Money was a constant source of tension and stress when I was growing up. My parents were , well-educated and hard-working, but they lived from paycheck to paycheck. When I was 13, they split up. Then my mom to raise three kids, often relying on free lunch tickets and food stamps. As my mother retirement age, she was filled with over the fact that she hadn’t saved enough for her golden retirement years, she often sighed. My father had always been to work—we had always he’d work less and spend more time with us . But he is just a workaholic(工作狂).
My parents were trying so hard to make ends meet, so I couldn’t become a on them. As a result, I college and spent the next couple of years drifting from one minimum wage job to another. I my broken-down car, went to work on foot, reduced my by sharing a one-bedroom apartment with three other women, and got free food during Happy Hour at our local bar. I learned to do whatever it took to .
One night, while I was working at a donut shop and 34 coffee for a homeless customer, I that I was one paycheck away from being homeless myself. That was my wake-up . Motivated by fear of an uncertain , I opened the Yellow Pages(电话黄页), professional dog trainers and negotiated an unpaid apprenticeship(学徒工作). Less than a year later, I was by a dog trainer, and I loved the work. A couple of years later, I started my own dog-training school, which luckily turned out to be . My efforts paid off.
Though I didn’t have rich parents to rely on, I discovered the power of asking for what I want.
A．clever B．careful C．greedy D．powerless
A．hoped B．struggled C．attempted D．refused
A．counted B．imagined C．mentioned D．approached
A．curiosity B．disagreement C．anxiety D．happiness
A．if B．so C．but D．because
A．addicted B．similar C．related D．familiar
A．believed B．guessed C．said D．wished
A．though B．yet C．instead D．too
A．danger B．burden C．challenge D．threat
A．dropped out of B．was admitted into C．went in D．went through
A．paid for B．cleaned out C．gave away D．fixed up
A．clothes B．dinner C．weight D．rent
A．survive B．work C．play D．pay
A．buying B．making C．tasting D．smelling
A．recalled B．promised C．feared D．realized
A．sign B．hit C．call D．period
A．future B．job C．mood D．family
A．searched B．phoned C．invited D．persuaded
A．honored B．reminded C．hired D．moved
A．hard B．tiring C．efficient D．successful
Two years ago, Shirley, wife, mother and doctor, found herself worn out. She got up earlier, and went to bed later, just to meet everyday ____， but lacked ____ for the things that mattered most.
She and her husband, a lawyer, began searching for ways to ___ their lives. “We had to decide what was really ____，” says Shirley. They knew they wanted more time to ____ with their threeyearold son, to exercise and eat right, and to develop friendship.
So the couple chose to live more simply, shopping with care for necessities and enjoying inexpensive ____ such as reading, cooking and going to the park.
Then Shirley ____ her job and began working part time. She printed business cards that ____ “At your service, buy ____ a little time” and helped clients (客户) with personal tasks like shopping, paying bills and ____ parties. “I still work hard, but being able to control my hours makes a ____，” she says, “I can spare time to take my son to the ____ or play basketball with him. My stress and headaches are ____.”
Shirley and her husband are ____ alone in wanting to ____ and live a satisfying life. A survey found that 54 percent of parents say they have little time with their children, and 47 percent of married couples ____ that they lack time together. ____ does the time go?
For most people, ____ and commuting (通勤) take up most of the day. Simplifying means becoming ____ of the ways we use money, time and energy, and finding ways to make things easier. Then we have to gain ____ over life and have time for the pleasures.
A．activities B．services C．demands D．exercises
A．time B．strength C．money D．ability
A．lead B．simplify C．adapt D．consider
A．comfortable B．interesting C．important D．hard
A．study B．help C．meet D．play
A．pleasures B．places C．tasks D．goods
A．found B．received C．took D．quit
A．read B．wrote C．showed D．told
A．us B．yourself C．children D．herself
A．attending B．organizing C．having D．going
A．life B．result C．balance D．difference
A．office B．hospital C．park D．school
A．gone B．better C．strong D．obvious
A．a bit B．far from C．much too D．more than
A．keep pace B．settle down C．take off D．slow down
A．expect B．doubt C．complain D．imagine
A．How B．When C．Where D．Why
A．traveling B．reading C．shopping D．working
A．aware B．afraid C．proud D．sure
A．value B．control C．success D．experience
It was 1958. I was eighteen and was working as a nurse in a rural town west of Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days ____ from duty after working overtime for some time. ___， the only train that day back to my hometown, over 270 km away, had already ___. I thought I'd thumb a lift.
I waited by the side of the ____ for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and ____ himself as Gordon. He said that ____ he couldn't give me a lift, I could come to his house, which was across the road, for lunch. He'd been watching me and thought I must be ____ after standing for hours. I hesitated but he assured me I was ____， and he also offered to help me find a ____ home afterwards.
When we arrived at Gordon's ____， he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he stopped a car, which took me to my hometown.
Then I got married, but my husband didn't believe in giving ____ a ride. This made me feel ____ when we'd pass people waiting on the roadside, as I could ____ offer them the lift they hoped for.
Twentyfive years later, in 1983, I was driving alone to a nearby town, when I ____ an elderly man with a small boy, standing in the glaring heat, trying to ____ a ride. I saw my chance to repay someone for the ____ I'd been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked the ____ up. I made them comfortable on the back seat and ____ some water and sweets.
After a few minutes of small talk, the man said to me，“You haven't changed a bit, ____ your red hair is still the same.” I couldn't ____ where I'd met him. He then told me he was Gordon.
A.off B．away
C．out B．up
A．Surprisingly B．Hopefully C．Unfortunately D．Strangely
A．started B．left C．delayed D．arrived
A．town B．station C．railway D．highway
A．considered B．described C．introduced D．named
A．when B．once C．although D．unless
A．tired B．thirsty C．angry D．hungry
A．careful B．safe C．young D．suspicious
A．lift B．way C．train D．bicycle
A．kitchen B．shop C．house D．garage
A．villagers B．strangers C．relatives D．neighbours
A．bad B．nervous C．excited D．anxious
A．ever B．still C．never D．sometimes
A．recognized B．noticed C．knew D．observed
A．offer B．enjoy C．demand D．get
A．support B．debt C．effort D．favour
A．pair B．couple C．group D．team
A．exchanged B．shared C．drank D．brought
A．even B．only C．thus D．just
A．remind B．repeat C．recommend D．recall
Have you ever asked yourself what makes people successful? If you look around and talk those who are very successful, you will see that they all ____ certain qualities which have proved ____ for their success.
It is evident that successful people are those who act. When they find something needs to be done, they just do it instead of waiting. They believe that ____ is taken, not given. They ____ immediately what has to be done and then do it with ____， thus strengthening their reputation.
Successful people are ____ about the things they do, especially when they ___ what they are doing. They are motivated by their own ___ and the joy they get from doing their work. They work hard ____ when no one is watching and they throw themselves into their work.
They do not ____ failure. Failures and disappointments in life are ____. It is failure that teaches us much more than success. Successful people pick themselves up after a fall and try again with more determination and ____ and learn from each failure. They ___ with those they can learn from and enjoy the company of those who ____ their achievement.
Having good IQ often gets a person what he wants but it's ____ the EQ that keeps him there and helps him enjoy a high reputation. Successful people are polite to everyone and treat others with respect. By giving respect to others, they ____ respect for themselves.
Another important ____ of successful persons is that they never complain. It's better to praise others and win favor with them. So instead of complaining about a situation, successful people always try to solve it.
To put it ____， take action and be enthusiastic. Do not be afraid to fail, ____ get up and start again. When you do so, success will be just ____ the corner.
A．improve B．raise C．test D．possess
A．vital B．individual C．personal D．mental
A．devotion B．responsibility C．authority D．administration
A．sigh B．show C．weigh D．hope
A．pleasure B．honor C．adventure D．behavior
A．enthusiastic B．characteristic C．energetic D．authentic
A．bring in B．believe in C．call in D．join in
A．effort B．satisfaction C．condition D．value
A．just B．right C．only D．even
A．represent B．expect C．fear D．want
A．apparent B．uncomfortable C．unavoidable D．urgent
A．commitment B．arrangement C．movement D．achievement
A．progress B．work C．associate D．celebrate
A．congratulate B．appreciate C．attempt D．choose
A．especially B．totally C．naturally D．really
A．pay B．receive C．require D．promise
A．quality B．identity C．ability D．reality
A．honestly B．firmly C．shortly D．deeply
A．so B．and C．or D．but
A．in B．at C．within D．around
My mother has been a true inspiration to me and changed the way I look at life. Since my birth she has made it evident that I would become ____ and that I would be one of the great ones. She has taught me that I can do anything if I put my ____ to it.
As a young boy, I struggled to achieve tasks that came ____ to others. I had problems with writing, reading and especially speaking. I didn't talk the way ____ kids did and did not respond to questions or stay alert (警觉的) to my surroundings. My reading was poor ____ with teachers helping me, and my speech was hard to ___. My writing was not at the ____ it should have been. Even simple things like knowing my left from my right or being able to snap my fingers (弹手指) were ____.
My mother ____ all my challenges and as a professor with a PH. D. , decided to ____ the situation early in my development. She didn't want me to ____. After a while, we did indeed get over all the problems that had ____ me. She spent hours every day ____ me everything I needed to know, determined to help me learn. ____ her I would not be anywhere close to the level I am now.
In addition, she gave ____ for my life. She told me what to do and what not to do. Her expectations have always been high ___ she knows that I can do it. For that, I thank her. She would not allow her son to be incapable. She never ____ on me, and to this day she tells me education is a must. I will be a ____ person if I continue to follow her lead. She encourages me to study hard for my ____ and attend college.
She used her gifts as a ____ to help a child—her child—and now I have the opportunity to become something.
A．everything B．nothing C．anything D．something
A．mind B．brain C．feelings D．work
A．smoothly B．strongly C．frequently D．easily
A．average B．ordinary C．normal D．common
A．just B．ever C．even D．only
A．hear B．write C．read D．understand
A．level B．length C．speed D．degree
A．problems B．excuses C．worries D．duties
A．suffered B．observed C．removed D．tolerated
A．study B．find C．change D．keep
A．fight B．struggle C．strike D．challenge
A．interrupted B．disturbed C．terrified D．troubled
A．teaching B．giving C．supporting D．reminding
A．Without B．Except C．Besides D．Beyond
A．information B．advice C．promise D．expectation
A．before B．though C．because D．unless
A．set up B．gave up C．pushed up D．looked up
A．rich B．famous C．successful D．powerful
A．training B．grades C．experiments D．abilities
A．woman B．doctor C．sister D．teacher
It was about the third week in June last year. My 15yearold son had already settled into his summer routine：Go to ____ at 2 a. m. and wake up at 1 p．m. only to get back on his computer to play computer games ___ dinner.
It was the middle of the ____ when the sound of his computer games woke me up again. I couldn't ___ that any more and decided it was time for him to get a summer job. I got on the computer and found a lifeguard certification class that ____ the next day, and a company that ____ teenagers to guard their pools.
From that day I woke him up at 8 a．m. every day for him to ____ the class. At first, he continued to complain that I was ____ his summer. But by the end of the week, he was actually ____ going. He learned something about first aid, figured he really could ____ someone from drowning, and got some ideas on how to ____ work for a living.
Two weeks later, he had a ____ as a lifeguard. He took his responsibility very ____ and never went to work late. This summer, he will be working fulltime at a pool. He says a lot of his ____ don't have jobs. And I say that is because their mothers didn't try ____ enough! Even if your kid is super ____ with finals and afterschool activities and doesn't have time, you can ____ job information for him.
Whether it is an ice cream store, a movie ____， or a summer camp, you can ask if they are hiring ___ for the summer. After your kid gets a job, pay attention to the ____ to make sure he is never late.
A．school B．study C．bed D．work
A．around B．until C．after D．during
A．night B．noon C．morning D．afternoon
A．watch B．appreciate C．notice D．stand
A．lasted B．rested C．started D．developed
A．hired B．forced C．persuaded D．force
A．give B．attend C．observe D．help
A．designed B．ruining C．enjoying D．joining
A．looking into B．looking out of C．looking down upon D．looking forward to
A．recognize B．conduct C．save D．buy
A．roughly B．luckily C．actually D．suddenly
A．job B．problem C．goal D．reward
A．slowly B．seriously C．calmly D．quickly
A．teachers B．colleagues C．students D．friends
A．hard B．fast C．early D．directly
A．clear B．excited C．busy D．disappointed
A．write down B．think about C．wait for D．search for
A．theatre B．square C．park D．factory
A．experts B．foreigners C．teenagers D．villagers
A．habit B．schedule C．tradition D．determination