My husband and I insisted that our children were old enough to clean their rooms and make their beds. But they thought . My complaints, even self-justified shouting, were always landing on ears. Very often a whole hour’s scolding would end with their into tears, I felt very frustrated. I realized I needed to my method of “mothering”.

One day when they were at school, I spent some time their rooms. On their desks, in plain , I left the cards: “Dear Bill (the other card was to Sarah), your room was messy this morning and I’m sure you like it clean. Love, the Room Fairy.” arriving back, the children were excited to receive the little note from the Room Fairy. The next day, their rooms were fairly tidy. Sure enough, there was another note from the Room Fairy __ for them, thanking them for their nice “gift” of a clean room and asking them to play a certain violin . Each day, thank--you notes would be written differently to keep the ideas .

Sometimes the Room Fairy would propose a little : “If you can finish your homework and your lessons before dinner, I’ d like to watch a particular television program with you tonight.” Sometimes some colored markers or other little items would be left in of well done jobs the day .

I can’t remember how long “the Room Fairy” continued leaving her love notes. When they were age appropriate, we used various versions of Post-Its(贴条). The bathroom mirror became the centre of our home. Appointments, notices about visiting relatives, lesson schedules, and changes in plans could be posted.

We all benefited from and the idea of sharing reminders and daily details of life through notes. I believe the true advantage of the Room Fairy notes survives in our frequent and enjoyable communication.

1.A. indifferently B. gratefully C. doubtfully D. otherwise

2.A. side B. deaf C. neither D. either

3.A. crying B. breaking C. bursting D. bumping

4.A. adjust B. adopt C. access D. addict

5.A. clearing B. tidying C. emptying D. searching

6.A. distance B. words C. speech D. sight

7.A. sent B. read C. delivered D. addressed

8.A. As B. At C. In D. Upon

9.A. more than B. rather than C. no more than D. other than

10.A. asking B. waiting C. praying D. expecting

11.A. politely B. happily C. gently D. toughly

12.A. music B. song C. piece D. tone

13.A. respectable B. uninteresting C. incredible D. fresh

14.A. challenge B. question C. suggestion D. advice

15.A. go with B. look up C. go over D. look into

16.A. response B. answer C. praise D. honor

17.A. ahead B. before C. over D. ago

18.A. Actually B. Even so C. Even if D. Though

19.A. life B. main C. memory D. reminder

20.A. learned B. appreciated C. shared D. thanked

Most Americans would have a difficult time telling you, specifically, what are the values which Americans live by. They have never given the matter any thought.

Over the years I have introduced thousands of international visitors to life in the United States. This has caused me to try to look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors. I am confident that the values listed in this booklet describe most ( but not all) Americans, and that understanding these values can help you, the international visitor, understand Americans.

It is my belief that if foreign visitors really understand how deeply these 13 values are ingrained in Americans, they will then be able to understand 95% of American actions-actions which might otherwise appear "strange", "confusing", or "unbelievable" when evaluated from the perspective of the foreigner's own society and its values.

The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions and values of that particular group. When you encounter ( meet) an action, or hear a statement in the United States which surprises you, try to see it as an expression of one or more of the values listed in this booklet.

1.An ordinary American can't tell you his/her value system because _____.

A. this is something an American lives by

B. everyone will have his/her own value system

C. he/she has never thought about it

D. values are something often in their thought

2.The author lists 13 values in his booklet to _____.

A. invite foreigners to visit America

B. look at Americans through the eyes of foreign visitors

C. describe the confusing actions of most Americans

D. help international visitors understand Americans

3.The underlined word "ingrained" in Line 2, Paragraph 3 most probably means _____.

A. rooted in the minds B. found in the grains

C. planted for food D. prepared with grain

4.Visitors sometimes find Americans behave in a strange, confusing or unbelievable way, probably because _____.

A. Americans are hard to understand

B. Americans have values which are entirely different from their own

C. they view Americans according to the values in their own society

D. it is difficult to understand any people when you first encounter them

I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work.

While working, you wear a plate with your name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, "Mr Castle, how are you?" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, "It was nice talking to you, Brett." I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh, no. He didn't remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put "Irving" down on my name plate. If he'd have said, "Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?" I'd have been ready for him. There's nothing personal here.

The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: you couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. I'd say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hand and you expect them to say, "Oh, thanks a lot." When you say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They feel a little put down. They say, "No one will know." And they put it in your pocket. You say, "I really can't." It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendlything and made the customer feel good. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas.

One lady actually put it in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something.

I had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up.

1.What can be the best title for this text?

A. How Hard Life Is for Box Boys B. Getting along with Customers

C. Why I Gave up My Job D. The Art of Taking Tips

2.From the second paragraph, we can infer that ________.

A. the writer didn't like the impersonal part of his job

B. with a name plate, people can easily start talking

C. Mr Castle mistook Irving for Brett

D. Irving was the writer's real name

3.The box boy refused to accept tips because ________.

A. customers only gave small tips

B. some customers had strange ideas about tipping

C. the store didn't allow the box boys to take tips

D. he didn't want to fight with the customers

4.The underlined phrase "put down" in the third paragraph probably means_______.

A. misunderstood B. defeated

C. hateful D. hurt

Low-Cost Gifts for Mother's Day

Gift No. 1

Offer to be your mother's health friend. Promise to be there for any and all doctor's visits whether a disease or a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say “no need,” but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor's visit. The best part? This one is free.

Gift No. 2

Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what times she takes them.“Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother's life,”Dr Marie Savard said.

Gift No. 3

Enough sleep is connected to general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep,” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”

Gift No. 4

Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother's Day by picking gifts in which 10 percent of the price you pay goes to a charity. Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things—many of which are “green”—and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift, she will be told that she has helped the chosen charity.

1.What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor's visits?

A. Take notes. B. Be with her.

C. Buy medicine. D. Give her gifts.

2.What can be a gift of organization for your mother?

A.Keeping her medical information together.

B.Buying all gifts for her from one company.

C.Making a list of her medical check-ups.

D.Storing her medicines in a safe place.

3.Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to________.

A. enjoy good sleep B. be well-organized

C. get extra support D. give others help

There are many ways of defining success. It is accurate to say that each of us has our own ideas of success to the extent that each of us is responsible for setting our own goals and determining whether we have met these goals satisfactorily. Because each of us possesses unique differences in genetic ability and favorable environments in which to express these abilities, it is necessarily true that we must define success broadly.

For some people,simply being able to live their life with the least misery and sufferings is considered a success. Think of the peace of mind of the poor shepherd who tends his sheep, enjoys his simple life with his family in the beauty of nature, and who is respected because he does a good job of achieving the goals expected of him and accepted by his family and his society. On the other hand, it seems that even though some people appear to be rich in material possessions, many of them seem to be miserable and consider themselves unsuccessful when judged by their own standards of success. Because not all ventures can be successful, one should not set unrealistic goals for achieving success, but if one has self-confidence it would be unfortunate to set one's goals at too low a level of achievement.

A wise man once said to a young man who was experiencing frustration (挫折)with his own professional success, “You do not have to set your goal to reach the moon in order to have success in traveling. Sometimes one can be very successful merely by taking a walk in the park or riding the subway downtown,” The man added, "You have not really failed and spoiled your chances for success until you have been unsuccessful at something you really like,and to which you have given your best effort. ”

1.According to the first paragraph, what is implied as basic in achieving success?

A. Ability and goals. B. Goals and determination.

C. Ability and environment. D. Goals and environment.

2.Some rich people consider themselves unsuccessful because ______.

A. their life is busy and miserable

B. they haven't reached their own standards

C. they set their goals at too low a level

D. they are not rich in material possessions

3.From the last paragraph we can tell that ______.

A. success means achieving great goals

B. success comes from great goal setting

C. success means efforts and favorites pay off

D. success has nothing to do with the distance of your travel

4.The purpose of the passage is ______.

A. to give us a clear definition of what success is

B. to talk about how to achieve success

C. to state what our life goal is

D. to discuss the importance of goals

The forces that make Japan one of the world's most earthquake-prone (有…倾向的) countries could become part of its long-term energy solution.

Water from deep below the ground at Japan's tens of thousands of hot springs could be used to produce electricity.

Although Japanese high-tech companies are leaders in geothermal (地热的) technology and export it, its use is limited in the nation.

"Japan should no doubt make use of its resources of geothermal energy," said Yoshiyasu Takefuji, a leading researcher of thermal-electric power production.

The disastrous earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 caused a reaction against atomic power, which previously made up 30 percent of Japan's energy needs, and increased interest in alternative energies, which account for only 8 percent.

Artist Yoko Ono has called on Japan to explore its natural energy, following the example of Iceland which uses renewable energy for more than 80 percent of its needs.

For now, geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan, which has for decades relied heavily on fossil fuels and atomic power.

The biggest problem to geothermal energy is the high initial cost of the exploration and constructing the factories. Another problem is that Japan's potentially best sites are already being developed for tourism or are located within national parks where construction is forbidden.

"We can't even dig 10 cm inside national parks.” said Shigeto Yamada of Fuji Electric, adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow. Researcher Hideaki Matsui said, “Producing electricity using hot springs is a decades-long project. We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decrease in the short term.”

The Earth Policy Institute in Washington, US, believed Japan could produce 80,000 megawatts(兆瓦)and meet more than half its electricity needs with geothermal technology.

Japanese giants such as Toshiba are already global leaders in geothermal technology, with a 70 percent market share. In 2010, Fuji Electric built the world's largest geothermal factory in New Zealand.

1.What would be the best title for the text?

A. Alternative energies in Japan

B. Japan thinks of geothermal energy

C. Japan takes the lead in geothermal technology

D. World's largest geothermal plant

2.What percentage of Japan's energy needs is geothermal energy?

A. About 8%. B. Around 30%.

C. Below 1%. D. Over 80%.

3.According to Shigeto Yamada, the growth of geothermal power in Japan needs ____.

A. high technology B. financial support

C. local people's help D. a change of rules

4.Geothermal energy is considered as a long-term program by _____.

A. Hideaki Matsui B. Yoshiyasu Takefuji.

C. Shigeto Yamada D. Yoko Ono

5.It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that _____.

A. the world's biggest geothermal plant was built by America

B. Japan will not export its geothermal technology

C. it is hard to find geothermal energy in Japan

D. the potential of Japan's geothermal energy is great

 0  130739  130747  130753  130757  130763  130765  130769  130775  130777  130783  130789  130793  130795  130799  130805  130807  130813  130817  130819  130823  130825  130829  130831  130833  130834  130835  130837  130838  130839  130841  130843  130847  130849  130853  130855  130859  130865  130867  130873  130877  130879  130883  130889  130895  130897  130903  130907  130909  130915  130919  130925  130933  151629 

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