What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The importance of working hard at school.

B. Choosing a career according to one’s strengths.

C. How to face one’s weakness.        

D. The value of school work.

2.The writer thinks that a student have a part-time job is probably ______.

A. a good way to find out his weak points

B. one of the best ways of earning extra money

C. of great use for his work in the future

D. a waste of time he could have spent on study

3.From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _______.

A. should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities

B. will be regretful about his bad results

C. may also do well in his future work 

D. should restart his study in school

4.The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Para 3) probably means “_______”.

A. be clumsy at doing things

B. be skillful in doing things

C. be not interested in certain things

D. be easily bored in doing things

Success starts within our mind. Now, we will discuss four steps to change our lives and create a new future.

   ■ 1. Think big. Get rid of negative(负面的)beliefs.

     Your beliefs have developed from what happened to you in the past. You should realize that the past is not equal to the future, unless you really live there. The first thing you need to do is to drive all the negative beliefs away from your mind. Those beliefs are not useful for creating a new future. Think that everything is possible if you put enough effort in it. When you change your beliefs into positive ones, you will feel more powerful. You will then be able to move on to the next level.

   ■ 2. Write your plan to achieve your goals.

     Your great goals should be divided into smaller goals. Make a timetable for each goal so that you can measure your progress. Write a detailed plan to achieve these goals.

   ■ 3.Take action according to your plan.

     Nothing bears fruit without action. Every successful person has to work hard towards his or her goals. There is no exception(例外). Be prepared to work according to your plan. Be willing to invest (投资) in the resources necessary for your progress. Do not give up.

   ■ 4. Review what you have done and know how good you are.

     While you are in the process of your work, take some time to review how well you have done. Review your progress based on your plan and see if you need to change anything. You can change your methods but you should not change your goals.

1. Why should we get rid of our negative beliefs?

A．They come from our past experiences.       B．The past and the future are different. C．They will stop us from starting a new future.              D．We should learn some useful things.

2. According to the second step, to achieve your big goals, you should _________.

A．change your methods                    B．make full use of every minute   C．divide them into smaller ones and achieve them one by one to time     D．measure your progress from time

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．During your work, be prepared to change everything.               B．If you feel your goal difficult, you’d better give it up.                    C．Considering changing the ways you achieve goals is useful. D．Reviewing is more important than setting goals.

4. Which of the following has the same meaning as "Nothing bears fruit without action."?

A．No pain, no gain.    B．Better early than late. C．He laughs last who laughs best.  D．Nothing succeeds like success.

5.What’s the best title for the passage?

A．How to Live a Happy Life                  B．Ways to Create Your New Future C．How to Change Yourself   D．Nothing Bears Fruit Without Action

Almost everyone suffers from a headache sometimes.But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches.

What is headache? What causes it? What can be done about a headache? What research is being done on headaches?

The dictionary defines(下定义) headache simply as “a pain in the head.” What most people mean by headache is a pain which lasts several minutes or hours.It covers the whole head, or one side of it, or perhaps the front or the back of the head.To add to the confusion(困惑) about a definition, some people call tight feeling in the head a headache.

A headache is important because it can be the first warning of a serious condition which probably could be controlled if discovered early.If a person removes the warning, day after day, with a pain-killer, he may pass the point of easy control.

The professional name for covering up a symptom(症状) is “masking” (遮蔽).A headache specialist once said, “Masking symptoms is not the best way of treatment.” He compared taking a pain-killer for a headache before a cause is known with taking iron pills for anemia(贫血症) while bleeding continues undiscovered.He added, “Sometimes it is wiser to stand still than to advance in darkness.”

A headache is important also because it affects normal, happy living.The employee with a headache does less work.In a flash of temper he may upset his fellow workers or customers, causing a direct or indirect loss to his organization.The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family.She upsets her husband and children.

1.Which is true according to the passage?

A．Headache has no effect on others.

B．Headache may cover the whole body.

C．Headache may last several minutes or hours.

D．Headache is just the tight feeling in the head.

2.The sentence underlined in Paragraph 5 means ______.

A．you should not advance in darkness whatever happens

B．you’d better do nothing before you know how to deal with it

C．you’d better still stand there without moving when it is dark at night

D．you should take some pain-killers for your headache if you want to cover it up

3.What may the writer talk about in the following paragraph?

A．Treatments of headaches                 B．The definition of headaches

C．Symptom of headaches                   D．Bad effects of a headache

4.The passage mainly tells us______.

A．the reason of headache

B．headache and its effect

C．everyone suffers from a headache

D．a headache is a symptom of something serious

Write a winning story!

         You could win ￡1,000 in this year’s Fiction Prize and have your story printed in Keep Writing magazine. Ten other lucky people will win a cheque for ￡100.

         Once again, we need people who can write good stories. The judges, who include Mary Littlejohn, the novelist, Michael Brown, the television reporter, and Susan Hitchins, the editor of Keep Writing, are looking for interesting and original stories. Detective fiction was extremely popular last year, although the competition winner produced a love story. You can write down about whatever you want but here’s some advice to start your thinking:

         Write about what you know

         This is the advice which every writer should pay attention to and, last year, nearly everyone who wrote for us did exactly that. Love, family, problems with friends ---- these were the main subjects of the stories. However, you need to turn ordinary situations into something interesting that people will want to read about. Make the reader want to continue reading by writing about ordinary things in a new and surprising way.

         Get your facts right

         It’s no good giving a description of a town or explaining how a jet engine works if you get it wrong. So avoid writing anything unless you’re certain about it.

         Hold the reader’s attention

         Make the beginning interesting and the ending a surprise. There is nothing worse than a poor ending. Develop the story carefully and try to think of something unusual happening at the end.

         Think about the characters

         Try to bring the people in your story alive for the reader by using well-chosen words to make them seem real.

         Your story must be your own work, between 2,000 and 2,5000 words and typed, double-spaced, on one side only of each sheet of paper.

         Even if you’re in danger of missing the closing date, we are unable to accept stories by fax or email. You must include the application form with your story. Unfortunately your story cannot be returned, nor can we discuss our decisions.

         You should not have had any fiction printed in any magazine or book in this country ---- a change in the rules by popular request ---- and the story must not have happened in print or in recorded form, for example on radio or TV, anywhere in the world.

         Your fee of ￡5 will go to the Writers’ Association. Make your cheque payable to Keep Writing and send it with the application form and your story to:

         Keep Writing

         75 Broad Street Birmingham

         B12 4TG

         The closing date is 30 July and we will inform the winner within one month of this date. Please note that if you win, you must agree to have your story printed in our magazine.

1.How should writers deal with ordinary situations while writing?

A. They should make them appealing to readers.

B. They should copy others’ ideas.

C. They should change some facts to make them interesting.

D. They should describe them as they are.

2.What shouldn’t a writer do?

A. Making the contents interesting.                     B. Getting the facts right.

C. Meeting the deadline.                                        D. Making the end ordinary.

3.Writers should present their works in the following ways except that ____________.

A. they should write originally

B. they can type their stories as they like

C. they should follow some rules

D. they should hand in their stories in time

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

A. Late stories can be faxed if necessary.

B. Entry needs no fee.

C. Winners can have their stories printed in other magazines.

D. All stories should be presented by mail.

   No one wants to look silly or do the wrong thing at a new job. It is important to make the right impression from the very first day. You will face new people. You will be in a new place. It may be difficult to know what to do. Here are five tips to help you make it through the first days at a new job:

  First impressions can last forever: Make sure you make a good one. Before your first day, find out if your new job has a dress code. If so, be sure to follow it. No matter what, always be neat and clean.

  Get to work in time: Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to make sure you arrive on time.

  Pay attention to introductions: One of the first things that your supervisor may do is to introduce you to co-workers. These co-workers will be important to you. They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss is not around.

  Ask plenty of questions: Make sure that your supervisor has told you what is expected of you. If he or she has not told you your duties, ask for a list. Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.

  Never be the first one to leave: Observe what your co-workers do around quitting time. It does not look good for you to be eager to leave.

1. Before you arrive at work, you should_________.

  A. introduce yourself        B. dress in a right way  

C. know your duties          D. know your co-workers well

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is True?

  A. You should be the first one to arrive at work.

  B. You should ask your co-workers for your duties.

  C. You are required to arrive 15 minutes earlier.

  D. You should not be eager to go back home.

3. According to the passage, your supervisor is most likely your _____.

  A. leader           B. teacher          C. workmate        D. visitor

4. What is the best title for this passage?

  A. Getting a New Job.           B. Tips on How to Work.

  C. The First-Day Work.          D. The Importance of Co-workers.