It’s not easy growing up. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. We are always doing things that someone else makes us do and aren’t allowed to do all the things we like. Sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. But we should take a look back on all the hardships (苦难) in life with a positive attitude and learn from them. We should realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!

Throughout our lives we are going to face many challenges and pains, but we should never let these obstacles keep us from following our dreams. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time.

As a young girl, my parents forced me to do so many things that I didn’t like. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music and I also hated them. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched (丰富) my life in so many ways. I now realize that my parents and teachers wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.

We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just part of our life. Think about how we would feel if we had no challenges and lived a life like that. Life would be really boring and meaningless. The future is ours! A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps (碰撞) on our road to success, we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!

1. What would be the best title for this passage?

A. No pains, no gains

B. Growing pains and gains

C. Growing up is a pain         

D. Growing up is easy

2. The underlined word “obstacles” (in Paragraph 2) refers to things that _____.

A. make it easy for you to do sth        

B. make it difficult for you to do sth

C. make you happy                            

D. make you full of energy

3. What does the author now think about what her parents did for her in the past?

A. She is angry with them.                     

B. She is dissatisfied with them.

C. She is thankful to them.                  

D. She couldn’t forgive them.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Growing pains are part of our life.

B. Our growing pains will finally turn into growing gains.

C. We should stop when facing many challenges.

D. Life without challenges is boring and meaningless.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Speaking in public is most people’s least favorite thing. The reason is that we are all afraid of making foods of ourselves.   66   .

But stop biting your finger-mails. Public speaking is easy. It’s just plain talking, and you talk all the time. Although I’m basically shy (honest!). I’ve been making speeches and talking on radio and television for more than 30 years. And I can tell you that public speaking is not a “gift” like musical talent．_ 67   . Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

Your audience is going to come away with one or two of your main ideas．One or two．Not tenor 20．  68  ．And if you don't have a clear idea of what you want to say, there's no way your audience will．  69   —how you are going to open, what major points you want to make and how you're going to close．

When I do a radio or TV piece, I often write the last sentence first．___70___．A strong close is critical; the last thing you say is what your audience will most likely remember．

The standard length of a vaudeville act is usually 12 minutes．If all those performers singing and dancing their hearts out couldn't go on longer without boring the audience, what makes you think you can?

         A．Some people are born to be good at making speech

         B．Anybody who can talk can speak in public

         C．Try to relax yourself before making the speech

         D．The more important the speech is, the more frightened we become

         E．It you can't express in a sentence or two what you intend to get across, then your speech is not focused well enough

F．When you know where you're headed, you can choose any route to get there

G．No matter how long or short your speech is, you've got to get your ducks in a row

We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.

Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed ---- no examination is perfect ---- but to have no external(外部的)tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the ideal and the purpose of each teacher.

Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them ---- a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.

The opponents（对手）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.

These people are not just against school organization, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive purposes. There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organized when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole.

41．According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________.

A. changing the standards could mean the end of equality

B. standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality

C. there would be no standards without external examinations

D. we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect

42．In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?

A. There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence.

B. Children from poor families would not be able to change schools.

C. Going to a favored school should be the only way to get a good job.

D. Schools for bright children would lose their fame.

43．The situation at the moment is that ________.

A. many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability

B. a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate.

C. children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates.

D. a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job.

44．Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A. Most students from poor families can't get a good job.

B. Some people are using students to destroy our society.

C. The writer thinks it a good way to choose a job by computer.

D. The opponents of the examination want to reorganize schools.

45．The opponents would agree that _________.

A. computers should be selected to take over many jobs

B. particular people should not be chosen for particular jobs

C. well-respected schools should be got rid of as soon as possible

D. the students are not equally treated if they take external examinations

Our English teacher is ill, and we are all ______ her health.

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

  We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.

Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

A. words have a lasting effect on us       B. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us 

C. inspiring words give us confidence          D. negative words may let us down 

There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______

A. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone

B. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves

C. we can benefit from talking to ourselves

D. talking to ourselves always gives us courage

The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______

A. give ourselves amusement                    B. praise ourselves  

C. remind ourselves                                   D. make ourselves relaxed   

The author would probably hold the view that ___________

A. it is better to think twice before talking to others  

B. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers

C. negative words may stimulate us to make more progress

D. people tend to remember friendly words