WHAT can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you’ll earn later.

The idea that popularity could have a serious influence on one’s earning potential shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work.

“If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations,” said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding. “Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you are occasionally in low spirits,” said Xu. She believed that all this helps you “earn a higher salary.”

Maybe that’s why some people think the younger generations are in the age of Friendalholism (交友狂癥). A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook’s 5,000-friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts.

But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?

“Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition of friend”, said Meghan Daum, who works with The Los Angeles Times in the US.

Daum dislikes the idea that quantity trumps quality in the age of Friendaholism. She thought the idea of friendship, at least among the growing population of Internet social networkers, was to get as many of not-really-friends as possible. For example, a friend might be someone you might know personally but who could just as easily be the friend of a friend of some other Facebook friend you don’t actually know. Although she agreed that social ties grease (潤滑) the wheels of life, she also warned. “Too bad one thing money can’t buy is a real friend.”

1.What will be needed if you are to achieve success according to the researchers?

A. Social skills, friends, good mood and fortune.

B. Social skills, networking, talent and hard work.

C. Social skills, networking, potential and fortune.

D. Social skills, talent, hard work and the facebook.

2.What can friends do in the eyes of Xu Yanchun?

A. They can help you with your schoolwork.

B. They teach you how to make more money.

C. They help you get rid of sadness and cheer up.

D. They always get on well with you.

3.We learn that Meghan Daum’s attitude towards friends is somewhat _______.

A. up-to-date B. optimistic

C. confused D. traditional

4.What does the word “trumps” in the last paragraph mean?

A. is better than B. is equal to

C. is worse than D. is similar to

A major source of teen stress is school exams，and test anxiety is not uncommon.When you recognize your teen is under stress，how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?

Be involved.Parents need to be involved in their teen’s work._ 1._ What they look for is your presence?to talk，to cry，or simply to sit with them quietly.Communicate openly with your teen.Encourage your teen to express his/her worries and fears，but don’t let them focus on those fears.

Help them get organized.__ 2._ Together，you and your teen can work out a time?table in which he/she can study for what he/she knows will be on the test.

Provide a calm setting.Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his/her privacy.Give them a nutritious diet.It’s important for your teen to eat a healthy，balanced diet during exam times to focus and do his/her best.__ 3.__ If this happens，encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches.A healthy diet，rather than junk food，is best for reducing stress.

__4._ Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and/or do something active when she needs a real break from studying.Making time for relaxation，fun，and exercise are all important in reducing stress.Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

Show a positive attitude._ 5._.Your panic，anxiety and blame contribute to your teen’s pressure.Make your teen feel accepted and valued for his/her efforts.Most importantly，reassure your teen that things will be all right，no matter what the results are.

A．A parent’s attitude will dictate their teen’s emotions.

B．Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.

C．They will only make the situation worse.

D．Encourage your teen to relax.

E．The best thing is simply to listen.

F．Help your teen think about what he/she has to study and plan accordingly.

G．Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

— Look! It is raining again.

— Why _____ it rain on Sundays? We are always staying inside !What a day!.

A. need B. must

C. does D. should

How happy we are! The holiday we have been looking forward ________at last.

A．to has come 　B．to have come　　C．to having come 　D．has come

The medicine should usually be kept out of the ________ of children at home.

A. distance B. reach C. limit D. arrival

—How are your recent trip to Sichuan?

—I’ve never had one before.

A.a pleasantB.a more pleasantC.a most pleasant D.the most pleasant

Determined not to fall behind, Alex now spends ________ as he used to on physics, his weakest subject.

A. twice as much time B. as twice much time

C. twice much time as D. as twice time much

Generally speaking, little girls prefer to be_________.

A. beautifully dressed B. dressing beautiful

C. dressed beautiful D. beautifully dressing

—Do you know why the teacher asks for me?

—He wants you to _____ your absence last night．

A．a(chǎn)ccount for B．call for C．send for D．reach for

You drive down the highway with your family or friends in the car,camping equipment and spare clothes in the back.Your windows are down and the wind is hitting you in the face.These are the makings of a classic US road trip.

Road trips are quite common in the country,especially during the Thanks-giving holiday,which is the busiest travel time of the year in the country for families and friends who want to get together.

And for students,going on a road trip is traditional after graduating from high school or college with their schoolmates.It usually involves traveling great distances across the US and camping out whenever possible. Destinations are different depending on where in the country someone is located.But they all show the same kind of adventure.Popular spots to travel to include Yellowstone National Park,the Grand Canon.

However,the most famous of all road trip journey is travelling across the US on Route 66.Route 66 begins in Chicago and ends in Los Angeles.The route goes past many of the lesser-known states.However,it's the bizarre（稀奇古怪的）and wonderful small attractions that draw many road trippers to them.The attractions one sees on these trips are quite strange and very difficult to explain to non-American.They are filled with gas stations that still look like they did back in the 1950s and small restaurants known as "mom and pop restaurants" where you can eat a greasy cheeseburger with a delicious milkshake.Route 66 is also filled with quite unusual,but still fascinating wonders.

Deep down,US road trips show the spirit of freedom and openness.The idea is that if you have a car,you have freedom to escape,to discover,to find yourself,to lose yourself.It's a powerful call,one that is part of the US' identity and culture.It is a must-do for anyone who plans to spend time in the US to see the country and all of its wonders.An old saying—"It's not the destination,it's the journey"—best explains what the experience of a road trip truly offers.

1.The first paragraph is designed to .

A. present the topic B. list some facts

C. raise a question D. give an example

2.What attracts US road trippers most on Route 66?

A. Lesser-known states.

B. Mom and pop restaurants.

C. Gas stations and delicious foods.

D. Strange attractions and fantastic wonders.

3.What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A. To introduce US road trips.

B. To spread American culture.

C. To stress the importance of a road trip.

D. To attract US road trippers to Route 66.