Victor’s hobby was collecting stamps. He had stamps from many countries, like England, Canada and China. On his birthday, can you guess what people gave him? That’s right--stamps.
Victor’s favourite stamps came from France. He had almost every stamp from 1954 to 2004. He only needed one. That was a 1974 special edition(版本). It was very hard to find.
He looked for it everywhere. He asked his friends and relatives to help him. But nobody could find the stamp. It made Victor very sad.
“Don’t worry. Never give up,” his father said to him. “If you have enough patience, you’ll find it one day.”
“I hope so,” Victor said.
Victor also liked writing. He had a penfriend in France. They wrote to each other every month. Victor’s penfriend, Phillip, usually used new stamps to send letters. Sometimes, his mother gave him stamps to use. Once Phillip’s mother gave him a big, green stamp. It looked old. When Victor received the letter, he was very surprised. On the envelope, he looked carefully at the stamp. It was the 1974 special edition stamp. Victor was so happy. He told his sister, his mother and his father.
“You see,” his father said. “ You did find your stamp. So, it’s good to have two things in life.”
“What are they?” Victor asked.
“ Friends and patience.” He answered.
【小题1】It was very difficult for Victor to find a special French stamp of _________.

A．1954

B．1974

C．1994

D．2004

【小题2】What does the underlined word “patience” mean?

A．勇气

B．知识

C．耐心

D．目标

【小题3】Who owned the special edition stamp at the very beginning?

A．Phillip.	B．Phillip’s mother.
C．Victor.	D．Victor’s father.

【小题4】Which sentence is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Victor’s father didn’t support his hobby.

B．Victor both liked collecting stamps and writing.

C．Phillip’s mother wanted his son to write letters to Victor.

D．Phillip was from France.

【小题5】The passage mainly tells us that ________ is(are) important to people.

A．a happy family

B．a good hobby

C．relatives and friendship

D．friends and patience

   When it's five o'clock,people leave their office.The length of the workday,for many workers,is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.

These days,the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches,but on cell-phones and computers.That may be a bad thing,particularly at work.New research shows on that clock-based work schedules hinder morale and creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours.For example: a meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m.to noon,etc.On the other hand,task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish.They work down the list,each task starts when the previous task is completed.It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.

What,then,are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier,they had participints organize different activities-from project planning,holiday shopping,to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "task time".They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives.Task timers are happier and more creative,but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening,and seize opportunities that come up.

The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture.Smart companies,they believe,will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.

This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office,but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time.While most people will still probably need,and be,to some extent,clock-timers,task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity.It'll make those tasks easier,and the task-doers will be happier.
【小题1】What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?

A．It makes everybody aware of time.

B．It is a convenience for work and life.

C．It may have a negative effect on creative work.

D．It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.

【小题2】What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers ?

A．They seize opportunities as they come up.

B．They always get their work done in time.

C．They have more control over their lives.

D．They tend to be more productive.

【小题3】What do the researchers say about today's business culture?

A．It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.

B．It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.

C．It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’ lives.

D．It aims to bring employees' potential and creativity into full play.

【小题4】What do the researchers suggest?

A．Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.

B．It is important to keep a balance between work and life.

C．Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.

D．A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.

语法填空

When you step into a new environment, you might have some difficulty in fitting in. Here are some tips 【小题1】 might help you.

Be confident. You are unique in this world. Spend some time thinking about your 【小题2】（strengthen） and you will be able to build up confidence step by step.

Be kind to everyone. Kindness is the bridge to your own happiness. Always give more than you receive, and think more of others than of 【小题3】（you）. A person who cares for others is popular everywhere.

Be active in group  activities. 【小题4】（vary）activities like playing football can help you to be known 【小题5】 others. You may add more friends to your circle. At the same time, you'll be  amazed 【小题6】（see） how much they like you.

Be optimistic. Optimism 【小题7】（make） both you and others feel pleased. It helps you make 【小题8】 good first impression. A pleasant smile costs the 【小题9】（little） but does the most. If you follow the suggestions 【小题10】（mention）above, you will be accepted by people around you. And you will fit in very well and enjoy your new life.

   In the United States a voluntary organization called Musician Corps is making a difference in people's lives. Five years ago，Kiff Gallagher，the founder of the organization，realized that music and public services could be used together to help Americans in need. Recognizing that music has a positive effect on Alzheimer's disease and autism（自闭症），he had the idea of creating Musician Corps.

Musician Corps looks for musicians and trains them as teachers. Then the musicians provide these services in city schools，children's hospitals，and assisted-living homes for older adults. They also help organize community concerts. Anyone can play music at these community activities.

Kiff Gallagher says what makes Musician Corps different from other charity organizations is that everybody can take part. It provides a place for people to get involved. He remembers a Musician Corps event at a hospital. Afterwards，he says，the patients are less depressed.

David Meletiche, one of 200 musicians in Musician Corps, teaches an after-school guitar class in a high-crime neighborhood. He is excited that the group gives him not only a job in a difficult economy but also the chance to use the team-building skills he gained in college.

There are 12 high school students in his class. Selena Makwan, one of them who are learning to play the guitar, says the program keeps her busy. "It definitely keeps me off the streets, because without this program I probably would be wandering around right now and I would not know what to do. And it also gives me an opportunity to learn something I' ve never done before."

Musician Corps has established programs in California and North Carolina. Kiff Gallagher hopes Musician Corps will continue to expand across America.

【小题1】Kiff Gallagher founded Musician Corps to ________.

A．teach people music

B．help those in need

C．know better about sick people

D．offer jobs in a difficult economy

【小题2】What can we know about Musician Corps from the passage?

A．It supplies public services through music.

B．Its main task is to train more musicians.

C．It has many professional music teachers.

D．Its community concerts are popular with students.

【小题3】From Paragraph 4, we can know that David Meletiche ________.

A．loves his job as a guitar teacher

B．has to make a living as a guitar teacher

C．changed his job during economic depression

D．used the team-building skills when he was in college

【小题4】We can infer that Selena Makwan ________.

A．wants to be a guitarist in the future

B．likes to wander around the streets

C．benefits a lot from Musician Corps

D．wants to be a member of Musician Corps

   What Theresa Loe is doing proves that a large farm isn’t a prerequisite for a modern grow-your-own lifestyle. On a mere 1/10 of an acre in Los Angeles, Loe and her family grow, can (装罐) and preserve much of the food they consume.
Loe is a master food preserver, gardener and canning expert. She also operates a website, where she shares her tips and recipes, with the goal of demonstrating that everyone has the ability to control what’s on their plate.
Loe initially went to school to become an engineer, but she quickly learned that her enthusiasm was mainly about growing and preparing her own food. “ got into cooking my own food and started growing my own herbs(香草)and foods for that fresh flavor,” she said. Engineer by day, Loe learned cooking at night school. She ultimately purchased a small piece of land with her husband and began growing their own foods.
“I teach people how to live farm-fresh without a farm,” Loe said. Through her website Loe emphasizes that ‘‘anybody can do this anywhere.” Got an apartment with a balcony (阳台)? Plant some herbs. A window? Perfect spot for growing. Start with herbs, she recommends, because “they’re very forgiving.” Just a little of the herbs “can take your regular cooking to a whole new level,” she added. “I think it’s a great place to start.” Then? Try growing something from a seed, she said, like a tomato or some tea.
Canning is a natural extension of the planting she does. With every planted food, Loe noted, there’s a moment when it’s bursting with its absolute peak flavor. “I try and keep it in a time capsule in a canning jar,” Loe said. “Canning for me is about knowing what’s in your food, knowing where it comes from.”
In addition to being more in touch with the food she’s eating, another joy comes from passing this knowledge and this desire for good food to her children: “Influencing them and telling them your opinion on not only being careful what we eat but understanding the bigger picture,” she said, “that if we don’t take care of the earth, no one will.”
【小题1】The underlined word “prerequisite” (Para. 1) is closest in meaning to“ ”.

A．recipe	B．substitute
C．requirement	D．challenge

【小题2】Why does Loe suggest starting with herbs?

A．They are used daily.	B．They are easy to grow.
C．They can grow very tall.	D．They can be eaten uncooked.

【小题3】According to Loe, what is the benefit of canning her planted foods?

A．It can preserve their best flavor.	B．It can promote her online sales.
C．It can better her cooking skills.	D．It can improve their nutrition.

【小题4】What is the “the bigger picture” (Para. 6) that Loe wishes her children to understand?

A．The knowledge about good food.	B．The way to live a grow-our-own life.
C．The joy of getting in touch with foods.	D．The responsibility to protect our earth