THANK-you cards--heartfelt expressions of gratitude for gifts, services and general kindness--seem to be rare in an age when the Internet continues to reduce human interaction.

Although our society has changed greatly over the past century, the etiquette of thank-you notes has not.

While most people would agree that thank-you notes under these circumstances are a necessity, there are still those who forever postpone or are forgetful for unknown reasons.

And at no time of the year are thank-you notes more visible (or lacking) than June, the month of graduations, and the beginning of summer parties.

"It's a must-do thing. A real thank you does not come by e-mail. It comes in the mail in an envelope. And what comes out of an envelope is a beautiful thing to touch and to handle and to pass around for everyone to read," said etiquette expert Letitia Baldrige.

Don't think for a second that Baldrige is old-fashioned. Handwritten thank-you notes--any handwritten correspondence, for that matter- have taken on an air of extra importance and dignity (庄重) in this e-hyper (电子狂躁的) world.

Baldrige remains hopeful that the art may be enjoying a renaissance (复兴,再生).

More than simply obeying rules of etiquette, thank-you cards are a sign of caring.

"They're more important now than ever," expert Peter Post says. "You are building a relationship. And part of building that relationship is that you acknowledge when someone has done something nice for you. "

"The payoff," Post says, "can be huge. The more we do it, the more it comes back to us, and it's a benefit to us all. It makes our world a little bit nicer place to live in. "

1.Nowadays thank-you cards seem to be rare mainly because ______.

A. people think that they are out of fashion

B. it is quicker to say thanks by e-mail

C. the Internet has reduced people's contact

D. people are too busy to remember these things

2.From the context, the word "etiquette" in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A. old objects for sale

B. rules for people to obey

C. hand-made articles

D. customs for polite behavior

3.The author implies in this article that ______.

A. old-fashioned people take a negative attitude to e-mails

B. the changing society is making people impolite and lazy

C. modern technology is driving people apart

D. the e-hyper world is not a nice place to live in

4.What’s Baldrige’s attitude towards handwritten thank-you cards?

A. Regretful to disappear

B. Promising to come back

C. Old-fashioned to keep

D. Unnecessary between friends

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. "I was a clothes addict," he jokes. "I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled." Today David wears casual clothes-khaki pants and sports shirt-to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable."

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday." "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing," said business consultant Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software company, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code." Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. "Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day," one person said.

"For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes."

1.David Smith refers to himself as having been "a clothes addict" because _____.

A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B. he couldn't stand a clean appearance

C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D. he didn't want to spend much money on clothes

2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _____.

A. they make him feel at ease when working

B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C. he looks handsome in casual clothes

D. he no longer works for any company

3.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT _____.

A. saving employees' money

B. making employees more attractive

C. improving employees' motivation

D. making employees happier

完形填空

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Several decades of years ago, I ran a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide. One very cold, wet night at about 3∶30 a.m., there was a ________ on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from________ to toe, explained that he had ________ out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant(怀孕的)wife and his two children ________ at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车)back.

Once I had ________ a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both ________ , saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he ________ me back.

Before leaving, I had turned the heater ________ in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and ________ .While the little ones played and ran ________ , I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the________ .

It was about 5 a.m. before they ________ .The young fellow asked me how much he ________ me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵)had ________ $15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”, but I wouldn’t accept it.

About a month later, I received a ________ from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to ________ to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time. It ________out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most ________ person in the company.

In his letter, he thanked me again and ________ me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this ________ , a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.

1.A. kick B. hit C. beat D. knock

2.A. finger B. shoulder C. head D. hand

3.A. driven B. used C. come D. run

4.A. away B. behind C. over D. out

5.A. supplied B. poured C. equipped D. filled

6.A. sleeping B. crying C. quarrelling D. fighting

7.A. allow B. ring C. lead D. follow

8.A. on B. off C. in D. over

9.A. neat B. hot C. warm D. attractive

10.A. around B. inside C. nearby D. along

11.A. drivers B. guests C. customers D. adults

12.A. left B. arrived C. ate D. disappeared

13.A. gave B. paid C. owed D. offered

14.A. appeared B. exhibited C. calculated D. shown

15.A. call B. letter C. check D. notice

16.A. get B. force C. requite D. hope

17.A. pointed B. turned C. worked D. found

18.A. generous B. successful C. serious D. powerful

19.A. praised B. persuaded C. informed D. convinced

20.A. lesson B. business C. aspect D. case

Linda and Lucy were best friends. They graduated from high school and went to the same college for further studies.

After some days Linda found that her friend was behaving strangely. She would remain quiet, sleep too much and turn wild, very often. At first, Linda thought it was just because of the problems she had met in her studies. However, Lucy became even stranger over time. Finally, Linda couldn’t take it any longer and asked Lucy about her strange behavior. Lucy broke into tears and said that she was going around with a boy, who was taking drugs and forcing her to take them, too.

Linda was shocked by her story. She then advised her friend to leave the boy. She reminded Lucy of her dreams of becoming a successful doctor and encouraged her to set an example for others. She also reminded her of how her parents would feel if they found out what their daughter was up to. Through her efforts, Lucy was finally able to leave the boy and drugs. During this time, her friend always stood by her.

Finally, the two friends graduated and their friendship grew stronger. They both became successful doctors, but never let each other down by getting into bad habits. They lived happily as close friends.

From the story we can know that true friends are those who encourage you to become the best you can ever be. They believe in you and will never leave you.

1.The following are Lucy’s strange behaviors EXCEPT______________.

A. turning wild B. being quiet

C. sleeping too much D. being friendly

2. What problem did Lucy meet?

A. She lost her best friend

B. She was ill at that time

C. She dated a troublesome boy

D. She fell behind others in study

3.What course did Linda and Lucy mainly study in college?

A. Medicine B. Science C. Law D. Art

4.The writer tries to tell us__________.

A. how we can give up drugs

B. how we can overcome difficulty

C. how we should help others

D. what a true friend is

It is never too late to try to make your dreams come true. This could be Mary Moe’s motto—the expression that best presents her spirit. Mary Moe has done a lot during the past 91 years. For much of that time, she wanted to fly, but never had the chance—until now. She recently achieved her life-long dream.

Mary just learned how to fly an airplane, a dream she has had since she was a little girl. Growing up, she was inspired by two American pilots: Charles Lindburgh Amelia Earhart. They became her inspiration. Lindbugh made the solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. Five years later, Earhart became the first woman to make the flight. But Mary Moe could not find time to make her dream come true. At age 34, she was just too busy—busy fighting cancer. She was also busy with her job in advertising and busy raising her family.

There was simply no time to think about flying a plane. And it was difficult for her to drive to the airport. Lessons were costly. Everything seemed to be working against Mary.

“I had actually gone out to that airport in the 1980s to see about flying lessons and it was such a long drive out and expensive and I thought, ‘No, I have to put this back burner for a while.’” So her dream had to wait. She kept it on the back burner. Then, at age 91, her wish finally came true.

Ms Moe learned about Wish of a lifetime. Wish of a Lifetime is a non-profit organization whose goal is to change the way our society thinks about aging and older adults.

Sally Webster works for the group. Wish of Lifetime helps older people, senior citizens, enjoy a dream. It also sends the message that it is never too late for a dream. So they really try to look for those stories that are inspiring and can show people that older Americans can achieve things just like younger Americans can.

1. In her thirties, Mary Moe must have ___________

A. lived a smooth life B. been unemployed

C. spent a hard time D. learned how to fly

2.The underlined part is closest in meaning to “_____________”

A. set this down B. put this off

C. cut this off D. give this away

3.Wish of Lifetime is set up in order to_____________.

A. change people’s thought about the old

B. improve people’s life

C. raise money for the old

D. help the old live on themselves

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。

Different people have different hobbies. But almost all people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.

_1. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when their player or team wins.

2. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! 3. Think how many lovers to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.

Some sports or game go back thousands of years like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. 4. Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends. 5. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.

A. And think of people in cold countries.

B. Sports help to train a person’s character.

C. Not a few people participate in different sports competitions themselves.

D. Many people like to watch others play games.

E. People aren’t inventing new sports or games.

F. Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them.

G. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.

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