The meaning of the word "volunteer" may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means
"one who offers his or her services." There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as
taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage (垃圾) from
beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often
people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don't expect any
kind of pay. 
      At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help
other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what
being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa's homes in Calcutta.
The following is her story.
      "I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video (录像) about her work in India
and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being
that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to
Calcutta for a few weeks."
      "I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I
also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up. I felt it was better to
share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don't think I was helping very much.
It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture
(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world."

1. According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who _____.

A. is willing to help those in need without pay
B. can afford to travel to different places
C. has a strong wish to be successful
D. has made a lot of money in life

2. Tracy started her work as a volunteer _____.

A. after she met Mother Teresa
B. after she finished high school
C. when she was touring Calcutta
D. when she was working in a hospital

3. Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?

A. She liked to work with Mother Teresa.
B. She had already had some experience.
C. She was asked by Mother Teresa.
D. She wanted to follow Mother Teresa's example.

4. What is Tracy's "new idea" (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?

A. Going abroad to help the sick.
B. Working in Mother Teresa's home.
C. Doing simple things to help the poor.
D. Improving oneself through helping others.

     In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun
together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends. They will be with you
as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I
have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities (品质) of character, especially understanding, honesty
and reliability (可靠).
     Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person
is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's
place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
     At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults (过错) in others. He notices
their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
     Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on (信赖) a good friend. If he tells me he will
meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best
to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
     There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have
fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who
are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (经验) and learn from each
other. A good friend has a good sense of humor (幽默), too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share
in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
     When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!

1. Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?

A. understanding.
B. honesty.
C. reliability.
D. a sense of humor.

2. If you have fair-weather friends, ______.

A. they will give you all that they have when you need help
B. you will be refused when you get into trouble
C. you will become rich
D. you can be sure that you get real friends

3. Good friends need to ______.

A. always point out each other's mistakes
B. be helped with money
C. understand each other's feelings
D. have money or luck

4. This passage mainly discuss ______.

A. the qualities of a friend
B. where to choose friends
C. how to get along with friends
D. the importance of having a friend

     I used to think education was the most important thing in my life. Recently my attitude has begun to
change, although I still hold that it is essential for everyone in the world today. As a top junior student in
my college, I was asked to make a speech on how to learn English well. Standing in front of the audience
and facing so many freshmen, I was trembling. I didn't remember any word that I had prepared. I ran out
of the conference room without finishing my speech, leaving everyone puzzled. I cried that night in my
room, feeling that I was a loser. Studying takes up so much of my time that I feel unable to really develop
myself. I am just storing knowledge, yet I fail to communicate with others. I have received many awards
in school, but they don't necessarily reflect anything about me. I don't know how to socialize. When I leave
school I fear I will be of no use to society.
     I realize that everyone has his own way of living. I want to change my lifestyle. Of course I will keep
studying. Yet I plan to look for a part-time job, which might turn out to be a good chance to get to know
society. I still believe that working my hardest makes me happy. I will still stay on in college. But I will not
allow it to shelter me from the real world.

1. The underlined word"essential" in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.

A. impossible
B. unnecessary
C. most important
D. most useful

2. From the passage we can learn that the author _____.

A. comes to know how important it is to make some money
B. realizes that it is more important to develop oneself than just to learn knowledge
C. does not think education is a most important thing in her life any more
D. thinks that communication with others is more important than education

3. The author believes the awards she has received _____.

A. show that she is a top student
B. show how much time she has spent in learning
C. only mean that she knows how to learn, but she doesn't know how to socialize
D. don't necessarily reflect her real self

4. The author feels fearful that she will be of no use to society mainly because _____.

A. she is unable to develop herself
B. studying takes too much of her time
C. she does not know how to communicate with others
D. she feels that she is a failure

When thinking about quitting smoking…
     List all the reasons why you want to quit or stop. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the
reasons 10 times.
     Decided positively that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative (消极的) thoughts about how difficult it
might be. Develop strong personal reasons as well as your health and responsibility to others. For example,
think of all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. set a
date for quitting-perhaps a special day like your birthday or a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit
during your vacation. Make the date holy seriously, and don't let anything change it. Begin to condition
yourself physically, start a kind of exercise, drink more water, get plenty of rest.
Immediately after quitting…
    The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is prohibited,
e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department,stores, etc.
    Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks which remind
you of cigarette smoking. 
    Strike up a conversation with someone instead of a match for a cigarette.   
    If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else-a pencil, a pen, a ruler.
If you miss having something in your mouth, try a fake (仿制的) cigarette.

1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. Whenever you feel like a cigarette, try to forget it by sleeping.
B. Try to start a conversation with somebody rather than ask for a light.
C. If you miss the feeling of having a cigarette in your mouth, play with a pen.
D. Every night before going to bed, repeat all the reasons 10 times.

2. From the passage, we know smokers _____.

A. should drink a lot of coffee
B. have to stop to smoke from time to time
C. should drink a lot of wine
D. should not do any exercise

3. According to the passage, what dose the underline word"prohibited" mean?

A. forbidden (禁止)
B. allowed (允许)
C. received
D. welcomed

4. If the passage is in a newspaper, which section is it in?

A. Sports.
B. News.
C. Health.
D. Culture.

     Is there anything more important than health? I don't think so. "Health is the greatest wealth (财富),"
wise people say. You can't be good at your studies or work well when you are ill. If you have a headache,
toothache, backache, earache or bad pain in the stomach, if you complain of a bad cough, if you run a high
temperature and have a bad cold, or if you suffer from high or low blood pressure, I think you should go to
the doctor. The doctor will examine your throat, feel your pulse, test your blood pressure, take your
temperature, sound your heart and lungs, test your eyes, check your teeth or have your chest X-rayed. After
that he will advise some treatment, or some medicine. The only thing you have to do is follow his advice.
     Speaking about doctor's advice, I can't help telling you a funny story.
     An old gentleman came to see the doctor. The man was very ill. He told the doctor about his weakness,
memory loss and serious problems with his heart and lungs. The doctor examined him and said there was
no medicine for his disease. He told his patient to go to a quiet place for a month and have a good rest. He
also advised him to eat a lot of meat, drink two glasses of red wine every day and take long walks. In other
words, the doctor advised him to follow the rule:"Eat at pleasure, drink with measure and enjoy life as it is."
The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well again, he shouldn't smoke more than one cigarette a
day.
     A month later the gentleman came into the doctor's office. He looked cheerful and happy. He thanked the
doctor and said that he had never felt a healthier man.
     "But you know, doctor," he said, "it's not easy to begin smoking at my age."

1. The doctor usually tells his patient what to do _____.

A. without examining the patient
B. after he has examined the patient
C. if the patient doesn't take medicine
D. unless the patient feels pain

2. The writer thinks that _____.

A. health is more important than wealth
B. work is as important as studies
C. medicine is more important than pleasure
D. nothing is more important than money

3. The underlined part means "_____".

A. he was feeling better than ever
B. he wasn't a healthy man
C. he was feeling worse than before
D. he will be well again

4. From the last sentence of the passage, we learn the man _____ before the doctor told him not to smoke
    more than one cigarette a day.

A. was a heavy smoker
B. didn't smoke so much
C. didn't smoke
D. began to learn to smoke

5. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. The doctor usually tests his/her blood pressure when a person is ill.
B. The man told the doctor he couldn't remember things.
C. The man thanked the doctor.
D. The man didn't follow the doctor's advice.

    Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some
friendships don't last long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend
the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest;
be generous; be understanding.
    Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell
the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest, you may lose your friend's
trust. Good friends always rely on one another to speak and act honestly.
    Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch
money or your clothes. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable
to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know better.
     Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with each other. Something may go wrong at
school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving
the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's
place so that you can understand the problem better.
    No two friendships are exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to
keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity and understanding.

1. Some friendships don't last long because _____.

A. there are too many people who want to make friends
B. some people receive friendship but don't give friendship back
C. those who give others friendship receive friendship from others
D. they don't know friendship is something serious

2. According to the passage, honesty is _____.

A. something countable
B. the base of friendship
C. as important as money
D. more important than anything else

3. Which of the following isn't mentioned in the passage.?

A. Always tell your friends the truth.
B. Sharing your mind with your friends is of great value.
C. Discussing your problems with your friends often helps to solve the problem.
D. A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend.

4. In the third paragraph, the underlined word 'they' refers to (指) _____.

A. generosity and friendship
B. generosity and sharing
C. your ideas and feelings
D. your clothes

5. The best title of this passage is _____.

A. Honesty Is the Best Policy
B. A Friend in Need Is a Friend indeed
C. How to Be Friends
D. Three Important Points in Life

    As a child, I was really afraid of the dark and of getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me
some uncomfortable moments.
    Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my own room at night that scared me so
much. There was never complete darkness, but always a streetlight or passing car lights, which made clothes
on the back of a chair take on the shape of a wild animal. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the curtains (窗
帘) seem to move when there was no wind. A very low sound in the floor would seem a hundred times louder
than in the day. My imagination (想象) would run wild, and my heart would beat fast. I would lie very still so
that the "enemy (敌人)" would not discover me.
    Another of my childhood fears was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every
morning I got on the school bus right near my home. That was no problem. After school, though, when all the
buses were lined up along the street, I was afraid that I would get in the wrong one and be taken to some other
strange places. On school or family trips to a park or a museum, I wouldn't let the leaders out of my sight.
    Perhaps one of the worst fears of all I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others.
Being popular was so important to me then, and the fear of not being liked was a serious one.
    One of the processes (过程) growing up is being able to realize and overcome our fears. Understanding the
things that scared us as children helps us achieve greater success later in life.

1. The author had _____ kind (s) of fears when she was a child.

A. one
B. two
C. three
D. none

2. _____ would scare the author at night.

A. Streetlight and car lights
B. Strange sights and sounds
C. Walking up and down the room
D. Wild animals and enemies

3. When she went to some other places, she would _____.

A. walk away without others
B. take a bus by herself
C. make sure not to take a wrong bus
D. follow others closely

4. Which of the following would be possibly true when she was a child?

A. She always got poor grades (=marks).
B. She was always the leader of the others.
C. She was usually popular among people.
D. She was hated by others, for she always walked ahead of the others.

5. The underlined word "overcome" means "_____" in Chinese.

A. 接受
B. 忍受
C. 克服
D. 信服