Every night，I watched for Miss Ellen's lights to go off. She lives next door and we are best friends，____I'm young and she's old. We both like dogs，cats and birds. Miss Ellen has another best friend，her ____，Imogene. Soon as her lights were off，I went into our kitchen and got a(n) ____ to say good­night to Imogene.

“Imogene？” I kept my voice ____ because Imogene is old and I didn't want to ____ her.

Imogene looked at me ____ I put the egg under  her. She seemed to ___ sitting on that egg. I guessed it must ____ her of good old times.

Every morning，I went to Miss Ellen's home to ____ her bread while she ate Imogene's egg.“ I should let you eat the egg too，but it's Imogene's ___ to me，”she said.

When Imogene stopped laying eggs last year，Miss Ellen became ____ and quiet. That was before I started ____ giving her one of Mom's every night.

One morning when I got to Miss Ellen's kitchen，something was ___.Miss Ellen seldom allowed Imogene in the house，but that day she was on the table. Miss Ellen was ____，holding two eggs in her hands.

“Can you ____ it？My Imogene laid this herself！It's not one of your mother's. Oh！Oh！”She ____and put her hand over her mouth.

I looked at her in ____.“You knew？”

“Yes. I'm sorry. To tell the truth，Imogene ____ that you come to visit her every day. She didn't want you to stop. So we decided to keep ____.”

It took a minute for me to ____.Then I figured it out. Both of them wanted me to come. I touched Imogene's head and smiled at Miss Ellen.

1.A. for                      B．yet                                  C．though                    D．because

2.A. dog                              B．cat                                   C．bird                     D．hen

3.A. egg                              B．apple                         C．cake                      D．drink

4.A. firm                     B．soft                                 C．loud                              D．pleasant

5.A. lose                             B．hurt                           C．keep                              D．frighten

6.A. unless                    B．since                           C．as                                    D．if

7.A. like                              B．consider                   C．regret                       D．mind

8.A. tell                      B．remind                           C．warn                        D．convince

9.A. mix                              B．cut                                  C．borrow                   D．share

10.A. promise                    B．choice                            C．gift                       D．job

11.A. sad                            B．calm                     C．boring                             D．strange

12.A. slowly                   B．secretly                           C．mainly                     D．simply

13.A. important           B．funny           C．wrong                        D．different

14.A. busy                     B．angry                     C．excited                      D．shocked

15.A. believe                     B．feel                                 C．make                            D．see

16.A. remembered          B．stopped                    C．smiled                            D．nodded

17.A. peace                  B．disappointment        C．surprise               D．confidence

18.A. hopes                  B．prefers                            C．suggests              D．loves

19.A. quiet                    B．happy                C．honest                      D．friendly

20.A. start                          B．understand          C．cry                            D．notice

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示; 2)首字母提示；3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意

义准确、拼写正确。

Like many Chinese children, I began learning English at an early age.

1.The experience of seeing people_____ (唱歌)and chatting in English

2.made me i      in it. I thought it a beautiful language and had fun

3.Yet after I a      middle school, English learning seemed to be more

4.more difficult and l   interesting. To tell the truth, I had to work as

5.as other fellow students. Disappointedly, I still_______(无法) to make

6.rapid progress. I was about to give up my English       I met Miss Li,

7.my present English teacher,___   advised me to carry on and practice

8.more. With her help, I adopted some ______(科学) learning methods to

9.improve my listening and speaking. Besides, I took part     English

10.contests and won various p        . Now English is indeed my

favourite subject.

To tell you _____ truth, going on a trip into ______ space is what I want to do most.

1. A.
   /, /
2. B.
   the, /
3. C.
   the, the
4. D.
   /, the

Scientists in Mexico have just begun a new study of one of the world’s biggest pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun, north of Mexico City. They’re putting lots of small, high-tech machines under the pyramid to try to unlock some of its secrets. For thousands of years, people have tried to uncover the secrets of the pyramids.

The people who built the pyramids made lots of secret doors and rooms to stop robbers from finding the treasures inside. However, there always have been some smart thieves in history. Now, almost all of Egypt’s pyramids have been robbed, including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest pyramid in the world. It is the only one of the ancient wonders of the world that is still standing.

In AD 820, an Arab king named Abdullah AL Manum got a group of workers to dig their way into the Great Pyramid and have a look. Inside the pyramid, they found three rooms—the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber. But to their surprise, the men didn’t find the treasures they wanted. The Queen’s and King’s Chambers were both empty! Where were the King’s mummy and his treasures? Had someone already taken them away? The huge stone doors at the pyramid’s entrance were still closed when AL Manum’s men went inside. How had the thieves got in and out?

Since then, many people have gone inside the Great Pyramid to have a look or to try to take things. But still, no other chambers or walkways have been found.

In 2002, an American team made the most recent visit to the Great Pyramid. Scientists sent a robot into the pyramid, but they only found a mysterious locked stone door.

1. The first two paragraphs were written to show that ____.

A. ancient Egyptian emperors were cruel

B. the Pyramid of the Sun is an unusual historic building

C. construction workers led a hard life in ancient Egypt

D. the secrets of the pyramids remain to be uncovered

2.What is the purpose of making some secret doors to the pyramids?  _______.

A. To try to unlock some of its secrets

B. To stop robbers from finding the treasures inside

C. To refuse some visitors all over the world into it

D. To tell the truth to the people in the future

3.Which of the following is NOT true to the Great Pyramid of Khufu? ______.

A. It is the largest pyramid in the world.  

B. It is the only one of the ancient wonders that is still standing.

C. Abdullah AL Manum took the King’s mummy and his treasures away

D. Scientists found a mysterious locked stone door to the Great Pyramid

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. The Pyramid of the Sun

B. The Great Pyramid of Khufu

C. A Mysterious Locked Stone Door 

D. Unlocking the Doors of History of the Pyramid

第二节：短文改错（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
Recently I was invited to a friend’s house for supper and had a meal I have never had before.
All the friends invited were a little  31 . It’s not that Ben is unsociable , or a bad cook , but it’s just that he never  32  more than he has to. So how come he was inviting us round for a meal? Had he bought something  33  for his friends? He greeted us at the door and showed us into his dining room where a  34  table was waiting for us.“Nothing but the  35  for my friends!”said Ben. We all sat down and looked  36  at each other---what did he  37 to?
Ben returned with four bowls of hot soup.“It’s a  38  of carrots , potatoes and tomatoes,”said Ben. The next  39  was also a little strange in that we didn’t quite know what it was again. It’s just 40 mixture of vegetable.
As we ate we chatted and finally the  41  turned back to what we were eating.“Was there a recipe（食谱）for this,” asked Marina ,“or did you  42  it up?”Ben put his fork down. “What I cooked  43 what I could find.”Marina was surprised.“But you can find anything in supermarkets these days.”“But there’s  44  choice in what you can find  45  supermarkets.” He replies.
46  that we had all finished the food , Ben decided to tell the truth. He had read recently that supermarkets usually  47  away 5 percent of their food every day. So Ben decided to look inside his local supermarket bins. There he found food that was slightly out of  48 , boxes of throw-away vegetables and fruit.
So Ben had  49  provided a decent(不错的) meal for his friends , and made us aware of the fact that there are many poor people who need the food , but the amount of food thrown away is enough to  50  millions of people.
31. A. excited                  B. disappointed             C. surprised                  D. delighted
32. A. takes                         B. spends                  C. uses                         D. costs
33. A. cheap                        B. special                        C. practical                   D. usual
34. A. new                           B. separate                    C. booked                     D. laid
35. A. worst                         B. most                        C. best                         D. least
36. A. nervously                   B. carefully                  C. sadly                        D. happily
37. A. think                        B. consider                   C. mean                    D. ask
38. A. mixture                       B. liquid                   C. matter                  D. dish
39. A. course                B. food                        C. soup                        D. salad
40. A. other                         B. others               C. the other          D. another
41. A. dinner                       B. idea                         C. food                        D. subject
42. A. pick                          B. look                        C. make                       D. take
43. A. referred                        B. depended on             C. lay in                       D. resulted from
44. A. less                           B. more                        C. some                        D. any
45. A. within                       B. beyond                     C. inside                   D. outside
46. A. Feeling                  B. Seeing                        C. Realizing                  D. Thinking
47. A. store                          B. move                       C. throw                   D. hide
48. A. order                         B. place                        C. season                  D. date
49. A. successfully            B. possibly                   C. hardly                 D. hopefully
50. A. enrich                        B. please                 C. affect                       D. Feed

第二节：语法结构（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）      

阅读下面短文，根据上下文填入适当的词语，或使用括号中的词语的适当形式填空，并将答案填在答题卷标号为31~40的相应位置上。

When I was growing up, I do not recall hearing the words “I love you” from my father. When your father never says ___31___ to you when you are a child, it gets tougher and tougher for him ___32___ (say) those words as he gets ___33___ (old). To tell the truth, I could not honestly remember ___34___ I had last said those words to him either. I decided to set my ego (自我) aside and make the first move. ___35___ some hesitation, in our next phone conversation I blurted out (突然说出) the words, “Dad … I love you!”

There was a silence at the ___36___ end and he ___37___ (awkward) replied, “Well, same back at you!”

I laughed and said, “Dad, I know you love me, and when you are ready, I know you ___38___ (say) what you want to say.”

A few weeks later, Dad concluded our phone conversation ___39___ the words, “Paul, I love you.” I was at work during this conversation and the tears were rolling down my cheeks ___40___ I finally “heard” the love. As we both sat there in tears we realized that this special moment had taken our father-son relationship to a new level.

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A,B,C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents．They are very busy working to __36_ the family．They don’t act in the _37__ ways that I read in books or I see on TV．__38__ flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more __39__．

One day，my mother was sewing a quilt．I __40__ sat down beside her and looked at her．“Mom，is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a __41__ voice.

My mother stopped and raised her head with __42 _ in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．Then she __43__ her head and continued to sew the quilt．At last my mother said:

“Susan,” she said，“Look at this thread．Sometimes it appears，but most of it __44__ in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and __45__．If life is a quilt，then love should be a __46__．It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime，but it’s really there．Love is __47__.”

The next spring，my father suddenly got sick seriously．When they returned from the hospital，mother looked rather pale and it seemed __48__ of them had had a serious illness．Every day in the morning and dusk，my mother helped my father __49__ slowly on the country road．My father had never been so __50__．Along the country road，there were many beautiful flowers，green grass and trees．The sun gently glistened through the leaves．All of these __51__ the most beautiful picture in the world.

“Dad，how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.

He said gently．“__52__，I just like walking with your mom．I like this kind of life.” __53__ his eyes，I know he loves my mother deeply.

__54__ I thought love meant flowers，gifts and sweet kisses．But from this __55__，I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life．Love is inside，making life strong and warm.

1.．

2.．

3.．

4.．

5.．

6.．

7.．

8.．

9.．A．lost          B．turned out      C disappeared       D．came up

10.．

11.．A．needle            B．cloth                C  thread         D．sheet

12.．

13.．

14.．

15.．

16.．

17.．

18.．A．Seeing        B．Reading       C  Watching       D．Observing

19.．

20.．A．process           B．way                 C matter              D．experience

The CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs’ story about death

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered（遇到）to help me make the big choice in life.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors’ code for preparing yourself to die.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another biopsy（活组织检查）and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.

Your time is so limited that you shouldn’t waste it repeating someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma（教条）----which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because_________.

   A. he had to rest at home

B. his disease was not serious at all

   C. his disease couldn’t be cured

D. he had to wait for the result of the test

How did the author feel after the diagnosis?

   A. Angry       B. Excited       C. Optimistic   D. Hopeless 

What does the author think of death?

A. He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.

B. He thinks it is not the end of life.

C. He thinks it is impossible to avoid.

D. He thinks it is the beginning of a new life

In the author’s opinion, we should ____________.

   A. follow others’ advice

B. take no notice of diseases

   C. take exercise and keep healthy

D have the courage to follow our heart

 ----- Why do you think Liu Xiang is one of the best sportsman?

----- ______, he is the world record holder in men’s 110m hurdles, which is considered to be a big progress for Chinese athletes.

A．For the first time                        B．Believe it or not

C．To give an example                      D．To tell the truth

-How about his design?

  -Well, to tell the truth, it is______ but satisfactory.

A. something                   B. anything                       C. everything                   D. nothing

认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。

（注意：每空填1个单词。）

Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you’re tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees.

You have to make an evaluation of abstract qualities that can’t be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question, applicant after applicant.

Still, interviewers need to be told something: “What is your biggest weakness?” is not a good question. It just isn’t.

Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to know what makes an applicant different from others. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. Then what may be a proper way to respond to such a question?

Honesty, with a twist（新手法）

“‘What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?’ is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this,” says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company.

“As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative（主动性）, motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these qualities into specific ‘personal statements.’”

“Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.”

“I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, ‘My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.’”

This answer leads with a strength that employers want —initiative —and still acknowledges that you’re not perfect.

Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you’re being honest.

Honesty, with progress

When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you are a perfectionist will come across as insincere.

Debra Davenport, author of “Career Shuffle,” believes citing(引用) examples are the best approach.

“My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant’s image.” Davenport explains.

“A better response might be, ‘I’ve had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn’t good for me, my family or my employer. I’ve taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I’m also committed to my overall wellness.’”

The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you’ve thought beyond the answer. You’ve actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven’t completely overcome the weakness.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes

However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide,” recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.

“If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize (共鸣) with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meet their needs for the position you seek.”

Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you’ll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.

When I was young, my father used to grow carnations — a kind of flower that was red, pink or white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came home from work, he would enjoy watching them. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”
One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnation from their stems（枝干）one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way.
When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When dad arrived, he went as usual straight to watch the flowers. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbors’ children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.”
Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have better flower than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged（拥抱）dad strongly.
【小题1】How did Clemence feel when she had the carnations cut?

When I was young, my father used to grow carnations(康乃馨) ----- a kind of flower which was red, pink and white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came back home from work, he would enjoy watching them. Everyone who saw them admired them for their beauty. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”

One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnations from their stems(枝干) one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way.

When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When my dad arrived, he went straight to see the flowers as usual. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbor’s children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.”

Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have a better flower than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged dad strongly.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

2. How did Clemence feel when she had the carnations cut?

3.What caused my younger sister to smile and hug dad strongly?

4.Which of the following would be the best title?

To tell the truth, if it were not for the fact that you______ my daughter, I would not take such pains to serve you.

Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. A recent research shows people tend to tell more lies in phone conversations than they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded and can come back to haunt you appears to be the key to the finding.

Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, asked 30 students to keep a communications diary for a week. In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes, and confessed to how many lies they told. Hancock then worked out the number of lies per conversation for each medium. He found that lies made up 14 percent of emails, 21 percent of instant messages, 27 percent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 of phone calls.

His results to be presented at the conference on human-computer interaction in Vienna, Austria, in April, have surprised psychologists. Some expected emailers to be the biggest liars, reasoning that because deception makes people uncomfortable, the detachment（非直接接触）of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others expected people to be more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form of communication.

But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread, and whether it occurs in real time. “People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could later be used to hold them to account,” he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.

“People are also more likely to lie in real time in an instant message or phone call than if they have time to think of a response,” say Hancock. He found many lies are spontaneous responses to an unexpected demand, such as, “Do you like my dress?”

Hancock hopes his research will help companies work out the best ways for their employees to communicate. For instance, the phone might be the best medium for sales where employees are encouraged to stretch the truth. But, given his result, work assessment where honesty is a priority, might be best done using email.

1.Hancock’s study focuses on ______.

A. the consequences of lying in various communications media

B. the success of communications technologies in conveying ideas

C. people are less likely to lie in instant messages

D. people’s honesty levels across a range of communications media

2.Hancock’s research finding surprised those who believed that ______.

A. people are less likely to lie in instant messages

B. people are unlikely to lie in face-to-face interactions

C. people are most likely to lie in email communication

D. people are twice as likely to lie in phone conversations

3.According to the passage, why are people more likely to tell the truth through certain media of communication?

A. They are afraid of leaving behind traces of their lies.

B. They believe that honesty is the best policy.

C. They tend to be relaxed when using those media.

D. They are most practiced at those forms of communication.

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. honesty should be encouraged in interpersonal communications

B. more employers will use emails to communicate with their employees

C. suitable media should be chosen for different communication purposes

D. email is now the dominant medium of communication within a company

John keeps a record of new words and expressions in English. He usually writes them in a note-book. Then, later in the day, he asks his teacher about them. “Mrs. Thomas, these expressions are new to me. ‘She’s blue today.’， ‘You’re yellow’, ‘A little white lie’, ‘She has green fingers’.” After looking at the note-book, Mrs. Thomas says, “In everyday English, John，‘blue’ sometimes means sad.  ‘Yellow’ means afraid. A person with ‘green fingers’ grows plants successfully. And ‘a white lie’ is not a bad lie.” “I don’t understand. Please give me an example.” “ For example, I offer you some cake. The truth is that you don’t like my cake. You don’t say that. Instead, you say, ‘No, thanks, I'm not hungry.’ That’s a white lie.” John says, “I see , thanks for the explanation!”
【小题1】“Blue” sometimes means in spoken English “_____”.

When I was young, my father used to grow carnations(康乃馨) ----- a kind of flower which was red, pink and white. He took care of them with much love and devotion. Every day he came back home from work, he would enjoy watching them. Everyone who saw them admired them for their beauty. And he used to tell us, “No one should touch my flowers.”
One day, my younger sister Clemence, who loved dad very much, wanted to help him. So she cut the carnations from their stems(枝干) one by one and arranged them on the ground. She believed that dad would be very pleased to see them that way.
When mom and I realized what my sister had done, we became completely speechless. However, my sister had no idea why no one showed her any appreciation. When my dad arrived, he went straight to see the flowers as usual. Seeing his flowers lying on the ground like dead animals, he was shocked at first. He looked towards the street to see if it was any of the neighbor’s children who could have done it. Then he looked at mom in silence. Finally mom, who always taught us to tell the truth no matter what, said, “No bad neighbors did this great job, only your lovely daughter Clemence.”
Dad’s face changed into a smile and then he said, “Do I have a better flower than my lovely daughter?” My younger sister smiled and hugged dad strongly.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you’re tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees.

You have to make an evaluation of abstract qualities that can’t be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question, applicant after applicant.

Still, interviewers need to be told something: “What is your biggest weakness?” is not a good question. It just isn’t.

Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to know what makes an applicant different from others. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. Then what may be a proper way to respond to such a question?

Honesty, with a twist(新手法)

“‘What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?’ is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this,” says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company.

“As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative(主动性), motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these qualities into specific ‘personal statements.’”

“Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.”

“I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, ‘My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.’”

This answer leads with a strength that employers want —initiative —and still acknowledges that you’re not perfect.

Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you’re being honest.

Honesty, with progress

When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you are a perfectionist will come across as insincere.

Debra Davenport, author of “Career Shuffle,” believes citing(引用) examples are the best approach.

“My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant’s image.” Davenport explains.

“A better response might be, ‘I’ve had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn’t good for me, my family or my employer. I’ve taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I’m also committed to my overall wellness.’”

The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you’ve thought beyond the answer. You’ve actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven’t completely overcome the weakness.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes

However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide,” recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.

“If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize (共鸣) with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meet their needs for the position you seek.”

Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you’ll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.

----- Why do you think Liu Xiang is one of the best sportsman?
----- ______, he is the world record holder in men’s 110m hurdles, which is considered to be a big progress for Chinese athletes.