Carolyn Stradley is the founder of C&S Paving Ine.(铺路公司)in Atlanta, USA. In the following account, she recalls the job that challenged her 36 and skill but left her flying high.
“When the Atlanta Airport was under 37 in 1979,we were a new company struggling to make it. National Car Rental wanted to have 2500 square meters of dirt paved 38 the cars could be on site 39 the airport opened, and the official opening was only ten days away! 40 other local paving company wanted to do the job, 41 it couldn’t be done in such a short time.”
“Because we were new and really needed the work, we were 42 to try harder. We gave National Car Rental our offer and 43 our best effort to get the job finished within ten days. We also 44 them that if we failed, they would be no worse off, 45 they had plenty to gain if we succeeded.”
“We got the job and immediately went into 46 .Working at night needed lights, so I rented a machine to produce electricity for the site. Our 47 challenge was to keep the rock mixture 48 enough. All the available water wagons(洒水车)were rented out for the airport construction, and we certainly couldn’t afford to buy a new one. 49 ,I got a special 50 to rent fire engine hoses(消防水龙带)and connect them to nearby hydrants(消防);then I 51 held one of those hoses to 52 down the rock.”
“Those ten days were filled with challenges that 53 one creative idea after another. Nine days later, the night before the airport opened, National Car Rental was the 54 company that had cars on the parking lot.”
“The key to our success was having the 55 to take on any job and then being creative in our approach to getting it done.”
36.A.kindness B. patience C. imagination D. experience
37.A.construction B. repair C. control D. development
38.A.after B. as C. for D. so
39.A.while B. since C. where D. when
40.A.Some B. Any C. No D. Every
41.A.stating B. reporting C. telling D. warning
42.A.able B. nervous C. afraid D. willing
43.A.supported B. promised C. continued D. improved
44.A.asked B. surprised C. reminded D. demanded
45.A.though B. but C. as D. unless
46.A.discussion B. action C. practice D. production
47.A.next B. first C. past D. previous
48.A.cold B. wet C. loose D. clean
49.A.Naturally B. Obviously C. Meanwhile D. Instead
50.A.excuse B. order C. permit D. reason
51.A.exactly B. personally C. angrily D. hardly
52.A.pull B. knock C. hit D. water
53.A.required B. mixed C. followed D. formed
54.A.best B. last C. second D. only
55.A.courage B. interest C. hope D. Chance
Last week, my granddaughter started kindergarten and I wished her success. I was ___. What I actually wished for her was failure.Success is ___. Success proves that you can do something that you ____ know you can do. First-time success is usually because of good luch.However, first-time failure is ____; it is the natural order of things.
Failure is ____ we learn. I have been told an African phrase that ____ a good cook as “he who has broken many pots” If you've spent enough time in the ____ and have broken many pots.”If you have spent enough time in the ____ and have broken a lot of pots, probably you know much about ____ .I once had dinner with a group of cooks, and they spent time ____ knife wounds and bum scars. They knew how much benefit their ____ had given them.
My younger daughter is a trapeze(高空秋千)artist.It took her three years to ____ an act.She did it successfully for years.There was no ____ for her to change the act,but she did it ____. She said she felt bored because it ____ offered her anything new.So she changed the act, ____ she was advised not to.She ____ failure and public embarrassment in order to feed her soul.
My granddaughter is a perfectionist(完美主义者),probably too much of one.I will ___ her when she feels sad about her failure.I will also ____ her about what she had learned,and how she can do whatever it is ____ next time.But I probably won’t tell her that failure is a good thing, because that’s not a(n) ____ she can learn when she is five. I hope I can tell her, though, that it’s not the end of the world. Indeed, with luck, it is the beginning.
A.joking B.lying C.cheating D.doubting
A.encouraging B.annoying C.exciting D.boring
A.never B.hardly C.already D.also
A.expected B.disliked C.honored D.valued
A.when B.where C.how D.what
A.describes B.explains C.announces D.mentions
A.room B.kitchen C.restaurant D.office
A.work B.life C.progress D.cooking
A.examing B.treating C.watching D.comparing
A.practices B.habits C.failures D.efforts
A.chance B.reason C.right D.permission
A.as well B.somehow C.as usual D.anyway
A.after all B.once more C.at first D.no longer
A.but B.though C.as D.unless
A.copied B.required C.rished D.forgot
A.blame B.comfort C.protect D.accept
A.warn B.find C.remind D.understand
A.better B.more happily C.hard D.more easily
A.example B.exception C.lesson D.course
Mywifediedsevenandahalfyearsago, and I felt very sad. It was the ___ time in my life. I once wanted to kill myself, ___ I didn’t.I went on to work as a ___ in Kilauea, Hawaii. My kids had gone to live with my mother, and I was ___
Two months later on a family trip, we___ the TV and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center.I said to my ___,”I’m going to Afghanistan.”And I ___.
The International Medical Corps sent me to build 20 small ___ in provinces where people had no health care.In the end,the hospital were ___ 27,000 patients a month.I was so happy that I could ___ others,and I didn’t feel ___ any longer.I went to many places to help people there.
When my wife passed away,I thought my ___ was over.But really,it was just getting ___.At the end of her life,my wife couldn’t feel ___.I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would ___ and the exciting trips we would have.
I ___ that moment many times during my trips.
Everytime I go to a different place,I can ___ my wife is with me.Every time I help a patient,I can feel the encouragement from my wife — She ___encouraged me to help people in ___.I know I am not alone now.What I do is not only for the patients,but also for my wife.I ___ my life meaningful now.
A.busiest B.simplest C.worst D.longest
A.but B.so C.because D.for
A.reporter B.fireman C.teacher D.doctor
A.alone B.happy C.silent D.tired
A.set up B.turned on C.watcher over D.looked into
A.boys B.wife C.kids D.friends
A.refused B.stopped C.kids D.friends
A.houses B.hospitals C.factories D.schools
A.serving B.feeding C.moving D.relaxing
A.repair B.understand C.teach D.help
A.sad B.free C.angry D.worried
A.work B.home C.life D.hobody
A.loved B.started C.lost D.changed
A.everything B.nothing C.something D.anything
A.live B.visit C.remember D.miss
A.think of B.take over C.hold up D.put on
A.hear B.watch C.feel D.know
A.never B.once C.hardly D.always
A.need B.danger C.anger D.sorrow
A.hope B.find C.expect D.dream
Zach drove over to Christine’s place. Christine, who was engaged to him, was in China, visiting her parents. Her son Bradley hadn’t gone with her. Bradley was a junior in high school. He neither liked nor disliked Zach, even though he had (1) Zach for three years. Zach was still trying to Bradley over. He called Bradley to tell him that he was . Bradley said OK. When Zach got there, he all of Christine’s mail to see if there were any bills to pay. There were none.
He asked if Bradley wanted to drive the car. Bradley had a driver’s , and was always asking his mom to let him drive her car. Bradley said . Zach told him not to speed, but he could drive anywhere he wanted. Bradley the 210 freeway and headed northwest. Zach gave Bradley a few driving : Don’t drive next to big trucks, you never know when they might turn over and crush you. Don’t drive(10) trucks with loads, because you never know when in the truck will fall out and come flying through your windshield (挡风玻璃).
On their way back, Zach that they stop at a golf field. He wanted to show Bradley how to play golf. Bradley wasn’t . He preferred his video games. But Bradley soon found that golf was ! He hit a large bucket of balls. Zach told him that he had a natural . The next day, Bradley, for the first time ever, (16) Zach. He had a few blisters (水泡) on his hands; Zach said that was . Then Bradley (18) if Zach would come next Saturday so they could take a and hit golf balls again. Zach said of course, with a feeling in his heart.
A.understood B.met C.known D.found
A.take B.win C.turn D.hand
A.dropping out B.leaving behind C.staying away D.coming over
A.checked B.tested C.examined D.sent
A.passport B.card C.receipt D.license
A.nothing serious B.no way C.all right D.never mind
A.turned up B.got on C.took on D.got off
A.tips B.reasons C.preparations D.routes
A.while B.though C.because D.despite
A.beyond B.between C.behind D.ahead of
A.something B.passengers C.rocks D.birds
A.suggested B.promised C.decided D.agreed
A.patient B.enthusiastic C.silent D.optimistic
A.boring B.disappointing C.fun D.annoying
A.swing B.attitude C.condition D.move
A.liked B.criticized C.called D.visited
A.normal B.good C.terrific D.typical
A.learned B.asked C.ensured D.doubted
A.sport B.drive C.journey D.match
A.bitter B.sad C.normal D.happy
Ted spent seven years as a prisoner of war. There he discovered the power of ___.
For more than half of that ___ he was in isolation (隔绝). He lived for ten months in total ___. Those ten months was the longest of his life. When they ___ with wooden boards the window of his little seven-by-seven foot cell, shutting out the light, he ___ if he was going to make it.
Ted spent hours a day exercising and thinking. But at times he felt he could do ___ but scream. Not wanting to give his ___ the satisfaction of knowing they’d ___ him, he placed clothing into his mouth to lessen the noise ___ he screamed at the top of his lungs.
One day Ted got down on the ___ and crawled (爬) under his bed. He found a hole that ___ air from the outside. As he approached the hole, he saw a ___ ray of light. Ted put his eye next to the wall and discovered a small crack in the building. It allowed him to glimpse ___, though all he could see was a ___ piece of grass. But when he saw this, he felt a surge of joy, excitement and ___ that he hadn’t had in years. “It represented life, growth and ___,” he later said. It was the small hope that helped Ted ___ this nearly unbearable experience.
The human spirit is ___. It seems to run forever ___ nothing but a faint (微弱的) hope. Without it, you have nothing. With it, nothing else ___ — even the worst conditions.
A.thought B.scream C.support D.hope
A.prison B.war C.time D.month
A.happiness B.sadness C.darkness D.silence
A.strengthened B.fixed C.covered D.broke
A.reminded B.required C.wondered D.feared
A.something B.nothing C.everything D.anything
A.soldiers B.friends C.enemy D.army
A.wounded B.quitted C.satisfied D.broken
A.till B.since C.as D.after
A.window B.floor C.wall D.board
A.let in B.put out C.took in D.gave off
A.weak B.soft C.strong D.sharp
A.inside B.outside C.above D.below
A.very B.right C.specific D.single
A.gratefulness B.usefulness C.fulfillment D.establishment
A.courage B.perseverance C.choice D.freedom
A.by B.out C.over D.through
A.straight B.strong C.lucky D.interesting
A.against B.from C.on D.over
A.matters B.relates C.changes D.happens
My husband used to be a workaholic(工作狂).Nothing seemed to be more ___ to him than his work,not even his family.
He usually ___ at 6 o’clock,and our ___ and I were still asleep then,and then left ___ having breakfast. I asked him to have breakfast ___,but he said it’s a waste of ___ I didn’t know what kept him so ___. He even couldn’t finish all his work in the office. He came back at ten at night. However,I never expected that he would give me a kiss. ___ he got home,he would start to ___. The kids had already been in bed,of course.
“Mom,where is Dad?Why I ___ see him?”the kids often asked.
“Well,Dad has to work. He is busy,”I always ___ like this. As time went by,they didn’t ask where their dad was again. Perhaps they had ___ that they had a dad. However,the situation changed several months ago.
Jenny,our daughter,suddenly became ___. I sent her to the hospital. The ___told me that she was seriously ill and that she was calling ___ all the time. Tears burst into my eyes when I ___ that. I finally called my ___ and told him about that. Half an hour later,he came to the hospital and held Jenny’s little hands.
He ___ another job two weeks later.
“I just wanted to make as much ___ as possible for you and our kids. But now,I just want to ___ as much time as possible with you and the kids,”he said and that’s what he is doing now.
A.possible B.interesting C.important D.relaxing
A.sat down B.got up C.stoop up D.came up
A.kids B.pets C.neighbors D.parents
A.on B.with C.without D.after
A.in the office B.on the way C.in school D.at home
A.money B.time C.energy D.food
A.tired B.busy C.fast D.excited
A.As soon as B.In the end C.Long before D.Long after
A.eat B.sleep C.work D.write
A.often B.never C.sometimes D.always
A.shouted B.asked C.replied D.cheated
A.thought B.forgotten C.ignored D.minded
A.fine B.worse C.ill D.angry
A.teacher B.boss C.officer D.doctor
A.mom B.sir C.dad D.madam
A.noticed B.realized C.heard D.felt
A.mother B.child C.brother D.husband
A.money B.happiness C.value D.laughter
A.spend B.make C.set D.steal