Two students started quarreling at school. One student shouted dirty words at the other, and
a fight (打架) began.
     What can be done to stop fights like this at school? In some schools, the disputants (争执者)
sit down with peer mediators.
     Peer mediators are students with special training (训练) in this kind of problems. Peer mediators
help the disputants to talk in a friendly way. Here are some of the ways they use:
1. Put what you think clearly but don't say any-thing to hurt the other. Begin with"I feel…" instead
of"You always…"
2. Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Don't stop the other person's words.
3. Keep looking at the other person's eyes when he or she talks.
4. Try to see the other person's side of the prob-lem.
5. Never put anyone down. Saying things like "You are foolish (愚蠢)" makes the talk difficult.
6. Try to find a result that makes both people happy.
     Peer mediators never decide the result or the win-ner. They don't decide who is right and who
is wrong. Instead, they help the two students to find their own"win-win" result. A"win-win" result
can make every-one feel good.
     Peer mediators' work is often successful just be-cause it gets people to talk to each other. And
getting people to talk to each other is the first step in finding a "win-win" result.

1. What can be done when there is a fight at school?

A. The peer mediators and the disputants talk to-gether.
B. The peer mediators decide the winner.
C. The students themselves decide who is the win-ner.
D. The two students sit down and listen to the peer mediators.

2. Peer mediators' work is _____.

A. to give lessons to disputants
B. to help find a way to make both sides happy
C. to find out who starts a quarrel
D. to give students some special training

3. What should you do when the other person is speaking?

A. Try to tell him or her what you think.
B. Think who is right and who is wrong.
C. Listen carefully and look at his or her eyes all the time.
D. Ask the peer mediators as many questions as possible.

4. During the talk, if you say "You are lazy" or "I feel angry", _____.

A. the other person will know he or she is wrong
B. the other person will understand you better
C. it's easy for you to decide who is right
D. it's hard for you to get a "win-win" result

     Today it seems perfectly natural for us to shake hands when we greet someone or say goodbye. But like
so many things that we do without thinking such actions at one time probably represented something.
     For example, in primitive (原始的) life the hand was used to fight enemies, kill animals, and make spears
and tools. So when the hand was extended to someone, it showed that the person was not armed or ready for
fight.
     We know that the hand was an important symbol in early religion, probably as a mark of power. The
Greeks prayed to their gods with raised hands. Presenting the hands palm to palm was at one time the way
an inferior (身份低的) person paid respect to a superior(身份高的) one.
     Among the Arabs, it was customary at one time to kiss the hand of a superior. Later on, polite Arabs
began to resist the efforts of people to kiss their hands, and sometimes they would end up shaking hands as
each tried to prevent the other from showing this mark of"inferiority (下级)."
     The early Greeks held out the right hand when they wished to show friendship to a stranger. So we can
see that the hand, and what was done with it, was full of meaning to people down through the ages. And
while we shake hands without thinking, we are really carrying on a custom that has been handed down to us
from ancient times.

1. The second paragraph tells us ________.

A. the handshake didn't mean greeting
B. what hands were used to do in primitive life
C. the handshake showed men's kindness
D. the handshake showed nothing

2. Human beings first made their living by ________.

A. hunting
B. fishing
C. hand
D. farming

3. Among the Arabs, at one time, ________.

A. people kissed each other whenever they met
B. men kissed the women whenever they met
C. less important person kissed more important person's hand
D. more important person kissed less important person's hand

4. Generally speaking, in different countries ________.

A. people shake hands in the same way
B. handshake has different meanings
C. strangers never have handshake
D. people only use handshake to show friendship

5. The phrase " hand down" in the last sentence means ________.

A. put down
B. leave down
C. give down
D. pass down

     "If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!"
     That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better.
     Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how
smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball,
you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference
between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.
You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very
loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.
     All children soon learn what "Don't touch!" means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on
touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy: food, clothes. To see something
well, we have to touch it. The bottoms of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on
warm sand, cool grass or a hard floor. All feel different under your feet.
     There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel
everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your
skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
      Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. Their signs

say, "Do touch!" There you can feel everything on show. If you want to see better, reach out and touch.
Then you will really see!

1. By touching things _____.

A. you will have a strange feeling
B. you will learn how to reach out your hand
C. you can learn more about them
D. you can tell what colors they really are

2. Which of the following can be the best title of the story?

A. Touching by Feeling
B. To See or to Feel
C. To See Better-Feel
D. Ways of Feeling

3. Which of the following parts can tell you the difference between two coins in your pocket?.

A. Your fingers.
B. Your eyes.
C. Your skin.
D. Your back.

4. What can't your skin feel?.

A. Sounds.
B. Darkness.
C. Water.
D. Coins

5. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Touching is helping us to see better.
B. Our skins may help us enjoy music.
C. People don't have to learn to feel.
D. Visitors can't feel the things on show in any museums

     A Mumbai based but British made movie, Slumdog Millionaire took the most Oscars in Hollywood
last week. Starring a cast (演员阵容) of unknown actors, the movie won eight awards including best
picture and best director. The movie follows the life of an 18-year-old boy who's grown up in the slums
(贫民窟) of Mumbai, India.
     The boy ends up winning money and love when he makes it onto a popular TV game show.
     In spite of the film's Success at the Academy Awards, Indians have mixed feelings about Slumdog.
The argument about how the movie portrays (描述) India began when it hit cinemas.
     The film is set in the poor and cruel society of one of Mumbai's slums. In one scene, the hero jumps
into a smelly open-air toilet to run after a pop star. That world, though real to hundreds of millions of
Indians, is very different to how modem India sees itself. Many Indian audiences feel uncomfortable with
the film's portraying of India as a slum land.
     Several well-respected local Indian filmmakers have said the story has been tailored for western
audiences. Veteran Bollywood star, Amitabh Bachchan, said the film portrayed India as a" Third World,
dirty developing nation."
     Even some of those who like the movie are unhappy with its title. People who live in slums have taken
to the streets with signs that read: "Don't call us dogs" and "I am not a slum dog."
     "It's understandable why people are unhappy with the title." Indian author Chitra Divakaruni told the
New York Times. "In Indian culture being called a dog is extremely rude.It is often used in films to
describe evil people."
     However, others have been more positive. The Wall Street Journal in New York described Slumdog
as "the world's first globalized masterpiece (杰作)

1. Many Indians are unhappy with the movie because _____.

A. it is not made by Indians
B. it portrays a wrong picture of India
C. it too far from their life
D. it describes a dirty and poor India

2. From Paragraph 5,we can learn some Indian filmmakers may think the move ._____

A. has been cut by westerners
B. has described western life
C. has been made to win the western awards
D. has been made to meet the taste of westerners

3. The main message of the passage is that _____.

A. Indians have mixed feelings at the movie
B. The movie won eight Oscars awards
C. India is a Third World developing country
D. Westerners like movies portraying slums

4. _____ thinks highly of the movie.

A. Some well-respected local Indian filmmakers
B. The Wall Street Journal in New York
C. The people who live in slums in Mumbai
D. Indian author Chitra Divakaruni

     I'm one of those people who are terrible at saying no. I spend too much of my time doing things I'd
rather not be. I get things done, but it's not always the best I can do, or the best way I can spend my time.
That's why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter.
     Being a quitter isn't being someone who gives up, who doesn't see important things through to the end.
I want to quit doing things that I'm asked to do. for no other reason than I'm asked to do it. I want to be
able to quit something in mid-stream, because I realize there's nothing good coming from it.
     A friend of mine once told me that"I knew I was an adult when I could stop reading a book, even after
getting 500 pages into it."Strange though it sounds,we all intend to do this. We get involved in something,
realize we don't want to be a part of it, but just keep doing it.
     What I advise is to quit as often as possible. If you're stuck doing something, and don't really want to
do it anymore, step back for a second. Ask if you really have to do this, and what value is being produced
from your doing it. Don't think about the time you've put into it or how much it's taken over your life. If
you don't want to do it,and don't have to do it, don't do it.
     By quitting these things, you'll free up time to do things that actually do create value, for yourself and
for others.You'11 be able to begin to put your time and effort into the things you'd actually like to do.
     Let's learn how to say"no" at the beginning. or in the middle. Let's see to it that we're spending our time
creating value, rather than worsening our losses. Let's be quitters together. 

1. From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3,we can see the friend of the writer seems to believe _____.

A. adults should always finish books completely
B. adults should stop reading after getting 500 pages
C. adults can stop reading if there's no value
D. adults can stop reading if he gets the main idea

2. The underlined phrase "free up time" in Paragraph 5 probably means "_____ ".

A. give somebody extra time
B. make bad use of time
C. takes somebody more time
D. spend less time

3.The best title of the passage should be _____.

A. Stop Doing Things
B. Try to Be a Quitter
C. Learn to Say No
D. Create our Value

     Advice to "sleep on it" could be well founded, scientists say. After a good night's sleep a problem that
couldn't be solved the night before can often appear more manageable, although the evidence until now
has been anecdotal (个人体验的).But researchers at the University of Luebek in Germany have designed
an experiment that shows a good night's sleep can improve insight (顿悟) and problem-solving.
     "If you have some newly-got memories in your brain, sleep acts on these memories' restructures them,
so that after sleep the insight into problem which you could not solve before increases," said Dr Jan Born,
a neuroscientist (神经科学家), at the university. To test the theory, they taught volunteers two simple
rules to help them turn a string of numbers into a new order. There was also a third, hidden rule, which
could help them increase their speed in solving the problem. The researchers divided the volunteers into
two groups: half were allowed to sleep after the training while the rest were forced to stay awake. Dr Jan
Born and his team noticed that the group that had slept after the training were twice as likely to figure out
the third rule as the other group."Sleep helped," Born said in a telephone interview. "The important thing is
that you have to have a memory representation in your brain of the problem you want to solve and then
you sleep, so it can act on the problem." But Born admitted that he and his team don't know how
restructuring of memories occurs or what governs it. Pierre Maquet and Perrine Ruby of the University of
Liege in Belgium said the experimental evidence supports the anecdotal suggestions that sleep can help
develop creative thinking. Although the role of sleep in human creativity will still be a mystery, the research
gives people good reason to fully respect their periods of sleep, they added.

1. The underlined phrase"sleep on it" in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.

A. to delay deciding something until the next day
B. to get as much sleep as possible
C. to go on sleeping without being disturbed
D. to sleep till after the time you usually get up in the morning

2. Jan Born and his team carried out the experiment through _____.

A. comparison
B. interview
C. survey
D. imagination

3. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. people should sleep so long as they have time
B. sleep is the only way to solve hard problems
C. people have various periods of sleep
D. people know how sleep reconstructs memories

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. How Sleep Works
B. Sleep Helps Solve Problems
C. No Evidence, But Well Founded
D. Born's Discovery On Sleep

     Winter's short days are more than cold. For many people, winter depression, the most common type
of Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD), is as much a part of the reason as hats and scarves (围巾).
     Winter serious SAD sufferers may need medical treatment. Those feeling a little blue can help themselves
by sticking to a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips:
     Pace yourself. Don't expect to do everything you normally can. Set a realistic schedule. Don't listen to
negative thinking, like blaming yourself or expecting to fail.
     Get involved in activities that make you feel good or feel like you've achieved something. For example,
play table tennis or badminton.
     If you are feeling depressed, you may feel like staying away from friends. Yet this is a time when a
friend's support can be helpful. Call them regularly. Remember, the more we put off calling or visiting a
friend, the harder it is to rebuild a friendship.
     Think clearly about what's wrong or right. Instead of giving in to vague feelings of sadness, look at
your problems objectively. Break down problems into specific issues that you can work on.
    Regular exercise helps to prevent and ease depression.
    Eat well. Studies show that a healthy diet can help to maintain(keep) a healthy body and mind. The
vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients found in a balanced diet may help our bodies to produce feel-good
hormones (荷尔蒙).Foods containing chemicals to help produce feel-good hormones include bananas,
turkey, nuts and seeds. Eat at least five pieces of fruit and vegetables every day. P.S.Symptoms (症状)
of SAD: No interests or pleasure in things you used to enjoy Increased need for sleep A change in eating
habits, especially an appetite for sweet or starchy (含淀粉的) foods Weight gain A heavy feeling in the
arms or legs A drop in energy level Difficulty in concentrating Overly emotional Avoidance of friends and
social situations Frequent feelings of guilt Long-term feelings of hopelessness, and physical problems, such
as headaches

1.The writer of the passage agrees that ______.

A. the cold in winter makes us suffer from SAD
B. hats and scarves are as important as SAD
C. everyone of us meets SAD in winter
D. we are blue mainly because of short days in winter

2. It can be inferred that ______.

A. a more darkness will make us sad
B. we should wear hats and scarves in winter
C. a healthy lifestyle prevents us from serious SAD
D. staying away from friends makes us depressed

3. When we pace ourselves, we ______.

A. don't do anything we can
B. make a practical plan
C. expect to succeed in nothing
D. think something of guilt

4. The passage includes the following EXCEPT _____.

A. the earlier we meet friends, the easier it is to rebuild a friendship
B. if we give up to unclear feelings of sadness, we'll be caught in the SAD
C. playing table tennis helps us achieve whatever we want
D. feel-good hormones from a balanced diet can help keep a healthy body

     If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to
your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
     If you say to your children "I am sorry I got angry with you, but .."what follows that's but" can make the
apology ineffective. "I had a bad day" or "your noise was giving me a headache" leaves the person who has
been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.
     Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say "I'm sorry you're
upset"; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person
has done.
     Then there is the general, all-covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that
was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again.
Saying "I'm useless as a parent" does not commit a person to any specific improvement.
     These pseudo-apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish
to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not resort to these pseudo-
apologies.
     But even when presented with examples of genuine contrition (悔悟), children still need help to become
aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children
feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-
year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children's expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old
might need to be shown that raiding the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing
a parent's clothes without permission is not.

1. According to the author, "tricky" means ____.

A. simple
B. complicated
C. cautious
D. various

2. It is not advisable to use the general, all-covering apology because ____.

A. it is only an empty promise
B. it is not necessary
C. it is neither clear nor effective
D. it is hurtful and insulting

3. In teaching children to say sorry ____.

A. parents should set them a good example
B. parents should be patient and tolerant
C. the significance of it should be involved
D. their ages should be taken into account

4. According to the passage, apologizing properly is ____.

A. a social issue calling for immediate attention
B. a big problem faced by every family
C. a sign of social progress
D. not as simple as it seems