This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths.

It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend（超越） it. Once we truly know that life is difficult---once we truly understand and accept it---then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.

Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families, their class, or even their nation.

What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause us sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear. These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.

Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, those things that hurt, instruct. It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.

60. From the passage, it can be inferred that ______.

　 　 A. everybody has problems

　 　 B. we become stronger by meeting and solving the problems of life

　 　 C. life is difficult because our problems bring us pain

　 　 D. people like to complain about their problems

61. The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ______.

　 　 A. save space　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　 B. persuade readers

　 　 C. get readers’ attention 　　　　　　　　D. make readers laugh　　　　　　　　　　　

62. The saying from Benjamin Franklin "Those things that hurt, instruct" suggests that ______.

　　 A. we do not learn from experience
　　 B. we do not learn when we are in pain
　　 C. pain teaches us important lessons
　　 D. pain cannot be avoided

63. The main idea of Paragraph 3 is that ______.

　 　 A. most people feel life is easy　 B. most people complain about how hard their lives are

　 　 C. the writer feels life is easy　 　 D. the writer likes to complain about his problems

An 18-year-old student has won a local election to become mayor of his hometown in the US state of Michigan．Michael Sessions won by the slenderest of margins - just two votes put him ahead of his only rival, the incumbent 51-year-old mayor．Mr. Sessions attributed his electoral success to the votes cast by his parents．He will now have to juggle schedules between attending school and fulfilling his civic duties．He will attend his school classes between 8am to 3pm and carry out his new job as the elected mayor of Hillsdale before dinner at 6pm．He aims to deliver on his campaign pledges of increasing the contingent（小分队）of full-time fire-fighters from three to four, revitalizing（使恢复元气）the local economy and enabling townsfolk to air their views and grievances on town life．

       Mr. Sessions was too young to enter the election when it was first announced – he turned 18 only in September, which meant he had just four weeks of campaigning．Although he is the youngest elected official in America, he cannot celebrate his success with champagne because he would be arrested for underage drinking．He ran for office with a budget of $700, which he made from his summer job of selling toffee apples．His position is largely ceremonial and he will not get his own office．Instead, he will receive an annual stipend of $3,600 to cover basic expenses．He starts his four-year position on November 21．Mr. Sessions has become an overnight celebrity since his victory and has already done the circuit of television chat show interviews．

1．When did the election probably take place?

       A．August．           B．September．       C．October．                               D．December．

2．How long will Mr. Sessions be the mayor of Michigan State?

       A．One year．     B．Two years．        C．Four years．                             D．Not mentioned．

3．Which of the following statements is correct?

       A．Mr. Sessions won the election by two votes．

       B．Mr. Sessions had many competitors during the election．

       C．The new mayor will get an office after the election．

       D．The new mayor doesn’t have to attend the school any more．

Tom is a worker in my factory and he is a little bit dirty．I have been taking   1   of him for years and years, he always wears an old red hat and carries a   2   bag．He usually spends his break time and his lunchtime by walking around to   3   the unused tins around．

       Once I saw him by his   4   , with a lot of rubbish bags, which were full of aluminum（铝） tins．He threw them into the back of his car and then   5   the car．Being very curious, I got into my car to   6   him．He drove   7   he reached the entrance to a wide, empty parking area, but did nothing more．

       Today, I was   8   one of the broken machines during lunchtime when this “tin man” came along with his bag．As usual, he   9   the tins around the place．My   10   , who was worried about how the   11   caused by the machine would affect production, was standing there watching me．

       When I finished my job, my manager asked the “tin man” about what he would   12    the tin that he had collected．I had    13   even though about asking this kind of question,  14  I had always thought that this “tin man” would sell the   15   to the recycling place

        16  ,this “tin man” answered, “I will give them to my neighbor,  17   has epilepsy（癫痫病） and is unable to work．” I was   18   to hear this, and I asked him, “You   19   you are collecting all those tins just to help your neighbor?”

       “I know it doesn’t help very much,” he said, “   20   I try my best to help him．” It was the most beautiful moment in my life and made me feel very humble（卑鄙的）．

1．A．hold                      B．care                    C．charge                D．notice

2．A．plastic                   B．rubbish                C．paper                 D．metal

3．A．collect                  B．find                    C．hide                   D．spread

4．A．house                   B．store                  C．machine             D．car

5．A．got out of            B．broke up             C．jumped into         D．settled down

6．A．follow                   B．block                  C．inspect                D．catch

7．A．since                    B．until                   C．when                 D．after

8．A．decorating             B．performing          C．repairing         D．selecting

9．A．turned up              B．put up                 C．set up                 D．picked up

10．A．manager              B．workmate            C．neighbor           D．friend

11．A．power                 B．delay                   C．signal                  D．harm

12．A．do with               B．deal with             C．go with               D．put up with

13．A．seldom                B．always               C．nearly                D．never

14．A．unless                 B．because               C．though                D．if

15．A．machine              B．cars                   C．tins                     D．bags

16．A．Certainly             B．Briefly                 C．Surprisingly      D．Fortunately

17．A．who                    B．whom                 C．which                 D．that

18．A．shocked              B．interested            C．satisfied          D．concerned

19．A．announce            B．mean                   C．say             D．declare

20．A．instead               B．however              C．but                    D．and