阅读理解

The Pentagon

五角大楼

    美国号称世界头号军事大国，其武力干涉几乎渗透到全球，有人开玩笑说：“只要五角大楼打个喷嚏，整个地球都会震动。”五角大楼是什么? 让我们揭开它神秘的面纱，好好地认识一下这座建筑的运作职能吧。

    The Pentagon，or the headquarters of the US Department of Defense，is one of the largest office buildings in the world，taking up a total land of 583 acres．The five-sided structure itself occupies an area of 29 acres．Each of its five outside wails is 921 feet long．It has three times the floor space as the Empire State Building or half again as much space as either of the New York's World Trade Center towers．

    Working inside this huge building are over 25 000 employees，one half of them being civilians and the other half members of the U．S． armed forces．During the last year of the Second World War there were 37 000 people，both military and civilian，working inside the Pentagon．In the Korean and Vietnam War periods，31 000．The employees are scattered among hundreds of offices that occupy a floor space of 3705793 square feet．

While inside the building they tell time by 4 200 clocks，drink from 685 water fountains，utilize 280 rest rooms，consume 30 000 cups of coffee，6 000 tins of milk and 5 000 bottles of soft drinks of various kinds every day，with a total staff of 600 persons preparing and serving food and drinks to the Pentagon employees，daily．

    Notes

    Pentagon n．五边形；五角大楼　　  civilian n．平民

    military n．军人　　　　　　　　  scatter v．分散

    utilize v．利用；应用　　　　　　 consume v．消耗

    Comprehension question

The building is called “the Pentagon ”because________．

A．it is the largest building in the world

B．it lies in the U．S．A．

C．it has five sides

  D．it is a secret place

A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile(敌意的)person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror.

Mirrors have a very particular　 __36__. They reflect the image in front of them. Just as a　 __37__　 mirror works as the vehicle to reflection, __38__　 do all of the people in our lives.

When we see something beautiful such as a flower garden, that garden　 __39__　 a reflection. When we love someone，it's a(n)　 __40__　 of loving ourselves. We have often heard things like “I love how I am when I'm with that person”. That simply　 __41__　 into “I'm able to love me when I love that other person”.　 __42__， when we meet someone new, we feel as though we “click”. Sometimes it's as if we've　 __43__　 each other for a long time. That feeling can come from　 __44__　 similarities.

Just as the “mirror” or other people can be a positive reflection，it is more likely that we'll　 __45__ it when it has a negative connotation(内涵).　 __46__，it's easy to remember the times when we have met someone we're not particularly　 __47__　 about. We may have some criticism(批评)in our mind about the　 __48__. This is especially true when we get to know someone with whom we would rather spend　 __49__　 time.

Often, when we　 __50__　 qualities in other people, ironically(讽刺地), it's usually the mirror that's　 __51__　 to us.

At times we meet someone　 __52__　 and feel distant disconnected, or disgusted.　 __53__　 we don't want to believe it，and it's not easy or　 __54__　 to look further，it can be a great learning lesson to　 __55__　 what part of the person is being reflected in you. It's simply just another way to create more self?awareness.

36．A.target　 　 　　 B．style　　　C．function　　 D．color

37．A.medical 　 B．physical C．chemical 　　 D．mental

38．A.so 　 B．then 　C．nor 　　　 D．neither

39．A.focuses on 　　 B．applies to C．works with 　 D．serves as

40．A.reward 　 B．evaluation C．reflection 　　 D．example

41．A.grows　 　 B．translates C．enters 　 D．falls

42．A.Obviously 　　　 B．Strangely C．Fortunately 　 D．Frequently

43．A.known　 　 B．supported C．observed 　　 D．recognized

44．A.creating 　 B．lacking C．sharing D．comparing

45．A.ignore　 　 B．keep C．take 　　 D．notice

46．A.In brief 　 B．In addition C．For example D．As usual

47．A.crazy　 　　 B．anxious C．upset　 　 D．concerned

48．A.time B．mirror C．garden D．person

49．A.less B．amazingC．more 　　 D．valuable

50．A.appreciate 　　　 B．dislike C．describe 　　　 D．discover

51．A.shouting B．shining C．speaking D．pointing

52．A.new　 　　 B．nervous C．familiar D．friendly

53．A.If　 　 B．Although C．Since 　 D．Once

54．A.terrible 　　 B．noble C．reliable D．desirable

55．A.figure out　 　　 B．take out C．put out D．give out

When I was 17 , I read a quote that went something like： “If you live each day as if it was your last，someday you'll most certainly be right. ” It made a( n) 31 _____ on me，and since then，for the past 33 years，I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself： ‘‘ If today were the 32 _____ day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a 33 _____ , I know I need to change something.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost 34 _____ a type of cancer that is incurable，and that I should 35 _____ to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs 36 _____ , which is doctor's code for preparing to die.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy (活组织检查)，it 37 _____ to be a very rare form of cancer that is 38 _____ with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to 39 _____ don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the 40 _____ we all share. No one has ever 41 _____ it. And that is as it should be, because 42 _____ is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It 43 _____ _____ out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you， 44 _____ someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so 45 _____ , but it is quite 46 _____

Your 47 _____ is limited，so don't waste it 48 _____ _ someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner 49 _____ . And most important, have the courage to 50 _____ your heart and intuition (官觉)?

31. A. decision　　　　　 B.　　　 impression　 C. attraction　　　　　　　 D. difference