I feel it enormous responsibility, as a mother of two little girls, to lead you down a path that is relatively healthy when it comes to beauty and self-image.

????????????? In a lot of women’s eyes I’ve probably already failed in that respect due to the amount of pink princess Barbie (芭比娃娃) mess cluttering up (堆满) Vera’s room. But I will say something about Barbie: I played with that stuff for a solid decade when I was growing up and here I am now at a healthy weight with a healthy outlook on my body and image. I have a successful career. If Barbie was really so damaging to my femininity (女性气质) and self-image I highly doubt I could list all of the accomplishments.

But I get it too. It’s hard for women to maintain a healthy self-image. I have girlfriends around whom I have to brace myself to see, because just being around them makes me self-conscious. I look at old pictures of my mother and wonder why I’ve never been able to be as skinny as she was. And then I have friends who are thinner than their mothers ever were. We women go round and round in circles, holding hands and trying to be one another sometimes. Men like to think we dress and style ourselves for them, but why would we when they hardly notice? I’ve never tried so hard to look good when I know I’m about to meet up with a stylish girlfriend. It’s she who will notice my slimmed-down waist or the thinnest, little bracelet on my arm.

And I have no doubt that the two of you, Veronica and Juliette, will endlessly compare yourselves to each other. You will wonder why one of you got longer legs or shinier hair. The thing I’ll tell you is this: not even the prettiest of us feel settled. The girl you think looks the most perfect in the world is probably the girl who wants to change herself more than anyone else.

Don’t take these on. You are not worthless. You are so full of love and light and you should let it shine through your every second. If someone pushes you down for standing tall then just push yourself back up and stand even taller. And know that the reason they push you down in the first place is just because they’re scared.

1.From the second paragraph, we can infer that the author _____.

A. regrets buying so much Barbie stuff for her daughters

B. thinks loving Barbie makes her not confident about her self-image

C. owes her beauty and success to playing with Barbie

D. thinks playing with Barbie caused no damage to her beauty and success

2.In the third paragraph, the author intends to show that _____.

A. women tend to be proud of their beautiful friends

B. she cares much about her appearance

C. she feels proud of her mother’s beauty

D. women tend to admire others and compare with each other

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. The author is disappointed that few men take notice of her slim figure.

B. The author cares more about looking good before her girlfriends.

C. Girls should constantly compare themselves with others to improve their beauty.

D. Only the prettiest girl can feel confident about her beauty.

4.The author advises her daughters that _____.

A. they should be cautious not to be pushed down by others

B. they should care much about their strong points instead of appearances

C. they should try to grow taller than others

D. they should care more about others’ opinions

       Everyone likes to feel that he or she is special.

       Unfortunately, many of us grow up believing that we’re not special at all. We wish that we could be better at sports or more attractive. We wish we had nicer clothes or more money. Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, or the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz (《绿野仙踪》), we believe we’re not good enough just as we are. In the movie, the Scarecrow wishes that he had a brain. The Tin Man wishes he had a heart, and the Lion wants courage. In the end, each of them realizes that he already has what he needs.

       Most parents want us to be the best we can be. They sometimes try to encourage us to do better by comparing us to others. They mean well, but the message we often get is that we’re not good enough. We begin to believe that the only way we can be special is by being better than someone else, but we are often disappointed. There will always be someone out there who is better than we are at something. There are plenty of people around who may not be as smart as we are but who are better at sports. Or they may not be as good-looking, but they have more money. It is impossible for us to be better than everyone else all the time.

       Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, we all want what we believe will make us better people. What we don’t realize is that often we already have inside us the very things that we seek. Parents sometimes forget to tell us that we are special, that we are good enough just as we are. Maybe no one told them that when they were growing up, or maybe they just forgot. Either way, it’s up to us to remind them from time to time that each of us, in our own way, is special. What we are ... is enough.

This passage is most likely written by a ______.

A. teenager     B. parent C. teacher       D. coach

According to the author, it seems improper for parents to ______.

A. compare their children with others now and then

B. give no pressure to their children 

C. remind their children frequently they are special

D. praise their children too much

By discussing the characters in The Wizard of Oz, the author mainly wants to show ______.

A. we are not good enough just as we are

B. we already have inside us what we want

C. it is impossible for us to be better than others

D. there is always someone who is better than us

What does the author of this passage believe?

A. Not everyone can be special.                 

B. Smart people are more special than others.

C. The richer you are, the better you are.           

D. We are all good enough just the way we are.

Everyone likes to feel that he or she is special.

Unfortunately, many of us grow up believing that we’re not special at all. We wish that we could be better at sports or more attractive. We wish that we had nicer clothes or more money. Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, or the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz（绿野仙踪）, we believe we’re not good enough just as we are. In the movie , the Scarecrow wishes that he had a brain. The Tin Man wishes she had a heart, and the Lion wants courage. In the end, each of them realizes that he already has what he needs.

Most parents want us to be the best we can be. They sometimes try to encourage us to do better by comparing us to others. They mean well, but the message we often get is that we’re not good enough. We begin to believe that the only way we can be special is by being better than someone else, but we are often disappointed. There will always be someone out there who is better than we are at something There are plenty of people around who may not be as smart as we are but who are better at sports. Or they may not be as good-looking, but they have more money. It is impossible for us to be better than everyone else all the time.

Like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, we all want what we believe will make us better people. What we don’t realize is that often we already have inside us the very things that we seek. Parents sometimes forget to tell us that we are special , and that we are good enough just as we are. Maybe no one told them that when they were growing up, or maybe they just forgot. Either way, it’s up to us to remind them from time to time that each of us, in our own way, is special. What we are….is enough.

1．This passage is most likely written by a ______.

     A．teenager             B．parent                C．teacher              D．coach  

2．According to the author, it seems improper for parents to _______.

      A．compare their children with others now and then 

       B．give no pressure to their children

      C．remind their children frequently they are special

      D．praise their children too much

3．By discussing the characters in The Wizard of Oz, the author mainly wants to show____.

      A．we are not good enough just as we are

       B．we already have inside us what we want 

      C．it is impossible for us to be better than others

       D．there is always someone who is better than us

4．What does the author of this passage believe?

      A．Not everyone can be special               B．Smart people are more special than others.

      C．The richer you are, the better you are    D．We are all good enough just the way we are.

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We understand that people who make international money transfers may seem a little uptight. But you needn’t worry; the feeling that you feel nervous will disappear for we’re here to help.

60. HiFX Online covers the following services EXCEPT________.

       A. exchanging money                                    B. transferring money

       C. doing shopping online                                      D. transferring school fees

61. Which of the following statements are the reasons why people are advised to use HiFX Online?

① It offers highly competitive rates.

② It is fast but difficult to operate.

③ It is highly secure for customers.

④ It offers many payment methods.

A. ①②③                   B. ②③④                    C. ①②④                    D. ①③④

62. The underlined word “uptight” in the last paragraph has the closest meaning to ______.

       A. disappointed           B. tense                      C. frightened        D. excited

63. What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

       A. To advertise for a special company.

       B. To introduce an exchange service briefly.

       C. To guide people how to transfer their money.

       D. To make an advertisement for HiFX Online.

   It was starting to get dark and Bobby turned to walk home when suddenly his eyes caught the setting sun’s rays reflecting off something along the roadside. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime(一角钱). Never before has anyone felt so wealthy as Bobby felt at that moment.

As he held his new found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body and he walked into the first store he saw.

His excitement quickly turned cold when the salesperson told him that he couldn’t buy anything with only a dime.

He saw a flower shop and went inside to wait in line. When the shop owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother’s Christmas gift. The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cents offering. Then he said to him, “You just wait here and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

The sound of the door closed as the last customer left. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel cold and afraid. Suddenly the shop owner came out. There, before Bobby’s eyes, lay twelve long stem, red roses, with leaves of green and tiny white flowers all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby’s heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box. “That will be ten cents, young man.” The shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.

Sensing the boy’s reluctance(勉强), the shop owner added, “I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?”

When the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out of the door that the owner was holding, Bobby heard the shopkeeper say, “Merry Christmas, son.”

Bobby feel that he was rich?

    A. Because he found a purse with many dollars

B. Because he found some money on the way home.

C. Because he was given a bunch of flowers

D. Because he found some hidden treasure.

What can we infer from the third paragraph?

    A. Christmas gifts were always very expensive

B. The salesperson’s words greatly disappointed Bobby.

C. Bobby was tired of trying one shop after another

D. The salesperson was trying to cheat Bobby.

While waiting for the shop owner in the flower ship, Bobby           .

    A. was full of excitement and joy

B. was very thankful to the shop owner

C. felt he had been cheated by the owner

D. was not sure whether the owner would accept his offering