Steel, concrete（混凝土）and glass are common materials in any skyscrapers. But more high buildings are now using wood. In the last four years, Australia, Norway, England and Canada (16)______ (build) wooden skyscrapers. The latest one is in Sweden, (17) ______ new, 19-storey wooden hotel called “Sida vid Sida” (side by side).

Why are wooden skyscrapers chosen ahead of concrete (18) ______?

Wood (19) ______ (use) in many Chinese buildings for thousands of years, but is it strong enough for skyscrapers?

“There are a whole bunch of new materials made out of wood (20) ______ are structurally able to build big buildings,” material expert Dr. Michael Ramage told CNN.

Architects（建筑师）use woven（编制的）wood to make sure it is. They put layers of wood across one another coated with special glue (21) ______ (create) a very strong material.

Wood also lasts a long time and doesn’t rot（腐烂的）(22) ______ it is well looked after. Many examples can be found, one of (23) ______ is the rooftops of Beijing’s Forbidden City.

Ramage also said bamboo (24) ______ be cut in special ways to make it far (25) ______ (strong).

A. enjoyable                            B. polite                            C. seating                                          D. fortunately                                          E. producing

F. maintained                            G. unable                            H. listening                            I. aware                                                        J. smoothly

It is not unusual for us to gather with our nearest and dearest on the weekends. But do you know that holidays, much like relationships, can be “made, (26) ______ and broken” through conversations? Deborag Tannen, a Georgetown University linguistics（语言学）professor, believes so. She offers suggestions to improve communication at the holiday table and beyond. Let’s take a look.

A round dining table is best for (27) ______ a lively conversation because everyone faces one another.

Avoid (28) ______ grandparents at the ends of a rectangular table, even though it is the traditional place of honor. Elderly people may feel lonely there because they will be (29) ______ to hear or keep up with a conversation.

Women prefer to face each other and make eye contact when they talk. Men might look around at other things. “Guys may be more relaxed keeping staring on the TV,” says Tannen. “They’ll still be (30) ______, though.”

Be (31) ______ that people have different ways of talking. Each person has a different sense of tone, rhythm, timing and how long of a pause is normal in a conversation. Pay attention to people who seem left out. If you feel you are doing all the talking, hold back to give others a chance to join in. If you feel you aren’t getting a chance to speak, try pushing yourself to start talking before it seems natural or (32) ______.

Some families find that gatherings go more (33) ______ if they participate in an outdoor activity. Going to a park for a walk may be more (34) ______ than sitting around chatting.

How many of you drink Cola? Nearly everybody. Did you know that cola started out not as a soft drink but as a cure for headache back in the late 1800’s? John S. Pamberton, a druggist from Atlanta, had experimented for many months trying to find a    35   for the common headache. He worked in his backyard, mixing and heating different mixtures of oils and flavors（香料）   36   he found one that seemed to work well. Pamberton bottled the mixture and began selling it in drugstores as a concentrated（浓缩的）syrup（糖浆）that the customer had to    37   with water before drinking. The invention of Cola came about quite by accident. One day, a customer came into a drugstore complaining of a headache and    38   a bottle of cola syrup. He wanted to take it    39   . So he asked the clerk to mix the medicine while he waited. The clerk,    40   walking to the other end of the counter to get plain water,    41   mixing the syrup with soda water. The customer agreed, and after drinking it,    42   how good it tasted. The clerk continued offering the mixture and it grew in    43   . Today this kind of Cola is sold in most countries around the world. And although they no longer    44   the ingredients to kill headache, they are still very refreshing.

35. A. reason                                          B. mixture                            C. source                                          D. remedy

36. A. as                                                        B. until                                          C. after                                          D. since

37. A. fill                                                        B. mix                                          C. eat                                          D. milk

38. A. left for                                          B. accounted for               C. applied for                            D. asked for

39. A. right away                            B. for nothing                            C. sooner or later              D. back home

40. A. in addition to                            B. instead of                             C. except for                            D. as well as

41. A. admitted                            B. preferred                            C. suggested                            D. enjoyed

42. A. told                                          B. proved                                          C. remarked                            D. wondered

43. A. surprise                                          B. popularity                            C. confusion                            D. history

44. A. support                                          B. provide                            C. ensure                                          D. contain

Another person’s enthusiasm（热情）was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in the countryside of Virginia. My father introduced me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is well known for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no later than tomorrow morning.”

My stepmother walked over to me, raised my head slightly upward, and looked at me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are wrong. This is not the worst boy at all, but the smartest one who hasn’t yet found a way to give out his enthusiasm.”

That statement began a friendship between us. No one had ever called me smart, My family and neighbors had built me up in my mind as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She persuaded my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father’s career could be more successful and my brother and I could be better educated.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand typewriter and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her belief and began to write for local newspapers and finally reached the goal she set for me. I wasn’t the only beneficiary. My father became the wealthiest man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

45. What does the author mean by “I wasn’t the only beneficiary”?

A. His stepmother bought typewriters for other family members, too.

B. Not only he but also his family gained from his stepmother’s enthusiasm.

C. Other family members’ enthusiasm has great effects on his stepmother.

D. There were other boys who behaved as badly as he did.

46. According to the author, ______ before his stepmother came into his life.

A. his father had been away from home for a long time

B. people had noticed his intelligence

C. he knew how to release his enthusiasm properly

D. he was considered a rude boy with wild behaviors

47. The author’s stepmother did all the following EXCEPT ______.

A. giving some writing lessons to him at home

B. moving the family into the centre of the county

C. planning the future for each family member

D. praising him from the bottom of her heart

48. Which of the following best serves as the title of the passage?

A. Enthusiasm, a Source of Authority

B. Enthusiasm, a Gift from my Father

C. Enthusiasm, a Trend in Families

D. Enthusiasm, a Power for Success

Family fights are never pleasant. Whether you are dealing with a loud sister or a stubborn mom or dad, the situation can be bad. At least that’s what we have learned to expect.

What if it could be different? What if family fights and conflicts could be turned into opportunities to become closer? What if problems could be solved with everyone walking away feeling more deeply cared for and loved?

Family fighting is, on one level, about power. Someone is telling someone else what to do. In a short moment, emotions can be brought out and the fight is on. You can go down that old road or you can try something different.

In any fight, you have a need to be listened to and understood. People raise their voices and shout at each other because they’re not being listened to. It’s totally unconscious. You want your mom or dad to listen and understand. But you always seems to forget the person you’re fighting with has the same need to be listened to. So if you can put aside your need for a few minutes, the situation will change quickly. Give the other person some time to express his or her feelings, and you will earn your turn to be listened to.

And while you are listening, you have to listen for the right information. The best way to do this in emotional situations is to forget most of the words because many people can’t express what they are feeling with words alone, especially when they are upset.

But if the situation starts to get out of hand, it would be wise to just calm down and leave the problem until later because many fights happen at the wrong time. The situation will die down quickly, usually in less than 30 seconds. You can either move on to problem solving or reach an agreement to work on it at a better time.

This way, everyone will feel respected and listened to, even when there is conflict. Emotions will be understood and respected, and it will bring your family closer together.

49. From the first 3 paragraphs, we can conclude that ______.

A. people had better avoid family fights.

B. family members fight to control each other

C. family fights can be changed into something positive

D. when family members fight, it’s worse as they know each other’s weakness

50. In the author’s opinion, the key to dealing with family fights is to ______.

A. satisfy the need to be listened to first

B. make sure that you’re the first to be listened to

C. pay no attention to what others say in emotional situations

D. stop quarrelling when you feel you are giving orders

51. When the situation gets out of control, it’s best to ______.

A. wait for a suitable moment to speak

B. let the other person express their feelings

C. work on a written agreement first

D. move on to problem solving

52. The main purpose of this article is to ______.

A. tell readers that family fights are not that bad

B. teach reader how to listen in family fights

C. remind readers to show respect in family fights

D. give advice on dealing with family fights