A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves– the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. But we really shouldn’t be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Beware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying, “Good job!”
Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and motive others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
1.The author argues in the first paragraph that ________.
A．words will never hurt us at all
B．positive effects last longer than negative effects
C．words have lasting effects on us
D．negative words last longer than positive effects
2.Why should we not feel embarrassed when talking to ourselves?
A．Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health.
B．It does harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone.
C．Talking to ourselves helps us to solve all the problems.
D．Almost everybody has the habit of talking to oneself.
3.The underlined phrase “give ourselves a pat on the back” in Paragraph 3 means _______.
A．blame ourselves B．punish ourselves
C. talk to ourselves D．praise ourselves
4.Which of the following statements would the author agree to?
A．It is impossible for unkind words to be forgotten.
B．It is better to think twice before talking to others.
C．Words always possess long positive effects.
D．Kind words are sometimes not needed at all.
Cheating can happen in a lot of different ways. When people cheat, it’s not fair to other people, like the kids who studied for the test or who the true winners of a game were.
Many people like the action of cheating. It makes difficult things seem easy, like getting all the right answers on the test. But it doesn’t solve the problem of not knowing the material and it won’t help on the next test---unless the person cheats again.
People lose respect for cheaters and think less of them. The cheaters themselves may feel bad because they know they are not really earning that good grade. And, if they get caught cheating, they will be in trouble at school, and may be at home, too.
Some kids cheat because they’re busy or lazy and they want to get good grades without spending time studying. Other kids might feel like they can’t pass the test without cheating, even when there seems to be a good reason for cheating, cheating isn’t a good idea.
If you were sick or upset about something the night before the day and couldn’t study, it would be better to talk with the teacher about this. And if you don’t have enough time to study for a test because of swim practice, you need to talk with you parents about how to balance swimming and school.
A kid who thinks cheating is the only way to pass a test needs to talk with the teacher and his or her parents so they can find some solutions(解决办法) together. Talking about these problems and working them out will feel better than cheating.
1.The author thinks that when kids cheat in class, ______.
A. it is unfair to other people.
B. it does harm to their health.
C .teachers should punish them.
D. teachers shouldn’t stop them at once.
2.Some students like cheating mainly because______.
A. the material in the test is very difficult.
B. they want to do better than the others.
C. cheating can make hard things seem very easy.
D. they have little time to study their lessons.
3.The fourth paragraph mainly tells us______.
A. some kids can’t pass the test without cheating
B. why kids cheat in the test.
C. cheating isn’t a good idea.
D. some kids don’t spend the time studying.
4.We can learn from the passage _______.
A. cheaters are often thought highly of
B. people show no respect for those who cheat.
C. parents whose kids cheat are often in trouble.
D. kids cheat in the test because of swim practice.
Dear Betty,
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty
1.Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
A. tell Betty some good news
B. invite her to dinner
C. answer some questions
D. ask for some advice
2.According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.
A. can only bring some flowers
B. should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late
C. can’t bring wine
D. should arrive twenty minutes late
3.Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.
A. keep silent at table
B. watch the other guests
C. ask the person beside him
D. relax at the dinner table
Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humor. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.
One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes(蚊子) in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved (摇动) his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”
After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr. Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.
Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.
But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.
1.That day Mark Twain went to the town _____.
A. to see one of his friends
B. because he wanted to do something there for his writing
C. because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there
D. to see one of his relatives
2.The waiters felt sorry because _____.
A. they did something wrong to Mark Twain
B. their hotel was too small
C. there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room
D. the room was not very clean
3.All the people present laughed heartily because _____.
A. Mark Twain made a joke
B. the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number
C. Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents
D. the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room
4.From the story we know _____.
A. no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night
B. the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night
C. Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night
D. there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer
Years ago it was very difficult to travel from one place to another. The journeys were often long, tiring and dangerous. Today the picture has changed. Science has improved transportation and communication facilities a great deal. Traveling has become safer, more enjoyable and above all, more economical.
Traveling—whether within one’s country or abroad—brings many invaluable benefits. People travel for pleasure, business or for education and knowledge. In the world of yesterday most people were only able to read about strange and fascinating places across the mountains and seas. Later, with the coming of the cinema and television, man’s curiosity about faraway places with strange sounding names was further stirred up. Today man’s curiosity can be satisfied in luxurious comfort. There are first-class ships and airplanes to take him where his dreams lie.
We travel to increase our knowledge of the world in which we live. Knowledge obtained from books alone is not enough. New knowledge of different land and peoples enriches our mind and soul. Books generally do not give us a very true picture of lands beyond our shores. Some of them are even misleading.
【写作内容】
1. 以约30个词概括短文的要点；
2. 然后以约120个词就“交通的发展给我们带来什么”这个主题发表你的看法，并包括以下要点：
（1) 简述从古到今交通方式的变化；
（2) 现代交通给我们带来的好处，如快捷性、舒适性、经济性及帮助我们扩大视野等；
（3) 现代交通给我们带来的一些负面影响；
（4) 你如何评价现代交通？
【写作要求】
1. 可以使用实例或其它论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2. 标题自定。
3. 答案请写在答题卷的相应位置上。
假设你班将举行一次英语班会，主题为“中学生应该如何使用家长给的零花钱”。请你根据提示写一篇发言稿。
使用方式 | 好处 |
存入银行 | 养成节约的习惯 |
购买书籍 | 获取知识 |
其他 | 培养兴趣（音乐、体育、集邮等） |
【写作要求】
短文必须包括表格的全部内容；只能五个句子表达全部内容。
【评分标准】
句子结构准备，信息内容完整，篇章结构连贯。
Dear friends ,
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