There was once a rich old abbot (男修道院院长) in England who lived a very rich life. When King John, who was the worst king that England ever had, heard of the way in which the abbot lived, he decided to stop it. So he sent for the old man and said, “Your fault is clear, and unless you can answer me three questions within two weeks, your head shall be cut off, and all your money shall be mine. Firstly, you must tell me just how long I shall live. Secondly, you must tell me how long I shall ride round the whole world, and lastly, you shall tell me what I think.”

       The abbot went to Oxford and Cambridge for help but not one of the teachers in the great schools could. At last, sad and sorrowful, he rode towards home. Then he met his shepherd (牧羊人) and told him all that had happened.

       “Cheer up, good master. I think I can help you out of your trouble.”

       The shepherd dressed himself up with great care and looked just like the abbot. Then he went to the king.

       “How long shall I live?” “You will live until the day that you die, and not one day longer.”

       “How long shall I ride round the world?” “You must rise with the sun, and you must ride with the sun until it rises again the next morning. As soon as you do that, you will find that you have ridden round the world in twenty-four hours.”

       “What do I think?” “You think that I am the abbot. But, to tell you the truth, I am only his poor shepherd, and I come to beg your pardon for him and for me.”

       The king laughed long. “Very well then, you have won the old abbot a free pardon from King John for this joke.”

56. Who helped the abbot out of his trouble?

A. The king.           

B. The abbot himself.

C. The abbot’s shepherd.

D. Teachers from Oxford and Cambridge.

57. Which of the following can be used to describe the shepherd？

A. Loyal.                                      B. Wise.  

C. Honest.                              D. Hard-working.

58. How long did the shepherd think the king could ride round the world?

A. In a single day.    

B. Within two weeks.

C. Not until he died.  

D. The king could never make it.

59. The purpose of the passage is to _____.

A. tell us an interesting story         

B. think highly of the old abbot

C. answer three difficult questions          

D. show how cruel King John was

Learning how to be patient with people can be challenging for some. After all, not everybody is gifted with great patience. The good news is that it is something that can be learned and eventually perfected.
When the customer before you takes ages to pay for his or her groceries, you tap your foot impatiently and cough every now and then; but no, the customer is still not hurrying up. It takes all of your power not to make a scene.  However, if you picture that customer to be someone you like (say your partner), then you will find yourself not getting too annoyed, right? So the next time you find yourself losing patience with somebody, simply visualize that person to be someone you really, really like and your patience will extend its life.
The second step on how to be patient with people involves whistling. When you whistle a happy tune, you instantly cheer up. You can sing your favorite song if you can't whistle - it really doesn't make a difference. What's important here is that you have done something that makes you feel good. And when you feel good, you are more likely to be patient with the people around you.
Next, when you're stressed, it's almost impossible to learn how to be patient with people. If you know you're going to be in a situation where your patience will be tested, meditate or get yourself a massage(按摩) first. Don't dive into anything unless you've managed to clear yourself off negative emotions. Remember: the more stressed you are, the faster you'll lose your temper. The less stress you have in your life, the longer your patience.
Learning how to patient with people is not a necessity in life. You've seen people who manage to survive day to day with incredibly bad tempers after all. But do you really want to live like they do? If, however, you want a life that has better quality than that, then just follow these steps and embrace the fact that patience is a virtue.
【小题1】what does the underlined phrase in paragraph 2 mean?

— Cheer up! You might be granted        second chance for it.

—Not possible, since no such         thing has ever happened before

A.a ; a      B. the; a        C. a;不填      D. the;不填

At one point or 36 in life, we are all 37 to make a speech to an audience on different occasions, for example, in the classroom to share successful 38 with classmates or on a wedding to send your best wishes in honor of the newly-weds. No matter 39 the audience seems to be, we are in public speaking. 40, most of us don’t do a very satisfactory job. We get nervous. We forget what to say, we 41 unnecessary words, and we 42 the audience. We feel awful, feeling like completely a loser, and wish we would never have to speak  again.
Cheer up! You are not alone and things are not 43 bad. Here are a few44 for you to 45 the pain. First, be clear about the purpose of your speech. What is the 46? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as much information 47 you can think of on your subject. It is advised that onespend plenty of your time doing some research and organizing your material so that your speech is clear and crystal. 48 many examples, pictures, charts, and graphs if possible. Most importantly, never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t 49 them. Treat them with 50.During the course, let your 51 come through so that they feel as if you make person-to-person communication with them. They will surely 52 your thoughtfulness and find your speech enjoyable.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, the occasion, and the audience . If you follow these steps, you will see you don’t have to be 53.   54, you may find you more than enjoy the period and that you 55 to make more and long speeches. But don’t hog the podium and steal the show!

Learning how to be patient with people can be challenging for some. After all, not everybody is gifted with great patience. The good news is that it is something that can be learned and eventually perfected.

When the customer before you takes ages to pay for his or her groceries, you tap your foot impatiently and cough every now and then; but no, the customer is still not hurrying up. It takes all of your power not to make a scene.  However, if you picture that customer to be someone you like (say your partner), then you will find yourself not getting too annoyed, right? So the next time you find yourself losing patience with somebody, simply visualize that person to be someone you really, really like and your patience will extend its life.

The second step on how to be patient with people involves whistling. When you whistle a happy tune, you instantly cheer up. You can sing your favorite song if you can't whistle - it really doesn't make a difference. What's important here is that you have done something that makes you feel good. And when you feel good, you are more likely to be patient with the people around you.

Next, when you're stressed, it's almost impossible to learn how to be patient with people. If you know you're going to be in a situation where your patience will be tested, meditate or get yourself a massage(按摩) first. Don't dive into anything unless you've managed to clear yourself off negative emotions. Remember: the more stressed you are, the faster you'll lose your temper. The less stress you have in your life, the longer your patience.

Learning how to patient with people is not a necessity in life. You've seen people who manage to survive day to day with incredibly bad tempers after all. But do you really want to live like they do? If, however, you want a life that has better quality than that, then just follow these steps and embrace the fact that patience is a virtue.

1.what does the underlined phrase in paragraph 2 mean?

A．quarrel publicly                        B．make something appear

C．drive away                             D．feel happy

2.Which of the following can best summarize the topic of paragraph2?

A．We should love everyone around us.

B．Show your impatience when your customers aren’t in a hurry.

C．Think of others fondly.

D．To be patient is really difficult occasionally.

3.When you realized that your patience is being examined, you should________.

A．it is possible to control it

B．let it known by whoever you are facing

C．do whatever you like and don’t care what others say

D．learn to relax yourself in a possible way

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?

A．We have to learn to be patient with others because it can benefit us.

B．When you are under pressure, it is unavoidable to be impatient.

C．Doing something that you like may make you feel good when you are impatient.

D．Patience is a quality that can be improved.