My friend BJ Gallagher once worked as a training manager for a large newspaper, which was more than a hundred years old.The company’s past had blinded the authorities to the need for change, and they new ideas and would say “This is the way we’ve always done it.”.As the years went by, BJ grew more and more with their short-sightedness.Finally, she left the company.But she found that she hadn’t left her behind when she resigned.She carried it with her, like “rocks in the stomach”.

“I finally decided to about my experiences and my feelings.I it would be a good mental health .I wanted to be rid of that company and those people, once and for all.So I wrote and wrote.It wasn’t just a story that poured out — it was a whole ! My resentment (怨恨) my writing.The whole world would know how they were!”

“What when the book came out?” I asked BJ.

“Not much,” she replied, “The newspaper kept doing what it had done.My feelings didn’t them one bit, but it took me several more years to finally my negative emotions.Finally, the time came when I decided to make amends (修正) for the angry things I had said about the company.I my former boss to dinner and made my .I told him I was sorry for being so resentful.It was a great healing process for me.”

“What was the outcome?” I asked her.

“Gratitude,” she replied, “Not only wasn’t I resentful any more, but I was grateful to the company.If I hadn’t had those experiences, I never would have written a book.And the book became hugely successful — now in 21 languages.In short, my resentment gave way to gratitude.”

She smiled, “I owe them a debt of thanks for giving me such a great tale to tell.”

Trading resentments for gratitude isn’t always easy.But it’s worth it, gratitude is a far happier feeling than resentment.

1.A. skill B.management C. success D. business

2.A. resisted B. got C. broke D. shaped

3.A. move B. frustrated C. excited D. surprised

4.A. sadness B. worry C. doubt D. anger

5.A. think B. are C. write D. talk

6.A. proved B. figured C. concluded D. agreed

7.A. exercise B. suggestion C. lecture D. theory

8.A. diary B. lesson C. accident D. book

9.A. prevented B. delayed C. fueled D.corrected

10.A. sensitive B. successful C. greedy D. stupid

11.A. happened B. reported C. received D. resulted

12.A. sometimes B. always C. recently D. already

13.A. forgive B. reward C. bother D. cheat

14.A. think of B. get over C. pass on D. look through

15.A. invited B. called C. persuaded D. followed

16.A. promise B. apology C. plan D. decision

17.A. only B. natural C. direct D. final

18.A. useful B. funny C. painful D. shameful

19.A. finished B. edited C. read D. published

20.A. for B. though C. but D. and

How words came into being is unknown. All we assume (猜测) is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.

The power of words, then, lies in their associations—the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.

Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style (文体). Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.

1.We learn from the text that language might have begun with _______.

A. expressions B. actions C. signs D. sounds

2.What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?

A. The learning of new words.

B. The importance of old words.

C. The relation of human experience with words.

D. The gradual change and development of words.

3.In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?

A. Use words skillfully. B. Make musical speeches.

C. Learn poems by heart. D. Associate with listeners.

Does money buy happiness?Not!Ah, but would a little more money make us a little happier?Many of us smirk(傻笑,假笑) and nod.There is, we believe, some connection between financial fitness and emotional fulfillment.Three in four American college students—nearly double the 1970 proportion— now consider it “very important” or “essential” that they become “very well off financially”.Money matters.

But a surprising fact of life is that in countries where nearly everyone can afford life’s necessities, increasing wealth matters surprisingly little.The connection between income and happiness is “surprisingly weak,” observed University of Michigan researcher Ronald Inglehart in one 16-nation study of 170,000 people.Once comfortable, more money provides diminishing returns(报酬递减).The second piece of pie, or the second $100,000, never tastes as good as the first.Even lottery winners and the Forbes’ 100 wealthiest Americans surveyed by University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener have expressed only slightly greater happiness than the average American.Making it big brings temporary joy.But in the long run wealth is like health: its complete absence can create suffering, but having it doesn’t guarantee happiness.Happiness seems less a matter of getting what we want than of wanting what we have.

Has our happiness, however, floated upward with the rising economic tide?Are we happier today than in 1940s, when two out of five homes lacked a shower or tub?Actually, we are not.Since 1957, the number of Americans who say they are “very happy” has declined from 35 to 32 percent.Meanwhile, the divorce rate has doubled, the teen suicide(自杀) rate has increased nearly three times, the violent crime rate has gone up nearly four times, and depression has mushroomed.Economic growth has provided no boost to human morale.When it comes to psychological well being, it is not the economy.

I call this soaring wealth and shrinking spirit “the American paradox.” More than ever, we have big houses and broken homes, high incomes and low confidence, secured rights and reduced civility.We are good at making a living but often fail at making a life.We celebrate our prosperity(繁荣) but long for a purpose.We treasure our freedoms but long for connection.In an age of plenty, we feel spiritual hunger.

1.Which of the following statements best expresses the author’s view?

A. The more money we earn, the less returns we have.

B. The more money we earn, the happier we would be.

C. In the long run, money cannot guarantee happiness.

D. In the long run, happiness grows with economy.

2.“The second $100,000 never tastes as good as the first” because _____.

A. it is not so fresh as the first $100,000

B. it is not so important as the first $100,000

C. profit brought by it is less than that from the first $100,000

D. happiness brought by it is less than that from the first $100,000

3.According to the passage, people do well in making a living but don’t _____.

A. have any primary aim

B. know how to spend money

C. know how to enjoy life

D. keep in touch with other people

4.The things that happened after 1957 are given to show that _____.

A. people’s spiritual needs cannot be fulfilled by wealth

B. family problems become more and more serious

C. young people are not happy about their life

D. social crimes have increased significantly

That woman carried a new blanket over her arm. Wordlessly, she gave it to me.

“Is it finished?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. It is ready,” she replied. I handed her the money and took the blanket.

“It is beautiful, so skillfully woven(编织),” I said to my mother. “But what did she mean when she said it was not finished? How can it be ready if it is not finished?”

“I will tell you later,” my mother said, “but first I will take you to the Navajo village.”

We went down to the village. A group of young men were making sand pictures. We walked through the whole village, watching the different things the people were doing.

It was not until that evening that my mother finally explained the Navajo woman’s words.

“Did you notice anything about the things the people were making?” my mother asked.

“What should I have noticed?” I looked at her and asked.

“Each thing the Navajo make has one small part that is not complete. The designs in their sand pictures are often not perfectly done, for example---the line of a circle may not quite close. If you look carefully at your blanket, you will probably find a stitch(一针)missing.”

I took the blanket off, but it looked as perfect as any design could be. Then suddenly, I noticed that sure enough a stitch was missing!

“But why do the Navajo intentionally leave some tiny part unfinished?” I asked.

“They believe that when anything is completed or finished, it means the end has come--it will not be perfect until then. Then too, with a circle, they believe that they must leave a pathway for the bad spirits to run away and the good spirits to come in. So, often, they do not make the line close.”

1.The blanket the author received_____ .

A. was poorly woven.

B. made her think a lot.

C. cost her a lot of money.

D. was finished, but not ready.

2.Why was the author shown around the village?

A. To buy more things made by the Navajo.

B. To make friends with some of the Navajo.

C. To have a deeper understanding of the Navajo.

D. To look for the woman who sold her the blanket.

3.Which of the following may the Navajo believe?

A. A stitch in time is very important.

B. Life only becomes perfect when you die.

C. He who makes no mistake is a perfect man.

D. You must always try to make your life complete.

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A. The Navajo are good at making things.

B. The Navajo are brave and hard-working.

C. A blanket tells a lot about the Navajo culture.

D. Skills are needed to do business with the Navajo.

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