Down-to-earth means being honest, open, and easy to deal with. It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to. He or she accepts others as equals. A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society, of course, but they do not let their importance go to their heads, and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have his nose in the air. There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He has what is called common sense. He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world. Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground.
The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others, and our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
【小题1】If a person has his nose in the air, he ____. 

A.is down to the earth
B.is easy to deal with
C.always thinks he is more important than others
D.is confident
【小题2】If a person has both feet on the ground, he ____. 
A.is in touch with reality, and doesn’t have any dreams
B.has some dreams but he is realistic
C.is honest, open and easy to deal with
D.is honest, open but hard to deal with
【小题3】The underlined sentence “But the opposite is not always true.” most probably means that ______.
A.the person who has his nose in the air is not true
B.a man with his head in the clouds is often not intelligent
C.the opposite direction is always wrong
D.a person who has both feet on the ground may not be down-to-earth


“It’s the best…uhh…What? You don’t want it?...,”the inexpertienced young man uttered,his hope dashed.
“Again,you disappointed me,Andrew.When are you going to learn? You have to be sure and confident. And think how best to make him part with his money. Apply yourself, Son. All your college education will not help if you don’t put your mind to selling. Think on your feet. Use psychology,” Andrew spoke with diffidence overwhelmed by his father’s criticism.
“You’ve been in this shop for six months and you haven’t succeeded in selling a single computer. I tell you what. I’ll give you one more chance. I’ll give you another three more weeks. If you still can’t make one sale, I’ll call in your elder brother to replace you. He will also take over the shop when I retire. There. I’ll just give you one last chance to prove yourself,” said Mr. Whitely, his patience wearing thin.
Andrew’s heart missed a beat. This time he would have to do it. Do or Die! A sense of urgency gripped him. Somehow he must prove himself to his father.
It was now the end of the day and the shop was being closed. The assistant employed by his father, called Mike, chuckled and put his arms round poor Andrew to comfort him,“ Sort it out yourself. It’s gotta come from yourself.” he said.
The shop was located in a bustling shopping center. Andrew left the shop and walked round the complex aimlessly and by chance entered a large bookstore. He glanced at the books and was about to leave when his eyes caught some interesting titles:‘ How to increase your confidence,’‘ The art of communication,’‘How to sell well’amongst others.
The next minute he was out of the store with the shopping bag bugling with books. In his apartment (for he loves separately from his parents and little sister),he settled himself in his easy chair and devoured the contents of the books, one by one. His keen intelligence enabled him to focus the details that matter and pick out the ideas and techniques expounded.In a week his image underwent a transformation. Gone was the stubble that used to give him an untidy image likened to a heroin addict.He was also smartly dressed now. Instead of his usual slurred speech and incoherence ,he spoke with clarity, purpose and forcefulness.He was more convincing and persuasive. Above all, confidence flowed from his being and he seemed to have learned a few tricks of the selling trade. He worked hard at his sales pitch and one day he succeeded in selling a computer. His first sale. He had finally achieved the quota of one sale within the given time frame of three weeks. The job, the shop, was his. He had to thank Mike for it. And now he had to go beyond his first successs and score, consistently and persistently. Nevertheless he had proved himself at last and the future looked bright and promising.
【小题1】
We learn from the story that at the beginning Andrew’s father_________.

A.holds the view that Andrew is hopeless
B.has lost his patience with Andrew
C.has given the shop to Andrew
D.still hopes Andrew will improve
【小题2】
We learn from the story that Andrew_________.
A.has turned himself into an experienced sales manager
B.has tried in vain to get his job done in six months
C.has let his father down in the end
D.has done well with the help of Mike
【小题3】
What’s the most significant change of character in Andrew?
A.He’s more convincing.B.He’s more hard-working.
C.He is more confident.D.He is more intelligence.
【小题4】
What conclusion can we draw from the story?
A.Success depends on hard work,talent,and willingnesss to make changes.
B.However hard you try, you won’t achieve success without others’ help
C.It takes time to succeed, you have to try again and again and never give up
D.It’s good communication skills and some tricks that result in big business.

Researchers found that compared with teens who spent much of their free time in front of TV sets, those who were physically active often had higher self-respect, better grades and were less likely to have risky behavior like taking drugs, smoking, or drinking.The findings, based on a national survey of nearly 12,000 middle and high school students, were published in a journal.

       "Across the board, children who engaged in any kind of activity were belier off than kids who watched a lot of TV," said study co author professor Penny Gordon Larsen of the University of North Carolina.

       Other studies have linked certain content of television programs, such as violence and sex, to children's behavior.But beyond this issue, Gordon-Larsen said that kids who spend hours watching TV "miss opportunities" to develop skills, learn teamwork and have other experiences that their more active peers benefit from.

       That doesn't mean, however, that kids have to be on the football team. The study found that some activities like skating and skateboarding——which adults sometimes frown upon——were also related to better self respect and less risk taking.

       That skaters were better behaved than TV watchers might come as a surprise to some adults who consider these teens to be bad, according to Gordon-Larsen.Skateboarding is forbidden in many public areas, and some communities oppose building skating parks.But if kids who like to skate have nowhere to do it, "it's a shame," said Gordon-Larsen.

       Not only should parents encourage their kids to engage iii the physical activities they enjoy, she said, but schools and communities should also do more to create opportunities for children to be active.

1.From the passage we know that          .

       A.physically active kids get into less trouble

       B.more skating parks are being built

       C.kids who spend hours watching TV benefit a lot

       D.kids who have nowhere to skate tend to take drugs

2.If your kid is a football player, he is more likely to ____

       A.get into the habit of smoking or drinking

       B.develop teamwork spirit

       C.have risky behaviors

       D.fail in the schoolwork

3.This passage is mainly written to ___      .

       A.offer some information to teachers and parents

       B.persuade kids not to watch a lot of TV

       C.urge the public to help children be active

       D.show the author's concern about children's growth

4.What does the underlined sentence "which adults sometimes frown upon" in the 4th paragraph mean?

       A.Some adults don't understand the sports.

       B.Some adults are impatient with kids.

       C.Adults consider it dangerous to go skating or skateboarding.

       D.Some adults think them related to bad behaviors.

5.It can be inferred from the passage that          .

       A.kids are not expected to be active by some parents

       B.professor Penny is a famous writer and journalist

       C.skateboarding is popular in schools and communities

       D.kids are not encouraged to join the football team

 

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