My sister and I grew up in a little village in England．Our father was a struggling ___36___， but I always knew he was ___37___．He never criticized us, but used ___38___ to bring out our best．He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish．If you don’t give them water, they die.” I ___39___ as a child I said something ___40___  about somebody, and father said, “___41___ time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best ___42___ people, I would get the best ___43___．From then on I’ve always tried to ___44___ the principle in my life and later in running my company．

Dad’s also always been very ___45___．At 15, I started a magazine．It was ___46___ a great deal of time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a ___47__: stay in school or leave to work on my magazine．

I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision, ___48___ any good father would．When he realized I had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad ___49__ me to go into law．And I’ve ___50___ regretted it．I wanted to be a biologist, ___51__ I didn’t pursue my ___52__．You know what you want．Go fulfill it.”

As ___53__ turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national ___54__ for young people in the U.K．My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad ___55__ me．

1.A．biologist       B．manager      C．lawyer            D．gardener

2.A．strict          B．honest        C．special            D．learned

3.A．praise         B．courage       C．power           D．warmth

4.A．think           B．imagine         C．remember      D．guess

5.A．unnecessary     B．unkind          C．unimportant     D．unusual

6.A．Another    B．Some    C．Any           D．Other

7.A．on             B．in              C．at             D．about

8.A．in case          B．by turns       C．by chance      D．in return

9.A．revise           B．set            C．review         D．follow

10.A．understanding    B．experienced     C．serious         D．demanding

11.A．taking up        B．making up      C．picking up      D．keeping up

12.A．suggestion       B．decision        C．notice         D．choice

13.A．and        B．as       C．even if        D．as if

14.A．helped          B．allowed   C．persuaded      D．suggested

15.A．always     B．never          C．seldom  D．almost

16.A．rather           B．but                 C．for             D．therefore

17.A．promise         B．task       C．belief           D．dream

18.A．this        B．he              C．it              D．that

19.A．newspaper       B．magazine C．program      D．project

20.A．controlled       B．comforted  C．reminded          D．raised

______ the same story many times, my little brother can now tell it himself.

A. Telling                     B. Having told             C. Being told               D. Having been told

My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling 1, but I always knew he was  2 . He never criticized us, but used  3 to bring out our best. He’d say,” If you pout water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I  4 as a child I said something  5 about somebody, and my father said, “ 6 time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He explained that if I looked for the best  7 people, I would get the best  8 . From then on I’ve always tried to  9  the principle in my life and later in running my company.

Dad’s also always been very  10 . At 15, I started a magazine. It was   11  a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a  12: stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.

I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision,  13  any good father would. When he realized I Had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad  14  me to go into law. And I’ve  15  regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist,  16 I didn’t pursue my  17 . You know what you want. Go fulfill(实现) it.”

As 18  turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national 19 for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’ d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad  20  me.

1.                A．biologist        B．manager        C．lawyer   D．gardener

2.                A．strict           B．honest         C．special   D．learned

3.                A．praise          B．courage        C．power    D．warmth

4.                A．think           B．imagine         C．remember D．guess

5.                A．unnecessary     B．unkind         C．unimportant   D．unusual

6.                A．Another        B．Some           C．Any  D．Other

7.                A．on            B．in             C．at   D．about

8.                A．in case         B．by turns        C．by chance D．in return

9.                A．revise          B．set            C．review   D．follow

10.               A．understanding   B．experienced     C．serious    D．demanding

11.               A．taking up       B．making up       C．picking up D．keeping up

12.               A．suggestion      B．decision        C．notice D．choice

13.               A．and           B．as             C．even if    D．as if

14.               A．helped         B．allowed        C．persuaded D．suggested

15.               A．always         B．never          C．seldom    D．almost

16.               A．rather         B．but            C．for   D．therefore

17.               A．promise        B．task           C．belief D．dream

18.               A．this            B．he            C．it D．that

19.               A．newspaper      B．magazine       C．program   D．project

20.               A．controlled      B．comforted      C．reminded  D．raised

Burn rate is the speed at which a startup business consumes money. My rate was $ 75,000 a month. Four months after my company was set up, I had only a quarter of the starting capital left in the bank.

    Looking for guidance, I went to talk to my friend, Arthur Walworth about my new venture. “Times of great change always bring out the risk-takers,” he said. “And they leave winners and losers. My grandfather invested a lot of money in a project of Thomas Edison’s that ended up in failure. ”

    I was lost in thought at the notion (an idea or belief about something) of a Thomas Edison project ending in failure. Damn. It could happen to anybody! I must continue.

    At that time CD-ROM sales had bombed, so investors were fleeing from the field. I didn’t turn away from mine entirely, but instead linked it to the Internet.

    My plan was to offer consumers descriptions of home-design products by using a special software and let them modify the designs. Then we can enable them to get online professional and constructional help to have their houses built, decorated and furnished according to their own choice.

    To realize my plan I needed investors, so I continued to meet regularly with venture capitalists. One said I had a great idea. But I needed to test it. Get the money somewhere. To get this money from a venture capitalist is going to cost my wife and my children! He turned down my request.

    Wife? Children? I hardly remembered them.

    I was working nonstop --- struggling to turn the key in the lock, to find the right way ahead. The pressure was terrible. It was just at this time that my parents and sisters stepped up. Two hundred thousand dollars. A lot of money to them, invested in this crazy son and brother without a moment’s hesitation. Dad and Mom had driven out from Chicago and seen the passion in my little office and the trouble at home.

   With their help my company survived and has been prospering ever since.

1.When the author’s company started operation, he had _______ .

A. $ 450,000    B. $ 400,000   C.$ 350,000     D. $ 300,000

2.Arthur implies that to start a business in times of change, people have to _______ .

A. rely on famous people all be time

B. invest as much money as possible

C. face the risks of possible failure

D. think about nothing but success

3.The author’s company was engaged in _______

A. furniture design and production

B. online home-design service

C. traditional home designing

D. home decoration business

4.Faced with a very unfavorable market situation, the author decided  _______.

A. to improve his service         B. to start a new business

C. to withdraw his money        D. to reduce his investment

My little angel, you are teaching me how selfless real love is!

My wife called, “How long will you be with that      ? Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?” I threw the paper away and       to the place. My daughter, Sindu, sat there, tears welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a big bowl of rice.

　 I       the bowl and persuaded: “Sindu, why not take a few mouthfuls of this rice?”

　 “Ok, Dad. I will eat — not just a few mouthfuls,       the whole lot of this. But…” Sindu hesitated. “Dad, if I eat this entire rice, will you give me       I ask for?”

　 “Promise.” I      .

　 After eating the rice painfully, Sindu came to me, her eyes wide with      . Now I became a bit      . “Dear, you shouldn't insist on       a computer or any such       things. Dad does not have that kind of money right now.”      , “I want to have my head shaved off(剃掉), this Sunday!” was her demand(要求), which was far       my belief.

On Monday morning, I       Sindu at her school and watched her walking towards her classroom. She turned around and      . I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy, who just got out of a car, shouted, “Sindu, please wait for me!” What       me was the hairless head of that boy.

“Sir, your daughter is       indeed!” Without introducing herself, a lady standing beside me continued, “That boy is my son, who lost all his       because of a disease. He       to come back to school fearing the unintentional(无意的)but        teasing（取笑）of the schoolmates. Sindu visited him last week, and promised him that she would take care of the teasing issue. But, I       imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for my son!”

1.A. bowl               B. newspaper        C. book                            D. food

2.A. rushed     B. pulled                     C. jumped           D. shouted

3.A. took out           B. picked up          C. broke down     D. gave out

4.A. and        B. so                          C. or                D. but

5.A. what       B. where                C. which                             D. how

6.A. moved            B. doubted         C. agreed               D. disbelieved

7.A. expectation       B. confidence                   C. worry                         D. attraction

8.A. nervous           B. bored                C. excited                        D. relaxed

9.A. making             B. selling          C. getting             D. studying

10.A. valuable   B. useful                     C. wonderful                    D. expensive

11.A. Therefore  B. However             C. Besides           D. Anyway

12.A. to                  B. beyond               C. of                    D. within

13.A. met       B. helped                     C. dropped                      D. collected

14.A. shouted        B. smiled                C. waved                        D. stared

15.A. interested      B. frightened       C. pleased           D. surprised

16.A. careful          B. hard-working     C. graceful        D. great

17.A. friends          B. hair                             C. hope                            D. face

18.A. refused         B. wished                C. dreamed                      D. decided  

19.A. kind             B. hurtful                        C. harmless                      D. funny

20.A. usually           B. ever                  C. never                         D. nearly