DEAR AMY: Last year I got a full-time job as a baby-sitter for a wonderful family with two amazing kids. They have come to treat me as one of their own. But my boyfriend and I are attempting to save much more money for the life we want to build, including marriage, a house and kids. Much as I love my “babies,” I’m looking forward to beginning a challenging career in a big company. Should I tell the family that I am looking for a new job? I don’t want to find one that requires me to begin work immediately, leaving them without child care, but I also don’t want them to assume that I’m leaving right away.              

Up-in-the-Air Au Pair

DEAR AU PAIR: Whatever your arrangement, it is reasonable for them to expect you to be honest and to keep them in the loop. They see that you are making changes in your life, and surely they will also understand your desire to advance in a career. Tell them frankly and they should be happy to employ you as long as you are available.

                                                           Amy

DEAR AMY: I am a freshman in a high school. Last summer my best friend was diagnosed with skin cancer. It isn’t very serious, but she seems to be becoming more and more depressed. How can I help her be happy again?

                                                           Best Friend

DEAR FRIEND: Your best role is to prop up and encourage your friend when she seems down, and to be supportive and kind to her. You're doing a great job with that, and your friend is lucky to have you in her life.

                                                           Amy

1.What is Au Pair’s problem according to the first paragraph?

A. She has no idea whether to tell the family her plan or not.

B. She has no idea whether the family will hate her or not.

C. She has no idea where to find a new good job.

D. She has no idea how to save more money.

2.From the underlined phrase“ to keep them in the loop”, we can infer that Amy advises Au Pair_____.

A. to keep it secret to the family

B. to cheat the family for the time being

C. to tell her true impression of the family

D. to let the family know what’s going on

3. In which column of a newspaper can we probably find the passage?

A. Jobs             B. culture          C. Life             D. Entertainment

DEAR AMY: Last year I got a full-time job as a baby-sitter for a wonderful family with two amazing kids. They have come to treat me as one of their own. But my boyfriend and I are attempting to save much more money for the life we want to build, including marriage, a house and kids. Much as I love my “babies,” I’m looking forward to beginning a challenging career in a big company. Should I tell the family that I am looking for a new job? I don’t want to find one that requires me to begin work immediately, leaving them without child care, but I also don’t want them to assume that I’m leaving right away.              
Up-in-the-Air Au Pair
DEAR AU PAIR: Whatever your arrangement, it is reasonable for them to expect you to be honest and to keep them in the loop. They see that you are making changes in your life, and surely they will also understand your desire to advance in a career. Tell them frankly and they should be happy to employ you as long as you are available.
Amy
DEAR AMY: I am a freshman in a high school. Last summer my best friend was diagnosed with skin cancer. It isn’t very serious, but she seems to be becoming more and more depressed. How can I help her be happy again?
Best Friend
DEAR FRIEND: Your best role is to prop up and encourage your friend when she seems down, and to be supportive and kind to her. You're doing a great job with that, and your friend is lucky to have you in her life.
Amy

1. 1.

   What is Au Pair’s problem according to the first paragraph?

   1. A.
      She has no idea whether to tell the family her plan or not
   2. B.
      She has no idea whether the family will hate her or not
   3. C.
      She has no idea where to find a new good job
   4. D.
      She has no idea how to save more money
2. 2.

   From the underlined phrase“ to keep them in the loop”, we can infer that Amy advises Au Pair_____

   1. A.
      to keep it secret to the family
   2. B.
      to cheat the family for the time being
   3. C.
      to tell her true impression of the family
   4. D.
      to let the family know what’s going on
3. 3.

   In which column of a newspaper can we probably find the passage?

   1. A.
      Jobs
   2. B.
      culture
   3. C.
      Life
   4. D.
      Entertainment

For those who are conditioned to think that learning only happens in a classroom, the world of self-learning can be a little daunting. How do we best take   1   of these new opportunities?

Your interest in the subject is the essential driver of success. You can’t learn what you do not want to learn. Emotion is an important part of the learning   2   . If you are even moderately interested in a subject, give yourself  a chance. The key is to get started. If you can create some pleasurable   3  , you may find that the subject grows on you.

Don’t expect to understand things, much less remember them, the first time you study them. Trust that things will get clearer   4   your brain comes to grips with new information. It is like a cross-word puzzle. As you start to put the pieces together, or string the words together, the full picture becomes clearer. The brain learns all the time, but    5    its own schedule. Learning does not take place according to a schedule laid down by a curriculum or teacher. Some things are easier to learn than others. Some things just take    6   to click in. Keep at it, and you will gradually find that things that seem difficult at first , will become easy with time.

Your brain is struggling to form patterns to    7    new input from your learning activities. Sometimes, no matter how long you focus on one subject, your brain is not going to pick it up. If you are stuck, move   8   . Then cover the same general information from a different source, a different book, or a podcast, or an online lecture or a video. Try to become a  grazing learner, roaming the countryside,     9   a feedlot learner, just standing there in one spot. The broader your base, the easier it is to learn. Just as the “rich get richer”, the more you know,     10   you can learn.

Take full advantage of the Internet, iTunes, and     11   mobile devices, not to mention good old-fashioned books and magazines. Learn during “dead time”. Listen in your car, on the train, or   12   jogging. Have your learning with you while waiting in the doctor’s office, or listen while checking out at the supermarket. Anytime is     13  time. Remember, you are learning through exposure, not by nailing things down. It is more like moisture accumulation in a    14   , rather than building a brick wall.

The more varied your learning content, and the more varied the ways in which you learn, the       15 the puzzle will become. Different learning activities suit different people, at different times of the day. Vary your activities in order to keep your interest level   16    . Even if listening and reading work best for you, treat yourself to the odd video lecture, or get-together with other learners. This will renew your batteries.

The “loneliness of the distance learner” is a thing of the   17  . Join a learning community on the web, where members share their knowledge and experience. Search for the communities that suit your interests and learning style. You will find encouragement, advice and stimulus from fellow learners,        18    from tutors, teachers and coaches. In these communities, you can measure your progress against your own goals, or compare your experience     19    that of other learners. You can even teach and help others, which is a great way to learn.

Never has it been easier nor more exciting to be a learner. Let constant learning be a major part of your life-style. The   20        will be constant, personally, socially, and professionally.

(   ) 1. A. advantage    B. place                C. possession         D. example

(   ) 2. A. progress      B. process             C. pressure            D. proposal

(   ) 3. A. roads          B. streets              C. routines            D. building

(   ) 4. A. with           B. if                     C. unless               D. as

(   ) 5. A. on              B. to                    C. with                 D. for

(   ) 6. A. shorter               B. sooner              C. longer              D. lower

(   ) 7. A. take with     B. com with          C. go with            D. cope with

(   ) 8. A. down          B. on                    C. away                D. off

(   ) 9. A. more than   B. less than           C. rather than               D. other than

(   ) 10. A. less           B. quicker             C. lower                      D. more

(   ) 11. A. same         B. similar             C. familiar            D. various

(   ) 12. A. while               B. before              C. after                 D. if

(   ) 13. A. playing     B. learning            C. talking             D. speaking

(   ) 14. A. cloud               B. sky                  C. earth                D. sea

(   ) 15. A. cleaner      B. clearer              C. harder              D. lower

(   ) 16. A. down               B. up                    C. in                    D. out

(   ) 17. A. present      B. day                  C. past                  D. night

(   ) 18. A. as long as B. as far as            C. as well as          D. as soon as

(   ) 19. A. without     B. with                 C. to                    D. beyond

(   ) 20. A. awards      B. words               C. remarks            D. rewards

Once upon a time, there was an island inhabited by: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all the rest of it, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

    Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

    Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"

    Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

    Love decided to ask Vanity(虚荣) who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

    "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

    Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."

    "Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

    Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

    Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

What idea did the writer intend to tell us in this passage?

     A. Love takes a long period.                   B. Love gets along without richness.    

C.  Love goes on against Vanity.             D. Love is different from happiness.

Why did all except the elder refuse to take Love with them?

       A. Because they have enough Love already.     

B. Because they don’t need Love.

  C. Because they look down upon Love.

   D. Because in the writer’s opinion, Love has nothing to do with them.

It can be inferred from the passage that the elder probably refers to ________.

A. Cleverness       B. Time       C. Knowledge     D. Beauty

February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.

    On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.

    But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.

     Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.

Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?

    A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.

    B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.

    C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.

    D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.

Valentine was put into prison because ______.

    A. he killed one of the soldiers           B. he stole a lot of food

    C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order      D. he didn’t want to be a soldier

The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.

    A. students in China send cards to their teachers

    B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

    C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China

    D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now

The best title for this passage should be ______.

    A. Valentine’s Day   B. A Brave Priest   C. Valentine’s Day in China   D. A Romantic Man