Frankly, I very much appreciate myself. Yes, I admit I’m in many respects not as good as other people, but I don’t think I’m always not good. When I find what I’ve done or written is okay, I’ll remain pleased with myself for quite a few days, and in case I receive praise for it, I’ll even become so excited as to add a few words to glorify myself.

True, I’m not modest at all. People may call me conceited (自负的). But I think otherwise.

I also appreciate other people. I appreciate anything good. Isn’t it unfair to forget appreciating myself while appreciating others?

We Chinese generally tend to be modest, and we take pride in being so. For example, a Chinese will call his own wife zhuojing, meaning “my humble wife”, and his own writings zhuozuo, meaning “my poor writings”. But if you should call his wife a “rustic (乡巴佬的) woman” or his writings “trash”, he would, I’m sure, slap the table in a rage and declare he would make a clean break with you. As a matter of fact, there is probably no difference at all between what is said by him and you respectively.

I don’t think it’s wrong for you to freely praise yourself if you’re really worthy of praise. As we know, there is an old Chinese saying disparaging (蔑视的) a melon peddler(商贩), named Lao Wang, who keeps praising his own goods. Well, why can’t he praise his melons if they are really sweet and juicy?

Friends, Lao Wang sells melons for a living. How could he carry on business if he, by imitating the affectations of us intellectuals, were to show false modesty about his melons? He would sure enough die of starvation.

Self-appreciation is therefore key to professional dedication (贡献) and enjoyment of work. One will lose confidence in continuing with writing when he pauses to admire his own essays.

Needless to say, the same is true of those who make a living with their pen.

49. The best title for the passage would be __________.

A. On Self-Appreciation                        B. Types of Appreciation

C. Power of Appreciation                     D. Uses of Appreciation

50. The underlined word “zhuojing” in Paragraph 4 means _________.

A. wife high in position                            B. wife low in position

C. wise wife                                           D. foolish wife

51. The writer points out with an example about an old Chinese saying that _________.

A. self-appreciation is also an active way of attitude to life and work

B. a false modesty will lose confidence in continuing with writing

C. one person pauses to admire his own essays without self-appreciation

D. one doesn’t praise his melons if his melons are really sweet and juicy

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

A. If I find what I’ve done or written is wrong, I’ll appreciate myself.

B. I never appreciate other people because I think others are foolish.

C. If you think poorly of your friend’s writings, perhaps he’ll be angry at you.

D. Lao Wang will die of starvation because he never praises his melons.

第三部分  阅读理解（共20小题;每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.

After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.

    Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."

Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.

    These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.

    Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar,  one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."

1. Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?

A.  He needs to go to the doctor every day.

B.  He studies the leading cause of diabetes

C.  He has a positive attitude to this disease.

D.  He encourages diabetics by writing articles.

2. Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.

   A. diabetics to communicate          B. volunteers to find jobs

   C. children to amuse themselves       D. rock stars to share resources.

3. According to the text, Kody ______.

A. feel lonely because of his illness

B. benefits from diabeticrockstar.com

C. helps create the online kid’s forums

D. writes children’s stories online

4. What can we learn about Fight It?

A. It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties.

B. It organizes parties for volunteer once a year.

C. It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics.

D. It owns a well-known medical website.

5. The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.

A. works full-time in a diabetes charity      B. employs 22 people for his website

C. helps diabetics in his own way           D. ties to find a cure for diabetes

George, when your big brother and your little dog and I walked you up to schools today, you had no idea how I was feeling.

You were so excited. You had packed and unpacked your pencils and safety scissors in your backpack a dozen times. I am really going to miss those lazy mornings when we waved your brother and sister off to school.

Because you are my youngest, I had learned a few things by the time you came along. I found out that the seemingly endless days of babyhood are gone like lightning. I blinked(眨眼), and your older siblings were setting off for school as eagerly as you did this morning, I was one of the lucky ones; I could choose whether to work or not. By the time it was your turn, the shining prizes of career advancement and a double income had lost their brightness. A splash(溅水) in the pool with you in your bright red boots or "just one more" rereading of your favorite book, Frog and Toad Are Friends, meant more. You didn't go to preschool and I hope that doesn't hold you back. You learned numbers by helping me count the soda cans we returned to the store.

I have to admit that in my mind's eye, an image of myself while you're in school has developed, I see myself updating all the photo albums and starting that novel I always wanted to write. As the summer wound down and more frequent quarrels erupted between you and your siblings, I was looking forward to today. And then this morning, I walked you up the steep hill to your classroom. You found the coat hook with your name above it right away, and you gave me one of your characteristically fierce, too-tight hugs. This time you were ready to let go before I was.

Maybe someday you will deliver a kindergartner to the first day of school. When you turn at the door to wave good-bye, he or she will be too deep in conversation with a new friend to notice. Even as you smile, you'll feel something warm on your cheek.

  And then, you’ll know…

1.What does the author mean by the underlined sentence?

A．She gave up the job with a big salary and prizes.

B．She could only recall her good job at home now.

C．Many good jobs with better pay attracted her but she didn’t take them.

D．Compared with bringing up the baby, work seemed to fade to her.

2.Which statement is NOT TRUE about George’s family according to the letter?

A．George’s parents gave birth to three children

B．The Georges is a double income family.

C．The children had more arguments during the summer.

D．They recyled soda cans.

3.The passage tries to show us          .

A．how excited a child will be on his first day to school

B．how deeply a mother loves her child

C．how many efforts a mother has made to raise a child

D．how a mother plans her future life after her children go to school

Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don’t know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with “step”. This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.

   Shelia’s Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He’d bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia’s thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn’t know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.

   Will’s turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley’s life. He didn’t just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He’d always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn’t want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley’s TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he’d rather take his son and go.

   The advisor’s turn: The counselor(顾问) quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies(育儿经). The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will’s punishments couldn’t be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more.

1.The text is most likely to be found in a book about______.

    A. popular science            B. historical events

C. social problems            D. political systems

2.The reasons for Ashley’s dislike of Will are as follows except_____?

A. Will often picked fights with Ashley.

A. Ashley often spilled milk on the floor.

B. Will always punished her for bad behaviors.

C. Ashley was stopped watching too many cartoons.

3.What can we know about Will?

A. Will has a good intention.           

B. Will does not love children

C. Will does not love Shelia any more   

D. Will’s way of parenting is very perfect.

4.It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor’s attitude to their problem?

A. Negative    B. Objective     C. Critical     D. . Subjective

I feel so excited! At this time tomorrow, I ________ by camel with local guides in Northern Africa.

A．travel            B．travelled          C．will be travelling    D．have travelled