After a very busy afternoon, as I walked into my house, I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia, upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice, but this time, extremely tired from chores, I simply pulled off my coat, sat down in a chair and listened to my friend's frustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her, I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia's depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. "I'm so grateful for the way you helped me through this," she said.

At first I was surprised. After all, I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting(发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening, I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact, most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap; it's listening that's rare and valuable. It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying, but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker, that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.

Unfortunately, listening isn't as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work, multitasking has become the barrier(障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my e-mail while Lydia talked that afternoon.

Another barrier to listening is our listening system: Most of us take in only about half of what's being said during a conversation, according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute, yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore, because we think much more quickly than we speak, it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.

While it can be hard to focus at times, it's a skill worth developing. With a little practice — employing some techniques— you can become a better listener.

1. In Paragraph 2, the author mainly talks about ____.

  A. the importance of listening         B. the importance of venting anger

  C. her own listening experience       D. her own venting experience

2.The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that ____.

  A. we think much more quickly than we speak

  B. we can only understand about half of what we hear

  C. there is not much thinking time available while we are listening

  D. we lose our concentration easily while we are listening

3. What will be discussed following the passage?

  A. Why listening is valuable.        B. What we should do while listening

C. How to become a good listener    D. How to stop drifting off while listening.

第二节：完型填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从41-60各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

  Four brothers left home for college,and they became successful doctors and lawyers.Some years later,they   41   after having dinner together.They discussed the   42    they gaved their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.The first said, “I had a   43    house built for Mama.”The second said, “I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer(经销商) send a   44   to her.”The third said, “I built a beautiful   45    for Mama.” The fourth said, “You know   46   Mama loved reading poems and you know she can’t read anymore because she can’t  47   very well.I met a   48    who had a parrot(鹦鹉) that can recite many poems.It took him 12 years to   49     it and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him＄100,000 a year for twenty years,  50    it is worth it.”On hearing that, the other brothers were   51     by his good thought.

  After the holidays their mother    52    her thank-you notes. She wrote:

“Milton, The house you built is so huge.I only live in one room,but I have to    53     the whole house. It’s a tiring job. Thanks anyway.”

“Marvin,I am too old to  54   . I stay home and have my foods delivered,so I’ll  55   use

the automobile.The    56    was good,although not practical.Thanks.”

“Michael, you gave me an expensive building for 50 people to    57    plays or watch movies in it,but all my friends are dead. I’ve almost    58     my hearing and I’m nearly blind. I won’t use it. Thank you all the same.”

“Dearest Melvin,you were the    59     son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so  60   . I liked it very much. Thank you.” 

41. A. fought                      B. talked                                C. studied                             D. slept

42. A. gifts                          B.chances                             C. wishes                              D.challenges

43. A. warm                       B. big                                      C. safe                                   D. lonely

44. A. book                         B. bike                                    C. car                                     D. bag

45. A. station                     B. museum                           C. library                               D. theater

46. A. what                         B. how                                   C. why                                    D. when

47. A. listen                        B. feel                                    C. see                                     D. walk

48. A. nurse                        B. writer                                C. businessman                   D. farmer

49. A. protect                   B. beat                                   C. raise                                  D. teach

50. A. but                           B. so                                       C.unless                                D. although

51. A. treated                    B. impressed                        C. interested                        D. hurt

52. A. sent out                   B. put up                               C. took out                            D. picked up

53. A. sell                            B. borrow                              C. clean                                 D. visit

54. A. learn                         B. work                                  C. exercise                            D. travel

55. A. never                        B. often                                 C. regularly                           D. sometimes

56. A. future                       B. hobby                                C. idea                                   D. program

57. A. create                      B. enjoy                                 C. bring                                  D. record

58. A. lost                           B. admired                            C. remained                         D. discovered

59. A. same                        B. last                                    C. next                                   D. only

60. A. strange                    B. unpleasant                      C. bitter                                 D. delicious

It was one of the happiest times of my life. I was 29 and had just received my bachelor’s degree, graduating with honors despite working two jobs and being a wife and mother. My parents and five-year-old son were in the audience when I walked onto the stage at Ashland University to get my diploma. I was so excited and proud to be starting a teaching career and contributing more to my family’s well-being.

But when I got home that evening, there was a note from my husband written on the back of an envelope. It basically said he had come to get his clothes and wouldn’t be back. We’d been having trouble, but the finality of that note still came as a shock. He had emptied our bank account. We were horribly in debt. I had quit my previous jobs in expectation of interviewing for a teaching position. Plus, I was eight months pregnant.

I had my son, and I was about to bring a new life into the world, so despite my deep sadness, I had to go on. The next morning, I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took a deep breath, fixed breakfast, and basically did everything I always did. I used my routine to keep me moving. After being in the military for six years, I guess you can say I relied on my training, like all good soldiers do in tough situations. One small step after one small step was the way I bounced back(恢复原状).

And in the seven years since, I’ve continued moving forward. I got a job as a kindergarten teacher, earned a master’s degree in education, and watched my babies grow to twelve and seven. I certainly would never have chosen to put them through this, but looking back, I’m glad it happened to me when it did. It helped me find my voice and myself a lot sooner. It helped me grow independent, confident, and strong—things I’m hopefully instilling(灌输) now in my children.

1.After getting her bachelor’s degree, the author expected to ________.

A. become a teacher     B. be a wife and mother 

C. work two jobs       D. get divorced

2.What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?

A. Her husband wrote a note to congratulate her on her graduation.

B. She had just been to a job interview when her husband left her.

C. Her husband paid off all the debts from the bank.

D. She was going to have another baby soon.

3.The author’s hardships in life made her ________.

A. become confident and independent

B. work harder in the kindergarten

C. use her routine to move forward

D. feel pleased with what happened to her

4. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. The author’s parents helped her a lot

B. The author received further education later

C. The author earned a master’s degree when she was 29

D. The author didn’t know how to deal with marriage

5.What helped the author to pull through her hard time?

A. The divorce with her husband.

B. Her fellow soldiers in the army.

C. Her decision to find a new job.

D. A strong mind and love for her kids.

They crossed in front of me as I was driving out of the store parking lot. My first reaction was anger at being delayed for a whole ten seconds. I quickly became patient when I realised that this was an elderly couple.
The man leaned on his wife who walked in front of him. He not only used her for support but it was obvious that he was blind. The two of them worked as one---each needing the other to function in this fast-changing world.
That little example of true strength changed my whole personal perception(理解) of life that day. Suddenly I wasn’t so mad about having to work a few extra hours on Saturdays. I had my strength, and I was still relatively young.
That picture of those two elderly people walking with dignity and strength stayed with me the entire week. My life wasn’t so bad after all. I had my health and a good job. I had a wonderful, supportive wife. I started to think---not only was I lucky to have it all, but so was that wonderful old couple, who, despite the trials and sufferings of a long life, still had the love and support of each other to carry them through this world.
There are so many people out there just like that couple. My wife and I sometimes picture ourselves in our old age, walking arm-in-arm into the sunset. That image always gives us a warm feeling of comfort. Just remember, none of us would be here if it wasn’t for our elders. We should all have a little extra time and patience when it comes to helping our elder friends.
【小题1】When the author was about to drive away, the couple __________________.

阅读下面短文，撑握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D），选出最佳选项。

I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a bookshop _36 me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very   37 to earn my own pocket money and my parents   38 interfered(干涉) with how I spent it, even when I was spending it   39 . They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the   40 , I would become more mature(成熟) and  41 about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.

Like many   42 parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they  43  a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around   44 . My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great   45 for me. In the end, my father won the   46 on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins   47 through the country who could   48 shelter and help if I need them.

Three years later, my younger brother decide to   49 a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not   50 to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n)   51 year working his way on trains and ships to   52 passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.

These kinds of experiences are probably rare(稀少的) for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly   53 . Most parents start   54 their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have   55 the university they plan to attend and maybe even decided on their future career, and so on.