A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal(正面的) attack — when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who
36 a traffic jam on his way to work shortly 37 receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about being late for work. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s being late — serious illness at home — he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t 38 any longer. His supervisor(主管) was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal
39 .
Yes, the boss was. When Sam entered the office at 9:35, it was as 40 as a locker room(更衣室)— everyone was hard at work. Sam’s supervisor 41 him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin (露齿笑) and 42 out his hand. “How do you do!” he said. “I’m Sam Maynard. I’m 43 a job, which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?”
The room burst into 44 . The supervisor clamped off(忍住) a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had 45 his job — with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
Humor is a most effective, yet 46 ignored, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want 47 his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel.
36. A. hit B. struck C. beat D. made
37. A. since B. when C. before D. after
38. A. benefit B. matter C. work D. affect
39. A. debate B. speech C. excuse D. argument
40. A. noisy B. quiet C. clean D. messy
41. A. shouted at B. put up with C. looked forward to D. came up to
42. A. stretched B. gave C. handed D. expanded
43. A. searching for B. preparing for C. applying for D. answering for
44. A. laughing B. laugh C. laughters D. laughter
45. A. lost B. saved C. got D. found
46. A. frequently B. occasionally C. never D. regularly
47. A. despite B. with C. without D. by
I have forgotten the name of the old lady, who was a customer on my newspaper route. Yet it in my memory that she taught me a lesson in that I shall never forget.
On a winter afternoon, a friend and I were stones onto the roof of the old lady's house near her garden. The was to observe how the stones changed to missiles as they to the roof’s edge and fell into the yard like comets（彗星）falling from the . I found myself a perfectly smooth rock and threw it. The stone was too , however, so it slipped from my hand as I let it go and headed straight for a small . At the sound of broken glass, we knew we were in . We ran faster than any of our stones flew off her roof.
I was too about getting caught that first night to be about the old lady with the broken window in winter. ,a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been discovered, I started to feel for her trouble. She still greeted me with a smile each day when I gave her the newspaper, but I was no longer able to act when seeing her.
I decided that I would save my paper delivery money, and in three weeks I had the seven dollars that I thought would the cost of her window and sent it to her in an envelope.
The next day, I the old lady her paper. She thanked me for the paper and gave me a bag of biscuits she had made herself. I thanked her and ate the biscuits I continued my route.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the . When I opened the envelope, I was . Inside were the seven dollars and a short note that ,“I'm proud of you.”
A．fails B．fades C．impresses D．remains
A．forgiveness B．value C．honesty D．gratefulness
A．collecting B．putting C．throwing D．placing
A．subject B．theme C．topic D．object
A．shot B．rolled C．got D．dropped
A．earth B．ocean C．sky D．universe
A．smooth B．square C．heavy D．beautiful
A．ceiling B．door C．chimney D．window
A．danger B．trouble C．surprise D．comfort
A．scared B．excited C．disappointed D．confused
A．frightened B．depressed C．puzzled D．concerned
A．However B．Therefore C．Besides D．Furthermore
A．honored B．guilty C．pleased D．pressed
A．proud B．active C．comfortable D．energetic
A．include B．increase C．cover D．mend
A．handed B．turned C．passed D．sent
A．because B．where C．since D．as
A．paper B．pocket C．bag D．wallet
A．annoyed B．surprised C．amused D．delighted
A．attached B．said C．told D．wrote
It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects. Knowing this, one year I to reach for something special just for Mike. The came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, attended a wrestling match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church shortly Christmas. These youngsters’ sneakers were in and the shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them , compared to our boys’ gold uniforms and shoes. I was even shocked to find they had no helmets.
Mike, seated beside me, his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing could take their dreams away.” That’s when the idea for his came.
That afternoon, I went to a local sports store and bought some wrestling helmets and and sent them anonymously（匿名地） to the inner-city . On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year.
For each Christmas, I the tradition. The envelope became the most exciting part of our Christmas. It was always the thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their unwrapped (打开的) new toys, would stand with wide-eyed as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to exhibit its .
As the children grew, the toys more practical presents, but the envelope lost its temptation. The story doesn’t end there.
We lost Mike due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was in . But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, three more it. Each of our , had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand further with our grandchildren standing around the tree as their fathers take down the envelope with expectation. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
A．decided B．urged C．struggled D．declared
A．story B．Christmas C．inspiration D．affection
A．after B．before C．during D．on
A．ruins B．styles C．chains D．rags
A．apart B．forever C．together D．around
A．nodded B．shook C．waved D．turned
A．word B．note C．envelop D．present
A．shoes B．shoestrings C．gifts D．sports
A．house B．school C．church D．store
A．inside B．outside C．between D．nearby
A．refused B．imagined C．followed D．missed
A．best B．first C．worst D．last
A．comfort B．patience C．satisfaction D．expectation
A．concepts B．contents C．shadows D．shapes
A．gave way to B．keep up with C．get away with D．fit in with
A．once B．never C．ever D．seldom
A．anger B．shock C．sadness D．annoyance
A．attended B．entered C．placed D．joined
A．grandchildren B．children C．friends D．relatives
A．watching B．singing C．smiling D．crying
A businesswoman got into a taxi in midtown. As it was the rush hour and she was in a ____ to catch a train, she ____ a quick way to reach it. “I have been a taxi driver for 15 years！” the driver said ____. “You don't think I know the best way to go？”
The woman tried to explain that she hadn't ____to annoy him, but the driver kept ____. She finally realized that he was too annoyed to be ____， so she changed her ____. “You know, you are right，” she told him. “It must seem_____ for me not to think you know the best way ____the city.”
____， the driver glanced at his ____ in the rearview mirror（后视镜）, turned down the street she wanted and got her to the train on time. “He didn't say another word the rest of the ride，” she said. “_ ____I got out and paid him. Then he thanked me.”
When you find yourself ____with people like the taxi driver, you will always try to ____ your idea. It can lead to longer arguments, lose job chances or ____ marriages. I have discovered one simple ____extremely unlikely method that can prevent the disagreement or other difficult situations from ____in a disaster.
The ____is to put yourself in the other person's shoes and look for the ____in what that person is saying. Find a way to ____， and the result may surprise you.
A．moment B．rush C．hurry D．way
A．Suggested B．made C．found D．chose
A．jokingly B．angrily C．anxiously D．curiously
A．supposed B．expected C．decided D．meant
A．apologizing B．driving C．Shouting D．asking
A．normal . B．thoughtful C．reasonable D．practical
A．road B．direction C．mind D．manner
A．strange B．stupid C．terrible D．wrong
A．through B．in C．across D．along
A．Annoyed B．Worried C．Surprised D．Disappointed
A．speaker B．rider C．helper D．comer
A．after B．until C．because D．since
A．faced B．concerned C．crowded D．satisfied
A．give up B．turn down C．point out D．stick to
A．destroy B．combine C．suffer D．divide
A．and B．that C．though D．but
A．lying B．leading C．setting D．resulting
A．problem B．key C．importance D．reply
A．fact B．truth C．expression D．meaning
A．explain B．argue C．agree D．escape
What would life be like without television？Would you spend more time __ _，reading，or studying？Well，now it's your chance to turn off your TV and ___ __！TVTurnoff Week is here.
The goal of TVTurnoff Week is to let people leave their TV sets ____ ___ and participate in activities ___ __ drawing to biking.The event was founded by TVTurnoff Network，a nonprofit organization which started the event in 1995.In the ____ __，only a few thousand people took part. Last year more than 7.6 million people participated，__ ___ people in every state in America and in more than 12 other countries！This is the 14th year in which ___ ___are asking people to “turn off the TV and turn on ___ __.”
According to the TVTurnoff Network，the average ____ _ in the US spend ___ __ time in front of the TV (about 1,023 hours per year) than they do in school (about 900 hours per year)．Too much TV ___ ___ has made many kids grow fat.___ __，in 2001's TVTurnoff Week, US Surgeon General David Satcher said，“We are raising the most __ ___ generation of youngsters in American history. This week is about saving lives.”
Over the years，studies have shown that watching a lot of TV ____ ___ poor eating habits，too little exercise，and violence. Frank Vespe of the TVTurnoff Network said that turning off the TV “is or ____ __，part of a healthy lifestyle”．
“One of the great lessons of ____ ___TVTurnoff Week is the realization that ___ __ I turn on the TV，I'm deciding not to do something else，”Vespe said.
TVTurnoff Week seems to be making a ____ ___.Recent US Census(人口普查) data____ ___ that about 72 percent of kids under 12 have a limit on their TV time. That's ____ ___ about 63 percent ten years ago.
A．drinking B．sleeping C．washing D．playing outside
A．find out B．go out C．look out D．keep out
A．away B．off C．on D．beside
A．like B．as C．from D．such as
A．end B．event C．beginning D．total
A．besides B．except for C．including D．except
A．governments B．parents C．organizers D．businessmen
A．the light B．the radio C．life D．the Internet
A．grownups B．kids C．clerks D．parents
A．less B．enough C．little D．more
A．programs B．screen C．hours D．watching
A．However B．On the contrary C．In fact D．As a result
A．overweight B．overeaten C．overgrown D．overseen
A．leads to B．results from C．develops D．keeps away
A．will be B．should be C．may be D．could be
A．organizing B．taking part in C．participating D．asking for
A．wherever B．every day C．every time D．this time
A．living B．choice C．difference D．sense
A．shows B．says C．reads D．writes
A．rising B．down from C．up to D．up from
Things have been kind of tough lately for Shannon Baker and her little family. They have each other’s parents and young daughter and for that they are . But she and her husband are both currently . And their car is in great need of . And then there is the matter of their second child, who is soon. So things are a little tense for the Baker family these days.
When Shannon and her daughter were walking through a store lot recently, Shannon picked up an envelope from the ground that $4,000 in cash. There were a of different interpretations (explanations) that could be considered. Was this a kind of good ? Could it be an attempt by the universe to balance everything? Could it be simply a gift from God? Shannon didn’t know. The only thing she knew was that the cash in that envelope to someone else. Oh, and one other thing she knew: Her young daughter was . “My kid was standing right there I found it,” Shannon told WLS-TV in Chicago. “So basically I wanted to teach my daughter how to be . And for me that was enough.”
Never mind the bills that were , or the car that needed to be fixed, or the baby that would come soon. And forget that when she the money over to the police she was told that there was actually nothing illegal if she it.
The police were able to return the money to the person who it: an old woman. And one can imagine the and relief she felt when the police handed the lost envelop back to her. “She came to my house and she was almost in tears, me,” Shannon said. “She gave me a hug and an envelope with a small in it. But the amount, large or small, wasn’t . What was important was the opportunity to teach my daughter honesty.”
A．restricted B．grateful C．sensitive D．upset
A．disappointed B．appreciated C．unemployed D．removed
A．cash B．protection C．repair D．sale
A．sick B．due C．desperate D．dull
A．parking B．gathering C．cleaning D．begging
A．participated B．contained C．charged D．paid
A．number B．deal C．handful D．flood
A．expense B．prize C．hope D．luck
A．pointed B．reacted C．responded D．belonged
A．watching B．urging C．laughing D．affecting
A．before B．though C．because D．when
A．honest B．loyal C．ripe D．humorous
A．passing by B．giving away C．showing off D．piling up
A．watched B．turned C．got D．collected
A．checked B．made C．kept D．promoted
A．sent B．disliked C．lost D．generated
A．respect B．anxiety C．tension D．joy
A．comforting B．congratulating C．offending D．thanking
A．amount B．present C．envelope D．option
A．important B．necessary C．evident D．Essential