Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a computer, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships . We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you”. When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be there. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality(可能发生的事). And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.

1.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?

A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated.

B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working .

C. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.

D. Move an object out of the way before it trips someone.

2.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ________.

A. keep her appointment with the eye doctor

B. meet her father who was already an old man

C. join in the holiday celebration of the company

D. finish her work before the deadline approaching

3.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closed in meaning to “________”.

A. abandonedB. lackedC. avoidedD. wasted

4.What is the best title for the passage ?

A. The Emotional Well-beingB. The Two Saddest Words

C. The Most Useful RuleD. The Peace of Mind

Almost one in five drivers had dozed off behind the wheel, a shocking news report had showed. Of those who were dozing off, 29% have done so with their cars speeding at 70 miles per hour. The report also found a quarter of men have fallen asleep while driving, making it almost twice as many as women.

The Safety on Wheel Report, by Post Office Insurance, also looked at how often tiredness or a lack of concentration caused accidents. Three in ten drivers have experienced an accident, from passing a walker crossing to hitting another vehicle, because of a lack of concentration. Meanwhile, almost half (49%) of UK drivers have driven when they do not concentrate.

Paul Havenhand, head of insurance at Post Office, said, “ When tiredness strikes, drivers should avoid the roads.” There is no measurement for tired driving, unlike driving under the influence of alcohol, yet it could result in an equally dangerous accident.

Drivers are advised to take a 15-minute break from driving every two hours. However, a third (36%) are so eager to reach their destination that they will ignore feelings of tiredness. What’s more, almost one in five (18%) will drive for longer than four hours without a break, while 6% carry on for up to 6 hours. Just over a quarter (27%) choose a quick stop to buy a cup of coffee, which is a very popular way for drivers to get rid of tiredness, and only 17% stop to have a rest until they feel energetic again. Mr. Havenhand added, “Drivers should plan ahead and rest before starting a long journey; besides, they can take regular breaks to recharge their batteries while on road; in some cases, if they do feel too tired to concentrate on the roads, they could consider an alternative means of transport.”

1.Which suggestion is NOT put forward by Mr. Havenhand?

A. Preparing well for a long journey and taking a complete rest before it.

B. Having breaks regularly in order to feel refreshed.

C. Choosing another method of transport instead.

D. Choosing a quick stop to grab something to eat.

2.What does the underlined phrase “recharging their batteries” in the last paragraph mean?

A. Put a new supply of electricity into their batteries.

B. Get back their energy by resting for a while

C. Accuse them of stealing batteries

D. Pay twice more money for their batteries

3.It is implied in the last paragraph that for drivers the most popular cure for tiredness is _____.

A. drinking coffee B. talking with others

C. ignoring feelings of tiredness D. singing songs

4.What’s the purpose of the writer in writing this passage?

A. To warn people of the danger of tired driving

B. To tell people to be careful when walking on the street

C. To inform people of the importance of a good rest

D. To introduce some dangers while driving on the roads

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