“Everybody loves a bargain．” One person's useless, ugly, or broken object can be another person's bargain．That is why so many Americans do not throw things away．They put them outside their houses．They put on a “For Sale” sign．And, as simple as that, they have a yard sale．
The sellers put a paid announcement(付费通告)in a local newspaper．It tells when and where the yard sale will take place．These sales are very popular during weekends in spring, summer, and autumn．Early in the morning, all the things to be sold are carried out of the house．Then they sit all day in the sunlight－like tired guests at a party－waiting for someone to take them home．
Just about anything can be sold at a yard sale．Sometimes, there are more clothes than anything else．Cooking equipment is also popular．So are old toys, tools, books, tables and chairs．Then there are objects called “white elephants”．A white elephant is something you think is extremely ugly or useless．It may be an electric light shaped like a fish．You feel a sharp pain whenever you look at it．To someone else, however, it might be a thing of beauty and joy．
Some people go to yard sales to find a special thing that they collect．It may be old toy trains, for example, or painting of dogs．Experts say more Americans are collecting old things now than ever before．Most people who go to yard sales, however, are not looking for anything special．They might buy an object simply because it costs so little．They enjoy negotiating(谈判)over prices, even if they really do not need the object．Later, they may hold their own yard to sell all the things they have bought．
(1)
What kind of things will go to a yard sale?
[ ]
A．
Cheap and ugly things．
B．
Things people no longer use．
C．
Things out of season．
D．
Things of great value．
(2)
A white elephant refers to ________．
[ ]
A．
something that can cause a feeling of pain
B．
something disliked by the owners while appreciated by others
C．
something sold at the lowest prices
D．
a toy shaped like a fish
(3)
Most people go to yard sales to ________．
[ ]
A．
find valuable paintings
B．
look for something special
C．
find a bargain
D．
kill their time
(4)
Which of the following is NOT true about a yard sale?
[ ]
A．
It may not be held when the weather is very cold．
B．
It can last for a whole day．
C．
It is usually held with a party．
D．
It is held outdoors．
(5)
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________．
[ ]
A．
people may find something of great value on a yard sale
B．
yard sales only attract those who have a low income
Several years ago, my parents, my wife, my son and I ate at one of those restaurants where the menu is written on a blackboard．After a wonderful dinner, the waiter set the check in the middle of the table．That’s when it happened：my father did not reach for the check．
Conversation continued．Finally I realized that I should pick up the check!After hundreds of restaurant meals with my parents, after a lifetime of thinking of my father as the one with dollars, it had all changed．I reached for the check, and my view of myself suddenly changed．I was an adult．I was no longer a kid．
Some people mark off(区分)their lives in years, I measure mine in small events．I didn’t become a young man at a particular age, like 16, but rather when a kid who wandered in the streets called me “mister．” These events in my life are called “milestones”(里程碑)
There have been other milestones．The cops(policemen)of my youth always seemed big, even huge, and of course they were older than I was．Then one day they were suddenly realized that all the football players in the game I was watching were younger than I was．They were just big kids．With that milestone gone was the dream that someday, maybe I, too, could be a football player．Without ever having reached the hill, I was over it．
I never thought that I would fall asleep in front of the TV set as my father did．Now it’s what I do best．I never thought that I would go to the beach and not swim, yet I spent all of August at the shore and never once went into the ocean．I never thought that I would appreciate opera, but now the combination of voice and orchestra attract me．I never thought that I would prefer to stay home in the evenings, but now I find myself passing up parties．I used to think that people who watched birds were strange, but this summer I fond myself watching them, and maybe I’ll get a book on the subject．I feel a strong desire for a religious belief that I never thought I’d want, feel close to my ancestors(祖先)long gone, and echo my father in arguments with my son．I still lose…
One day I bought a house．One day－what a day!–I became a father, and not too long after that I picked up the check for my own father．I thought then it was a milestone for me．One day, when I was a little older, I realized it was one for him, too, another milestone．
(1)
The tone established in the passage is one of ________．
[ ]
A．
sad regret
B．
amusement
C．
happiness
D．
deep feeling
(2)
The author mentions the event in the restaurant because ________．
[ ]
A．
that was one of his milestone
B．
he paid the bill but he didn’t want to
C．
he became a father with dollars
D．
that was the last restaurant meal with his parents
(3)
“Then they were suddenly neither．” Suggests that ________．
[ ]
A．
suddenly they became older than I was
B．
suddenly I knew that they was neither bigger nor older than I was
C．
suddenly I realized that I made mistake
D．
suddenly I found myself no longer a kid
(4)
Which of the following best expresses the author’s thinking?
[ ]
A．
One day is worth two tomorrow
B．
To save time is to length life
C．
When an opportunity is lost, it never comes back to you
D．
Time and tide wait for no man
阅读理解：
Negative(消极的)self talk and negative energy can affect you m many ways and cause you additional stress．Because of this，developing more Positive self talk’s an important way to reduce stress in your life．You can help yourself maintain a positive frame of mind－which will help with positive self talk－by surrounding yourself with positive energy in your life．You can get that by adding some elements to your life．
Listening to music that not only has a soothing melody，but an uplifting message，can be great for developing positive self talk．Have you ever had a song “stuck in your head” for a few hours or days，the lyrics repeating themselves in your mind?’’ If those lyrics were positive and inspirational，that would be a good thing．It’s a much better mental soundtrack to have than a running stream of complaints，criticisms of self-limiting thoughts，or even songs that had more depressing or sad lyrics．
Books on strength, personal power, enlightenment, or self help can be good resources to help you change your outlook and the things you say to yourself．Rather than bringing habitual self-defeating thoughts，you can find yourself thinking of new can-do concepts when times get tough．
One of the most important ways you can get and keep positive energy in your life is with the company you keep．Do your friends uplift you，or bring you down? Are they critical，or complementary? Ideal friendships provide support when you’re down, fun when you’re up，wisdom when you’re lost，and positive regard．Good friends can inspire you to reach greater heights，and see your strengths even when you don’t always．Pay attention to how your friends make you feel，and if they’re less than supportive，start putting your energy and time toward people who are better suited to be your friend．
In addition，positive affirmations(肯定)can certainly change your self talk from negative to positive．Now，why not begin working positive affirmations into your life in some creative ways?
(1)
What does the passage mainly talk about?
[ ]
A．
Reducing stress by surrounding yourself with positive energy．
B．
Adding some elements to your life．
C．
Getting positive energy from the company you keep．
D．
Changing your self talk with positive affirmation．
(2)
How many ways does the author suggest to maintain a positive frame of mind?
[ ]
A．
3．
B．
4．
C．
5．
D．
6．
(3)
If you have something “stuck in your head” you probably _________．
[ ]
A．
keep singing the same song for a long time
B．
keep thinking of this thing all the time
C．
regard the lyrics of a song as positive
D．
are developing positive self-talk
(4)
According to the passage，your best company should be those who _________．
[ ]
A．
uplift you or bring you down
B．
provide fun when you’re down
C．
encourage you to do things even better
D．
are less than supportive
(5)
What will probably be talked about in the following paragraph?
[ ]
A．
How negative self talk influences a person．
B．
How positive self talk reduces stress in one’s life．
C．
Some great ways of making great friends．
D．
Some creative ways of practicing affirmation．
阅读理解：
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you' ll most certainly be right．” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Remembering that I' ll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life．
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer．The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months．My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die．
I lived with that diagnosis all day．I was completely in despair．Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery．I had the surgery and I' m fine now．
This was the closest I've been to facing death．To tell the truth, no one wants to die．And yet death is the destination we all share．No one has ever escaped it．It clears out the old to make room for the new．Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life．Don' t be trapped by dogma(教条)－which is living with the results of other people' s thinking．Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice．And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart．It somehow already knows what you truly want to become．Everything else is secondary．
(1)
The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because ________．
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