We may have hosted some difficult house guests once or on even more occasions. Are you still worrying about how to deal with them? Here below are some tips on how to deal with those difficult house guests.
You’ve been waiting an hour to eat breakfast but your guests are still sleeping.
“Unless you adjusted a time for breakfast the evening before, let your guests sleep-in and enjoy your breakfast without them. If possible, keep their breakfast warm. Or better yet, when entertaining it’s always a good idea to have cold breakfast (as well as lunch, dinner and snack) food on-hand.”
——Pamela Eyring，president and director of The Protocol School of Washington
Your guest’s teenage son is a Facebook addict and hogs your computer all day long.
“If you have a guest whose fingers are fixated to your keyboard, kindly let him know that you are expecting work email and give him enough time to finish using it.”
——Ummu Bradley Thomas, founder of the Freddie Bell Jones Modeling and Finishing School, Inc.
Your couch surfing, unemployed nephew has been here a month and is showing no sign of leaving.
“There is nothing wrong with saying ‘John, you have been here a month and have not put in any applications. What can I do to help you get your resume together? I would like to make a plan that will assist you in getting back on your feet and allow me to eventually have my extra room back for guests that will soon be arriving.’”
——Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas
Your guests expect you to accompany them to every single tourist attraction in your city. It’s tiring and expensive.
“If your guests didn’t offer to treat you, politely decline and offer to meet them afterwards for dinner or drinks. That way they know you enjoy their company.”
——Pamela Eyring, president and director of The Protocol School of Washington
You gave your friend a closet shelf for her stuff but her clothes are thrown all over the place.
“You should simply say ‘I am happy to have you use my closet but your clothes seem to have a mind of their own. Would you mind keeping your clothes on the top shelf? It would make it easier for me to find my things when I am in a rush and looking for them. Thank you.’”
——Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of TexasAccording to Ummu Bradley Thomas, which of the following is the best way to deal with the guests?
| A．Kindly explaining to him you need to use the computer. |
| B．Politely asking him to stop using the computer at once. |
| C．Introducing other toys to him to play with. |
| D．Simply letting him keep using the computer as he likes. |
The passage gives the following tips EXCEPT that _______.
| A．declining the guests’ requests if you hate to accompany them everywhere |
| B．reminding them to keep their clothes on the top shelf |
| C．trying to offer at least one dish based on his or her preferences |
| D．keeping their breakfast warm or having cold breakfast food on-hand |
Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
| A．How to Entertain Your Guests |
| B．How to Keep Good Personal Relations |
| C．How to Find the Best Solution |
| D．How to Deal with Difficult House Guests |
In which section of a magazine can we most probably see this passage?
| A．Science | B．Society | C．Economy | D．Education |
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D. (医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
| A．She made Teddy feel ashamed. |
| B．She asked the children to play with Teddy. |
| C．She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row. |
| D．She told the class something untrue about herself. |
What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
| A．He often told lies. |
| B．He was good at math. |
| C．He needed motherly care. |
| D．He enjoyed playing with others. |
In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
| A．She taught fewer school subjects. |
| B．She became stricter with her students. |
| C．She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
| D．She cared more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
| A．She had kept in touch with him. |
| B．She had given him encouragement. |
| C．She had sent him Christmas presents. |
| D．She had taught him how to judge people. |
Most American students have to say goodbye to fancy (高档的) fruits these days. In school restaurants across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their place.
“People are afraid to spend now.” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They don’t know what the future will bring”. During the financial crisis (金融危机), several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close. This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive things.
The crisis began last year. Experts (专家) think it was because US banks lend money too easily. Last year a lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders (国界), the whole world was in trouble.
This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But no one is sure whether it will help or not. Last week presidents from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. This passage is probably taken from ___________.
| A．a story book | B．a novel | C．a newspaper | D．an advertisement |
Why are people in the US afraid to spend?
| A．Because they think it’s unnecessary |
| B．Because they don’t have the habit of spending money |
| C．Because they worry about their future |
| D．Because they don’t have any money |
From the passage, we still don’t know ________.
| A．when the financial crisis began |
| B．when the financial crisis will end |
| C．why some of the US banks closed |
| D．whether the crisis has spread to other countries |
The best title for the passage is ___________.
| A．Ways to Save Money |
| B．Financial Crisis facing the World |
| C．Banks in the USA |
| D．The USA Becoming Poor |
If you exhibit positive characteristics such as honesty and helpfulness, the chances are that you will be thought as a good-looking person, for a new study has found that the perception （认知） of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality．
The study, which was led by Gary W．Lewandowski, has found that people who exhibit negative characteristics, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers．In the study, the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information about their personalities．
After personality information was received, participants also rated the probability of each individual' s becoming a friend and a dating partner．Information on personality was found to significantly change the probability, showing that cognitive （认知的） processes modify （修改） judgments of attractiveness．
"Thinking a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind," said Lewandowski．
The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater expectation of becoming friends, which leads to greater expectation of becoming romantic partners and, finally, to being viewed as more physically attractive．The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was formerly thought to be or of the participants' current relationship status．
"This research provides a positive outcome by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good-looking you are," said Lewandowski．In the study the participants were required to _____．
| A．try to make friends with each other |
| B．try to prove positive characters make people more attractive |
| C．exhibit negative characters such as unfairness and rudeness |
| D．rate one's attractiveness by photos before and after knowing her or his personality |
What's the CORRECT order of how cognitive processes modify judgments of attractiveness?
a．find a person with a positive personality
b．view the person more physically attractive
c．want to make friends with the person
d．want to be his/ her romantic partner
| A．a→c→d→b | B．d→c→b→a | C．c→b→a→d | D．a→d→c→b |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．The research reminds people to pay more attention to the personality． |
| B．Personality can change people's impressions of one's appearance． |
| C．The judgment of one's attractiveness always stays unchanged． |
| D．Positive personality may lead to more friends． |
The passage is written in a（n） _____ tone．
| A．subjective | B．objective | C．sceptical | D．negative |
Who are the intended readers of this passage?
| A．People with positive characteristics． |
| B．Good-looking people． |
| C．People with negative characteristics． |
| D．General people． |
Poetry Writing Classes Online
Consider it the caviar （鱼子酱） of literature: tiny eggs with wonderful taste． Poetry has inspired the human soul for thousands of years and there are those who still treasure its magnificence．If you hear mermaids singing or feel the wind or see the sun rising in ribbons then you are one of these happy few．Excellence in poetry is mysterious, but a quest（探索） worth pursuing．In our courses, you will learn to control sound, structure, line, word, theme etc．into well-crafted poems and you will improve your precision by experimenting with various time-honored forms．You will also learn how and where to market your work．
Level I
Poetry Writing 10-Week Workshop
Using a balance of lecture, exercise, and comment on work from the instructor and classmates, this course gives students a firm grounding in all the basics of poetry writing．
·Write two-six poems
·Lectures on basics of poetry craft
·Writing exercises
·Present work for critique （评论）（two times）
PoetryI is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals．
Online Classes
Registration Fee: $25．
Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365．
Each class strictly limited to 16 students, aged 18 and up
·You can still enroll in this class!
Advanced
Poetry Writing 10-Week Workshop
Focusing on developing projects and receiving comment from the instructor and classmates, this course helps students sharpen their skills and work toward completion of publishable work．Begin or refine two-six poems．
·Lectures that expand on basics of poetry craft
·Writing exercises
·Present work for in-depth critique （two times）
Online Classes
Registration Fee; $ 25．
Tuition: $395．Returning Students $365．
Each class strictly limited to 14 students, aged 18 and up．
·You can still enroll in this class!You learn the following on Poetry Writing Classes Online EXCEPT _____
| A．where you can sell your poems |
| B．why it's worth seeking excellence in poetry |
| C．how to write a well-crafted poem |
| D．how to sharpen your skills in poetry |
If you rejoin the online poetry writing classes, you should pay _____．
| A．$390 | B．$410 | C．$395 | D．$365 |
If you are a beginner, you can start the courses from _____．
| A．July 14 | B．Aug 14 | C．July 6 | D．Oct 6 |
In Advanced Poetry Writing Class, you are asked to _____.
| A．lay steady foundations for the basis of poetry writing |
| B．hand in your poems getting ready for publication |
| C．make comments on the work of your classmates |
| D．give some lectures on basics of poetry craft |
The passage is most probably from a _____．
| A．newspaper advertisement | B．book review |
| C．scientific magazine | D．news report |
Bali is an Indonesia island that is rich in indigenous （本土的） culture．A lot of people say that Balinese culture is unique and that the people of Bali have always been contented with the "now"．If you ask a Balinese person what heaven is like, the probable answer will be "just like Bali"．This only goes to show that most Balinese people are happy to be where they are and never worry．
One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali．In the Balinese culture, support is always available．Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex．
Balinese culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma"．This religion reached the island during the eleventh century．Most of the family customs and
traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this．The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia．
In spite of the fact that tourists flood to the island every year, Balinese people have managed to conserve their culture．Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another．Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have inclinations （爱好） either to music, dance, painting, and decor．
Another remarkable mark of the Balinese culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya．This marks the different stages of Balinese life．Cremation （火葬） is very popular on this island—and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and colorful event for the Balinese．What do we know about Balinese according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．They lead a very relaxing but unwealthy life． |
| B．They live in large families and are close to each other． |
| C．Their family members are distributed in different places． |
| D．Their extended families live too close together to get along well． |
Bali is distinguished from the rest of Indonesia by _____．
| A．people's tight family relationship |
| B．the family customs and traditions |
| C．people's great affection for religion |
| D．the influence of Hinduism on their culture |
The underlined word "conserve" in Para．4 can be best replaced by "_____"．
| A．preserve | B．spread | C．form | D．expand |
When a person dies in Bali, it is a common practice to _____．
| A．express deep sorrow at his death |
| B．celebrate the death like a great event |
| C．sing and dance joyfully in his honor |
| D．remember what he did in his lifetime |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Balinese religion． | B．The lifestyle of Balinese． |
| C．Balinese culture． | D．The tourism in Bali． |