阅读理解

　　I bought 10 sets of Christmas china that were marked at 75 percent off plus an additional 10 percent．It was an amazing deal．When I got them home, I found they took half a closet to store．I already have nice china I can use at Christmas．I decided it wasn't worth it to me to use that much space for something that I would only use a couple of times in the year．I took them back and now I have more money in my checking account as well as some luxury towels I have wanted for a long time．I would have saved myself the time of taking the china back if I had figured out beforehand what I really wanted, but it is sometimes hard to decide at the moment．This experience helped me to realize that you can actually save time and money by passing up bargains．

　　The main advantage of getting things on sale is that you can afford luxuries that you can't afford at regular price．My Christmas tree is covered with beautiful handmade Santa Claus ornaments(装饰物)．I found them at a store about 15 months ago and fell in love with them．I imagined how beautiful they would look on my tree．I wanted to buy some, but they were ＄13.95 each．It didn't fit into our Christmas budget, so I gave up the idea．Through the next few months the price kept dropping until it went down to ＄2.95．When I saw that price, I bought 25 of them right away．I waited another nine months to put them on my tree, but in the end, I got exactly what I wanted for an excellent price．Instead of paying around ＄350, I ended up paying around ＄75．Patience paid off．

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阅读下列短文，从短文后所给各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

　　Have you 　　1　　 asked yourself why children go to school? You will probably say they go to learn their 　　2　　 language and other languages, arithmetic, geography, history, science and all the other 　　3　　．That's quite true．But 　　4　　 do they learn these things? And are these things all 　　5　　 they learn at school?

　　We 　　6　　 our children to school to prepare them for the time 　　7　　 they will be big and will begin to work for 　　8　　．Nearly everything they study at school has some practical use in their lives．But is that the 　　9　　 reason 　　10　　 they go to school?

　　There's more in education than just 　　11　　 facts．We go to school above all to learn how to

　　　　12　　, so that when we have left school we can 　　13　　 to learn．A man who really knows how to learn will always be 　　14　　, because whenever he has to do something new that he has never had to do 　　15　　, he will rapidly teach himself how to do it 　　16　　 the best way．The uneducated(未受教育的)person, on the 　　17　　 hand, is either 　　18　　 to do something new, or 　　19　　 it badly．The purpose of school, therefore, is not just to teach languages, arithmetic, geography, etc．, 　　20　　 to teach pupils the way to learn．

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阅读理解

　　There's an energy crisis in America, and it has nothing to do with fossil fuels．Millions of us get up each morning already weary over the day holds．“I just can't get started．” People say．But it's not physical energy that most of us lack．Sure, we could all use extra sleep and a better diet．But in truth, people are healthier today than at any time in history．I can almost guarantee that if you long for more energy, the problem is not with your body．

　　What you're seeking is not physical energy．It's emotional energy．Yet, sad to say life sometimes seems designed to exhaust our supply．We work too hard．We have family obligations(义务)．We encounter(遭遇)emergencies and personal crises．No wonder so many of us suffer from emotional fatigue(疲劳), a kind of utter exhaustion of the spirit．

　　And yet we all know people who are filled with joy, despite the unpleasant circumstances of their lives．Even as a child I observed people who were poor or disabled or ill, but who nevertheless faced life with optimism and vigor(活力)．Consider Laura Hillenbrand, who despite

　　an extremely weak body wrote the best-seller Seabiscuit．Hillenbrand barely had enough physical energy to drag herself out of bed to write．But she was fueled by having a story she wanted to share．It was emotional energy that helped her succeed．Unlike physical energy, which is finite(有限的)and diminishes(减少)with age, emotional energy is unlimited and has nothing to do with genes or upbringing．So how do you get it? You can't simply tell yourself to be positive．You must take action．Here are six practical strategies that work．

　　Very little that's new occurs in our lives．The impact of this sameness on our emotional energy is gradual, but huge：It's like a tire(轮胎)with a slow leak(漏)．You don't notice it at first, but eventually you'll get a flat．It's up to you to plug the leak－even though there are always a dozen reasons to stay stuck in your dull routines of life．That's where Maura, 36, a waitress, found herself a year ago．Fortunately, Maura had a lifeline－a group of women friends who meet regularly to discuss their lives．Their lively discussions spurred Maura to make small but nevertheless life altering changes．She joined a gym in the next town．She changed her look with a short haircut and new black T-shirts．Eventually, Maura gathered the courage to quit her job and start her own business．Here's a challenge：If it's something you wouldn't ordinarily do, do it．Try a dish you've never eaten．Listen to music you'd ordinarily tune out．You'll discover these small things add to your emotional energy．

　　So many of my patients tell me that their lives used to have meaning, but that somewhere along the line things went stale(厌倦的)．The first step in solving this meaning shortage is to figure out what you really care about, and then do something about it．A case in point is Ivy, 57, a pioneer in investment banking．“I mistakenly believed that all the money I made would mean something．” she says．“But I feel lost, like a 22-year-old wondering what to do with her life．” Ivy's solution? She started a program that shows Wall Streeters how to donate time and money to poor children．In the process, Ivy filled her life with meaning．

　　Most of us grown-ups are seriously fun-deprived(缺乏的)．High-energy people have the same day-to-day work as the rest of us, but they manage to find something enjoyable in every situation．A real estate broker I know keeps herself amused on the job by mentally redecorating the houses she shows to clients(客户)．“I love imagining what even the most run-down house could look like with a little tender loving care,” she says．“It's a challenge－and the least desirable properties are usually the most fun．” We all define fun differently, of course, but I can guarantee this：If you put just a bit of it into your day, you energy will increase quickly．

　　Everyone's past is filled with regrets that still cause pain．But from an emotional energy point of view, they are dead weights that keep us from moving forward．While they can't merely be willed away, I do recommend you remind yourself that whatever happened in the past, nothing can change that．Holding on to the memory only allows the damage to continue into the present．

　　Say you've been thinking about cutting your hair short．Will it look stylish－or too extreme? You endlessly think it over．Having the decision hanging over your head is a huge energy drain．Every time you can't decide, you burden yourself with alternatives．Quit thinking that you have to make the right decision; instead, make a choice and don't look back．

　　Emotional energy has a kind of magical quality：the more you give, the more you get back．This is the difference between emotional and physical energy with the latter．You have to get it to be able to give it．With the former, however, you get it by giving it．Start by asking everyone you meet, “How are you?” as if you really want to know, and then listen to the reply．Be the one who hears．Most of us also need to smile more often．If you don't smile at the person you love first thing in the morning, you're sucking energy out of your relationship．Finally, help another person－and make the help real, concrete．Give a massage to someone you love, or cook her dinner, then, expand the circle to work．Try asking yourself what you'd do if your goal were to be helpful rather than efficient．After all, if it's true that what goes around comes around, why not make sure that what's circulating around you is the good stuff?

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