Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something just because the salesman talked you into it?

Many people are afraid to assert（维护，坚持） themselves. Dr. Robert Albert, author of STAND UP, SPEAK OUT and TALK BACK, thinks it is because their self-respect is low. “There’s always a superior around------ a parent, a teacher, a boss who knows better.” But Albert and other scientists are doing something to help people assert themselves.

They offer assertiveness training courses, A. T. for short. In the A. T. course people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be aggressive without hurting other people.

In one way, learning to speak out is to get rid of fear. A group taking an A. T. course will help the timid person to lose his fear. But A. T. uses an even stronger motive to share the need. The timid person speaks out in the group because he wants to tell how he feels.

Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-respect. If your face is more important than you, you may feel less of a person. You start to doubt your answers to problems. However, once you get to feel good about yourself, you can learn to speak out.

The problem the writer talks about is that ________________.

   A. some people buy things they don’t want

   B. some people are afraid to speak up for their rights  

C. there are too many superiors

   D. some people don’t think enough of themselves

The cause of the problem talked about in the text is that _________.

   A. some people have a low self-respect  

B. there is always someone around who knows better  

C. salesmen talk people into buying things they don’t want  

D. people don’t share enough

The underlined word “timid” probably means “___________” in Chinese

   A. 胆小的                      B. 优秀的

   C. 勇敢的                      D. 无知的

One thing the A.T. course doesn’t do is to _____________.

   A. share the need of people        B. show people they have a right to be themselves      

C. help people overcome fear      D. help people to assert themselves even if others suffer

I am a team leader in an insurance company.   We are going through a lot of changes right now which is __1__ much stress for all of us. A few weeks ago I was having a day so __2__ that I even doubted if I had the ability to do this challenging work, and was about ready to change to a less stressful job __3__. Something happened that day to change my way of __4__ and I am so appreciative of this young lady. I want to let her know that the small act __5__.

On the top of my cubicle(工作隔间)I have a small collection of lighthouses(灯塔)to let people know where I am sitting __6__ my team members have to find me for emergencies.

That day I came into the office and was about to get the day __7__ when Crystal came over. I asked if she needed anything. She said，“I __8__ you something.  I looked at her   ”with a __9__ look  and said，“Well，thank you, but why __10__ you buy me anything？”I had never spoke to this young lady __11__. She said，“Every day I stand up and look across the __12__ and see your light houses. Then I feel I am not alone and I encourage myself that there are always __13__ things in life. I saw this on the way to work and thought __14__ would like it. I wish it would have the same __15__ as your lighthouses do. ”In her hand she had a small globe with a lighthouse and a ship on it. I gave her a hug and __16__ her.   I don't think she knows how much that small act of __17__ changed my day：I remained __18__ the rest of the day.

For anyone that reads this，I hope you remember，no matter what the __19__ is，you could change someone's day, __20__ even his views on life.

1. A. preventing　B. reducing　C. causing　　D. suffering

2. A. funny      B. nice      C. bad       D. dull

3. A. everywhere  B. elsewhere  C. anywhere  D. nowhere

4. A. working     B. behaving  C. speaking  D. thinking

5. A. broke my heart   B. touched my heart

C. lost my heart     D. tore my heart

6. A. in case      B. so that  C. as if   D. even though

7. A. ended      B. started  C. changed   D. avoided

8. A. borrowed  B. lent  C. sold  D. bought

9. A. delighted  B. puzzled  C. thankful  D. worried

10. A. might  B. dare  C. could  D. would

11. A. before  B. then  C. since  D. after

12. A. dorm  B. office  C. ship  D. tower

13. A. bright       B. challenging

C. bad         D. stressful

14. A. colleagues  B. leaders  C. you  D. I

15. A. opinion  B. cause  C. expectation  D. effect

16. A. praised  B. thanked  C. scolded  D. refused

17. A. justice  B. courage  C. kindness  D. tolerance

18. A. careful      B. encouraged

C. tired         D. alone

19. A. present  B. work  C. gesture  D. intention

20. A. so       B. for  C. or      D. nor

Illegal removal of coral (珊瑚) along Sri Lanka’s coastline increased the amount of destruction on the island by last December’s tsunami, say researchers.

Harindra Fernando, a fluid dynamicist (力学家) at Arizona State University in Tempe, made the connection after a visit to his native Sri Lanka earlier this year. While serving as a scientific expert and translator for a BBC-documentary team, he chatted with locals who said they saw the tsunami turn sideways when it hit coral—which would have made it less powerful than in coral-free areas. Fernando linked this to trucks he had seen last year carrying piles of coral away from the sea.

Using the eyewitness reports, estimates (估算) of wave heights, and a series of divers to check the presence or absence of corals, Fernando and his colleagues produced a map of coral gaps and wave flooding along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast.

The tsunami reached significantly farther inland through the gaps: in one instance, the water traveled 1.5 kilometres long and knocked a passenger train off its tracks, killing 1,700. But only a few kilometers away, where the coral was still undamaged, the wave travelled just 50 metres inland and caused no deaths.

There is a similar phenomenon. In Nicaragua in 1992, a tsunami poured through a break in the coral reef made to let boats through. “Within this passage, water went one kilometre inland,” says Fernando. “But nearby, where the coral was undamaged, there were still beach umbrellas standing.”

In Sri Lanka, coral is illegally mined to provide souvenirs for tourists, or to be used in house paint. Coral harvesters sometimes blow it up with dynamite (炸药) in order to collect fish at the same time. Often, the reefs in the best shape are those in front of hotels, as the hotel owners maintain them for the tourists. Fernando hopes that his findings will encourage the Sri Lankan government to enforce (实施) its laws against coral mining.

Harindra Fernando did all the following EXCEPT ________.

A. serving as a translator for a BBC-documentary team

B. helping the Sri Lankan government enforce its laws against coral mining

C. producing a map of coral gaps along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast

D. linking the coral removal with the destruction of Tsunami

The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that________.

A. undamaged coral can greatly decrease tsunami damage

B. coral-free area is a danger to passenger trains

C. in general, water travels 30 times farther inland in a coral-free area

D. it is urgent to enforce laws against coral mining

Which of the following may NOT be the cause of coral gaps?

A. Boat passages.                         B. Tourists’ sightseeing.   

C. Fish collecting.                         D. Tourists’ souvenirs.

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Harindra Fernando, a Great Environment Protector

B. Stop Using Coral as Souvenirs

C. Coral Cried “Help! Help!”

D. Coral Mining Enhanced (加剧) Tsunami Damage

It was time for Mr. Rocco to shut up shop when I hurried into the florist’s. “Now, what is it you want?” Mr. Rocco turned to me. “I want the most beautiful flower you have.” I replied. “And just how much do you have to pay for this most beautiful flower?” I held out a wet hand showing a quarter and dime. He nodded, and then showed me a plant on the counter. “I can give you this one for 35 cents.” he said. “Aw, gee,” I protested, “it looks like a weed!” About 18 inches high, the plant was in a small pot covered with faded red paper. “Now trust me, boy—I promise that tomorrow morning when you get up, you will find your most beautiful flower.” said Mr. Rocco. I knew him to be a good honest man, so I agreed to take it.

It was almost midnight when I arrived home. Mom was seriously sick and using the front bedroom. I looked in to see if she was asleep, and then quietly tiptoed in and set the plant on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be surprised when she woke on Mother’s Day.

The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining through kitchen window as I looked into Mom’s room. She motioned for me to come in, then glanced over at the table where the plant was. Holy mackerel! There were three big yellow trumpet-shaped（喇叭状的）blooms. It was just like Mr. Rocco said—the most beautiful flower I ever saw! When I looked at Mom, she was smiling as tears streamed down her cheeks. She held out her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged till it hurt. Then, remembering her contagious condition and that she wasn’t supposed to touch me, she quickly let me go.

My dear mom died the next night. The moment she hugged me turned out to be the most wonderful moment of my life. Not only had that beautiful plant helped show just how much I loved her, but I’d always know how much she loved me.

   The author didn’t like the plant recommended by Mr. Rocco at first because ______.

A. the packing of the plant was shabby

B. the plant was more a weed than a flower         

C. the plant appeared too ordinary to be the most beautiful

D. he thought Mr. Rocco was reluctant to do the deal with him

   Mother’s condition was contagious (Line 6, Para.3) for ______.

A. she was at the death’s door         B. she suffered from the illness

C. others were sick of her appearance   D. virus might spread from her to others  

When mother hugged the author tightly, she was showing that ______.

A. she liked being given gifts             

B. she valued what the author had done for her

C. she was aware of the approaching of death   

D. she was touched by the beauty of the flower

The story is mainly developed by______________.

A. time        B. logic            C. comparison       D. cause and result

Which may be the best title of the passage?

A. Flowers of Love                          B. A Son’s Love for Mother

C. Low Price, High Value               D. A Special Mother’s Day 

Directions: Read the following passage．Complete the diagram by using the information from the passage．Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer．

       A migraine headache（偏头疼） can cause disabling pain．People may not feel back to normal for hours or even for days．

       Migraine headaches are most common among young adults and middle-aged people．In the United States, about eighteen percent of women and six percent of men report having migraines．

       People who suffer from migraines can find that different "triggers" in different people may get a headache started．Stress can act as a trigger．

       Many migraine sufferers say hot weather and low barometric pressure（气压） can act as triggers, but researchers say they did not have much scientific evidence of that-until now．

       In a new study, a team examined the medical records of seven thousand hospital patients．The patients had visited the emergency room at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, because of a headache．More than two thousand of them had been found to have a migraine．

       The team then compared those records to weather conditions in the twenty-four hours before the hospital visits．For every increase of five degrees Celsius in air temperature, the patients had a seven and one-half percent higher risk of migraine．Decreases in barometric pressure two to three days before the visit also appeared to cause headaches．

       A separate study has found that age, gender and where a person has extra body fat may affect the risk of migraine．It found that overweight people between the ages of twenty and fifty-five may have a higher risk．On average, those who were larger around the middle were more likely to have migraines than those of the same age with smaller waistlines（腰围）．

       Experts suggest that losing weight in the stomach area may help younger people who experience migraines, especially women．Doing exercises regularly is also helpful to reducing migraine headaches．

Title:

●        ．

● Not feel back to normal for hours or even days．

People suffering from it Young adults and

_______    Hot weather→ every increase of five degrees Celsius: seven and one-half percent higher risk of migraine

                         → decreases two to three days before the visit appeared to cause headaches

       A separate study              and where a person has extra body fat→ overweight people between twenty and fifty-five have a higher risk

     ● Lose weight in the stomach area．

●        ．