I am 26. I’m clear that I’m never going to catch up with Mother Teresa. But I want to do something to help people every single day like her.

Everybody thinks we just serve food and soda. The safety training is serious and stressful. Caring for 49 people in a business class in 90 minutes is not easy. I had a roommate who was a waitress; she just left a candle and a table cloth burning, and I used a fire extinguisher (灭火器) to put out the fire. If something goes bad at her job, she calls the police. But if something happens up in the air, it’s up to us.

I’m single and have no kids. I’ve flown every Christmas since 1995. If I fly, someone else can be with their kids. Christmas in an airport can be depressing, but it’s the little things that make a difference.

We’re not robots. It’s hard to put on a smile and just pretend everything is great when it isn’t. I’ve seen co-workers lose a family member the day before a trip and just pull themselves together (take control of their feelings and believe in a calm way). At the end of a 14-hour flight, it’s like, “It was really nice to help you, but I’m ready for you to get off the plane.” Those last 15 minutes can be the longest 15 minutes of your life. You can’t wait to turn off the flight attendant’s voice and get something to eat without anyone saying “Excuse me.”

Sometimes I go all day and never hear a “please” or a “thank you.” When you say thank you, it’s huge. It makes us feel like you actually see us as fellow humans. We’re up there together at a height of 30,000 feet, enjoying the miracle (奇迹) of the modern flight.

1.What’s the author’s attitude towards Mother Teresa?

A. Grateful B. Fearful C. Doubtful D. Admiring

2.How did the author like her roommate’s job?

A. It was the same as hers B. It was more interesting than hers

C. It was easier than hers D. It was more serious than hers

3.Why does the author fly every Christmas?

A. Because she has nowhere to go.

B. Because she’s trying to be a helpful co-worker.

C. Because she owes her co-workers some favors.

D. Because she’d like to earn more money.

4.What does the author imply by saying the underlined sentence “We’re not robots”?

A. Flight attendants are not stronger than robots.

B. Flight attendants also experience emotions.

C. Flight attendants get tired while robots don’t.

D. Flight attendants need to rest now and then.

Listening, really listening, can improve communication and build respect with others. Communication begins by listening and then suggesting that you hear what the person is saying.

This can be recognized by focus or eye contact, body language, and reflective listening.

Focus (Eye Contact)—Focus means that you are looking directly at the person speaking and not looking off to one side or continuing to do something else. You are focused on what is being said; the speaker is the center of attention. Listening attentively is essential for positive communication.

Listening Without Interrupting—Does your body acknowledge(承认) that you are listening? Use smiles, nods, and expressions of understanding to communicate to the speaker that you are listening. It is not necessary that you agree or disagree at this time. It is more important for the person speaking to know that his or her words are respected. This strengthens communication.

Reflective Listening—Reflective listening involves hearing the feelings and meanings of the speaker. It is a re-statement (in different words) of what the speaker said. You, in essence, mirror the words of the speaker and rephrase them back to the speaker, checking for accuracy(准确)of understanding. This process affirms the speaker, indicates a respect of the person, and shows that you understand the speaker’s message. Through careful reflection of the speaker’s words, you can make clear the message and build mutual(相互的) understanding. Through reflective listening and the careful exchange of words, we learn that other people have important feelings and opinions which we need to consider. Learning to understand the importance of all ideas, not just our own, can lead to successful resolution of problems and mutual respect.

1.The best way to build respect with others is _____.

A. to look directly at the person speaking

B. to listen to the speaker attentively

C. to interrupt the speaker when necessary

D. to use expressions of understanding

2.What strengthens communication with the person speaking?

A. Making him or her know that his or her words are respected.

B. Expressing agreement or disagreement in time when listening.

C. Repeating his or her words from time to time.

D. Listening instead of saying anything.

3. Reflective Listening is aimed to _____.

A. show you are not absent in mind

B. make sure the speaker’s words are correct

C. checking for accuracy of understanding

D. express your own ideas without delay

Note: 1gigawtt = 1000 megawatts

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is cleaning up its manufacturing operations in China to reduce the air pollution caused by the factories that have assembled (装配) hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads during the past eight years.

The world's most valuable company is working with its Chinese suppliers to eventually produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy.

The commitment announced Wednesday represents Apple's latest attempt to prevent the popularity of its devices and digital services from increasing the carbon emissions that are widely believed to change the Earth's climate.

Apple Inc. estimates (估计) 20 million tons of greenhouse gas pollution will be avoided as more of its suppliers rely on renewable energy between now and 2020. That's like having four million fewer cars on the road for a year.

Panels capable of generating (生产) about 200 megawatts of solar power will be financed by Apple in the northern, southern and eastern regions of China, where many of its suppliers are located. The company is teaming up with its Chinese suppliers to build the capacity for the remaining 2 gigawatts of renewable energy, which will be a mix of solar, wind and hydroelectric power.

Foxconn, which runs the factory where the most iPhones are assembled, is pledging to contribute 400 megawatts of solar power as part of the 2-gigawatt commitment. The solar panels to be built by 2018 in China's Henan Province are supposed to produce as much renewable energy as Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory consumes while making iPhones.

Apple has made protecting the environment a higher priority since Tim Cook replaced the late Steve Jobs as the company's CEO four years ago.

"Climate change is one of the great challenges of our time, and the time for action is now," Cook said in a statement. "The transition to a new green economy requires innovation, ambition and purpose."

Apple just completed projects in China that generate 40 megawatts of solar energy to cover the power required by its 24 stores and 19 offices in the country. All of Apple's data centers, offices and stores in the U.S. already have been running on renewable energy.

"When you look at all the air pollution in China, all the manufacturing that is done there has a lot to do with it, so this is a significant step in the right direction," said Gary Cook, a senior analyst for Greenpeace, a group devoted to protecting the environment.

Apple also has a financial motivation to help make China a better place to live. The greater China region is Apple's second biggest market behind the U.S. Tim Cook has made it clear that he wants the company to make even more progress as rising incomes enable more of China's population to buy smart phones and other gadgets.

Apple can easily afford to go green. The company had $203 billion in cash at the end of June. This story has been reflected to correct that Apple and its suppliers haven't set a timetable for producing the 2.2 gigawatts of renewable energy in China.

1.The commitment announced Wednesday shows that ______.

A. Apple wanted to change its public image eagerly

B. Apple wanted to contribute to protecting the environment

C. Apple wanted to cut down its expenses by using renewable energy

D. Apple wanted to stop the popularity of its product from polluting the environment

2.It is estimated that with Apple's new commitment, ______.

A. There will be four million fewer cars on the road for a year

B. 20 billion tons of greenhouse gas pollution will be avoided

C. Much of its greenhouse gas pollution will be avoided between now and 2020

D. China will become Apple's second biggest market behind the US

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Apple has enough cash in store for switching to renewable energy supply.

B. The 2 gigawatts of renewable energy will be a mix of solar, wind and electric power.

C. Apple's data centers, offices and stores already have been running on renewable energy.

D. Apple will eventually produce 2.2 gigawatts of solar power and other renewable energy.

4.What is Gary Cook's attitude towards Apple's commitment?

A. Optimistic B. Supportive

C. Doubtful D. Indifferent

5.Where is this passage probably taken from?

A. A science report. B. A textbook.

C. An advertisement. D. A newspaper.

I love charity shops and so do lots of other people in Britain because you find quite a few of them on every high street. The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won't find in the shops anymore. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods.

The first charity shop was opened in 1947 by Oxfam. The famous charity's appeal to aid postwar Greece had been so successful that it had been flooded with donations. They decided to set up a shop to sell some of these donations to raise money for that appeal. Now there are over 7,000 charity shops in the UK. My favorite charity shop in my hometown is the Red Cross shop, where I always find children's books, all 10 or 20 pence each.

Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public. Every morning you see bags of unwanted items outside the front of shops, although they don't encourage this, rather ask people to bring things in when the shop is open.

The shops have very low running costs, and all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than £110 million a year, funding medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled people, and much more. What better places to spend your money? You get something special for a very good price and a good moral sense. You provide funds to a good cause and step lightly on the environment.

1.The author loves the charity shop mainly because of ______.

A. its convenient location

B. its great variety of goods

C. its spirit of goodwill

D. its nice shopping environment

2. The first charity shop in the UK was set up to ______ .

A. sell cheap products

B. deal with unwanted things

C. raise money for patients

D. help a foreign country

3. Which of the following is TRUE about charity shops?

A. The operating costs are very low.

B. The staff are usually well paid.

C. 90% of the donations are second-hand.

D. They are open twenty-four hours a day.

The idea of being able to walk on water has long interested humans greatly. Sadly, biological facts prevent us ever accomplishing such a thing without artificial aid--we simply weigh too much, and all our mass pushes down through our relatively small feet, resulting in a lot of pressure that makes us sink.

However, several types of animals can walk on water. One of the most interesting is the common basilisk. Basilicus, a lizard (蜥蜴) native to Central and South America. It can run across water for a distance of several meters, avoiding getting wet by rapidly hitting the water's surface with its feet. The lizard will take as many as 20 steps per second to keep moving forward. For humans to do this, we'd need huge feet that we could bring up to our ears in order to create adequate "hitting. “

But fortunately there is an alternative: cornflour. By adding enough of this common thickening agent to water (and it does take a lot), you can create a "non-Newtonian" liquid that doesn't behave like normal water. Now, if the surface of the water is hit hard enough, particles(微粒) in the water group together for a moment to make the surface hard. Move quickly enough and put enough force into each step, and you really can walk across the surface of an adequately thick liquid of cornflour.

Fun though all this may sound, it's still rather messy and better read about in theory than carried out in practice, if you must do it, then keep the water wings handy in case you start to sink--and take a shower afterward!

1.Walking on water hasn't become a reality mainly because humans _______.

A. are not interested in it

B. have biological limitations

C. have not invented proper tools

D. are afraid to make an attempt

2.What do we know about Basilicus from the passage?

A. It is light enough to walk on water.

B. Its huge feet enable it to stay above water.

C. It can run across water at a certain speed.

D. Its unique skin keeps it from getting wet in water

3. What is the function of the cornflour according to the passage?

A. To create a thick liquid.

B. To turn the water into solid.

C. To help the liquid behave normally.

D. To enable the water to move rapidly.

4.What is the author's attitude toward the idea of humans' walking on water?

A. It is risky but beneficial.

B. It is interesting and worth trying.

C. It is crazy and cannot become a reality.

D. It is impractical though theoretically possible.

EACH of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a necessary part of the learning process. But all too often we convey to our children either by words or by actions that failure is something to be ashamed of, that nothing but top performance meets our approval.

Donnie was my youngest third-grader. His fear of failure kept him from classroom games that other children played excitedly. He seldom answered questions – he might be wrong. He seldom finished his work because he repeatedly checked with me to be sure he hadn’t made a mistake.

I tried my best to build his self-confidence. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, adored her. But even enthusiastic, loving Mary was baffled by this little boy who feared he might make a mistake.

Then one morning we were working math problems. Donnie had copied the problems with painstaking neatness and filled in answers for the first row. Pleased with his progress, I left the children with Mary. But when I returned, Donnie was in tears. He’d missed the third problem.

Mary looked at me in despair. Suddenly her face brightened. From the desk we shared, she got a canister (小筒) filled with pencils.

“Look, Donnie,” she said, “I’ve got something to show you.” She removed the pencils and placed them on his desk. “See these pencils, Donnie?” she continued. “They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are worn? That’s because we make mistakes too. Lots of them. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That’s what you must learn to do, too.”

She kissed him and continued: “I’ll leave one of these pencils on your desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, even teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and just a glimmer (少许) of a smile.

The pencil became Donnie’s prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement and praise for even Donnie’s small successes, gradually persuaded him that it’s all right to make mistakes – as long as you erase them and try again.

1. The word “baffled” in Paragraph 3 most probably means __________.

A. eased B. confused C. defeated D. impressed

2. Which of the following words best describe Mary Anne as she is shown in the article?

A. Patient and inspiring. B. Creative and modest.

C. Determined and strict. D. Considerate and proud.

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A. Each of us should try our best to be a perfectionist.

B. Donnie rarely finished his work because he seldom answered questions and thus had difficulties.

C. The story was written mainly to sing high praise for Mary Anne.

D. The author seems to believe that failure is an opportunity to learn and make progress.

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