How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends.  Good friendship has many benefits. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.  _36_.  But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

    1. Associate with others.

  The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

  2. Start a conversation

  Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.   _37_. You can always start the conversation.  Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people. 

3.    38  

  Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4.      Let it grow.

  It is a good thing to stay in touch.  However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.    39   . The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5.      Enjoy your friendship

  The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.    40_. Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A.  Be cheerful.         

B.  Do things together.        

C.  Do not wait to be spoken to.         

D.  Try not to find fault with your friends.

E.  Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F.  For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G.  So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

 It is _____third time that John has failed, but he still hopes to have_____ fourth try.

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

The seat belt in the car sometimes can          you from traffic accidents.

A. protect         

B. prevent

C. pretend         

D. endanger

During the school year many parents take on the role of driver as they drive their children from one lesson to another. Understandably so. Many of us want our children to have a little taste of everything, from organized sports to music, dance and more. But we can overdo it, leaving our children feeling a little burnt out, and according to parent educator Diane Loisie, it’s their school work which suffers the most. “After school, if they are busy in a number of sporting events, besides, they need to do their homework, then the time they will feel sleepy is in the classroom. Your child needs free time. So if you are filling up that after school time, then it is during the day they are going to be having a break.”

Professor Claire McDermott agrees that there is a lot to be gained from sometimes putting those scheduled lessons and activities away. “Relaxing time is important for children. It’s time just to do the things they want to do. A child can go up to their room, or they can play around. It doesn’t look like productive time; parents certainly wouldn’t be saying “Wow, are they ever leaning things now?” But this relaxing time gives both the body and the brain just a wonderful chance to relax after a day. It helps a child prepare for sleep, but it also helps to understand the learning that’s gone on that day.”

It’s hard to prevent signing our kids up for some activities and lessons. After all, many of us want our children to have a head start in life and the chance to join in the great activities in the arts or sports is a part of that. However, Loisie feels that in the long run most children feel better with just a few key activities because it gives them an opportunity to master them. “ When we get our children in too many activities because we want our children to experience everything, then what we’re doing is setting them up not be good at one thing or gaining a skill”. So choose your children’s activities wisely. It may be one of the best things you’ve ever done for your kids…and for the family drivers!

(  ) 57. What is the biggest disadvantage for children to attend too many lessons after school?

A. They can get bored easily about everything.

B. They might have no time to do the homework.

C. They might not pay much attention to learning.

D. They cannot easily focus on learning during the day.

(  ) 58. What should we think of children’s playing around aimlessly?

A. It is productive                          B. It is helpful

C. It is a bad habit.                       D. It is a waste of time

(  ) 59.Why should parents limit the activities our children attend?

A. Because children have no time.

B. Because children cannot learn many things

C. Because children do not have enough sleep.

D. Because children cannot focus on too many activities.

(  ) 60. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Don’t be children’s driver after school               

B. Choose activities for your children wisely.

C. Make your children learn as much as possible

D. Let children learn something from various subjects.

假设你是李华, 在你校留学的意大利女孩Sara对端午节很感兴趣，计划端午节期间到宜昌旅游，了解宜昌的端午节文化。她写信向你咨询相关事宜。请根据以下提示，用英语给她回一封电子邮件。

内容包括：1. 端午节的时间和起源；

2. 主要的庆祝活动形式；

3. 建议品尝粽子和观看龙舟赛。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

      2. 开头和结尾已给出。

      3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：端午节Dragon Boat Festival；   粽子zongzi；

投江drown oneself in a river；   糯米glutinous rice

Dear Sara,

Knowing that you are interested in the Dragon Boat Festival in Yichang ,                        

Wish you a pleasant journey in Yichang.

Yours,

Li Hua

 By the latter half of the 14th century, English _____ into widespread use among all classes in England.

    A. came                    B. had come             C. was coming          D. has come

   It was a rainy day. I was riding on a bus downtown to go to _41_. I was sitting next to a man in a business suit and didn’t __42__ much attention until we both got off at the same stop and walked to the same __43__ to get a morning paper.

   The man running the stand was __44__ having a bad day. He was __45__ and unsmiling as we bought our papers, which only __46__ more gloom (抑郁) to my day. The businessman caught my eye and __47__. He then continued to smile __48__, thank the newsstand proprietor for the __49__ and for being open on such a morning to make sure we were able to get our papers. __50__, he expressed his appreciation for something most of us would take for granted and pleasantly wished him a pleasant day.

   The news man __51__ only with a cold look. The businessman then pleasantly wished him a pleasant day. As we __52__, I asked this man why he had __53__ to be pleasant to the newsman when he obviously didn’t care about and didn’t respond to his __54__ and friendliness. The businessman smiled at me and said, “Why would I let someone else __55__ what I say and what I feel or what kind of day I’m going to have?”

   We then __56__ to go to our respective work places. To this day, I don’t know anything about that businessman. But I’ve never __57__ the words he said or his smile seemed like a ray of light on a gloomy day. That happened 25 years ago, but the __58__ this had on my life has lasted. I never had a __59__ to thank him personally, but the way in which I choose to look at life as a result of those words is his legacy to me and my thanks to him.

   We cannot control people and situations that come to us, but we can always control our response to them. And in such __60__ decisions lie our control and personal power to make a positive difference. And it’s something anyone and everyone can do.

41. A. school             B. church                    C. work              D. hospital

42. A. pay                 B. draw              C. make              D. attract

43. A. market              B. stand                     C. office               D. library

44. A. curiously             B. gradually           C. eventually                 D. obviously

45. A. rude                B. modest             C. angry             D. kind

46. A. referred             B. added                    C. devoted           D. applied

47. A. shouted                   B. waved                    C. confirmed         D. smiled

48. A. quickly              B. luckily             C. brightly           D. loudly

49. A. book              B. paper                    C. present            D. food

50. A. In short              B. After all            C. As a result         D.As usual

51. A. responded                B. objected            C. appealed          D. disagreed

52. A. ran out              B. left behind                 C. turned away        D.put aside

53. A. attempted                 B. continued          C. intended           D. expected

54. A. excitement         B. assessment          C. impression      D. appreciation

55. A. affect                     B. manage                  C. control                D. enjoy

56. A. separated                B. disappeared         C. traveled               D. drove

57. A. forgiven            B. shared              C. evaluated          D. forgotten

58. A. effort              B. lesson              C. effect              D. pain

59. A. wish               B. chance              C. right               D. power

60. A. nervous                   B. proper              C. fortunate           D. positive

Rules on how to be a fit kid

Being fit is a way of saying a person; a person eats well, gets a lot of physical exercise, and has a healthy weight. __45．__. If you're a kid who wants to be fit, here are three rules to live by.

1．Eat a variety of foods.

You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. __46．__. Taste new foods and old ones you haven't tried for a while. Some foods, such as green vegetables, are more pleasing the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day—two fruits and three vegetables.

2．__47．_

What does it feel like to be full? When you're eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating. __48．__. And over a period of time, overeating can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

3．Limit screen time

What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVD5, playing video games, and using the computer. The more time you spend on these sitting­down activities, the less time available for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding and swimming.__ 49．__

These rules aren't magic. However, follow them most of the time and you can become a fit kid sooner or later.

A．Drink water and milk.

B．Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time.

C．Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable.

D．If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs.

E．Listen to your body.

F．Ask your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly.

G．There're a lot of discussions these days about fit kids.

①There are similarities and differences between high school life and college life.

②For one thing, there are several similarities between high school life and college life. First, the most important task in high school and college life is both studying. Studying is the most important task as a student. Second, we need a goal to fight for in both high school life and college life. To lead a meaningful life, we have to set up a goal to achieve.

③For another, there are also some differences between high school life and college life. First, our studying is also the biggest differences. In high school, we are required to follow our teachers’ steps and finish their homework every day. While in college, there are no teachers giving such detailed requirements to us and we can choose study or not according to our own willing. What and how to study totally depends on us. Therefore, the ability of self-control is very important in college life. Second, the flexibility(灵活性) of time is another difference. In high school, we have no much leisure(空闲) except for our time of study. However, in college, we have much leisure controlled by ourselves except the time of classes, and we have more time to do what we like. Finally, college life is much more various and rich. Besides study, we can attend many other activities which make our college life more wonderful. 

④In short, there are both similarities and differences between high school life and college life. However, no matter which period we are in, we need to make full use of every day so that we will never feel regretful.

42. What totally depends on us students in college life?

   A. Who to teach us.        B. When and where to study.

   C. What and how to study   D. Whether to follow the teachers’ steps.

43. How many differences are there between high school life and college life?

   A. Two     B. Three     C. Four    D. Five

44. Which is the correct structure of the passage?

   A. ①②--③④       B. ①②--③--④

C. ①--②--③④      D. ①--②③--④

45. What’s the main idea of the passage?

   A. College life                    B. High school life

   C. High school life and college life    D. High school and college requirements.

    高一的学习已经过去了一个学期，你的英语老师Ms Li希望了解每位同学的英语学习情况，并征求教学建议。请按以下要点用英语给她写一封信。

1.      对英语学习的认识；          2. 自己目前的英语水平；

3.      自己英语学习存在的主要问题；  4.对英语教学的两点建议。

注意：

1.      词数100左右；

2.      信的开头和结尾已给出。

------You’ve left the light on.

  ------ Oh, so I have. _______ and turn it off.

     A. I go         B. I’ve gone       C. I’m going     D. I’ll go

By the end of last week we ____ 200 pictures from the spaceship.

My life began similarly to most children but I grew up without knowing what a father or mother was. No one was there to teach me how to tell right from wrong. Because of this, I got into some bad habits and spent seven years as a boy on the street.

When I was 20, I was taken in a rehab clinic (康复诊所). Inside I met Bill, my counselor (辅导员). He taught me a lot of things. The main thing was the gift of giving.

It was the night before an important test and I was very nervous. Bill invited me to go out for a walk to relax(放松) me. As we walked and talked, Bill suggested we should go for a coffee. I told him I had no money when I got paid, and I offered to pay him back. He stopped then and looked at me in a serious, but loving way and said he was doing this because he wanted to. Then he said, "One day when you'll be around someone who will need a coffee, you'll be able to buy it for them. That's how you can pay me back."

I'm a primary school teacher now. My job is simple and I can buy young people coffee now. Bill taught me how to offer help to others.

5. The author got into some bad habits because _____ .

A. he didn't have parents to teach him     B.he couldn't get a good school education

C. he didn't listen to his teacher, Bill          D. he was living on the street

6. One night, Bill invited the author to go out for a walk to _____.

A. have a cup of coffee                              B. teach the author a lesson

C. make the author less nervous                 D. make friends with the author

7. Which of the following statements is probably right?

A. The author was too stupid to tell right from wrong.

B. Bill often offered his students coffee to please them.

C. Bill had clever ways to teach his students.

D. The author was often nervous before important tests.

8. What did the author learn from Bill?

  A. To be thankful to others.             B. To offer kindness to others.

C. To stop drinking alcohol.             D. To buy coffee for others.

 How much does the ticket ______ from Shanghai to Beijing?

A. cost             B. took                 C. spend            D. pay

 Mr. Lee, who ____ as an actor for over 20 years, is now a very famous statesman in the country

   A. has worked    B. had worked    C. works    D. worked

 The concert my husband and I went to last night was really ____.

A. disappointing               B. disappointed 

C. disappoint                  D. being disappointed

　　Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.

　　But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.

    Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy.  “Cool” relates to ideas of inner calmness under pressure.

    “In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”

    The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules:Anatomy of an Attitude.

    But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause.  Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.

　 Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.

　 But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.

    “Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.

29. If you were considered“cool”in Africa in the 15th century, you_____.

A. thought and acted differently from the majority    B. had a calm and quiet attitude towards life

C. didn’t observe rules and authorities               D. had all kinds of “bad” manners

30. The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who ________.

　A. do very well in their studies                       B. are very skilled at sports

　C. are good at chess and other thinking games.  D. have supernatural powers like Harry Potter

31. Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?

A. It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd.

　B. “Cool” was used as early as the 15th century.

C. Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays.

　D. Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”.

32. What does the article mainly talk about?

　A. The origin of the word “cool”.                 B. The kinds of people who are “cool”.

　C. The changing meaning of the word “cool”.     D. How to be a “ cool” person.

Public Speaking Training

Get a coach:

Whatever the presentation, public speaking is tough.     36     . Since there are about a billion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that’s right for you.

     37     :

Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well.     38     . You already do lots of things well, so good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn’t do.

Turn your back on too many rules: 

If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it’s going to give you lots of dos and don’ts, walk away! Your brain is so full of what you’re going to be talking about. So trying to force a whole set of rules into it will just make things worse.     39     . Your audience can be your friends.

You are a special person not a clone:

Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a special one, with your own personal habits. You aren’t like anybody else.     40     , not try to turn you into someone you’re not.

A. Check the rules about dos and don’ts

B. So, get help

C. Focus on positives.

D. As far as we’re concerned, there are basically no hard and fast rules about public speaking

E. Nothing can hurt confidence more than being told that you aren’t doing well

F. Your training course should help you bring out your personality.

G. You should think highly of the Public Speaking Training.

For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.

As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “The Old Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.

However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.

That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch（信贷紧缩）is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.

This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.

In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men’s Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.

64. This passage is mainly about _______.

A. the past and present of British pubs      B. the decline of British pubs

C. the long history of British pubs         D. the importance of British pubs

65. Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?

A. The credit crunch.                               B. The ban on smoking.

C. The present closing time.                     D. Having no spare money.

66. We can infer from the passage that _______.      

A. British people used to like drinking slowly

B. closing the pubs early will reduce social problems

C. British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking

D. only people from high classes can afford to enter the pubs

67. We can see from the last paragraph that the author _______.

A. holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs

B. is against the admission of too many women to the pubs

   C. thinks that women in the pubs will cause fewer social problems

D. thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need

There are good reasons to value our friendships. Some years ago a public-opinion research firm, Roper Starch Worldwide, asked 2007 people to name one or two things that said the most about themselves. Friends far outranked homes jobs, clothes and cars.
       “Ironically,” says Brant R.Burleson, professor of communication at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., “the better friends you are, the more likely you’ll face conflicts.” And the outcome can be what you don’t want—an end to the relationship.
       The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended.
       Swallow your pride. It wasn’t easy, but that’s what Denise Moreland of Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii did when a friendship turned sour. For nearly four months,Moreland,45,had watched over Nora Huizenga’s two young daughters, who were living with their father on the base, while Huizenga,40,completed training as a dental hygienist in Nevada. “I felt honored to be asked to step in,” Moreland says.
       “When Huizenga returned at Christmas,” Moreland recalls, “I had so much to tell her, but she never called.”
       One daughter had a birthday party ,but Moreland wasn’t invited. “I felt like I’d been used,” she says. At first, Moreland swore to avoid Huizenga. Then she decided to swallow her pride and let her friend know how she felt. Huizenga admitted that she’d been so worried about being separated from her family that she’d been blind to what her friend had done to help her. Today she says, “I would never have figured out what happened if Denise hadn’t called me on it.”
       When a friend hurts you, your instinct is to protect yourself. But that makes it harder to solve problems, explains William Wilmot, author of Relational Communication. “Most of us are relieved when differences are brought out in the open.”
       Apologize when you’re wrong—even if you’ve also been wronged. But over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. “We don’t think clearly when we’re arguing,” says Michael Lang, a professional mediator (调解人) in Pittsburgh. Instead, says Lang, ask: “What’s going on? This doesn’t make sense.”
       See things from your friend’s point of view. Sociologists Rebecca Adams Rosemary and Blieszner interviewed 53 adults who each had many friendships lasting decades. “We were curious how these people managed to sustain strong friendships for so long,” says Blieszner. Tolerance is key,the researchers learned.” It’s surprising how often an argument results from a simple misunderstanding,” adds psychotherapist Anne Frenkel.
       Recognize that friendships change. “Friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change,” Wilmot observes.
       Making friends can sometimes seem easy, says Yager. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that affect all relationships. Her suggestion: Consider friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture.