Are you an optimist? Do you look at your glass and see it as half full? Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that generally things turn out for the best? Do you believe that if something is meant to be, it will be? If you reply “yes” to all of these questions, then you are an optimist. You probably are enthusiastic, cheerful and outgoing. You may well be successful at work and in love.
But you may be misguided because things don’t turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (For example, you may fail to land a new job, but another chance will come around soon). Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams in your face. That’s bitter reality.
Now a book has been published which confirms what we pessimists(悲观者) have suspected all along. It’s called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, “What’s interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation’s outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better.”
So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on a date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a backup plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, and “Don’t count your chickens until they hatch.” To have a confident and optimistic approach to life’s problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien, the American comedian says, “Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.”
There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don’t feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. A book that has recently been published.
B. The dangers of being too optimistic.
C. How to become successful in life.
D. The benefits of defensive pessimism.
2.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refers to________.
A. the final outcome
B. people’s motivation
C. their low opinion
D. their performance
3.The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science.” in Paragraph 4 means ________.
A. the cost is not so high
B. there is no real proof
C. it’s not a dangerous thing to do
D. it is quite simple to understand
4.The writer would probably describe himself as________.
A. an optimist
B. a scientist
C. a defeatist
D. a realist
5.Which of the following English expressions would be a defensive pessimist believe?
A. Every cloud has a silver lining.
B. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
C. Whatever will be, will be.
D. The glass is half full not half empty.
On a Friday night, a poor young artist stood at the gate of the New York railway station, playing his violin. The music was so great that many people stopped to put some money into the hat of the young man.
The next day, the young artist came to the same place, and put his hat on the ground gracefully. Different from the day before, he took out a large piece of paper and laid it under his hat. Then he began to play the violin. It sounded more pleasant than ever.
Soon he was surrounded with people who were attracted by the words on that paper. It said, “Last night, a gentleman named George Sang put an important thing into my hat by mistake. Please come to claim（认领）it soon.”
After about half an hour, a middle-aged man rushed through the crowd to the violinist and said, “Yes, it’s you. I knew that you were an honest man and would certainly come here.” The young violinist asked calmly, “Are you Mr. George Sang?” The man nodded. The violinist asked, “Did you lose something?” “It’s a lottery ticket（彩票）,” said the man. The violinist took out a lottery ticket on which George Sang’s name was seen. “Is it?” he asked. George nodded and took the lottery ticket and kissed it, then danced with the violinist.
The violinist was a student at an arts college and had planned to attend advanced studies in Vienna. Later his classmate asked the violinist, “At that time you needed money to pay the tuition （学费）and you had to play the violin in the railway station every day to make money. Why didn’t you keep the lottery ticket for yourself?” The violinist said, “Although I don’t have much money, I live happily. But if I lose honesty I won’t be happy forever.”
Through our lives, we can gain a lot and lose so much. But being honest should always be with us.
1.What did the young artist do at the railway station on Friday?
A. He walked around the New York railway station.
B. He waited for the train to Vienna.
C. He came to buy a train ticket to Vienna.
D. He played the violin to make some money.
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the words on the paper?
A. The hat belonged to George Sang.
B. The young artist needed George Sang’s advice.
C. George Sang had lost something important.
D. The young artist wanted some money from George Sang.
3.From this article, we can learn that ______.
A. being honest is very important to us
B. playing the violin can make you honest
C. it’s acceptable to keep the lottery if you find one
D. we should share something valuable with others
Four Wild Animal Species Were Endangered
Maybe you can still see them at the zoo. But that doesn’t mean they’re doing alright in the wild.
Tigers
All six tiger species are endangered, with Suatran tigers and South China tigers at a seriously endangered status. The main reasons for their population decline are illegal hunting and destroyed habitats, as humans clear forests to gather timber and build roadways. Only about 3890 tigers presently live in the wild.
Ground squirrels
That’s right, even squirrels are endangered, specifically the San Joaquin ground squirrel. Native to California, USA, these guys have been disappearing since 1979 on account of the construction and human developments going through their habitat. Their total population is unknown, but it could be anywhere between 124000 and 4130000.
Giraffes
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently put giraffes at a vulnerable status, the level just before endangered. The giraffe population has declined 40 percent in the last 30 years, primarily due to loss of habitat and illegal hunting. Some giraffes are killed just for their tails, which are considered status symbols in Africa.
Asian elephants
The main threat to Asian elephants, one of the most intelligent animals, is their shrinking habitat. As the human population grows, people invade their land to build roads and railway tracks. Elephants in Myanmar are at an especially high risk for being captured and traded or used illegally in the tourist industry. Fewer than 50000 are left on the entire continent.
1.Why is the population of tigers becoming smaller?
A. People hunt illegally and destroy their living spots.
B. It is difficult for tigers to fit in with their environment.
C. The forests are not suitable for their living.
D. The tigers are a threat to the residents nearby.
2.What’s the main reason why some animals are in danger according to the passage?
A. Climate changes.
B. Human activities.
C. Lack of food.
D. Serious pollution.
3.The tails of ________ are regarded as status symbols in Africa.
A. tigers’
B. ground squirrels’
C. giraffes’
D. Asian elephants’
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The giraffe population has increased greatly in the last 30 years.
B. The number of squirrels is between 124000 and 4130000.
C. Elephants in Myanmar are completely caught and even killed.
D. The present situation of endangered animals is worrying.
In 1812, the year Charles Dickens was born, there were 66 novels published in Britain. People had been writing novels for a century—most experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719—
but nobody wanted to do it professionally. The steam-powered printing press was still in its early stages; the literacy（识字） rate in England was under 50%. Many works of fiction appeared without the names of the authors, often with something like “By a lady.”Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral, or just plain bad.
In 1870, when Dickens died, the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher, famous and beloved, who had led an explosion in both the publication of novels and their readership and whose characters — from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim— were held up as moral touchstones. Today Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged. Removing him from the pantheon（名人堂） of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.
How did Dickens get to the top? For all the feelings readers attach to stories, literature is a numbers game, and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass. Some 60,000 novels were published during the Victorian age, from 1837 to1901; today a casual reader might be able to name a half-dozen of them. It’s partly true that Dickens’ style of writing attracted audiences
from all walks of life. It’s partly that his writings rode a wave of social, political and scientific progress. But it’s also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center. No one will ever know what mix of talent, ambition, energy and luck made Dickens such a singular writer. But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible — and important for our own culture—to understand how he made himself a lasting one.
1.Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th century?
A. They were difficult to understand.
B. They were popular among the rich.
C. They were seen as nearly worthless.
D. They were written mostly by women.
2.Dickens is compared with the Mona Lisa in the text to stress________.
A. his reputation in France
B. his interest in modern art
C. his success in publication
D. his importance in literature
3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To remember a great writer.
B. To introduce an English novel.
C. To encourage studies on culture.
D. To promote values of the Victorian age.
假设你是李华，最近，你的外教Mr. Jerry给你发Email询问你校课外活动(after-class activities)的开展情况。请你根据以下提示，写一封回信。
1．学校开展课外活动的情况：20多个社团、30多门选修课；
2．你参加的课外活动以及你体会到的益处（两点益处）；
3．为同学选择课外活动提出建议（两条建议）。
注意：1. 词数100-120词左右；
2. 回信的开头已为你写好（不计入总词数）。
3. 参考词汇：社团活动 club activity; 选修课 elective
Dear Jerry,
I am glad to hear from you. In your email, ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely yours，
Li Hua
短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
增加：在缺词处加一个符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1. 每句不超过两个错误；
2. 每处错误及其修改均只限一词；
3. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear friend:
I’m glad to have received your email to me. My name is Liu Yang. I’m also 16 year old and I live in Linshui , Sichuan. I’m the first-year student in senior high school. Now I’m writing to tell to you what you want to know. My first memory of school is that the school yard here is full different from those in my junior school. My new senior school yard is such large and beautiful that I have never seen before. Attend the lecture in English in my new class is my favorite activity. My first English teacher called Miss Wang, a young pretty girl who just graduate from university. Her spoken English is very good. My best friend here is my desk mate. Wei Ping, along with us also live in the same room. We stay together from morning till night but I think she will be my best friend for ever.
