Let’s say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, the nail is a mean rumor (谣言) about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you’re obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there’s still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.
There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying (欺悔). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it’s usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It’s the same thing as teasing, only it’s done behind someone’s back instead of to his or her face.
When you spread a rumor about someone, you’re sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You’re making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it’s okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.
We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.
Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let’s say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard (暴风雪) is coming. Expecting a day off, you don’t do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle（毛毛雨）, and school isn’t off after all. You get zeroes on your work.
【小题1】The purpose of the first paragraph is to        .

 Let’s say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, the nail is a mean rumor (谣言) about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you’re obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there’s still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.

There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying (欺悔). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it’s usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It’s the same thing as teasing, only it’s done behind someone’s back instead of to his or her face.

When you spread a rumor about someone, you’re sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You’re making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it’s okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.

We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.

Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let’s say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard (暴风雪) is coming. Expecting a day off, you don’t do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle（毛毛雨）, and school isn’t off after all. You get zeroes on your work.

1.The purpose of the first paragraph is to        .

A. help readers know what a rumor is        B. attract readers to read the following paragraphs

C. emphasize the damaging effects of rumors   D. explain how a rumor spreads

2.To tell a rumor and a tease apart, you depend on        .

A. whether it is done behind someone            B. whether it is painful or not

C. whether it is a kind if bullying                 D. whether it is spread fast

3. If a rumor is spread about someone, others may        .

A. point out his or her advantages B. keep away from him or her

C. not feel he or she is an outsider  D. be hurt if getting close to him or her again

4.From the last paragraph, we can infer that        .

A. it is hard to keep rumors a secret             B. rumors can destroy your interest in learning

C. believing rumors can lead to bad choices    D. rumors can control your whole life

5. The purpose of this passage is to         .

A. advise on how to deal with rumors  B. teach us how to judge a rumor

C. find out why rumors spread fast     D. explain why rumors hurt

Let’s say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, the nail is a mean rumor (谣言) about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you’re obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there’s still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.
There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying (欺悔). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it’s usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It’s the same thing as teasing, only it’s done behind someone’s back instead of to his or her face.
When you spread a rumor about someone, you’re sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You’re making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it’s okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.
We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.
Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let’s say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard (暴风雪) is coming. Expecting a day off, you don’t do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle（毛毛雨）, and school isn’t off after all. You get zeroes on your work.

1. 1.

   The purpose of the first paragraph is to        .

   1. A.
      help readers know what a rumor is
   2. B.
      attract readers to read the following paragraphs
   3. C.
      emphasize the damaging effects of rumors
   4. D.
      explain how a rumor spreads
2. 2.

   To tell a rumor and a tease apart, you depend on        .

   1. A.
      whether it is done behind someone
   2. B.
      whether it is painful or not
   3. C.
      whether it is a kind if bullying
   4. D.
      whether it is spread fast
3. 3.

   If a rumor is spread about someone, others may        .

   1. A.
      point out his or her advantages
   2. B.
      keep away from him or her
   3. C.
      not feel he or she is an outsider
   4. D.
      be hurt if getting close to him or her again
4. 4.

   From the last paragraph, we can infer that        .

   1. A.
      it is hard to keep rumors a secret
   2. B.
      rumors can destroy your interest in learning
   3. C.
      believing rumors can lead to bad choices
   4. D.
      rumors can control your whole life
5. 5.

   The purpose of this passage is to         .

   1. A.
      advise on how to deal with rumors
   2. B.
      teach us how to judge a rumor
   3. C.
      find out why rumors spread fast
   4. D.
      explain why rumors hurt

We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles (肌肉) of your neck, or because an unexpected twist（扭曲）has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.

That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.

One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.

Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck”.

Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn (爆米花); he is chewing（嚼）loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.

Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.

We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.

We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”. They hate being watched secretly.

1．Where can you find this passage?

A. In a medicine dictionary.                    B. in a kids’ story book.

C. In a social science book.                D. In a science textbook.

2．According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?

A.disturbed.           B.bored.                C.ignored.       D. relaxed.

3．A “rubber neck” often __________________ .

A. says bad words behind people.                B. quarrels face to face with neighbors.

C. bargains with salespeople over the price D. asks about other people’s business

4．Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?

A. Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance.

B. Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles.

C. Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy.

D. Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies.

5．What is the main purpose of the author?

A. To tell people what might be bad manners in public.

B. To criticize (批评) the people who might be a “pain in the neck”

C. To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”.

D. To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck.

It’s only after three weeks into a new job that I made a serious mistake. My boss called it “extremely embarrassing” in a company-wide e-mail — which, __36__, he wrote because he felt he needed to explain that what I did was something __37__ in the company should ever do.

I wish I __38__ give a good excuse for what I did. At the very least, I wish I could explain it somehow — __39__ it on youth, inexperience or ignorance. Unfortunately, I’m __40__, experienced and I know better.

__41__ I work with some very kind and compassionate(富于同情心的) people. For the past couple of days many of them have taken time to __42__ by my desk and offer comfort, encouragement and support. Some have shared with me similar __43__ they have made. Evidently I’m not the only “ __44__ ” person here.

One of the exchanges I had this week was with Lois, the much-honored, much-respected professional who __45__ the desk right next to mine. Lois was completely __46__ about her work, and to be honest I was a little nervous about how she would __47__ to such an extremely embarrassing incident.

As I expected, Lois didn’t pass over the __48__ when she saw me the next day. She mentioned it directly, __49__ with empathetic(体恤别人感受的) consideration. She listened to my   __ 50__. Just as I was ready to express my regrets, she brought my self-pity partly to a(n)   __51__.

“It happened”, she said, “There’s nothing you can do to __52__ that. It happened. But it’s over now. It’s __53__. It’s in the past. You need to let it go, and move on.” And with that she returned her __54__ to her work, as if to say, “We’re done here.”     I beat myself up for weeks. At such times I need to remember those __55__ words: It’s over. It’s done. Let it go. And mostly, move on.

16．A. to the way       B. in the way       C. by the way      D. on the way

17．A. no one          B. anyone         C. someone        D. the one

18．A. might           B. could          C. should          D. will

19．A. rely            B. blame          C. put             D. fix

20．A. old             B. energetic       C. cheerful         D. outgoing

21．A. Hopefully       B. Naturally       C. Generally        D. Thankfully

22．A. sit             B. work           C. stop             D. watch

23．A. mistakes        B. troubles         C. attempts         D. decisions

24．A. annoying        B. embarrassing    C. puzzling         D. confusing

25．A. repairs          B. occupies         C. wants          D. works

26．A. hopeful         B. curious          C. serious         D. mad

27．A. turn            B. agree           C. react           D. object

28．A. issue           B. outcome         C. criterion        D. message

29．A. for             B. therefore        C. otherwise       D. but

30．A. conclusion       B. explanation      C. challenge       D. imagination

31．A. end             B. key            C. order           D. process

32．A. forget           B. change         C. prevent         D. ruin

33．A. broken          B. done           C. lost            D. kept

34．A. patience         B. skill           C. attention        D. interest

35．A. sweet           B. pleasant        C. meaningful      D. colorful