For many people，volunteering is a way of life. Holidays are the time of the year that more people are in a giving mood. Homeless shelters，children’s hospitals，and nursing homes are excellent places to give of one’s time.

Volunteering in Homeless Shelters

There is a homeless directory online that anyone can easily access to find the closest homeless shelter to their home. According to the homeless shelter directory，currently there are 3,233 shelters in the US，so it is not difficult to find a shelter. Helping to serve food，picking up donations of food，preparing meals，and cleaning up are things that one can do to help at a homeless shelter.

Volunteering in Children’s Hospitals

Every child needs comfort and joy，especially during the holiday seasons. By visiting sick children in hospitals，an individual provides helping hands by supplementing the services usually done by the hospital staff. Personalizing the hospital experience adds to the comfort and happiness of the children and their families. Volunteers provide help，and positive interactions (相互交流) which enhance the patient’s quality of care. Help is needed almost everywhere in a hospital；from the lobby，parking lot，cafeteria，to admitting，helping with the gift cart，and even reading to children in the waiting rooms or their hospital rooms.

Volunteering in Nursing Homes

According to the National Center for Health Statistics，“Over 50% of those living in nursing homes do not have close relatives and 46% have no living children.”  Life in a nursing home is lonely，confusing，and frightening for many residents. Volunteering at a nursing home is a great opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life. Playing cards，sitting with and talking to a resident，taking a walk，or sharing a meal makes a huge difference，especially when they have no other sole on earth to visit them.

The three examples above are only a small fraction of institutions in which volunteers are needed. Giving of oneself，especially during the holidays blesses and cheers others.

21．According to the passage，what can a volunteer do in nursing homes?

A．Visiting the sick children.

B．Picking up the donated food.    

C．Helping with the gift cart.

D．Playing cards with a lonely old man.

22．What can we learn about the volunteering?

A．You can only volunteer during the holidays.

B．You can help prepare meals in a nursing home.    

C．It is easy to find a homeless shelter to volunteer.

D．Help is needed everywhere in a homeless shelter.

23．In a children’s hospital，which of the following is true?

A．Over 50% of those living there do not have relatives.

B．A personal visit brings happiness to a sick boy.

C．Children live a lonely and frightening life.

D．Children love listening to volunteers’ reading.

In China, if you are not married by the time you are 30, you are in for trouble: social blame and pressure from family and friends can get you down. And if you are a woman, it’s even worse.

Many young people get married simply to get other people off their backs (免受别人的指责) . This is a serious compromise. One ends up not marrying the ideal partner.

There are, however, a few young people who refuse to compromise: if they can’t find a good marriage partner, they say, they would rather not marry at all.

34-year-old Kate is a university lecturer in English. She said she would not describe herself as celibatarian (独身主义者) but simply a woman who hasn’t come across the right man yet. She has sharp comments for the way in which the old generation looks at marriage.

     “Many people think marriage is a duty---to your parents, family and society. Nobody cares if your marriage is happy or not, she said, I think this is very wrong and I intend to live and act according to my own will.”

Happily for her, her parents are open-minded and not lay stress on her. But the same does not apply to her friends. They are constantly trying to get her together with some young man or another. She always refuses politely.

24. The main idea of this passage is that _________.

A. marriage is a duty to society         

B. people should get married before 30 years old

C. late marriage should be respected     

D. women should get married earlier than men

25. Miss Kate refuses to get together with some young man or another because ____.

A. she doesn’t think he is the right man she wants

B. he is either too old or too young

C. he is either important or little learned

D. he doesn’t have good manners

26. In the first paragraph the underlined words “in for” refer to _________.

A. interested in            B. satisfied with       

C. worried about          D. likely to suffer

27. Which is NOT TRUE according to this passage?

A. In China，one may face social blame and family pressure if one hasn’t got married

by 30.

B. Miss Kate’s parents are always worried about her marriage.

C. Miss Kate won’t compromise if she can’t have her ideal marriage.

D. Miss Kate wants to marry a worthy young man.

Mo Yan, a Chinese writer has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in Literature in its history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
   He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the stone year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. It was adapted from his 1986 novel of the same name and filmed in Gaomi, bringing to life a visual landscape of red sorghum fields and a fiery setting sun. His most famous works include Big Breasts and Wide Hips, Sandalwood Penalty and the 1985 novel Red Transparent Radish.

 Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan-- a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi in shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory, In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing. Gaomi county is where most of Mo’s stories happen. It’s a place that has inspired him throughout his 31-year writing career.

“I grew up in an environment full of folk culture, which comes into my novels when I pick up a pen to write. This has definitely affected, even decided, my works’ artistic style, ”Mo told a group of reporters in his hometown of Gaomi, Shandong, shortly after he won the award.

“I really didn’t see this coming, ” Lu Jiande, director of the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told 21st Century. “I know Mo Yan pretty well and one thing a lot of people don’t know is how good he is with words. His writing is surprisingly beautiful. In his writing, he can make words live and breathe. ”Lu said. “He is far ahead of other Chinese in the sense that he takes the critical perspective inside first, starting from criticizing himself instead of the outside world. ”

Some critics point out that Mo’s works have a tendency toward vulgarity(粗俗).

In an interview with South China Morning Post, Professor Xiao Ying of Tsinghua University said “the award was outside of my expectation, as Mo Yan’s works are still short on the idealism of pursuing humanity, which marks previous Nobel literature prize winners”. (346W)

28. How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

29. Which of the following statements about Mo Yan is RIGHT?

A. He was the first Chinese to win the Nobel Prize.

B. He grew up in a poor family.

C. Red Sorghum was his first work.

D. Gaomi is famous for its beautiful scenery.

30. What has inspired Mo Yan when he is writing?

A. His experience in the army.

B. His living environment in Gaomi County.

C. Modern urban life.

D. Other writers’ works.

31. Professor Xiao Ying of Tsinghua University thinks that Mo Yan　　　.

A. can match previous Nobel literature prize winners

B. focuses on the idealism of pursuing humanity in his works

C. is worth admiring

D. doesn’t deserve to be given the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2012

_{Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it．Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people．When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment．Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction．Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are．
　　Focus on what you are thankful for．Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have．Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be．Focus on what you are thankful for．Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now．
　　When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being．Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner．What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment．
　　When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied．Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position．Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more．
　　When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals, you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you．Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you．Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment．Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition．
　　Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural．
32．How can we live with satisfaction?
　　A．To change our lifestyle．
　　B．To have a motivation in life．
　　C．To give less attention to what we are grateful for．
　　D．To realize the difference between needs and desires．
33．What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
　　A．Make wise decisions
　　B．Know the present situation
　　C．Let go of regrets
　　D．Remember the past
34．The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “______”．
　　A．enjoy   B．change   C．create   D．neglect
35．What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?
　　A．Make time for simple pleasures．
　　B．Learn from successful people．
　　C．Focus on your future goals．
　　D．Create chance to learn more．}

We are all faced with challenges constantly in every area of our lives. 　36　

The truth is that you will have to deal with difficult problems throughout your life, whether it is in your personal life or career. Most of us get really afraid and run away from problems because we don’t want to accept reality. Running away from your problems is the worst thing you can do to deal with the challenges you are faced with. Here are some tips for you on learning how to deal with everyday challenges.

Please bear in mind that you shouldn’t overact when coming across challenges. Overacting to a problem will cause you to make bad decisions. 　37　 Next time you are faced with a challenge, stay calm so you can make smarter decisions.

　38　If you cannot accept reality, you will feel very frustrated with your life. Once you can accept reality, you will be able to be calmer and think more clearly about how to get a step closer towards your goals every day.

Many people make a habit of blaming others for all their problems. They fail to take full responsibility for the decisions they have made in life. The more you blame others for the challenges you are faced with, the more you will make people dislike you and not want to be around you. 　39　

Don’t compare your lifestyle with others. Of course, it is really difficult not to compare ourselves with other people. However, the more often we do that, the more frustrated we will feel. 　40　The key thing to remember is that you create your own story and success in life.

A. Accept the reality of the present moment.

B. Try to look at change as a positive challenge, not as a threat.

C. There will always be a person that may have accomplished more than you.

D. Our focus may entirely be on how we can deal with the challenge that has come our way.

E. When we are not in control of our emotions, we will make decisions that we will regret later.

F. However, most people have a hard time accepting and dealing with these challenges that arise.

G. As a result, the first thing you should do when faced with a personal challenge is not point fingers at others.