At times we all get angry when we are driving. It might be because we are stuck in a traffic jam or stuck behind a very slow driver. It might be because we think another driver has done something very stupid and dangerous. Whatever the reason, it seems that getting angry in a car is something which happens more and more often and there is now a special term for it “road rage”. Some experts even think that road rage is a kind of mental illness! How can we recognize this “illness” of road rage?

There are two kinds of road rage: aggressive driving and aggressive reactions to the way other people are driving. Aggressive driving can take different forms:

●Driving much faster than the speed limit.

●Increasing your speed very quickly.

●Driving very close behind the car in front and sounding the horn or flashing the headlights.

●Changing lanes very suddenly and blocking another car.

●Moving into a parking space where another car is trying to park.

There are also different reactions to the way other people are driving. These include:

●Making rude signs at people.

●Shouting at people and threatening them.

●Deliberately driving into another person’s car.

●Hitting somebody.

●Using a weapon such as a baseball bat, or even a gun or a knife.

Road rage is certainly not a joke. There have been incidents of road rage which have led to serious injuries and even murder.

Experts think that one reason for road rage is that films show a lot of examples of fast and aggressive driving such as car chases where this kind of driving seems to be positive.

Experts also think that the punishments for dangerous driving are not serious enough.

Experience shows that driving problems can be controlled, but it takes a long time. In the UK in the last 30 years, the police have been quite successful in reducing the number of people who drink and drive. They are now working to stop people using mobile phones when they are driving. Let’s hope they can have the same success with the road rage.

1.Which of the following statements does NOT describe aggressive     driving?

2.Road rage happens possibly because______.

3.What’s the tone（语气）of the last paragraph?

For a while, my neighborhood was taken over by an army of joggers．(慢跑者). They were there all the time—early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces. “Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening. “You'll feel great.”

    Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army. I'm not alone in my opinion.

    First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet a real pounding (沉重的脚步) running down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn't kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.

    Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn't my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts.” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.

    And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn't just the first week: it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn't fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?

    I don't jog any more, and I don't think I ever will. I'm walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I'm getting exercise, and I'm enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I've found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.

1.From the first paragraph, we learn that in the writer's neighborhood ________.

A. jogging became very popular

B. many people were encouraged to jog

C. Alex organized an army of joggers

D. jogging provided a chance to get together

2. The underlined word “them”(Paragraph 3) most probably refers to ________.

A. heart attacks   B. Back problems  

C. hundreds of people   D. physical weaknesses

3. From the author's experience, we can conclude that ________.

A. jogging can help people keep fit

B. many physical problems result from jogging

C. not everyone enjoys jogging

D. jogging makes people feel great

At one time I was unemployed and money was running short. I needed a job   36    but it seemed as if no one was hiring.

A very good friend of mine   37    me one day with an offer. "I'm going to have to let this job go and I was wondering if you would like to take it   38   ?"

 "That would be great," I replied.

I went to speak with the   39    and he said he could use me, but never gave me a start date. Really needing the job, I made it a point to go and   40    with him every day. Finally he said, "You can start Monday morning."

I showed up for   41    extra early, ready to do my best. When I went inside I was   42   that I would be buffing(抛光) the floors. My friend was there to show me how to   43   the buffer.

"It's easy," he said, running the machine very   44   . He handed it over to me and said, "Here, you give it a try." I grabbed the handles with a "no problem"   45   . To my surprise, the buffer was rather   46   to operate.

Several times, I tried to run it again and   47   . I really had to fight that thing to make it go. "What am I going to do?" I   48    to myself. "I finally found a job and I can't do it. Am I going to have to tell them I have to quit?"

After several rough   49   of buffing, I finally made up my mind that I was going to do this. For about a week, I   50    with the buffer, putting all my weight and   51    into it. Eventually, I learned the   52    was not to struggle with it at all, just go   53    the flow of it, and by the second week, I was   54    and running it with one hand.

A few months later, I thought back and wondered what   55    have happened if I had given up that first week. I certainly would not have had the newfound confidence or a paycheck.

36.   A. quickly                     B. badly                        C. lightly                      D. comfortably

37.   A. approached               B. encouraged               C. instructed                 D. persuaded

38.   A. away                       B. in                             C. over                         D. up

39.   A. friend                       B. manager                   C. employee                  D. conductor

40.   A. catch up                   B. put up                      C. check out                 D. check in

41.   A. interview                  B. breakfast                  C. work                       D. practice

42.   A. commanded              B. warned                     C. informed                  D. recommended

43.   A. repair                       B. operate                     C. tend                         D. treat

44.   A. slowly                      B. gently                       C. thoroughly              D. smoothly

45.   A. attitude                     B. response                   C. phrase                      D. opinion

46.   A. hard                         B. light                         C. convenient                D. heavy

47.   A. failed                       B. wounded                  C. succeeded                D. won

48.   A. turned                      B. came                        C. referred                    D. thought

49.   A. weeks                      B. months                     C. days                        D. years

50.   A. met                          B. struggled                  C. combined                 D. lived

51.   A. courage                    B. spirit                        C. body                        D. strength

52.   A. trick                        B. technology                C. method                    D. message

53.   A. among                            B. against                            C. under                       D. with

54.   A. hanging about           B. showing off                     C. calming down           D. pulling through

55.   A. must                        B. should                      C. would                      D. can

The students at Sandy’s high school were badly shaken by the news that a classmate had 36 himself. The suicide note read: “It’s hard to 37 when nobody cares if you die.”

Glen, a teacher, realized this was a 38 moment about the importance of making people feel 39 . He asked his class to imagine they were about to 40 and to write a note “telling someone how and why you 41 him or her.”

Sandy, who had a 42 relationship with her mother, decided to write her 43 . Her letter read: “We’ve had some 44 times and I haven’t always been a very good 45 ,but I know I’m lucky to have you in my life. You’re the 46 person I’ve ever known, And even when I disagree with you, I never 47 you love me and want what’s best for me. Thanks for not 48 up on me”.

When her mom read the note, she cried and hugged Sandy 49 but said little.

The next morning, Sandy found a 50 on her mirror: “Dearest Sandy, I want you to know being your mother is ,by far, the most important thing in my life. 51 I got your note, I thought I had lost your love and 52 . I felt like such a failure. I intended to 53 it all last night. Your note saved my 54 .”

Be careful not to underestimate the 55 of expressed appreciation. It won’t always save a life, but it will always make someone’s life better.

36. A. sacrificed　 　　B. defeated　　　 C. abandoned　　　 D. killed

37.A. live　　　　　　 B. imagine　　　　 C. struggle　　　　 D. think

38.A. sad　　　　　　 B. final　　　　　 C. teachable　　　　 D. great

39.A. ashamed　　　　 B. valued　　　　 C. excited　　　 　 D. scared

40.A. die　　　　　　 B. fail　　　　　 C. retire　　　　　 D. survive

41.A.miss　　　　　　 B. hate　　　　　 C. admire　　　　 D. appreciate

42.A. close　　　　　 B. casual　　　　　 C. bad　　　　　 D. personal

43.A. classmate　　　 B. mom　　　　　 C. father　　　　　 D. teacher

44.A. free　　　　　　 B. delightful　　　 C. pleasant　　　　 D. rough

45.A.daughter　　　　 B. student　　　　 C. friend　　　　　 D. trainer

46.A. best　　　　　　 B. wisest　　　　　 C. luckiest　 　　　D. gentlest

47.A. trust　　　　　　 B. doubt　　　　　 C. consider　　　　 D. predict

48.A. taking　　　　　 B. going　　　　　 C. giving　　　　　 D. looking

49.A. coldly　　　　　 B. hesitantly　　　　 C. shyly　　　　　 D. tightly

50.A. note　 　　　　 B. gift　　　　　　　 C. notice　　　　　 D. reminder

51.A. Since　　　　　 B. Until　　　　　　 C. though　　　　　 D. When

52.A. confidence　　　 B. courage　　　　　 C. respect　　　　　 D. heart

53.A. end　　　　　　 B. make　　　　　　 C. get　　　　　　 D. fall

54.A. life　　　　　　 B. time　　　　　　　 C. money　　　　　 D. honor

55.A. push　　　　　 B. price　　　　　　　 C. meaning　　　　 D. power