After winning a big game, athletes are often asked how they attained that success. Most say their achievement is the result of hard work and intense practice. Usually athletes say how hard it is to win the big games. At the opposite end of the spectrum, however, is the fact that losing the big game, or, in my case, all the games, can be even tougher.

From the spectators’ point of view, last year’s basketball season for my high school team was nothing short of an embarrassment. And while 0 and 20 is certainly nothing to be proud of, that season had a bigger impact on me than any other, and probably more than any season since.

As a team captain, I knew it probably wouldn’t be the easiest year, but did I ever think we would lose every game? Of course not. Since six of our top players had graduated, it was clear that we were a young team who would struggle. The struggle began earlier than expected, though, as our team’s training center was suspended（暂停） for the season, and two key members decided to quit after two weeks. At some point, quitting probably passed through every player’s mind, but, in the end, we all stuck it out, swearing to work even harder.

   Then there came a time when even our own coach had given up on us. Personally, I felt like it was no longer worth giving my all. I thought, if even the coach doesn’t believe in us, why should I? But just as my hope began to fade, a teammate called a meeting. He said, “Nobody thinks we’re going to win, but as teammates and friends, we owe it to each other to give it our all every game.”

Sure, it was a commonplace remark, but it was that moment that taught me how to be a leader. It hit me then that I may have been a captain, but I, like others in my position, certainly didn’t deserve the role. As a leader you can never quit on the team who looks up to you. It is one thing to be named captain and feel great and go through the motions, but it is quite another to be a real captain and make sure everyone works to their potential all the time.

I am sure it is great to go through high school without losing and bringing home awards. But in all honesty, I appreciate the fact that my team lost every game last year. It may not help me to become a better basketball player, but it already has made me a better leader, and person.

1．What was the biggest problem with the author’s team last season?

    A．Several key members were unable to play the games.

       B．Their coach no longer wanted to instruct them.

       C．There were no actual leaders on the team.

       D．Most of players lost hope and wanted to quit.

2．By saying “we owe it to each other to give it our all every game.” （Paragraph 4） the teammate means that all of them should ________.

       A．try their best on the court       

       B．be responsible for the losses

C．feel thankful for what they’ve done

D．get together to win every game

3．In the text, the author seems to suggest that a good leader should        .

       A．be confident about himself

       B．make sure everyone goes all out

       C．work hard to win the games

       D．feel great about his team

4．What is the main idea the author aims to express in the text?

    A．Success is the result of hard work.

    B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

    C．One can learn something from the failure.

    D．A real leader should never give up.

Difficult times often bring out the best in people．And this was the case for basketball star Yao Ming, who hosted a television show in Shanghai that raised US$300,000 to help researchers find a cure for SARS．Fundraising, or charity, is an act of goodwill towards others．Charities in the West have more flexible ways．Look at a typical day for Ruth, a wealthy woman in the UK, for example．Ruth wakes up in the morning and collects her post．There’s a letter addressed to her with a picture of a half-dead, beaten horse．It’s from a charity asking Ruth to donate money to save the animals．The door bell rings and there, on Ruth’s doorstep, is an old woman asking for money to help the aged．She turns on the television, hears sad music and sees a picture of a wide-eyed child dying of hunger in Africa with an appeal for money to help the child．Ruth then goes shopping for a dress to wear to that evening’s large party for the rich and famous．The ticket cost her a small fortune, but she doesn’t mind because most of the money is going to a charity that fights AIDS． She feels good about going because she’s helping the sick．Within five minutes of walking down the street, Ruth has passed a charity shop．She doesn’t stop because she doesn’t think she’d find a suitable dress there—it’s full of old, secondhand clothes．But, many other people enter and but all sorts of bargains．Edna, a little old lady, looks after the shop． Any profit it has made goes to a cancer charity．Now that she has retired, she has plenty of spare time to offer her services for free．

For people like Yao Ming, Ruth and Edna, charity is a virtue that holds the same importance in life as faith and hope． “As you look back on your life, the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others,” said Scottish author Henry Drummond．

1．Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the story as a way of fundraising?

   A．Charity party                                                B．Charity post

   C．Charity TV program                                     D．Charity for beggars．

2．What does the word “raise” in the first paragraph mean?

   A．Collect together                                            B．Donate

   C．Increase                                                      D．Bring to someone’s attention．

3．We can infer from the passage that       ．

   A．Yao Ming donated US$300,000 to help researchers find a cure for SARS

   B．Edna may not be a rich lady but she is willing to do something for others

   C．Ruth leads a busy life and she feels very tired

   D．Ruth is angry because so many people ask her for money every day

4．What’s the writer’s attitude towards charity?

   A．The writer thinks it’s something only people like Ruth can afford to do

   B．The writer just wants to inform us of the different ways to practice charity

   C．The writer thinks it’s a virtue and admires the people who practice it

   D．The writer doesn’t make it clear in the story

5．The underlined part in the last paragraph probably means that      ．

   A．when you look back sometimes, you need stand out

   B．when you want to do something for others, you need stand out

   C．the moment you stand out, you can do something for others

   D． what impresses people deeply is what they have done for others

When author Nicholas Carr began researching his book on whether the Internet is ruining our minds，he restricted his online access and e?mail.His new book argues the latest technology renders us less capable of deep thinking.Carr found himself so distracted(分心的) that he couldn’t work on the book while staying as connected.After first feeling confused by his sudden lack of online connection，he was able to stay focused on one task for a long period within several weeks.

Reading on the Internet has changed how we use our brains.Facing a lot of texts，video，music and links to other web pages and blogs，our minds have become used to skimming and scanning information.As a result，we have developed sharper skills at making fast decisions，particularly visual ones，Carr wrote.

But now most of us seldom read books or long articles that would help us focus.We are becoming more like librarians—able to find information quickly and see clearly the best nuggets(有价值的资料)．That lack of focus hinders(阻碍) our long?term memory，leading many of us to feel distracted，he wrote.

“What we are losing is a whole other set of mental skills，which require not the shifting of our focus but the maintaining of our focus，” Carr said，adding that for centuries books protected our brains from distraction and focused our minds on one topic at a time.

But with devices such as Apple’s iPad becoming common，Carr predicts books also will change.“New forms of reading always require new forms of writing，” he said.Carr has a suggestion for those who feel web surfing has left them incapable of concentration—slow down，turn off the Internet and practice the skills of contemplation(沉思) and reflection.“It is pretty clear from the brain science that if you don’t exercise particular cognitive skills，you are going to lose them，” he said.“If you are constantly distracted，you are not going to think in the same way that you would think if you paid attention.”

1.What topic is Nicholas Carr’s new book mainly concentrating on?

A．Whether there is any need for us to surf the Internet.

B．How the Internet changes our way of thinking.

C．What we should do when we are surfing the Internet.

D．Whether our minds are being influenced by the Internet.

2.How did Nicholas Carr feel after he limited his time online several weeks later?

A．Anxious.? B．Relaxed.

C．Concentrated.? D．Puzzled.

3.The underlined word renders in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.

A．prevents? B．causes

C．protects? D．sharpens

4.What’s Nicholas Carr’s suggestion for people who are often distracted by the Internet?

A．They should read more books besides surfing the Internet.

B．They should often slow down their pace of modern living.

C．They should often get away from the disturbing of the Internet.

D．They should spend more time thinking while surfing the Internet.