Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no”.

A friend is moving house this weekend and would like some help, and you agree. But, what you really wanted was a couple of quiet days relaxing at home. Or a roommate spends the entire weekends playing video games and wants to borrow your homework for “reference”. But, you’ve just finished it after taking a whole day to work hard.

Many people say “yes” to these kinds of requests. They tend not to consider their own interests and feelings, and are often angry with themselves afterwards .

Saying “no” requires courage and considerable practice, in fact, according to psychologists .

“Everyone wants to be liked,” says Gabriele Steinki, a German psychologist. “Saying ‘no’ risks losing the affection of the person asking the favor or even a job.”

The result is that many people say “yes” just for keeping the peace. But experts say this is regrettable . Anyone should have the right to say “no”.

In fact, rejecting (拒绝) a request can even help to strengthen a relationship because it expresses a true feeling.

But, for people Used to agreeing to every request, changing can be a long and uncomfortable learning process.

Most people believe that “If I say ‘no’, I'll lose the affection of the person. But the affection is important to me.” This way of thinking can be replaced by this: “If he only likes me because I always do what suits him , then the price of his affection is too high in the long term.”

Steinki says the key is talking to the other person to find a mutual (相互的) solution. “One heeds to present the situation from one’s own point of view, and to suggest how the situation can be dealt with to the advantage of both parties. The other person must have the feeling that his interests are being considered.”

When the refusal is not accepted, Steinki advises giving the reasons calmly again until the person gets the message .

56. Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no” because ________.

A. they don’t care about their own interests and feelings

B. they don’t know they will regret afterwards

C. they have already been used to saying “yes”

D. they care more about others’ affection

57. In the opinion of experts, _________ .

A. people need a lot of practice to say “no”

B. people should say “yes” to keep the peace

C. saying “no” means losing a job

D. people have the right to be liked

58.According to the writer, what should you do if you want to refuse the other person’s request?

A. Just say you can’t help him.

B. Say sorry to him.

C. Refuse him clearly.

D. Talk to the other person to find a mutual way.

59.According to the writer, what should you do if your refusal is not accepted?

A. Say yes to him.                              B. Repeat your reason for his acceptance（接受，认可）

C. Just go away                                  D. Say no to him

60. What is the best title of the passage?

A. You Need Courage To Say “No”   B. “Yes” More Than “No”

C Anyone Has The Right To Say “No” D. It’s Hard To Say “No”

Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no”.

A friend is moving house this weekend and would like some help, and you agree. But, what you really wanted was a couple of quiet days relaxing at home. Or a roommate spends the entire weekends playing video games and wants to borrow your homework for “reference”. But, you’ve just finished it after taking a whole day to work hard.

Many people say “yes” to these kinds of requests. They tend not to consider their own interests and feelings, and are often angry with themselves afterwards .

Saying “no” requires courage and considerable practice, in fact, according to psychologists .

“Everyone wants to be liked,” says Gabriele Steinki, a German psychologist. “Saying ‘no’ risks losing the affection of the person asking the favor or even a job.”

The result is that many people say “yes” just for keeping the peace. But experts say this is regrettable . Anyone should have the right to say “no”.

In fact, rejecting (拒绝) a request can even help to strengthen a relationship because it expresses a true feeling.

But, for people Used to agreeing to every request, changing can be a long and uncomfortable learning process.

Most people believe that “If I say ‘no’, I'll lose the affection of the person. But the affection is important to me.” This way of thinking can be replaced by this: “If he only likes me because I always do what suits him , then the price of his affection is too high in the long term.”

Steinki says the key is talking to the other person to find a mutual (相互的) solution. “One heeds to present the situation from one’s own point of view, and to suggest how the situation can be dealt with to the advantage of both parties. The other person must have the feeling that his interests are being considered.”

When the refusal is not accepted, Steinki advises giving the reasons calmly again until the person gets the message .

1. Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no” because ________.

A. they don’t care about their own interests and feelings

B. they don’t know they will regret afterwards

C. they have already been used to saying “yes”

D. they care more about others’ affection

2. In the opinion of experts, _________ .

A. people need a lot of practice to say “no”

B. people should say “yes” to keep the peace

C. saying “no” means losing a job

D. people have the right to be liked

3.According to the writer, what should you do if you want to refuse the other person’s request?

A. Just say you can’t help him.

B. Say sorry to him.

C. Refuse him clearly.

D. Talk to the other person to find a mutual way.

4.According to the writer, what should you do if your refusal is not accepted?

A. Say yes to him.　　　　　　　　 B. Repeat your reason for his acceptance（接受，认可）

C. Just go away　　　　　　　　 D. Say no to him

5. What is the best title of the passage?

A. You Need Courage To Say “No”　 B. “Yes” More Than “No”

C Anyone Has The Right To Say “No” D. It’s Hard To Say “No”

Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge （大杂烩） of environmental claims made by household products, according to a “green labeling” study published by Consumers International Friday．
Among the report’s more outrageous （令人无法容忍的） findings, a German fertilizer described itself as “earthworm friendly”, a brand of flour said it was “non-polluting” and a British toilet paper claimed to be “environmentally friendlier”．
The study was written and researched by Britain’s National Consumer Council （NCC） for lobby group Consumer International．It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission．
“While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,” said Consumers International director Anna Fielder．
The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain．Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States．It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average．
The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent （洗涤剂）, insect sprays and by some garden products．It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization （ISO） in September, 1999．
Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too unclear or too misleading to meet ISO standards．
“Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,”said report researcher Philip Page．
“Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158．Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73．The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading．” he said．
The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as “environmentally friendly” and “non-polluting” cannot be tested．“What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO．” said Page．
1．According to the passage, the NCC found it outrageous that ____．
A．all the products surveyed claim to meet ISO standards
B．the claims made by products are often unclear or misleading
C．consumers would believe many of the manufactures’claim
D．few products actually prove to be environmentally friendly
2．A study was carried out by Britain’s NCC to ____．
A．find out how many claims made by products fail to meet environmental standards
B．inform the consumers of the environmental impact of the products they buy
C．examine claims made by products against ISO standards
D．test the guidelines set by the International Standards Organization
3．What is one of the consequences caused by the many claims of household products?
A．They are likely to lead to serious environmental problems
B．Consumers find it difficult to tell the true from the false
C．They could arouse widespread anger among consumer
D．Consumers will tend to buy products they don’t need
4．It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to ____．
A．make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements
B．see all household products meet environmental standards
C．warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products
D．prove the efforts of non-polluting products

C
On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged, well-off white South African Lady has found herself sitting next to a black man. She called a stewardess (女乘务员) over to complain about her seating.
“What seems to be the problem, Madam?” asked the stewardess. “Can’t you see?” she said, “You’ve sat me next to a kafir（异教徒）. I can’t possibly sit next to this disgusting man. Find me another seat!” “Please calm down, Madam,” the stewardess replied. “The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do — I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first class.”
The woman cocked a snooty look at the black man beside her.
A few minutes later the stewardess returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who could not help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin. “Madam, unfortunately, as I suspected, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”
Before the lady had a chance to answer, the stewardess continued, “It is the most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, given the circumstances, the captain felt that it was outrageous（令人不能容忍的） that someone should be forced to sit next to such an obnoxious（讨厌的） person.” Having said that, the stewardess turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, “So if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you.”
At that point, the surrounding passengers stood up and gave an ovation（喝彩） while the black man walked up to the front of the plane.
64. Why did the middle-aged lady complain about her seating?
A. Because her seat was not near a window.
B. Because she sat next to a black man.
C. Because she wanted to have a seat in first class.
D. Because the stewardess didn’t answer her question.
65. The underlined words “an obnoxious person” in Paragraph 5 refers to “__________”.
A. the middle-aged lady              B. the black man
C. the stewardess                         D. the captain
66. From the passage we can infer that _________.
A. the middle-aged lady got a seat in first class
B. both the middle-aged lady and the black man got seats in first class
C. neither the middle-aged lady nor the black man got a seat in first class
D. the black man got a seat in first class
67. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. The white people always prefer seats in first class on a plane.
B. More and more passengers travel by plane.
C. The black people are still looked down upon by some whites.
D. Only whites are served well on a plane.

The greatest cartoon-maker in cinema history was Walt Disney, who has often been quoted as saying, “…… it was all started by a mouse.” It was, and Mickey Mouse has gone on to become an international cartoon superstar. Without him, Disney could not have made his own dreams come true.
Mickey was created in 1928. It’s not clear if it was Disney or his business and animation（动画片制作）partner Ub Iwerks who designed the original mouse. But many credit(相信是) Iwerks, who animated all of the earliest cartoons.
The mouse’s original name was Mortimer but was changed to Mickey on the advice of Walt Disney’s wife Lillian. The first and second Mickey Mouse Cartoons were not a success with the public. It was only with the third cartoon, titled Steamboat Willy, that Mickey began to achieve wide recognition(认可). Since then, Mickey’s appearance and personality have changed. His body was changed a few times until they found the best shape for his head, body and ears. Until 1946, Walt Disney provided Mickey’s voice himself.
Mickey has starred in more than a hundred cartoons. He’s often joined by four other famous Disney characters, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto, who have also become children’s favourite cartoon characters all over the world
1.According to the passage, Disney’s early dream may probably be ________.
A. to create Mickey Mouse           B. to marry his wife Lillian
C. to become a cartoon maker         D. to become a superstar
2.Which of the following about Mickey Mouse is true?
A. Mickey became famous in his first cartoon.
B. The original mouse was designed by Disney’s wife.
C. Cartoons starred by Mickey are always very successful.
D. There have been some changes in Mickey’s name and body.
3.From the passage we know that ________.
A. Walt Disney was known as a great cartoon maker
B. less than 100 cartoons have been starred by Mickey
C. there are four Disney characters in Disney’s cartoons
D. Mickey’s voice has been provided by Walt Disney since 1946
4.The best title for this passage is ________.
A. Mickey Mouse — A Cartoon Hero   B. Walt Disney — A Famous Cartoon Maker
C. Walt Disney and His Wife          D. How Mickey Mouse Got His Name