An elderly carpenter(木匠) was ready to retire. He told his employer of his__1__ to leave the house building __2__and live a more leisurely life with his wife,__3__ time with his extended family. He would __4__ the pay, but he needed to retire. They could __5__.

The employer was __6__ to see such a good worker leave and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal __7__. The carpenter said yes, but it was __8__ to see that his heart was not in his work. He built the house __9__ and used poor materials. It was an __10__ way to end his career.

When the carpenter__11__ his work, the employer handed the front door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my __12__ to you."

__13__ a shock! If he had only known he was building his __14__ house, he would have done it __15__. Now he had to live in the home he had built.

__16__ it is with us. We build our __17__ in a distracted (心不在焉的) way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At __18__ points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have __19__ and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we __20__ previewed, we would have done it differently.

1. A. difficulty B. problem C. question D. plans

2. A. business B. sites C. teams D. workers

3. A. taking B. dividing C. enjoying D. separating

4. A. consider B. miss C. raise D. save

5. A. get by B. get along C. get back D. get around

6. A. ashamed B. angry C. frightened D. sorry

7. A. favor B. bargain C. price D. reply

8. A. difficult B. probable C. easy D. content

9. A. sadly B. carelessly C. slowly D. proudly

10. A. unfair B. unhappy C. unfortunate D. uncomfortable

11. A. checked B. discovered C. prepared D. finished

12. A. gift B. salary C. memory D. bill

13. A. How B. What C. Where D. Which

14. A. final B. best C. worst D. own

15. A. differently B. quickly C. hardly D. nearly

16. A. Though B. So C. But D. Or

17. A. houses B. bodies C. glories D. lives

18. A. pretty B. handsome C. strong D. beautiful

19. A. liked B. faced C. improved D. avoided

20. A. having B. has C. have D. had

1.Generally speaking. new things __________________ young people.

2.Many species are ________________ due to climate changes and human activities.

3.The old computers in our school _______________ new laptops months ago.

4.She _______________ after her sleep and continued to work.

5.Many houses ________________ by the flood.

6.The beautiful scenery of the sea ___________________. It was really unbelievable.

7.It is difficult to find a house _________________ our price.

8.A growing number of students are taking the driving course _____________ future careers.

9.Alice _______________ working in Spain. That’s why she has been learning Spanish.

10.______________________, Tom is the most suitable person for the position.

The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder (梯子) fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn' t start. With each problem he shouted angrily, more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a word.

I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.

On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then, when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.

The following day, I asked him about the tree.

"That's my trouble tree," he answered. "Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and the children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. "

"And you know what else?" he said smiling,"The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember hanging up the night before. "

56. Which of the following things did NOT happen to the worker? A. His truck broke down.       B. He was late for work. C. He fell onto the roof.      D. His ladder fell down.

57. When did the worker first arrive in this town? A. Today.      B. Last night.

C. Six weeks ago.       D. Six months ago.

58. Where did the writer find the worker?

A. Through a newspaper.       B. Beside the trouble tree.

C. In his old house.      D. In Blue Hills, Victoria.

59. Why did the worker touch the tree?

A. To get good luck,         B. To leave his trouble outside.

C. To send good wishes to his family.  D. To clean his hands.

60. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Looking for a job can make trouble.

B. It is important to get to work on time.

C. Often our problems are worse than what we think.

D. A happy family can make many problems go away.

The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder (????) fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn' t start. With each problem he shouted angrily, more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a word.

I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.

On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then, when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.

The following day, I asked him about the tree.

"That's my trouble tree," he answered. "Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and the children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. "

"And you know what else?" he said smiling,"The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember hanging up the night before. "

1.Which of the following things did NOT happen to the worker?

A. His truck broke down.       B. He was late for work.

C. He fell onto the roof.      D. His ladder fell down.

2.When did the worker first arrive in this town?

A. Today.      B. Last night.

C. Six weeks ago.       D. Six months ago.

3.Where did the writer find the worker?

A. Through a newspaper.       B. Beside the trouble tree.

C. In his old house.      D. In Blue Hills, Victoria.

4.Why did the worker touch the tree?

A. To get good luck,         B. To leave his trouble outside.

C. To send good wishes to his family.  D. To clean his hands.

5.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Looking for a job can make trouble.

B. It is important to get to work on time.

C. Often our problems are worse than what we think.

D. A happy family can make many problems go away.

The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder (????) fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn' t start. With each problem he shouted angrily, more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a word.

I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.

On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then, when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.

The following day, I asked him about the tree.

"That's my trouble tree," he answered. "Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and the children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. "

"And you know what else?" he said smiling,"The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember hanging up the night before. "

1.Which of the following things did NOT happen to the worker?

A. His truck broke down.       B. He was late for work.

C. He fell onto the roof.      D. His ladder fell down.

2.When did the worker first arrive in this town?

A. Today.      B. Last night.

C. Six weeks ago.       D. Six months ago.

3.Where did the writer find the worker?

A. Through a newspaper.       B. Beside the trouble tree.

C. In his old house.      D. In Blue Hills, Victoria.

4.Why did the worker touch the tree?

A. To get good luck,         B. To leave his trouble outside.

C. To send good wishes to his family.  D. To clean his hands.

5.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Looking for a job can make trouble.

B. It is important to get to work on time.

C. Often our problems are worse than what we think.

D. A happy family can make many problems go away.