Twenty-first century humanity has mapped oceans and mountains, visited the moon, and surveyed the planets. But for all the progress, people still don’t know one another very well.

That brings about Theodore Zeldin’s “feast of conversation”－events where individuals pair with persons they don’t know for three hours of guided talk designed to get the past “Where are you from?”

Mr. Zeldin, an Oxford University professor, heads Oxford Muse, a 10-year-old foundation based on the idea that what people need is not more information, but more inspiration and encouragement.

The “feast” in London looks not at politics or events, but at how people have felt about work, relations among the sexes, hopes and fears, enemies and authority, the shape of their lives. The “menu of conversation” includes topics like “How have your priorities(优先考虑的事) changed over the years?” Or, “What have you rebelled against the past?”

As participants gathered, Zeldin opened with a speech: that despite instant communications in a globalized age, issues of human heart remain. Many people are lonely, or in routines that discourage knowing the depth of one another. “We are trapped in shallow conversations and the whole point now is to think, which is sometimes painful,” he says. “But thinking interaction is what separates us from other species, except maybe dogs…who do have generations of human interactions.”

The main rules of the “feast”: Don’t pair with someone you know or ask questions you would not answer. The only awkward moment came when the multi-racial crowd of young adults to seniors, in sun hats, ties and dresses, looked to see whom they would be ‘intimate’ with for hours. But 15 minutes later, everyone was seated and talking, continuing full force until organizers interrupted them 180 minutes later.

“It’s encouraging to see the world is not just a place of oppression and distance from each other,” Zeldin summed up. “What we did is not ordinary, but it can’t be madder than the world already is.”

Some said they felt “liberated” to talk on sensitive topics. Thirty-something Peter, from East London, said that “it might take weeks or months to get to the level of interaction we suddenly opened up.”

1.What can the “conversations” be best described as?

A．Deep and one-on-one.                   B．Sensitive and mad.

C．Instant and inspiring.                     D．Ordinary and encouraging.

2.In a “feast of conversations”, participants ______.

A．pair freely with anyone they like

B．have a guided talk for a set of period of time

C．ask questions they themselves would not answer

D．wear clothes reflecting multi-racial features.

3.In paragraph 6, “they would be ‘intimate’” is closest in meaning to “______”.

A．they would have physical contact           B．they would have in-depth talk

C．they would be close friends               D．they would exchange basic information

4.From the passage, we can conclude that what Zeldin does is ______.

A．an attempt to promote thinking interaction

B．one of the maddest activities ever conducted

C．a try to liberate people from old-fashioned ideas

D．an effort to give people a chance of talking freely

Habits, whether good or bad, are gradually formed. When a person does a certain thing again, he is driven by some unseen force to do the same thing repeatedly, then a habit is formed. Once a habit is formed, it is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to get rid of. It is therefore very important that we should pay great attention to the formation of habits. Children often form bad habits, some of which remain with them as long as they live. Older persons also form bad habits lasting as long as they live, and sometimes become ruined by them.

There are other habits which, when formed in early life, are of great help. Many successful men say that much of their success has something to do with certain habits in early life, such as early rising, honesty and so on.

Among the habits which children should not form are laziness, lying, stealing and so on. These are all easily formed habits. Unluckily older persons often form habits which could have been avoided.

We should keep away from all these bad habits, and try to form such habits as will be good for ourselves and others.

1. ____ are formed litde by little.

2.The underlined word "them" in the first paragraph refers to "____"

3.Generally speaking, it's difficult for one _____ and easy for them _____ which should be avoided.

4.Why should we pay much attention to the formation of habits?

5.According to the passage, early rising _____.

Megan's Library of Love book drive began in 2006, in memory of a student who passed away. The_ 21__ to send books to a school _22 _was created by Megan's classmates at Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School as a tribute（悼念）to her.

The project formed out of the desire to23 _Megan, to help our community heal, and to make a _24__ in the life of others. Students have many   25_ of Megan, but the most vivid was her love for her family and the diligent 26__ she gave to her classmates. They combined this with her _27_ for learning and reading to create the Library of Love. This project honors Megan's special qualities. In the _28__of one of her classmates, Megan was, “A good daughter, a good student, a good friend. ”We are all blessed to have been a _29_ of Megan's life.

Every February, on Megan's birthday, fifth graders at Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School _30 _donations of newly purchased books and send them to a school in need. The “Love books” are truly a __31__ of love meant to _32_ reading and learning. Students earn the money for postage by writing letters to local _33 _.The fifth graders also have the _34_ of labeling every book with a Library of Love sticker（标签）,  _35_ the books into categories（类别）, and _36_ all the books for shipping.

In the two years since the Library of Love _37 _began, students have collected over 5000 newly purchased books to send to schools in need. In 2006, 3419 books were sent to St. Bernard's Parish to help _38  their school library after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the community. In 2007, 1613 books were sent to White Mountain School in Alaska, who _39 _their high school in a fire. Students look forward to sending the gift of _40 _to other schools in the future.

It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can't imagine we will do without him when he's gone.
　　Bill Masters almost single-handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today. In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors. Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill's leadership; we are increasing our share with each passing month.
　　As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company's most competitive(竞争的) areas. But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work.
【小题1】The speech was made _______.

Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking.
He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty-three or-four. There was all unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes.
“Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?” said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss: “Never mind me, I am Mr. d’Urbervilles. Have you come to see me or my mother”
This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered-“I came to see your mother, sir.”
“I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed,” replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alec, the only son of the noble family. “What is the business you wish to see her about?”
“It isn’t business-it is-I can hardly say what.”
“Pleasure”
“Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem…”
Tess’s sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved（弯曲）towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
“It is so foolish,” she stammered（结结巴巴地说）; “I fear I can’t tell you”
“Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear,” said he kindly.
“Mother asked me to come,” Tess continued, “and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself.  But I did not think it would be like this. I came, sir, to tell you that we are of the same family as you.”
“Ho! Poor relations!”
“Yes.”
“Stokes”
“No; d’Urbervilles.”
“Ay, ay; I mean d’Urbervilles.”
“Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d’Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are, …and…and we have an old seal（印章）and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we’ve lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living.”
“Very kind of your mother, I’m sure.” Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. ”And so, my pretty girl, you’ve come on a friendly visit to us, as relations.”
“I suppose I have,” looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
“Well—there’s no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?”
—Tess of the d’Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy
67. How does Tess feel in the whole course of the meeting with Alec？
A. Excited and hopeful                                 B. Nervous and uncomfortable
C. Surprised but comfortable                             D. Pleased but embarrassed
68. In the eyes of Tess, Alec is ________.
A. forceful and daring                                 B. unfriendly and talkative
C. a gentle and reliable man                             D. older than she had expected
69. Why does Tess pay the visit to the d’Urbervilles？
A. To see Alec himself.    
B. To see Alec’s mother.
C. To confirm that they are of the same family.
D. To make known their relationship and seek help.
70. Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because ________.
A. Tess is his distant relation                       B. Tess looks polite to him
C. Toss is a pretty girl                         D. Tess looks ridiculous