How often do you let other people like a bad driver, a rude waiter, or an angry boss, change your mood?

Sixteen years ago I learned a lesson. I got in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver used his brakes, the tires made a loud noise, and at the very last moment our car stopped just 3cm from the back of the other car.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, turned his head around and he started shouting at us. I couldn’t believe it!

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. He said, “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger and disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.”

So I started thinking how often I let Garbage Trucks run right over me and how often I take their garbage and spread it to other people.

I began to see Garbage Trucks. I see the load people are carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally. I just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

21. What happened to the author on his way to Grand Central Station?

A. He was caught in a traffic jam.

B. He had a fight with his taxi driver.

C. His taxi almost ran into another car.

D. His taxi suddenly got a flat tire.

22. When the author saw his taxi driver smile and wave at the driver of the black car, he_______.

A. got very angry                            B. was deeply impressed

C. felt quite disappointed                     D. praised him for his manners

23. The underlined part “the load” in the last paragraph probably refers to _______.

A. the bad mood                            B. poor habits

C. waste materials                        D. great pressure

24. How did the author learn to deal with Garbage Trucks?

A. Fight back immediately.              B. Call the police for help.

C. Dump it on someone else.            D. Smile and move on.

Doctors in hospital emergency rooms often see accidental poisonings(中毒). A frightened parent arrives with a child who swallowed a cleaning liquid. Or perhaps the harmful substance is a medicine. Or it might be a chemical product meant to kill insects. These are common causes of accidental poisoning.

In cases like this, look for medical help as soon as possible. Save the container of whatever caused the poisoning. And look on the container for information about anything that stops the effects of the poison. Save anything expelled (被强迫排除)from the mouth of the victim. That way, doctors can examine it.

In the past, some people forced poisoning victims to empty the stomach. They used a liquid syrup of ipecac（催呕剂）, to do this. But an organization of children’s doctors no longer advises parents to keep syrup of ipecac. The American Academy of Pediatrics says some poisons can cause additional damage when they come back up the throat.

Millions of people know a way to save a person who is choking on something trapped in the throat. The method is commonly known as the Heimlich Maneuver or abdominal thrusts. The American Red Cross says a rescuer should first hit the person on the back five times between the shoulder bones. These back blows may ease the choking. If the airway is still blocked, the Red Cross suggests pushing hard five times along the victim’s abdomen. The abdomen is the area between the chest and the hip(臀)bones.

25. Save the container of whatever caused the poisoning to ____.

A. look for harmful information              B. look on it

C. use it to break the poison                        D. look for medical help

26. Why are parents advised not to keep syrup of ipecac?

A. To keep the stomach empty.               B. To avoid more damage.

C. To keep syrup of ipecac safe.              D. To keep the stomach full.

27. The purpose of the last paragraph is to tell us about _____.

A. a way to prevent a person from choking.

B. the abdominal thrusts

C. a way to cure choking

D. the abdomen

28. What would be the best title for the text?

A. Learning the basics of first aid  

B. Accidental poisonings

C. Common causes of accidental poisoning

D. Poisonings and first aid

Staying silent can be just as powerful as the words you mean to say, like when the act of hugging will be more comforting than saying, “Sorry for your loss.”

Another time when silence is golden is when you are unsure of what to say. If you are confused about your own feelings concerning a matter, it’s best to stay quiet until you are more certain because more harm can be done by revealing false or exaggerated feelings

Choose silence instead of blurting out “in-the-moment” feelings that are hurtful and not really how you feel in the grand scheme of things. When you feel the urge to say an unkind thing, take a few breaths and think of the possible consequences of your words.

Silence can be your best friend during negotiations. Say your piece, then close your mouth, and let the other person come to their own conclusions. Your silence shows that one, you are confident in what you just said, and two, you respect the other person enough to hear what they have to say.

Sometimes silence is the best and most timely solution because the other person is not in a position to hear what you have to say. For example, when a friend needs for you to listen to her problems, but she is unable to accept your advice at that moment.

Practice being silent at work when you don’t have anything meaningful to contribute. Unless you can start the conversation by pointing out something interesting, missing, or beneficial, it’s best to just observe and learn.

Finally, silence is golden when you don’t want to engage in a fool’s argument. As some squabbles(口角) will never be resolved, one must agree to disagree.

   However, there will be times in your life where you will need the power of your voice,the voice within you that wants and needs to be respected and appreciated.

29. The passage mainly tells us about ___

   A. whether or not to stay silent                   B. why to stay silent   

C. how to stay silent                                 D. when to stay silent

30. What is the best to do during negotiation?

   A. Grasp every chance to say more than the other

   B. Close your mouth and just listen to the other

   C. Speak out your own points and discuss with others

   D. Keep silent after expressing yourself

31. To follow this passage, the writer is likely to continue telling about___

   A. the occasions when you should speak up

B. the power of your voice

   C. the advantages of speaking up         

   D. the disadvantages of staying silent

International Book Club

Have you ever thought of joining a book club and buying new books through the post? Here at the International Book Club, we already have many members buying books from us by mail.

Immediate benefits：

●As a special offer, you may choose any reduced-price books from our new members' book list, to the value of $6 in total (plus postage and packing). By doing this, you will save pounds on the publishers prices.

●Tick the box on your form to order a free watch.

●If you reply within seven days, we will send you another free gift carefully chosen from our book list by our staff.

●Order a DVD from the many on offer in our list, at half the recommended retail price.

●When you've joined：

As a member, you'll enjoy savings of between 30% and 50% off the publisher's price on every book you buy, and what's more, they'll come straight to your door.  Your free club magazine arrives once a month, to keep you up-to-date with the latest best-sellers. This means that every year we offer over 1,000 books to choose from. On the Internet, you can find all our titles for the year on our exclusive members' website.

Being a member：

All we are asking you to do while you are a member is to choose four books during your first year. After that, you can decide on the number of books you wish to take.

In each of our monthly club magazines, our experienced staff choose a Club Choice book — a work of fiction or a reference title which they feel is particularly worth buying, and which is offered at an extra-special price. However, if you do not want this book, just say so in the space provided on the form. We will always send the book if we do not receive this.

So, return your application form today, but hurry — it's not every day we can make you an offer like this. To apply to become a member, all you need to do is simply fill in the enclosed form and return it in the postage-paid envelope supplied.

Before you know it, your books will be with you. Please don't send any money now, as we will send you your bill with the books. And remember, you have up to a fortnight to decide if you wish to keep the books you have ordered. You should then either return the books or send your payment.

32. Which of the following doesn't belong to the benefits of being a club member?

A．Get a gift for nothing.    B．Order a free watch 

C．Get four books for free in the first year. 

D．Order a DVD at a low price.

33. Every month the club provides a free club magazine in order to ________.

A．let readers know the number of books to be sold

B．attract more and more readers to join the club

C．make readers know the club's development

D．keep readers well informed of recent best-selling books

34. If a book is worth $100, how much will a member probably save if he buys one?

   A．$20.                      B．$70.         C．$60.        D．$40.

35. After you get your books, you should ________.

A．express your idea in the space provided in the book

B．choose whether to keep them or not after you read them carefully

C．decide whether to keep them or not within a certain period of time

D．send money to the club at once

People say going to college will change your life and that everyone should have the chance to challenge themselves with a college experience. But my parents never had that opportunity. __36__

All during high school I wondered if I would go to college and if I would have what my parents never had. I would think about my future, about college and what I wanted to do when I grew up. But then there were thoughts of not going, of believing what others said about college and thinking I had no chance to go.

As I reached the end of junior year, I knew I needed to make a decision. __37__ I felt somewhat sad. One day I was having a conversation with my volleyball coach. We talk all the time, but that day college was the topic. __38__ However, what she told me was encouraging. Thoughts flew through my mind about what I wanted to become and what colleges I might be interested in. She mentioned things I had no idea about, like scholarships and financial aid that can help you pay for college. All this information inspired me to continue. She told me about her college experience and all the fun times she'd had. __39__

This conversation changed me. __40__ If I hadn't talked with her, I wouldn't know where I would be today. I now want to make something of myself. I want to become somebody that I wasn't before. I want to go to college.

A. She made the decision that she should continue her education.

B. She told me not to miss out on it because I would regret it.

C. It made me feel comfortable with myself and helped me believe in myself.

D. She knew my family could not easily afford my college expenses.

E. They didn't have the money or family to help or motivate them.

F. I didn't have money and knew my parents didn't either.

G. Both my parents are very grateful to her for the advice she gave.