It doesn’t matter if you have one friend or 20, because there are only a few people in this world that can make you truly happy. For me, my family and my three best girlfriends mean everything to me.
Some days I didn’t want to go to school because I felt so disappointed in myself but I don’t regret a thing. It makes you stronger as a person, and if you are able to mend your friendships as I have done, then you can do anything.
My mother always told me, “Stephanie, remember that a friend is a gift that you give yourself. A friend will make you laugh and be there for the good or bad. A true friend will never make fun of you. If a friend is a piece of work, then he or she has never been a friend at all. A friend is the biggest gift to yourself.”
Everyone is going to make mistakes but please don’t push them away, especially if it’s someone you really care about. I know when I make a mistake I beat myself up about it. I just wish someone would reach out a hand to help me back  on my feet as my best friends did. If someone is new or doesn’t have a friend, please reach out and behind him/her because that small action could mean the world to him/her. Now that I’m older, I understand what my mom has been trying to tell me, and now I know that the friends that I choose will also be the kinds of friends that I would want to be surrounded by forever.
【小题1】According to the passage, a true friend should be a person that _________.

Tabb doesn't look like a typical music teacher. But every weekday evening in the French Quarter New Orleans, he beats out the rhythm on his music stand as students play their chosen instruments.
“I'm doing my best to take young people away from harmful things,” said Tabb. His program,  "The Roots of Music”, offers free music education to more than 100 students. He struggles to keep young people on the straight and narrow in the city with the nation's highest murder rate(凶杀率).
Tabb chose to target 9­to14­year­olds with his program. “That's a very important time in your life,” he said. “If I catch them then, I can hold onto them for at least four or five years and guide them the way that will lead them to success.”
Students meet from 4 pm to 7 pm every weekday, all year round. They work with tutors(助教) on schoolwork, practice their music and eat a hot meal before heading home. With the money provided by some people, Tabb's group is able to provide bus transportation, instruments and food for free. He calls it his “no excuse” policy. “You have no excuse why you're not here,” Tabb said. Tabb owes the success in part to the nature of music. “You're always learning something new,”he said. “That's what keeps the kids coming back every day.”
But the program isn't only about fun. “Music is about discipline (纪律),”said Tabb. He insists on good behavior and keeps kids in order with threats of sit­ups(仰卧起坐), pushups(俯卧撑) or tasks like picking up grains of rice — but these measures aren't just punishment. Tabb wants young people to realize that music can help them build a better future. “I don't say that I'm saving lives,” he said. “I say I'm giving life — a whole different life of music.”
【小题1】The underlined phrase  "keep young people on the straight and narrow” may mean ________.

Simple living doesn’t mean that you give up your job and start living in the countryside, but it means that we spend our time, energy and efforts on important things in life. It can be good for us in some ways.

Firstly, simple living can keep your mind peaceful. It makes sure that unnecessary things are out of your life and you concentrate on the real factors that affect the quality of life. Through simple living you can see the positive side of life and won’t feel jealous and greedy.

Secondly, simple living can make you have time for your loved ones. Most of us become so busy in our lives that we forget to spend time with our dear ones. People who believe in simple living value the time spent with their loved ones.

Thirdly, simple living is helpful in the improvement of health. By choosing to be simple, you feel less stressed in daily life. Simple living gives you a new view on things and helps you join in creative activities. It allows you to devote some time to recreational activities（娱乐活动）, physical exercises, etc., which help you in leading a healthy lifestyle.

Fourthly, living simply allows you to have time to look back on the precious moments in your life. It makes you aware of your strengths and weaknesses. People who aimlessly pursue materialistic pleasure （物质享受）are often not sure what they exactly want from life. They never have time to analyze themselves. Simple living helps you stay happy with what life has offered you and helps in creating positives in your life.

Lastly, simple living can reduce your expenses. It can make sure that you’re doing your bit for the protection of the environment. If all of us reduce our daily expenses on electricity, fuels, etc, we’ll be able to stop the degradation (退化)of the environment.

Title: 1.__________ of Simple Living

● Keeping your mind2. __________:

Concentrating on the real factors that3.__________

Seeing the positive side of life and avoiding bad feelings like jealousy and greediness

● Making you have time for your loved ones

Making you4.__________ in your lives with your dear ones

Making you value the time spent with your loved ones

● Helping you5.__________

6.__________ your stress

Giving you a new view on things

Helping you in leading a healthy lifestyle

● Allowing you to look back on7.__________ in your life

Making you know your8.__________

Making you know what you exactly want from life

Giving you time to analyze yourself

Helping you9.__________with life offering you and helping in creating positives in your life

● Helping protect the environment

10.__________ the environment from becoming bad by reducing the use of electricity, fuels, etc.

It doesn’t matter if you have one friend or 20, because there are only a few people in this world that can make you truly happy. For me, my family and my three best girlfriends mean everything to me.

Some days I didn’t want to go to school because I felt so disappointed in myself but I don’t regret a thing. It makes you stronger as a person, and if you are able to mend your friendships as I have done, then you can do anything.

My mother always told me, “Stephanie, remember that a friend is a gift that you give yourself. A friend will make you laugh and be there for the good or bad. A true friend will never make fun of you. If a friend is a piece of work, then he or she has never been a friend at all. A friend is the biggest gift to yourself.”

Everyone is going to make mistakes but please don’t push them away, especially if it’s someone you really care about. I know when I make a mistake I beat myself up about it. I just wish someone would reach out a hand to help me back  on my feet as my best friends did. If someone is new or doesn’t have a friend, please reach out and behind him/her because that small action could mean the world to him/her. Now that I’m older, I understand what my mom has been trying to tell me, and now I know that the friends that I choose will also be the kinds of friends that I would want to be surrounded by forever.

1.According to the passage, a true friend should be a person that _________.

A．often gives you gifts

B．makes you happy

C．does both good or bad things to you

D．seldom makes fun of you

2.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer _________.

A．understands what a friend means to her

B．doesn’t think that friends will make her truly happy

C．doesn’t have many friends

D．has nothing except her family and three friends

3.If you hope to have a friend, you should do the following EXCEPT_________.

A．giving advice and offering help if he or she makes mistakes

B．regarding him or her as a piece of work

C．considering him or her a valuable gift

D．trying to treat a newcomer as a friend

4.The last sentence probably means_________.

A．people around me are all my friends

B．I only choose the people around me to be my friends

C．the friends I choose will surround me every day

D．my true friends would always be by my side for my joys and sorrows

Tabb doesn't look like a typical music teacher. But every weekday evening in the French Quarter New Orleans, he beats out the rhythm on his music stand as students play their chosen instruments.

“I'm doing my best to take young people away from harmful things,” said Tabb. His program,  "The Roots of Music”, offers free music education to more than 100 students. He struggles to keep young people on the straight and narrow in the city with the nation's highest murder rate(凶杀率).

Tabb chose to target 9­to14­year­olds with his program. “That's a very important time in your life,” he said. “If I catch them then, I can hold onto them for at least four or five years and guide them the way that will lead them to success.”

Students meet from 4 pm to 7 pm every weekday, all year round. They work with tutors(助教) on schoolwork, practice their music and eat a hot meal before heading home. With the money provided by some people, Tabb's group is able to provide bus transportation, instruments and food for free. He calls it his “no excuse” policy. “You have no excuse why you're not here,” Tabb said. Tabb owes the success in part to the nature of music. “You're always learning something new,”he said. “That's what keeps the kids coming back every day.”

But the program isn't only about fun. “Music is about discipline (纪律),”said Tabb. He insists on good behavior and keeps kids in order with threats of sit­ups(仰卧起坐), pushups(俯卧撑) or tasks like picking up grains of rice — but these measures aren't just punishment. Tabb wants young people to realize that music can help them build a better future. “I don't say that I'm saving lives,” he said. “I say I'm giving life — a whole different life of music.”

1.The underlined phrase  "keep young people on the straight and narrow” may mean ________.

A．keep young people standing straight

B．keep young people on the correct life track(道路)

C．keep young people busy performing music

D．keep young people away from the dangerous parts of the city

2.Which of the following kids may NOT be included in Tabb's program “ The Roots of Music”？

A．Jack, 8 years old.                        B．Tom, 9 years old.

C．John, 11 years old.                      D．Linda, 13 years old.

3.What attracts children to join in the program to learn music?

A．The free food and transportation.           B．The famous music teacher.

C．The chance to learn new things.            D．The strict discipline rules.

4.By saying “music is about discipline”, Tabb means ________.

A．keeping discipline is more important than learning music

B．obeying(遵守) rules is important in playing music well

C．music is also connected with kids' grades

D．kids can learn how to behave through music

5.What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Tabb's program offers young people help.

B．Kids improve grades through music learning.

C．Tabb offers kids free food to learn music.

D．Tabb performs music for street children.