When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “a ribbon (丝带) around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.

Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City, Kahlo suffered from polio(小儿麻痹症) at the age of seven. Her spine(脊柱) become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.

In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.

Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953. For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.

21. The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by _____.

A. polio    B. her bent spine    C. back injuries     D. the operations she had

22. Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the _____.

A. 1930s    B. 1940s    C. 1950s     D. 1970s

23. What is author’s attitude toward Kahlo?

A. Devotion.   B. Sympathy.   C. Worry.    D. Encouragement.

For much of my childhood, my mother filled in the evening hours doing something for someone else. Sometimes she knitted(编织) hats for babies, and at other times, she cooked chicken soup for sick neighbors. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when one evening my mother announced she had undertaken a new project.

“I am going to telephone seniors,” said my mother. “Every night? But you don’t even know these people.” “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “What’s important is that I listen.” I was sixteen years old and couldn’t understand why my mother was willing to spend her evenings talking to strangers. She had friends and my two older sisters to call if she felt lonely. “They will talk your ear off. Some people didn’t even stop to catch breath,” I said.

My attitude didn’t decrease my mother’s enthusiasm for the project. That evening, she settled on the sofa and dialed. For a while, I listened as she asked the woman on the other line about her day and what she had eaten for dinner. When she finished the call, I said, “Why do you care whether she had cookies or rice pudding for dessert?” My mother grasped one of my hands and gave it a slight squeeze. “I’m the only person she talked to today.”

It took me more than thirty years to fully understand the significance of that statement. Now, as my mother is nearing eighty, I find myself thinking about those nightly calls she used to make. I am often the only person who telephones my mother, and sometimes I’m the only person she speaks to all day. I ask her what she cooked for dinner, but mostly I just listen as she describes a walk she took, or how her dog Lucky stole foods from the refrigerator. I realize that my mother’s calls were lifelines that ensured housebound seniors remained connected to the world. Without her, their world would have been empty.

24. The writer wasn’t surprised about her mother’s decision because her mother _____.

  A. was a very creative person

  B. always devoted herself to helping others

  C. had nothing to do in the evening

  D. always got along well with the old

25. What’s the mother’s purpose of calling the seniors?

  A. To teach them how to make desserts.

  B. To kill some time in the boring night.

  C. To introduce some new friends to them.

  D. To make those old people feel less lonely.

26. What does the underlined sentence “They will talk your ear off.” in Paragraph 2 mean?

  A. They will criticize the wrongdoings.

  B. They will be tired of listening to others.

  C. They will talk all the time on the phone.

  D. They will make you feel really satisfied.

27. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

  A. The author is going to be eighty years old.

  B. The author thinks highly of her mother’s calls.

  C. The author is the only person who speaks to her mother.

  D. The author’s dog likes stealing foods from the refrigerator.

Long ago, a man was reading the morning newspaper and noticed his name in the obituary（讣告）column. His first response was shock. After he calmed down, he sought to find out what people said about him. The obituary read, “Dynamite(炸药) King Dies” and “He is the merchant of death”. What should be given to the man was the inventor of dynamite, but being named “the merchant of death” was not how he wanted to be remembered. After a moment of reflection, he decided to change his life purpose. He made up his mind to work towards peace.

His name was Alfred Nobel and he is widely known today by the great Nobel Prize. How do you want to be remembered? While we seldom deeply think of our own mortality(死亡), reflecting on the value of our life allows us to consider what is the most important. Life can be lived at an incredible pace but we sometimes fail to recognize its significance. It is vital to make the best use of our talents, ability or gifts to serve mankind.

In his book Mastery, Robert Greene states, “In the end, money and success that truly last don’t come to those who focus on such things as goals, but to those who focus on mastery and fulfilling their life tasks.” Life mirrors your commitment to contribution. What we receive in life is proportional（成比例的) to what we should give. For this reason, be careful about how and where you spend your time and energy.

Life honors those who make a big difference. If we wish to be remembered after we’re gone, we must live for something deeper while still alive and play big in the game of life regardless of fame or fortune. Alfred Nobel knew that being an expert on explosive was not how he intended to live out his days, so he created a new fate.

28. After reading the news about his death, Alfred Nobel ______.

  A. continued his research to invent dynamite

  B. seemed satisfied with the comments on him

  C. was determined to struggle for new life goals

  D. planned to find out who had made the mistake

29. According to the author, the most important in life lies in _____.

  A. reflecting on our own faults

  B. doing good things for people

  C. understanding our value in life

  D. fulfilling our unique potentials

30. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

  A. Success comes from effort and determination.

  B. Inner desires and potentials give people power.

  C. Reward is given to those who make contributions.

  D. Wealth and success are the same goals for all people.

31. What would be the best title for this passage?

  A. How to Change Fate           B. Where to Get Honors

  C. Risks and Opportunities        D. Living for Significant Purpose

We all dream to reach a certain success someday. Because of this we all are afraid of the very same thing -- failure. But we should understand that we all have to experience some sort of failure in our lives. It is part of growing up and it is part of life itself. Failure does not have to always be seen as something negative. When you get to see failure in a different view, you will see that it has the power to help you get to your goal.

Do not be so hard on yourself whenever you make a mistake or fail at a task. Everyone makes mistakes. Whenever you face one failure, remember to accept your fault and do something to make things right. Whenever you fail at something, you just have to get up and keep trying. You will get to your goal eventually.

Every mistake is a lesson you have to learn from. As the saying goes, “If you do something wrong for the first time, it is a mistake. But if it happens again, then it becomes a choice.” Your mistakes and failure make you wiser. You should be smart enough to know and avoid the causes that lead you to them once more.

No dream or goal is ever easy. With every great success, there are some failures along the way that lead to something great. Do not give up and do not be afraid to make mistakes. It is all part of the game of life.

Life is not a bed of roses. The journey to success will have its ups and downs and have its share of joy and suffering. You will encounter failure once in a while. But pain is part of the learning process. Failures and mistakes are experiences that will make you wiser and stronger as you climb the ladder of success.

32. What is the main purpose of the passage?

  A. To encourage people to think of failure positively.

  B. To emphasize the importance of self-confidence.

  C. To explain some meanings of achieving success.

  D. To discuss the relation between failure and success.

33. What can we know from Paragraph 2?

  A. Everyone should pay for their mistakes.

  B. Failure makes success more meaningful.

  C. Mistakes can bring people great benefits.

  D. It’s common to make mistakes in daily life.

34. What does the author think of people who make the same mistakes again?

  A. They are complete losers.

  B. They are not good learners.

  C. They should not be forgiven.

  D. They need sympathy and support.

35. The underlined word “encounter” in the last paragraph probably means_____.

  A. expect     B. avoid     C. experience    D. appreciate

How do you stay true to yourself when you’re surrounded by friends and/ or family that have an opinion on everything you do? It’s not easy!   36  Here are four tips which can help you live an active life.

  37  

Stay true to yourself by listening to the only opinions that really matter-- your own and those from people who believe in and encourage you. Deep down you know yourself better than anybody else.

Don’t fear people.

  38   The reason most people don’t take risks, or live on the edge is the fear of what others might think of them. If you want to live the life you truly deserve, you must give up the need to be liked by everybody.

Value yourself and your choices.

When you do, others will too. Own the choices you make in your life.   39   When you believe in yourself, in time, others will believe in you too. Show confidence in you choices, and what you stand for whether others agree or not.

Focus on appreciation.

No matter what the circumstances are, there is always something to be grateful for. All successful people ask, “What am I grateful for? How can I improve my situation and use these tough times to inspire others?”   40  

These steps, if applied, will help you change your peace of mind, lifestyle, and productivity.

A. Focus on your own talents and strengths.

B. Never let others’ opinions guide your choices.

C. Treat every person like they are important.

D. When you doubt yourself, others will doubt you.

E. Stay fearless in everything you will have to do.

F. Be thankful to life and be helpful to others, and you’ll lead a successful life.

G. However, there are great possibilities that you can lead the life you really want.