． Hard you may try, you can’t possibly persuade Tom to give up smoking, for he is so addicted to it. A．Whatever B．However C．Whichever D．Whenever 题目和参考答案——青夏教育精英家教网—

I decided not to bring in home any other things with the words Made in China on a dark Monday, two days after last Christmas, though I still keep some in my house.

At work my boss, Mr. White, points out that I am ___36__ myself if I think I have been __37_____ Chinese products, in spite of the obvious facts in daily life.

“Chinese ___38___ are everywhere,” he says, “You can’t avoid those, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible.”

That is the __39____, which I have been considering for months, since I have kept the American car with the Chinese ___40__ in it. This week I was __41___ again of the difficulty of avoiding China when I bought earrings from a local artist. I was feeling pleased with myself ___42_____ I got home and noticed the gift box made in China.

My boss continues, “You know what you are doing? You are ___43__ your dependence on China, not __44___ it,” he says, “You are just cheating yourself.”

The boss, a frequent complainer, doesn’t slow down when I ___45___ to stop him to ___46___ that I am writing a __47____ of stories on the boycott for the business magazine.

“Maybe you can ___48____ it a year without Chinese products, ___49_____ sooner or later you will even ___50___ Chinese dishes,” the nice boss says, “There is no getting around it.”

I ____51____ at him as he turns to leave, quite ___52____.

“Thanks for your support,” I say to his ___53____.

The year is nearly half over. I can ___54_____without them. ___55___, it is a little inconvenient to live without a DVD player, a DV camera or a printer made in China. But a better question might be: How hard could it be to live without Made in China with the whole family?

A. fooling B. persuading C. beating D. enjoying

A. keeping B. accepting C. avoiding D. admitting

A. advertising B. items C. materials D. business

A. story B. plan C. suggestion D. point

A. parts B. engines C. wheels D. goods

A. asked B. reminded C. troubled D. puzzled

A. as B. when C. since D. until

A. delaying B. losing C. catching D. lacking

A. escaping B. obeying C. objecting D. hating

A. mean B. manage C. try D. intend

A. describe B. suggest C. declare D. state

A. copy B. book C. set D. series

A. do B. get C. make D. have

A. but B. or C. and D. for

A. wash B. break C. serve D. enjoy

A. laugh B. glance C. nod D. stare

A. annoyed B. surprised C. delighted D. satisfied

A. honor B. back C. kindness D. face

A. work B. rescue C. survive D. stay

A. Finally B. Honestly C. Generally D. Directly

In a world where comparisons happen non-stop, it is difficult to look outside yourself and to ever be content with who you are. There's always someone who's a bit better. The only solution is to reach inside and measure against what Warren Buffett calls your own inner yardstick. There is no more accurate measure for comparison than who you were yesterday, last week or last decade, when you were at your best.

Nothing useful ever comes from comparison to others. Either you see yourself as better than someone and you get lazy, or you see someone else as better than you and you feel like all your hard work is for nothing. It is a fool's game. None of us are inherently above or below the person next to us. We are who we are. Not one of us is exactly alike. The only direct and honest comparison is within yourself. Everything else is apples to oranges.

My opinion is that you are only allowed to compare yourself to someone else if their life situation is the same as your own. Good luck finding that match. And one thing is for sure. No matter how hard you work and how dedicated you are, there will always be someone who can run a little faster, jump a little higher, score a little better or look a little nicer in a swimsuit. And if there's not, you can bet someone is coming up fast behind you. So how can you always win in life? Become your best competitor.

The following are the reasons why you are your own best competitor.

1. You will always be motivated.

Having an image of your most recent past limits is the perfect thing to push you to the next level. If you ran 7 flights of stairs yesterday, then do 8 today. Who cares if the guy next to you did 15? It doesn't make a bit of difference. You are a more fit person today than you were yesterday. Your own progress is all you need.

2. You will continuously be your personal best.

If you commit to a slightly higher standard of yourself every day, you will always be at the top of your game. And that game will only get better. But if for some reason you fall off your mark, you will always have the past image of your best performance to show you what you're capable of. Once you've done it, you know what's possible and then it's just a matter of doing it again.

Through the passage the writer advises the readers to ________.

A. avoid comparison with others B. work much harder

C. pay attention to others’ progress D. make full use of motivation

If you want to be content with yourself, according to the author, you should ________.

A. see yourself better than others B. measure accurately

C. compare with yourself D. be honest with yourself

Which of the following is certain to happen according to the author?

A. Finding someone else who is in the same life situation as you are.

B. Finding someone who runs faster and jumps higher than you.

C. Finding someone who is hiding right behind you.

D. Finding someone who almost always wins in their life.

What can help you up to higher level in your life according to the passage?

A. Comparing yourself with the guy next to you.

B. Thinking about your own progress.

C. Promising to play a game every day.

D. Thinking of your most recent past limits.

If you keep on working hard, you are sure to in your career.

Dear Aunty,
After years of her crying. I finally gave in and allowed my daughter to have a cat. I now regret my decision. As someone needs to have a clean, tidy house, I no longer feel relaxed in my own home. If I tell her, “sorry, the cat has to go.” She will be heartbroken. What can I do?
-Feline Phobic
Dear Phobic,
I’m an animal lover and on your kid’s and cat’s side. Tell your daughter your problem. Ask her to help you come up with a plan. Perhaps you can agree to allow the cat only in certain areas of the house. This is a chance for your daughter to develop the sense of responsibility owning a pet requires.
Dear Aunty,
I got the highest grade on a biology test. Now the popular kids think I’m brainy, and want me in their lab group. I knew I was being used. Now, they want my homework. What should I do?
-Lily
Dear Lily.
Popularity can come at a price, but it’s no excuse to cheat. Offer to help new friends with their homework, but don’t give them yours.
Dear Aunty,
I’m one of six assistants in a dental(牙科的) office. But I’m new-there just four months. I’ve tried to join conversations, but they just ignore me. They go shopping together. No one invites me. How can I break into the circle?
-Crystal
Dear Crystal,
Humans run in packs like dogs. When a new dog enters the pack, a lot of discovery goes on. So bring cookies for everyone! Then try making friends with one co-worker. Invite her to lunch. When you get familiar with each other, tell her how hard you’re finding the situation at work. chances are, she’ll take you under her wing.
【小题1】Aunty thinks that Phobic should .

A．try to persuade her daughter to give in.

B．spend more time cleaning the house.

C．ask her daughter to help tidy up

D．find a better way to keep the cat.

【小题2】The underlined word “brainy” in the passage means .

【小题3】According to the passage, .

A．Phobic can’t get along well with her daughter.

B．Aunty is fond of animals like cats.

C．Crystal’s coworkers are cheating her.

D．Lily has no interest in lab experiments.

Dear Aunty,
After years of her crying. I finally gave in and allowed my daughter to have a cat. I now regret my decision. As someone needs to have a clean, tidy house, I no longer feel relaxed in my own home. If I tell her, “sorry, the cat has to go.” She will be heartbroken. What can I do?
-Feline Phobic
Dear Phobic,
I’m an animal lover and on your kid’s and cat’s side. Tell your daughter your problem. Ask her to help you come up with a plan. Perhaps you can agree to allow the cat only in certain areas of the house. This is a chance for your daughter to develop the sense of responsibility owning a pet requires.
Dear Aunty,
I got the highest grade on a biology test. Now the popular kids think I’m brainy, and want me in their lab group. I knew I was being used. Now, they want my homework. What should I do?
-Lily
Dear Lily.
Popularity can come at a price, but it’s no excuse to cheat. Offer to help new friends with their homework, but don’t give them yours.
Dear Aunty,
I’m one of six assistants in a dental(牙科的) office. But I’m new-there just four months. I’ve tried to join conversations, but they just ignore me. They go shopping together. No one invites me. How can I break into the circle?
-Crystal
Dear Crystal,
Humans run in packs like dogs. When a new dog enters the pack, a lot of discovery goes on. So bring cookies for everyone! Then try making friends with one co-worker. Invite her to lunch. When you get familiar with each other, tell her how hard you’re finding the situation at work. chances are, she’ll take you under her wing.
【小题1】Aunty thinks that Phobic should .