WHAT can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you’ll earn later.
The idea that popularity could have a serious influence on one’s earning potential shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work.
“If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations,” said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding. “Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you are occasionally in low spirits,” said Xu. She believed that all this helps you “earn a higher salary.”
Maybe that’s why some people think the younger generations are in the age of Friendalholism (交友狂症). A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook’s 5,000-friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts.
But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?
“Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition of friend”, said Meghan Daum, who works with The Los Angeles Times in the US.
Daum dislikes the idea that quantity trumps quality in the age of Friendaholism. She thought the idea of friendship, at least among the growing population of Internet social networkers, was to get as many of not-really-friends as possible. For example, a friend might be someone you might know personally but who could just as easily be the friend of a friend of some other Facebook friend you don’t actually know. Although she agreed that social ties grease (润滑) the wheels of life, she also warned. “Too bad one thing money can’t buy is a real friend.”
1.What will be needed if you are to achieve success according to the researchers?
A. Social skills, friends, good mood and fortune.
B. Social skills, networking, talent and hard work.
C. Social skills, networking, potential and fortune.
D. Social skills, talent, hard work and the facebook.
2.What can friends do in the eyes of Xu Yanchun?
A. They can help you with your schoolwork.
B. They teach you how to make more money.
C. They help you get rid of sadness and cheer up.
D. They always get on well with you.
3.We learn that Meghan Daum’s attitude towards friends is somewhat _______.
A. up-to-date B. optimistic
C. confused D. traditional
4.What does the word “trumps” in the last paragraph mean?
A. is better than B. is equal to
C. is worse than D. is similar to
Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Sometimes, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership (伙伴关系) which is good for both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the backs of sheep. This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites (寄生虫) on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so because they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.
Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The relationship develops until the two partners cannot manage without each other. This is so in the corals(珊瑚) of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as “dustmen”, taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen which the animal needs to breathe. If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from receiving light so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.
1.Some birds like to sit on a sheep because _______.
A. they can eat its parasites
B. they enjoy travelling with the sheep
C. they depend on the sheep for existence
D. they find the position most comfortable
2.The underlined word “they” in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to ______.
A. birds and parasites B. birds and sheep
C. parasites and sheep D. sheep, birds and parasites
3.We learn from the text that corals depend on plants for______.
A. comfort B. light
C. food D. oxygen
4.What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?
A. Some animals and plants depend on each other for existence[
B. Some animals and plants develop their relationship easily.
C. Some plants depend on each other for food.
D. Some animals live better together.
Next autumn when you see wild geese heading south for the winter flying in a V formation, you might think about what scientists have discovered as to why they fly that way.
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift(提升) for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V formation the whole group adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flies on its own.
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the push of one another.
When a wild goose falls out of the formation，it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go alone and quickly tries to get back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. When the head goose gets tired，it flies back into the formation and another goose flies to the front. It is wise to take turns doing difficult jobs whether it is people or wild geese flying south.
Wild geese honk (发出雁叫声) from behind to inspire those up front to keep up their speed. What can we learn from this?
When a wild goose gets sick or wounded by gunshots，and falls out of the formation，two other geese will fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They will stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies，and only then will they go on with their own or with another formation to catch up with their group.
1.Wild geese fly in a V formation in order to________.
A. protect themselves from danger
B. fly more quickly and easily
C. help the sick and wounded
D. fly much higher in the sky
2.What can we learn from the fifth paragraph?
A. We should try to lead others to move forward.
B. We should give people facing difficulties encouragement.
C. We should believe in those who offer us help.
D. We should care more about the old and sick.
3.When a wild goose becomes sick or is wounded，________.
A. it will be left alone and will fall on the ground
B. the whole group will stop flying
C. two other geese will stay with it to offer help
D. other geese will honk to give it encouragement
4.What do we know from the passage?
A. A wild goose can help the one following it by flapping its wings.
B. A person who works alone can work better than one who doesn’t.
C. It is not good for wild geese to take turns being the head goose.
D. The wild geese that fall behind are unlikely to catch up with their group.
Here is your best chance to travel around the UK in 2012: More than 200 B&Bs (bed & breakfast) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are selected to offer you amazing services for your stay at their lowest prices! Don’t miss it. Just collect the vouchers（活动券）in our B&B Daily printed from 01/ 04/ 2012 to 07/ 04/ 2012 and book the stays for your travel following the terms and conditions below:
● The offer includes a room for the night and a breakfast the next morning.
● The offer is of two kinds: £20 per room, per night, valid（有效的）during stay
period of 02/ 04/ 2012—31/ 05/ 2012 and then again 01/ 09/ 2012— 31/ 10/ 2012; £35 per room, per night, valid during stay period of 01/ 06/ 2012 — 31/ 08/ 2012.
● The offer is valid for a basic twin or double room only.
● The stay must be booked directly with the chosen B&Bs before 28/ 04/ 2012.
● Each voucher can only be used by the holder to book one room for one night.
● If voucher holders book either the £20 or £35 per room per night, any additional
services such as lunch, evening meal or activities may require an extra charge. But these are not required in order to take up the offer. Please check directly with your chosen B&Bs to see what extra services are available.
● Vouchers must be presented on arrival. If no vouchers are presented, the B&Bs may reserve（保留） the right to charge at full price for every night of stay.
● Vouchers may not be used together with any other offer.
● The voucher holders must pay for the stay in full at the time of booking. Additional £10 may be paid to confirm（确认）the booking and will be returned on arrival.
● The B&Bs reserve the right to refuse voucher holders’ bookings for people under the age of 18.
1.The voucher can be used for a stay at the chosen B&B on .
A. 09/ 01/ 2012B. 28/ 04/ 2012
C. 01/ 03/ 2012D. 04/ 02/ 2012
2.How much should be paid for a two-night stay in October 2012 at a chosen B&B?
A. £ 70. B. £30. C. £35. D. £40.
3.By taking up the offer, the voucher holders can choose to .
A. have lunch or evening meal without paying extra money
B. book either a basic twin or double room at the chosen B&Bs
C. use the B&B offer together with other offers
D. book the stays through B&B Daily
1.我从老师的建议中获益很多，并学会了多尊重别人的感情。
_____________________________________________________________________
2.他的养父有意卖掉房子还清债务。
_____________________________________________________________________
3.他们在癌症研究中取得了重大突破并获得诺贝尔医学奖。
_____________________________________________________________________
4.与原来的计划比起来，这个计划更符合实际。
_____________________________________________________________________
5.根据我们进行的调查，大部分人不赞成这项科学研究。
_____________________________________________________________________
At the routine office meeting, the headmaster insisted that the problems ____________ paid special attention to.
A. referred to B. referred to be
C. refer to being D. refer to be
