You don’t think he is an interesting person, ________?

A. do you　　 B. don’t you　　 C. is he　　 D. isn’t he

Many of us don’t like what we see around us but the last thing we do is to change it. I think that is the beginning of failure and that is why what we hate remains around us. If you don’t want to see things around you, don’t just hope it’ll change.
We have such an amazing power of creativity inside us to change the way things work around us. Only lazy people go about and say that is the way things have been working. I’ve come to discover that things around us depend on our actions and inactions. What I mean is that the circumstances that we like depend only on the things we do and the things we don’t do.
Do you want your country to change? Start by changing the small things around you. Before you think too far about any small thing to change, your habit should be the first thing to change. Change what you think about and talk about. Can you remember how difficult it was for you to break a habit that you desired to break some years back? If so, then you must accept that things aren’t just going to change by a magic thought. If it isn’t so easy to change yourself when you want to, it isn’t going to be so easy to change the people around you.
I think the best way I’ve changed people around me is that I changed myself. When you change, they’ll change. Just change yourself and see how many people will tell you later that you are the one who changes them. That’s one simple way young people can change their nations.
【小題1】 According to the text, why do we fail to change what we don’t like? _______

Many of us don’t like what we see around us but the last thing we do is to change it. I think that is the beginning of failure and that is why what we hate remains around us. If you don’t want to see things around you, don’t just hope it’ll change.

We have such an amazing power of creativity inside us to change the way things work around us. Only lazy people go about and say that is the way things have been working. I’ve come to discover that things around us depend on our actions and inactions. What I mean is that the circumstances that we like depend only on the things we do and the things we don’t do.

Do you want your country to change? Start by changing the small things around you. Before you think too far about any small thing to change, your habit should be the first thing to change. Change what you think about and talk about. Can you remember how difficult it was for you to break a habit that you desired to break some years back? If so, then you must accept that things aren’t just going to change by a magic thought. If it isn’t so easy to change yourself when you want to, it isn’t going to be so easy to change the people around you.

I think the best way I’ve changed people around me is that I changed myself. When you change, they’ll change. Just change yourself and see how many people will tell you later that you are the one who changes them. That’s one simple way young people can change their nations.

1. According to the text, why do we fail to change what we don’t like? _______

2.The author can change people around him because he has realized that 　　　　.

3.The third paragraph aims at 　　　　.

4.What can we learn from the text? ________

We do some strange things when we don’t like the way our life is going．Too often we blame(責(zé)怪)someone else．‘‘I wish my parents were more understanding．”
“I have such a bad Chemistry teacher!”
“My friends are so boring and self-centered．They make my life worse and worse．’’
Blame! Blame! Blame!
It seems natural to sing this self-pitying song，but the truth is，if you don’t like your life，you should do something about it．No one else knows exactly how you feel or what you need．No one can read your mind correctly．You are the only one with the power to cheek your life，and if you want it to be different，you can change what you’re doing．
When you’re in trouble，don’t give away your power to decide how you feel about yourself. Choose how you want to think and act．Other people can’t make you unhappy or angry．They only act in their own way and then it’s up to you to decide how you will respond(回應(yīng))．For example，your friends go out to lunch without you and you feel very angry．How are you going to act? You may blame your friends，“They are not kind．Who needs them anyway?” Or you may tell your friends how you feel，listen to their explanation，and let them know you’d like to be invited next time．
When you decide everything in your own way，you’re getting hold of your own life and shaping(塑造)it according to your tastes and feelings．You can choose to be happy，to make friends and to build an interesting life．When you blame others for what is or isn’t happening in your life，you have stopped growing or learning．
One of the most important rules is that you can never change another person by your direct action．The only person you have the right to change is yourself．Once you change，the other person has something different to respond to and change is possible．If you want change in your life，begin with yourself．
【小題1】What should we do if we don’t like our life?

We do some strange things when we don’t like the way our life is going．Too often we blame(責(zé)怪)someone else．‘‘I wish my parents were more understanding．”

“I have such a bad Chemistry teacher!”

“My friends are so boring and self-centered．They make my life worse and worse．’’

Blame! Blame! Blame!

It seems natural to sing this self-pitying song，but the truth is，if you don’t like your life，you should do something about it．No one else knows exactly how you feel or what you need．No one can read your mind correctly．You are the only one with the power to cheek your life，and if you want it to be different，you can change what you’re doing．

When you’re in trouble，don’t give away your power to decide how you feel about yourself. Choose how you want to think and act．Other people can’t make you unhappy or angry．They only act in their own way and then it’s up to you to decide how you will respond(回應(yīng))．For example，your friends go out to lunch without you and you feel very angry．How are you going to act? You may blame your friends，“They are not kind．Who needs them anyway?” Or you may tell your friends how you feel，listen to their explanation，and let them know you’d like to be invited next time．

When you decide everything in your own way，you’re getting hold of your own life and shaping(塑造)it according to your tastes and feelings．You can choose to be happy，to make friends and to build an interesting life．When you blame others for what is or isn’t happening in your life，you have stopped growing or learning．

One of the most important rules is that you can never change another person by your direct action．The only person you have the right to change is yourself．Once you change，the other person has something different to respond to and change is possible．If you want change in your life，begin with yourself．

1.What should we do if we don’t like our life?

A．Change what we’re doing．              B．Read our minds correctly．

C．Sing that self-pitying song．               D．Tell others what we want．

2.If the writer’s friends have dinner together without him，he may _________.

A．a(chǎn)sk somebody else to talk to them

B．do the same thing to them in return

C．talk to them and try to find out why

D．forget it and be still friendly with them

3.What’s the writer’s idea about how to change others?

A．He thinks it’s impossible to change others．

B．He believes our love can change everything．

C．He chooses to talk with others directly．

D．He prefers to change ourselves first instead．

4.At the beginning of the passage three examples are given __________.

A．to support the idea that people often blame others

B．to suggest that there are various problems in people’s life

C．to show that not all chemistry teachers are fit for their job

D．to explain the reason why some people’s life is worse and worse

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Blame! Blame! Blame!                    B．Who Controls My Life?

C．Change! Change! Change!                 D．What Makes Me Unhappy?

We do some strange things when we don’t like the way our life is going．Too often we blame(責(zé)怪)someone else．‘‘I wish my parents were more understanding．”
“I have such a bad Chemistry teacher!”
“My friends are so boring and self-centered．They make my life worse and worse．’’
Blame! Blame! Blame!
It seems natural to sing this self-pitying song，but the truth is，if you don’t like your life，you should do something about it．No one else knows exactly how you feel or what you need．No one can read your mind correctly．You are the only one with the power to cheek your life，and if you want it to be different，you can change what you’re doing．
When you’re in trouble，don’t give away your power to decide how you feel about yourself. Choose how you want to think and act．Other people can’t make you unhappy or angry．They only act in their own way and then it’s up to you to decide how you will respond(回應(yīng))．For example，your friends go out to lunch without you and you feel very angry．How are you going to act? You may blame your friends，“They are not kind．Who needs them anyway?” Or you may tell your friends how you feel，listen to their explanation，and let them know you’d like to be invited next time．
When you decide everything in your own way，you’re getting hold of your own life and shaping(塑造)it according to your tastes and feelings．You can choose to be happy，to make friends and to build an interesting life．When you blame others for what is or isn’t happening in your life，you have stopped growing or learning．
One of the most important rules is that you can never change another person by your direct action．The only person you have the right to change is yourself．Once you change，the other person has something different to respond to and change is possible．If you want change in your life，begin with yourself．

1. 1.

   What should we do if we don’t like our life?

   1. A.
      Change what we’re doing．
   2. B.
      Read our minds correctly．
   3. C.
      Sing that self-pitying song．
   4. D.
      Tell others what we want．
2. 2.

   If the writer’s friends have dinner together without him，he may______.

   1. A.
      ask somebody else to talk to them
   2. B.
      do the same thing to them in return
   3. C.
      talk to them and try to find out why
   4. D.
      forget it and be still friendly with them
3. 3.

   What’s the writer’s idea about how to change others?

   1. A.
      He thinks it’s impossible to change others．
   2. B.
      He believes our love can change everything．
   3. C.
      He chooses to talk with others directly．
   4. D.
      He prefers to change ourselves first instead．
4. 4.

   At the beginning of the passage three examples are given______.

   1. A.
      to support the idea that people often blame others
   2. B.
      to suggest that there are various problems in people’s life
   3. C.
      to show that not all chemistry teachers are fit for their job
   4. D.
      to explain the reason why some people’s life is worse and worse
5. 5.

   What’s the best title of the passage?

   1. A.
      Blame! Blame! Blame!
   2. B.
      Who Controls My Life?
   3. C.
      Change! Change! Change!
   4. D.
      What Makes Me Unhappy?

In the United States, when one became rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbours.

The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighbourhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbours.    

It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.

Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ because ‘Jones’ is a very common name in the United States.’ “Keeping up with the Joneses”came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are ‘Jonses’ in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ______.

2.It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to ________.

3.The underlined word “neighbourhood” in the second paragraph means ________.

4.Arthur Momand used the name ‘Jones’ in his series of short stories because’ Jones’ is ________.

5.According to the writer, keeping up with the Joneses is ________.

In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ is about, It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbours.

    The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighbourhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants. Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbours.

    It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.

    Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich life--style of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series (系列) of short stories, He called it ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ because ‘Jones’ is a very common name in the United States.’ Keeping up with the Joneses’ came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

    People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are ‘Jonses’ in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1. Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ______.

   A. want to be as rich as their neighbours

   B. want others to know or to think that they are rich

   C. don’t want others to know they are rich

   D. want to be happy

2. It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to ________.

   A. live outside New York City         B. live in New York City

   C. live in apartments                 D. have many neighbours

3. The underlined word neighbourhood in the second paragraph means ________.

   A. a person who lives near another      B. people living in an area

   C. an area near the place referred to     D. an area in another town or city

4. According to the writer, it is _________ to keep up with the Joneses.

   A. correct       B. interesting     C. impossible       D. good

In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ is about, It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbours.

The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighbourhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbours.

It was like a race, but one could never finish this race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.

Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich life--style of their neighbours. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series  of short stories, He called it ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ because ‘Jones’ is a very common name in the United States.’ Keeping up with the Joneses’ came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are ‘Jonses’ in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1.Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ______.

2.It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to ________.

3.The underlined word neighbourhood in the second paragraph means ________.

4. Arthur Momand used the name ‘Jones’ in his series of short stories because’ Jones’ is ________.

5.According to the writer, it is       to keep up with the Joneses.