When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I was not a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to bear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.                                                                

He listened to me quietly, and then he asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Janet, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”                                                                          

I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I went to a fairly clear picture of myself.            

I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”                   

Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.                                                          

21. What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?                                   

A. She made a list of my shortcomings and kept on adding new ones so it was growing longer and longer.  

B. Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me.                                                

C. I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on.                        

D. Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious.      

22. What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint（抱怨）?                   

A. He told her not to pay any attention to what her “enemy” had said and just do what she wanted to do.

B. He criticized (批评) her and told her to overcome her shortcomings.                 

C. He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said and pay attention only to the things that were true.                                                      

D. He refused to take the list and want to have a look at it.  

23. Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?                          

A. Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend        B. The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had                                              

C. My Father                            D. My Childhood

King's College Summer School is an annual( 每年的) training program for high school students at all levels who want to improve their English. Courses are given by the teachers of King's College and other colleges in New York. Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized. This year's summer school will be from July 25 to August 15.

More information is as follows:

24. You can most probably read the text in ________.

   A. a newspaper     B. a travel guide     C. a textbook     D. a telephone book

25. Which of the following is true about King' s College Summer School?

   A. Only top students can take part in the program.

   B. King' s College Summer School is run every two years.

   C. Visits to museums and culture centers are part of the program.

   D. Only the teachers of King' s College give courses.

26. If you are to live with your relatives in New York, you will have to pay the school _______.

   A. $200           B. $400              C. $500          D. $900

27. What information can you get from the text?

   A. The program will last two months.           

B. You can write to Thompson only in English.

   C. As a Chinese student, you can send your application on July 14, 2007.  

D. You can get in touch with the school by e-mail or by telephone.

For a long time being happy was considered something that just happened, and there was nothing special about it. Now we know that getting along with other people is something that we can work at. It is possible to act in such a way that other people will like us better. One way is being unselfish, not wanting everything from our friends. Another way is to look for good points, not bad ones in other people. It is surprising how successful this treasure hunt can be.

You don’t have to be spineless(软弱的) in order to be popular. In fact, you will be liked and respected if you are not afraid to stand up for your rights. But do it politely and pleasantly. Being friendly and polite to your group, to other people and to strangers and especially to those who do not look important or do not interest you is one way to develop a good character.

You can not expect to be perfect, and so you must learn not to be unhappy when you make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is to be blamed(责备) unless he refuses to learn from them. Many young people become discouraged when they know in themselves qualities that they do not like—selfishness, laziness, and other unpleasant qualities. Just remember that we all have some of these faults and have to fight against them.

At the same time, it is important to remember that, while you are probably no worse than others, the best way to be happy is to think yourself above other people. When something is wrong, it is good sense to try to make it right. Perhaps you don’t like a teacher or a classmate. Try to see why, and look at yourself, too. To be sure that you are not doing anything to make that person dislike you. Some day, things may turn out all right, and then you will have to learn to get along the best with situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a situation you can’t change.

28. One of the two ways the author suggested for us to get along with others is________.

A. to draw attention of our friends

B. to demand(要求) the best share of everything

C. to look for treasure in order to be successful

D. to pay more attention to other people’s strengths(优点).

29. According to the passage, if one wants to be popular, one needs to _________.

A. be polite and friendly

B. give up some rights 

C. avoid arguing with other people

D. be ready to change his or her character

30. The passage shows that there is no perfect person but someone should be blamed if he _______.

     A. is no better than others

     B. is selfish and lazy

     C. does not draw a lesson from his own fault(错误)

     D. is very happy about his unpleasant quality

31. The purpose for the writer to write the passage is to __________.
A. train you to be perfect            
B. show you the way to be happy
C. tell you how to act when you dislike a person
D. teach you how to be popular among your friends

   Do you like shopping? Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror? For some of us, shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money. For me, it’s something I would rather avoid. Thank goodness for the Internet! It’s more convenient to buy CDs, electrical items, and even food from the comfort of your sofa. But that’s not the only reason: price is an important factor. We can buy goods and services cheaper online. But sometimes the problem is knowing what to buy. This has led to a type of shopping called “showrooming”.

   Showrooming is something I’ve done. I will go to a shop to see, touch and try out products but then go home and buy them online at a knock-down price. I’m not alone in doing this. Research by a company called Foolproof found 24% of the people showroomed while Christmas shopping in 2013.

   Amy Cashman, Head of Technology at TNS UK, says the reasons for this new shopping habit are that people are lacking time, lacking money and they want security about the products they are buying. She explains that consumers are not only shopping online at home but they are using the Internet in store or on their smartphones to shop around.

But does this mean technology will kill shops? Certainly shops will change. They will have to offer more competitive prices or encourage people to buy more by giving in-store discounts or free gifts.

We mustn’t forget that buying in a shop means you can get expert advice from the sales assistant and you can get good aftercare. It’s good to speak to a real human rather than look at a faceless computer screen, but at least by showrooming, you get the best of both worlds.

32. The two questions in Paragraph 1 are raised to ________.

   A. introduce the topic              B. give two examples

   C. compare different opinions        D. get answers from readers

33. What does showrooming mean in the text?

   A. Trying in shops and buying online      B. Showing products in a room

   C. Buying something in a store           D. Shopping on the Internet

34. According to Amy Cashman, which is NOT the reason for showrooming?

   A. The lack of time               B. The comfort of the sofa

   C. The lack of money             D. The security of the product

35. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

   A. Online shops will disappear.

   B. Free gifts will surely promote sales.

   C. Shops need necessary changes.

   D. Shops will be replaced by online shops.

If you want to teach children to read, below you will find some ideas to encourage reading in our children.    36   But remember, simplicity is the truth. The biggest encouragement comes from us — the parents. Children who come from a home where the parents read personally, value reading and have reading materials readily available are much more likely to become readers themselves.

Make books available and accessible(可接近的). Children who become readers almost always come from homes where books and other reading materials are present throughout the house. Don’t put your children’s books out the way where your child cannot see them or cannot reach them himself.    37     

Read yourself.    38     If your children see that you read, that you choose to read, and that you enjoy reading, they are more likely to develop the same habit and pursue the same activity.

    39     There are so many inexpensive, good books out there and something given or received as a gift becomes more valuable and cherished. My children routinely receive books as gifts from their grandmother, and they get so excited when they see her coming with them. They value books because they are valued by the important people in their lives.

Above all, make your read-aloud sessions(时间) fun. This is a great start to teach children to read because children love to make sound effects.     40    For example, in Cinderella we always make the sound of the clock chiming as it strikes midnight,“Dong…dong…dong.” We make knocking sounds as we read The Three Little Pigs when the wolf knocks on each of the three little pigs’ doors. The kids really seem to like this added interaction and activity as we read.

A. Turn off the TV and provide quiet time.

B. Some of these ideas are very simple and basic.

C. Give books as gifts at birthday time or whenever.

D. Put the books near the floor within their reach.

E. Try to add them wherever you can when you read aloud.

F. He really enjoys being able to pick out his very own books.

G. Being a role model to your children is the best way to teach children to read.