When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad’s office.
“What are you doing home already?” I asked casually.[来源:学科网ZXXK]
“Andrew, I was laid off today.” he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. “No, you weren’t. Why are you really home?”
Then I noticed his seriousness and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. Providing for our family has been his joy, and I guess I had taken his work for granted.
My father’s unemployment created many changes in our lives. For starters, he was home all the time, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be optimistic. For the first time, I saw my dad as vulnerable. He asked my brother and me to spend less. I gave up my allowance, which even though it wasn’t much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he expended.
One evening I asked if he needed help.
“Only if it doesn't interfere with school,” he said.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really impacted me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plan B, ask for help, and take risks. What I have learned from my dad’s understanding of business and his work ethic are two of the most important lessons I will ever learn, and will be my foundations for success.
1. The author’s father stayed at home because ________.
A. he had to help with the author’s lesson
B. he had been unemployed by his company
C. heavy housework was waiting for him to do
D. he wanted the author know the truth?
2. What made the author know the truth?
A. The box from his dad’s office                         B. His father’s words
C. His father’s expression                                          D. Being informed by his family
3. The author’s attitude toward his father’s former job was ________.
A. unconcerned                      B. sympathy                 C. doubt                D. tolerance
4. By saying “Only if it doesn't interfere with school”, the author’s father seemed ________.
A. to refuse the author’s advice on the new business
B. to show his discontent with the author’s schoolwork
C. to have said yes to the author’s offer of help
D. to be looking forward to the author’s good behavior at school
5. It can be inferred from the text that ________.
A. the author’s father was more optimistic to stay at home
B. the author couldn’t put up with his dad’s own business
C. the author’s father offered little allowance to the author
D. the author benefited from his father on how to deal with adversity

   “What is the most important thing you've done in your life？” The question was put to me during a presentation I gave to a group of lawyers.

The answer came to me in an instant. It's not the one I gave, because the situation was not right. As a lawyer in the entertainment industry, I knew the audience wanted to hear some amusing stories about my work with well-known people, but here's the true answer：

The most important thing I've ever done occurred on October 8, 1990. I began the day playing tennis with an old friend I hadn't seen for a while. Between points we talked about what had been happening in each other's lives. He and his wife had just had a baby boy, who was keeping them up at night.

While we were playing, a car came screaming up the road toward the courts. It was my friend's father, who shouted to my friend that his baby had stopped breathing and was being rushed to the hospital. In a flash my friend was in the car and gone, disappearing in a cloud of dust.

For a moment I just stood there, paralyzed(呆若木鸡). Then I tried to figure out what I should do. Follow my friend to the hospital? There was nothing I could accomplish there, I convinced myself. My friend's son was in the care of doctors and nurses, and nothing I could do or say would affect the outcome. Be there for moral support? Well, maybe. But my friend and his wife both had large families, and I knew they'd be surrounded by relatives who would provide more than enough comfort and support, whatever happened. All I could do at the hospital, I decided, was to get in the way. Also, I had planned a full day with my family, who were waiting for me to get home. So I decided to head back to my house and check in my friend later.

As I started my car, I realized that my friend had left his truck and keys at the courts. I now faced another problem. I couldn't leave the keys in the truck. So I decided to go to the hospital and give him the keys.

When I arrived, I was directed to a room where my friend and his wife were waiting. As I had thought, the room was filled with family members silently watching my friend comfort his wife. I went in and stood by the door, trying to decide what to do next. Soon a doctor appeared. He approached my friend and his wife, and in a quiet voice told them that their son had died.

    For a long time the two held each other and cried, unaware of the rest of us standing around in pained silence. After they had calmed themselves, the doctor suggested they spend a few moments with their son.

My friend and his wife stood up and walked past their families. When they reached the door, my friend saw me standing in the corner. He came over and hugged me and started to cry. My friend's wife hugged me, too, and said, “Thanks for being here.”

    For the rest of that morning, I sat in the emergency room of that hospital and watched my friend and his wife hold the body of their infant son, and say goodbye.

    It's the most important thing I have ever done. The experience taught me two lessons.

First: The most important thing I've ever done happened when I was completely helpless. None of the things I had learned in university, in three years of law school or in six years of legal practice were of any use in that situation. Something terrible was happening to people I cared about, and I was powerless to change the outcome. All I could do was standing by and watching it happen. And yet it was critical that I do just that—just be there when someone needed me.

Second: The most important thing I've done almost didn't happen because of things I had learned in classroom and professional life. Law school taught me how to take a set of facts, break them down and organized them. These skills are critical for lawyers. When people come to us for help, they're often stressed out and depend on a lawyer to think logically. But while learning to think, I almost forget how to feel. Today I have no doubt that I should have leapt into my car without hesitation and followed my friend to the hospital.

From that experience I learned that the most important thing in life isn't the money you make, the status you attain or the honors you achieve. The most important thing in life is the kids’ team you coach or the poem you write--- or the time when you’re just somebody’s friend.

50. When he was asked about the most important thing he had done in life at a presentation, the author ________.

A. felt it was not an interesting question           

B. thought for a while and spoke his mind

C. gave an answer from a lawyer's point of view     

D. didn't give the real answer

51. When he saw his friend rush to the hospital, the author could not decide whether to follow mainly because he thought ________.

A. he had to stay with his family                 

B. his friend did not need his help

C. he would not be of much help                 

D. the baby would be in the doctor's care

52. What can we infer from the author's description of the scene at the hospital?

A. He found out that he was in the way.           

B. He would have felt guilty if he had not been there.

C. He regretted that he went too later.             

D. His friend would have felt better if he had not been there.

53. Which of the following is conveyed in this story?

A. Family and relatives can not take the place of friends.

B. More people are a great comfort when one is in trouble.

C. It is best to be here when someone needs you.

D. You can certainly help a friend if you want to.

54. The author learned from his own experience that________.

A. what is taught in school is usually of no use

B. a lawyer cannot learn much in classrooms

C. a lawyer should know people's feeling first

D. he needs to be able to feel as well as think logically

55. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph suggests that the author________.

A. is fond of writing poems           

B. is going to coach the kid's team

C. is determined to make friends with everybody

D. is fully aware of the importance of being helpful to those in need

Everyone knows you must exercise regularly to keep good health. Indeed, staying physically fit is a big part of our culture. we consider（or rightly so）that healthy people are attractive people. Since most of us want to be attractive, there is no shortage of exercise clubs, training videos, magazines and books offering to help us stay physically fit.
Unfortunately, however, our culture doesn’t place the same emphasis（强调） on mental fitness. Although we tend to like men and women with strong, healthy-looking bodies, we don’t have the same degree of respect or attraction for smart, educated, mentally healthy people. This is a pity, because there are great rewards for people who have developed the ability to think well.
If your mind is well trained and flexible(灵活的), you will be able to understand a great deal of what happens around you. And if you are also well educated — that is, if you understand basic science, mathematics, music, art, literature, history and so on — you will find it much easier to make good decisions throughout your life. Over the long run(时期), this leads to a sense of control over your destiny （命运）and a much better life than otherwise(in another way).
People who are poorly educated or who don’t think well — that is, people who are not mentally fit — see things differently. Their world is controlled by mysterious, often malevolent（恶意的）forces. Such people live within a system they will never master, forced to follow rules they will never understand. Although it may not be obvious, most spend their lives being manipulated（控制）by others. They are told what to do, what to think, how to spend their money, and what they should and should not aspire（渴望）to in life.
In my opinion, if you want to live well, you must be able to use your mind well. For this reason, I want you to be able to concentrate, to solve problems, to understand complex （复杂的）ideas, and to think clearly and quickly. Such skills will make it easier for you to make informed decisions, understand current events, choose good friends, manage your money well, make wise lone-term decisions and appreciate music, art and literature.
The key to developing such skills is to enjoy learning, and to have the ability and motivation to teach yourself.
1. The writer of the passage feel disappointed that ____.
A. too little has been done to help people to keep physically fit
B. too much has been done to help people to keep physically fit
C. mentally healthy people are not as popular as physically healthy people
D. physically healthy people are not as popular as mentally healthy people
2. The underlined word “this” in the 3rd paragraph means ____.
A. the understanding of a great deal of what goes on around you
B. the understanding of basic science and mathematics
C. good training in body and mind
D. being able to make good decisions in life
3. The writer of this passage thinks those who are not mentally fit ____.
A. live a poor and mysterious life             
B. can’t control over their life
C. often do what others do                     
D. enjoy being fooled and ruled
4. The best title of the passage will most probably be ____.
A. Train Your Body                               B. Train Your Mind  
C. Make Informed Decisions                   D. Think Hard and Work Hard

Below are some smart ways to stay healthy suggested by some American experts.

Drink More Coffee

When was the last time you heard a doctor use the word miracle? Well, wake up and smell the coffee: “It’s amazing,” says liver specialist Sanjiv Chopra, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Coffee is truly a lifesaving miracle drug.”

Though he says it’s still a “scientific mystery” how a simple cup of coffee works its wonders in the body, large epidemiological studies have repeatedly proved its astonishing benefits.

“Drink it black, or at most put a little skim milk in it” to minimize calories, Dr. Chopra recommends. He drinks at least four cups a day himself, though most people should limit themselves to two. And no, he jokes, “I’m not sponsored by Starbucks.”

Take a Walk for Your Memory

Aerobic (有氧运动的) exercise is good for your body, great for your mind, according to the latest research from brain-fitness pioneer Arthur Kramer. Every year, an area called the hippocampus, which is key to memory, shrinks by about 1 to 2 percent, increasing the risk of dementia (脑衰) as the years roll by. However, Kramer’s new investigations reveal that the hippocampi of adults who walked briskly for about 45 minutes three times a week grew by about 2 percent over the course of a year, preventing age-related shrinking.

It’s never too late to start exercising, Kramer says; volunteers in his research were between 55 and 80 years old and hadn’t exercised at all. And it doesn’t need to be backbreaking. “Anything that raises your heart rate seems to work,” he says. “Walking is fine. Just find something you like and do it.”

Early to Bed, Early to Eat

“Being a night owl might increase your waistline,” says sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD. People who stay up late and sleep late tend to eat more fast food and consume more of their calories after 8 p.m. than do normal sleepers.

“One of the easiest things that anyone on a diet can do to improve her results is go to bed and wake up at the same times every day,” Breus says. “This way, your body knows when to sleep and is much more efficient. Organize your eating, too, by trying to eat meals at the same times every day. Avoid eating after 8 p.m., and don’t miss morning meals by sleeping in.”

Use the 20-Second Rule

What’s the difference between having a goal and actually accomplishing it? Just 20 seconds, says positive-psychology specialist Shawn Achor. Researchers have learned that if we can cut 20 seconds off the startup time required for a task, we’re much more likely to follow through. So, for example, if you want to work out in the morning, place your shoes and exercise clothes next to your bed the night before. If you want to praise people more, put thank-you notes and a pen on your desk.

Imagine the Worst to Feel Better

Don’t count your blessings; subtract (扣除) them. “Consciously spend a few minutes imagining what your life would be like without the good things,” says Timothy Wilson, a psychologist at the University of Virginia. You’ll experience stronger feelings of love, gratitude, and happiness when you think about what life would be like without the people and things you love. “And they’ll seem surprising and special again,” he adds.

1. According to Sanjiv Chopra, most people should not drink more than ______ cups of coffee a day.

A. two????????????? B. three????????????? C. four????????????? D. six

2.Which of the following may help people on a diet to improve their results?

A. Raising their heart rate.????????????? B. Taking a walk for their memory.

C. Eating at fixed times.????????????? D. Sleeping in every morning.

3.According to Shawn Achor, if people place their shoes and exercise clothes next to their bed at bedtime, they’re more likely to ______ the next morning.

A. do exercise????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B. set a goal?????????????

C. cut 20 seconds off????????????? D. sleep 20 minutes more

4. Why should people spend a little time imagining their life without good things?

A. To experience surprise.????????????? B. To feel better.?????????????

C. To consider their own blessings.????????????? D. To prepare for the worst.

Everyone knows you must exercise regularly to keep good health. Indeed, staying physically fit is a big part of our culture. we consider（or rightly so）that healthy people are attractive people. Since most of us want to be attractive, there is no shortage of exercise clubs, training videos, magazines and books offering to help us stay physically fit.
　 Unfortunately, however, our culture doesn’t place the same emphasis on mental fitness. Although we tend to like men and women with strong, healthy-looking bodies, we don’t have the same degree of respect or attraction for smart, educated, mentally healthy people. This is a pity, because there are great rewards for people who have developed the ability to think well.
　 If your mind is well trained and flexible, you will be able to understand a great deal of what happens around you. And if you are also well educated --- that is, if you understand basic science, mathematics, music, art, literature, history and so on --- you will find it much easier to make good decisions throughout your life. Over the long run, this leads to a sense of control over your destiny and a much better life than otherwise.
　 People who are poorly educated or who don’t think well --- that is, people who are not mentally fit --- see things differently. Their world is controlled by mysterious, often malevolent（恶意的）forces. Such people live within a system they will never master, forced to follow rules they will never understand. Although it may not be obvious, most spend their lives being manipulated（控制）by others. They are told what to do, what to think, how to spend their money, and what they should and should not aspire（渴望）to in life.
　 In my opinion, if you want to live well, you must be able to use your mind well. For this reason, I want you to be able to concentrate, to solve problems, to understand complex ideas, and to think clearly and quickly. Such skills will make it easier for you to make informed decisions, understand current events, choose good friends, manage your money well, make wise lone-term decisions and appreciate music, art and literature.
　 The key to developing such skills is to enjoy learning, and to have the ability and motivation to teach yourself.
1. The writer of the passage feel disappointed that ____.
A. too little has been done to help people to keep physically fit
B. too much has been done to help people to keep physically fit
C. mentally healthy people are not as popular as physically healthy people
D. physically healthy people are not as popular as mentally healthy people
2. The underlined word “this” in the 3rd paragraph means ____.
A. the understanding of a great deal of what goes on around you
B. the understanding of basic science and mathematics
C. good training in body and mind
D. being able to make good decisions in life
3. The writer of this passage thinks those who are not mentally fit ____.
A. live a poor and mysterious life   B. can’t control over their life
C. often do what others do    　 　 D. enjoy being fooled and ruled
4. The best title of the passage will most probably be ____.
A. Train Your Body      　　 　 B. Train Your Mind  
C. Make Informed Decisions 　 D. Think Hard and Work Hard