(Q).
People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government and company policies. They neglected to do the basic, easy things. In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing can be summed up in a single word: neglect. It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - the government continues to offer the most opportunities. It is not the lack of books - libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of good advisors. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is neglect. Don't do the things which cause us to feel guilty and guilt _ our self-confidence. As our self-confidence reduces, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity goes down, so do our results. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins changing from positive to negative, our self-confidence becomes even less ... and on and on it goes. So my suggestion is that when giving choice of "easy to" and "easy not to", do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy" but potentially life-changing activities. What would be the best title for the passage? A) Being self-confident works B) Nothing can not be neglected C) Everything is easy to do D) Success is easy, but so is neglect
(A).
D

(Q).
I once had a house guest from Cuba. During his visit, I happened to throw an old broken blender in the trash. The next day it was sitting on my counter - in working order. In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly. They take the time and figure out how to fix it. In Cuba, they are still driving cars from the 1960's, mainly because they do not have a choice. In contrast, the U.S. is a "throw-away society." Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day. I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon. "Planned obsolescence " is not a secret. It is a manufacturing philosophy developed in the 1920's and 1930's, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again. Planned obsolescence does keep costs down. Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable items. Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them.[:&&Z&X&X&K] Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money. If a car starts to have mechanical problems, replacing it with a newer, more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week. In addition, advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier they will be. Unlike people in many developing countries, we live in a world of abundance. A study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the U.S., 40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted. Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life. In Cuba, people usually fix a broken item instead of buying a new one because _ . A) wasting is prohibited there B) they are poor C) they are interested in fixing things D) they live a low-carbon life
(A).
B

(Q).
War Horse author Michael Morpurgo is being interviewed: Reporter:How did War Horse become so successful? Michael:War Horse was published in 1982,and it did not sell very well.But my publishers kept it in print,along with all my books.I am very grateful to Egmont and I'm sure now they are very grateful to themselves. The book was discovered 21 years later,by accident.I was on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4 in 2003 when my work was becoming better known.One of the listeners was the mother of a director called Tom Morris,and after reading War Horse herself she told her son to read it.Two years later the play came out,and it was a huge hit that went to the West End,Broadway and now Canada and Australia,then a nationwide American tour in June this year. In 2009 kathy kennedy,the producer who worked with Steven Spielberg,walked into the New London Theatre to see the play because her daughter liked it very much.She then phoned Spielberg and told him this would be his next film!The way it all happened is better than any of my stories.War Horse has now sold over 1 million copies. Reporter:Has War Horse changed your life? Michael:It has made all the difference in the world.The most important gift it has given us is not to have to worry about money,because there has always been a slight anxiety.It has allowed us to ensure our grandchildren's education.There is a disadvantage to it as well,which is an assumption that I am super rich.I'm not,actually.It is very nice and completely unexpected but I have got to go on writing.If I were younger,I think,it would go to my head.Now I am too old for anything to go to my head.It is not the same as winning the lottery . Why did Kathy Kennedy watch the play of War Horse? A) Because she knew that the film was very popular. B) Because her daughter was mad on the play. C) Because her friend,Steven Spielberg,advised her to see it. D) Because she was looking for a story with an animal in her mind.
(A).
B