It was a sunny day when I quit my job to travel. As a contract administrator(合同管理员)for a shipping company, I’d spent 2012 _____in Washington DC. While it was a well-paid job, even a_____career, it was not what I wanted, I wanted to _____stories and see the world.

The _____of this decision were sown(播种)in 2010, when I graduated from college and moved to Spain to teach English. I spent my spare time travelling around Europe, writing it all in my blog. After two years, my teaching contracts______, so I moved back to work in Washington DC.

Writing, on the other hand, continued to make me______. And during those two years in Spain, my blog had_____many readers. But I faced a __ decision: quit and pursue writing full-time, or keep a good job.I knew that _____to the world of writing and travelling was the right choice,_____ I began planning my next move. This time, my______was New Zealand.

Every night______I came home from my job I work on my blog. I spent a year______my blog and setting up freelance(自由职业者)writing contracts, so that I would have guaranteed paid work once I quit. A few months later, I was invited to explore Jordan for a few weeks. I knew the time had come to______the final preparations. I planned out my trips, _____my flights and sold my car (my last strong tie to my old life)before______. And finally, I was on my way to New Zealand.

Since quitting my job, I’ve sailed off the coast of Italy and Greece; dived in Bali; ridden horses across western Mongolia; slept_____the stars on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Not once have I______my decision to leave my job in Washington DC. Through all this, I have achieved my____of becoming a writer. I gave up a comfortable life to pursue personal happiness—_______proving that dreams really do come true, if you work for them.

1.A. studying B. teaching C. working D. travelling

2.A. terrible B. wrong C. vital D. good

3.A. write B. remember C. understand D. read

4.A. plants B. seeds C. crops D. branches

5.A. started B. continued C. ended D. failed

6.A. qualified B. delighted C. bored D. tired

7.A. protected B. demanded C. attracted D. selected

8.A. strange B. tough C. normal D. simple

9.A. returning B. sending C. donating D. leading

10.A. or B. but C. so D. unless

11.A. destination B. situation C. occasion D. description

12.A. since B. because C. until D. when

13.A. turning up B. getting up C. cutting up D. building up

14.A. reject B. make C. test D. apply

15.A. sold B. bought C. booked D. earned

16.A. setting off B. settling down C. calming down D. turning around

17.A. on B. over C. in D. under

18.A. explained B. shared C. regretted D. imagined

19.A. reason B. example C. memory D. goal

20.A. narrowly B. awfully C. widely D. hopefully

A man worked in a post office.His job was to handle(处理) all ______ that had unclear addresses.One day he came across a letter which was ______ to God.He opened it and it ______,“Dear God,I am an 83?year?old woman and I live on a very small pension(养老金).Yesterday someone stole my ______.There was a hundred dollars in it,which was all the money I had ______ until my next pension comes.Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day,and I have invited my last two friends for ______.Without that money,I have ______ to buy food with.I have no family to ______,and you are my only ______.Can you please help me?” The man was ______,and went around showing the letter to all the other workers.Each of them ______ their wallets and donated a few dollars.By the time he ______ his showing,he had collected 96 dollars.______then he sent it to the old woman.Thanksgiving Day came and went.The workers _______forgot about it.Then one day,there came another letter from the old lady to God.All the ______ gathered around when the letter was ______.It read,“Dear God,how can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me?Because of your kindness,I was able to ______ a lovely dinner for my friends.We had a very ______ day,and I told my friends about your ______ gift.Thank you very much!” Seeing this,all the workers felt ______ with the nice thing they had done.They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

1.A. stamps B. money C. mail D. postcards

2.A. spoken B. written C. recorded D. pointed

3.A. noticed B. talked C. read D. told

4.A. clothes B. purse C. house D. food

5.A. borrowed B. wished C. paid D. left

6.A. dinner B. fun C. business D. picnic

7.A. nothing B. anything C. something D. everything

8.A. live in B. live on C. turn to D. turn back

9.A. family B. hope C. friend D. partner

10.A. excited B. amazed C. surprised D. moved

11.A. gained B. earned C. searched D. explored

12.A. finished B. planned C. started D. toured

13.A. Or B. As C. And D. But

14.A. gradually B. usually C. especially D. easily

15.A. friends B. workers C. officers D. guests

16.A. sent B. replied C. accepted D. opened

17.A. bring B. choose C. prepare D. enjoy

18.A. nice B. strange C. common D. formal

19.A. traditional B. wonderful C. expensive D. extra

20.A. annoyed B. confident C. pleased D. hopeful

Old age may not sound exciting.But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people worried about getting older.Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty.In fact,they say by the age of eighty?five,people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.

The findings came from a survey of more than three hundred forty thousand adults in the United States.The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008.At that time,the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty?five.The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness,sadness and worry.They also asked about mental or emotional stress.

Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study.His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty?two and twenty?five.The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.

The study also showed that men and women have similar feeling patterns as they grow older.However,women at all ages reported more sadness,stress and worry than men.

Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older.One theory is that,as people grow older,they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their feelings.They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.

Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world,or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.

The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children,being unemployed or being single.But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well?being related to age.

1.According to the survey of The Gallup Organization,people are most likely to become happier .

A. when they are between ages of 18 and 85

B. when they come to their old age

C. when they are in their twenties

D. when they are eighteen years old

2.According to Arthur Stone,old people .

A. have a positive attitude toward their life

B. can control their behaviors better

C. dream about good things every day

D. have earned a large amount of money

3.From the last paragraph we can know that .

A. you must be worried if you have young children

B. health has nothing to do with your age

C. you can be happy even if you are still single

D. happiness depends on your family and job

4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. Getting Older Means Getting Happier

B. The Young Are Happier Than the Old

C. The Younger,the Happier

D. Women Are Easier to Happy in Life

A passenger has been fined almost 550 after he was caught without a train ticket—that would have cost just 2.80.

Nicky Haywood,from Nottingham,was found guilty of travelling on an East Midlands train from Nottingham to Newstead without a ticket.

The 27?year?old,who did not appear for his hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court(地方法庭),is now being made to pay the price—which is almost 200 times the original price—for the 20 minute journey.

According to the Nottingham Post,Magistrates have ordered Haywood to pay a 220 fine,302 in costs,a 22 government surcharge(追加费用) and the 2.80 fare.

Senior conductor,Yvonne Clay was working on the day of the incident,according to the Nottingham Post.

The newspaper reported that she said Haywood had got on the train without a ticket,though he had the chance to buy one from both vending machines and booking offices on the platform.

She said,“He offered a Solo Electron card but we could not take that on the train.I informed him with a notice to pay.He gave his name and address and had 21 days to pay the fare.”

Even though he was given three weeks to pay the 2.80,a payment from Haywood was not received.

1.How much should Nicky Haywood pay according to the court?

A. 2.80. B. 544.

C. 550. D. 546.8.

2.Nicky Haywood can buy a ticket from .

A. convenience shops B. booking offices

C. the conductor D. the court

3.Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Nicky Haywood was heading to Nottingham in this incident.

B. The conductor didn’t inform him to pay the ticket.

C. Nicky Haywood offered a card but it couldn’t be used on that train.

D. If Nicky Haywood had been given some days after the incident,he would have paid the ticket.

4.Which of the following can best describe Nicky Haywood?

A. Well?educated. B. Responsible.

C. Dishonest. D. Mean.

 0  143822  143830  143836  143840  143846  143848  143852  143858  143860  143866  143872  143876  143878  143882  143888  143890  143896  143900  143902  143906  143908  143912  143914  143916  143917  143918  143920  143921  143922  143924  143926  143930  143932  143936  143938  143942  143948  143950  143956  143960  143962  143966  143972  143978  143980  143986  143990  143992  143998  144002  144008  144016  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