Lifeisshort.Areyoudoingwhatyou-优题课

When I come across a good article in reading newspapers. I often want to cut and keep it. But just as I am about to do so I find the article on the ___1___ side is as much interesting. It may be a discussion of the way to ___2___ in good health, or a ___3___ about how to behave and conduct oneself in society. If I cut the front article, the opposite one is likely to ___4___ damage, leaving out half of it or keeping the text ___5___ the title. Therefore, the scissors would ___6___ before they start, ___7___ halfway done when I find out the ___8___ result.
Sometimes two things are to be done at the same time, both worth you ___9___. You can only take up one of them, the other has to wait or be ___10___ up. But you know the future is unpredictable(不可预料) — the changed situation may not allow you to do what is left ___11___. Thus you are ___12___ in a difficult position and feel sad. How ___13___ that nice chances and brilliant ideas should gather around all at once? It may happen that your life ___14___ greatly on you preference of one choice to the other.
In fact that is what ___15___ is like, we are often ___16___ with the two opposite sides of a thing which are both desirable like a newspaper cutting. It often occurs that our attention is drawn to one thing only ___17___ we get into another. The ___18___ may be more important than the latter and give rise to a divided mind. I ___19___ remember a philosopher’s remarks, “When one door shuts, another opens in life.” So a casual(不经意) ___20___ may not be a bad one.
1. A. front B. same C. either D. opposite
2. A. get B. keep C. lead D. bring
3. A. advice B. news C. theory D. report
4. A. suffer B. reduce C. prevent D. cause
5. A. on B. for C. without D. off
6. A. use B. handle C. prepare D. stay
7. A. or B. but C. so D. for
8. A. satisfying B. regretful C. surprising D. impossible
9. A. courage B. strength C. attention D. patience
10. A. given B. held C. made D. picked
11. A. near B. alone C. about D. behind
12. A. filled B. attracted C. caught D. struck
13. A. dares B. comes C. deals D. does
14. A. improves B. changes C. progresses D. goes
15. A. study B. society C. nature D. life
16. A. faced B. supplied C. connected D. fixed
17. A. before B. after C. until D. as
18. A. following B. next C. above D. former
19. A. still B. also C. once D. almost
20. A. treatment B. action C. choice D. remark

Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list ___1___ in our past that we felt ___2___ of, regretted, or incomplete about and read our lists aloud.
This seemed like a very ___3___ process, but there’ s always some ___4___soul in the crowd who will volunteer. The instructor then ___5___ that we find ways to ___6___ people, or take some action to right any wrong doings. I was seriously wondering how this could ever ___7___ my communication.
Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my ___8___, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town. There was a Sheriff ___9___ of us kids liked. One night, my two buddies and I decided to play a ___10___ on him.
After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a s.o.b.(畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious ___11___. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had us in his office. My friends told the truth but I lied. No one ___12___ found out.”
“Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name ___13___ on my list. I didn’t even know if he was still ___14___. Last weekend, I dialed the information in my hometown and found there was a Roger Brown still listed. I tried his number. After a few ___15___, I heard, “Hello?” I said, “Sheriff Brown?” Paused. “Yes.” “Well, this is Jimmy Calkins.”
“And I want you to know that I did it？”Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a ___16___ discussion. His closing words were: “Jimmy, I always felt bad for you ___17___ your buddies got it off their chest, but you were carrying it ___18___ all these years. I want to thank you for calling me...for your sake.”
Jimmy inspired me to ___19___ all 101 items on my list within two years, and I always remember what I learned from the course: It’s never too late to ___20___the past wrongdoings.
1. A. something B. anything C. somebody D. anybody
2. A. ashamed B. afraid C. sure D. proud
3. A. private B. secret C. interesting D. funny
4. A. foolish B. polite C. simple D. brave
5. A. expected B. suggested C. ordered D. demanded
6. A. connect with B. depend on C. make apologize to D. get along with
7. A. improve B. continue C. realize D. keep
8. A. notes B. list C. plan D. stories
9. A. any B. most C. none D. all
10. A. part B. game C. trick D. record
11. A. view B. sign C. attention D. remark
12. A. also B. even C. still D. ever
13. A. appears B. considers C. presents D. remembers
14. A. angry B. happy C. doubtful D. alive
15. A. words B. rings C. repeats D. calls
16. A. cold B. plain C. nervous D. lively
17. A. in case B. so long as C. unless D. because
18. A. around B. out C. on D. away
19. A. build up B. make up C. clear up D. give up
20. A. regret B. forgive C. right D. punish

There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world.
But ___1___ a few of them are very ___2___. English is one of these. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the U. S. A, but in other parts of the world. About 200, 000, 000 speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a ___3___ language. Many millions are ___4___ to do so.
Is it easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different ___5___. Have you ever ___6___ the ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?
“Learn English in six month, or your ___7___ back ...” “Easy and funny? Our records and tapes ___8___ you master your English in a month. ___9___ the first day your ___10___ will be excellent. Just send ...” Of course, it never ___11___ quite like this.
The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should ___12___ that we all learned our own language well when we were ___13___. If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. ___14___ what a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears. When he is using the language, talking in it, and ___15___ in it all the time, just imagine how much ___16___ that gets!
So it is ___17___ to say that learning English is easy, because a good command of English ___18___ upon a lot of practice. And practice needs great effort and ___19___ much time. Good teachers, records, tapes, books, and dictionaries will ___20___. But they cannot do the student’s work for him.
1. A. not B. quite C. only D. very
2. A. difficult B. important C. necessary D. easy
3. A. native B. foreign C. useful D. mother
4. A. learning B. enjoying C. trying D. liking
5. A. questions B. problems C. ideas D. answers
6. A. found B. watched C. noticed D. known
7. A. knowledge B. time C. money D. English
8. A. make B. help C. let D. allow
9. A. From B. On C. Since D. After
10. A. spelling B. grammar C. English D. pronunciation
11. A. happened B. know C. seemed D. felt
12. A. know B. remember C. understand D. think
13. A. students B. children C. babies D. grown-ups
14. A. Imagine B. Mind C. Do D. Think of
15. A. using B. thinking C. trying D. practicing
16. A. time B. money C. language D. practice
17. A. hard B. easy C. funny D. silly
18. A. depends B. tries C. has D. takes
19. A. uses B. takes C. gets D. costs
20. A. do B. work C. help D. master

Books which give instructions on how to do things are very popular in the USA today. Thousands of books __1__this begin with __2__ that start with the words "how to". Many of "how to " books __3__ advice on careers. They tell you how to __4__ a career and how to __5__ it. If you fail, __6__, you can buy a book called How to Turn Failure into Success. If you never make any money __7__, you need a book called How to Live on Nothing.
One of the most popular types of books is one that __8__ you with personal problems. If you are unhappy with your __9__, you can read How to Love Every Minute of Your Life. If you are tired of books on __10__, you may prefer a book called How to Make Yourself Sad.
Many of these books help people use their __11__ time better. Some people __12__ books which will give them __13__ information about sports, hobbies and travel. __14__ people use their free time to make __15__ and improvements on their homes. They like books which given __16__ instructions on how to repair things.
__17__ have "how to" books become so __18__? Probably because life has become so complex. Today people have far more problems to __19__. "How to" books help people __20__ modern life.
1.A. as B. like C. of D. about
2.A. books B. sentences C. words D. titles
3.A. give B. take C. follow D. suggest
4.A. pick B. search C. find D. choose
5.A. get into B. take part into C. succeed in D. fail in
6.A. however B. but C. besides D. otherwise
7.A. for all B. in all C. at all D. all too
8.A. gets B. helps C. does D. deals
9.A. book B. study C. work D. life
10.A. sadness B. happiness C. anger D. violence
11.A. free B. busy C. working D. meaningful
12.A. lose B. sell C. use D. want
13.A. little B. much C. useful D. useless
14.A. Other B. Others C. The other D. The others
15.A. money B. fun C. cleaning D. repairs
16.A. one-by one B. step-by-step C. little-by-little D. day-by-day
17.A. Why B. How C. When D. Where
18.A. good B. little C. popular D. bad
19.A. answer B. do C. work out D. solve
20.A. go away with B. deal with C. take with D. fight with

Back in my country, when I was a child, I used to go to “market day” with my mother. One day each week, farmers used to ___1___ their fruit and vegetables into the city. They ___2___ one street to all cars, and the farmers set up tables for their ___3___. This outdoor market was a great place to ___4___. Everything was fresher than produce in grocery stores because the farmers brought it in ___5___ after the harvest. My mother and I always got there early in the morning to get the ___6___ produce.
The outdoor market was a wonderful adventure for a small child, ___7___ was like a festival — full of colors and ___8___. There are red tomatoes, yellow lemons, green lettuce, peppers, grapes, onions. The farmers did their own ___9___. They all shouted loudly for ___10___ to buy their produce. “Come and buy my beautiful oranges! They’re juicy and delicious and full of vitamins to ___11___ your children healthy and strong!”
Everyone used to ___12___ with the farmers over the ___13___ of their produce. It was like a wonderful drama in a theatre; the buyers and sellers were the “___14___” in this drama. My mother was an ___15___ at this. First, she picked the freshest, most attractive tomatoes, for example. Then she asked the price. The seller told her.
“What?” she said. She looked very surprised. “ So ___16___?”
The seller looked terribly ___17___. “My dear lady!” he replied. “I’m a poor, ___18___ farmer. These are the cheapest tomatoes on the market!”
They always argued for several minutes before agreeing ___19___ a price. My mother took her tomatoes and left. Both buyer and seller were ___20___. The drama was over.
1. A. carry B. take　　　 C. bring D. fetch
2. A. opened　 B. closed　　 C. started　　 D. stopped
3. A. produce　 B. goods　　　 C. food　　 D. product
4. A. buy B. sell　　　　 C. bargain　　 D. shop
5. A. hurriedly B. immediately C. directly D. straightly
6. A. best　　 B. finest　　 C. freshest D. cheapest
7. A. who　 B. that　　　　 C. which　　 D. what
8. A. voices B. noises　　 C. sounds　 D. accent
9. A. shopping B. business　　 C. shouting　　 D. advertising
10. A. customers B. producers　 C. themselves　 D. sellers
11. A. keep　　 B. let C. except D. make
12. A. argue B. talk　　　 C. discuss　　 D. speak
13. A. order B. price　　　 C. quality　 D. form
14. A. viewers B. listeners　 C. actors D. directors
15. A. actress　 B. inventor　 C. advancer　 D. expert
16. A. wonderful B. exciting　　 C. cheap　　　 D. expensive
17. A. injured　 B. hurt　　 C. damaged　 D. wounded
18. A. excellent B. fair　　　 C. honest　　 D. easy
19. A. with B. to　　　 C. in　　　　 D. on
20. A. disappointed B. encouraged C. satisfied D. tired