My father was 44 and knew he wasn’t going to make it to 45. He wrote me a letter and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life.

Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. Only part always times out. “Right now, you are pretending to be a time-killer. But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best.” Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself. “You will do something great.” He didn’t know what that would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I’ve felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask. “Is this what you were talking about, Dad? Should I keep going?”

A long way from 12 now, I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though , I’ve come to believe he’d want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of, and believe in, somebody else. It’s time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don’t hold back because they’re afraid to fail. They’re only afraid of failing us. They don’t worry about being disappointed. Their fear－as mine was until my father’s letter－is of being a disappointment.

Give your children permission to succeed. They’re writing for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me. That belief will be more complete, that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts; “Don’t worry; you’ll do something great.” Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back.

We learn from the text that the author _________      

A. lost his father when he was young

B. Worked hard before he read his father's letter

C. Asked his father's permission to believe in himself

D. Knew exactly what great thing his father wanted him to do

What does the author tell us in the 3rd paragraph? 

A. Children need their parents’ letters.    

B. Children are afraid to be disappointed.

C. His children’s fear of failure held them back.

D. His father’s letter removed his fear of failing his parents.

Which of the following is true of the author? 

A. He got no access to success.         B. He wrote back to his father at 12.

C. He was sure his parents loved him.    D. He once asked his father about the letter.

The main purpose of the text is to _______.

A. describe children’s thinking             B. answer some questions children have

C. stress the importance of communication   D. advise parents to encourage their children

The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer's ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises (大脑训练) involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss.

In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层). Brain scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you've ever dialed (拨电话) a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you called when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to another thought or task, and then took that “moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency (效率) declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time.

Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don' t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes.

We often don't remember things as well when we're trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people's names—even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them.

1. Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?

A. To make them more productive.                

B. To reduce their stress and anxiety.

C. To develop their communication Skills.         

D. To help them perform daily tasks more easily.

2. According to Paragraph 2, why may a person suddenly forget who he has called?

A. He may have his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged.    

B. He is probably interrupted by another task.

C. He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called.    

D. He may need a rest between dialing and speaking.

3. People tend to make mistakes when       .

A. they perform several challenging tasks at a time 

B. new messages are processed one after another    

C. their relationships with others are affected       

D. the tasks require little thought

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Multitasking has become a way of life.

B. Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline.

C. Multitasking exercises need to be improved.

D. Multitasking enables people to remember things better.

Cultural practices, cultural differences, local manners, and mores: traveling the globe can be a behavioral minefield, even when you have the best intentions. Everything from greeting to eating can be an opportunity to do the wrong thing, and not only embarrass yourself, but offend your host countrymen. Look out for the following cultural mistakes and try to avoid them while going abroad.

In which country can you greet someone with a kiss?

       A. Thailand    B. England     C. Qatar  D. Hawaii

If you’re in Japan and you’ve got a bad cold, what should you do at dinner?

       A. Excuse yourself and leave for home.       B. Blow your nose with a handkerchief.

       C. Use some disposable tissues when needed D. Go to the restroom.

Before entering your friend’s house in a foreign country, you’d better ______.

       A. greet the host or hostess first    B. follow others’ behaviors

       C. remove your shoes first     D. respect their customs

To enjoy your dinner in India, you have to ______.

       A. avoid talking over dinner  B. keep your shoes on

       C. share food with others      D. eat with your right hand

There are many kinds of friends. Some are always    36   you, but don't understand you. Some say only a few words to you, but understand you. Many people will step in your life, but only   37  friends leave footprints.

　　I shall always recall (回忆) the autumn and the girl with the  38  . She will always bring back the friendship between us. I know she will always be my best friend.

　　It was the golden season. I could see the yellow leaves   39  on the cool  40 . In such a season, I liked walking alone in the leaves,  41   to the sound of them.

　　Autumn is a  42   season and life is uninteresting. The free days always get me   43  . But one day, the sound of a violin   44   into my ears like a stream (小溪) flowing in the mountains. I was so surprised that I jumped to see what it was. A young girl, standing in the wind, was  45   in playing her violin.

　　I had  46  seen her before. The music was so nice that I listened quietly. Lost in the music, I didn't know that I had been   47  there for so long but my existence (存在) did not seem to disturb her.

　　Leaves were still falling. Every day she played the violin in the corner of the building  48  I went downstairs to watch her performance. I was the only listener. The autumn seemed no longer lonely and life became   49  .  50  we didn't know each other, I thought we were already good friends. I believe she also loved me.

Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening carefully, the sound suddenly

   51  . To my astonishment (惊讶), the girl came over to me.

　　“You must like violin.” she said.

　　“Yes. And you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.

　　Suddenly, a   52  expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual.

　　“I came here to see my grandmother, but now I must leave. I once played very badly. It was your listening every day that   53  me.” she said.

　　“In fact, it was your playing   54  gave me a meaningful autumn,” I answered, “Let's be friends.”

　　The girl smiled, and so did I.

I never heard her play again in my life. I no longer went downstairs to listen like before. Only thick leaves were left behind. But I will always remember the fine figure (身影) of the girl. She is like a   55 —so short, so bright, like a shooting star giving off so much light that it makes the autumn beautiful.

Twenty-first century humanity has mapped oceans and mountains, visited the moon, and surveyed the planets．But for all the progress, people still don’t know one another very well.

That brings about Theodore Zeldin’s “feast of conversation”－events where individuals pair with persons they don’t know for three hours of guided talk designed to get the past “Where are you from?”

Mr．Zeldin, an Oxford University professor, heads Oxford Muse, a 10-year-old foundation based on the idea that what people need is not more information, but more inspiration and encouragement.

The “feast” in London looks not at politics or events, but at how people have felt about work, relations among the sexes, hopes and fears, enemies and authority, the shape of their lives．The “menu of conversation” includes topics like “How have your priorities changed over the years?” Or, “What have you rebelled against the past?”

As participants gathered, Zeldin opened with a speech: that despite instant communications in a globalized age, issues of human heart remain．Many people are lonely, or in routines that discourage knowing the depth of one another．“We are trapped in shallow conversations and the whole point now is to think, which is sometimes painful,” he says．“But thinking interaction is what separates us from other species, except maybe dogs…who do have generations of human interactions.”

The main rules of the “feast”: Don’t pair with someone you know or ask questions you would not answer．The only awkward moment came when the multi-racial crowd of young adults to seniors, in sun hats, ties and dresses, looked to see whom with for hours．But 15 minutes later, everyone was seated and talking, continuing full force until organizers interrupted them 180 minutes later.

“It’s encouraging to see the world is not just a place of oppression and distance from each other,” Zeldin summed up．“What we did is not ordinary, but it can’t be madder than the world already is.”

Some said they felt “liberated” to talk on sensitive topics．Thirty-something Peter, from East London, said that “it might take weeks or months to get to the level of interaction we suddenly opened up.”

What can the “conversations” be best described as?

       A．Deep and one-on-one.     B．Sensitive and mad.

       C．Instant and inspiring.      D．Ordinary and encouraging.

In a “feast of conversations”, participants ______.

       A．pair freely with anyone they like

       B．have a guided talk for a set of period of time

       C．ask questions they themselves would not answer

       D．wear clothes reflecting multi-racial features．

In paragraph 6, “they would be ‘intimate’” is closest in meaning to “______”.

       A．they would have physical contact   B．they would have in-depth talk

       C．they would be close friends     D．they would exchange basic information

From the passage, we can conclude that what Zeldin does is ______.

       A．an attempt to promote thinking interaction

       B．one of the maddest activities ever conducted

       C．a try to liberate people from old-fashioned ideas

       D．an effort to give people a chance of talking freely