A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clear will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.

Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

    A．words have a lasting effect on us  B．inspiring words give us confidence

    C．negative words may let us down 

D．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us 

2.There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______.

    A．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves

    B．talking to ourselves always gives us courage

    C．we can benefit from talking to ourselves

    D．it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone

3.The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______.

    A．remind ourselves                 B．praise ourselves

    C．make ourselves relaxed           D．give ourselves amusement

4.．The author would probably hold the view that ___________.

    A．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers

    B．negative words may stimulate us to make more progress

    C．people tend to remember friendly words

    D．it is better to think twice before talking to others

—Be quick, please. I have to be there by 9:00

— __________, but I’ll try my best.

         A．That’s all right   B．No problem        C．I can’t promise  D．It’s impossible

You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.
First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let’s start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle (角度) to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45° angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn’t flap (摆动). It shouldn’t look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can’t go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.
【小题1】What should you consider first while sailing?

Detective Keeling took his client — a good-looking lady into the back yard of the store together. The lady opened a door in the wall and they entered the small room behind the store. They crossed the room to a locked door.

M r. Keeling took some special keys from his pocket. Moments later, one of the keys unlocked the door. The lady went into the store. She said she would hide under the table to keep watch on her husband. Mr. Keeling did not follow her.

The detective went quickly to the policeman’s house. Then the two men hurried to the jewellery store. They looked through the window. The policeman was surprised. He spoke to Mr. Keeling. “I don’t understand. You told me, ‘Robbins took a young woman to a restaurant.’ Where is she?”

         “There she is !” said Mr. Keeling. He pointed through the window.

         “Do you know the lady with Robbins?” asked the policeman.

         “That’s his secret friend,” said Mr. Keeling.

         “No! You’re wrong! That’s Robbins’ wife,” said the policeman. “I’ve known her for fifteen years.”

         “What ?” the detective shouted. His face became pale. “Who is under the table in the store?”

         He started to kick the door of the jewellery store.

         Mr. Robbins came to the door and opened it. The policeman and the detective ran into the store.

         “Look under that table!” shouted the detective. “Be quick!”

         The policeman lifted the cloth and put his arm under the table. He pulled out a black dress, a black veil and a woman’s wig(假发).

         “Is this young lady your wife?” Mr. Keeling asked the jeweler. He pointed at the woman.

         “Yes! She is my wife !” said Mr. Robbins angrily. “Why did you kick my door? Why are those clothes under my table?”

         “Please check all the jewellery in your store, Mr. Robbins,” the policeman said. “Is anything missing?”

         Some diamond rings and some expensive necklaces were missing. The missing jewellery was worth ＄800.

         Later that night, Mr. Keeling was sitting in his office. He was looking through a big book of photographs. They were photographs of criminals. The policeman had brought the book to the detective’s office. Suddenly, Mr. Keeling stopped turning the pages. He looked at a picture of a handsome young man with a familiar face.

         The next morning, Mr. Keeling paid the jeweler ＄800, and then closed his office.

1.At the beginning, the lady was able to go into the jewellery store because ___________.

A. she went to the back yard and found the way

B. she was the owner of the store and had the key

C. two men helped her together to enter the store

D. Mr. Keeling unlocked the back door to the store

2.The young lady who stayed with Mr. Robbins in the jewellery store was actually _________.

A. Mr. Robbins’ sister                                                        B. Mr. Robbins’ secret friend

C. Mr. Robbins’ wife                                                 D. a clever thief

3.It can be inferred from the passage that Mr. Keeling cooperated with his client _____________.

A. so that he could get some jewellery from the store

B. because he thought he was helping the lady

C. because he wanted to play a joke on Mr. Robbins

D. so that he could get a job as a policeman

4.The missing jewellery worth＄800 was in fact taken away by _____________.

A. a young woman              B. a young man          C. a detective                      D. a policeman

----Be quick, please. I have to be there by 9:00.

---- _____, but I’ll try my best.

A．That’s all right                         B．No problem

C．I can’t promise                        D．It’s impossible