Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not , I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account ).I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version(版本) of yourself , instead of a second-class version of somebody else .”

Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that:

In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.

At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.

It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit（储蓄）into your PBA and will build strength.

The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “          ”.

Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?

A. Be your true self rather than follow others.

B. Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.

C. Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.

D. Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.

What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story ？

A. honesty can be of great help.

B. A bad thing can be turned into a good one.

C. Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.

D. One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.

In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express              .

A. one must be brave to be honest

B. it’s difficult to be honest when others are not

C. one should be honest when making a deposit

D. honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future

Some teens believe drugs will help them think better, and be more popular. These days, drugs can be found everywhere. Many teens are tempted(诱惑) by the excitement or escape from reality that drugs seem to offer.

Drugs are chemicals that change the way our bodies work. When you put them into your body, drugs find their way in your blood and are taken to parts of your body, such as your brain.

The effects of drugs can be different depending on the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how often it is used, how quickly it gets to the brain, and what other drugs or food are taken at the same time. Although drugs can make you feel good at first, they can finally do a lot of harm to the body.

There are many kinds of drugs available, and there are many reasons for trying them regularly. People take drugs just for pleasure they believe they can bring. Often it’s because someone told them that drugs would make them feel good or that they’d have a better time if they took them.

Many teens use drugs because they’re unhappy or think drugs will help them escape their problems. The truth is that drugs don’t solve problems—they simply hide feelings and problems. When a drug wears off, the feelings and problems remain, or became worse. Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person’s life.

The main idea of the second paragraph is probably _________.

  A. how drugs work   

  B. what drugs are made of

  C. that drugs can reduce physical pain

  D. that drugs dull your senses

People take drugs regularly _________.

  A. just for good health

  B. because they can have a better life

  C. just for pleasure

  D. because they need them

__________ cause teens to take drugs.

  A. Physical pain, escaping and fear

  B. Escaping, excitement and unhappiness

  C. Curiosity, fear and escaping

  D. Excitement, unhappiness and their physical pain

Which of the following is NOT true ?

  A. Drugs may be tempting to teens.

  B. Drugs do harm to the body.

  C. Drugs can solve people’s problems.

  D. Drugs can make people happy.

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

  A. Drugs: the Killer of People

  B. Drugs: the Favorite of Teens

  C. Drugs: What You Should Take

  D. Drugs: What You Should Know

It’s a goal for millions and millions of families every year——keep the Christmas spending within a certain amount, but can still afford the gifts that your loved ones will enjoy. Never has this concern been greater in recent years than right now. Even so, there are several things that you can do to help.

       Hit the sales.

       No one wants to get up at four o’clock in the morning and fight to get the best deal on Black Friday, and it’s surely very tough to pick up the courage and get out there in the cold for a good deal, but sometimes——it can be well worth. Many retailers(零售商) offer specials all through the day——and some even offer online Black Friday specials, so you may still be able to get a great deal on Black Friday.

       Pay close attention to advertisements.

       Once the Christmas shopping season is coming, retailers hungry for business will do just about whatever to get you in the store. Pay very close attention to weekly advertisements of sales among the major retailers and you may be lucky enough to find different prices for the same thing in different shops.

       Shop online.

       Some of us don’t like running from store to store in order to get the best price on the perfect gift, and some of us don’t like to go out in the cold at all——thankfully for us, we can do online shopping.

       The world of online shopping lets people visit all the major retailers as well as some specialty stores that could only be found on the Internet. Customers can find exactly what they are looking for, at the best possible price without ever having to leave the house. With traditional Christmas shopping consumers are sometimes limited to what’s left in stock if they wait too long to get to a particular store.

The first paragraph implies that ______.

       A. nowadays not many people can afford expensive gifts

       B. recently many people don’t want to spend money on gifts

       C. Christmas is a time to make our loved ones enjoy their gifts

       D. Christmas is a time to make us feel free to buy our loved ones gifts

In the writer’s opinion, it is rewarding on Black Friday _____.

       A. if the weather is not very cold                B. if we don’t have to fight for the best deals

       C. if we don’t have to get up early                     D. If we get what we want at a good price

The underlined word “specials” means_______.

       A. some experts in shopping                       B. certain things for especially low price

       C. some kind of help for a certain customer D. things that can only be found on Friday

We can have more choices _____.

       A. on Black Friday                                    B. in a particular store

       C. on the Internet                                      D. from retailers

In this passage the writer means ______.

       A. to tell us the best way to do shopping

B. to attract more readers to do wise shopping

       C. to show us how hard it is to do Christmas shopping

       D. to give us advice on how to get a good deal at Christmas time

Honestly, since my son was born, I have thought a lot about how to raise a child. I once heard a story that told about when a baby was born. The story said that when a baby was born, a new master was born. The parents of that baby would become the servants. The question is: Why? Based on my observation, this phenomenon is true. Most parents who don't pay much attention to their kids have difficulties with their kids' attitude.

I'll make a comparison of how two families raise their children. The first one is a family with three children. Both mother and father never say "No" to their children's demands. As a result, all of their children became stubborn and won't listen to their parents’ words, "We can't."

The second family educated their children strictly from one year old to high school. The parents never approved or agreed directly to give their children what they wanted. They always postponed one or two days, even if they could afford it. Due to the way their parents educated them, these children understood that if they wanted something, they had to wait or they had to make an effort first. As a result, all the kids from the second family successfully graduated from university on time.

In my opinion, if we want to be successful parents and raise our children well, we have to start disciplining them when they are toddlers but not wait until they become teenagers.

Why did the writer give two different stories in this passage?

  A. To help prove his opinion about raising a child.

  B. To list different ways that parents may take.

  C. To criticize some parents’ foolish action.

  D. To prove that his way of education is right.

What does the underlined word “postponed” in the third paragraph mean?

  A. Carried out at once.                 B. Gave up.

  C. Put off.                         D. Made a decision.

In the writer’s opinion, which of the following about raising a child is TRUE?

  A. Children should be respected once they were born.

  B. Parents should educate their children as early as possible.

  C. It is right time to educate their children when they are teenagers.

  D. Children should be helped whenever they make mistakes.

What do you think is the best title of this passage?

  A. Make a comparison of how two families raise their children

  B. To be successful parents

  C. How to raise children well

  D. Educate children strictly from one year old to high school