a time when he formed a cross-cultural bond with a complete stranger at a restaurant near Fudan University in Shanghai. He noticed a young chef signaling him to come over. "He presses the play button on his media player and starts singing 'California Dreaming' and wants me to sing along with him," Marzban said. "At this time I knew a great friendship had started during my first two weeks in China."
Nicole Baden, a senior communications major at Howard University, recalled how her time in China really helped her master the language. "You have to experience the culture while learning the language to really master it and to understand why things are how they are compared to your own culture," Baden said.
Mrs. Obama encouraged students to set aside concept that studying abroad is for rich kids only or for those attending certain schools. In addition, the first lady announced that the Chinese government is giving 10,000 "Bridge Scholarships" to cover costs for American students and teachers studying in China.
Students from several schools attended the forum. 12-year-old Sarah Davis, who studied in China last summer, said she was very excited to hear Michelle Obama talk about the country. “I love Chinese. Out of all the languages I’ve learned, Chinese is the most difficult and interesting,” she said

  1. 1.

    The examples mentioned in the passage mainly indicate that _____

    1. A.
      the US students’ life in China is helpful and worthwhile
    2. B.
      all students of the US are living a comfortable life in China
    3. C.
      Chinese young people are friendly to foreigners
    4. D.
      it isn’t realistic for some US young people to study in China
  2. 2.

    What can we infer from the passage?

    1. A.
      Baden came to China to study the differences between English and Chinese
    2. B.
      Poor children from America have no opportunity to study in China
    3. C.
      David Marzban made a Chinese friend in an unexpected way in China
    4. D.
      Michelle Obama called on US students to study in China at a government meeting
  3. 3.

    What is the best title for the passage?

    1. A.
      The US has an ambitious program for Americans studying in China
    2. B.
      Michelle Obama encourages American students to study in China
    3. C.
      More American students plan to study in China
    4. D.
      China is attracting more and more international students

All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer.
Sports change with the season. People play different games in winter and summer.
Games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities. The Arab use horses or camels in much of their daily life; they use them in their sports, too.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.
Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example , has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person’s character(性格品质). One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace（体面）

  1. 1.

    According to this passage we know that ________

    1. A.
      people began to play about one hundred years ago
    2. B.
      about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played
    3. C.
      basketball has a long history than volleyball
    4. D.
      not all the games have long history
  2. 2.

    According to the passage, which of the following isn’t true?______

    1. A.
      Sports help to train a person’s character
    2. B.
      People swim only because there are a lot of rivers in their country
    3. C.
      People from different countries may not be able to understand each other before a game
    4. D.
      Sports and games can develop the friendship between people all over the world
  3. 3.

    The writer didn’t tell us in this passage that ______

    1. A.
      basketball was invented in America
    2. B.
      sports change with seasons
    3. C.
      games and sports often grow out of people’s work and everyday activities
    4. D.
      football is played all over the world
 0  10668  10676  10682  10686  10692  10694  10698  10704  10706  10712  10718  10722  10724  10728  10734  10736  10742  10746  10748  10752  10754  10758  10760  10762  10763  10764  10766  10767  10768  10770  10772  10776  10778  10782  10784  10788  10794  10796  10802  10806  10808  10812  10818  10824  10826  10832  10836  10838  10844  10848  10854  10862  151629 

违法和不良信息举报电话：027-86699610 举报邮箱：58377363@163.com

精英家教网