Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（节拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realised that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.When his wife left home. Brad expected to .
| A．go out for a walk in the park |
| B．watch TV talk show with his children |
| C．enjoy his first day off work |
| D．read the newspaper to his children |
Which of the following did Randy do?
| A．Drawing on the wall | B．Eating apple jam |
| C．Feeding the fish. | D．Reading in a room |
Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?
| A．Because he wanted to clean up his house. |
| B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office |
| C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys home. |
| D．Because he had to take his wife back |
This text is developed .
| A．by space | B．by comparison | C．by process | D．by time |
When us teenager Jake Olson isn’t playing football or golf for his high school, he’s often offering inspiration through his new book about his own life.
These activities might be too much for the average 16-year-old to deal with, but Jake is blind. When people ask him how he can possibly play golf without being able to see the ball, he says he is thankful for his father’s guidance.
It seems apparent that his early experience playing sports as a person with sight and muscle memory— repeating behaviors over and over until they become second nature — have also enabled Jake to hit the ball quite well.
Jake was born with a rare kind of eye cancer that took away the vision from his left eye when he was an infant and eventually his right eye, in 2009, when he was 12 years old. Rather than letting the disease hold him back, Jake used his loss of sight and his faith as sources of motivation .
“If I was going to sit on the couch all day feeling sorry for myself, I wasn’t going to do anything. I decided right then and there that I wasn’t going to let it stop me and that I was going to go out and persevere (坚持不懈),” he said.
It was with that mind-set that the student from Orange Lutheran High School in California was able to write his first book, Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life. “It’s about opening the readers’ eyes to their true potential in life and making sure that they use all the abilities that they have,” Jake said.
Jake’s father, Brian Olson, said the family is impressed with what he has done with his life, including showing people that they can get through hardships. “Your darkest hour can soon become your brightest, and with every setback, there’s a setup,” Jake said. “In every one of us, there’s more potential than we can ever imagine, and it really is a choice.” We can learn from the article that Jake Olson ______.
| A．was born a blind child |
| B．could have been a golf master |
| C．has great muscle memory |
| D．is trying to find the cure for his disease |
According to the article, Jake’s family members ______.
| A．pity him deeply |
| B．once gave up hope on him |
| C．encouraged him to write the book |
| D．admire his efforts and determination |
The purpose of the book Open Your Eyes: 10 Uncommon Lessons to Discover a Happier Life is to ______.
| A．promote good approaches to getting along with disabled people |
| B．inspire people to discover and use their hidden abilities |
| C．help people come up with better life goals |
| D．explain different definitions of “a happier life” |
The underlined word “setback” is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．fight | B．failure | C．opportunity | D．success |
Sure. you know their names, possibly better than you know the name of the street you live on.
When the need comes, these names roll off our tongues like they were our own brothers. I am writing about the famous Webster s Dictionary and Roget s Thesaurus.
Webster s Dictionary. Many people can respond immediately: Noah Webster. We are aware that he is the father of the dictionary. But who was he? What did he do for a living? When did he live?
Noah was born in 1758, graduated from Yale University in 1778. and later graduated from law school He produced the first American dictionary in 1806 and published his influential work An American Dictionary of the English Language in l828. His interests led him to be a lexicographer (词典编纂者). textbook editor, author, Bible translator and spelling reformer. He also produced a large number of writings in medicine, mythology (神话), and the relationship of European and Asian languages. In addition, he .founded the first New York daily newspaper in 1793. He died in 1843.
Roget's Thesaurus. And it gives us The chance to learn about Roget, the man-Peter Mark Roget, And who? What? When?
Englishman Peter Roget, MD, was born in 1779. He studied medicine and mathematics at the University of Edinburgh. He is considered as the creator of the first-ever thesaurus (同义词典). It has been called one of the three most important books ever printed. along with the Bible and Webster s Dictionary. He began his work Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in I 805 but did not publish it until 1852-47 years later. In his lifetime. he became a noted lecturer and writer on anatomy(解剖学 ). geology(地质学).bees，and more . When Roget died in 1869 at age 90. his son, John . took over the Thesaurus arid he gradually expanded it.
So now you know the two famous books. Not enough information? As well-known humourist James Thurber suggested in the title of his 1941 magazine short story about baseball, You Could Look It Up!The author states that "these names roll off our tongues" in order to show that people______.
| A．will learn from the two writers | B．have ignored the two writers |
| C．are familiar with the names | D．know a lot about the two |
According to the text. Noah Webster and Peter Roget are alike because they both______.
| A．had many interests | B．studied medicine |
| C．were professors | D．liked baseball |
The purpose of the last paragraph is to_______.
| A．attract more readers | B．come to a conclusion |
| C．encourage further research | D．provide background information |
Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?
Dealing with conflict in the workplace is rarely easy. Hurt feelings and anger can lead to lower employee morale (士气) as well as a loss of productivity and a poor work environment. As a manager. you should find some ways yourself to solve the conflict. The goal is to build a team-centered workforce.
You can use role-reversal (角色转换) methods to help each employee understand how the other feels. This model works best when there are only two parties involved. You can hold a meeting with annoyed workers in your office. You might say. "Jane, explain to me how you would feel if Nancy went to lunch with your clients (客户 ) without telling you?" Or. "Nancy, how would you respond if Jane came to me with complaints about you, but hadn't tried to talk to you about them first? "
Workers often respond better to praise than criticism. By publicly drawing attention to employees who have healthy work relationships. you can increase the awareness for those who encourage any conflict. Avoid mentioning teams or departments that are being troubled by conflict. Instead. focus on the teams that work well together You might say. "I want to express thanks to the design team for working together to meet the deadline this week," or -Special thanks to the finance department for their teamwork in making sure that the quarterly reports were accurate"
And help your employees see that differences can be good and don't necessarily lead to anger or disagreement This is one of the best ways to settle workplace conflicts. You can meet with employees and try to stress the value of different techniques. This lets all parties know that their own styles can be effective. You might say. " I know you disagree on how to market our services. but when you combine Jim's email marketing with Joe's personal one-on-one phone calls, you can increase sales. The two of you go well together. " Or. "I know you have different styles for interacting with clients. but Sally's take-them-out-for-coffee approach works well together with Ann's formal business meeting style Both are necessary for building relationships and getting work done. "To build a team-centered workforce, employers_________.
| A．should learn to be considerate |
| B．should be divided into two parties |
| C．shouldn't go out with clients alone |
| D．should learn to accept public criticism |
By saying the underlined sentence "I want to express thanks ...this week". the author tries to
| A．differences are not all bad |
| B．role reversals are necessary |
| C．the importance of working together |
| D．the importance of focusing on the positive |
The author's purpose of writing the text is most likely to ________.
| A．inform | B．persuade | C．instruct | D．eutertain |
Here is some news of the future.
March 20. 2035
There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago. They didn't promise that you would live forever. but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years. Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly. the life expectancy for seniors hasn't improved that much. Basically. you have a greater chance to become a senior, but you will not have a much longer lifespan, and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in. So ,do the anti-aging drugs work? Well. it is too early to tell. But the sales so far are very good.
April 19, 2035
Of the total US population of 378 million, people over 65 years of age now make up 20% for the first time. The senior ratio was only 4.1% by year 1900. and l2.4% 30 years ago.
The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages. between 15 and 64. is currently 33.7%. This is up from l85% since year 2005. which means that for every retired person there are now two workers. compared to four workers 30 years ago. The number of people above the age of 80 has grown t0 23.8 million; making them 6.3% of the total population compared t0 3.6% in 2005.
April 12. 2040
Although introduced in the market only five years ago, 10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label, produced through. eletrolysis (电解) based on a source of 1OO% renewable energy. Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro. mainly because of lower tax. which also keeps the price of. Re-Hydro on the same level as regular hydrogen. Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the .dominating fuel in the futureThe sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that .
A. people have no faith in them
B people want to give them a try
C. they work very well for seniors
D. they have no effect on people's healthWhat can we learn from News 2?
| A．Many Americans will find it hard to find a job . |
| B．It's very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80. |
| C．The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005. |
| D．The US population has been aging rapidly since 2005. |
We can know from the passage that the fuel of the Re-Hydro label is______.
A. expensive B cheap C.green D. dangerousWhat can we infer from News 3?
| A．Re-Hydro will be widely used in the future. |
| B．The government discourages the production of Re-Hydro. |
| C．Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro. |
| D．Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen. |
Family traditions were important in our house, and none was more appreciated than the perfect Christmas tree
"Dad, can we watch when you trim（修剪）the tree?" My eldest son. Dan, nine, and his seven -year-old brother John, asked
"I won't be cutting this year," my husband Bob said. "Dan, you and John are old enough to measure things. Do it all by yourselves. Think you boys can handle it?
Dan and John seemed to grow six inches in their chairs at the thought of such an amazing responsibility. "We can handle it." Dan promised. "We won't let you down." .
A few days before Christmas. Dan and John rushed in after school. They gathered the tools they'd need and brought them out to the yard .where the tree waited. I was cooking when I heard the happy sounds as the boys carried the tree into the lying room. Then I heard the sound that every mother knows is trouble: dead silence I hurried out to them. The tree was cut too short. John crossed his arms tight across his chest. His eyes filled with angry tears.
I felt worried The tree was central to our holiday. I didn't want the boys to feel ashamed every tune they looked at it. I couldn't lower the ceiling, and I couldn't raise the floor either. There was no way to undo the damage done. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, which turned the problem into the solution. www..com
“We can't make the tree taller." I said. "But we can put it on a higher position"
Dan nodded his head sideways. "We could put it on the coffee table. It just might work! Let's try it!“
When Bob got home and looked at the big tree on top of the coffee table, Dan and John held their breath.
"What a good idea!" he declared "Why didn't I ever think of such a thing?"
John broke into a grin Dan's chest swelled with pride.Who trimmed the Christmas tree this year?
| A．The writer | B．Bob | C．Dan and John | D．The whole family |
The underlined part "grow six inches" (Para. 4) implies the brothers felt ______.
| A．proud | B．nervous | C．worried | D．scared |
What happened after the brothers moved the Christmas tree into the living room?
A. They rushed into school.
B They began to decorate the tree.
C. They got angry with each other
D. They found the tree was cut shortWhat the writer's husband said in the end showed________.
| A．he expected too much of the brothers_ |
| B．he should not have given the brothers the task to trim the Christmas |
| C．he was too stupid to think of such an idea_ |
| D．he really appreciated what the brothers had done. |