We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects （缺陷） that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 36 !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe 37 .
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 38 for years—often from 39 childhood. These stories may have no 40 in fact. But they can set low expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical （操作机械的） skills, and you will never have any mechanical ski
lls for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations 41 my development? I was never 42 to work on cars or be around 43 . When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!
Six years later, 44 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree. One of my professors, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do. On the positive side, I 45 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the 46 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”
Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life 47 and told him about my 48 performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “ 49 is it that you can solve 50 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 51 from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 52 . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 53 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true. 54 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 55 we choose.
A．away B．down C．up D．off
A．yourself B．myself C．them D．others
A．said B．repeated C．spread D．spoken
A．as long as B．as much as C．as well as D．as far back as
A．cause B．plot C．basis D．meaning
A．affect B．improve C．lead D．change
A．means B．hammers C．facilities D．tools
A．therefore B．however C．instead D．somehow
A．took B．turned C．settled D．got
A．negative B．active D．subjective
A．roads B．trips D．paths
A．unexpected B．average C．excellent D．poor
A．When B．Why C．How D．What
A．common B．advanced C．complex D．primary
A．suffer B．separate C．arise D．come
A．adopt B．suspect C．believe D．receive
A．weakening B．accepting C．abandoning D．strengthening
A．As a result B．On the contrary C．In addition D．At the same time
A．nothing B．something C．anything D．all
Growing up in my Grandma’s house as a boy was an experience that would shape me for the rest of my life. We were poor in everything but . yet I learned so much about life there. My Mom, Dad, Grandma, two , and I were all into a home made from two old shabby cars. I always knew what my next would look like because I had seen my older brother them the year before, I always knew what we were going to be in winter, because I had it in the garden during the summer. , I never felt poor. No king ever ate as good as we did on Sundays after church when Grandma her homemade meatballs, spaghetti（意大利式细面条）and freshly baked bread.
we had so little I can still remember Dad, Mom, and Grandma giving so much. We were always with others. Everyone who our family could expect a of spaghetti, or a jar of vegetables, or a flower pot full of fresh flowers. I can still remember my parents’ eyes whenever they passed something on to others. We never felt than when we shared what we were given. I learned early that the greatest joy comes from giving getting. Giving makes your spirit greater.
Don’t be afraid to what you have to others. Share everything you have. If you have a beautiful , then smile at whoever you come across. If you have a few extra dollars, then give them to the people in need. If you have a talent, then share it with others. If you have a heart full of love, then give it to everyone. No life ever truly lives it becomes a gift, so make your whole life a gift to the world.
A．spirit B．education C．wealth D．health
A．nephews B．brothers C．sisters D．cousins
A．divided B．admitted C．locked D．crowded
A．food B．room C．glasses D．clothes
A．choosing B．cutting C．wearing D．cleaning
A．doing B．eating C．1earning D．giving
A．developed B．planted C．polluted D．poisoned
A．Meanwhile B．Therefore C．Besides D．However
A．cooked B．earned C．washed D．sold
A．Unless B．Since C．When D．Although
A．chatting B．communicating C．sharing D．exchanging
A．visited B．warned C．supposed D．saved
A．basket B．cup C．spoon D．plate
A．opened B．shone C．hurt D．glanced
A．freer B．calmer C．happier D．poorer
A．less than B．fewer than C．other than D．rather than
A．take up B．pick up C．pass on D．give in
A．face B．smile C．band D．figure
A．convenient B．contemporary C．vital D．special
A．until B．after C．because D．If
Karen, Judy and I were the last ones back in the school room after lunch and all of the other sixth graders were already playing outside.
“Wow! How it would be to write on the blackboard while everyone is . ” Judy said.
“But Mrs. Eiffler doesn't want us writing on the ,” I responded.
“Janet, everyone is outside. No one will ever know, ” said Karen, reaching into box and drawing out a piece of . Judy also began drawing.
I reluctantly (勉强地）joined my friends, but afraid of being . Then Judy had all idea. “We’re all right-handed. Let’s see who can write their best using their left hand. ”
Judy and Karen started . I chose a piece of white chalk from the box and wrote my name.
“We’d better get this board cleaned off Mrs. Eiffier comes back, ”said Judy, but I found it wasn’t chalk at all, but a white crayon（蜡笔）! At last, Karen got a knife and scraped it. It finally, but we left an abrasion (磨损处) on the blackboard.
Mrs. Eiffler never asked about the abrasion but I always remember the lesson. “No one will ever know” is never . Even if no one else found out, I myself knew.
A．useful B．fun C．stupid D．necessary
A．asleep B．worried C．outside D．lucky
A．blackboard B．book C．desk D．floor
A．bread B．wood C．paper D．chalk
A．followed B．praised C．caught D．affected
A．address B．class C．name D．dream
A．writing B．singing C．shouting D．reading
A．until B．before C．unless D．since
A．broke down B．took off C．came off D．slowed down
A．true B．typical C．important D．Different
I was working as a consultant(顾问) in a beer company, helping the president and senior vice-presidents with something important. It was a big . At the same time, my mother was in the stages of cancer.
I worked during the day and 40 miles home to be with her every night. It was and stressful, but it was what I wanted to do. My promise was to continue to do excellent consulting during the day, my evenings were very hard. I didn’t want to the president with my situation. I felt someone at the company wanted to what was going on. So I told the vice-president of Hunan Resources, asking him not to the information with anyone.
A few days , the president called me into his office. I he wanted to talk to me about one of the many issues we were on. When I entered, he asked me to sit down. He faced me from across his large , looked me in the eye and said, “I your mother is very ill.”
I was totally by surprise and burst into tears. He just looked at me, let my subside(平息)，and then he said a sentence I will never forget: “Whatever you need.” That was it. His and willingness to both let me be in my pain and to offer me were qualities of compassion(同情) that I with me to this day.
A．honour B．success C．challenge D．task
A．previous B．final C．fine D．developing
A．walked B．rode C．ran D．drove
A．tiring B．exciting C．boring D．frightening
A．as if B．after all C．even though D．now that
A．help B．puzzle C．cheat D．bother
A．or B．yet C．and D．so
A．know B．realize C．hear D．announce
A．enjoy B．learn C．share D．hide
A．after B．ago C．before D．later
A．knew B．figured C．doubted D．found
A．working B．getting C．living D．going
A．room B．office C．desk D．computer
A．guess B．hear C．believe D．think
A．hit B．got C．made D．caught
A．crying B．explaining C．talking D．worrying
A．suddenly B．sadly C．gently D．carefully
A．happiness B．understanding C．excitement D．sadness
A．everything B．anything C．nothing D．something
A．take B．bring C．help D．carry
It was a typical Wednesday. My wife and I were speaking in a nursing home (疗养院) about our successful recoveries from our heart attacks. Afterwards, one of the other residents(住院病人), Miriam, asked if we had a few minutes to talk.
“I’ve always thought that to be I need three things: someone to , something to do and something to look forward to,” she said. “I’ve got people here to love, and the activities to me as busy as I want, but I don’t have anything I’m looking forward to. Do you have any ?”
“What did you look forward to before you came here?” we asked.
“Oh, I used to love to laugh with others,” Miriam said.
“What did you about?” we asked.
“Everything I could see, hear, feel, taste or smell,” she said with a smile.
At that very moment, we got the idea to start our . We began looking for humor, and we used all of our .We started with a teabag with the : You are like this teabag… only in hot water do you realize how strong you are.
We continued and found cartoons and videos filled with humor. People brought us stickers, books, games and magazines. We together humor baskets with books, tapes, greeting cards and toys for children of all ages.
Of course, we a humor basket for Miriam, the woman who had us on this project – “Search for a Smile and Share it”. She told us that the of her day was sharing the of her basket with everyone she saw.
The project was so that other facilities heard of it and made special . One nursing home asked us to make a humor cart, like a shopping cart. Volunteers this down the hallways, sharing smiles and laughs with . Still another nursing home requested that we a humor room, complete with a projector showing fun videos.
What started as a simple gesture to one elderly woman turned into a lifetime project.
A．busy B．happy C．rich D．healthy
A．love B．meet C．visit D．respect
A．lead B．find C．keep D．encourage
A．ways B．opinions C．plans D．ideas
A．talk B．worry C．complain D．laugh
A．procedure B．project C．research D．preparation
A．efforts B．senses C．tools D．families
A．message B．letter C．cover D．sign
A．explaining B．searching C．exploring D．researching
A．got B．came C．joined D．put
A．paid B．made C．filled D．applied
A．started B．chosen C．persuaded D．turned
A．highlight(精彩) B．satisfaction C．project D．appointment
A．designs B．foods C．books D．contents
A．touching B．successful C．interesting D．respectful
A．gifts B．donations C．requests D．arrangements
A．walk B．push C．fix D．perform
A．nurses B．workers C．residents D．children
A．design B．organize C．decorate D．offer
A．save B．help C．thank D．satisfy
A wise gentleman retired and bought a modest home near junior high school. He the first few weeks of his retirement peace and satisfaction. Then a new school year began.The very next afternoon three young boys, full of youthful, after-school enthusiasm, came down his ，beating happily on every trash can they ．The noise continued day after day, finally the wise old man decided it was time to take some .
The next afternoon, he walked out to the young boys as they banged their way down the street. them, he said, " kids are a lot of fun. I like to see you your happiness like that. I used to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I'll give you each a dollar if you'll promise to come around every day and do your thing，
The kids were and continued to do their job on the trash cans. After a few days, the old man greeted the kids again, this time he had a sad smile on his face. "I lost a lot of money in the stock market," he told them. " , I'll only be able to pay you 50 cents to beat on the cans." The troublemakers were displeased, but they did accept his offer and continued the afternoon
A few days later, the old man approached them again as they went their way down the street. "Look," he said, "I haven’t received my Social Security check yet, I'm not going to be able to give you more than 25 cents. Will that be okay?"
"A quarter?” the leader exclaimed．"If you think we are going to our time beating these cans around a quarter, you are crazy！No way，mister. We quit！"And the old man enjoyed for the rest of his days.
A．the B．a C．an D．/
A．spent B．took C．paid D．cost
A．for B．with C．in D．at
A．house B．street C．way D．school
A．made B．found C．knew D．met
A．until B．when C．since D．because
A．methods B．time C．action D．place
A．hear B．meet C．notice D．please
A．Inviting B．Calling C．Visiting D．Stopping
A．Your B．You C．Yours D．My
A．express B．use C．produce D．like
A．surprised B．excited C．interested D．satisfied
A．but B．just C．thus D．as
A．From now on B．Since then C．In the meantime D．In no time
A．merely B．obviously C．hardly D．eventually
A．shouting B．sound C．voice D．noise
A．instead B．also C．now D．so
A．use B．find C．waste D．take
A．in B．for C．within D．on
A．peace B．noise C．happiness D．suffering