Please excuse me if I’m a little sad today because Mark is leaving．You probably don’t know Mark，but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him．He’s been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years combining professional skills with a sweet and gentle nature．He’s never been all that interested in getting credit for the terrific work he does．He just wants to do his job，and to do it extremely well．

??? And now he’s moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity．It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime，and we’re sincerely pleased for him．But that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague．

??? Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us．Just when we start to get comfortable with a person，a place or a situation，something comes along to change the recipe．A terrific neighbor moves away．Someone in the family graduates．A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage．The family’s bread-winner is laid off．Our ability to cope with change and disruption determines our peace，happiness and contentment in life．

But how do we do that? According to the author of Ecclesiaste，comfort can be found in remembering that “to everything there is a season，and a time to every purpose under heaven．Let today embrace the past with remembrance，and the future with longing．’’

“Change，indeed，is painful，yet ever needful，”said philosopher Thomas Carlyle．“And if memory has its force and worth，so also has hope．”

??? We’re going to miss Mark．But rather than lose ourselves in the sadness of our parting，we’ll focus on our hopes for a brighter future——for him，and for us．And then we’ll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen．Until our plans change——again．

1.What will happen to Mark soon?

A．He will pass away．????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B．He will leave for a new job．

C．He will get married．????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? D．He will stay with us forever．

2.The underlined word “credit” in Para．1 probably means __________ ．

A．praise????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B．criticism

C．opportunity ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? D．job

3.From the passage，we can learn that __________ ．

A．any change will make us upset any time

B．it is easy to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague

C．our happiness depends on our ability to deal with change

D．comfort can be found in remembering the sadness

4.The best title of the passage may be __________ ．

A．My Friend Mark????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? B．Focusing on Future

C．Always Changing????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? ????????????? D．A Sad Story

Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad has been retired. But he didn’t go quietly. In his final speech, he blamed the Jewish people for the problems between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The Jews have taken land of the Muslims,” he said. “What if part of America was given to the Jews as Israel? Would the Americans let it happen? Of course not.”

His words angered many western governments, but Mahathir doesn’t care. “I like to speak my mind,” the 77-year-old explained. “Sometimes people don’t like it. But that is what leadership is all about.”

Loved by some and disliked by others, his 22 years in power have seen great changes in Malaysia. He has taken it from being one of Asia’s poorest countries to the world’s 18th largest trading nation. It is also a peaceful country with native Malaysians living alongside minority groups. Chinese make up a quarter of the population, while a further 7.4 percent are of Indian origin. Teenage girls wearing Muslim^① headscarves happily walk around large stores as ethnic Chinese play mah-jong^② in nearby cafes.

But Mahathir has made enemies at home and abroad and some people will be glad he has gone. The US was unhappy when he often blamed it for globalization. Meanwhile, critics say that he has limited the freedom of the Malaysian people in order to stay in control of the country. Despite this, he is a hero to leaders in Southeast Asia as well as those in the Islamic^③ world. “He marked out the path to success for developing nations in the region to follow,” said Thai President Thaksin Shinawatra.

Now he just wants to enjoy his retirement and insists that he will not take on a special role in government. “I’m a nobody,” he said. But many Malaysians do not agree with this.

Notes:

Muslim  adj. 穆斯林的

mah-jong  n. 麻将

Islamic  adj. 伊斯兰教的

Choose the best answers according to the above:

What does Mahathir probably mean by saying “But that is what leadership is all about.”?

A. The Jews have taken land of the Muslines by strong power of their leadership.

B. America should give part of its land to Israel though its leadership is powerful.

C. Leadership has the obligation to speak up what you think is right or wrong.

D. As a leader of a country, you have the right to teach those in other countries what to do and how.

Which is NOT true about the following?

A. Malaysia was no longer poor after Mahathir came into power.

B. Malaysia is a country with natives and other minorities like Jews living alongside

   peacefully.

C. Malaysia developed a lot within Mahathir’s power but freedom of Malaysians was

   limited.

D. Mahathir’s role in the world is both a hero to leaders in Southeast Asia but also a possible enemy of some countries.

The best title of this passage would be _________.

A. A Religion Enthusiast                            B. Mahathir’s Political Policy

C. Mahathir Is Malaysia D. Hero of the World

Your teen is falling asleep in class

Teens have a busy morning schedule as they need to wake up and get moving very early in order to catch a bus and get to school by the required time. This means teens need to get their rest the night before or they will be too tired to learn anything at school.   1.  

When a teen falls asleep in class, two things happen: he/she misses what is being taught and he/she loses the respect of the teacher. He/She may also receive a consequence from the school, depending on the classroom discipline policy.   2. 

To prevent your teen from being sleepy in class, try these three tips:

* Set a time for “lights out” on school nights. This is never be any later than 10 p. m. and preferably 9 p.m.   3.  Soft music can be on and used to help calm your teen.                          

* Help your teen develop a nighttime routine that involves activities that slow them down for the end of the day.   4.  Turning off the computer and disconnecting from friends and the excitement of the day an hour before bedtime will also help your teen relax.

* 5.  This will reinforce（增强）what it feels like to be rested and capable of accomplishing what he/she wants.

A．What’s worse, they may even fall asleep in class.

B．Taking a bath and reading are two activities that work well.

C．Set a good example and show him/her your love for learning.

D．Point out the positives after your teen has had a good night’s rest.

E. “Lights out” means the computer, television, lights and cell phone should be off.

F. All of these things affect your teen’s academic success and can be avoided.

G. While your teen keeps his/her goals in line with your expectations, he/she may have his/her own goals.

Nobody Benefits
NEW YORK—America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history．Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings．
But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel．
Brown is homeless — one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street．
During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece．At night, he sleeps on the street．w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.m
"I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker．
Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine．But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement．He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available．
However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York．
With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand．
A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month．
One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up．
The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help．
But few housing companies have been built for the poor．Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more．
Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her．She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house．
Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often．
"All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said．
【小题1】What kind of life does George Brown lead?

B
Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy is on a mission to recover ￡46 million of council cash. He has traveled to Iceland for high-level talks with Prime Minister Geir Haarde. Mr. Murphy has vowed to do “whatever it takes” to ensure the return to local authorities of the millions of pounds which are locked in crisis-hit Icelandic banks. He also wants to see the return of money deposited there by a number of Scottish charities.
Mr. Murphy said Scots councils and charities had invested in Icelandic banks in good faith before the country’s banking system was severely hit by the global financial crisis.
He said, “Our relationship with Iceland has traditionally been a very good one. But of course, there are pressures at the moment, particularly because of the international credit crisis and the collapse of the Icelandic banks.”
“There is money from Scottish councils and Scottish charities invested in some of those banks and I’m making efforts to persuade the Icelandic government that money should be returned.”
“We’ve made it very clearly, and we’ll do whatever it takes to support Scottish people to get their money out of the Icelandic banking crisis.”
The Scottish Secretary’s move has been welcomed by the Holyrood Parliament. The UK Government is currently trying to save ￡4 billion in deposits held by customers in the failed Icelandic bank Ice-save, at risk after its parent firm Landsbanki folded. The bank’s collapse caused a diplomatic argument after ministers froze assets of other Icelandic banks.
44. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Scots councils and charities had invested in Icelandic banks in bad faith.
B. The relationship with Iceland has traditionally been a very good one, so they don’t worry about it forever.
C. The UK Government and people can’t be satisfied with Iceland’s ministers’ measures.
D. The UK Government supports Scottish people to fight with the Iceland.
45. Jim Murphy will pay a visit to Iceland in order to ______.
A. strengthen their cooperation and promote economic progress between two countries
B. persuade the Icelandic Government to give back the money that are locked in
crisis-hit Icelandic bank
C. traveled to Iceland for high-level talks with Prime Minister Geir Haarde and wanted to break away from the crisis together
D. represent the government to help Iceland to recover economy
46. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Icelandic banking crisis                                B. Murphy’s Icelandic mission
C. The influence of the crisis                             D. A friendly visit