When I was about 13, my father would take me on short outings on Saturdays.On the way

home, Dad _1_ stopped at the Dairy Queen for 10-cent ice creams.I couldn’t _2_ it, but I could pray from the _3_ we started heading home to that corner where we would either go straight for the ice cream or _4_ and go home empty-handed.That corner _5_ either mouth-watering excitement or _6_.

On one special day, we were heading home, and again I was praying for the _7_ sound of his offer.It _8_.“Would you like an ice cream today?” “That sounds great, Dad!” But then he said, “How would you like to _9_ today?”

Twenty cents! My mind reeled(震惊).I could afford it.I got a weekly allowance of 25 cents,

plus some _10_ for odd jobs(零活).But _11_ it was my money, ice cream wasn’t a good use of it.In a fit of _12_, I said, “Well, in that case, I guess I’ll _13_.” My father just said, “Okay, Son.”

But as we headed home, I realized how wrong I was and begged him to _14_.But he just said, “That’s okay, we don’t really need one.” I felt _15_ for my selfishness and ungratefulness.He didn’t mind, or _16_ act disappointed.

I _17_ that generosity(慷慨)goes two ways and gratefulness sometimes costs more than

“thank you”.On that day gratefulness would have cost 20 cents and it would have been the _18_ ice cream I’d ever had.

I’ll tell you one more thing.We _19_ another trip the next week.As we _20_ the corner, I said, “Dad, would you like an ice cream today? My treat.”

1.A.never                 B.hardly                C.frequently        D.strangely

2.A.expect                 B.mention             C.wait                  D.get

3.A.month                   B.day                    C.weekend            D.moment

4.A.finish                  B.drive                  C.turn                   D.return

5.A.indicated              B.meant                  C.suggested           D.instructed

6.A.anger                   B.shame                C.happiness           D.disappointment

7.A.funny                   B.surprising           C.interesting          D.beautiful

8.A.came                   B.spoke                C.went                 D.flew

9.A.serve                    B.treat                  C.buy                   D.provide

10.A.extra                 B.limited               C.little                   D.easy

11.A.after                    B.while                 C.when               D.although

12.A.sadness               B.regret                 C.curiosity            D.selfishness

13.A.accept                 B.pay                    C.pass                D.eat

14.A.turn back           B.keep up             C.stop by             D.give in

15.A.unsatisfied           B.awful                 C.frightened        D.crazy

16.A.even                  B.never                  C.only                  D.somehow

17.A.knew                 B.learned               C.acknowledged    D.found

18.A.dearest                B.worst                C.cheapest            D.best

19.A.made out            B.prepared for       C.went on             D.took up

20.A.crossed             B.left                   C.saw             D.approached

Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores (杂务).I started to dream of retirement.Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering, I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books.I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.

My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends.On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition(过渡), that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough.But something was missing.

A former colleague asked a favor.A group of students were going to Jamaica to work with

children in the poorest neighborhoods.Would I interrupt my new found “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip.That’s all.My bags were packed and by the door.

The trip was very inspiring.I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense

of responsibility of the young people on the trip.When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization.The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.

Now, it seems, the tables have turned.Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the

student.These young people have reawakened my commitment (责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war.Most importantly, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions.In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas.I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!

1.What did the writer expect to do after he retired?

    A.To stay away from busy schedules.  B.To write some great books.

    C.To do some voluntary work.         D.To plan for his future.

2.Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?

     A.He missed his students in that country.

       B.He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor.

       C.He was concerned about the people there.

       D.He was not satisfied with his retired life.

3.Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

       A.My Retired Life.

       B.Being the Head of a High School.

       C.My Attitudes towards Life.

       D.An Experience of Being a Volunteer.

4.What does the writer think of his retired life now?

       A.Disappointing.                                B.Troublesome.

       C.Promising.                                        D.Meaningful.

Packaging is an important form of advertising.A package can sometimes motivate someone to buy a product.For example, a small child might ask for a breakfast food that comes in a box with a picture of a TV character.The child is more interested in the picture than in the  breakfast food.Pictures for children to color or cut out, games printed on a package, or small gifts inside a box also motivate many children to buy products—or to ask their parents for them.

Some packages suggest that a buyer will get something for nothing.Food products sold in

reusable containers are examples of this.Although a similar product in a plain container might cost less, people often prefer to buy the product in a reusable glass or dish, because they believe the container is free.However, the cost of the container is added to the cost of the product.

The size of a package also motivates a buyer.Maybe the package has “Economy Size” or

“Family Size” printed on it.This suggests that the large size has the most products for the least money.But that is not always true.A buyer has to know how the product is sold and the price of the basic unit.

The information on the package should provide some answers.But the important thing for any buyer to remember is that a package is often an advertisement.The words and pictures do not tell the whole story.Only the product inside can do that.

1.The underlined words “a buyer will get something for nothing” (Paragraph 2) most probably mean that _________.

       A.a buyer will not get what he wants

       B.a buyer will gain more than he loses

       C.a buyer will get what he pays for

       D.a buyer will get something useful free of charge

2.Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?

       A.On seeing a well-designed container, a buyer often neglects(忽略)what is inside it.

       B.A buyer is also attracted by the size of the container.

       C.Children are often made to buy a product by its package with attractive pictures.

       D.Packaging is often a successful advertisement.

3.What suggestion does the author give in the passage?

       A.The best choice for a buyer is to get a product in a plain package.

       B.A buyer should get what he needs most.

       C.Do not buy the product which is sold in a glass or dish.

       D.A buyer should know that the quality of a container has little to do with the quality of the product.

It is well known that the Japanese people’s love of fish is almost as a bee’s interest in honey.As fish populations were decreasing, fishing companies were forced to fish further and further away from the shore.Then they had a big challenge-how to keep the fish fresh for longer.So they decided to keep the fish stored in freezers on the boats.But the public did not like frozen fish.So again the fishing companies had a new bigger challenge.What they decided to do was to have fish tanks on their boats.After catching fishes, they would put them in the tanks and keep them living there until they got back to shore.But in this protected environment, lacking predators (掠食者),the fish stopped moving around.The Japanese public felt these dull fish did not taste fresh, which had an unpleasant effect upon sales.Once again the fishing companies had an even bigger challenge ...

Stop for a minute! Before we go any further, I would like to ask “What are your challenges?

How do you handle an unexpected challenge?” May I think it this way that you should try to attack your challenges? Conquer(战胜) them with a Swiss Army knife.Take the most proper and simple tool that you can adopt to deal with your situation.

Now back to our story.How did the Japanese finally figure out the fresh fish problem?

Sharks! You might think the same.Sharks were caught and put into the tanks with other fishes.Don’t sharks eat fish? Well, they do eat a few fish, but they did also keep more fish active and alert (警觉的).The fish stay fresh because they are challenged.

Now, try to keep yourself fresh by finding your own shark to offer yourself a challenge in your own business and career.

1.The main reason for the fishing company to fish in the far sea was that         

       A.the fish resource near the shore was on the decrease

      B.the fishes farther away from the sea tasted fresher

       C.people would prefer eating fresh fishes to less fresh ones

       D.it was getting harder and harder to keep fishes fresh

2.Which of the following statements is true?

       A.Japanese people love honey as much as a bee does.

       B.The fish kept in tanks didn’t sell well because of their taste.

       C.The fish stored in the protected environment tasted the best.

       D.The fish kept in tanks didn’t taste fresh because they died before reaching the restaurant.

3.The underlined part of the last paragraph means “            .”

       A.If you went fishing, you might do as the fishing companies did

       B.Try to find a big shark, and you will meet your challenge

      C.To succeed in life, you should always be ready to meet challenges

       D.Sharks are usually compared to the challenges in people’s life

4.The purpose for the author to write the passage is to        

       A.tell the readers “no pains, no gains”

       B.tell the readers how the Japanese keep the fish fresh

       C.advise readers to look for challenges to make progress

       D.advise readers to find something difficult to do

Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other

people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community.We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course.We were brainwashed.We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do  everything we could to make other people like us.As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people.Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”

So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good.We long for this good

feeling like a drug—we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can.Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to.Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品).We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.

But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay.The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves.The truth is that we cannot control what other people think.People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you.Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand.Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time.The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.

So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious  decision

to stop caring what other people think.We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed(强加)from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within.If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.

1.What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.

       A.we have thoughts similar to those of others

       B.most people have a variety of thoughts

       C.other people’s thoughts are more important

       D.most people’s thoughts are controlled by others

2.What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph?

       A.Changing opinions may cost us our freedom.

       B.We may lose ourselves to please others.

     C.We need to pay for what we want to get.

       D.The price of taking drugs is freedom.

3.In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.

       A.care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time

       B.guide ourselves by means of values from the outside

       C.stick to our own values

       D.persuade others to accept our opinions

4.It can be concluded from the passage that __________.

       A.it’s better to do what we like

       B.we shouldn’t care what others think

     C.we shouldn't change our own opinions

       D.it’s important to accept others’ opinions

Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in

life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make.One important question that you might ask yourself is: "How do I get a good job?"   1  

There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and find the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all.Still others believe that the in-person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time.   2   .He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them.His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream.One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick.Without stopping to think, the young man offered to take his place.   3   

  4   .If the young man had gone home to ponder(考虑)his decision for a week, he may

have missed his chance.It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well.

Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to get plum job

(美差).When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying.   5  .And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.

       A.This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

       B.People find jobs in an limitless number of ways.

       C.It's almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers.

       D.Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

       E.But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer

all the company's faults.

       F.He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

       G.It is very important to seize an opportunity when you are given one.

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