I had my first job at a local diner called the Buttercup Bakery when I was 22. I worked there for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow waitress Helen who had incredible self-respect and did what she loved—serving people. She made everyone smile and feel good, customers and co-workers alike.

Being a waitress changed my life. One of my regular customers was Fred Hasbrook, an electronics salesman. Thanks to the newfound confidence I picked up from Helen, I dreamed of having my own restaurant. But when I called my parents to ask for a loan, they said, “We just don’t have the money.”

The next day, I shared my dream with him and said, “Fred, I know I can do more if somebody would just have faith in me.”

He walked over to some of the other diner regulars and the next day handed me checks totaling $50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, “The only collateral(担保)on this loan is my trust in your honesty as a person. Good people with a dream should have the opportunity to make that dream come true.”

I took the checks to Merrill Lynch—the first time I had ever entered a brokerage(经纪业)house—where the money was invested for me. I continued working at the Buttercup, making plans for the restaurant I would open. My investments soured, though, and I lost the money.

After great deliberation(考虑) I decided to apply for a job at Merrill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was hired and ended up becoming a pretty good broker. Eventually I paid back Fred and my customers the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.

I got a thank-you note from Fred, which will be imprinted on my head forever. He had been sick and wrote that my check had helped cover his mounting medical bills. His letter read, “That loan may have been one of the best investments that I will ever make.”

According to the passage, the author thought ______.

A. Helen was full of complaint about her work

B. it was easy for Helen to make everyone happy and comfortable

C. she was lucky to have a job working with Helen

D. it was not acceptable to live in such a bad condition

By saying that “Being a waitress changed my life.” the author means that ______.

A. the author got a high pay by working hard

B. the author borrowed $50,000 with no interest from Fred Hasbrook

C. the effort which she had made influenced her a lot

D. the experience working as a waitress was worthwhile for the author

Which of the following statements is not true of Fred Hasbrook?

A. Fred Hasbrook was one of the author’s regular customers.

B. Fred Hasbrook lent the author $50,000, together with other customers.

C. Fred Hasbrook’s self-respect had a great effect on the author.

D. Fred Hasbrook’s himself did not have much money.

What made the author’s customers lend her money according to the passage?

A. Her maturity.    B. Her honesty.   C. Her faith.     D. Her success.

 (10·浙江B篇)
Below is a housing guide for students going to London. 

University accommodation (住所) offices

Many university accommodation offices have their own list of registered landlords (房东). Others also provide information on accommodation agencies and other housing organization. The advantage of using your university accommodation is that you can get support if you have a problem. The disadvantage is that they are unlikely to have enough registered landlords to houses all their students.

Property papers: Loot and Renting

Loot is an important source (来源) of information about private housing for co-renters. The offers are from private landlords, agencies and individuals looking for other co-renters. They also have a website: www.loot.com. The advantage of using Loot is that there are some excellent bargains. The disadvantage is that there is no quality control over the offers.

Renting is another useful paper. The offers in this paper are mainly from accommodation agencies. Their website is at www. renting.co.uk.

Accommodation agencies

The majority of rented accommodation in London is probably advertised through accommodation agencies. The advantage of using accommodation agencies is that you will have access to a large number of accommodations. A good agent will listen to your requirements and can save you time in looking for the right accommodation. The disadvantage is that they will make a range of charges to potential renters.

Noticeboards

     Around the universities you will find a number of noticeboards where offers of accommodation will be posted. These will either be from landlords or from students. Some universities will also have online noticeboards where students can advertise to other students. Advertisements from students can be an excellent way to find accommodation. However, advertisements from landlords can be problematic. 

Word of mouth

     Some of the best housing in London is never advertised but is passed on from one group of students to another by word of mouth. It might be that you can find out about good offers from final year students. However, don’t suppose that just because you have found out about housing from a friend it is necessarily going to be better than that found through any other source.

Family

    Faced with the very high rents charged in London, some students and their parents will consider buying as an alternative. In some cases this might be a good choice.

 
 

本篇是一篇应用文。介绍在伦敦留学的学生们住宿情况。

45. What is the advantage of using Loot?

   A. It has more offers from accommodation agencies than Renting.

   B. It gives you personal information about other co-renters.

   C. Their website is designed mainly for students.

   D. There are some good bargains.

46. A good agent can help you ____.

   A. know more people                 

B. find cheap accommodation

   C. get the right accommodation quickly

D. get free information about most accommodations

47. The information passed on by word of mouth is important because____.

   A. it is better than that found through any other source

   B. it helps you find some of the best housing never advertised

   C. the final year students always offer better information

   D. the landlords have little valuable information 

48. For students going to London for the first time, which of the following provides the most reliable information?

   A. University accommodation offices.      B. Loot and Renting

   C. Noticeboards.                       D. Family.

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows,there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist(社会心理学家)Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger,conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control(控制)the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do,the higher the children’s IQ scores.”
Lewis says,“And the more children there are,the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹).Lewis found that in families with three or four children,dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child,who has the most to talk about,and the youngest,who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible(看不见的),”says Lewis.“ When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner,chances are it’s the middle child.” There is,however,one thing that stops all conversations and prevents anyone from having attention:“When the TV is on,” Lewis says,“ dinner is a non-event.”
【小题1】The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ________.

A.show the relationship between parents and children
B.teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table
C.report on the findings of a study
D.give information about family problems
【小题2】Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ________.
A.they are busy serving food to their children
B.they are busy keeping order at the dinner table
C.they have to pay more attention to younger children
D.they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family
【小题3】By saying “Middle children are invisible” in Paragraph 3,Lewis means that middle children ________.
A.have to help their parents to serve dinner
B.get the least attention from the family
C.are often kept away from the dinner table
D.find it hard to keep up with other children
【小题4】Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
A.It is important to have the right food for children.
B.It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.
C.Parents should talk to each of their children often.
D.Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”

1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

A.show the relationship between parents and children

B.teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

C.report on the findings of a study

D.give information about family problems

2.Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because _________.

A.they are busy serving food to their children

B.they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

C.they have to pay more attention to younger children

D.they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

3.By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.

A.have to help their parents to serve dinner

B.get the least attention from the family

C.are often kept away from the dinner table

D.find it hard to keep up with other children

4.Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.

A.why TV is important in family life

B.why parents should keep good order

C.why children in small families seem to be quieter

D.why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

 

Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.

The first kind of loneliness is temporary(暂时的). This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result or a particular situation---- for example, a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.

The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic(长期的) loneliness usually last more than two yeas and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lone people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

Psychologists (心理学家)agree that one important fact in loneliness is a person’s social contacts(接触), e.g, friends, family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lone people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their own popularity.

Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.

1..How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?

A. Talk to friends                         B. Just ignore it     

C. Go to see a doctor                      D. Ask your teachers for guidance

2.. The topic of the 4th paragraph is that _______________.

A. lonely people don’t have many friends

B. lonely people don’t have many social problems

C. one problem of loneliness is a person’s social contacts

D. we depend on various people for different reasons

3.Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

A. Chronic loneliness can cause family problems

B. Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness

C. Chronic loneliness cannot be overcome

D.A, B, and C are all correct

4..What is the best title of the passage?

A. Three kinds of Loneliness               B. Loneliness and Diseases

C. Loneliness and Social Contacts           D. Chronic Loneliness

 

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