When I started my career in management, I was really green, but I always tried to stay positive on the job. I was working for a new company that was having a difficult time with its customers. Actually, at one point my General Manager told me he liked me and suggested I should start looking for a new job as we were about to lose our only order. Every day we faced people leaving the company, customers complaining, and upper management preparing to close the place.
One night, I went home thinking about the problems. My wife told me to forget about work and see a movie. We went and saw Slumdog Millionaire. Jamal, an eighteen-year-old Indian young man, is from a poor family and becomes rich later. He tries his best to change his position. I realized what we needed to do was to correct the situation.
The next day I called my customers to have a talk. I promised to do my best to solve the problems if they would give us some time. As a result, we were given one month to turn the situation around. This was our only chance to correct the situation. To achieve this, I worked day and night with my team. I can remember working from 6 a. m. and not going home until 2 a. m. the next day.
To make a long story short, we succeeded in solving all of the problems and at the same time increased our productivity(生产率). The customers and management were very happy, and I knew at that moment we had saved our jobs. Actually things went so well that we ended up having our pay doubled.
Through this experience I understand that you can achieve what you desire as long as you work at it and stay positive. The General Manager advised the author to look for a new job mainly because .
| A．he knew the author didn’t want to stay there |
| B．his company was too small to hire so many people |
| C．he believed the author could get more pay that way |
| D．the management was preparing to close the department |
Who caused the author to decide to change his situation?
| A．The hero in a movie. | B．His wife. |
| C．His boss. | D．The customers. |
How long did the author stay in his department every day during that month?
| A．8 hours. | B．15 hours. |
| C．20 hours. | D．24 hours. |
The experience of the author shows that .
| A．if a person does his best and keeps positive, he’ll succeed |
| B．if a person takes advice from others, he’ll make progress |
| C．if a person is clever, he’ll realize his dream sooner or later |
| D．if a person wants to change his fate, he mustn’t change his job |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．My Work Experience |
| B．My First Management Job |
| C．How to Correct Your Situation |
| D．The Importance of Working Hard |
For years, I thought that my mother would become a centenarian（百岁老人）, but after 98 years and eight months, she recently died of old age. As it was with my father, her funeral took place in the most peaceful setting of the countryside of rural Washington County. Even after my father died, we continued to think of our parents as one. They were a team in the traditional sense. Church and family were their lifeline. They worked hard, never complaining. They expected to earn their daily bread by the sweat of their forehead.
Once during a conversation with Tom Brokaw, who wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Generation, I told him, “You left out my parents.” They didn’t go off to war, but they belonged to the Greatest Generation. They, too, were part of the foundation that made American truly great. They kept the home fires burning.
Our mother gloried in being a housewife and mother. Having been a teacher in her early adult years, when education was more than important than anything else, she gave up her job to raise a family. She was an excellent cook, but she had to cook on a wood stove（火炉）. There was no refrigerator, nothing electric. But nobody was ever better at making do（凑合着用）. In addition to all the housework, she went to the fields every day to help produce a crop to pay the rent to provide for the family. She and my dad worked hard to save every penny possible.
They saved every penny to buy a farm late in life. They also saved enough money to live out their respective lives with home care without taking up residency in a nursing home. They were very independent. If you had suggested they accept a government transfer payment, they would have spit in your eye.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Mother played a great part in the family. |
| B．Mother died at the age of 98 years old. |
| C．Mother was buried by the side of father. |
| D．Mother survived father by many years. |
The underlined word “one” in the passage means ________.
| A．parent | B．Centenarian | C．hero | D．entirety |
What do we know about Tom Brokaw?
| A．He is one of the author’s parents’ friends. |
| B．He likes talking with the author’s parents. |
| C．He takes up a position as a writer. |
| D．He is good at managing a home. |
How does the author find his parents?
| A．Brave and hardworking |
| B．Modest and warmhearted |
| C．Economical and independent |
| D．Respective and satisfied |
Plan on traveling around the USA this summer. If you need help in arranging the trip, or want ideas about where to go and what to do, there are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true.
www.byways. org
The National Scenic Byways Program covers l50 memorable roads. Some are natural routes, such as Route l along the California coast. Others focus on history(such as Route 6) or man-made attractions (the Las Vegas Trip). For each, you are provided with a map, told the route’s length and how long is allowed, and given detailed suggestions on sights and stop-offs.
www. oyster. com
This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and resorts. The reviews are impressively thorough--covering locations, rooms, cleanliness, food and so on. Importantly, these are not promotional photos by the hotels, but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors. Search facilities are excellent. From the 243 hotels reviewed in the New York, you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations, facilities and styles, or just pick out a selection of the best.
www. 101usaholidays. co. uk
This is the latest offering that features l01 holiday ideas to the USA. It’s an impressively diverse selection, ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine—tasting trip in California’s Napa Valley. Narrow down what you are looking for--whether by price, region, theme and who will be traveling--and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view. It’s a really clever design.
www. mousesavers. com
Walt Disney World in California can make dreams come true, but the price is not affordable for the majority of people.
So turn to long established Mousesavers. com, dedicated to giving big discounts on tickets, hotels and dining at Walt Disney World. The website also offers general money—saving tips, suggestions for cheap and free stuff and brief coverage of other Florida and California theme parks.If you are going to the USA for the man-made attractions, you can drive along________.
| A．Route l | B．Route 6 |
| C．the Las Vegas Trip | D．the California coast |
Why are the photos of the hotels in US cities and resorts real in www. oyster. com?
| A．Because they were taken by customers who once lived there. |
| B．Because there are comments of customers on each photo. |
| C．Because there are qualifications of the authority. |
| D．Because they are taken by inspectors of the website. |
Travel ideas for a big family with kids and the old are available at .
| A．http://byways. org | B．www. oyster. com |
| C．www. 101 us holidays. co. uk | D．www. mouse savers. com |
Where does the text probably come from?
| A．A news report. |
| B．A tourist brochure. |
| C．A culture journal. |
| D．A health column |
Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I hardly went to bed before midnight, and I would always get up late the next morning.
But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity (效率) was always higher. So I set out to become a habitual early riser. But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep. Eventually some sleep research showed that my strategy was wrong.
The most common wrong strategy is this: supposing you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.
There are two main schools (流派) of thought on sleep patterns. One is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up. However, I have found both are wrong if you care about productivity. If you sleep at fixed hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough. You’re wasting time lying in bed awake.
My solution is to combine both methods. I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time. So I always get up at the same time (in my case 5 a.m.), but I go to bed at different times every night.
However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning are my ways. If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?
| A．Because he / she found that the productivity was higher. |
| B．Because he / she wanted to do morning exercise. |
| C．Because he / she wanted to test which school is better. |
| D．Because he / she wanted to have more sleep time. |
The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．going to bed after midnight |
| B．asking scholars for advice on sleeping habits |
| C．getting up early occasionally |
| D．pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping |
What’s the author’s sleep pattern?
| A．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| B．Going to bed late and getting up late. |
| C．Going to bed when sleepy and getting up at a fixed early time. |
| D．Going to bed early and getting up late. |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．main schools of thought on sleep patterns |
| B．how to have a good sleep |
| C．wrong strategies for getting up early |
| D．how to become an early riser |
Mrs. Bertha Flowers was the aristocrat of Black Stamps. She had the grace of control to appear warm in the coldest weather, and on the Arkansas summer days it seemed she had a private breeze which swirled around, cooling her.
One summer afternoon, she stopped at the store to buy supplies. Another Negro woman of her health and age would have been expected to carry the paper sacks home in one hand, but Momma said, “Sister Flowers, I’ll send Bailey up to your house with these things.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. I’d prefer Marguerite, though.” My name sounded so beautiful when she said it. “I’ve been meaning to talk to her, anyway.” They gave each other age group looks.
There was a little path beside the rocky road, and Mrs. Flowers walked in front swinging her arms and picking her way over the stones.
Without turning her head, she spoke to me, “I hear you’re working very good school work, Marguerite, but that it’s all written. The teachers report that they have trouble getting you to talk in class.” We passed the triangular farm on our left and the path widened to allow us to walk together.
“Now no one is going to make you talk—possibly no one can. But bear in mind, language is man’s way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.” That was a totally new idea to me, and I would need time to think about it.
“Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough. Words mean more than what is set down on paper.”
She said she was going to give me some books and that I not only must read them, I must read them aloud. She suggested that I try to make a sentence sound in as many different ways as possible.
“I’ll accept no excuse if you return a book to me that has been badly handled.” My imagination boggled(退缩) at the punishment I would deserve if in fact I did abuse a book of Mrs. Flowers’.
The odors in the house surprised me. The sweet scent of vanilla(香草) had met us as she opened the door.
“Have a seat, Marguerite. You see, I had planned to invite you for cookies and lemonade so we could have this little chat.” She carried a plate covered with a tea towel.
As I ate she began the first of what we later called “My lesson in living.” She said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and even more intelligent than college professors. She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit. That in those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations.
When I finished the cookies she brought a thick, small book from the bookcase. I had read A Tale of Two Cities and found it up to my standards as a romantic novel. She opened the first page and I heard poetry for the first time in my life.
“It was the best of times and worst of times...”
Her voice slid in and curved down through and over the words. She was nearly singing. I wanted to look at the pages. Were they the same that I had read? Or were there notes, music, lined on the pages? Her sounds began cascading(瀑布般落下) gently. I knew that she was nearing the end of her reading.
“How do you like that?”
It occurred to me that she expected a response. The sweet vanilla flavor was still on my tongue and her reading was a magic to my ears. I had to speak.
I said, “Yes, ma’am.” It was the least I could do, but it was the most also.
“There’s one more thing. Take this book of poems and memorize one for me. Next time you pay me a visit, I want to recite.”
I have often tried hard to search for the enchantment(着迷) I so easily found in those gifts. To be allowed, no, invited, into the private lives of strangers, to share their joys and fears, was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood(苦艾) for a cup of mead(蜂蜜酒) with Beowulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist. When I said aloud, “It is a far, far better thing than anything I have ever done...” tears of love filled my eyes at my selflessness.
I was liked, and what a difference it made, I was respected not as Mr Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just being Marguerite Johnson.What does Mrs. Flowers mean by saying “Words mean more than what is set down on paper” (paragraph 7)?
| A．Besides reading, Marguerite should talk more. |
| B．The content of books may have different meanings. |
| C．How one speaks adds extra meaning to words. |
| D．It is language that distinguishes humans from animals. |
Marguerite’s opinion of A Tale of Two Cities before and after Mrs. Flowers’ reading can be described as _______.
| A．poetic … musical | B．satisfactory … informative |
| C．romantic … dramatic | D．common … extraordinary |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．Mrs. Flowers was born in a noble family. |
| B．The meeting between Mrs. Flowers and Marguerite was probably an intentional arrangement. |
| C．Marguerite hadn’t read poetry before her visit to Mrs. Flowers’ home. |
| D．Mrs. Flowers would recite new poems on Marguerite’s later visits. |
Which can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Power of Language |
| B．A Lesson in Living |
| C．A Respectable Lady |
| D．My Initial Access to Charles Dickens |
Crash. Shatter. Boom. Crash. Shatter. Boom. Smattering of silly dialogue. Pretty girl screams: “Dad!” Crash. Shatter. Boom. Crash. Shatter. Boom. Silly dialogue. “Dad!!!” Crash. Shatter. Boom.
What? Oh, sorry. We were falling into a trance there.
Which is, dear moviegoer, what may happen to you during Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth Transformers film and lasts 165 minutes, which is precariously (危险地) close to the three-hour mark that Bay undoubtedly will reach—by our sophisticated calculations, and at the current growth rate, with his sixth installment(集).
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Despite what you’ve just read, this film will likely be a massive hit because by now, if you’re buying a Transformers ticket, you surely know what you’re getting into, and you want more, more, more. And Bay is the Master of More.
Or just take it from the 11-year-old sitting next to me, who reserved any audible judgment—he, too was in a trance, though maybe from sugar intake—until the moment he saw a Transformer become a dinosaur. Overwhelmed by the pairing, he proclaimed, “That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” It was as if peanut butter and jelly had been tasted together for the first time.
This time, there’s a whole new human cast. Most important, Mark Wahlberg has replaced Shia LaBeouf as well, Main Human Guy.
A significant part of the movie also takes place in China—clearly a nod to the franchise’s huge market in the country.
In any case, we begin in Paris, Texas, where Cade Yeager (Wahlberg), a struggling inventor, is desperatlely seeking a big discovery. He’s also a widowed dad, and super-protective (as the movie constantly reminds us) of his high-school daughter, Tessa (Nicola Peltz, blond and pretty and ineffective, though the one-note script does her no favors).
One day, Cade buys a rusty old truck. Examining it back home, he soon discovers it’s none other than Optimus Prime, the Autobot hero, seriously damaged.
As Cade works on fixing him up, his assistant, witty surfer-dude Lucas, has the dumb idea of calling the authorities. What he doesn’t know is that the government is plotting to destroy all remaining Autobots in favor of a man-made army of Transformers.
So now, it’s evil humans that pitted against the trustworthy Autobots. So much for gratitude. There’s also a subplot involving Tessa and her secret boyfriend, Shane (Jack Reynor, underused), whose Irish accent leads Cade to dismissively call him “Lucky Charms”—at least until the two bond in battle.
The obvious question: Is it too much for its own good? Bay is vey talented at all things visual. The 3-D works well and the robots look great. But the final confrontation (冲突) alone lasts close to an hour. At some point, you may find yourself simply in a daze, unable to absorb any further action into your brain. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
| A．The girl can’t understand the movie she was seeing. |
| B．The girl felt scared about the movie she was seeing. |
| C．The movie the girl was seeing was very thrilling. |
| D．The girl couldn’t find her father. |
What did the author mean by saying “… and you want more, more, more. And Bay is the Master of More.” in paragraph 4?
| A．The audiences are hard to satisfy. |
| B．Bay is good at bring audience massive hit. |
| C．Only Bay knows how to produce massive hit. |
| D．By knows about the audience’s mind. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The audiences don’t like the final confrontation. |
| B．The disadvantages of Transformers 4 are more obvious than advantages. |
| C．Putting into too much what the director is skilled at causes negative effect. |
| D．The director Bay only focuses on the 3-D works. |
The tone of the passage as a whole can be described as ________?
| A．serious | B．ironic | C．scholarly | D．light-hearted |