Fear is an emotion like others such as happiness, anger, hurt, sadness. We need emotions to process
information we receive and decide how to respond. Being afraid of fast cars, for example, is something
that might protect us from harm Being afraid of the consequence of a choice may prevent us getting into
trouble.
     Fears in young children commonly center on certain animals like snakes or big dogs. Fears are caused
often because of experiences or ideas expressed by others, and at times, the media. Many normal fears
during the early years, like men with beards, or large dogs, disappear with age. Those relating to personal
failure and ridicule (嘲笑) remain through adulthood and may need special help to overcome.
     Children's fears are often small, but that doesn't mean they should be dismissed as trivial (微不足道的).
They need to be recognized and accepted as real for that child. Only when we help children understand their
fears can they grow normally in their ability to settle them.
     Research shows that as a child grows up, the center of his fears changes a lot. Things like divorce, a
teacher who "shouted at me", people with guns, bullies, big boys, or "making fun of me" top the list of
childhood fears.
     We cannot always prevent these experiences from happening, but it is essential that children be allowed
to freely express their emotions without judgment. Sympathy and a caring listener will help ease pain of these
fears. Read books and stories to your child about children who have experienced similar fears. This helps
children talk about their fears and find ways to cope. With all emotions, fears become less of a problem for
children as they gain self-confidence and they find that fear is normal and can be dealt with.

1. According to Paragraph 2, we can know that fears in young children _____.

A. only center on frightening animals
B. are not born but learned
C. can make sure of their safety
D. need special help to deal with

2. Children's fears are often ignored because _____.

A. they exist widely in the world
B. they will disappear with age
C. people thought they are not worth considering
D. they are often imaginary

3. In dealing with children's fears, the final goal of the parents is to _____.

A. stop unpleasant experiences happening to children
B. let children know about the nature of fear
C. create an environment where there is nothing to fear
D. develop children's ability to treat their fears on their own

4. From the passage we can learn that _____.

A. some childhood fears may have a lasting influence
B. children should avoid the media to reduce their fear
C. fears can be judged according to the environment
D. children with similar fears can communicate easily

5. What's the best title for this passage?

A. Children's fears.
B. How to overcome children's fears.
C. The kind of children's fears.
D. The bad effects of fears.

     Years ago, when I started looking for my first job, wise advisers advised, "Barbara, be enthusiastic (热情
的)! Enthusiasm will take you further than any amount of experience." How right they were! 
     "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is the paste that
helps you hang on there, then the going gets tough. It is the inner voice that whispers, "I can do it!" When
others shout, "No, you can't!" It took years and years for the early work of Barbara McClintock, a geneticist
who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine, to be generally accepted, yet she didn't stop working on her
experiments. Work was such a deep pleasure for her that she never thought of stopping.
     We are all born with wide-eyed, enthusiastic wonder and it is this childlike wonder that gives enthusiastic
people such youthful air, whatever their age. At 90, Cellist Pablo Casals would start his day by playing Bach.
     As the music flowed through his fingers, his stooped shoulders would straighten and joy would reappear
in his eyes. An author and poet Samuel Ulman once wrote, "Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm
wrinkles the soul."
     Enthusiastic people also love what they do, regardless of money or title or power. Patricia Mellrath, retired
director of the Missouri Repertory Theater in Kansas City, was once asked where she got her enthusiasm. She
replied, "My father, a lawyer, long ago told me, 'I never made a dime until I stopped working for money.'"
     If we can't do what we love as a full-time career, we can as a hobby. Elizabeth Layton of Wellsville, Kan,
was 68 before she began to draw. This activity ended periods of depression that had troubled her for at least
30 years,and the quality of her work led one critic to say, "I am tempted to call Layton a genius."
     We need to turn the tears into sweat as we go after "what-can-be". We need to live each moment whole-
heartedly, with all our senses-finding pleasure in the sweet smell of a back-yard garden, the sim- ple picture
of a six-year-old, the beauty of a rainbow.

1. The author holds the view that _____.

A. enthusiastic people will never get old
B. enthusiasm can make you succeed and enjoy life
C. enthusiasm is more important than experience
D. enthusiasm can give people more success and fame

2. Which of the following can best explain the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?

A. Enthusiasm can give you courage and strength in difficult times.
B. If you don't have enthusiasm, you can achieve nothing.
C. Enthusiastic people never consider money and fame.
D. Enthusiastic people can gain great fame and honour.

3. The author mentions Cellist Pablo Casals in the third paragraph to show that _____.

A. music can arouse people's enthusiasm
B. enthusiasm can give people needed inspiration to succeed
C. enthusiasm can make people feel young
D. enthusiasm can keep people healthy

4. How many examples are given in the passage to show the importance of enthusiasm?

A. Three.
B. Two.
C. Four.
D. Five.

     Driving to a friend's house on a recent evening, I was attracted by the sight of the full moon rising just
above my friend's rooftops. I stopped to watch it for a few moments, thinking about what a pity it was that
most city people, myself included, usually miss sights like this because we spend most of our lives indoors.
     My friend had also seen it. He grew up living-in a forest in Europe, and the moon meant a lot to him then.
It had touched much of his life.
     I know the feeling. Last December I took my seven-year-old daughter to the mountainous jungle of
northern India with some friends. We stayed in a forest rest-house with no electricity or running hot water.
Our group had campfires outside every night, and indoors when it was too cold outside. The moon grew to
its fullest during our trip. Between me and the high mountains lay three or four valleys. Not a light shone in
them and not a sound could be heard. It was one of the quietest places I have ever known, a bottomless well
of silence. And above me was the full moon, which struck me deeply.
     Today our lives are filled with glass, metal, plastic and fibreglass. We have televisions, cell phones, pagers,
electricity, heaters and ovens and air-conditioners, cars, computers.
     Struggling through traffic that evening at the end of a tiring day, most of it spent indoors, I thought: before
long, I would like to live in a small cottage. There I will grow vegetables and read books and walk in the
mountains and perhaps write, but not in anger. I may become an old man there, and wear the bottoms of my
trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. But I will be able to walk outside on a cold silent night
and touch the moon.

1. The best title for the passage would be _____.

A. Touched by the moon
B. The pleasures of modern life
C. A bottomless well of silence
D. Break away from modem life

2. The writer felt sorry for himself because _____.

A. there was too many pollution
B. he failed to see the fullest moon
C. he didn't adapt to modern inventions
D. there were many accidents on the road

3. What impressed the writer most in the mountainous jungle of northern India?
A. No modem equipment.
B. Complete silence.
C. The nice moonlight.
D. The high mountains.

4. Modern things( Paragraph 4) are mentioned mainly to _____.

A. show that the writer likes city life very much
B. tell us that people greatly benefit from modem life
C. explain that people have less chances to enjoy nature
D. show that we can also enjoy nature at home through them

5. The author wrote the passage to _____.

A. express the feeling of returning to nature
B. show the love for the moonlight
C. advise modem people to learn to live
D. want to communicate longing for modern life

     Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that
people with close friends have a greater ability to fight diseases than people who are alone.
     Make friendship a priority. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmowed
or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can't get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
     Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of "heartfelt" intimacy (亲密).
Don't be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have
problems, but offer advice only when it's wanted. Help raise friends' self-esteem (自尊) when they are shaken
by a job loss, or other such events.
     Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, and joining
in a bowling league.
     Don't wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store or drive his or her
children to their after-school activities.
     Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience. Become a
joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
     Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm
friendship.
     Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.

1. People with close friends have a _____ ability to fight diseases than people who are alone.

A. less
B. greater
C. poorer
D. little

2. According to the passage, you'd better offer advice to your friends _____.

A. at any moment
B. only when they are happy
C. only when they want it
D. only when you are glad

3. What should we do to have friends according to the author?

A. Make friendship a priority.
B. Open up to close friends.
C. Never take a friendship for granted.
D. All of the above.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. You should have different friends for the same activities.
B. You should wait for a friend to ask a favor.
C. You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores.
D. You should never take a friendship for granted.

5. The underlined word "Enroll" in the last paragraph means _____.

A. Give
B. Join
C. Get
D. Catch

     There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and
they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they
rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as of those
on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
     I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not
particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked
about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
     It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another
city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond
the city. I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came
into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
     From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to
join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were
smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
     The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was
surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me.
They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a
warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed
up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car. I looked forward to the return journey.

1. The author expected the train trip to be _____.

A. adventurous
B. pleasant
C. exciting
D. dull

2. What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?

A. The friendly country people.
B. The mountains along the way.
C. The crowds of people in the streets.
D. The simple lunch served on the train.

3. Which of the following words can best take the place of the word "relish" in the second paragraph?

A. choose
B. enjoy
C. prepare for
D. carry on

4. Where was the writer going?

A. Johore Baru.
B. The Causeway
C. Butterworth.
D. Singapore.

5. What can we learn from the story?

A. Comfort in traveling by train.
B. Pleasure of living in the country.
C. Reading gives people delight.
D. Smiles brighten people up.

     Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives.
It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying "no," criticizing, getting the other fellow to do
what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it's the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss
subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on
television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum. 
     Humor is often the best way to keep a small misunderstanding from escalating into a big deal. Recently a
neighbor of mine had a squabble with his wife as she drove him to the airport. Airborne, he felt miserable, and
he knew she did, too. Two hours after she returned home, she received a long-distance phone call. "person-to-
person for Mrs. I.A. Pologize," intoned the operator. "That's spelled 'P' as in…". In a twinkling, the whole day
changed from grim to lovely at both ends of the wire. 
     An English hostess with a quick wit was giving a formal dinner for eight distinguished guests whom she
hoped to enlist in a major charity drive. Austerity (节俭) was a fashion in England at the time, and she had
asked her children to serve the meal. She knew that anything could happen-and it did, just as her son, with the
studied concentration of a tightrope walker, brought in a large roast turkey. He successfully elbowed the
swinging dining-room door, but the backswing threw the bird onto the dining-room floor. 
     The boy stood rooted: guests stared at their plates. Moving only her head the hostess smiled at her son,
"No harm, Daniel," she said. "Just pick him up and take him back to the kitchen"… she enunciated clearly so
he would think about what she was saying …"and bring in the other one ."
     A wink and a one-liner instantly changed the dinner from a red-faced embarrassment to a conspiracy of fun.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Humor is the key to success in our work and our lives.
B. Humor enables us to cope with difficult situation effectively.
C. Humor is the only best way to criticize someone without losing his face.
D. Humor makes fun of any difficult situations.

2. Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage?

A. Comedians on TV are believed to have done a lot in making people more tolerant of racial and religious
     differences.
B. To make up differences, humor is a most acceptable as well as a most effective means.
C. People often turn to humorous ways when meeting with difficult situations because of its effectiveness.
D. Only by adopting the means of humor can one succeed in some jobs.

3. What caused the roast turkey to drop onto the floor?

A. The backward movement of the door.
B. The son's hasty behavior.
C. Someone happened to be at the door.
D. The bird raised by the family.

4. By saying "… and bring in the other one," the hostess meant that _____.

A. the son had to cook another turkey for the guests
B. she already had made more than one turkey ready for the dinner
C. some other dish would be served instead of a turkey
D. the son could serve the same turkey after it was cleaned

5. What do you think would probably be the result if the hostess got angry and scolded the son?

A. It would make the embarrassing situation worse
B. The son would refuse to serve the guests any more
C. The son would talk back and make the mother all the more angry
D. The guests would leave before the dinner was over