When my first wartime Christmas came, I was in basic training in New Jersey and not sure if I would ___1_  it home for the holidays.Only on the afternoon of December 23 was the list of ___2__  who would have three-day holidays __3__ .I was one of the ___4__  soldiers.

It was Christmas Eve when I arrived home, and a little ___5__  had fallen.An extraordinary change it had brought—what a fantastic white world! Mother ___6__  the front door.I could see __7__  her, into the corner of the living room where the tree had always ___8_ .There were lights, all colors, and ornaments(饰品) ___9__  against the green of a pine(松树).

“Where did it come from?” I asked.

“I asked the gate boy to __10__  it,” my mother said.“I wouldn’t have had one for myself, and Christmas is only one day away—such a ___11__ ! He just brought it in this afternoon, a couple of hours before you ___12__ …”

The pine reached to the proper ___13__ , almost to the ceiling, and the Top  Star was in its place.A few green branches stuck out around a little ___14__  at the side, I thought, and there was a part of the tree without leaves in the middle.But the tree ___15__  the room with warm light and the whole house with the pleasant smell of Christmas.

“It’s not like the one you used to find,” my mother went on.“Yours were always in good ___16__ .I suppose the gate boy was not able to find a ___17_   one in the woods.But how can I expect too much of such a nice boy?”

“Don’t worry,” I told her.“It’s __18__ .”

It wasn’t, of course, but at the moment I ___19__  something for the first time: All Christmas __20__  are perfect.

1.A.make                   B.get                     C.handle                D.turn

2.A.students               B.doctors               C.soldiers              D.officers

3.A.found                   B.posted                C.created               D.reported

4.A.superior               B.pleasant              C.fortunate            D.special

5.A.snow                    B.rain                    C.tear                     D.sweat

6.A.locked                  B.answered            C.knocked              D.shut

7.A.beyond                 B.before                C.beside                D.beneath

8.A.lain                      B.grown                C.stood                 D.planted

9.A.shining                 B.waving               C.leaning               D.burning

10.A.carry                  B.purchase             C.borrow               D.cut

11.A.boy                    B.rush                   C.tree                     D.day

12.A.called                 B.knew                  C.visited                D.returned

13.A.length                 B.height                 C.depth                 D.width

14.A.automatically     B.energetically         C.awkwardly         D.temporarily

15.A.occupied            B.loaded                C.impressed           D.filled

16.A.tradition              B.view                   C.sight                  D.shape

17.A.taller                  B.healthier              C.better                 D.worse

18.A.perfect               B.satisfactory         C.successful          D.disappointing

19.A.decorated           B.declared              C.recalled               D.realized

20.A.evenings              B.trees                   C.seasons              D.presents

The day after Thanksgiving has become America’s wildest shopping day.Closed all day on Thursday, chain stores all across the nation open early on Friday.Some stores open at 12:01 Friday morning, while others open at 4 a.m.From Friday to the day before Christmas, this is the season when businesses make as much as 25 percent of their yearly profits.This season puts many businesses “in the black”—that is, into profitability—for the year.

Reporters from local TV stations interview people who camp out in front of stores a day or two before the doors open on Friday.These people patiently wait in line to get products that are discounted 50 percent or more.

“Oh, we have fun,” said one camper.“We bring games to play, we watch TV and order lots of pizza, and we meet interesting people.And, most important of all, we save big money!” The catch, of course, is that only a very small number of products are available at the largest discounts.Regardless, each store has plenty of other items(商品) that are reduced from 10 to 50 percent—saving shoppers from $10 to $400 per item—to encourage Americans to shop.

Not all Americans appreciate this craze for shopping.William Graham, a churchman, wants to rename Black Friday.“We want to call it Remember God Friday.People should start the season with the right attitude.Christmastime has become a Season of Shopping.We want to make it a Season of Giving.And we don’t mean giving IPods, DVDs, and other rubbish.We mean giving your back, your mind, and your hands.Help an old lady clean up her house.Teach a kid how to read.Visit sick people in the hospital or in nursing homes.Celebrate Christmas by remembering God and forgetting Santa Claus.”

1.Why is the day after Thanksgiving called “Black Friday”?

       A.Because most stores are open when it’s still dark.

       B.Because people think of God on that Friday.

       C.Because many stores earn lots of money.

       D.Because shoppers don’t know what they can buy.

2.People camp in front of stores ________.

       A.to have a good time                             B.to meet interesting people

       C.to buy cheap items                               D.to buy their favorite things

3.The underlined word “catch” in Paragraph 3 means ________.

       A.a hidden difficulty                               B.an easy approach

       C.some good news                                 D.a reasonable result

4.According to William Graham, it’s ________ to shop wildly in the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

       A.not proper          B.important            C.not interesting           B.traditional

Vinegar(醋) is an old folk treatment beneficial in a long list of diseases.Some people say that it can guard against lower blood pressure , prevent cancer, destroy infection, assist in digestion and weight control, maintain memory, and protect the mind from aging.

Vinegar is said to have been used for medical diseases for at least 10,000 years.The Babylonians first made wine into vinegar in 5000 BC using date palms, grapes, and figs, and believed vinegar had exceptional curing natures.Hippocrates is said to have used vinegar as an antibiotic(抗生素).Samurai warriors supposedly used vinegar for strength and power.During the U.S.Civil War, soldiers used vinegar to prevent stomachic upset and as a treatment for various diseases including pneumonia and scurvy.It was used to treat wounds during World War I.

The name vinegar comes from a French word meaning "sour wine." Vinegars take their name from the material used to make the vinegar, i.e., apple cider vinegar comes from apples, wine vinegar comes from grapes.

Apple cider vinegar is made by crushing apples and squeezing out the liquid.Sugar and yeast are added to the liquid to start the fermentation(发酵) process, which turns the sugars into alcohol.In a second fermentation process, the alcohol is turned into vinegar with its sour taste.

1.Which of the following is NOT a curing effect of vinegar?

       A.To prevent lower blood pressure           B.To help lose weight

       C.To delay one’s mind getting old            D.To cure cancer

2.The second paragraph mainly talks about ________.

       A.the history of vinegar

       B.how people used vinegar medically in history

       C.the production of vinegar

       D.how vinegar has functioned since ancient times

3.What topic the author could most possibly turn to following the last paragraph?

       A.the production process of vinegar

       B.the curing effects of vinegar

       C.the production process of wine vinegar

       D.the production process of apple cider vinegar

①When Ann Agent of Portland, Oregon, was planning to attend a children's book publishing meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she booked her hotel room over the phone by debit card(银行借记卡).She and three workmates intended to split the bill and each pay the hotel directly at checkout time.

②Two days into the meeting, Agent's husband called from home to read her a letter from her bank: Her checking account was overdrawn, and she was being charged $35 a day in overdraft fees.“I thought there had to be a mistake,” Agent says.“I keep close track of my account balance.”

③It turns out when Agent reserved the room, the hotel “blocked,” or held, enough money in Agent’s account to cover the entire four nights’ stay, plus various charges, amounting to $580.This blocked every available penny she had and caused her to overdraw.The charges weren't called off until Agent returned home the following Monday.

④Holds are common practice in the travel and hospitality industry(服务业).They’re the merchant’s way of ensuring you’ll pay your bill.If you rent a car, the agency could block several thousand dollars to make sure you return the car.Some restaurants will place debit card holds for large parties, and a friendly bartender can put a hold on your card if you start a bill.The hold is usually removed within five business days, sometimes much sooner.

⑤Gas stations are ill-famed for holds.On a Friday morning in January 2005, Jessica Hathaway of Allentown, Pennsylvania, bought $22.29 of gas by debit.On Saturday, the 34-year-old single mother of three checked her bank balance and learned she was almost broke.Right before the gas station took Hathaway’s account for the gas, it conducted a $75 block, which worried her all weekend before her bank released the hold the following Tuesday.

1.Which of the following best describes the structure of the text?

       A.①②→③→④⑤                                C.①→②③→④⑤

       C.①②③→④←⑤                                 D.①②→③④←⑤

2.Why did Ann have to overdraw her account?

       A.Because she didn’t take enough money with her.

       B.Because the hotel held the money in her account.

       C.Because the price of the hotel was too high.

       D.Because the meeting lasted longer than expected.

3.Jessica Hathaway’s experience is an evidence of the fact that ________.

       A.gas stations hold customers’ account too often

       B.people dislike gas stations for their poor service

       C.gas price is going up too high

       D.life is hard for a single mother

4.What is the author mainly trying to tell us?

       A.People should be careful of banking account theft.

       B.Single mothers can hardly afford the rising oil price.

       C.It’s important to take enough money before traveling.

       D.It’s common for businessmen to block customers’ account.

There is that great idea that in an information and knowledge based economy, the most important thing for companies is attracting and holding outstanding talented guys.Obviously I will not say that is not important, but in my opinion a successful and groundbreaking company cannot be built just from the collection of high talented people, as a great sports team can't be constructed only by the collection of great players.

It is more important to build teams of people that achieve the goals according to the company's organizational vision.It is necessary to create organizations where everybody (with outstanding talent or not) can develop their best personal capabilities and that these capacities are addressed to achieve the corporate goals and mission.The company efforts must be addressed to design an organizational system that produces and uses talent from everyone in the company.

Trying to get the best from our people through corporate team building policies, establishing a concrete corporate culture and values, making our company a place where people want to work because it is a good place to stay and develop their capacities, is the best way to compete in the knowledge economy.That will keep us out of the obligation to constantly seek for the "best players" and entering in the retribution auctions(拍卖).

We have to take into account that, nowadays, the real talented and creative people, like to work or engage themselves in projects where they can develop their capacities, they can be involved in the organizational goals and vision, and where they are treated with respect and dignity.Definitively, they want to be happy doing their jobs.And we have to build organizations where they can find that.

1.The underlined word that in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.

       A.information and knowledge                  B.the great idea

       C.the collection of talented people            D.attracting and holding talented people

2.In the author’s opinion, a good company should consist of ________.

       A.only outstanding people                       B.both talented and common people

       C.only common people                           D.more talented people than common people

3.The most important thing a successful company should do is ________.

       A.constantly seek for talented people

       B.employ people with different abilities

       C.make the company a place where employees are glad to devote themselves to work

       D.make the company a place where employees can get the best pay and great respect

4.According to Paragraph 3, the company can get the best from its employees in the following ways EXCEPT ________.

       A.making corporate team building rules

       B.forming corporate culture and values

       C.encouraging them to develop their abilities

       D.competing in the knowledge economy

President John Kennedy was a reader and writer.President Lyndon Johnson was a listener.President Johnson didn’t do as well as he could in the White House because he thought he had to follow Kennedy’s way of learning and absorb everything through writing.As well written as those reports were, he couldn’t understand them as well as Kennedy.It wasn’t until many years after the White House that Johnson recognized what type of learner he was.Now, all we can do is think of the possibilities of how different the United States would be right now if he learned sooner.

Eisenhower was a reader and writer.During the war, Eisenhower insisted that all questions be presented in writing before each press event.His press events, outstanding and memorable because of his ability in writing, opened his path to Washington.In Washington, Eisenhower, now required to be a listener and respond right away, found it very difficult to learn and think.His country no longer had the full benefit of his evolutionary(渐进的)learning intelligence.

Our school system teaches by listening and reading and not writing.This is why many writers’ in high school and college do poorly in lecture-type classes.When asked to test based on lecture, they usually receive an unsatisfactory grade for their level.When allowed to read and hand in a report, they do well.When permitted to process the information in writing, they add to classroom conversations in outstanding ways, many times moving the information in evolutionary new ways or depths.

What type of learner are you?

1.President Johnson didn’t do in White House as well as he could because ________.

       A.he didn’t follow President Kennedy’s way of learning sooner

       B.he didn’t realize what type of learner he was sooner

       C.he didn’t learn to read and write well sooner

       D.he didn’t read and write well enough

2.One of the reasons why Eisenhower could be President of the United States was that he was good at ________.

       A.reading               B.writing               C.listening              D.speaking

3.Why didn’t America fully benefit from Eisenhower’s intelligence after he went to Washington?

       A.Because he was less interested in politics.

       B.Because his aging affected his decision-making.

       C.Because his way of learning had to start all over again.

       D.Because the work in Washington didn’t match his way of learning.

4.It is inferred in the third paragraph that ________.

       A.something is wrong with our school system

       B.teachers should give students more chances to write

       C.students should try to learn everything well in school

       D.learners of different type are good in different fields

5.The best title for the text would be ________.

       A.Learning to Be President                      B.Knowing What Type of Learner You Are

       C.The Best Way to Learn                        D.The Sid e Effects of Wrong Ways to Learn

 0  33320  33328  33334  33338  33344  33346  33350  33356  33358  33364  33370  33374  33376  33380  33386  33388  33394  33398  33400  33404  33406  33410  33412  33414  33415  33416  33418  33419  33420  33422  33424  33428  33430  33434  33436  33440  33446  33448  33454  33458  33460  33464  33470  33476  33478  33484  33488  33490  33496  33500  33506  33514  151629 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网