It's 5:00 in the morning when the alarm (鬧鐘) rings in my ears. I roll out of bed and walk blindly
through the dark into the bathroom. I turn on the light and put on my glasses. The house is still as I walk
downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully. Usually I go for a long run, but today I
choose my favorite exercise DVD, Insanity. Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes. My heart
races as I face my body to finish each movement. As I near the end of the exercise ,I feel extremely
tired, but a smile is of my face. It's a smile because the DVD is over , but a smile of success from
pushing my body to its extreme limit.
     Some people enjoy shopping, smoking, food, work, or even chocolate. But I need exercise to get
through each day. Some shake heads when they see me run through the town. Others get hurt when
I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother's chocolate cake. They raise their eyebrows, surprised
by my "no thank you," or by my choice to have a salad. Over the years, I have learned it's okay to just
say "no." I shouldn't feel sorry for refusing food that I don't want to eat.
     So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m.? What gives me the reason to just say to ice
cream? Commitment. A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases
self -confidence and energy, extends life and above all improves my body shape. This is the point where
a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now
fit just right. It's through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out.

1. Why is there a smile on the author's face in the morning?

A. Because she sees her family sleeping peacefully.
B. Because she finishes her favorite exercise.
C. Because she enjoys the interesting DVD.
D. Because she feels a sense of achievement

2. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2 ?

A. She doesn't like others politely.
B. She likes to make others surprised.
C. Others don't understand what she dose.
D. Others try to help her by offering her food.

3. What does the underlined word "commitment" in the last paragraph mean?

A. Good health  
B. Firm belief  
C. A strong power  
D. A  regular habit

4. What can we learn about the author from the text?

A. She acts in a strange way.
B. She wants to look different from others.
C. She aims to develop a good body shape.
D. She has difficulty getting along with others.

     One day the employees of a large company in St Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break
and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said:"Yesterday the person who has been
hindering (阻礙) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral(葬禮) in
the room that has been prepared in the gym."
     At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started
getting curious about who this person might be.
The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone
wondered: "Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well, at least he's no longer here."
     One by one the employees got closer to the coffin(棺材) and when they looked inside it they
became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the
deepest part of their soul.
     There was a mirror inside the coffin:Everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was
also a sign next to the mirror that said. "There is only one person who can set limits to your growth:it is
YOU."
     You are the only person who can revolutionize(徹底改變) your life. You are the only person who
can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help
yourself.
     Your life does not change when your family changes, when your friends change, when your boss
changes, and when your company changes.
     Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize
that you are the only one responsible for your life.

1. The writer's purpose in writing the article is to tell us that __________.

A. the harder we work, the more successful we will become
B. our work and life are closely connected with others
C. changing our lives is down to us
D. we will have a better future if people do not hinder our development

2. People were speechless when they looked inside the coffin because __________.

A. there was nothing but a mirror inside
B. they could see their own souls inside
C. their closest colleague lay inside
D. what was inside told a great truth

3. Who probably wrote the sign on the front door?

A. The company boss.
B. A worker who liked to make fun of others.
C. The director in charge of production.
D. A worker who wanted to teach others a lesson.

4. What can we conclude from the article?

A. The employees went to the gym to join the funeral.
B. The lesson the employees learned would influence them greatly.
C. The employees' lives depended on the attitude of their boss.
D. The employees got angry after the funeral.

     I believe that it is important to be brought up with a firm belief in the good. I was fortunate in this
respect. My parents not only gave me a happy home, but they had me study half a dozen foreign
languages and made it possible for me to travel in other countries. This made me more tolerant and
helped me to conquer many difficulties in later life.
     Soon after I got married, my husband and I left our native Czechoslovakia and went to live in
Shanghai, China. Here was a really international city. People of all races and beliefs lived and worked
together.
     In Shanghai, in 1941, when I was only twenty years old, the doctors discovered that I had diabetes.
It was a terrible shock, because diabetes is incurable. But it can be controlled by insulin (胰島素).
Although this drug was not manufactured in China, there were enough stocks of imported insulin
available. This enabled me to continue a normal, happy life.
     Then bombs fell on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese occupied Shanghai. The import of insulin was
cut off. Before long, there was not enough for the diabetics. I was on a starvation diet to keep my insulin
requirements as low as possible. Many diabetics had already died, and the situation became desperate.
In spite of all this, I never stopped believing that with the help of my husband's love and care, I would
survive.
     I continued to teach in Chinese schools. My faith and my husband's never-ending efforts to get the
manufacture of insulin started gave me courage. In his small laboratory the production of insulin was
attempted. I served as the human guinea pig(實(shí)驗(yàn)對(duì)象)on which it was tested. I'll never forget the day
when my husband gave me the first injection of the new insulin, which had worked on rabbits. It
helped! Can you imagine our happiness and reli1ef?
     I received the greatest strength from the deep love and complete understanding between my
husband and me. And next to that was the kindness and help of many, many friends of many
nationalities. To me, the experience of living in Shanghai during the special times was unforgettable.
     After the Second World War, my husband and I sailed to the United States, which is also known
as the melting pot. Wherever we live, I believe, with faith and love, love between families and friends
from different nationalities, we can make it our cherished home.

1. What can we know about the author?

A. She visited China and has lived in Shanghai since then.
B. She was given an unhappy home.
C. She got married in Czechoslovakia.
D. She could hardly tolerate her parents.

2. As a diabetic, the author could still live normally in 1941 because __________.

A. she was able to buy enough insulin
B. she received good medical treatment
C. she was looked after by her husband
D. she was helped by people of different races

3. The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 5 refers to __________.

A. a small rabbit  
B. an everlasting effort
C. the new insulin  
D. the human guinea pig

4. How does the author feel about her stay in China?

A. Unbearable.  
B. Unbelievable.
C. Unfortunate.  
D. Unforgettable.

5. We can infer from the text that the author's husband was __________.

A. a doctor  
B. a researcher
C. a teacher  
D. a sailor

1. In the summer of 1978, an English farmer discovered in his field that ________.

A. some of his wheat had been damaged
B. some of his wheat had fallen onto the ground
C. his grain was growing up in circles
D. his grain was moved into several circles

2. The underlined word "hoax" in Paragraph 3 is probably ________.

A. an attempt made to fool people
B. a special way to plant crops
C. an experiment for the protection of crops
D. a research on the force of winds

3. Which of the following may prove that the crop circles are not made by man?

A. The farmers couldn't step out of the field.
B. The farmers couldn't make the circles round.
C. The farmers couldn't leave without footprints.
D. The farmers couldn't keep the wheat straight up.

4. One explanation given by scientists for the crop circles is that they are made by ________.

A. airplane crashes
B. air movement
C. unknown flying objects
D. new farming techniques

1．The author asked Bill whether he had told Connie he loved her in order to __________.

A．give Connie a big surprise in her final stages
B．find out whether Bill knew Connie loved him
C．remind him of what to do in Connie's last stage
D．make it clear she would support him

2．The tone of the story seems to be a little bit __________.

A．romantic  
B．moving
C．crazy  
D．friendly

3．We can learn from the text that the author __________.

A．worked hardest in the hospital
B．liked things full of romance
C．was a woman volunteer in the hospital
D．sent Connie a sentimental card for Bill