When someone gives you advice, listen without judgment, try to find value in what you’re hearing, and say: “Thank you”. This wise advice is easy to understand yet hard to practice. I’ll give you an example from my life when I totally blew it in term of practicing what I teach.
In my work I travel constantly. I always put off going to the airport until the last second. My wife, Lyda, was sitting next to me in the front seat. I was racing along and not paying much attention. Lyda cried out: “Look out! There is a red light up ahead.”
Being a trained behavioral science professional—who teaches others the value of encouraging advice—I naturally screamed at her: “I know there is a red light up ahead! Don’t you think I can see?” When we arrived at the airport, Lyda didn’t speak to me. I wondered why she seemed mad at me.
During the flight to New York, I did a cost-benefit analysis. I asked myself: “What was the cost of just listening when Lyda called out the warning? Zero.” I then reasoned: “What was the potential benefit? What could have been saved?” Several potential benefits came to mind, including her life, my life, and the lives of other people.
I landed in New York feeling ashamed of myself. I immediately called Lyda and told her my cost-benefit story. I convinced her: “The next time you help me with my driving, I am just going to say, ‘Thank you!’”
A few months passed, and I had long forgotten the incident. Again, I was racing off to the airport, when Lyda cried out: “Look out for the red right!” I was embarrassed, and then shouted: “Thank you!”
I’m a long way from perfect, but I’m getting better. My suggestion is that you get in the habit of asking the important people in your life how you can do things better. And be ready for an answer. Some people may tell you things like “Look out for the red light.” When this happens, remember that there is possibly some potential benefit. Then just say: “Thank you.”
60.What do we know about the author?
A. He is expert at behavioral science.
B. He is gifted in cost-benefit analysis.
C. He seldom takes his wife’s advice.
D. He often runs the red traffic light.
61.The underlined part “blew it ” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_______”.
A. became annoyed with the adviser B. forgot the practical method
C. failed to say “Thank you” D. lost personal judgment
62.It can be inferred from the passage that people _________.
A. tend to be defensive when given advice
B. intend to follow others’ suggestions
C. had better study behavioral science
D. should give their opinions patiently
63The purpose of the passage is to advise people to ________.
A. do a cost-benefit analysis in daily life
B. treasure others’ suggestions
C. learn from the author’s experiences
D. discover potential benefits
Can we give a hand to those endangered animals? Yes, we may only do a little bit, but together our small actions add up to a lot.
1. Protect wildlife habitat.
Perhaps the greatest threat that faces many species is the widespread destruction of habitat. Cutting down forests, farming, and development all result in loss of wildlife habitat. In areas where rare species live, habitat destruction can quickly force a species to extinction. By protecting habitat, entire communities of animals can be protected together naturally. Parks and reserves are now all too often the only habitats that are left untouched by habitat destruction.
2. Reduce the threat of invasive (入侵的) species.
The spread of non-native species has greatly reduced native populations around the world. Invasive species compete with native species for resources (资源) and habitat. They can even prey on native species directly, forcing native species towards extinction.
3. Place decals (贴花纸) on windows.
It is reported that as many as one billion birds in the United States die each year because of collisions (碰撞) with windows. You can help reduce the number of collisions simply by placing decals on the windows in your home and office.
4. Slow down when driving.
Many native animals have to live in developed areas and this means they must move in human-living areas. One of the biggest obstacles (障碍) to them is that created by roads. Roads divide habitat and present a constant risk to any animal attempting to cross from one side to the other. So when you’re out and about, slow down and keep an eye out for wildlife. What would be the best title for this passage?
A.How animals go to extinction |
B.The importance of protecting wildlife |
C.What to do to help save wildlife |
D.How to protect wildlife habitat |
By writing the underlined sentence, the writer means that _____.
A.more parks and reserves should be built |
B.we should have more habitats free of destruction |
C.there is a need for improvement in parks and re-serves |
D.parks and reserves are good examples of protecting wildlife |
People are advised to put decals on windows to _____.
A.decorate the houses and beautify the environment |
B.protect the windows from birds hitting |
C.attract more birds to make homes nearby |
D.avoid birds hitting the windows by mistake |
The underlined phrase “prey on” in the passage means _____.
A.drive away | B.live with | C.kill for food | D.fight with |
You want to have fun and adventure and so you decide to travel somewhere to do it. Sounds like a simple enough thing. And basically it is. But what is adventure? That is the key here and the answer can be different for different people.
For those who love sports, adventure travel can have a whole different meaning than for those who like history. The physical travel types that you can find include such adventure travel as white water rafting (白浪漂流), kayaking or climbing and hiking to some mountains somewhere. To the hiker, backpacking across Ireland might be their adventure. For this type of person, adventure travel almost always includes something physical. Often the goal is to push their body’s limits and test their individual endurance (耐力).
For those who less want to climb mountains, adventure travel might mean traveling to Nepal and taking in the local festivals. Wine tasting in Italy is also vacation adventure for the more relaxed traveler who enjoys peace and comfort. Anything that is opposite to the normal scope (范围) of the traveler’s lifestyle defines (定义) adventure.
Adventure travel is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all type of vacation. Adventure depends on the person’s physical limits, how much money the person has and what the person enjoys doing. Going beyond the normal is adventurous for many. If your life is quite busy, then sitting on a beach in the moonlight with your family might be adventure for you. The point is not what you do but that you have a good time and that it is an adventure for YOU — not for the person next to you.
Do not sit home this year when vacation time rolls around. Go beyond your normal routine and try something new. If you usually spend your vacation sunbathing on a beach, try hiking, instead, through the mountains. Look around you, think beyond your comfort zone and head out on an adventure vacation.For a quiet traveler, he is most likely to choose ______.
A.backpacking across a country |
B.wine tasting in a bar |
C.hiking to some mountains |
D.white water rafting |
To have an adventure travel, the most important is ______.
A.whether you enjoy yourself |
B.whether you try something dangerous |
C.where you go for the traveling |
D.what you do in the traveling |
From the passage, we can make a conclusion that ______.
A.adventure travel always includes something dangerous |
B.adventure travel will cost you a large sum of money |
C.anything that goes beyond the normal is adventure travel |
D.adventure travelers like to do things to the limits of their body |
The best title for the passage may be “______”.
A.Tips on adventure travel |
B.Who is interested in adventure travel |
C.What is adventure travel |
D.Popular places for adventure travel |
When you visit America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (how-ever, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided, but there will certainly be a cafeteria (自助餐馆). Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than next. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools; and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in the big National Parks.
In these great National Parks, you may meet guests you don’t expect to see. An American friend told me a little story. In the middle of a moonless night she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief — it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paw, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they receive lodgers (房客). You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning — looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon! Which of the following is TRUE about motels?
A.You can only find motels in the big National Parks. |
B.They are free for people who arrive by car. |
C.If you want to stay at a motel, you must have a car. |
D.The word “motel” is formed by two words. |
Which of the following is NOT provided by motels?
A.Baths. | B.Swimming pools. | C.TV. | D.Meals. |
The underlined word “crept” in the second paragraph probably means “_____”.
A.moved slowly | B.rushed out | C.threw away | D.ran fast |
From the last paragraph we can learn that in New York during the tourist season _.
A.tourists can find gold there |
B.tourists can have a sweet dream there |
C.it is difficult to find a room there |
D.there is warning for tourists to New York |
What do you want to be when you grow up?
“When I grow up, I want to be...”
Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations(志向) may have changed from when you were in primary school.
However, it seems career options aren’t only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of the most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige (威望) may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility.
It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models “for their wealth”. Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to “wealth”.
However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens’ survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet(美食家),waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers’ career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs.
With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Choosing a good job is very important. |
B.The choice of career needs challenge. |
C.Teenagers in the UK like doctors. |
D.Careers in teenagers’ mind. |
What is the top career choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17 according to the article?
A.Medicine | B.Law | C.Bank | D.Education |
According to the article, all of the following are the benefits of being a doctor except_______.
A.respect from others | B.the oldest profession | C.high pay | D.upward social mobility. |
What do youngsters think is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career?
A.Prestige | B.Fulfillment | C.Happiness | D.Wealth |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.According to your particular talents and skills, you can choose your favorite career. |
B.Specific education and training can help get a good job. |
C.Whatever career you choose, you should balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. |
D.Responsibility is the most important when you choose a goodjob. |
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external(外部的) result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts (路标)or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles(阻碍). In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential(基本的) to our ability to grow.
These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we do not face and overcome these internal(内部的) fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease(停止) to grow. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making..A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______..
A.he has given up his smoking habit |
B.he has made great efforts in his work |
C.he is interested in making anything new |
D.he has tried to determine where he is on his journey |
.In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______.
A.judge his ability to grow from his own achievements |
B.succeed in climbing up the social ladder |
C.face difficulties and take up challenges |
D.aim high and reach his goal each time |
.When the author says “a new way of being” (para. 3), he is referring to _____.
A.a new way of taking risks |
B.a new approach to experiencing the world |
C.a new system of adapting to change |
D.a new method of finding ourselves |
.For personal growth, the author may not support __________. .
A.curiosity and more chances |
B.being quick in self – adaptation |
C.open – minded to new experiences |
D.avoidance of internal fears and doubts |