Recently, a  professor of philosophy in the United States has written a book called MoneyandtheMeaningofLife. He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day­to­day life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week. From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value in life.
He says that our relation with others often becomes clearly defined when money enters the picture. You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you have a very good friend. But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money. If he does, it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before. Or it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn't. This person may say that he has a certain feeling, but if it is not carried out in the money world, there is something less real about it.
Since money is so important to us, we consider those who possess a lot of it to be very important. The author interviewed some millionaires in researching his book.
Question: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich?
Answer: The most surprising thing is why people give me so much respect. I am nothing. I do not know much. All I am is rich.
People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? In his book, the professor uncovered an important need in modern society: to bring back the idea that money is an instrument rather than the end. Money plays an important role in the material world, but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life.
【小题1】The author seems to believe that asking your friend to lend you some money ________.

One day,not too long ago,the employees of a large company in St.Louis,Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door.The sign said,“Yesterday the person who had been hindering (阻碍) your  1  in this company passed away.We  2  you to join the funeral in the room that has been  3  in the gym.”?

At first everyone was sad to  4  that one of their colleagues had died,   5  after a while they started getting  6  about who this person might be.?

       The excitement  7  as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last  8  .Everyone wondered.“Who is this person that was hindering my growth?Well,   9  he’s no longer here!”?

One by one the   10  got closer to the coffin (棺材) and when they looked inside it,they  11  became speechless.They stood beside the coffin,  12  into silence,as if someone had  13  the deepest part of their soul.?

      There was a mirror inside the coffin—everyone who looked inside it could see himself.There was also a  14  next to the mirror that   15  ,“There is only one person who is capable to 16  limits to your growth:it is YOU.”?

You are the only person who can revolutionize your   17  .  You are the only person who can  18  your happiness,realization and success.You are the only person who can help yourself.Your life does not change when your boss changes,your friends change,your parents change,your partner changes or your company changes.Your life changes when YOU change,when you go  19  your limiting beliefs and when you realize that you are the only one 20 for your life.?

1. A.ability                   B.progress       C.talent                  D.practice?

2. A.demand                 B.allow         C.invite                  D.advise?

3. A.started                   B.prepared      C.opened                 D.created?

4. A.learn              B.receive        C.notice        D.find?

5. A.for             B.or                C.so                D.but?

6. A.angry                    B.sorry       C.curious             D.nervous?

7. A.grew                     B.appeared?    C.improved            D.developed?

8. A.sight                     B.attention?     C.appreciation              D.respect?

9. A.at least                  B.in fact?     C.at once                  D.in general?

10. A.employees            B.managers?  C.friends          D.citizens?

11. A.quickly         B.finally?       C.obviously          D.suddenly?

12. A.worried        B.depressed?   C.shocked            D.embarrassed?

13. A.broken          B.touched           C.stolen                  D.changed?

14. A.letter                   B.sign         C.mark                     D.page?

15. A.told                        B.warned           C.wrote                     D.read?

16. A.set              B.take           C.put               D.get?

17. A.business               B.heart        C.life                 D.success?

18. A.realize                 B.satisfy       C.influence        D.consider?

19. A.for                  B.upon         C.over               D.beyond

20. A.reasonable            B.responsible?C.suitable           D.valuable?

Now I’m a senior high school student in Grade Two . I feel that school life is a little hard , just as my friends said . However , a hard life doesn’t have to mean a boring one at all .
School life is not just about studying and getting high marks . Getting involved in student clubs can be a unique and unforgettable experience .
Wang Tian enjoys Tuesday afternoons more than any other time of the week . Why ? Well , that’s when Wang and 47 other members of the DIY ( do it yourself ) club learn to make things such as rondo flowers ( 丝网花 ) and cross-stitch（ 十字绣 ）. Wang also knows how to knit scarves and make clay accessories（ 小饰件 ）. They even sell their products to raise money for poor students !
When Chen Mo started the High School , there was a drama club and a rock band , but no street dance club . So the girl started one . “Street dancing is dynamic and helps us relax and keep fit ,” Chen said . There are around 30 students in Chen’s club . They practice dance skills on Sundays . Sometimes they go to street dance performances in the city . “We watch , learn and make friends . People in this circle are actually very nice and sweet ,” she said .
There are dozens of clubs for me to choose from , such as basketball club or science club . But I love the translation club best . The 30 club members get together once a week . With the help of a volunteer teacher , I’ve learned the general principles of professional translation . It’s the first step to becoming a good translator . Besides ,after attending this club , my English has improved a lot .
I like my school life very much . And I believe whether a life is meaningful or not depends on the person who leads it .
【小题1】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage ?

Few of us haven’t read Cinderella, the story of a young woman living in poverty who meets the prince of her dreams. Some might not want to admit it, but there is a hidden Cinderella in everyone’s heart—we all wish we could achieve recognition or success after a period of obscurity(默默无闻).

Mary Santiago has that secret dream, too. Her story is featured in Another Cinderella Story, a film set in a US high school.

Mary is shy but loves to dance. Compared with other girls, she is invisible. However, her world changes completely when a famous teenager pop singer, Joey Parker, appears.

Joey is everything the rest of the boys in her class are not—kind, handsome and desirable. Mary and Joey’s paths cross at a ball. They meet and fall in love with each other. But when Mary has to rush back home, she leaves behind her MP3 player, which becomes the only clue Joey has to find the girl of his dreams. Of course, there is a wicked(邪恶的) stepmother, who turns out to be Dominique Blatt and she takes in Mary after her dancer mother dies. Dominique treats Mary like a maid and does everything she can to make sure Mary doesn’t get into the top dance school. Her two daughters are equally determined to stop Joey falling for Mary, even if that means embarrassing her.

The story, though it mostly follows Cinderella, does add a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale. Refreshingly, the film, unlike many high school films, does not focus on looks, although the actors are all beautiful. There is also a lot less materialism in Another Cinderella Story than in many similar movies.

“The movie takes the Cinderella fairytale as its jumping off point,” writes movie critic Amber Wilkinson. “The focus is firmly on following your dream.”

1.The first paragraph is mainly to ____________.

2.In the movie, Mary Santiago is the main character who _____________.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

4.The passage is mainly about ___________.

5.According to the passage, Another Cinderella Story ________.

One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St .Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering(阻碍) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to attend the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
At first everyone was sorry to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here! ”One by one the employees got closer to the coffin (棺材) and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is you.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when you change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
【小题1】The underlined word “funeral” in the first paragraph means ________.