A well-known speaker started his speech by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “What is this piece of   1  and is it worth anything?”

Hands started going up. “It is a $20 bill, encashable(可兑现的) in international and national   2  .”replied one of the   3  who raised their hands.

The speaker continued, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He continued to crumple the 20 dollar bill using both his hands. He then               4  it and asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he said, “what if I do this?” He dropped it on the  5  and started to step on it. He picked up the crumpled and   6  bill and said, “Now, who still wants it?”  

7  went back into the air. “I think this bill is still   8  its value”, said a young man in an unsure  9 . “We can still use the bill to   10  goods worth 20 dollars,” said the other people.

“My friends, you have all learned a very   11  lesson in this exercise that we are just through with. You’ve   12  that I can crumple the $20 bill during the process as the effects can be seen clearly.   13 , no matter what I did to the piece of paper, you were   14  in your mind that my actions did not actually decrease its   15 . It was still worth $20.”

“Many times in our lives, we feel like as if we are   16 , crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are   17 ; but no matter what happened or what will happen, please   18 , you will never lose your value.” Values that you keep in your heart will always   19  you from a difficult situation.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or not, you are still priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by ...WHO WE ARE.” “You are   20 — don’t ever forget it.”

1.                A．paper          B．advice          C．information    D．luck

2.                A．organizations    B．flights          C．markets  D．conferences

3.                A．family          B．teachers        C．speakers  D．audience

4.                A．hid            B．bought         C．carried   D．unfolded

5.                A．square         B．beach          C．ground   D．playground

6.                A．thin           B．dirty           C．new D．clear

7.                A．Hands          B．Books          C．Heads    D．Smoke

8.                A．losing          B．reducing        C．increasing     D．holding

9.                A．sound          B．voice           C．noise D．shout

10.               A．deliver         B．buy            C．sell   D．produce

11.               A．boring         B．difficult         C．valuable   D．painful

12.               A．heard          B．seen           C．forgotten  D．doubted

13.               A．However       B．Therefore       C．Besides   D．Otherwise

14.               A．sure           B．curious         C．proud D．sad

15.               A．price          B．growth         C．value D．size

16.               A．dropped        B．turned         C．looked    D．talked

17.               A．important       B．confident       C．selfish D．useless

18.               A．accept         B．argue          C．remember D．decide

19.               A．leave          B．search         C．save  D．beat

20.               A．especial        B．normal         C．ordinary   D．special

D

Many Chinese have been greatly shocked by the traffic accident caused by the drunk driver Sun Weiming, who has killed five and injured some others in Chengdu, Sichuan. However, such a case is not rare.

   Today, the traffic accidents may have been regarded as a social problem. The car has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows actually from rude behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral (道德的) rights of others. In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless but just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one's actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even far beyond carelessness that can be imagined.

   Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can change drivers’ reactions incorrectly, slow their judgment, and make them blind to the dangers that might otherwise be evident. The experts warn that it is vital for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep his/her emotions under control.

   Yet the .irresponsibility; that accounts for much of the problem isn't only put upon drivers. Street walkers regularly ignore or break traffic regulations. They are blamed in most vehicle walker accidents, and many cyclists even believe that they are not subject to the basic rules of the road.

   Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicles have been raised both at the point of manufacture and through regular road inspections. In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to make people believe that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road.

67. Traffic accidents may be regarded as a social problem because

   A. auto driving has become dangerous and harmful in today's society

   B. people usually pay no attention to law and morality when driving

   C. they have caused serious psychological problems among drivers

   D. the car has killed and disabled more people than any weapon in history

68. Who are NOT mentioned as being responsible for the road accidents?

   A. Careless bicycle--riders.             B. Careless people walking in the street.

   C. Irresponsible auto drivers.            D. Irresponsible auto manufacturers.

69. Discussing solutions to traffic accidents, the author seems to be

   A. doubtful and hopeless               B. angry and disappointed

   C. objective and concerned             D. anxious and annoyed

70. The author writes this passage to

   A. show his worries about drunk driving

   B. help protect street walkers from car accidents

   C. discuss traffic problems and possible solutions

   D. warn auto drivers to refuse drunk driving

B

I am a person who does not like to wait in line. However, I realize anger will get me nowhere. Considering this, I have decided to turn my frustration(沮丧) to productive ends. In short, I am constantly hunting around for what I call “waiting in line books”, especially those that are designed for being read in snippets(文摘), so there is no extended story line to lose track of. Another requirement is that they be small enough to slip neatly into my back pocket.

The other day I went to the supermarket and was surprised to see that the place was crowded with shoppers, but no worries. I parked my cart behind five others and pulled out my vocabulary builder. Within a few seconds I was totally absorbed, and rather than seething at the 15 minutes it took to advance to the cashier, I learned that nankeen is “a yellow cotton cloth”, or, in the plural, “trousers made of it”. The acquisition of new words led me into a place where I would otherwise not have enjoyed myself so much.

Once, at a yard sale, I found two small pocket books titled Sidelights on American History (copyright 1919). The seller approached as I looked through the pages. “You want them?”

“First I need to see if they fit,” I told him. He watched as I slipped Volume 1 into my back pocket. “Perfect. I’ll take them.”

10 minutes later, I was at the carwash, where the waiting line was six vehicles long. Thank goodness for my books! By the time my car was being soaped and power sprayed, I had learned about the Annapolis Convention, the early life of Aaron Bur.

The more the world demands that I wait, the more I learn from my waiting library. In fact, I have become so fond of my “waiting” books that my spirits actually rise when I see a long line I must stand in. It is most likely I would be regarded as a bookish, lonely soul. But little would they realize that I was enjoying the company of those “waiting” books. And just as Disraeli said, “Everything comes if a man will only wait”.

60. When buying a book the writer _____.

A. has his own rules                        B. prefers books of small size

C. chooses books by famous writers            D. has no particular appetite

61. The truth behind the story is that the writer wants to tell us _____.

A. reading is not only important but also practical

B. one is expected to learn to adjust oneself rather than complain

C. reading is the best way to kill time

D. knowledge is power and wisdom is fortune

62. The underlined expression in paragraph 3 “seething at” probably means _____.

A. angry at                   B. delighted at              C. surprised at        D. excited at

63. The sentence in Paragraph 2 “there is no extended story line to lose track of” shows that _____.

A. what the writer reads is not difficult to understand

B. the writer likes to read interesting stories while waiting in line

C. the writer can stop wherever needed with no plot to leave out

D. the writer does not necessarily reach his understanding

D

By the time a student starts to apply (申请) for a US university, much of his or her record, including grades and after-school activities, has been set in stone. For this reason, the student must in his or her first year of high school start getting ready for college. He or she also has to decide on the non-academic (非学业的) tasks, which are important to improve the student’s chances of getting in.
1. After-school activities
   When it comes to high school activities, quality is better than quantity (数量). Admissions (录取) officers do not want to see a student who has joined dozens of organizations (组织) for a short period of time.
   Many students try to do this towards the end of their high school. But schools want to see a student who has been with one organization for all or most of high school. A student who can do this shows maturity (成熟). It is the quality that admissions officers look for as it is one of the markers of future success.
2. Leadership
    Schools want to see a student who has taken on a leadership role in an organization. A student can show leadership by taking on any role that needs extra commitment (奉献) and responsibility.
    If you do not have a great title (头衔) such as president, be sure to explain any leadership roles you have taken. This kind of involvement (参与) in school activities shows you are the responsible person that admissions officers look for.
3. Consistency (一致性)
   Admissions officers like an application (申请) to be consistent. For example if there is a high school activity you particularly (特别地) love, it would help if that activity matches your future academic and career interest.
Of course not everything needs to be consistent. Otherwise (否则) the student would be narrow and this is not what schools are looking for. However, you cannot have different parts of your application saying conflicting (矛盾的) things.

67. Who was the article written for?

A. US college students hoping to study in China.  

B. Chinese college students hoping to study in the US.

C. Third year high school students hoping to study in the US.

D. Teenagers hoping to study in the US.

68. The underlined phrase "set in stone" in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.

A. made clear                                        B. something unchangeable   

C. become obvious                          D. at the right level(水平)

69. The author’s suggestion is to ______.

A. try as many different organizations as possible

B. start planning for college at the beginning of high school

C. make everything in an application consistent

D. put non-academic tasks before academic tasks

70. According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Students should choose after-school activities they have great interest in.

B. It’s already too late for first year students to apply for a US university.

C. It is necessary for a student to be a president if he/she is to apply for a US university.

D. Students should concentrate on just one activity in high school.

As a disabled person, I often feel I have two jobs．There's my normal job working as a radio producer and there’s my role managing a team of carers （otherwise called personal assistants）．Of the two jobs, being a radio producer is considerably easier．One of the hardest aspects of being a PA employer and needing 24-hour care is that you never feel “off duty”．At any time a PA could present me with an issue or concern that needs handling．

There was an occasion when a previous PA came into my bedroom one morning to get me up and began complaining straight away that I had paid her the wrong amount that week．Another former PA once called me on a Saturday evening to ask if she could book some annual leave．

Once the booking is confirmed, the worry about not having a carer at all is replaced by concern over who the carer is．My agency tries very hard to send me carers who’ve helped me before, but obviously if you book agency care at short notice you just have to accept whoever is available．When an agency sends me a carer who is new to me, I have to explain my needs from scratch．

Of course, no organisation is never wrong and care agencies are no exception．When an agency makes a mistake and a carer fails to turn up, the impact on my life can be frustrating and distressing．It might mean I’m unable to get up in the morning and am stuck in bed for hours staring at the ceiling, waiting for a carer to arrive．It might mean I’m late for work or have to miss an appointment．Fortunately, over the last decade I’ve seen a considerable improvement in the quality of service care agencies provide．Most of the time, I’m pleased to say, the agencies I use are caring, organised and reliable．

When a home PA is off sick, life can be stressful but when a work PA is ill, the consequences can be more serious．At home it doesn’t matter if tasks don’t get done or take longer because the agency carer is less experienced at helping me than my permanent PAs．The only person affected is myself．However, at work I have to meet deadlines and if I don’t do my job properly, then not only will it create extra problems for my colleagues but it could also affect the quality of the programme I'm working on．

Luckily, I employ two full-time permanent PAs so when one is absent I usually still have the other one with me．On a normal day the work PAs share out the hours equally between them．

Covering a PA’s sickness not only creates practical problems, it can also be a financial headache．Agency care is expensive．For this reason, a PA who doesn’t need much sick leave is worth her weight in gold．

1．The passage is mainly about __________________．

      A．social relation                        B．housework and work

      C．social care                         D．sickness and treatment

2．Being a PA employer, the author feels she is always “on duty” because__________________．

      A．she takes up two jobs---- working as radio producer and managing a team of carers．

      B．some employees are either less experienced or considerably lazy．

      C．she has to get up early in the morning and go to bed late at night．

      D．a personal assistant may bring much trouble to her anytime．

3．What does the author think of the service of the care agencies?

      A．The quality of service care agencies offer has improved a lot．

      B．Her care agencies never make any mistakes．

      C．Her care agencies take good care of her．

      D．The service her care agencies provide needs considerable improvement．

4．Why can the consequences be more serious when a work PA is ill?

      A．Because a work PA is less efficient than a home PA

      B．Because the author’s poor work has an effect on her colleagues with no care．

      C．Because on a normal day a work PA has much important work to do．

      D．Because the absence of a PA can cause financial problems．