When I was a child I never said, "When I grow up, I want to be a CEO," but here I am. When I look back on my career, I realize the road to becoming a CEO isn't a straight, clear path. In fact, no two paths are the same. But whether you want to be a boss one day or not, there's a lot to learn from how leaders rise to the top of successful companies.
As this series of stories shows, the paths to becoming a CEO may be different, but the people in that position(位置) share the qualities of commitment（义务）, work ethic（道德） and a strong desire for building something new. And every CEO take risks along the way—putting your life savings on the line to start a software company or leaving a big business to be one of the first employees at a startup.
I grew up in Minnesota, and learned how to be an entrepreneur（企业家）from my father, who has run a small business for almost 30 years. I went to Georgetown University and tried a lot of business activities in college with success. And I always had a dream job pattern(模式): to walk to work, work for myself and build something for consumers(顾客).
I'm only 29, so it's been a quick ride to CEO. Out of college, I worked for AOL as a product manager, then moved to Revolution Health and ran the consumer product team. In mid-2007 I left Revolution Health and started LivingSocial with several other workmates, where I became a CEO.
Career advice: Don't figure out where you want to work, or even what industry you'd like to work at. Figure out what makes you do so. What gives you a really big rush? Answer why you like things, not what you like doing. . . and then apply it to your work life. Also, just because you're graduating, don't stop learning. Read more books than you did in college. If you do, and they're not, you're really well-positioned to succeed in whatever you do. What can we know from the first paragraph?
| A．The writer hasn't achieved his childhood ambition. |
| B．The writer thinks there is some easy way to become a CEO. |
| C．The writer had an ambition of becoming a CEO in his childhood. |
| D．The writer believes success stories of CEOs can be beneficial(有益的) to everybody. |
According to the writer, successful CEOs should _____.
| A．try not to take risks | B．stay in the same business |
| C．have a strong sense of creativity | D．save every possible penny |
What can we know about the writer from the passage?
| A．He started LivingSocial when he was still a student of Georgetown University. |
| B．He used to run the consumer product team for AOL. |
| C．His business activities at college ended up in more failure than success. |
| D．His father had far-reaching influence on him. |
What does the underlined phrase “figure out” mean? ______.
| A．断定 | B．弄清 | C．理解 | D．领会 |
Which of the following proverbs may the writer agree with according to the last paragraph?
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Everything comes to him who waits. |
| C．Time and tide wait for no man. |
| D．One is never too old to learn. |
B
You probably know you should say “please” and “thank you” at restaurants. You probably know the rules of a library. You know you should respect and be nice to your classmates. But do you have music manners?
Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can’t hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. No one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears. So even if you are alone when listening to our MP3 players, you shouldn’t turn it up too high.
Take Them Off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 off and put it away. Libraries, and schools don’t allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don’t have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to listen on your MP3 player at event. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.
Take One Out! Once in a while it’s okay just to take out one earphone（耳机）and not the other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone and it’s not for you.The underlined word “volume” in Paragraph Two probably means “_______”
| A．the type of music |
| B．the amount of a sound |
| C．the length of a song |
| D．the colour of an MP3 player |
If we listen to our MP3 player at a play, ________.
| A．the theatre won’t allow it |
| B．the actors will get angry |
| C．others won’t hear the play well |
| D．we will miss part of the play |
It’s all right to use our MP3 player in __________.
| A．school | B．libraries |
| C．restaurants | D．museums |
What can be the best title of this passage? _________________
| A．Music lovers | B．Music manners |
| C．MP3 players | D．MP3 earphones |
A
The price of rice changes during the year.
It is useful for rice farmers to know how the price changes, then they can sell their rice when the price is high. But it was hard for farmers to guess how the price would change from month to month.
Last year, the price of rice was very low in November. This was a bad time for farmers to sell their rice. November, December, and January were all bad months. The best month for farmers to sell rice last year was April. July and August were also good times to sell rice.
Between August and November, the price of rice were down every month. During other parts of the year, the price went up and down.
The price of rice was the highest in________ last year.
| A．January | B．April |
| C．July | D．November |
The price of rice was the same in_________.
| A．April and May | B．February and December |
| C．July and August | D．March and September |
Which might be the best title of the reading?
| A．Farmers and Rice | B．Buying and Selling Rice |
| C．High Price of Rice | D．Changes in Price of Rice |
C
People began to make robots about several hundred years ago. In the past, some of the early ones looked like animals or humans. However, they couldn’t talk and were pretty dumb. They worked like clocks and did the same things over and over again.
Now modern robots don’t always look like people. Some are like big machines; others are nothing but long arms attached to boxy(箱子般四四方方的)bodies. However, modern robots are smart. Some can solve problems on their own. Their brains are computers and their eyes are sensors(传感器). Motors(发动机)help them move.
In the future, robots will learn from their mistakes more than they do now. They will be smarter. It’s possible that we will have robot judges, robot household workers, and robot factory workers. Robots will help people to do more things.How long is the history of robots?
| A．Hundreds of years. | B．Several hundred years. |
| C．Seven hundred years. | D．A hundred year. |
What’s the possible meaning of dumb?
| A．Talking like people. | B．Clever. |
| C．Unintelligent (迟钝). | D．Cute. |
Most robots look like people ______ .
| A．in the past | B．clever |
| C．in the future | D．all the time |
Which of the following is NOT true about modern robots?
| A．Some robots can solve problems on their own. |
| B．Some robots are like big machines. |
| C．Modern robots are smart. |
| D．Some robots’ brains are sensors. |
What can’t robots do in the future according to the passage?
| A．They can help people do housework. |
| B．They can work as judges. |
| C．They can work in the factory. |
| D．They can have brains as people. |
B
A young man is lying in hospital sadly. The 24-year-old lost his right leg. The doctor said that his long history of smoking was the reason. “I first smoked when I was 14. It made me feel like a man and I thought it looked cool. Now I know I was wrong,” said the young man.
It is a mistake many young people make. According to the survey, 40 million of China’s 130 million young people aged between 13 and 18 smoke. Fifteen million of them are addicted (上瘾的). The survey also found that about 68% of young smokers first smoked before the age of 13.
Many young people see people smoke in the movies, but in real life, stars like Jackie Chan think smoking is a bad thing and not cool at all.
Doctors say that if a person starts smoking very young, he or she may live 22 years less than those who don’t smoke.How long did the young man smoke?
| A．For 10 years. | B．For 13 years. |
| C．For 14 years. | D．For 18 years. |
What did the young man think of smoking when he first smoked?
| A．It was wrong. | B．It was bad. |
| C．It was boring. | D．It was cool. |
What does the underlined word “it” refer to (指的是)?
| A．Smoking. | B．Getting ill. |
| C．Lying in hospital. | D．Stopping smoking. |
The number of young people who smoke in China is ____ million.
| A．15 | B．40 | C．68 | D．130 |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Many stars think smoking is cool. |
| B．People who smoke can only live to be 22. |
| C．It’s a big problem that many young people smoke. |
| D．Many young smokers first smoked before the age of 10. |
A
| Sunny English Club For students |
| 16:00 – 18:00 Every Saturday 200 Yuan a month 9 Zhou Yu Street Tel: 3785290 Foreign teachers, English songs and films and more! |
| Ocean Museum 9:00—17:00 From Thursday to Sunday Ticket: 50 yuan 132 Xue Yuan Street Tel: 5439871 Show you a full picture of sea lives! |
| Health Centre 9:00—17:30 16 Yong Le Street Tel: 3801451 Free examinations for those over 70. Give you good advice to keep healthy! |
Sunny English Club is for _______.
| A．nurses | B．policemen |
| C．businessmen | D．students |
You will pay ________ if you want to stay in the English club for half a year.
| A．300 yuan | B．600 yuan |
| C．1200 yuan | D．2400 yuan |
You can visit Ocean Museum ________.
| A．on Saturday | B．on Wednesday |
| C．on Monday | D．anytime |
One can get free exams in Health Centre if he is ________.
| A．9 | B．17 | C．67 | D．73 |
If you are interested in the life of fish, you should go to________.
| A．Health Centre | B．Ocean Museum |
| C．Sunny English Club | D．16 Yong Le Street |