My day began on a decidedly sour note when I saw my six-year-old wrestling with a limb of my azalea bush. By the time I got outside, he'd broken it. "Can I take this to school today?" he asked. With a wave of my hand, I sent him off. I turned my back so he wouldn't see the tears gathering in my eyes. I loved that azalea bush. I touched the broken limb as if to say silently, "I'm sorry."
I wished I could have said that to my husband earlier, but I'd been angry. The washing machine had leaked on my brand-new linoleum. If he'd just taken the time to fix it the night before when I asked him instead of playing checkers with Jonathan. What are his priorities anyway? I wondered. I was still mopping up the mess when Jonathan walked into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast, Mom?"
I opened the empty refrigerator. "Not cereal," I said, watching the sides of his mouth drop. "How about toast and jelly?" I smeared the toast with jelly and set it in front of him. Why was I so angry? I tossed my husband's dishes into the sudsy water.
It was days like this that made me want to quit. I just wanted to drive up to the mountains, hide in a cave, and never come out.
Somehow I managed to lug the wet clothes to the Laundromat. I spent most of the day washing and drying clothes and thinking how love had disappeared from my life. Staring at the graffiti on the walls, I felt as wrung-out as the clothes left in the washers.
As I finished hanging up the last of my husband's shirts, I looked at the clock. 2:30. I was late. Jonathan's class let out at 2:15. I dumped the clothes in the back seat and hurriedly drove to the school.
I was out of breath by the time I knocked on the teacher's door and peered through the glass. With one finger, she motioned for me to wait. She said something to Jonathan and handed him and two other children crayons and a sheet of paper.
What now? I thought, as she rustled through the door and took me aside. "I want to talk to you about Jonathan," she said. .
I prepared myself for the worst. Nothing would have surprised me.
"Did you know Jonathan brought flowers to school today?" she asked.
I nodded, thinking about my favorite bush and trying to hide the hurt in my eyes. I glanced at my son busily coloring a picture. His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath his brow. He brushed it away with the back of his hand. His eyes burst with blue as he admired his handiwork.
"Let me tell you about yesterday," the teacher insisted. "See that little girl?"
I watched the bright-eyed child laugh and point to a colorful picture taped to the wall. I nodded.
"Well, yesterday she was almost hysterical. Her mother and father are going through a nasty divorce. She told me she didn't want to live, she wished she could die. I watched that little girl bury her face in her hands and say loud enough for the class to hear, 'Nobody loves me.' I did all I could to console her, but it only seemed to make matters worse."
"I thought you wanted to talk to me about Jonathan," I said.
"I do," she said, touching the sleeve of my blouse. "Today your son walked straight over to that child. I watched him hand her some pretty pink flowers and whisper, 'I love you.'"
I felt my heart swell with pride for what my son had done. I smiled at the teacher. "Thank you," I said, reaching for Jonathan's hand, "you've made my day."
Later that evening, I began pulling weeds from around my lopsided azalea bush. As my mind wandered back to the love Jonathan showed the little girl, a biblical verse came to me: "...these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." While my son had put love into practice, I had only felt anger.
I heard the familiar squeak of my husband's brakes as he pulled into the drive. I snapped a small limb bristling with hot pink azaleas off the bush. I felt the seed of love that God planted in my family beginning to bloom once again in me. My husband's eyes widened in surprise as I handed him the flowers. "I love you," I said.From the first four paragraphs, we know that_____
| A．the writer's husband was a very considerate man |
| B．the writer was fond of life in a cave |
| C．the present life let the writer feel nothing but sad |
| D．things didn't go as the writer expected. |
What's the proper order of the events according to the passage?
①Mother arrived at school and knew the truth.
②The son presented the flower to the girl.
③Mother felt sad to see the flower branch broken.
④The girl was desperate and wanted to die.
⑤The son broke a flower branch and took it to school.
| A．③①②④⑤ | B．④⑤③②① |
| C．⑤④③②① | D．④③⑤①② |
What was the writer’s most probable state of mind when the teacher wanted to have a talk with her?
| A．enthusiastic | B．amazed |
| C．optimistic | D．calm |
What is the closest meaning of the underlined word “hysterical”?
| A．angry | B．shocked |
| C．mad | D．light-hearted |
Why did Jonathan pick up a limb of the writer's azalea bush?
| A．He had a preference for azalea. |
| B．He wanted to show off before his classmates. |
| C．He intended to comfort the girl. |
| D．He lost his heart to the girl. |
The best title of the story may be________ .
| A．The Greatest of These | B．A limb of my azalea bush |
| C．You’ve made my day | D．My best day |
What you have just read is a _______.
| A．note | B．report |
| C． poster | D．schedule |
What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?
| A．A party for close friends to meet and have fun. |
| B．A meeting of Kwun Tong High School students. |
| C．A big event to welcome a Chinese new year. |
| D．A social gathering to raise money for wildlife. |
How much do you have to pay in total if four of you go together?
| A．$20. | B．$40. |
| C．$60. | D．$80. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Free digital cameras are provided for everybody. |
| B．Festival food will be served without extra charge. |
| C．Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School. |
| D．It's unnecessary to take soft drinks with you. |
In the past, when people had problems, they usually went to their families or friends to get advice. Today it is possible to get advice from radio shows, TV programmes and telephone hot lines. A hot line is a telephone line. It offers a direct way of getting in touch with advisers. Most hot lines are completely anonymous. That is to say, callers do not have to say their names or telephone numbers. Most hot lines are free. Callers do not have to pay for the advice or the phone calls. At some hot lines, the advisers are volunteers. Other hot lines pay their advisers for their work. Usually the advisers are full-time-job people with years of education and experience, but sometimes the advisers have only taken a short class before starting to work on the hot line. All the advisers listen to people and help them solve their problems.How did people get advice when they had problems in the past?
| A．They listened to the radio |
| B．They went to their families or friends |
| C．They watched TV programmes |
| D．They made telephone calls |
What is a telephone hot line?
| A．A hot telephone |
| B．A phone call to the listeners |
| C．A training class on the phone |
| D．A telephone line for people to get advice |
What does the underlined word anonymous mean in Chinese in the passage?
| A．开放的 | B．虔诚的 |
| C．匿名的 | D．免费的 |
According to the passage, how does a caller get in touch with the adviser working on the hot line?
You might think that whether you choose a blue shirt or a yellow one to wear to work or college makes no difference to your day and those around you. However, an increasing number of experts argue that the colors we choose affect our mood (情绪), our career and even our health. Color affects us to a greater degree than most of us realize.
Color is used increasingly by doctors for influencing mood and state of mind, and for various types of medical treatment. Green is a good color if you are not feeling well, and possibly this is why we sometimes give flowers and plants to friends and relatives in hospital. It is also thought that turquoise(青绿色), a “user-friendly” color, can treat stress and headaches.
Companies use color to encourage us to buy their products. For example, purple, which mixes well with red, is used to show that a company has new ideas and the power to make them happen. Orange and blue are also recommended colors for companies to use, because orange is the color of communication and blue suggests safety. So this could be a particularly good combination. Companies have found that certain colors “speak” to specific age groups. They often use red to attract younger people to their products, for example, as it is lively and more youthful than colors like gold and navy(深蓝色), which older customers seem to prefer.
Wearing different colors can affect how you feel and how others react to you, so it is important to consider this when deciding what to wear in the morning. If you want people to take you seriously, then wearing navy or black is good. Blue would also be helpful for an interview or oral examination because it relaxes you and makes you feel calm. Red gets you noticed by everyone and makes you feel energetic, but be careful, as it can raise your pulse rate and not everyone wants this effect.
So think carefully before you leave the house or visit a friend with a gift. The colors you choose in both cases are a powerful tool. Are you making the right impression— on yourself and on others?Turquoise is a color that _______.
| A．stands for energy |
| B．is good for health |
| C．is popular with young people |
| D．makes the wearer be taken seriously |
Purple is used by a company to suggest it’s_______.
| A．reliable | B．creative |
| C．powerful | D．communicative |
Which of the following colors may be good for finding a job?
| A．Blue | B．Green |
| C．Orange | D．Yellow |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Color’s important effects on our life |
| B．Why patients benefit a lot from colors. |
| C．People’s preference for different colors |
| D．How to wear clothes on different occasions. |
Everyone may all have the experience of feeling anxious and stressed when having a rough day or having some troubles. Different people may choose different ways to deal with it, and for most people a break for a 10-minute walk may be quite useful.
Anyway, here is another way around: to get a piece of chewing gum, and chew it. According to a Swinburne University of Technology study, gum-chewing has been found to “relieve anxiety, improve alertness(机敏性) and reduce stress among individuals in a laboratory setting.”
Some may argue that a laboratory is not the same as an office. But check out the conditions of the study: individuals were monitored while performing “a group of ‘multi-tasking’ activities.” Doesn’t it sound like the situation in the office?
Here’s a summary of some of the study’s findings:
Gum chewers showed a reduction in anxiety as compared to non-gum chewers by nearly 17 percent during mild stress and nearly 10 percent in appropriate stress.
Gum chewers showed improvement in alertness over non-gum chewers by nearly 19 percent during mild stress and 8 percent in moderate stress.
Improved Performance: Chewing gum resulted in a big improvement in overall performance on multi-tasking activities.
Although these aren’t major improvements, every little bit works and chewing a piece of gum is a lot quicker and easier than slipping outside for a 10-minute walk. So, how does gum work this magic? In part it does so by lowering the level of cortisol(皮质醇)—a steroid(类固醇) hormone that is released in response to stress in your system.
A few words of advice before you reach for the gum: don’t crack your gum, and be sure to chew it with your mouth closed. In fact, I’d say keep the gum out of meetings, because it really looks impolite to others around you.From the study in the text we know that_________________.
| A．gum chewers may lack alertness |
| B．gum chewers tend to be less stressed |
| C．gum chewers can finish many jobs perfectly |
| D．gum chewers can reduce their anger easily |
How does gum work to reduce stress according to the text?
| A．It works by improving alertness. |
| B．It works by allowing a 10-minute walk. |
| C．It works by reducing one’s level of cortisol. |
| D．It works by being chewed in a laboratory setting. |
Which one may the author probably agree with?
| A．People can crack gum freely when meeting friends. |
| B．People should be careful when chewing gum at home. |
| C．People should chew gum with their mouths closed in a meeting. |
| D．It is impolite to chew gum in a meeting with people around you. |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．How to chew gum. |
| B．How to relieve stress. |
| C．Chewing gum can relieve stress. |
| D．Why people love chewing gum. |
No matter what type of business you run, it has to deal with situations in which things go wrong from your customer’s point of view. Complaints can be a great source of information for the organizations. So it’s important to learn to deal with customer complaints efficiently.
Firstly, listen attentively to what the customer has to say by keeping comfortable eye contact and giving full attention with no interrupting. You should also show your customer that you do understand him.
Secondly, when receiving a complaint you should apologize for the failure the customer has identified. It’s important for you to know that your apology must appear authentic to the customer, and not an empty excuse. And also you should show the customer you’ve accepted the responsibility and provide him with choices if you have some in hand or otherwise assure the customer you’ll do something about his complaint.
Thirdly, talk with the consumer and discover the best means to resolve his problem. There will be times when, after gathering the facts of a situation, you’ll be unable to resolve the problem immediately. In this case it’s important to let your customer know how long it’ll take to take action on his complaint.
Fourthly, a simple “Thank you” is one way to let the customer know you appreciate the time and effort he has taken to inform you about a problem with your company’s service or product you need to know about.
Lastly, give your customer something that shows your appreciation for him giving the feedback to you. And let him know you’re sorry for the mistake that was made. It isn’t necessary to give something that is costly; but a coupon(赠券) for a free drink or movie is fine.
Your professional and well-organized method of dealing with your customer complaints is one more way that will make you stay ahead of your competitors.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Effects of customer complaints on business. |
| B．Tips for handling complaints from customers. |
| C．Importance of dealing with customer complaints. |
| D．Several factors resulting in customer complaints. |
The author thinks that customer complaints _____________.
| A．are easy to deal with |
| B．are sometimes beneficial |
| C．can actually be avoided |
| D．are really quite annoying |
The underlined word “authentic” in Paragraph 3 most probably means _______.
| A．believable | B．touching |
| C．attractive | D．clever |
According to the passage, what is the first thing you should do when facing the customer complaints?
| A．Showing sincere attitude. |
| B．Making an honest apology. |
| C．Making an absolute promise. |
| D．Listening to the complaint impatiently. |