A

　　Stained glass (彩色玻璃) artists create different designs by making cuts on the glass to “score” it and then breaking off the pattern that they want to use in the finished product. The most difficult cut in stained glass is called an inside cut. Basically, it’s a curved (弯曲的) line where you throw away the part inside of the curve. The problem with inside cuts is that the edges of the curve tend to break off when the pieces of scored glass are broken apart.

　　As an artist talked about inside cuts, he said, “The glass will break into pieces if you try to cut too much off at once. The best way to do an inside cut is slice off smaller curves piece by piece. In fact, it’s not just the best way to do it, but it’s the only way to do it.”

　　How many times do you try to make a big change and cut the entire piece at once? We convince ourselves that we can do this all the time. We’ll commit to transforming our diet overnight or we get inspired to launch a business in a weekend or we finally get motivated to work out and push ourselves to the edge of burning out.

　　Why not approach your goals and dreams like the stained glass artist? Starting by slicing a shallow curve and breaking a small piece off, you cut a slightly deeper curve and break that off until you have your full inside cuts. By slowly cutting deeper and deeper curves, you prevent the glass from breaking as it change shapes.

　　Of course, changing isn’t easy—no matter how you do it. Slow gains are boring, but if we keep making small improvements, then pretty soon we will end up with a beautiful masterpiece instead of a bunch of broken pieces.

　　1.Why is an inside cut believed to be the most difficult?

　　A.It needs a one-and-only design.

　　B.It calls for nothing but inspiration.

　　C.The edges of the curve break easily.

　　D.The glass inside the curve is easily broken.

　　2.What mistakes are easily made according to Paragraph 3?

　　A.Being too eager to make improvements.

　　B.Being too worried about the final outcome.

　　C.Trying to make a complete change all at once.

　　D.Developing to focus on progress instead of achievements.

　　3.What does the author suggest by saying “slicing a shallow curve”?

　　A.Moving forward with a clear aim.

　　B.Starting slow and improving little by little.

　　C.Developing a new habit with great determination.

　　D.Handling something major first and ignore the minor part.

　　4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

　　A.To show his love of stained glass.

　　B.To introduce the skill of an inside cut.

　　C.To appreciate designs of stained glass artists.

　　D.To share his opinions on how to make a change.

　　B

　　Crying is the rawest sign of human emotions. We cry when we can’t hold inside what we feel any more. We cry when we’re at our best, and when we’re at our worst. By we, I mean all of us. Men included.

　　But we never see other men cry. In no western culture has it ever been acceptable for men to shed (流泪) more than a single tear, and even then it’s reserved for grand victories, defeats and deaths. A Dutch research suggests that women cry between three and five times more than men. Generally men and women cry primarily over the same things—deaths, break-ups and homesickness, but researchers believe that men cry more often than women when it comes to positive events.

　　I want to admit—I’m a bit of a crier. However, having never really experienced deaths in my life, a few weeks ago I experienced what it means to really, truly, pour my heart out in tears.

　　See, my dog was killed by a car right outside my house. Being a witness to this painful event left me in shock for a good hour, but then the floodgates opened. Over the next 48 hours, I might have cried 20 times. Once or twice I crouched(蹲) on the floor with my head in my hands and tears were the only outlet.

　　It is suggested in the book Adult Crying:A Biopsychosocial Approach that there’s a certain pleasure in crying. It helps ease stress when there is no other way to express ourselves.

　　In those days after my dog’s death, I remember thinking, “I’ve got to stop this crying.”It felt unmanly. It felt like a sign of weakness. I’ve since realized that tears are for everybody;they’re not gender-specific. They show we have sympathy, and allow us to get rid of stress and just feel.

　　5.What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?

　　A.Crying is a raw human emotion.

　　B.Crying is an emotion beyond control.

　　C.Crying is an emotion showing sadness.

　　D.Crying is an emotion showing happiness.

　　6.What’s the difference between men and women in crying according to the Dutch research?

　　A.They cry over different matters.

　　B.They cry at different times of life.

　　C.Women cry more often over deaths.

　　D.Men are more likely to have tears of joy.

　　7.What did the author think of his crying over his dog’s death?

　　A.A sign of strength.

　　B.A sign of weakness.

　　C.Behavior of being womanish.

　　D.A way of reducing emotional stress.

　　8.What’s the best title for the text?

　　A.Men, never cry like women

　　B.Men, it’s OK to cry sometimes

　　C.Crying solves psychological problems

　　D.Crying explains differences between men and women

　　参考答案：

　　A

　　[语篇解读]　本文是一篇议论文。作者通过讲述彩色玻璃艺术家切割玻璃的方式:慢慢切割玻璃不会造成玻璃破碎,告诉读者生活中我们也应该一点点取得进步,最后达成目标,获得成功。

　　1.C　细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句The problem with inside cuts is that the edges of the curve tend to break off when the pieces of scored glass are broken apart.可知,内部切割的问题在于,当划过的玻璃裂开的时候,曲线的边缘往往会折断。故选C项。

　　2.C　细节理解题。根据第三段中的句子How many times do you try to make a big change and cut the entire piece at once? We convince ourselves that we can do this all the time.可知,我们很容易犯的错误是试图一次就做出彻底的改变。故选C项。

　　3.B　推理判断题。根据上文Why not approach your goals and dreams like the stained glass artist?可推断出作者建议像彩色玻璃艺术家一样接近目标和梦想,结合一、二段的讲述可推断出画线句的意思是:慢慢开始,一点点进步。故选B项。

　　4.D　写作目的题。纵观全文可知,最后一段点明了作者的写作目的——分享他对于如何做出改变的观点。故选D项。

　　B

　　[语篇解读]　本文是一篇夹叙夹议文。作者首先指出哭泣是人类最自然的情感流露,之后作者又通过自己的经历阐述了哭泣无性别差异,是富有同情心的表现,可以帮助我们缓解压力,用心去感受。

　　5.A　主旨大意题。通读第一段可知,Crying is the rawest sign of human emotions. 为该段的主题句,第二、三句都是对其具体的说明。

　　6.D　细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句Generally men and women cry primarily over the same things—deaths, break-ups and homesickness, but researchers believe that men cry more often than women when it comes to positive events.可知研究人员认为相比女性,男性更容易因积极的事情而哭泣。

　　7.D　推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句They show we have sympathy, and allow us to get rid of stress and just feel.可推知,这是一种减轻情绪压力的方法。

　　8.B　主旨大意题。通读全文可知,作者首先指出哭泣是人类最自然的情感流露,接着作者又以亲身经历点明主题——哭泣无性别之分,可以缓解压力。由此可知,B项“男人哭泣也无妨”概括了文章主旨。