I told my friend Graham that I often cycle two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route．He replied, “You mean fortunately．”He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided．

    My attitude to the hill has now changed．I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following．This hill will exercise my heart and lungs．It will help me to lose weight and get fit．It will mean that I live longer．This hill is my friend．Finally I comfort myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free．I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill．

Problems are there to be faced and overcome．We cannot achieve anything with an easy life．Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university degree．Her activism and writing proved inspirational．She wrote，“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet．Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened，vision cleared，ambition inspired and success achieved.”   

   One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity(逆境)．From time to time we all face hardships，problems．accidents、afflictions and difficulties．Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own．While we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it．

Douglas Bader was 21 when in 193l he had both legs cut off following a flying accident．He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans．He was an inspiration to others during the war．He said, “Don't listen to any-one who tells you that you can’t do this or that．That's nonsense．Make up your mind，you'll never use crutches(拐杖)or a stick，then have a go at everything．Go to school，join in all the games you can．Go anywhere you want to．But never，never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”

    The biographies（传记）of great people are full of examples of how they took steps to overcome the difficulties they faced．The common thread is that they did not become depressed．They chose their attitude．They chose to be positive．They took on the challenge．They won．

Nevertheless．there is still the problem of how you change your attitude towards adversity．

1.Which of the following is true according to the author of the passage?

A．Climbing hills on bicycles is the best way to take exercise．

B．People are silly to pay to go to the gym．

C．Those who want to achieve success can't expect to live all easy life．

D．People's attitude towards adversity is the only factor that determines whether they will succeed．

2.By quoting what Douglas Bader said，the author intends to tell us“             ．”

A．Failure is the mother of Success．   

B．A fall into the pit，a gain in your wit．

C．If you venture nothing，you will have nothing． 

D．Nothing is difficult to the man who will try．

3.Following this passage，the author will further talk about         ．

A．how his friend helped him to change his attitude towards the adversity he faced

B．what steps to take to change your attitude towards the adversity you face

C．what great people have in common[来源:Z+xx+k.Com]

D．why it is important to keep optimistic in face of adversity

4.Which of the following can best function as the title of the passage?

A．Face adversity with a smile           B．Different attitudes towards adversity

C．Nothing is impossible               D．Life is full of adversity

When I lived in Spain, some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car. Before they left, they asked me for advice about how to find accommodation (住所). I suggested that they should stay at “bed and breakfast” houses, because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family. My friends listened to my advice, but they came back with some funny stories.

     “We didn’t stay at bed and breakfast houses,” they said, “because we found that most families were away on holiday.”

      I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought “VACANCIES” meant “holidays”, because the Spanish word for ‘holidays” is “vacaciones”. So they did not go to house where the sign(标牌) outside said ‘VACANCLES’, which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to house where the sign said ‘NO VACANCLES’, because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels!

      We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word ‘DIVERSION’ means fun. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word ‘DIVERSION’ on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hole（洞）.

      English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in Paris when someone offered me some more coffee, I said ‘Thank you’ in French. I meant that I would like some more.  However, to my surprise,  the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that ‘Thank you’ in French means ‘No, thank you.’

1.My Spanish friends wanted advice about ______.

A. learning English

B. finding places to stay in England

C. driving their car on English roads

D. going to England by car

2.I suggested that they stay at bed and breakfast houses because ______.

A. they would be able to practise their English

B. it would be much cheaper than staying in hotels

C. it would be convenient for them to have dinner

D. there would be no problem about finding accommodation there

3. “NO VACANCIES” in English means ______.

A. no free rooms          B. free rooms      C. not away on holiday    D. Holidays

4.If you see a road sign that says ‘Diversion’, you will ______.

A. fall into a hole

B. have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself

C. find that the road is blocked by crowds of people

D. have to take a different road

5.When someone offered me more coffee and I said ‘Thank you’ in French, I ______.

A didn’t really want any more coffee

B. wanted them to take the coffee pot away

C. really wanted some more coffee

D. wanted to express my politeness

I told my friend Graham that I often cycle two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route．He replied, “You mean fortunately．”He explained that I should be glad of the extra exercise that the hill provided．

    My attitude to the hill has now changed．I used to grumble as I approached it but now I tell myself the following．This hill will exercise my heart and lungs．It will help me to lose weight and get fit．It will mean that I live longer．This hill is my friend．Finally I comfort myself with the thought of all those silly people who pay money to go to a gym and sit on stationery exercise bicycles when I can get the same value for free．I have a smile of satisfaction as I reach the top of the hill．

Problems are there to be faced and overcome．We cannot achieve anything with an easy life．Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to gain a university degree．Her activism and writing proved inspirational．She wrote，“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet．Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened，vision cleared，ambition inspired and success achieved.”   

   One of the main determinants of success in life is our attitude towards adversity(逆境)．From time to time we all face hardships，problems．accidents、afflictions and difficulties．Some are of our making but many confront us through no fault of our own．While we cannot choose the adversity we can choose our attitude towards it．

Douglas Bader was 21 when in 193l he had both legs cut off following a flying accident．He was determined to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces in the Battle of Britain with 22 aerial victories over the Germans．He was an inspiration to others during the war．He said, “Don't listen to any-one who tells you that you can’t do this or that．That's nonsense．Make up your mind，you'll never use crutches(拐杖)or a stick，then have a go at everything．Go to school，join in all the games you can．Go anywhere you want to．But never，never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”

    The biographies（传记）of great people are full of examples of how they took steps to overcome the difficulties they faced．The common thread is that they did not become depressed．They chose their attitude．They chose to be positive．They took on the challenge．They won．

Nevertheless．there is still the problem of how you change your attitude towards adversity．

Which of the following is true according to the author of the passage?

A．Climbing hills on bicycles is the best way to take exercise．

B．People are silly to pay to go to the gym．

C．Those who want to achieve success can't expect to live all easy life．

D．People's attitude towards adversity is the only factor that determines whether they will succeed．

By quoting what Douglas Bader said，the author intends to tell us“             ．”

A．Failure is the mother of Success．   

B．A fall into the pit，a gain in your wit．

C．If you venture nothing，you will have nothing． 

D．Nothing is difficult to the man who will try．

Following this passage，the author will further talk about         ．

A．how his friend helped him to change his attitude towards the adversity he faced

B．what steps to take to change your attitude towards the adversity you face

C．what great people have in common

D．why it is important to keep optimistic in face of adversity

Which of the following can best function as the title of the passage?

A．Face adversity with a smile           B．Different attitudes towards adversity

C．Nothing is impossible               D．Life is full of adversity

--- Do you really mean to prepare our lecture two months in advance?

   --- Sure. Anyway,  ___________

A. a good beginning is half done.                  B. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

C. a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.              D. the early bird catches the worm.

— I think it was his excitement for his success in the first half that led to his eventual failure in the game.

   — You bet. Old sayings never fail, “________”

A. Failure is the mother of success   

B. Pride goes before a fall

C. A hero is nothing but a product of his time

D. A fall into the pit, a gain in the wit