I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.
What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.
What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.
Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.
Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.. What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?
A.Famous people are selfish to start work for themselves. |
B.Doing meaningful work requires our interest in it. |
C.Interest is the best teacher in learning. |
D.Honesty makes for the greatest people. |
. When you downplay the value of your work, you tend to think it is ______.
A.quite different | B.very successful | C.not meaningful | D.less important |
.According to the passage, what meaningful job does the writer advise us to take?
A.The one which is popular in society. |
B.The one which brings you profits. |
C.The one which wins you fame. |
D.The one which interests you. |
. The article is intended to ________.
A.explain what is the most important in changing one’s job |
B.advise taking an immediate action to find meaningful work |
C.suggest we should show confidence and talent in work |
D.tell us the problem that the author’s client met |
Getting a good education is more important today than ever before. It is the best thing you can do to build a better future for your children and yourself.
Most children in Canada attend public schools. Public schools are completely founded by governments through tax (税收) income. Boys and girls attend the same school and share the same courses and classes. Schooling in Canada is provided in English and in French.
The rest of Canadian children attend private schools,which are supported mainly by fees (费) paid directly by parents. Some private schools enroll (招收) only boys or girls.
By law,children must attend school from age 5 to 16.Children are usually in school between 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.,and 3:00 or 4:00 p.m.Monday through Friday,from September to the middle of June. There are several different levels in the Canadian education system. The first is called Elementary Schools. In most provinces Elementary Schools include Kindergarten through Grade 7 or 8.
From Grade 8 or 9 through 12 or 13,children go to Secondary School or High School. High School students must take certain courses for several years,such as English or French and mathematics. Some courses help students get a job after they graduate from school. Other courses prepare students for college or university. In Canada,teenagers usually make these choices for themselves,with the advice of their teachers,guidance counselor (指导教师) and parents.
Schools usually offer extra activities at the end of the normal school day. These include sports,games,music and clubs.
Most elementary and high schools encourage parents to take part in school activities. Parents' nights are organized from time to time. These are chances for parents to discuss their children's progress with teachers. You may wish to bring a friend with you. After graduating from high school,many young adults continue their studies through postsecondary education.According to the passage,students in Canada can get education for free in ________.
A.private schools | B.universities |
C.public schools | D.community (社区) college |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Most high school students choose their courses against their wills. |
B.The students do their afterclass activities all the afternoon. |
C.Parents are allowed to take part in school activities in the morning. |
D.If you don't send your fiveyearold child to school in Canada—you break the law in Canada. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.There are only boys in some private schools. |
B.There are only boys in some public schools. |
C.There are both boys and girls in some private schools. |
D.There are both boys and girls in all public schools. |
We can tell that from the middle of June to August,the students in Canada are ________.
A.on school holidays |
B.in school |
C.at work |
D.preparing for the final examination |
On October 12,1989,some British scientists were working at the computers to look for the information they needed.Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright points crossing the computer screens.At the same time the computers were working much slower.To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers.To their horror,they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses(病毒)!Clearly all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks.They all had excellent education.They created the viruses just to show their intelligence. These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem Viruses.These viruses can stay in computers for a long time.When the time comes they will attack(袭击)the computers by lowering the functions,damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Friday and that they are spreading(传播)to a lot of computers.Among the countries that were attacked by computer viruses last year are Britain,Australia,Switzerland and the U.S.But till now,how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem.When the viruses attack the computers,the computers will work________.
A.normally | B.slowly | C.faster | D.well |
The group of young men created the viruses to________.
A.damage the computers |
B.test their ability |
C.tell people that they were intelligent |
D.play a trick on users of the computers |
According to the passage,computer viruses seem to ________.
A.have been in nature for years |
B.stay in any computers |
C.be difficult to get rid of at present |
D.be able to be got rid of in the near future |
According to the passage,which of the following is TRUE?
A.Last year six countries found their computers were infected by viruses. |
B.The viruses will come to a new computer after staying in the old one for some time. |
C.Scientists are trying to find a way to get rid of the viruses. |
D.The Jerusalem Viruses are dangerous to human health. |
Having finished her homework,Ma Li wants some music for relaxation(娱乐).As usual,she starts her computer and goes to Baidu.Come to download music files.But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs'copyright bursts onto the screen.The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused of pirating copyright.Lawsuits(诉讼)have been filed against four websites offering free downloads.In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation(赔偿)for their losses.Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website.This caused a heated discussion on Internet file sharing.
“Baidu's defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying.Downloaders may face lawsuits or fines,”said an official.
Like many teens,Huang Ruoru,an 18yearold girl from Puning in Guangdong Province,doesn't think that getting music from websites is wrong.She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends.When told about the lawsuit,she began to feel a little guilty about obtaining others' work without paying.
However,other teenagers have different ideas.Wang Yafei,a Senior 2 girl from Jinan,Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers.“If I download a song and really like it,I will buy the CD,”she said.“So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music,rather than pursuing(追赶,追击)filesharers.”Which of the following best describes the passage?
A.Music on the Internet is of better quality. |
B.Downloading material can be illegal. |
C.It's good to get free music on the Internet. |
D.Baidu is a popular Web company. |
The four Web companies were put to court because ________.
A.they got copyrighted songs without paying |
B.they downloaded copyrighted music for people |
C.they make copyrighted files for free downloads |
D.they offer free music on line |
How do some of the teenagers feel while downloading free music after the lawsuits?
A.A bit guilty. | B.A little sad. |
C.Extremely angry. | D.Awfully sorry. |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob (烤肉串)hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customer especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordably but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to healthconscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill(烤肉架).
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a plan that should not be overlooked.When first entering the restaurant,one can find that it________.
A.is splendidly decorated |
B.has pleasant smells of kabobs |
C.is crowded with dining table |
D.looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
A.Watching news events on TV. |
B.Drinking a kind of black coffee. |
C.Reading local English newspaper. |
D.Discussing world topics in low voices. |
The food of the restaurant_________.
A.is served in small amounts | B.is rather expensive |
C.is rich in variety | D.is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
A.Rice. | B.Chicken. | C.Bread. | D.Beef. |
In the fall of 1985,I was a brighteyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twentyone years later I am later I am still a brighteyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic...and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 8!Our home was a complete zoo...a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college fulltime. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant talking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit.But I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just singleminded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life on one day. It's a process. Remember;little steps add up to big dreams.When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be ________.
A.a writer | B.a teacher | C.a judge | D.a doctor |
Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?
A.She wanted to study by herself. |
B.She fell in love and got married. |
C.She suffered from a serious illness. |
D.She decided to look after her grandma. |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 4 and 5?
A.She was busy yet happy with her family life. |
B.She ignored her guilty feeling for her sons. |
C.She wanted to remain a fulltime housewife. |
D.She was too confused to make a correct choice. |
What does the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A.Failure is the mother of success. |
B.Little by little,one goes far. |
C.Every coin has two sides. |
D.Well begun, half done. |