Around twenty years ago I was living in York．21 I had a lot of experience and a Master's degree, I could not find 22 work..
    I was 23 a school bus to make ends meet and 24 with a friend of mine, for I had lost my flat．I had 25 five interviews with a company and one day between bus runs they called to say I did not 26 the [Z-x-x-k.Com]job．“Why has my life become so 27 ?” I thought painfully.
    As I pulled the bus over to 28 a little girl, she handed me an earning 29 I should keep it 30 somebody claimed (认领) it．The earring was painted black and said “BE HAPPY”.
    At first I got angry．Then it 31 me – I had been giving all of my 32 to what was going wrong with my 33 rather than what was right! I decided then and there to make a 34 of fifty things I was happy with．Later, I decided to 35 more things to the list．That night there was a phone call for 36 from a lady who was a director at a larger 37 ．She asked me if I would 38 a one-day lecture on stress  management to 200 medical workers．I said yes.
    My 39 there went very well, and before long I got a well-paid job．To this day I know that it was because I changed my way of 40 that I completely changed my life.
21．A．As              B．Though        C．If              D．When
22．A．successful        B．extra          C．satisfying        D．convenient
23．A．driving           B．repairing      C．taking           D．designing
24．A．working          B．travelling      C．discussing       D．living
25．A．prepared for       B．attended       C．asked for        D．held
26．A．lose             B．like           C．find             D．get
27．A．hard             B．busy          C．serious          D．short
28．A．wave at          B．drop off        C．call on          D．look for
29．A．ordering         B．promising      C．saying           D．showing
30．A．in case          B．or else         C．as if             D．now that
31．A．hurt            B．hit             C．caught           D．moved
32．A．feelings         B．attention        C．strength          D．interests
33．A．opinions         B．education       C．experiences      D．life
34．A．list             B．book          C．check            D．copy
35．A．connect         B．turn           C．keep             D．add
36．A．her            B．a passenger      C．me              D．my friend
37．A．hospital        B．factory          C．restaurant         D．hotel
38．A．listen to        B．review          C．give             D．talk about
39．A．plan           B．choice          C．day              D．tour
40．A．operation       B．speaking        C．employment       D．thinking

 —Those grammar rules are really hard to remember.

—________. You know, practice makes perfect.

      A. It’s hard to say    B. It’s up to you    C. You are not alone    D. You can’t be serious

IPad vs Textbooks

What if you could have your whole backpack at the touch of your fingertips? In the first month of the Apple iPads release, 25million were sold! People all over the world use iPads for all sorts of different things, but one of their finest qualities is the ability to be a textbook. ___36.____

To begin with, iPad are less expensive. Textbooks become outdated and schools have to buy new books, but with an iPad schools can update them for free. __37.___ Schools don’t have to spend $500 every year for iPads because they last a while and can be updated.

___38.__ Students usually have multiple classes, which results in multiple textbooks. Heavy backpacks filled with books can cause back problem. A solution to that is an iPad, which only weighs 1.33 pounds and can hold all of a student’s textbooks.

Thirdly, schools should get rid of their textbooks and get iPads because they have more capabilities. Some might think all of the apps are distracting, but the apps actually make iPads more efficient. __ 39.    _ Textbooks cannot do those tasks, but iPads can easily do them with just a tap of the fingertip.

Lastly, iPads are a better choice for schools instead of textbooks because these devices allow students to access their learning anywhere at any time. __40.___ With iPads, they find it easier to get their homework done.

In conclusion, schools should get rid of their clumsy textbooks and switch to iPads. iPads have allowed this generation to have their entire backpack in the palm of their hands.

A. These tablets are perfect for busy students.

B. Secondly, iPads cost less and are more popular.

C. Therefore, they can use the saved money for other programs.

D. iPads have already replaced textbooks in over 600 American counties.

E. Moreover, in high school, textbooks have an average of 4.8 pounds each.

F. Schools have every reason to do away with their school books and switch to iPads.

G. iPads absorb the need to buy calculators, dictionaries, and other items that are found within the device.

   Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to sixteen received a full

financial education got lost in the “wash up". An application is calling on the

next government to bring it back.

    At school the children are taught to add up and subtract（减法）  but,

extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account-let alone

how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.

    Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin

Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial

education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England. Children

from five to sixteen should be taught about everything from pocket money to

pensions, they say. And that was exactly the plan preserved in the children,

schools and families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called

¨wash-up" earlier this month-the rush to legislation before parliament was

dismissed. Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always

been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.

    As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits

of young children do not last long. Over 75% of seven to ll-year-olds are savers

but by the time they get t0 17, over half of them are in debt to family and

friends. By this age, 26% see a credit or overdraft（透支）as a way of extending

their spending power. Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much

harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have been fallen many of

their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education

while at school".

    The UK has been in the worst financial recession（衰退）for generations. It

does seem odd that-unless parents step in-young people are left in the dark

until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at

university. In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial

education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents.

21. The passage is mainly about

    A. how to manage school lessons

    B. how to deal with the financial crisis

    C. teaching young people about money

    D. teaching students how to study effectively

22. It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that

    A. the author complains about the school education

    B. pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract

    C. students have been taught to manage their finances

     D. laws on financial education have been effectively carried out

23. The website and the consumer campaigner joined to

    A. instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money

    B. promote the connection of schools and families

    C. ask the government to dismiss the parliament

     D. appeal for the curriculum of financial education

Self-study Tips

However difficult you find it to arrange your time, it will pay off in the long run if you set aside a certain part of the day for studying － and stick to it.   36    But don't forget to make sure that you have enough left for recreational activities or simply to be “with” yourself: reading a novel or watching a television programme.

As part of your weekly schedule, it is also advisable to consider exactly what you have to do in that week, and make sure that you handle the most significant tasks first.   37 

On a physical level, make sure you have an area or space for studying.   38  . If you always study in the same place, preferably a room of your own, you will find it easier to adjust mentally to the activity when you enter that area. You should have everything that you might need at hand.

Make sure that all the physical equipment that you use, such as a desk, chair etc. is at good height for you. If you use a personal computer, there are plenty of guidelines available from the movement on angles, lighting and so on.   39   

If you are working on topic your teacher has set, but finding it hard to concentrate, it may be that you actually need to take your mind right off it for a period of time.  40 . After a period away from the test, having not thought about it at all, you may return to it refreshed and full of ideas.

A．It's wise to leave the easier or less urgent areas of your work until later.

B．It's all too easy to read something and then forget where it came from.

C．Consult these and avoid the typical student aches and pains.

D．“Airing the mind” can work wonders sometimes.

E．Make use of equipment that is available to you .

F．It is best to make a weekly schedule.

G．Don't do it just anywhere.

    I realize that we all live in a world where trust is in short supply. I' seems that everywhere I go, I have to  41  my identity and trustworthiness-whether it's a bank ,shop or any office I have

Been accustomed to living by the  42  that no one is trustworthy  43  proved otherwise.

Yesterday l saw a young man who lived by a totally  44  rule

  1 was waking along a busy intersection when I  45  a young man standing near。the

pedestrian crossing setting up a stall（货摊）.  46  I would ignore and hurry past such sellers

But I noticed this young man was  47  so I stood for some time without crossing the street to

see how he sold his  48

    Soon , a young mother with a little boy came by and the child set his 49  on one of teddy

  bears The mother asked the  50  and it was only one dollar. She pulled out a lo dollar note and

  told the young man that she was giving him 10 dollars and wanted the  51  back . I was 52

  to know how he was going to do it He told the mom to put the   53    in the pouch（袋子）

  hanging around his neck and take out whatever change he  54  her

    l realized that this young man's whole mode of earning 55  .on trusting people not to

  cheat him .There was no  56  for him to know if someone took out more out of his pouch of

  earning l was so 57  by how this young man trusted people that I bought a car model from

  him I did not need it, 58  .I just hoped to help a little

    Now l  59  believe that the world would be a better place if we could all learn to 60  others more, like the young blind street seller of toys

  41. A. introduce    B. present    c. prove    D. request

  42. A. rule          B habit           C practice          D. law

  43. A. if            B. since           C although         D. unless

  44. A. similar        B. different        C. special          D. common

  45. A. approached    B. noticed         C. watched         D. looked

  46. A. Actually      B. Normally        C. Informally       D. Casually

  47. A. blind         B handsome        C. disabled        D. strange

  48. A. clothes        B bears           C toys             D. pouches

  49. A. mind         B interest          C heart            D. attraction

  50. A. price          B stall            C toy             D. help

  51. A. money        B charge           C change          D. note

  52. A. anxious       B. surprised        C. pleased          D. curious

  53. A. hand         B money           C teddy bear        D, necklace

  54. A. gave          B owed            C owned          D. showed

  55. A. depended      B. settled           C. decided        D. focused

  56. A. problem       B point            C way            D. doubt

  57. A. attracted  .    B shocked          C excited          D. touched

  58. A. either         B. instead          C. moreover        D. though

  59: A. firmly         B. tightly          C unwillingly       D. negatively

  60. A. take in         B. turn to          C help out         D. believe in

Mum, Helen Clements, described how her fun family trip to Longleat Safari Park turned into a nightmare(恶梦) as their car caught fire while they were surrounded by killer beasts.

The story happened when the group reached the lions’ area during a visit to the park. Just as they came up to a group of 12 lions, smoke suddenly began to come out of the engine. Helen was so scared that she pressed the horn to ask for help from the park workers, but then flames started to appear. The family was then faced with the dilemma of staying inside the car away from the lions or escaping the deadly fire.

Fortunately, the lions were led into a night－time enclosure(围栏) by the workers as the family made their escape from the car. With the family sent to the safety of the park office, the roads were cleared of cars so the fire service could put out the fire. No one was injured in any way and no lions were hurt. Helen said that it was not the workers’fault. She said, “They were great.”

Today speaking of the experience, Helen said: “Looking back at it, we can laugh, but at that very moment it was frightening. I think, Oh my goodness. Why did it happen in the lion enclosure? Why not while we were at the penguins, or the kangaroos? When the car was filled with more and more smoke and the flames were getting bigger, I was thinking about explosions, just like in films. Luckily we didn’t think about the lions. The cars in front of us were kind of sheltering us from them, so we didn’t really see how close they were. If we had been just 50 yards further along, it would have been a very different story.”

21. What does the underlined part “killer beasts” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

   A. The lions.　B. The penguins.　C. The flames.　　D. The kangaroos.

22. How did Helen feel when the car caught fire?

A. Calm.  B. Frightened.  C. Excited.  D. Angry.

23. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

   A. The family were taken to the hospital after the accident.

   B. The fire service cleared the cars from the road after the fire.

   C. Helen didn’t blame anyone for the accident.

   D. Helen thought the lions were great.

24. What can be inferred from the text?

   A. Helen is a very optimistic and imaginative woman.

   B. The family will never go to this park again.

   C. Helen still has nightmares about the accident today.

   D. Things would have been different if the lions were nearer. 

Travelling is a very enjoyable experience as it provides an opportunity to see new things.      36   The following article discusses the advantages of traveling.

Traveling gives you the opportunity to disconnect from your regular life. People all have crazy schedules, work and a family to take care of, and traveling alone or with some friends can give you distance and perhaps even make you realize how important these people are to you.   37 

Another great benefit is the relaxation you get.    38 

When you come back you feel energetic and you are happy to be back to your daily routine.

   39 

 They will create a bond that nothing can erase no matter what happens to the friendship/relationship. You can create photo albums and when you feel nostalgic (对往事怀恋的) you can experience the trips again by looking at your pictures.

It’s never been this cheap to travel. With increasing oil prices the cheap travel era might be coming to an end.    40 

With the Internet and all the new technology, you can plan your trip exactly the way you want it. You can choose your budget, the duration of the trip and what you want to do.

A. It’s nice to enjoy a stress-free time.

B. As the saying goes, you never know what you have until you lose it.

C. When traveling with friends or family it creates memories of a lifetime.

D. Discovering different values and ways to get by in life is really interesting.

E. Going on a trip means that you are most likely going to spend time outside.

F. However, there are still many budget airlines fighting for your dollar right now.

G. There are many benefits other than enjoying yourself that can be realized when you travel.

Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

The Human Development Report, published annually since 1990, seeks to __50__ “human development” around the world and calculates a “Human Development Index” (HDI 人类发展指数) for 169 countries. The HDI is __51__ on average income, life expectancy, and level of education. __52__, rich countries tend to have higher HDIs than poor countries, but there are interesting __53__ in human development among countries with similar levels of economic development, because some have better health and education systems than others.

Almost every country in the world has a higher HDI than in 1990, despite the fact that since the 2008 financial crisis the total number of people living in extreme __54__ has increased. The report concludes that most people are healthier, live longer, are more __55__, — and that even in countries with severe economic problems, people’s health and education have generally __56__. Although sub-Saharan African countries are at the bottom of the pile __57__ human development, some of them have made significant progress since 1990. The report is __58__, however, of the fact that economic inequality has increased significantly in the last twenty years, both within and between countries.

The greatest threat to HDI in the future, according to the report, is climate change. The way to increase average income in a country is through economic growth, which means increased production and __59__. However, if this __60__ to greater emissions (排放) of greenhouse gases, as has always been the case in the past, global warming will probably go faster, causing severe environmental problems in some parts of the world that will __61__ the livelihoods of huge numbers of people. The progress of the last twenty years, __62__, might not be sustainable (可持续的).

The only solution, according to the report, is to break the __63__ between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions — which, __64__ to say, is easier said than done.

50.   A. judge                       B. investigate         C. assess                      D. justify

51.   A. based                       B. focused             C. keen                        D. reflected

52.   A. Unexpectedly            B. Unwillingly C. Unfortunately            D. Unsurprisingly

53.   A. variations                 B. experiments      C. signs                        D. mixtures

54.   A. cruelty                            B. poverty             C. emotion                    D. terror

55.   A. talented                    B. disadvantaged    C. determined               D. educated

56.   A. infected                    B. ignored              C. improved                  D. impressed

57.   A. to the extent of         B. on account of    C. for the sake of          D. in terms of

58.   A. critical                     B. proud                C. fond                        D. independent

59.   A. administration     B. consumption     C. application      D. concentration

60.   A. objects                   B. sticks                C. leads                        D. turns

61.   A. threaten                    B. maintain            C. concern                   D. guarantee

62.   A. therefore                  B. however            C. otherwise                 D. nevertheless

63.   A. gap                          B. record               C. law                          D. link

64.   A. fearless                    B. needless            C. careless                  D. hopeless

 Sherry has taught me that no matter how bad things seem they can ______ in the end.

   A. work out              B. make out                 C. set out           D. pick out

If you want to grow, one important thing you should do is keeping a journal. It may seem simple, but it can make a big difference in your life. I have been keeping journals for years. Writing all the lessons I learn and all the ideas I get has become a habit for me. And to be honest, I can’t imagine what my life would be like without it.      36．

◆ It prevents you from losing an idea. Have you ever gotten an idea only to lose it later because you didn’t write it down?    37．    But then I developed the habit of writing down every idea that came into my mind as soon as possible. If I’m away from my computer, I usually write it down on a piece of paper that I bring wherever I go. I will then transfer the idea to the journal in my computer.

◆ It helps you review all the lessons you’ve learned. By reviewing your journal, you can quickly see the lessons you’ve learned and the ideas you’ve gotten.     38．     You can use the ideas to propel (鞭策) yourself forward.

◆     39．    After keeping a journal for years, you can look back at it and see how far you’ve gone. Things that were big problems in the past might seem small today. The raw ideas you had in the past might have been realized today.

◆ It helps you expand your ideas. When you try to come up with a sentence to express an idea, you are thinking actively about it.      40．  In the end, you will expand your ideas.

A. I often experienced that myself.

B. It trains you to express your thoughts.

C. It allows you to see your progress over time.

D. Just use whatever tool you feel comfortable with.

E. Here are some benefits you will get by keeping a journal.

F. Thinking actively helps you connect your idea to another idea.

G. Then you can do whatever necessary to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

The relationship between parents and children has always been a hot topic. Many students may feel   61   (stress) because of their parents. Most parents have good intentions,   62   some of them aren’t very helpful with the problems their sons and daughters have in   63   (adjust) to college, and a few of them seem to go out of their way to add to their children’s   64   (difficulty).
    For one thing, parents are often not aware of the kinds of problems their children face. They don’t realize that the   65   (compete) is stronger, that the required standards of work are   66   (high), and that their children may not be prepared for   67   change. They may be upset by their children’s poor grades. At their kindest, they may   68   (gentle) ask why John or Mary isn’t doing better, whether he or she is trying as hard as he or she could, and so on. At their worst, they may threaten   69   (take) their children out of college or cut off living expenses.
    Sometimes parents think it right and natural that they determine   70   their children should do with their lives. They forget that everyone is different and that each person must develop in his or her own way.

Alibaba started taking the lead in China by connecting big Chinese manufacturers(制造商) with big buyers across the world. Its business-to-business site, Alibaba.com allowed business to buy almost everything. Alibaba’s advantage wasn’t hard to judge: size. Alibaba is just big, even by Chinese standards. Its market attracts 231 million active buyers, 8 million sellers, 11.3 billion orders a year — and Alibaba is just the middleman. It encourages people to use its markets — not charging small sellers a percentage of the sale.

    If you want a quick look into the influence of Alibaba on daily Chinese life, take my experience. I moved to Beijing a year ago and quickly got tired of visiting small stores across the crowded, polluted city of 20 million people in search of new electronics, bathroom furnishings, and anything else my wife wanted. “You’re looking for what exactly? Why not try it? ” my Chinese teacher asked me one day. With that, my wonderful new relationship with Alibaba began.

    Alibaba’s original business-to-business model now is second to consumer buying. Chinese retail(零售) buying makes up 80% of Alibaba’s profit, and leading that group is Taobao, with 800 million items(物品) for sale and the most unbelievable selection of things you’ll ever find. TMall.com is Alibaba’s other big site, where you can find brand name goods from Nike and Unilever near the lowest prices.

    What I have a hard time explaining to friends and family back in the U.S. is how China has gone beyond traditional shopping — big-box retailers especially —in favor of online purchases on Taobao and a few other sites. In smaller towns than Beijing, where big retailers have not yet traveled, shopping online is shopping, and shopping is Taobao.

    I have a list of some of my recent purchases on Taobao for a sense of how wide the marketplace is. Almost everything arrived a day or two after ordering with free shipping. I’m not even a big buyer, because I need friends to help me search the Chinese-language site. When I was searching my purchase history on my Chinese teacher’s iPad, which helps me buy goods, I looked through with great difficulty about 10 of her purchases for every one of mine.

72. Alibaba’s advantage mainly lies in          .

A. its business-to-business service        B. its big size

C. its not charging small sellers           D. its low price

73. What can we learn from the underlined sentence in the passage?

   A. Alibaba is of middle size among all the online sites.

   B. Alibaba will continue to develop.

C. Alibaba acts as a bridge between the buyers and sellers.

D. Alibaba stands out as the best online site.

74. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Alibaba’s business-to-business service earns more money than retail. 

B. Taobao has no obvious advantage over other similar online sites.

C. TMall.com provides more profit than Taobao.

D. The author’s Chinese teacher is also an online purchase lover.

 She often shares her deepest thoughts and fears with friends through QQ, as if they______   chatting in her living room.

   A.      had been       B. are             C. were             D. has been

Finishing their shopping at the mall, a couple discovered that their new car 61.__________（steal）. They filed a report 62.__________the police station and a detective drove them 63.__________to the parking lot to look for evidence.

To their 64.__________（amaze）, the car had been returned 65.__________there was a note in it that said: “I apologize for taking your car. My wife 66.__________ a baby (have) and I had to rush her to the hospital . Please forget the inconvenience. There are two tickets 67.__________tonight's Mania Twain concert.”

Their faith in humanity restored. The couple attended 68.__________concert. But when they returned home, they immediately found. 69.__________their house had been ransacked （洗劫）. On the bathroom mirror was 70.__________note: “I have to put my kid through college somehow, don't I?”

 — I’ve nothing on me except this ten yuan to donate, I’m afraid.

— Never mind. ________. We really appreciate your assistance.

A. Every little helps                     B. The more, the better

C. It’s better to give than to receive         D. No one is perfect.

Stephen Glenn is a famous American research scientist who has made several very important medical breakthroughs. Many people were dying to know the secrets to his fantastic achievements.  To unveil the mystery, a newspaper reporter interviewed him asking why he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others? 

Having assumed to hear wordings like innate curiosity for science or hard work, the reporter was surprised to have him respond that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about four years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor - a real sea of milk!

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of shouting at him, giving him a lecture or chastising him, she said, "Steve, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge pond of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?"

Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, "You know, Steve, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel or a mop. Which do you prefer?" He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilled milk.

His mother then said, "You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it." The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!

This renowned scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment ‘doesn't work,’we usually learn something valuable from it.

Wouldn't it be great if all parents would respond the way Steve's mother responded to him?

66. According to the passage, a newspaper interviewed Stephen Glenn in order to ______.

   A. persuade him to treat some dying patients            

   B. find out his differences with ordinary people

   C. hear about his opinions about medical science

   D. know about why he was so successful

67. According to the passage, the underlined word ‘chastise’ is closest in meaning to ______.

   A. pursuing        B. punishing       C. praising        D. educating

68. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

   A. Steve spilled the milk bottle to make a milk sea on purpose.

   B. Steve’s mother allowed him to play some time with the spilled milk.

   C. Steve’s mother let him choose the tool himself to clean up the milk

   D. Steve’s mother led him to try out ways to tightly hold the milk bottle.

69. What ordinary mothers can learn from Steve’s mother is that ______.

   A. never put milk bottle where little kids can get hold of

   B. appreciation of kids’ behaviours is important to their growth

   C. mothers should teach kids to learn from their own mistakes

   D. kids should learn to become scientists from childhood.

If you’re locking into your career plans, college counselor Nancy has three words for you: Don’t do it. Actually, Nancy isn’t the only counselor advising students to take their time in discovering who they are and what they want to do when they get out of college.

“Preparing broadly makes sense to me,” she explains, “and that the best preparation for a future that is still unfolding, is a broad preparation. It shouldn’t prevent you from following areas that light you up, but a broad preparation will prepare you for multiple careers.” That’s important because jobs change more frequently due to changes in technology and business competition. Some jobs that are available today may be on their way out in 10 years. “The best thing about preparing broadly is that you get to live in a big world,” says Nancy. “You avoid getting stuck in a job or business area, and if your job becomes out of date, you can move on.”

Many students make the mistake of working on "the next step in front of them," avoiding time to explore their interests or reflect on what they're learning about themselves. For example, students will look at a college and try to figure out what the college is looking for in a student. Then they try to remake themselves into that student, even though it might go against who they really are.

Students let the “next-step mentality” hold back their learning as well. Many students don’t take courses outside their comfort zone for fear it will ruin their GPA(平均成绩) and their chances of getting into a certain college. “You may be unwilling to go outside your areas of strength for fear you’ll get a low grade,” says Nancy. “But if you think one grade in one class will ruin your chances of admission, you’re doing harm to yourself. Colleges look at a number of factors in addition to grades. Students often think requirements of colleges are much stricter and narrower than they really are.”

Since colleges work to admit a diverse group of students, the best thing to do is be yourself and explore your options. There are many people in their late 20s who are unhappy in their careers and who regret that they didn’t pursue a wider range of interests while in college.

32. Nancy’s advice is based on ______.

   A. Rising unemployment                         B. Strict college requirements

   C. A fast-changing job market                       D. A lower academic performance

33. What does the underlined phrase “comfort zone” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

   A. Their career plans.                                   B. Their favorite courses.

   C. The jobs they dream of.                       D. The subjects they are good at.

34. According to the text, which of the following is a “next-step mentality”?

A. Studying to meet a certain job requirements when in college.

B. Spending time exploring interests while learning.

C. Taking new courses in varied fields.

D. Reading all types of books.  

35. Who will probably find the text most helpful?

A. Business managers.    B. Job seekers.    C. College students.    D. Employees.

Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother. The December exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends in Purple Girls Club for a get-together. “

As Farah left the kitchen，her father called her from the living room.

Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands. “Farah, what has happened to your grades？You have failed in Mathematics. You were a good student and I had such high hopes for you, my girl. ”her father shook his head.

Farah had no answer. She loved her father very much and hated to see such look in his eyes. The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.

Farah decided to turn to her friends for help. One by one, she called her so-called friends in Purple Girls Club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help. Farah sat sadly on her bed and then made up her mind . She knew only one person would help her. She went downstairs and went to the house across the street.

Hafsa opened the door and welcome her in. “If you need any help, just let me know. We can study together till your exams,” she said.

Next Monday，as two friends entered the school together，Gina the leader of Purple Girls Club saw them and called out “Farah, you know our rules. You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”

“Gina，I have a new rule about friendship and it is that a friend in need is a friend indeed,” Farah replied sweetly.

36. Farah became pale after going to her father because________.

A. he didn’t allow her to go to Spain

B. he asked her to improve her grades

 C. she had to leave Purple Girls Club

D. she didn’t do well in her exams

37. What made Farah get poor grades?

  A. She had been thinking of the get-together.

B. She wasted too much time at the Purple Girls Club.

C. She attended too many parties with her family.

D. She didn’t pay attention to her teacher in class.

38. Why did Farah make friends with Hafsa?

  A. Because Hafsa lived near her house.     

B. Because Hafsa wasn’t as beautiful as other girls.

C. Because Hafsa promised to help her in the exams.

D. Because Hafsa helped her when she was in trouble.

39. What did Farah learn from her experience?

  A. A friend is never known till a man has need.

B. A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.

C. A friend without faults will never be found

D. A life without a friend is a life without a sun.

When students read articles about scientific discovery, they learn what worked. Scientists present the methods that got the best result. They often show only the results that are significant and important. What they won’t show are the mistakes or failures that came first. Yet sometimes those mistakes pointed the way to success.

It can take a long time and many experiments to achieve scientific success.Robbin, 16, and Annabelle, 15, learned that while working this summer in a biochemistry lab at Stony Brook University in New York.What’s more, they learned that failure is not necessarily something to fear.  

“I like the idea of scientific research,”says Robbin. It’s the basis for“every lesson you learn in school and understanding everything you see in life.” This summer, Robbin has been working with Lauren, a chemistry student, who is making new drugs to fight harmful bacteria. At first, the tests made Robbin anxious. She worried that she might be making costly mistakes. But Lauren reassured her that finding out what doesn’t work is “just part of the learning process”. With time, the teen got comfortable with the idea that every experiment wouldn’t succeed.

Annabelle also learned a lot about failure and success. She worked with graduate student Agnieszka Gil.“Sometimes I try something and it takes a while for the experiment to run.”This means that finding out whether Annabelle did something wrong can be a stressful waiting game, because “if you did something wrong you need to do it again.” But she’s now learning to be patient and not to expect instant success. In science, figuring out why something failed is what may just put them on the road to success.  

32. What impresses students most in articles about scientific discovery?

　　A. Scientists achievements.　　        B. The reasons for success.

　　C. The cause of mistakes.　　         D. Stressful process of research.

33. What can we learn from the passage?

    A. Robbin is a graduate student.        B. Lauren managed to make new drugs.

    C. Annabelle learns the value of patience.  D. Agnieszka expected an instant success.

34. What did Robbin and Annabelle have in common in their experiments?

    A. They did their experiments independently.

    B. They realized not all experiments would succeed.

    C. They assisted graduate students to make new drugs.

    D. They made severe mistakes in the experiments.

35. What does the writer intend to tell us?

　　A. The cause of making errors in science.

　　B. The significance of scientific discovery.

　　C. The importance of doing experiments.

　　D. The correct attitudes towards failures.