Prisoner Mitchell King had a visitor— his wife. King was serving a six-year prison term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn’t want to be away from him for that long. So they held hands and they stuck. She’s rubbed her palms with super glue.
Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. Her technique is not one I'd recommend(introduce) for a closer relationship.
But if you want more closeness; if you desire relationships that are deeper and broader, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then remember the word "TRAVEL."
T is for TRUST. Trust is the glue that holds people together (not Super Glue). A relationship will go nowhere without it.
R is for RESPECT. "Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; speak them rather now instead," writes Anna Cummins. It's about respecting others and letting them know that you value them.
A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Always it means kindness.
V is for VULNERABILITY(harm). Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no relationship will go anywhere without risking vulnerability. Entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.
E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY(亲密). Learn to be open. Learn to communicate freely. What kinds of relationships you make are largely determined by how openly you have learned to communicate.
L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.
For relationships that can really go somewhere, just remember the word "TRAVEL." Then enjoy the trip!
1．The author intends to _________ by showing us the example in Paragraph One.
A. condemn the wife for her silly behavior
B. introduce new ways for closer relationships
C. tell us King and his wife would never be separated
D. encourage us to follow the wife’s technique
2．The underlined word “it” in Paragraph Four refers to?
A. Trust. B. Glue.
C. Closeness. D. TRAVEL
3．Which of the following agrees with what Jim Rohn says?
A. Walls should be built to keep out the sadness.
B. It’s unnecessary to avoid vulnerability for closer relationships.
C. Love will be kept out if you let another too close.
D. We shouldn’t let another too close because of vulnerability.
4．What does Victor Borge really mean by his word in the ninth paragraph?
A. Laughter will keep the shortest distance.
B. Laughter will make a closer relationship.
C. No relationship will go without laughter.
D. Laughter is necessary to make friends.
5．What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Relationships.
B. The story of a prisoner.
C. A technique for good relationships.
D. Tips on closer relationships.
"Failure is not an option (选择)"is a very well-known saying. But my father told me that "failure hasa time line".
You have to know that my father is a true genius(天才). He designed the first jet fighter plane, theF-84.
You also have to know that his only son isanything but a genius. I was born in 1941, and I amstill here at 68 years old. I graduated from PointLoma High in San Diego on June 15,1960, and I was"pleased"with being in the top l0% of the lower one-third of my class of about 300 students. Well, at least Igraduated! Some years later in the 1960s, my dadtalked to me about failure.
At the time I was very discouraged at my careerplans after serving two years in the Peace Corps inGabon, West Africa. I said to my dad, "Dad, youknow I've been a failure at everything I've tried inlife and I just don't know what to do now."
My dad looked at me with those "genius eyes"and said to me,"Failure is a relative(相对的) thing.It has a time line！ Now just remember that failure is not an option…in this lifetime! "He then explainedto me that failure is part of a successful path, and thatI should always keep in my mind that time, failureand success all work together.
To this very day, I still love, respect, and honourmy dad and my mom. Maybe some day I will "growup"and be as smart as my dad. In the writer's opinion, his father was very ______.
| A．serious |
| B．great |
| C．casy-going |
| D．different |
What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
| A．The writer used to consider himself to be a genius. |
| B．The writer didn't get along well with his classmates. |
| C．The writer was not good at his studies at school. |
| D．The writer failed to graduate from college. |
According to Paragraph 4, before talking to his dad, the writer ______.
| A．was encouraged by his career plans |
| B．had hoped for a good life |
| C．was very confident |
| D．had probably lost heart |
Which of the following would the writer's fatheragree with?
| A．Some people will never succeed. |
| B．People should not experience failure. |
| C．Failure at a certain period of time is acceptable. |
| D．Success has nothing to do with failure. |
During the mid-1960s, VinhLinh, Quang Tri inVietnam was a wasteland, which was often underattack from the US air force. Vietnamese soldierswho were fighting against the US discussed how to
make people there safe. Some suggested moving thepeople underground. Then they began to build a tunnel(隧道)
The VinhMoc tunnel was built for the people ofSon Trung and Son Ha in VinhLinh county of QuangTri Province. It included wells, kitchens, rooms foreach family and hospitals. Around 60 families lived inthe tunnel.
Deep under the ground, hidden from soldiers,people lived in the tunnel for many years. Theysurvived. The tunnel was a success and no villagerslost their lives thanks to it.
During that time, 17 children were born in thetunnel, each of whose lives was a proof that thetunnel was effective in protecting the villagers. Astime goes by,it has become both a historical site anda tourist attraction for people wishing to learn abouta heroic period in Vietnam's history.
The total length of the tunnel network is nearly 2km, and has three floors. It was built over twoyears. The two sides have small houses every 3m. Thetunnel centre has a 150 - seat hall, a hospital and
maternity rooms (产房). It is linked to the sea byseven exits, which also function as ventilators(通风设备), and to a nearby hill by another six.
People wanting to know about the Vietnam Warshould have some knowledge of the tunnel network inQuang Tri. The tunnel network shows the wisdom andbravery of the local people in their fight for their
identity.
Ten years after the war ended, the VinhMoctunnel was opened to tourists. These days, thegovernment is working to protect the historical relic.Which of the following statements is NOT trueaccording to the passage?
| A．During the mid-1960s, Vietnam was at war with the US. |
| B．VinhLinh, Quang Tri in Vietnam was an undeveloped place. |
| C．The tunnels were built as hiding places for villagers there. |
| D．Some people in the tunnel suffered much and died during the 1960s. |
What does the VinhMoc tunnel have according to the passage?
| A．Kitchens, hospitals and a hall. |
| B．Wells, windows and kindergartens. |
| C．Kitchens, kindergartens and hospitals. |
| D．A hall, maternity rooms and schools. |
The villagers living in the tunnel were during those years.
| A．awful |
| B．safe |
| C．poor |
| D．generous |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to protect the VinhMoc tunnel. |
| B．A painful memory of the Vietnam War. |
| C．The war between Vietnam and the US. |
| D．TheVinhMoc tunnel-a famous historical relic in Vietnam. |
It was Saturday morning and I asked seven-year-old Kelley to let her daddy take her to the gymnasticsclass. But she didn't agree. I explained that somefriends would visit our house that day and I had toclean the house. But the truth was, I had spent 20years watching Kelley's five elder brothers and sisterstake lessons and I just wanted to get out of it.However, seeing Kelley was going to cry, I decided todo this once more.
Looking through the door, I watched as theteacher led the students to a rope hanging in thecorner of the gym. One after another, each child inline climbed up the thick rope while the teacher heldit at the bottom. Then it was Kelley's turn – theyoungest in the class. With a big smile, she climbedhigher and higher. Then it happened. About halfwayup, the teacher loudly warned, "Don't go up anyfarther than you're able to come down."
Kelley halted…and then slowly moved down allthe way to the floor. I knew she was heading to thetop of that rope and was perfectly capable(有能力的)of reaching it. Why did she stop? I questioned her onthe way home.
"Kelley,could you have climbed all the way tothe top?"
"Yes, "she quietly replied.
"Then why didn't you keep going?"
Silence.
"Was it because of what the teacher said?" I asked.
She nodded.
I knew it was time to teach.
"Kelley, don't let anybody make you doubtyourself. Don't ever let anyone keep you fromknowing what you can do…even though they seembigger, or smarter or older. Will you remember that?"I said.
"Yes !"she answered quickly.
I was glad I chose to take Kelly to the class andgot the opportunity to teach her an important lesson. The author didn't want to take Kelley togymnastics class at first because she ______.
| A．became very tired of it |
| B．needed to visit some friends |
| C．had so much housework to do |
| D．had to take lessons herself |
Seeing Kelley climbing higher and higher, the teacher felt _____.
| A．angry |
| B．worried |
| C．proud |
| D．pleased |
The underlined word"halted"in Paragraph 3 maymean ______.
| A．fell |
| B．climbed |
| C．stopped |
| D．continued |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The author has six children to look after. |
| B．Kelley would like her father to take her to thegymnastics class. |
| C．The other children in the gymnastics class are younger than Kelley. |
| D．Kelley was very frightened before the teacher's warning. |
Credit cards let people buy things now and pay for them over months or even years. But some people get deep into debt: Some banks have terms and charges that can make it harder for people to pay off that debt. In the United States, there are calls for stronger government supervision of the credit card industry. They offer economic power at a price. In 2004, Americans had about $800 billion in credit card debt. Now they own about $ 968 billion.
Critics say banks make it too easy to get credit cards. But that may be changing. The crisis in the housing and credit they call markets is beginning to affect the credit card industry. More payments are late. Charges for late payments are a growing source of profit for banks. But late payments can also signal bad debts.
The central bank, the Federal Reserve, says two-thirds of American banks have recently reported tighter lending requirements. Many people report having their credit limits reduced without warning.
Some lawmakers are concerned that cardholders do not have enough protections from abusive policies. These include actions like raising interest rates because of an unrelated event. Also, banks may raise the chances of a late payment by changing monthly payment dates for credit cards.
According to a survey, 82% of Americans think credit cards provide a valuable service. But a majority, 58%, say they do not trust credit card companies. And three out of four think the government should regulate the industry more closely. Three out of four people feel there is always some condition that makes a card less appealing than the company made in scared. And a little more than half say they have had a card that is not as good as they expect. But close to 80% say no one really reads the terms and conditions when they sign up for a credit card. What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．We can enjoy more convenience by using credit cards. |
| B．Credit cards can improve your buying power. |
| C．We can buy things at lower prices by using credit cards. |
| D．Credit cards bring more debts as well as convenience. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Banks are making it harder for people to get credit cards. |
| B．Some people's credit limits have been reduced. |
| C．It is more difficult to borrow money from some banks. |
| D．Banks are receiving more charges from late payments. |
Which of the following can be a case of abusive policies?
| A．Banks make credit cards look more attractive. |
| B．Banks ignore the danger of bad debts. |
| C．Banks raise interest rates with no good reason. |
| D．Banks put off monthly payment dates. |
What can we know from the text?
| A．Banks actually prefer to see more late payments. |
| B．People should be more careful when applying for a credit card. |
| C．The US government provides better protection for cardholders. |
| D．The majority of Americans don't think much of credit cards. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Credit cards are still very well received in America. |
| B．Credit cards don't live up to some people's expectations. |
| C．Many people don't believe in credit card companies. |
| D．The results of a survey about credit cards in America. |
I never thought I would have a life-changing experience at Wal-Mart.
Although my thoughts were only on speed, the checkout line I was standing in wasn't moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies, wearing glasses and a nice smile. I thought, well, he's an old guy!
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before scanning the items. Sure, his words were the usual, "How's it going?" But he did something different - he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was odd. I have grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don't give any thought to the question and just mumble something back. I could say, "I just found out I have six months to live," and someone would reply, "Have a great day!"
But that wasn't the end.
He gave them the change, walked around the counter, and extended his right hand in an act of friendship. He looked at the customers' eyes. "I do want to thank you for shopping here today, "he told them." Have a great day. Bye-bye."
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some sheepish grins. All had been touched by his simple gesture that they never expected. They would gather their things and
walk out, smiling. Of course, he did the same to me and I got to know his name, Marty.
Who was that guy? It was as if Sam Walton had come back from the dead and invaded this old guy's body.
I had never walked away from that shop feeling like that.The checkout line the writer was standing in moved slower than expected because __
| A．the cashier couldn't work as fast as others |
| B．there were some big purchases |
| C．the cashier did more than scanning the items |
| D．the writer was not patient enough |
According to the writer, when common people ask you "How's it going?",______ .
| A．they don't really care what you may answer |
| B．they are just practising their conversation ability |
| C．they are inquiring about your private information |
| D．they don't expect to hear any negative answers |
What was most customers' reactivity on Marty's behaviours?
| A．They thought it priceless. |
| B．They were in some way moved. |
| C．They thought it awful and odd. |
| D．They felt somewhat offended. |
What can we infer about Sam Walton?
| A．He might be Marty's father or grandfather. |
| B．He might be friendly and devoted to Wal-Mart. |
| C．He might have died while working in the market. |
| D．He might have come back from the dead once before. |
What does the writer intend to express through the text?
| A．Our everyday life is always full of surprises. |
| B．Most customers enjoy being treated this way. |
| C．Being different is a good way of doing business. |
| D．A little positive action can make a big difference. |