I knew I could sing but I had to prove it. I don’t care what life gives me; I’ll it. It was my ninth time in front of a music executive to try to get a record deal. The first eight interviews had cold refusals.
When I found out the was at 6 a.m., I went a little crazy, for I had to get up very early in order to get to the audition (试唱) room on time. This audition was at the office of Sony Music’s president, John Grady. to sing songs for a man behind a desk, I was . It’s very hard to let someone whether you’re worthy of a commercial career in 10 minutes. But, in this business, it was something I had to do.
I grew up in a rural area. farming, there wasn’t much of a local economy. If one wanted new horizons, he had to learn a(n) that could take him out of there. That’s how I my singing. I took up singing at an early age. When I was 15, I made money from singing. That was a huge for me.
It was in the middle of my singing that John Grady didn’t appear at all. About halfway through, I saw him write something down. From where I stood, I could see him write the letter 'n’,
by the letter 'o’. I guessed he didn’t me.
As we said good-bye, Grady gave me a . Though my hands were , I found the to read the note. It didn’t say, "No." It said, "Now." Just then, I knew that my of becoming a professional musician was starting to come true.
A．handle B．operate C．encounter D．recall
A．recognizing B．accessing C．appearing D．Approaching
A．resulted from B．ended with C．turned down D．made up
A．appointment B．information C．reply D．competition
A．particular B．simple C．regretful D．amusing
A．Permitting B．Failing C．Welcoming D．Waiting
A．excited B．nervous C．hopeful D．helpless
A．finish B．judge C．solve D．persuade
A．Apart from B．Free from C．Absent from D．Far from
A．experience B．profession C．skill D．trick
A．viewed B．questioned C．required D．practiced
A．progress B．process C．stop D．step
A．interested B．embarrassed C．amazed D．puzzled
A．angrily B．clearly C．straightly D．hardly
A．proved B．supported C．hidden D．followed
A．appreciate B．understand C．trust D．refuse
A．record B．note C．chance D．promise
A．waving B．removing C．shaking D．Moving
A．courage B．patience C．imagination D．determination
A．plan B．dream C．preference D．tendency
Perhaps what we like most about the successful man who has a sense of humor is that he doesn't seem to take himself too36 . The average person expects the man in a powerful 37 to be too vain and self-centered. “Walt Dizzy is just a plain, ordinary guy. It's absolutely amazing,” Harvey tells his friends, “He's really not different from any one of us. Boy, I'll tell you, success didn't spoil him.” 38 it was Walt Dizzy's aptitude for making the people around him feel39 that relaxed everyone who met him and gave people the impression that he’s “one of the boys’’.
It's always a surprise and a 40 when people discover that successful individuals are basically not different from anyone else. The majority of people 41 highly successful men and women to be very solemn and earnest because they 42 such big decisions. An executive who has a relaxed 43 and good sense of humor leaves a favorable impression. You've undoubtedly often heard someone say,44 discussing one of these tycoons(大人物), “I can identify with him.” The party who makes the remark has absolutely 45in common with the tycoons, but the 46 atmosphere, not the man himself, becomes the means of identification.
Greeting someone47 whom you are about to do business with a warm smile is the best way to introduce yourself. People can't48 immediately liking such an individual. He seems humble, and they're impressed with his informal manner. They notice his “human side,” and he 49 them over at once. People want to cooperate with this kind of man. A 50 first meeting sets the stage beautifully for the formal discussions.
On the other hand, there's the humorless, dull type who turns you completely 51 .Stanley Shtick, president of a large food company, is a good 52 . “He is the coldest fish I’ve 53 met,” says Zelda Zoftik, “You would think he was the King of England, the way he acts,” she 54 . “The longer it is before I meet with him again, the 55.”
A．seriously B．highly C．easily D．simply
A．situation B．position C．location D．tradition
A．Actually B．Eventually C．Gradually D．Naturally
A．nervous B．conscious C．comfortable D．reliable
A．pressure B．pleasure C．relief D．shock
A．expect B．want C．hope D．think
A．do B．make C．take D．carry
A．figure B．smile C．personality D．shape
A．when B．if C．though D．since
A．something B．nothing C．anything D．everything
A．excited B．relaxed C．interested D．embarrassed
A．for B．with C．through D．to
A．help B．control C．stand D．risk
A．wins B．gets C．beats D．captures
A．energetic B．regular C．friendly D．normal
A．on B．down C．over D．off
A．idea B．example C．friend D．person
A．ever B．seldom C．never D．often
A．explains B．suggests C．complains D．praises
A．more B．closer C．better D．worse
There was a time when I thought my dad didn’t know a thing about being a good father. I couldn’t 36 him ever saying the words “I love you.” It seems to me his only purpose in life was to say “ 37 ” to anywhere I wanted to go and anything I wanted to do, including getting a 38 . Some parents bought their kids cars when they got their driver’s licenses. Not my dad ---- he said that I’d have to get a job and buy my own.
So that is what I did. I got a job at a very nice restaurant and39 every penny I could and 40 I had enough to buy my car, I did! The day I brought that car home, my dad was the first one I wanted to 41 to. “Look, dad, a car of my own. If you ever want a ride, I’ll only 42 you five dollars.” I offered with a smile.
“I see,” was all he said.
One day, there was something wrong with my father’s truck. So he needed a 43 to work. The sun wasn’t even up when we left the house , 44 it was already getting warm out. It was going to be a(n) 45 day. As I dropped my dad off, I 46 him, dressed in his work clothes, getting his 47 from the truck (车尾箱) of my car. Watching his sun-weathered face, and even from a distance I could tell there were 48 lines than I ever remembered being there before. I realized how hard my dad works for the family. My father is a cement finisher(水泥修整工).
In that instant, it49 to me that he actually got down on his hands and knees to sweat over hot concrete to make a living for his family. And he did this day in and day out, 50 hot it got. Never, not once, had I hear him 51 about it. To him we were “worth” it. And never once did he “charge” us for it.
When he closed the trunk, his tools set off to the side, he walked over to my window to 52 me five dollars. I rolled down the window and said “Good-bye, dad. Keep your five dollars. It’s my 53 . Don’t work too hard. I love you.”
His 54 met mine, then glanced away in the direction of his waiting tools, he 55 his throat and said, “Oh, and… me, too.”
A．like B．remember C．forget D．care
A．Sorry B．Yes C．No D．Well
A．car B．friend C．job D．present
A．spent B．earned C．kept D．saved
A．when B．if C．because D．though
A．pay it back B．hand it over C．turn it up D．show it off
A．pay B．charge C．offer D．provide
A．ride B．leave C．trip D．hurry
A．as B．although C．but D．since
A．ordinary B．hot C．work D．special
A．helped B．followed C．left D．watched
A．tools B．clothes C．luggage D．bag
A．fewer B．more C．longer D．deeper
A．happened B．seemed C．occurred D．appeared
A．whatever B．whenever C．wherever D．however
A．talk B．complain C．ask D．speak
A．hand B．pass C．lend D．take
A．help B．advice C．treat D．reply
A．hands B．smile C．voice D．eyes
A．cleaned B．wiped C．cleared D．felt
The power of encouragement is great. You may draw some inspiration from the following story.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, a famous 19thcentury poet and artist, was once 26 by an elderly man. The old man had some sketches (素描) and drawings that he 27 Rossetti to look at them and tell him if they were any good, or 28 they at least showed potential(潜在的)talent.
Rossetti looked them 29 carefully. After the first few, he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. But Rossetti was a 30 man, and he told the elderly 31 as gently as possible that the pictures were of little value and showed little talent. He was sorry, 32 he could not 33 to the man.
The visitor was 34 , but seemed to expect Rossetti’s 35 .He then apologized for 36 Rossetti’s time, but would he just 37 a few more drawings—these done by a(n) 38 art student？Rossetti looked over the 39 batch (一批) of sketches and immediately became 40 over the talent they revealed(显示；透露) .“These,” he said,“Oh, these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be 41 every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a hopeful future if he will work and stick to it.”
Rossetti could see that the old man was 42 moved.“Who is this fine young artist？” he asked.“Your son？” “No,” said the old man sadly.“It was I 43 painted the pictures forty years ago. 44 I had heard your praise then！For you see, I got discouraged and 45 drawing—too soon.”
A．expected B．wished C．visited D．requested
A．wanted B．made C．had D．hoped
A．why B．which C．that D．whether
A．up B．over C．on D．down
A．rude B．talented C．kind D．creative
A．woman B．man C．artist D．poet
A．but B．and C．or D．otherwise
A．speak B．apologize C．lie D．listen
A．annoyed B．disappointed C．delighted D．puzzled
A．achievement B．adjustment C．judgment D．statement
A．turning up B．making up C．taking up D．looking up
A．look at B．glare at C．aim at D．stare at
A．pretty B．famouse C．young D．talented
A．first B．second C．third D．last
A．enthusiastic B．sad C．angry D．bad
A．made B．learnt C．taught D．given
A．slightly B．deeply C．barely D．smoothly
A．what B．which C．whom D．who
A．Only if B．If only C．If so D．If any
A．insisted on B．led to C．headed to D．gave up
Mr. Cronin has a clock shop in the center of the town. He tries his best to36 it well. He often receives the customers(顾客) 37 and people like to buy 38 in his shop.
It was a cold day and39 people would go out to do some _40_. Mr. Black, one of Mr. Cronin’s_41_, came to the shop. He knew the man was_42_ his miserliness (吝啬). But he tried to persuade (说服) him to buy a watch in his shop.
“You’d better buy a watch for43 _, Mr. Black,” said Mr. Cronin. “It’ll be _44_ to you whenever.”
“No, no,” said Mr. Black. “I’ll _45_need any watches.”
“But how do you know when it’s time to _46_?”
“The people who live around me always _47_ their televisions at seven for the news. So I can hear the announcer(播音员) say, “ The time is seven o’clock.. Here is the news.”
“But you don’t know when to go to work.”
“That’s _48_,” Mr. Black said with a smile. “It takes me ten minutes to _49_ and shave（刮脸）. I have breakfast at twenty past seven. I get to the bus stop at twenty to eight and fifteen minutes later arrive at my office and _50_ working.”
“When do you _51_ your office, then?”
“There’s a _52_ near it, its siren(汽笛) can tell me the right time.”
“How do you know the time if you _53_ in the middle of the night?”
“I always put a stick by my bed”
“But a stick can’t tell you the time”
“You’re _54_. But I can use it to knock on your wall. You always _55_, “What are you knocking on my wall for at two in the night?”
A. watchB. manageC. buildD repair
A．coldly B．luckily C．simply D．warmly
A．many B．most C．plenty of D．few
A．work B．reading C．shopping D．fishing
A．neighbors B．friends C．classmates D．workmates
A．good at B．famous for C．proud of D．fond of
A．you B．me C．yourself D．myself
A．helpful B．helpless C．necessary D．important
A．always B．sometimes C．never D．often
A．get up B．go to bed C．go to work D．have breakfast
A．show B．turn on C．turn off D．sell out
A．easy B．possible C．different D．probable
A．cook B．wash C．tidy D．rest
A．finish B．enjoy C．keep D．start
A．clean B．leave C．go to D．find
A．railway station B．post office C．university D．factory
A．sit up B．wake up C．stand up D．get up
A．clever B．right C．wrong D．foolish
A．shout B．wonder C．laugh D．request
It was early in the morning, on a lonely road. It's 36 heavily. A 9-year-old boy was in the car with his mother, who was 37 him to school. Suddenly, the car went off the road, 38 several times, and came to rest upside down in a ditch (沟渠) filled with water.
Luckily, both the mother and son were39 seatbelts. The mother suffered a blow to her head and was unable to move. The boy was frightened but 40 . As water came through broken windows in the car, he41 unbuckled (解开) himself, climbed out of the42 window, made his way around to the driver's side, and reached inside the43 to free his trapped mother. With great effort, he managed to44 her, pull her through the window and up to the road, where they were soon45 .
His mother later recalled her experience of the 46 . Being unable to move or even 47 to offer instructions (指导) or encouragement to her son, she was 48 by her little son's action. She recalled 49 her boy saying out loud as he pulled her through the water, “I think I can, I think I can!”
It seemed 50 that this little boy's act of courage was from one of his favourite books: The Little Engine that Could. In that 51 , when everyone else had 52 hope, the Little Engine carried the heavy load of toys and good things to eat over the hill to the children waiting on the other side. He had53 and took action. Obviously this book had left a 54 impression before the accident that rainy 55 and motivated (激励) the son to take action if the terrifying moments.
A．snowing B．smoking C．raining D．blowing
A．ordering B．flying C．pushing D．driving
A．moved B．fell C．rolled D．stopped
A．wearing B．watching C．making D．missing
A．afraid B．dead C．tired D．unhurt
A．nearly B．carefully C．quickly D．happily
A．student B．worker C．family D．passenger
A．box B．room C．car D．ditch
A．respect B．free C．recognize D．introduce
A．accepted B．rescued C．welcomed D．fed
A．travel B．experiment C．accident D．fire
A．speak B．sleep C．listen D．look
A．excited B．amazed C．wounded D．frightened
A．seeing B．hearing C．smelling D．feeling
A．clear B．sorry C．useful D．necessary
A．poem B．notice C．story D．dream
A．realized B．waken C．kept up D．given up
A．courage B．food C．space D．time
A．bad B．deep C．false D．general
A．afternoon B．night C．morning D．evening