Peter, a high school student, was pretty busy with school, and he was on the soccer team. High school was hard, because everyone wanted to have nice clothes, hang out, drive cars, and all these cost money. Peter’s father was the sort of guy that believed you had to earn whatever you got, so he wasn’t just about to hand over lots of money for Peter to use to have fun. So, he had to get a job.

During his freshman year summer vacation, his classmate got him a job working on a hay (干草) farm. He threw hay up into wagons as the tractor drove around fields, and then they stacked (剁起) it in the hot barn. It was a hot, low­paying job.

He once worked a few nights a week at a grocery store. He put things on the shelf. It was a lot of lifting and carrying, and his arms were strong from this and the previous job. It was dull and didn’t pay much.

He took some time off when soccer got serious, but the following summer he tried working at a lumber yard. It was hot outside, but he got a lot of exercise lifting and carrying things like boards and drywall. He also learned a lot about building supplies. It still didn’t pay well.

From there, he spent a year doing some tutoring for a friend of the family, but that was piecemeal. His first real job came the last year at school, when he fixed registers and worked on computers at a big box store. It was his favorite job yet, but it still didn’t pay well.

What Peter realized with all of these jobs was that he needed a better paying job! The only way to get that was to get trained or educated. He could go to school and get a 2­year degree in an office or technical position. His other choices were going to a 4­year college or joining the army. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet, but he knew he had to do something. Jobs were a lot of work, money was hard to earn, but he liked staying busy and being able to buy things. Peter wanted the most out of life, and that meant education.

1. How many jobs had Peter taken?

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

2.All the jobs Peter had taken had one thing in common：________.

A. They were done during his vacation           B. They were dull and tiresome

C. They needed hard labour                         D. They didn’t pay well

3. ________was the most important for Peter if he wanted a good job.

A. Confidence       B. Education      C. Opportunity          D. Wisdom

4. We can learn from the text that________.

A. Peter knew what to do for his future

B. Peter’s father didn’t care about him

C. it was very hard for Peter to make his choices

D. Peter was determined to do whatever he liked

It’s summer movie time again. Check out our list of four films.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

       Release Date: November 4

       Story: It’s the summer before Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A dangerous murderer, Sirius Black, has escaped from the Wizards’ Prison. And he was ordered to kill Harry Potter.

Around the World in 80 Days

       Release Date: November 16

       Story: This version of the classic novel set in 1872 focuses on Passepartout ( Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan), a Chinese thief who seeks refuge (庇护) with a strange London adventurer, Phileas Fogg. Passepartout uses his martial art skills to defend Fogg from danger as he travels around the world in 80 days.

Spider-Man 2

       Release Date: November 30

       Story: Peter Parker is still coming to accept his dual identity (双重身份) as the crime superhero Spider-Man. He wants to reveal his secret identity to Mary Jane, meanwhile, his Aunt May is in trouble. This is Dr Otto Octavius who has appeared to bring her a lot of troubles.

King Arthur

       Release Date: November 7

       Story: King Arthur is presented as a clever ruler who manages to unite all the knights in Britain. Under the guidance of Merlin and the beautiful, brave Guinevere, Arthur will struggle to realize his dreams.

5. When can you see the film acted by Jackie Chan?

A. November 4.             B. November 30.          C. November 16.        D. November 7.

6. In Spider-Man 2, Aunt May’s trouble is caused by______.

  A. Spider-Man        B. Peter Parker         C. Mary Jane           D. Dr Otto Octavius

7. What kind of article of this passage?

  A. A news report.      B. A funny diary.    C. An advertisement.     D. A composition.

An African proverb says that a single hand cannot tie a bundle. Everyone needs companions to help them sail through the rough seas of life. Even the strongest and richest person still needs friends. Our money and strength would have no value if we had no friends to share with us. The best friendship is a give-and-take relationship. We need the support of our family, friends and the community. In turn we also give support to the society, our friends and our family.

The word “friend” has many meanings. It could be the bus driver who takes you to and from work every day. It could be a parent, a colleague, a wife or husband, a brother or sister, or even the unknown person who helped you just once when you could not find your way. Real friends share not only our happiness but our sorrows as well. This may explain why we have the expression “a friend in need is a friend indeed”.

Friendship is like the sunshine that keeps us warm. It is like the refreshing raindrops on the fields that give the farmers hope of a good planting season. Without friends our life would be like a desert where our only friend would be loneliness and sadness. The most fortunate person is the one who has friends from all levels in the society. A driver might find friends not only among his colleagues but among farmers, bankers, traders, students, politicians or teachers. We should never forget our old friends when we make new ones. We should treasure each of our friends whether poor or rich, beautiful or not. Each friend is unique in his or her own way. And all together, they enrich life and make it very colourful.

8. What is the main topic of the passage?    

A. How to sail through the sea of life.

B. Friends and friendship.

C. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D. Never forget old friends when making new ones.

9. What is the correct understanding of friends according to the writer?

A. Friends who share our happiness are not real friends.

B. Friends will take us through rough seas.

C. Friends never expect anything from others.

D. Friends can be different people around us.

10. An unknown person can be a friend as well when          .

A. he helps you with what you need         

B. he is told how to find his way

C. he becomes one of your family          

D. he is a driver taking you from and to work

11. The underlined word “unique” in the last paragraph most probably means “         ”.

A. special                       B. poor                       C. rich                D. valuable

More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed across the globe each day, and it’s likely that many taste bitter.

Now, a new study suggests that coffee fans can make their drink taste sweeter by simply changing the colour of their cups.

Scientists claim that blue and glass mugs, which are popular in some coffee shops, can reduce coffee’s bitterness, without any need for sugar, and that coffee drunk from white cups tastes the bitterest.

To prove their claims, the researchers invited 36 volunteers and used three different colored cups -- blue, white and transparent glass -- to do an experiment.

In the experiment, coffee consumed from the white cup was found to taste less sweet when compared to the other two colored cups, while the blue cup made the coffee taste the sweetest.

The scientists believe that the colour brown may be associated with coffee’s bitterness because coffee in a white cup appears the brownest and tastes the bitterest.

“Our study clearly shows that the colour of a coffee cup does influence the perceived (感受到的) taste and flavor of coffee,” said Dr George Doorn of Federation University Australia, “but the potential effects may be different between a one-time purchase and a return customer.”

“Anyhow, the effect of the colour of the cup on the flavor of the coffee suggests that café owners, baristas (服务员), as well as coffee cup manufacturers should carefully consider the colour of their cups, ” he added.

However, the idea that colour can alter the taste of food and drink is not new.

A study published last year revealed that red, strawberry-flavored mousse (慕斯蛋糕) served on a white plate was rated as 10 percent sweeter and 15 percent more flavorous than the same food presented on a black plate.

12. What color of the cup can best reduce coffee’s bitterness without adding sugar?

A. Blue.                B. Brown.        C. White.         D. Transparent.

13. The scientists used ________ to do the experiment to prove their claims.

① different brands of coffee         ② different colored coffee cups  

③ several volunteers               ④ several manufactures

A. ① ②           B. ② ③         C. ② ④       D. ③ ④

14. Why does coffee in white cups taste the least sweet?

A. Because white cups are not as beautiful as other cups.

B. Because white cups make coffee appear the brownest.

C. Because white cups reduce the sugar in them.

D. Because white cups are better used to serve cakes.

15. According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Black plates increase the sweetness of food and drink.

B. Strawberry-flavored mousse is 10 percent sweeter than coffee.

C. People consume more than 2.5 billion cups of coffee across the globe every year.

D. People can make coffee taste sweeter by changing the color of their coffee cups.

Three Critical Truths We Forget All Too Soon

So much happens in our lives every day that we often forget what we have learned. In effect, the only thing faster than the speed of our thoughts is the speed of our forgetfulness.      16  

●Small steps get you to big places.

The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing simply because you can only do a little. In fact, it is far more productive to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a giant leap.       17    Figure out where you want to go, take a step, and keep on stepping. Diligence and persistence will get you there.

●      18      

Two people can be affected by the same circumstance but respond in completely different ways. The reason is that it just depends on their attitudes. When you expect life to be unkind, it will always live up to your expectations. On the other hand, when you consider yourself to be in a fortunate situation, you will find yourself in many more.       19      

●You can only change yourself.

Don't wait for someone who hurt you to make it up to you; this kind of thinking only keeps your old wounds from healing.       20       You have no control over them, and they may never change. Inner peace is found by changing your thinking, not the people who hurt you. So forgive those who have hurt you in the past, and even more importantly, forgive yourself for allowing them to hurt you. Then smile like you've never cried re-open your heart and mind like you've never been hurt, and live the rest of your life like you're running out of time.

A. Fear always exists.

B. Attitude makes all the difference.

C. The path to every goal requires a hundred small steps-one after the other.

D. Here are some important reminders to jog your memory.

E. Waiting for them to change is not the answer.

F. In the end, we learn even more from our failures than we do from our successes.

G. It’s important to remember that there is value in every situation and circumstance.