I've always felt a need to be prepared for whatever situation I've found myself in．

My mother once took me to a store when I was seven years old．She and I got to the checkout counter, and she realized she had forgotten a couple of things on her shopping list．She left me with the cart and ran off to get what she needed．

"I'll be right back．" she said．

She was gone just a few minutes, but in that time, I had loaded all the things on the belt and everything was rung up．I was left staring at the cashier, who was staring at me．"Do you have money for me, son?" she said．"I'll need to be paid．"

I didn't realize she was just trying to amuse herself．So I stood there, ashamed and embarrassed．

By the time my mom returned, I was angry．"You left me here with no money! This lady asked me for the money, and I had nothing to give her.”

Now that I'm an adult, you'll never catch me with less than 200 in my wallet．I want to be prepared in case I need it．

I've always admired people who are over-prepared．In college, I had a classmate named Norman．One day he was giving a presentation on an overhead projector and in the middle of his talk, the light bulb on the projector blew out．We would have to wait ten minutes until someone found a new projector．

"It's Okay." he announced．"There's nothing to worry about."

We watched him walk over to his bag and pull something out．He had brought along a spare bulb for the overhead projector．Who could even think of that?

I often told my students, " When you go into the wilderness, the only thing you can depend on is what you take with you．" And essentially, the wilderness is anywhere but your home or office．So take money．Pack a light bulb．Be prepared．

1. Why did the cashier ask a seven-year-old boy to pay for the purchases?

A. The boy was shopping by himself．

B. The boy's mother asked her to do so．

C. The cashier was playing a joke on him．

D. The boy's mother was away for something else．

2. Why did Norman bring a spare bulb with him?

A. He was always well-prepared．

B. His presentation was about bulbs．

C. He knew the classroom equipment was of poor quality．

D. He predicted the bulb on the projector would blow out．

3. What do the two stories tell us?...

A. Accidents happen almost every day．

B. In fair weather, prepare for a rainy day．

C. Money is the key that opens all doors.

D. Chances favor those who are well-prepared．

As a leading Chinese language school and a cultural exchange institute in China， Global Exchange Education Center has been providing Mandarin (or Putonghua) language courses and cultural exchange programs for over a decade.

How to apply for our programs

■In order to apply for all of our programs, you must be 

at least 18 years old. 

in good health, 

a senior high school graduate. 

■Application Procedure for Chinese Language Programs

Step 1. Send us a completed application form by email or fax. 

Step 2. Send us  60 application fee after receiving our email confirmation. 

Step 3. Arrange the payment transfer. 

Step 4. Plan the trip to Beijing. 

■Application Procedure for Chinese Business Internship (实习）Program 

Step 1. Send us a completed application form with your CV and personal statement for the program by email or fax.

Step 2. Send us  310, including 60 application fee and  250 internship placement deposit, after receiving our letter of acceptance for the program. 

Step 3. Arrange final payment transfer after receiving our second confirmation. ...

Step 4. Plan the trip to Beijing. 

■Personal Statement for applicants for Chinese Business Internship Program

You should state why you want to take this program and what your expectations of the program are. How you will make use of this program in your future career.

■ APPLICATION DEADLINES

The applications for most programs are reviewed on a rolling basis. You are encouraged to submit your application ahead of the application deadlines.

■Confirmation

Having received your application, Global Exchange Education Center usually sends out an email confirmation for the booking within 2-5 working days.

4. The text is probably written for ______.

A. junior high graduates    B. job seekers

C. international students    D. language trainers

5. If you apply for both of the programs, the total application fees will be ______.

A.  120    B. 310

C. 25    D.  370

6. If you want to apply for Chinese Business Internship program successfully, you'll ______.

A. send the application form by post    B. send personal statement and CV only

C. have to get confirmed at least twice    D. have to make a travel plan in Beijing

7. Which of the following is not necessarily included in applicants，personal statement?

A. Their purposes of taking the program.    B. Their expectations of the program.

C. Their future practice of the program.    D. Their feedbacks on the program.

"Oh, my God! Did I really just send that text?" Most people have said something that they wish they could take back. And if they had paused to think about it first, they probably would have acted differently. Pausing doesn't pay off just when you speak. Scientific studies have shown that making a habit of pausing before you do something can actually have a big impact on how your life turns out.

In making decisions we rely on two areas of the brain. One area creates and processes emotions; the other governs logical thought. The type of decision, how we feel about it, and how prepared we are to handle it help determine which brain area has the most influence.

But our age also plays an important role. Thinking through the consequences of one's actions is actually harder for teens because the area controlling logical (逻辑的)thought is not fully developed until around age 25. This is why teens often feel an intense emotional drive to act impulsively(冲动地)---it's how their brains are structured! Though this tendency to act without considering the outcomes can lead to problematic situations, impulsivity during the developmental years evolves because it makes teens more open to new experiences and ideas. This openness helps teens to become independent adults.

The key to making impulsivity work for you instead of against you is to train your brain by practicing pausing. This doesn't mean you stop taking risks or being open to new experiences. But you won't know if the risk is worth it until you think it through. Deciding to take a risk based on logic shows self-control, not impulsivity.

What are different ways to pause? You might take a deep breath, count to 10, or ask "Is this worth it?" different strategies work for different people. Whatever works for you, keep doing it! By practicing pausing, you can actually change your brain. This means that over time, pausing, instead of immediately reacting, becomes your "natural" response.

And with this change, people are on their way to enjoying the life rewards that come with high levels of self-control---even if they weren't natural-born pausers!

8. What challenges teenagers?

A. Giving natural response.    B. Making logical decision.

C. Acting before thorough thinking.    D. Choosing brain-training strategies.

9. An impulsive person tends to____.

A. consider or accept new ideas    B. change ideas frequently

C. think through a risk in advance    D. show high level of self-control

10. According to the passage, by training one's brain, one can____.

A. stop taking risks

B. fully develop one's brain

C. become more open to new experience

D. reduce the influence of emotional drive

11. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Push the Pause Button    B. Impulsivity Works

C. Discover the Brain Function    D. Crying Over the Spilt Milk

One of the main challenges facing many countries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization and the growing multi-language trend. "One of the main reasons for economic failure in many African countries is the fact that, with a few important exceptions, mother-tongue education is not practiced in any of the independent African states." said Neville Alexander, Director of the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa at the University of Cape Town.

In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from immigration, many countries have introduced language laws in the last decade. In some, the use of languages other than the national language is banned in public spaces such as advertising posters. One of the first such legal provisions(规定) was the 1994 "Toubon law" in France, and the idea has been copied in many countries since then. Such efforts to govern language use are often considered as futile by language experts, who are well aware of the difficulty in controlling fashions in speech and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.

It is especially difficult for native speakers of English to understand the desire to maintain the "purity" of a language by law. Since the time of Shakespeare, English has continually absorbed foreign words into its own language. English is one of the most mixed and rapidly changing languages in the world, but that has not been a barrier to acquiring superiority and power. Another reason for the failure of many native English speakers to understand the role of the state regulation is that it has never been the Anglo-Saxon way of doing things. English has never had a state-controlled authority for the language, similar, for example, to the Academic Francaise in France.

The need to protect national languages is, for most western Europeans, a recent phenomenon-------especially the need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields. Public communication, education and new ways of communication promoted by technology, may be key fields to defend.

12. Neville Alexander believes that __________.

A. mother-tongue education is not practiced in all African countries

B. globalization has resulted in the economic failure of Africa

C. globalization has led to the rise of multi-language trend

D. lack of mother-tongue education can lead to economic failure

13. The underlined word "futile" (in paragraph 2) most probably means " ___________".

A. workable    B. practical

C. useless    D. unnecessary

14. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. English has taken over fields like public communication and education.

B. Many aspects of national culture are threatened by the spread of English.

C. Most language experts believe it is important to promote a national language.

D. Europeans have long realized the need to protect a national language.

15. The best title for the passage is __________.

A. Fighting against the rule of English

B. Protecting local languages and identities

C. Globalization and multi-language trend

D. To maintain the purity of language by law

Things You Should Stop Doing to Be Successful

Are you a happy person? How often do you think of reasons why everyone around you is successful though they are not better than you in general? What do you do wrong? Here are some things you should stop doing to be successful.

1.___16___

Different people may interpret “success” in different ways: some of them measure it in money, other ones in positive changes to people around them and the world in general. ___17___Don’t worry about what other people think but come after what makes you happy.

2. Do not believe anything without questioning it.

___18___They are critical thinkers, and they understand that we all are ruled by our prejudices(偏见), so they will always question new information.

3. Do not worry about all unpredictable things that may happen to you.

If you want to be successful, stop thinking about everything that MAY happen to you. ____19____Be ready to improve and change your deeds and decisions when things suddenly don’t go according to your plan.

4. Do not care about what other people think of you.

___20___Your attempts to become “good” for everyone will turn into nothing but new worries, stresses, and problems. Successful people do not concentrate on the quantity of people to please, but worry about their quality and focus on developing friendships with people they really care about.

A. Do not wait for the “right time” to do anything.

B. Do not let others decide what “success” is for you.

C. Successful people do not just accept any new information to be true.

D. As far as we all know, it’s impossible to please all the people who surround us.

E. Try to feel comfortable with the reality and accept the fact your future can’t be predicted.

F. If you want to be successful, do not let others force their interpretation of success on you.

G. Successful people never ignore or avoid problems，no matter how big and awful they seem.

The new science of spending comes to a surprising conclusion: How we use our money may ____21____as much or more than how much we’ve got.

Money spent on experiences, rather than material goods, ___22___ more happiness. Imagine that you wake up tomorrow morning to ____23____ 1 million under your bed . What would you do ____24____ that cash?

The money will probably make you think about one thing ___25___ all else—yourself. A large amount of research reveals that money ____26____ our selfish sides. We will ____27____ much on what that money can do for us alone, Perhaps you are imagining buying a faster car, or even a new house,

But studies show that ___28___ goods often fail to deliver ____29____ happiness, Fortunately ,our ongoing research ___30___ many ways to get more happiness from every dollar you spend, Changing how you spend money can increase your happiness.

But making these ___31___needs to challenge some of our ideas of spending. It’s hard not to ____32____ buying a house as a wise investment（投资）, But new research shows it brings very little happiness, A study in the United States found that homeowners, on average , were no happier than ____33____ .

So, working hard to save money for a house might not be such a good idea ___34___ it means spending less time with your families and friends.

And dozens of studies show that people get more happiness from buying ___35___ than material things. Experiential purchases --- such as trips, concerts and special meals--- are more ____36____connected to our sense of self.

And experiences come with one more ____37____ -- they tend to bring us ___38___ to other people, but more often, material things are enjoyed____39____ . So social contacts are important to ____40____ mental and physical health.

21. A. present    B. equal    C. appear    D. matter

22. A. carries along    B. breaks out    C. holds on    D. brings along

23. A. keep    B. own    C. discover    D. count[

24. A. with    B. to    C. about    D. for

25. A. above    B. below    C. before    D. after

26. A. shows    B. explains    C. affects    D. designs

27. A. depend    B. concentrate    C. take    D. look

28. A. mental    B. beautiful    C. material    D. clever

29. A. outgoing    B. exciting    C. willing    D. lasting

30. A. invites    B. offers    C. prefers    D. follows

31. A. plans    B. changes    C. decisions    D. mistakes

32. A. know    B. view    C. dream    D. judge

33. A. buyers    B. sellers    C. builders    D. renters

34. A. if    B. how    C. unless    D. though

35. A. houses    B. cars    C. experiences    D. health

36. A. clearly    B. rarely    C. generally    D. closely...

37. A. benefit    B. conclusion    C. purpose    D. identify

38. A. familiar    B. close    C. proper    D. native

39. A. completely    B. worldwide    C. secretly    D. alone

40. A. gain    B. improve    C. damage    D. cover

Long ago the Emperor decided ____41____ (hold) a swimming race among 13 different animals. The order in_____42_____they finished would decide the order of their ____43____（appear）in the Chinese calendar. All the animals lined up on the river bank and were given___44___task of getting to the opposite shore. The cat wondered ___45___he would get across because he was afraid of water. The ox worried how he would cross ___46___his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that he and the cat should jump onto the ox's back and guide him across. The ox, steady and hard-working, did not notice the two animals on his back. In the meanwhile, the rat___47____(run)behind the cat and pushed him into the water. As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off and finished the race first,___48___the rat got the first year ___49___（name）after him and the ox got the second year. When the lazy pig reached the finish line in 12th place the race was over and he ___50___(award) the final place on the calendar. From that day on, the cat, who never finished and lost his place on the calendar, became the enemy of the rat.

Every boy and every girl are eager for success. But what can we succeed in life? Here are my opinions:

First, we must be friendly and kindly. It allows us to make friends but survive wherever we are. Second, we must set a goal, which motivates us to pursue our dreams. Third, it’s better to believe in us. Only with self-confidence we realize our goals. Fourth, we should develop good characters, such as a strong will and diligence, because good qualities help us to hold on to our dreams since we get into the trouble.

As far as I’m concerning, success belongs to those who keep on trying. So let’s take actions now!

假设你是红星中学高三学生李华，请给你的外教Mr. Black写一封邮件，邀请他参加你们学校举行的英语读书会(reading circle)活动，邮件的内容包括：

介绍读书活动的相关信息（例如：时间、地点、活动目的、内容等）；

1.说明你发出邀请的原因；

2.询问对方的意向。

注意：1. 词数不少于100词；

2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Mr. Black,

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your,

Li Hua