A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! By Rich Ezzo. It took only about an hour to read.
When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick type of publication. Nothing is wrong with Get Rich Quick, but my mind just doesn’t chase after dreams of wealth. I think that if God ever wants me to be rich, he knows where to find my purse.
When I began reading When Money Talks, Listen!, I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either. He, too, is hungry far more important than money.
Since I love this e-book so much, why wait a week to write the review? Simple. I wanted to see if the effect it had on me was a keeper. After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money. I had so many thoughts running around my mind that I had to install(安装) a stoplight to stop some while others made their way into the picture, then I yielded(让路) them as a few ones arrived in town. I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is.
It has been a week and the effect is the same. I truly do look at money differently and have even done a few things differently this week. This is an e-book you’ll want to read, I promise. I often recommend books to my daughter, and this is one that I didn’t just “suggest”---I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, “Read it, you’ll love it.”
I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn’t go myself. I urge you to visit the author’s website, Myster Money, and to download the e-book. You won’t regret it.The author wrote this passage to _________
| A．strongly recommend an e-book. |
| B．show the author's attitude to money. |
| C．introduce the general idea of an e-book. |
| D．point out Rich Ezzo isn't money hungry. |
According to the passage, a Get Rich Quick type of publication ______.
| A．is what the author really cares for |
| B．deals with how to make money |
| C．is also an e-book written by Rich Ezzo |
| D．is more popular than e-books |
The author didn't write the review as soon as he finished reading the book because________.
| A．he was too excited to write anything |
| B．he was not sure whether he did well |
| C．he had to wait for Rich Ezzo's permission |
| D．he wondered if the book would have long influence on him |
By saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4, the author probably __________.
| A．shows that the book brought him many new thoughts |
| B．shows how bad the traffic is in town |
| C．describes the difficulty in understanding the book |
| D．explains it's hard to change one's attitude to money |
Which of the following is supported by the passage?
| A．The author had known Rich Ezzo before. |
| B．The author hasn't dreamed of getting rich immediately. |
| C．The author always prefers e-books to paper books. |
| D．The author likes Get Rich Quick-type of publications. |
Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It’s very likely that you’ll want to have volunteers to help with the organization’s activities. To do so, it should help to understand why people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.
Let’s begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate. To select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to attract.
People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these programs can shift people’s wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g., “I volunteer because it’s important to me”) to an external factor (e.g., “I volunteer because I’m required to do so”). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.
Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to “training methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping with the problem they do experience”.
Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in the degree to which people view “volunteer” as an important social role. It was assumed that those people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role mattered by responding to statements such as “Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who I am.” Consistent with the researchers’ expectations, they found a positive correlation (正相关) between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These results, once again, lead to concrete advice: “Once an individual begins volunteering, continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity.... Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity”.People volunteer mainly out of ______ .
| A．academic requirements | B．social expectations |
| C．financial rewards | D．internal needs |
What can we learn from the Florida study? _______
| A．Follow-up studies should last for one year. |
| B．Volunteers should get mentally prepared. |
| C．Strategy training is a must in research. |
| D．Volunteers are provided with concrete advice. |
What is most likely to motivate volunteers to continue their work?_____
| A．Individual differences in role identity. |
| B．Publicly identifiable volunteer T-shirts. |
| C．Role identity as a volunteer. |
| D．Practical advice from researchers. |
What is the best title of the passage?______
| A．How to Get People to Volunteer |
| B．How to Study Volunteer Behaviors |
| C．How to Keep Volunteers’ Interest |
| D．How to Organize Volunteer Activities |
I vividly remember walking back to my house after collecting the afternoon mails. I saw a credit card statement, another credit card statement and our bank statements. It was in that moment that I felt a deep tension.
I realized that even though I had married a man who I absolutely loved and adored, I really didn’t have a clear sense of how he handled money and how the two of us were going to combine our different approaches to handling money in our marriage. I was more organized and detailed, but he was more of a laid-back type. I knew that getting on the same financial page was a key factor in creating a successful marriage and financial future.
I asked my husband if he would be willing to set up a time each week to talk about our finances and develop a plan for getting rid of our credit card debt. My husband said he would be willing to do this. Admittedly, he was skeptical — but willing.
We came to refer to our weekly meetings as our Financial Dates. We didn’t really have a clue as to what we were doing. All we knew was that we needed to give our finances serious attention. Some Dates were filled with tense conversations. Other Dates were filled with laughter, joy and creativity. However, we kept showing up for our Dates and we never gave up. What started out as a means for survival became a powerful connecting thread in our relationship. Something shifted within us.
Instead of our finances becoming a source of divisive tension that pulled us apart, they became
the glue that held us together as we became a unified team.
I still recall the day that we excitedly crossed off our last credit card payment on the chart we had created. We had finally arrived. We were free. We had been given wings to fly.
Now, whenever I feel huge stress I ask myself, “How am I contributing to what is happening right now?” This gives me the ultimate power to take action. Even though my husband and I don’t have any guarantee against future challenges, I am left with something deep within that is unshakable and that can never be taken away — the memory of our past successes and the power to integrate (整合) these lessons in my day-to-day life.Why did the author feel nervous when collecting the afternoon mails? _______
| A．She was not sure about her marriage. |
| B．She didn’t know how to handle money. |
| C．She could feel the pressure of the huge debt. |
| D．She was reminded of the quarrels in the family. |
Which word can replace the underlined word “laid-back” in the second paragraph?_____
| A．relaxed. | B．skeptical. |
| C．lazy. | D．confident. |
What can we learn from the Financial Dates? ______
| A．They showed the couple clear direction at first. |
| B．They left the couple nothing but deep sadness. |
| C．They were once interrupted but quickly continued. |
| D．They strengthened the couple’s relationship at last. |
We can infer that when faced with stress the author will _______.
| A．try to change the situation |
| B．focus on what contributes to it |
| C．get power from the memory |
| D．feel free to do what she likes |
Revolutionary TV Ears
TV Ears has helped thousands of people with various degrees of hearing loss hear the television clearly without turning up the volume(音量) and now it’s better and more affordable than ever! With TV Ears wireless technology, you set your own headset volume, while other TV listeners hear the television at a volume level that’s comfortable for them. You can even listen through the headset only and put the TV on mute(静音) if the situation calls for a quiet environment —maybe the baby is sleeping. Or perhaps you are the only one who is interested in listening to the ballgame.
TV Ears patented technology includes a revolutionary noise reduction car tip, not used in any other commercially available headset. This tip reduces outside noise so that television dialogue is clear and understandable. Get the technology that has proven to help the most demanding customers. That’s why TV Ears has earned the trust and confidence of audiologists(听觉学家) nationwide as well as world-famous doctors.
| Doctor Recommended TV Ears! “My wife and I have used TV Ears almost daily for the past two years and find them a great help in our enjoyment of television . As a retired ear doctor, I heartily recommend TV Ears to people with normal hearing as well as those with hearing loss.” — Robert Forbes, M. D, CA |
| Customer Recommended TV Ears! “ Now my husband can have the volume as loud as he needs and I can have the TV at my hearing level. TV Ears is so comfortable that Jack forgets he has them on ! He can once again hear and understand the dialogue.” — Darlene & Jack B, CA |
Risk Free Trial! TV Ears comes with a 30-day risk free trial.
Special Offer — Now ＄59.95.
If you’re not satisfied, return it.
Money-back guarantee!
Call now ! 800-123-7832
TV Ears helps you ______.
| A．improve your sleeping quality |
| B．listen to TV without disturbing others |
| C．change TV channels without difficulty |
| D．become interested in ballgame programs |
What makes TV Ears different from other headsets? ______
| A．It can easily set TV on mute |
| B．Its headset volume is adjustable |
| C．It has a new noise reduction ear tip |
| D．It applies special wireless technology |
This advertisement is made more believable by ______.
| A．using recommendation |
| B．offering reasons for this invention |
| C．providing statistics |
| D．showing the results of experiments |
"Jin's new collection of short stories...shows he could teach some native-born writers a few things about the beauty of spare prose（散文）and the power of a few well-chosen words."
-- USA Today
"Amusing...Realistic...Rarely has China seemed less exotic and more accessible...The stories have the air of fable（寓言）."
--Los Angeles Times
"A vivid picture...of Chinese society in the era just after the Cultural Revolution."
-- Chicago Tribune
"Brilliant...delightful...Ha Jin's customs, ideas and landscapes might be of an Eastern persuasion, but his writing communicates universally. Without being didactic or condescending, these stories often resemble modern fables…”
--Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
"Beautifully understated short stories of life in modern China. Some of them are likely to break your heart."
--People
"A short story collection that offers readers...a dozen ways to enter the changing landscape of modern China...No one has ever captured the collision between the Communist society and the western culture quite like Ha Jin."
--Baton Rouge Magazine"Ha Jin", is probably a _____.
| A．name of a place in China |
| B．name of a writer of ancient China |
| C．name of a writer of modern times |
| D．name of a book |
"Los Angeles Times", "USA Today" and "Star Tribune (Minneapolis)" are the names of_____.
| A．newspapers and magazines |
| B．different places in America |
| C．different organizations that sell books. |
| D．book critics. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The "People" doesn't like the stories because they will break people's heart. |
| B．The "USA Today" suggests that Ha Jin should work as a school teacher. |
| C．Ha Jin's book has many beautiful paintings. |
| D．Ha Jin's book has successfully described a modern China to western readers. |
All the statements can be used to help to_____.
| A．attract more tourists to China |
| B．attract more students to a university |
| C．sell more books of Ha Jin |
| D．sell more copies of Los Angeles Times |
Ben lived in the same house as I did, on the same floor, his door facing mine; we often saw each other, and I knew how he lived when he was at home. And at home it was the same story: dressing-gown, nightcap, closed windows, locked doors, and –‘Oh, I hope nothing bad will happen!’ Vegetarian food is not good for him, yet he could not eat meat, so he ate freshwater fish with butter—not a vegetarian dish, yet one could not say that it was meat. He did not keep a female servant for fear people might think evil of him, but had as cook an old man of sixty, called Alan, who had once been an officer’s servant and could cook after a fashion. This Alan was usually standing at the door with his arms folded; with a deep sigh, he would mutter always the same thing: “there are plenty of them about nowadays!”What is the relationship between Ben and Alan?
| A．Teacher and student. | B．Friends. |
| C．Family. | D．Employer and employee |
Why didn’t Ben keep a female servant?
| A．Because he was afraid of other people’s opinion about him. |
| B．Because he couldn’t afford one. |
| C．Because Alan used to work for an officer. |
| D．Because he could not eat meat. |
What does the underlined word “mutter” probably mean?
| A．To cook after a fashion. | B．To speak very quietly. |
| C．To fold one’s arms. | D．To sigh deeply. |