In ancient Egypt,the pharaoh(法老)treated the poor message runner like a prince when he arrived at the palace,if he brought good news. However,if the exhausted runner had the misfortune to bring the pharaoh unhappy news,his head was cut off.

Shades of that spirit spread over today’s conversations. Once a friend and I packed up some peanut butter and sandwiches for an outing. As we walked light-heartedly out the door,picnic basket in hand,a smiling neighbor looked up at the sky and said,“Oh boy,bad day for a picnic. The weatherman says it’s going to rain.” I wanted to strike him on the face with the peanut butter and sandwiches. Not for his stupid weather report,for his smile.

Several months ago I was racing to catch a bus. As I breathlessly put my handful of cash across the Greyhound counter,the sales agent said with a broad smile,“Oh,that bus left five minutes ago.” Dreams of head cutting!

It’s not the news that makes someone angry. It’s the unsympathetic attitude with which it’s delivered. Everyone must give bad news from time to time,and winning professionals do it with the proper attitude. A doctor advising a patient that she needs an operation does it in a caring way. A boss informing an employee he didn’t get the job takes on a sympathetic tone. Big winners know,when delivering any bad news,they should share the feeling of the receiver.

Unfortunately,many people are not aware of this. When you’re tired from a long flight,has a hotel clerk cheerfully said that your room isn’t ready yet?When you had your heart set on the toast beef,has your waiter merrily told you that he just served the last piece?It makes you as traveler or diner want to land your fist right on their unsympathetic faces.

Had my neighbor told me of the upcoming rainstorm with sympathy,I would have appreciated his warning. Had the Greyhound salesclerk sympathetically informed me that my bus had already left,I probably would have said,“Oh,that’s all right. I’ll catch the next one.” Big winners,when they bear bad news,deliver bombs with the emotion the bombarded(被轰炸的)person is sure to have.

1.In Paragraph 1,the writer tells the story of the pharaoh to________.

A. make a comparison B. introduce a topic

C. describe a scene D. offer an argument

2.In the writer’s opinion,his neighbor was________.

A. friendly B. warm-hearted C. not helpful D. not considerate

3.What is the main idea of the text?

A. Helping others sincerely is the key to business success.

B. Delivering bad news properly is important in communication.

C. Receiving bad news requires great courage.

D. Learning ancient traditions can be useful.

Flight cancellations(取消) and loss of luggage can ruin even the best-planned holiday. The key to a stress-free trip is having a backup plan.

Fly non-stop. The worst problems involve connections, so it is important to take non-stop flights whenever possible. If you do have to make a connection, try to route through a southern city, where snowstorms and de-icing delays will be less likely. Always allow at least two to three hours for flight connections.

Check the weather. Check the weather in your connecting city, not just the arrival and departure city. If your departure flight is cancelled because of weather, you can go home or back to your hotel. Airlines promise to get you on the next available flight, not the next flight. That could be several days later on a sold-out holiday weekend.

Go early. The earlier in the day you fly, the better your chance of getting rebooked the same day after a missed connection. It will also put you ahead of stranded(滞留的) passengers who arrive later.

Rebook immediately. As soon as your flight is delayed or cancelled, get on the phone and rebook your flight instead of waiting at the ticket counter. If your rebooking is delayed, call or ask your travel agent to find a seat on another carrier, and then ask your original carrier to endorse your ticket to the new airline. Airlines are not required to do this but often do. Learn more at www. dot. gov/ airconsumer/ fly-rights.

Ship bags. A few days before your flight, ship suitcases or holiday gifts to your destination by a documented express service. It’s preferable to losing bags because of re-routed flights and sometimes cheaper than paying airline overweight bag fees.

Know your rights. Airlines are not required to compensate passengers for delayed or cancelled flights, but it never hurts to ask for goodwill vouchers(折扣) for meals, taxis or a room.

1.When making a flight connection, it’s common that you’ll___________.

A. stop in the south B. choose a good city without snowstorm

C. be trapped in the storm D. wait for two or three hours

2.The suggested way for you to rebook your flight is___________.

A. through the phone B. by waiting at the ticket counter

C. by changing another airline D. by surfing the Internet

3.The underlined word “compensate” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “___________”.

A. pay B. ask C. host D. treat

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. The Worst Problem in the Trip.

B. The Preparation Before the Flight Trip.

C. How to Book the Plane Ticket.

D. How to Plan the Holiday.

On Sunday I had my own Father’s Day celebration.Suddenly I______about my dad a lot.My dad is absolutely the______man in the world.He would______refuse to help anyone in trouble.

Every Thursday night,my dad would______Shreveport,to a church there.I always drove the car for him.___this __this happened many times,I recall(回想起)one incident on one of those trips to Shreveport.

That time on the______,my dad saw a hitchhiker(搭便车的人).He asked me to pull the car over and offer him a______.Dad asked him his name and address,told him ours,and talked to him about all sorts of things.

At first the hitchhiker was hesitant(迟疑的),but he changed his______as he could tell we were really listening to him.I did know that it was quite______outside and the hitchhiker was very happy to be able to get a lift in our warm car.

We ______another forty-five minutes and learned that the hitchhiker was______many difficulties in life.Dad told him to keep his head up and said that______would become better for him soon.He reached into his pocket and

______the hitchhiker a twenty-dollar bill,leaving only a ten-dollar bill for himself.The hitchhiker then became very______.

I was always told never to______a hitchhiker and yet my dad did it every time he saw one.Dad always gave them money______he did not have very much of his own.

From that I've learned a lot about my dad and______.I've learned that if you come from a place with______,you will show a lot of kindness to people who are______.Just one single kind act may______.

1.A. learned B. talked C. thought D. worried

2.A. kindest B. cleverest C. funniest D. bravest

3.A. sometimes B. never C. often D. ever

4.A. head for B. drive to C. come from D. stay in

5.A. Because B. So C. Unless D. Although

6.A. field B. way C. job D. side

7.A. dinner B. sign C. ride D. chance

8.A. attitude B. trip C. route D. plan

9.A. dark B. cold C. sunny D. windy

10.A. walked B. escaped C. drove D. flew

11.A. facing B. forgetting C. understanding D. causing

12.A. habits B. choices C. ideas D. things

13.A. handed B. returned C. paid D. charged

14.A. sad B. angry C. nervous D. grateful

15.A. pick up B. laugh at C. listen to D. look at

16.A. as soon as B. except that C. even if D. as if

17.A. business B. life C. entertainment D. adventure

18.A. laughter B. success C. love D. complaint

19.A. travelling B. suffering C. playing D. studying

20.A. destroy B. share C. risk D. change

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网