The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what’s important.
-----Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, who almost caused a big accident, started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do any more."
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
1. What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi?
A. The taxi almost hit another car.
B. The taxi driver was injured.
C. The author scolded the driver of the other car.
D. The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck.
2. How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car?
A. He yelled back at the driver.
B. He sent the driver to the hospital.
C. He was friendly towards the driver.
D. He dumped some garbage in front of his car.
3. What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3?
A. Many people like to drive garbage trucks.
B. Many people dump garbage wherever they like.
C. Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy.
D. Many people tend to be very much depressed.
4. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A. The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.
B. The author used to complain a lot.
C. The author used to have a lot of money.
D. The author used to be a good manager.
5. According to the passage, what should you do if people “dump garbage” on you?
A. Ignore them and go on with our own work.
B. Try our best to persuade them not to do that again.
C. Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place.
D. Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else.
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”．The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
| A．report on the findings of a study |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C．show the relationship between parents and children |
| D．give information about family problems |
．Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.
| A．they are busy serving food to their children |
| B．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
| C．they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| D．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
．By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______.
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．find it hard to keep up with other children |
| C．are often kept away from the dinner table |
| D．get the least attention from the family |
．Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.
| A．why TV is important in family life |
| B．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life |
| C．why children in small families seem to be quieter |
| D．why parents should keep good order |
．Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner |
“Have a nice day” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” The version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words came out in the same tone ( 腔调 ) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
| A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author. |
| B．Maxie really worries about the author’s security |
| C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy. |
| D．Maxie really wishes the author a good day. |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．The salesgirl says the words as a routine. |
| B．The salesgirl is bored. |
| C．The salesgirl cares about me. |
| D．The salesgirl is rude. |
By saying “Have a nice day”, a stranger may _____.
| A．give his blessing to you |
| B．express respect to you |
| C．try to be polite to you |
| D．share his pleasure with you |
According to the last paragraph, people say “Have a nice day”_______.
A. sincerelyB as a habit C. as thanksD. encouraginglyWhat is the best title of the passage?
| A．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation |
| B．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture |
| C．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting |
| D．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom |
On the island of New Zealand, there is a grasshopper-like species of insect that is found nowhere else on earth. New Zealanders have given it the nickname weta, which is a native Maori word meaning “god of bad looks”. It’s easy to see why anyone would call this insect a bad-looking bug. Most people feel disgusted at the sight of these bulky(笨重的)，slow-moving creatures.
Wetas are natural creatures; they come out of their caves and holes only after dark. A gaint weta can grow to over three inches long and weigh as much as 1.5 ounces. Giant wetas can hop up to two feet at a time. Some of them live in trees, and others live in caves. They are very long-lived for insects, and some adult wetas can live as long as two years. Just like their cousins grasshoppers and crickets, wetas are able to “sing” by rubbing their leg parts together, or against their lower bodies.
Most people probably don’t feel sympathy for these endangered creatures, but they do need protecting. The slow and clumsy wetas have been around on the island since the times of the dinosaurs, and have evolved and survived in an environment where they had no enemies until rats came to the island with European immigrants. Since rats love to hunt and eat wetas, the rat population on the island has grown into a real problem for many of the native species that are unaccustomed to its presence, and poses a serious threat to the native weta population..According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
The weta is a newly discovered insect species.
The Maoris nicknamed themselves “Wetas”.
The Europeans brought wetas to New Zealand.
Wetas are unpleasant to the eye. .The strange thing about wetas is that they can produce pleasant sounds by ________.
| A．rubbing their body parts |
| B．moving slowly on the ground |
| C．hopping up to two feel at a time |
| D．coming out only at night |
Which of the following descriptions of wetas is accurate?
| A．They are quick in movement. |
| B．They are decreasing in number. |
| C．They are very active in the daytime. |
| D．They have a short lifespan for insects. |
The underlined word “its” in the last paragraph is the closest in meaning to “_________”.
| A．The dinosaur’s | B．The weta’s | C．The island’s | D．The rat’s |
From which of the following is the passage LEAST likely to be taken?
| A．A science magazine. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A business journal. | D．biology textbook. |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it．
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity（机会）and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils．The standards may be changed - no examination is perfect - but to have no external( 外部的 )tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards．There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers．This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency（实力）,the ideal and the purpose of each teacher．
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them - a form of favoritism will replace equality．At the moment, the bright child from an ill - respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school．This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame（名誉）,unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school．
The opponents（对手）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils．According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class．They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection．The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer．
These people are not just against school organisation, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive（破坏性的）purposes．There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organised when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole．According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________．
| A．changing the standards could mean the end of equality |
| B．standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality |
| C．there would be no standards without external examinations |
| D．we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect |
In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?
| A．There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence． |
| B．Children from poor families would not be able to change schools． |
| C．Going to a favoured school should be the only way to get a good job． |
| D．Schools for bright children would lose their fame． |
The situation at the moment is that ________．
| A．many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability |
| B．a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate． |
| C．children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates． |
| D．a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job． |
Most episodes（情况）of absent- mindedness- forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room-are caused by a simple lack of attention, says Schacter．"You're supposed to remember something, but you haven't encoded （译成密码）it deeply."
Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impact（影响）on recalling it later．Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations．If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don't pay attention to what you did because you're involved in a conversation, you'll probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe（衣柜）．"Your memory itself isn't failing you,"says Schacter."Rather, you didn't give your memory system the information it needed."
Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness."A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago,"says Zelinski,"may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox."Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory depends on just that．
"Visual cues can help prevent absent -mindedness",says Schacter."But be sure the cue is clear and available,"he cautions．If you want to remember to take a medication（药物）with lunch, put the pill bottle on the kitchen table-don't leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket．
Another common episode of absent-mindedness: walking into a room and wondering why you're there．Most likely, you were thinking about something else．"Everyone does this from time to time,"says Zelinski．The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you'll likely remember．We can learn from the passage that encoding ________．
| A．slows down the process of losing our memories |
| B．helps us understand our memory system better |
| C．gets us to recall something from our memories |
| D．helps us to find out the mobile phone in the pocket |
Why do women have better memories than men?
| A．They seldom use their mobile phones． |
| B．They are more nervous about the environment． |
| C．They are more interested in what's happening around them． |
| D．They usually take some special medicine to improve memories． |
The sentence underlined in Paragraph 4 means that ___________．
| A．a note in the pocket will easily get lost |
| B．putting something in sight can be a good reminder |
| C．taking medicine can get rid of absent-mindedness |
| D．people of absent-mindedness must take medicine with them |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The causes of absent-mindedness． |
| B．The environment and memory． |
| C．A way of encoding and recalling． |
| D．The process of gradual memory loss． |