I decided not to bring in home any other things with the words Made in China on a dark Monday, two days after last Christmas, though I still keep some in my house.

  At work my boss, Mr. White, points out that I am ___36__ myself if I think I have been __37_____ Chinese products, in spite of the obvious facts in daily life.

  “Chinese ___38___ are everywhere,” he says, “You can’t avoid those, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible.”

   That is the __39____, which I have been considering for months, since I have kept the American car with the Chinese ___40__ in it. This week I was __41___ again of the difficulty of avoiding China when I bought earrings from a local artist. I was feeling pleased with myself ___42_____ I got home and noticed the gift box made in China.

  My boss continues, “You know what you are doing? You are ___43__ your dependence on China, not __44___ it,” he says, “You are just cheating yourself.”

   The boss, a frequent complainer, doesn’t slow down when I ___45___ to stop him to ___46___ that I am writing a __47____ of stories on the boycott for the business magazine.

   “Maybe you can ___48____ it a year without Chinese products, ___49_____ sooner or later you will even ___50___ Chinese dishes,” the nice boss says, “There is no getting around it.”

   I ____51____ at him as he turns to leave, quite ___52____.

   “Thanks for your support,” I say to his ___53____.

   The year is nearly half over. I can ___54_____without them. ___55___, it is a little inconvenient to live without a DVD player, a DV camera or a printer made in China. But a better question might be: How hard could it be to live without Made in China with the whole family?

A. fooling        B. persuading      C. beating         D. enjoying

A. keeping        B. accepting      C. avoiding         D. admitting

A. advertising     B. items          C. materials        D. business

A. story          B. plan           C. suggestion       D. point

A. parts          B. engines         C. wheels          D. goods

A. asked         B. reminded        C. troubled         D. puzzled

A. as            B. when           C. since            D. until

A. delaying       B. losing          C. catching          D. lacking

A. escaping       B. obeying         C. objecting         D. hating

A. mean          B. manage         C. try               D. intend

A. describe        B. suggest         C. declare            D. state

A. copy          B. book            C. set               D. series

A. do            B. get             C. make             D. have

A. but           B. or              C. and               D. for

A. wash          B. break           C. serve             D. enjoy

A. laugh          B. glance          C. nod              D. stare

A. annoyed        B. surprised        C. delighted          D. satisfied

A. honor          B. back            C. kindness          D. face

A. work           B. rescue          C. survive            D. stay

A. Finally         B. Honestly         C. Generally          D. Directly

I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.
What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.
What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.
Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.
Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.
【小题1】. What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?

I am one of those people who are terrible at saying no. I take on too many projects at once, and spend too much of my time doing things I’d rather not be doing. I get stuff done, but it’s not always the best I can do, or the best way I could spend my time.
That’s why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter.
Being a quitter isn’t being someone who gives up, who doesn’t see important things through to the end. I desire to be the opposite of that. The quitter I want to be is someone who gets out when there’s no value in what he’s doing, or when that value comes at the expense of something more important.
We get involved in something, realize we don’t want to be a part of it, but keep on going. We say “Well, I’ve already invested so much time in this, I might as well stick it out.” A friend of mine once told me, “I knew I was an adult when I could stop reading a book, even after getting 500 pages into it.” Odd though it sounds, we all tend to do this.
I propose the opposite: quit as often as possible, regardless of project status or time invested. If you’re reading a book, and don’t like it, stop reading. Cut your losses, realize that the smartest thing to do is stop before your losses grow even more, and quit. Instead of reading an entire book you hate, read half of a bad one and half of a good one. Isn’t that a better use of your time?
Step back for a second. Let’s learn how to say “no” at the beginning, or in the middle, and free up more of our time to do the things we’d like to be doing, and the things actually worth doing.
Saying no is hard, and admitting a mistaken yes is even harder. But if we do both, we’ll start to make sure that we’re spending our time creating value, rather than increasing our losses. Let’s be quitters together.
【小题1】The author wants to be a quitter, because he/she        .

I have nothing to say about whether or not "A Day Without Immigrants" had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.
Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of" A Day Without" as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public awareness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:
"A Day Without Speeding." How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.
"A Day Without Losing Your Temper." A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but erupting with anger usually doesn't do anything to solve the problem, and in many cases it makes the situation more unpleasant.
"A Day Without Having All The Answers." I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, "Here's what you're doing wrong." Right now the US is jampacked with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it on the spot. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.
I wonder how would average Americans react to such a collective pause? Would it be a day of angry protests, or joyful celebrations?
【小题1】The first paragraph suggests           .

I have nothing to say about whether or not "A Day Without Immigrants" had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.

Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of" A Day Without" as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public awareness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:

"A Day Without Speeding." How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.

"A Day Without Losing Your Temper." A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but erupting with anger usually doesn't do anything to solve the problem, and in many cases it makes the situation more unpleasant.

"A Day Without Having All The Answers." I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, "Here's what you're doing wrong." Right now the US is jampacked with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it on the spot. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.

I wonder how would average Americans react to such a collective pause? Would it be a day of angry protests, or joyful celebrations?

1.The first paragraph suggests           .

2."The event" in the second paragraph is related to          .

3.According to the writer, losing one's temper is           .

4.The writer suggest a day without having all the answers because         .