Dear Jane and Bob,

I’m writing to invite you both to my 15th birthday party on Saturday, June 14th. I’m having a meal in a restaurant with a few friends and then we’ll have a party at my house. I would love you both to come if you can. If you need a place to stay for the night, you can sleep on the floor in our sitting room but bring a sleeping bag, please! Haha, it’s only a joke. If you want to stay at my home for a night, please tell me. I will prepare it for you.

The meal is at Mama Mia’s, a good Italian restaurant. It begins at 7:30 p.m. You can take the train which leaves London, Liverpool Street at 5:00 p.m. and arrives in Cambridge at 6:45 p.m. Then we will have the birthday party at my house at about 8:30 p.m. My mother will make a birthday cake and some snacks for us. I think they must be very delicious. I heard that you have some nice CDs, could you please bring them to my party and enjoy the music with us? I believe we will have a good time.

Hope you can come!

Yours

Debbie

1．Debbie’s letter is for       ?

A．her teacher.                           B．Jane and Bob.                 C．her pen pal.

2．How old is Debbie?

A．14.                                       B．15.                                C．16.

3．Jane and Bob can go there by__________.

A．subway                                B．bus                                C．train

4．What time will the meal begin?

A．At 6:45p.m.                           B．At 7:30p.m.                    C．At 8:30p.m.

5．What will Debbie’s mother make for them?

A．A birthday cake.                    B．Milk shake.                 C．Noodles.

Why are so many people so afraid to fail? Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure (失敗) becomes an experience that means growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.
Most parents work hard at preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards(標準). When a child finishes making a table, the mother describes it as “perfect” even though it doesn’t stand still. Another way is to blame (責怪) others. If John fails in science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.
There’s a problem with the two ways. It makes a child unprepared for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time, and that it’s possible to enjoy a game even when you don’t win. A child who’s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn’t make the honour list on the baseball team, feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick consolations (安慰), prize or say, “It doesn’t matter.” Because it does. The young should be allowed to experience failure and be helped to come out of it.
Failure never gives people pleasure. It hurts both grown-ups and children. But it can be really good to your life when you learn to use it. You must learn to ask “Why did I fail?” Don’t blame anyone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong and how you can improve. If someone else can help, don’t be shy about asking them.
【小題1】How do most parents prevent their children from failure?

Why are so many people so afraid to fail? Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure (失敗) becomes an experience that means growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.
Most parents work hard at preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards(標準). When a child finishes making a table, the mother describes it as “perfect” even though it doesn’t stand still. Another way is to blame (責怪) others. If John fails in science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.
There’s a problem with the two ways. It makes a child unprepared for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time, and that it’s possible to enjoy a game even when you don’t win. A child who’s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn’t make the honour list on the baseball team, feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick consolations (安慰), prize or say, “It doesn’t matter.” Because it does. The young should be allowed to experience failure and be helped to come out of it.
Failure never gives people pleasure. It hurts both grown-ups and children. But it can be really good to your life when you learn to use it. You must learn to ask “Why did I fail?” Don’t blame anyone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong and how you can improve. If someone else can help, don’t be shy about asking them.

1. 1.

   How do most parents prevent their children from failure?

   1. A.
      They give them some presents.
   2. B.
      They don’t tell them that they have failed.
   3. C.
      They don’t blame others.
   4. D.
      They help them to come out of failure.
2. 2.

   Which of the following can a person learn when he fails?

   1. A.
      It’s impossible to enjoy a game if he misses it.
   2. B.
      He is the worst of all.
   3. C.
      It’s natural not to win a game and no one can win all the time.
   4. D.
      His teammates are not good enough.
3. 3.

   The writer of this article thinks that if a child fails, parents should __________________.

   1. A.
      give him a small prize
   2. B.
      advise him to repeat failure
   3. C.
      blame others
   4. D.
      encourage him to learn from failure
4. 4.

   4. Which would be the best title (標題) for the passage?

   1. A.
      Learning from Failure
   2. B.
      Ways of Preventing Failure
   3. C.
      Reasons of Failure
   4. D.
      Getting Pleasure from Failure

詞匯運用 兩個學生正在網上聊天, 請根據上下文意思幫助他們補全單詞。

A: Hi, How R U?

B: Fine, thanks. Yesterday morning I saw your father in the street, I went up to talk to him, but he said he didn’t know me. I was confused.

A: It (1)_________（不可能）be him! My father was at home studying English at that time.

B: Oh, sorry! I made a mistake. But why is your father studying English now?

A: He wants to (2) __________（提高）his English. He has been studying English for only one year. Last month he went to have a business talk with an American in New York, he was (3) ___________（應該）to arrive at 9:00 a.m., but he was 30 minutes late, by the time he got there, the American had already left. He sat outside the meeting-room for a long time, felt sad and (4) _________ （饑餓的）, he even didn’t know (5) i_____________ there’s a good place to eat.

B: What a pity! He should have studied English really hard and know some customs of the English-speaking countries

A: You’re right. I really need to come up with some good ideas and help him with his English, now I am teaching him to study English (6) b_________ listening to tapes.

B: Good. Have you ever been to another country?

A: Not (7) y____________. I’d like to go to France some day.

B: Me too. I’d like to go somewhere relaxing. BTW, next Saturday is my friend Sam’s birthday, I was (8) __________（邀請）to his birthday party, but I don’t know what present I should take.

A: If I (9) w__________ you, I would buy a CD of Jay Chou. Most teenagers like singers who sing their own songs. Listening to his songs usually makes us feel relaxed.

B: Thanks. Are you free 2night? How about (10)_____ (見面) 4 dinner and then c a movie?

A: OK, that’s great!