The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:

       “I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”

       “I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”

       But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”

       I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.

       Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame (责怪) others, and you play the role of victim (受害者), chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.

       This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard (标准) for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.

       Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.

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

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed

B. How to make friendship last for ever

C. You are who your friends are

D. Friends are the most important in one’s success

The underlined sentence “they’re rubbing off on you” in Paragraph 6 means ______.

A. they’ll push you ahead

B. they’ll influence you

C. they’ll cover your shortcomings

D. they’ll help you achieve your goal

The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show ______.

A. the musicians’ living conditions are quite poor

B. people have poor taste in music

C. people have different attitudes towards the same thing

D. young people have greater chances of succeeding

By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7, you can ______.

A. improve a lot in making more friends

B. come to the right way of making friends

C. develop a better relationship with your friends

D. arrange the time with your friends properly

The passage is mainly written for ______.

A. musicians                    

B. managers  

C. negative people 

D. people wanting to succeed

E

Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world. In rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertiser, hoping to sell their products.

The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people’s lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item(商品) that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.

It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with case into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.

What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?

  A. The exercise of rights is a luxury.       

  B. The practice of choice is difficult.

  C. The right of choice is given but at a price.

 D. Choice and right exist at the same time.

Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?

  A. Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.

  B. People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.

  C. Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.

  D. Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the rage of choice.

By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that    .

A. advanced products meet the needs of people

B. products of the latest design fold the market

C. competitions are fierce in high-tech industry

D. everyday goods need to be replaced often

What is this passage mainly about?

A. The variety of choices in modern society.

B. The opinions on people’s right in different countries

C. The Problems about the availability of everyday goods.

D. The helplessness in purchasing decisions

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:

"I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They cannot even understand rhythm (韵律)."

"Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I’m sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you."

One younger musician said, "There are several clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also planning to join in several summer festivals this year."

I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him.

Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive (积极的) or negative (消极的), they’re all rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who are always complaining or blaming (责备) others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don’t support (支持) your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call "friends".

There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop spending time with the negative ones on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.

Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream.

1.The musicians’ conversation at the beginning is there to show that ______.

   A. musicians’ living conditions are not good

   B. people in that town have poor taste in music

   C. young people are more likely to succeed

  D. different people have different attitudes

2.The underlined part "they’re all rubbing off on you" in Paragraph 6 means ______.

   A. they’ll push you ahead                                      

   B. they’ll help you realize your dreams

   C. they’ll keep you from moving on                      

   D. they’ll have an influence (影响) on you

3.By doing the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7, you can ______.

   A. improve your ability to make friends

   B. make the right kind of friends  

   C. develop a better relationship with your friends

   D. make some new friends with the same interests as you

4. We can get the following information from the passage EXCEPT ______.

   A. the younger musician is a positive person and would be a good friend

B. one should avoid (避免) making friends with people who have lots of

difficulties

   C. the exercise can help you keep close to really helpful friends

   D. one will start complaining if one spends too much time with negative people

It ?????????? be the vocabulary that caused you the problem in the exercise because you know a lot of words.

A. may ????????????? B. couldn’t ????????????? C. should ????????????? D. needn’t

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”
“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”
But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”
I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.
Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame (责怪) others, and you play the role of victim (受害者), chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.
This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard (标准) for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.
【小题1】Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?