下面是21世纪报中学生英语双语版 (Student Times )刊登的一封读者来信，请你以编辑Henry的身份给这位中学生写封回信。

Dear editor,

I am a new student in Xin Hua Middle School. I hardly talk to my classmates. Sometimes I do want to talk, but I don’t know what to talk about and how to begin a conversation. I feel so lonely. And I spend most of my time studying but I find it’s more difficult and tiring than before, especially spoken English.

Could you give me some advice?

Yours,

Tom

注意：回信的内容包括以下要点，可适当增减细节

1保持微笑，这在与人相处中很重要；

2与同学们友好相处，多交流相同爱好或相互讨论学习问题；

3英语越来越重要；学好语言需要有信心，多开口说；

4可以通过多种方式，如……，让校园生活丰富多彩。

词数120左右。信的开头已写好，不计入总词数。

参考词汇：自信的 confident adj.

丰富多彩的 colorful　 adj.

Dear Tom,

Your problem is a common one among middle school students. Maybe the following advice can help you………

　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 .

yours

Henry

Good advice is like medicine for the soul. What kind of 1　 have you recently received? Who do you go to got advice? Do you have a mentor(顾问)? A mentor is a　 2　 adviser.
　 Parents, teacher and friends are often great 　 3 .Sports figures, public officials can also be good 　4　 of mentors, but a person with whim you are a personal relationship will most likely be able to 　5 you the best advice.
　 Mentors teach things that seem to be 　6　 sense. Proverbs are wise old sayings that are common in every language and　 7　 , and can sometimes be　 8 for a nonnative to understand. For example, all that　 9　 is not gold(some things are not as 　　10 as they appear ).
　 Advice 11 in newspapers and magazines are another way to 12　 advice.
　 Talk shows on radio and television are also very popular. Americans and Canadians love to 　　 13　 themselves. Many people are not　 14 to ask for help or　 15 about a problem in order to receive advice. People generally will 16　 their own experience to 17 their friends. Overcoming a difficult situation is 18　 respecter in North America. People love to heat motivational (积极的) stories and 19　 . One proverb, a friend in need is a friend indeed, shares the concept that a true friend will help you out in times of 　 20　 .

1. A. success　　　　 　　　 　　　 B. measure　　　 　　　　　 C. position　　　　 　　　 D. advice

2. A. devoted　　　 　　　 B. united　　　　　 　　　　 C. trusted　　　　　 　　　　 D. expected

3. A. interviewers　 　　 B. mentors　　　　 　　　　　 C. followers　　　 　　　　　 D. competitors

4. A. examples　　　 　　　 B. mentors　　　　 　　　　　 C. manners　　　 　　　　　 D. services

5. A. consider　　　 　　　 B. exchange　　　 　　　　　　 C. adapt　　　　　 　　　　 D. offer

6. A. present　　　　 　　　 B. attractive　　　 　 　　　 C. common　　　 　　　　　 D. particular

7. A. experience　 　　 　　　 B. difference　　　 　　 　　　 C. culture　　　　　 　　　　 D. behavior

8. A. simple　　　　　 　　 　　　 B. difficult　　　　 　 　　　 C. natural　　　　　 　　　 　　　 D. brief

9. A. glitters B. packages C. acts D. forces

10. A. different　　　 B. negative　　　　 　 　　　 C. primary　　　　 　　　　　 D. valuable

11. A. columns　　 　 　　　 B. materials　　　　 　 　　　 C. wonders　　　 　　　　　 D. add

12. A. reduce　　　 　　　 B. add　　　　　　　 　　　　　 C. keep　　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. get

13. A. enjoy　　　　 　　　 B. teacher　　　　　 　　　 C. express　　　　 　　　　 D. defeat

14. A. brave　　　　 　　　 B. afraid　　　　　　 　　 　　　 C. honest　　　　　 　　　 D. lucky

15. A. talk　　　　　 　　　 　　　 B bring.　　　　　　　 　　 　　　 C. care　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. look

16. A. remind　　　　 　　　 B. suggest　　　　 　　　　 C. clone　　　　　 　　　　　 D. share

17. A. lead to　　　　 　　　 B. set free　　　　 　　　　 C. help out　　 　　　　 D. take over　　　　

18. A. originally　　 B. highly　　　　　 　　　　 C. equally　　　 　　　　　　 D. closely　　　

19. A. encouragementB. sadness　 　　　　 　　　 C. movement　 　　　　 D. adventure　　　

20. A. happiness　 　　 　　　 B. trouble　　　　　 　　　　 C. excitement　 　　　　 D. nature

　I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop 　36　me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very 　37　to earn my own pocket money and my parents 　38　interfered with how I spent it, even when I was spending it 　39　. They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the 　40　, I would become more mature and 　41　 about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.

　　Like many 　42　parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they 　43　a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around 　44　. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great 　45　for me. In the end, my father won the 　46　on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins 　47　through the country who could 　48　shelter and help if I needed them.

　　Three years later, my younger brother decided to 　49　a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not 　50　to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n) 　51　year working his way on trains and ships to 　52　passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.

　　These kinds of experiences are probably rare for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly 　53　. Most parents start 　54　their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have 　55　the university they plan to attend and maybe even decided on their future career, and so on.

　　36. A. taught　　　　 B. allowed　　　　C. treated　　　　 D. hired

　　37. A. anxious　　　　B. content　　　　C. proud　　　　　 D. hopeful

　　38. A. never　　　　　B. ever　　　　　 C. always　　　　　D. even

　　39. A. quickly　　　　B. foolishly　　　C. seriously　　　 D. honestly

　　40. A. work　　　　　 B. mistakes　　　 C. others　　　　　D. books

　　41. A. strict　　　　 B. reasonable　　 C. polite　　　　　D. responsible

　　42. A. American　　　 B. Japanese　　　 C. Chinese　　　　 D. British

　　43. A. helped　　　　 B. supported　　　C. shared　　　　　D. worried

　　44. A. Asia 　　　　　B. Africa　　　　 C. Europe　　　　　D. Oceania

　　45. A. journey　　　　B. experience　　 C. chance　　　　　D. possibility

　　46. A. argument 　　　B. game　　　　　 C. discussion　　　D. plan

　　47. A. send out 　　　B. give out　　　 C. carry out　　　 D. spread out

　　48. A. promise　　　　B. afford　　　　 C. provide　　　　 D. serve

　　49. A. leave　　　　　B. make　　　　　 C. take　　　　　　D. prepare

　　50. A. angry　　　　　B. eager　　　　　C. sorry 　　　　　D. sad

　　51. A. unusual　　　　B. hard　　　　　 C. strange　　　　 D. busy

　　52. A. accept　　　　 B. earn　　　　　 C. find　　　　　　D. search

　　53. A. welcome　　　　B. fit　　　　　　C. necessary　　　 D. common

　　54. A. bringing　　　 B. forcing　　　　C. pushing　　　　 D. protecting

　　55. A. selected　　　 B. admired　　　　C. afforded　　　　D. left

How to Be a Winner

Sir Steven Redgrave  

Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals  

“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes （糖尿病） . Believing my career （职业生涯）was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it----the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”  

Karen Pickering  

Swimming World Champion  

“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success―you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. “Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”  

Kirsten Best  

Poet ＆ Writer  

“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological （心理的） tool.”  

 　　60. What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?

　　A. Difficulties influenced his career.

　　B. Specialists offered him medical advice.

　　C. Training helped him defeat his disease.

　　D. He overcame the shadow of illness to win.

　　61. What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?

　　A. Her training schedule.

　　B. Her daily happenings.

　　C. Her achievements.

　　D. Her sports career.

　　62.What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to？

　　A. Ways that help one to focus.

　　B. Words that help one to feel less tense.

　　C. Activities that turn one's attention away.

　　D. Habits that make it hard for one to relax.

　　63. According to the passage ,what do the three people have in common?

　　A. Courage.

　　B. Devotion.

　　C. Hard work.

　　D. Self-confidence.

All children in the United States have to receive an education, but not all children go to school. A number of parents　　36　not to send their children to school. Such children are known　　37　　 “home-schoolers”. Some parents prefer teaching their children at home　　38 they do not believe schools teach the correct religious (宗教的)　　39 ; others believe they can provide a better educational　　40 for their children by doing so.　　41 , results show home-schooled children often do better than 　　42 on national tests in reading and math.
　　David teaches his three children at home. He 　　43　that his children learn very differently from children in school. Learning starts with the children’s　　44　and questions. For example, when there is snowfall on a winter day, it may　　45　a discussion about climate, snow removal 　　46 , Alaska, etc. Or a spring evening when the family is out　47　the stars is a good time to ask questions about the sky. If the Brazilian rain forests are on TV, it　48　　be a perfect time to talk about how rain forests influence the climate, how deserts are　49　　and how the polar ice caps　50 ocean levels.
　Home schooling is often more interesting than　　51　schools, but critics (批评家) say home-schoolers might be uncomfortable　　52　 with other people in adult life. Critics also say that most parents are not　53　to teach their children. However, most parents don’t have the time or the　　54　to teach their children at home, so schools will continue to be　　55　　most children get their formal education.