For a long time, being happy was considered something that just happened, and there was nothing special about it. Now we know it is something that we can work at.

You are happy if you get along well with others. To make people like you better, you should be unselfish, not wanting everything from your friends. Another way is to look for good points, not bad ones in other people. It is surprising how successful this can be.

You don’t have to be spineless (沒有骨氣的) 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. It is one way to develop a good character if you are 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.

    Second, you must learn not to be unhappy when you make mistakes. You can not expect to be perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. No one is to be blamed (責(zé)備) 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 the situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a situation you can’t change.

Which of the following is suggested in the passage?

   A. Draw attention of our friends.

   B. Ask for the best share of everything.

   C. Look for faults that are shared among people.

   D. Pay more attention to other people’s strong points.

According to the passage, if we want to be popular, we should ______.

   A. be polite and friendly

   B. give up some rights

   C. never argue with other people

   D. be ready to change our character

One should be blamed if he or she ______.

   A. is not better than others

   B. is selfish and lazy

   C. does not draw a lesson from his or her mistakes

   D. has some unpleasant qualities

The writer will possibly agree with the following EXCEPT that ______.

   A. no one is perfect

   B. every person has their own advantages over others

   C. getting worried helps to change the situation for the better

   D. self-examination is necessary if something is wrong

The author writes the passage in order to ______.

   A. teach you how to make yourself perfect

   B. show you how to be happy

   C. tell you how to act when in trouble

   D. teach you how to be popular among your friends

Should we try to contact and make friends with other beings in the universe? Certainly not，says British physicist Stephen Hawking．
“If aliens（creatures from other planets）ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans,’’ said the 68-year-old disabled scientist in a new Discovery documentary (紀實性電視節(jié)目) on April 25．
The program pictures an imagined universe where other life forms in huge spaceships hunt for resources after using up all those on their home planets．
“Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads(游牧民)，looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach，”warned Hawking．
On the probability of other life forms existing, he says, “To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly reasonable.”
Hawking’s concerns have frightened some people and been met with disagreement from other researchers．Paul Davies, author of the book Renewing Our Search for Alien Intelligence，thinks Hawking’s reasoning is wrong.
He argues that since Earth is about 4.5 billion years old，if intel1igent life is likely , communities of other beings may have been there for a very long time．
“If resources are the factor, then at least one group of aliens would surely have visited Earth as a destination mil1ions of years ago．
Even if other life forms do come to Earth in the near future, Davies believes comparisons with are wide of the mark(離譜的).
68. What is the article mainly about? 
A. Other life forms coming to our planet．
B. Scientific evidence of other life forms．
C. Earth as the only place where human beings can survive．
D. Hawking’s belief that other life forms may exist in the universe．
69. Which of the following ideas is opposed to Hawking’s view?
A. Other life forms exist in the universe．
B. 0ther life forms may be more intelligent than human beings．
C. We should try to contact other 1ife forms from other planets．
D. Other life forms may exist in more than one part of the universe．
70. Paul Davies didn’t agree with Stephen Hawking ,believing that ________．
A. the universe is running out of resources
B. humans are the best creatures in the universe.
C. it is a good idea to avoid meeting with other life forms   
D. Davies doesn’t think it proper to compare aliens with Columbus
71. Hawking referred to Christopher Columbus as an example to ____．
A. inspire interest in the universe      
B. draw attention to other planets in the universe
C. warn people to watch out for other life forms
D. urge further exploration of the universe~

At the heart of the debate over illegal immigration lies one key question: are immigrants good or bad for the economy? The American public overwhelmingly thinks they’re bad. Yet the agreement among most economists is that immigration, both legal and illegal, provides a small net boost to the economy. Immigrants provide cheap labor, lower the prices of everything from farm produce to new homes, and leave consumers with a little more money in their pockets. So why is there such a discrepancy between the perception of immigrants’ impact on the economy and the reality?

There are a number of familiar theories. Some argue that people are anxious and feel threatened by an inflow of new workers. Others highlight the stress that undocumented immigrants place on public services, like schools, hospitals, and jails. Still others emphasize the role of race, arguing that foreigners add to the nation's fears and insecurities. There’s some truth to all these explanations, but they aren’t quite sufficient.

To get a better understanding of what’s going on, consider the way immigration’s impact is felt. Though its overall effect may be positive, its costs and benefits are distributed unevenly. David Card, an economist at UC Berkeley, notes that the ones who profit most directly from immigrants’ low-cost labor are businesses and employers —meatpacking plants in Nebraska, for instance, these producers’ savings probably translate into lower prices at the grocery store, but how many consumers make that mental connection at the checkout counter? As for the drawbacks of illegal immigration, these, too, are concentrated. Native low-skilled workers suffer most from the competition of foreign labor. According to a study by George Borjas, a Harvard economist, immigration has reduced the wages of American high-school dropouts by 9%. 

Among high-skilled, better-educated employees, however, opposition was strongest in states with both high numbers of immigrants and relatively generous social services. What worried them most, in other words, was the financial burden of immigration. That conclusion was reinforced by another finding: that their opposition appeared to soften when that financial burden decreased, as occurred with welfare reform in the 1990s, which curbed immigrants’ access to certain benefits.

The irony is that for all the overexcited debate, the net effect of immigration is minimal. Even for those most acutely affected — say, low-skilled workers, or California residents — the impact isn’t all that dramatic. “The unpleasant voices have tended to dominate our perceptions,” says Daniel Tichenor, a professor at the University of Oregon. “But when all those factors are put together and the economists calculate the numbers, it ends up being a net positive, but a small one.” Too bad most people don’t realize it. 

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Whether immigrants are good or bad for the economy has been puzzling economists.

B．The American economy used to thrive on immigration but now it’s a different story.

C．The agreement among economists is that immigration should not be encouraged.

D．The general public thinks differently from most economists on the impact of immigration.

2.What is the chief concern of native high-skilled, better-educated employees about the inflow of immigrants?

A．It may change the existing social structure.

B．It may pose a threat to their economic status.

C．It may decrease .their financial burden.

D．It may place a great pressure on the state budget.

3.What is the irony about the debate over immigration?

A．Even economists can’t reach an agreement about its impact.

B．Those who are opposed to it turn out to benefit most from it.

C．People are making too big a fuss about something of small impact.

D．There is no essential difference between seemingly opposite opinions.

4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．A debate about whether to immigrate.

B．A debate about the impact of illegal immigrants.

C．The great impact of immigrants on the economy.

D．Opposition to illegal immigration.

He drove after drinking alcohol, having a severe accident and had to get his arms removed．Since then, he has had to __31__ on his younger brother, who became his shadow, never leaving him alone for years. Except for writing with his toes, he was totally unable to do __32__ else. As the two brothers grew up together, they had their own problems and would often __33__. Finally, his younger brother went away and lived __34__, leaving him heartbroken and at a loss what to do.

　　　 __35__, a misfortune befell（降臨）a girl. One night she was preparing dinner when the kerosene light on the stove was overturned, __36__ in a fire which took her hands away. Having decidedly __37__ her sister’s willingness to help her, she determined to be thoroughly __38__. At school, she always studied hard．Most of all she learned to be self-reliant. “I am lucky. Though my __39__ are broken, my heart can still fly.” she wrote in her blog.

　　　 One day, the young man and the girl were both invited to a（n）__40__ programme. The boy told the television hostess about his __41__ future, whereas the girl was full of __42__ for her life. They were both asked to write something on a piece of paper with their __43__. The boy: My younger brother’s arms are my arms. The girl: Broken wings, flying heart.

　　　 They had both gone through the same ordeal（痛苦經(jīng)歷）, but their different __44__ determined the nature of their lives. As seems the case, __45__ disasters can strike our life at any time. How you handle the __46__ when faced with it is the true __47__ of your character. If you choose to __48__ or escape from the ordeal, it will follow you wherever you go. But if you decide to be strong, the __49__ will turn out to be a fortune on which new __50__will arise.

31．A．live　　　　　　　　　　 B．stand　　　　　　　　　 C．rely　　　　　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)ssist

33．A．quarrel　　　　　　　 B．share　　　　　　　　　 C．support　　　　　　　 D．dislike

34．A．happily　　　　　　　 B．lonely　　　　　　　　 C．separately　　　　　 D．disappointedly

35．A．Unfortunately　　　 B．Unexpectedly　　　 C．Similarly　　　　　　 D．Naturally[來

36．A．leading　　　　　　　 B．bringing　　　　　　　 C．causing　　　　　　　 D．resulting

37．A．turned to　　　　　　 B．turned down　　　 C．turned off　　　　　 D．turned against

38．A．a(chǎn)lone　　　　　　　　　 B．free　　　　　　　　　　 C．independent　　　　 D．successful

39．A．a(chǎn)rms　　　　　　　　　 B．wings　　　　　　　　 C．dreams　　　　　　　 D．promises

40．A．interview　　　　　　 B．radio　　　　　　　　　 C．sports　　　　　　　　 D．health

41．A．hopeful　　　　　　　 B．uncertain　　　　　　 C．bright　　　　　　　　 D．miserable

42．A．calmness　　　　　　 B．enthusiasm　　　　 C．patience　　　　　　 D．excitement

43．A．hands　　　　　　　　 B．strength　　　　　　　 C．toes　　　　　　　　　 D．mouths

44．A．characters　　　　　 B．desires　　　　　　　 C．opinions　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)ttitudes

45．A．unexpected　　　　 B．passive　　　　　　　 C．rough　　　　　　　　 D．serious

46．A．emergency　　　　 B．misfortune　　　　　 C．difficulty　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)ccident

47．A．test　　　　　　　　　　 B．reflection　　　　　　 C．display　　　　　　　 D．problem

48．A．ignore　　　　　　　　 B．resist　　　　　　　　　 C．complain　　　　　　 D．suffer

49．A．problem　　　　　　 B．result　　　　　　　　 C．failure　　　　　　　　 D．hardship

50．A．solutions　　　　　　 B．ways　　　　　　　　　 C．rewards　　　　　　 D．hopes

While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous and anxious as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr Larchmont refused to grant his request? Andrew had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. Of course, he deserved a wage increase.
The thought of walking into Larchmont’s office left Andrew weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally courageous enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal（一向節(jié)儉的）Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a raise!
Andrew arrived home that evening—despite breaking all city and state speed limits—to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had tipped her off!
Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick it up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase.”
Suddenly tears swelled in Andrew’s eyes. Total acceptance! Tina’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.
【小題1】What was Andrew’s plan that Friday?