Everybody makes decisions in daily life. They can be as important as what you will do in the future or as simple as what you will eat for breakfast. Any decision could be the turning point of your life.
I made an important decision when I was in Junior 3.
Before I made that decision I wasn’t a good student. I didn’t listen to my parents or teachers, and my grades became poor. Then came the high school entrance exam.
At the turning point of my life, my mom wanted to have a conversation with me. I felt impatient but when I looked at her eyes, I felt I couldn’t refuse. Instead of asking me to study hard, to my surprise, Mom just asked what I wanted to do in the future. Without thinking too much, I just said I would like to study hard.
Mom smiled and asked again: “I asked: what do you WANT to do?”
I had never seriously thought about the question before. So, I kept silent.
“Whether you want to go on studying or enter the society,” she went on, “it is your own decision. It should be made by yourself, not anyone else, including me. ” After saying that, she had tears in her eyes.
For the first time in my life I was asked to make my own decision. I sat in my chair and thought about my life, my future and what kind of person I wanted to become.
It took me what seemed to be ages to make the biggest decision so far in my life—I wanted to be a man who makes a difference in the world. To achieve that, I needed to study hard.
The path to my future became clear to me. I didn’t act rebelliously(叛逆地) any more. With passion (激情) in my heart, I studied hard.
Now, I’m 17 and I’m in one of the best schools in my city, in one of the best classes at the school and I am one of the best students in the class.
Thanks to that decision, I have become what I am today.
1. When did the writer make the important decision?
A. After he was 17 years old.
B. After he was in one of the best classes.
C. When he was a pupil.
D. When he was studying in Junior 3.
2.What was the writer like before the decision?
A. He didn’t do well in his lessons
B. He was a good student.
C. He was one of the top students in his class.
D. He did what his teachers and his parents asked him to do
3.How did the writer make the decision?
A. It was easy for him to make the decision.
B. It was his second time to make the decision.
C. He made the decision seriously.
D. It was his mother that made the decision for him.
4.Why did the writer make the decision?
A. Because his teacher talked with him patiently.
B. Because he didn’t want to act rebelliously any more.
C. Because his mother asked him to study hard as usual.
D. Because his father asked him to think about his future by himself.
5.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The writer made the decision that he should work hard.
B. It took the writer several years to make the decision.
C. After hearing his mother’s words, the writer had tears in his eyes.
D. At the turning point of his life, the writer wanted to have a conversation with
What is your favourite colour? Do you like yellow, orange or red? If you do, you must be an active person who enjoys life. Do you like blue? Then you may be quiet, shy and prefer following to leading.
Colours influence our moods. There is a relationship between colours and moods. A yellow room makes people feel cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings us warmth and joy on the saddest winter day. Black is depressing (令人压抑的). There was a black bridge over River Thames. The number of people who killed themselves on that bridge used to be larger than that on any other bridge in the area---until it was repainted green.
Light and bright colours make people not only happier but also more active. In the factory, the workers will work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black.
1. An active person may like ________.
A. yellow, orange or red
B. yellow, black or red
C. orange, blue or black
D. green, blue or brown
2.Most people feel more _______ in a yellow room than in a dark green one.
A. tired
B. bored
C. relaxed
D. worried
3.Why did more people kill themselves on the black bridge than on any other bridge?
A. Because the bridge was too crowded.
B. Because people didn’t like the bridge.
C. Because the colour of the bridge was depressing.
D. Because no one saved them.
4.In the factory, when the machines are painted orange, the workers will work ______.
A. worse
B. harder
C. more slowly
D. more carelessly
5.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Your Favourite Colour
B. The Secret of Colour
C. The Colour of A Bridge
D. Stop People from Killing Themselves
Many years ago, two friends, Mike and Jim, were walking through the desert. Somehow they began to quarrel (争吵) about small matters. Suddenly, Mike hit Jim in the face. Jim was hurt, but he said nothing. He just wrote in the sand: Today my best friend hit me in the face.
They kept on walking, and at last, they found a river. So they decided to take a bath.
Suddenly, Jim got stuck in the mire (陷在泥里). At that moment, Mike saved him. After Jim felt better, he wrote on a stone: Today my best friend saved my life.
Mike saw this, and asked, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand. After I saved you, you wrote on a stone. Why?”
Jim answered, “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand. Then winds of forgiveness (宽恕) can blow it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave (铭刻) it in stone, then no wind can ever blow it away.”
1. When did the story happen?
2.What did Mike and Jim quarrel about?
3.Did Jim say anything when he was hit?
4.Where did Jim write after Mike saved him?
5.Who do you think might be deeply moved at last?
