Like many men at some point, I dream about opening a bar. I plan to call it Work Out. It will cater to married women in need of a little fun. On Friday nights, they will be able to come here and enjoy themselves.
See, I have a gift for business. I am, as my wife Zsa Zsa likes to note, “A man with a million ideas, none of them very good.” Speaking of Zsa Zsa, she is fed up with this plain little life I’ve made for us——too many kids, too many chores, mind – numbing debt. The other day, she said she thought we needed a new family car. “Sure. How about an 87 Lincoln?” I said, and saw my dear Zsa Zsa age about 20 years, and become her mother right before my eyes.
Yes, money is our madness. Last year, we thought we had found a little cushion when I published a book about the life here in suburban America. It sold 12 copies——six of them to my mother. Four other copies went to various aunts and uncles, who used them for martini coasters (杯垫), then sold them at yard sales. The two remaining copies went to perfect strangers. (I think I owe you dinner, whoever you are. Call me, OK? We’ll arrange something.)
When the book didn’t take off, I wrote a TV show. Then I penned a short novel based on the earlier TV idea that didn’t sell. Currently, I am at work on a set of encyclopedias(百科全书). In a month, I plan to sell them door-to-door.
Such is the life of a writer, sending off the most personal thoughts possible to his hard drive. I am a writer, but also the breadwinner in my family. I’m at the keyboard at 6 almost every morning, hoping to tap out one idea——just one——that will take us up the hill, to the mountain, to the top.
According to the passage, the author is leading a/an______ life.
A．enjoyable B．wealthy C．hard D．comfortable
A．promised it to his wife B．was showing off their fortune C．thought his wife would like it D．was just joking
A．It didn’t sell well at all B．He sold it door – to – door. C．He made a lot of money from it. D．It was really a cushion for his family.
A．Comfortable seat. B．Financial help. C．Unexpected success. D．Best-selling book.
A．He has a real gift for business. B．He isn’t serious enough about life. C．He is a hard – working writer. D．His wife is satisfied with their plain life.
US president Barack Obama told students that it takes hard work in school to prepare for a rewarding career in his “back to school” speech, 36last Tuesday in Virginia, US. Here is excerpt （节选）from his speech:
I know that sometimes, you get the 37that you can be rich and successful without any hard work – 38your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things. But the truth is, being successful is 39.You won’t love every subject you study. Not every homework assignment will seem completely important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at 40the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most 41.JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was 4212 times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was 43his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said. “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures 44you. No one’s 45being good at things; you become good at things through hard work.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of 46. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.
And even when you’re 47, even when you’re discouraged, and when you feel like other people have given up on yourself, you won’t give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
36. A. addressed B. claimed C. delivered D. announced
37.A. feelings B. definition C. concept D. sense
38. A. that B. which C. what D. whatever
39. A. inaccessible B. hard C. rough D. unavailable
40.A, anything B. everything C. nothing D. something
41. A. effort B. attempts C. failures D. successes
42. A. denied B. turned away C. declined D. rejected
43. A. cut from B. cut off C. cut down D. cut in
44. A. confirm B. define C. identify D. prove
45. A. brought up B. raised C. fed D. born
46. A. strength B. courage C. weakness D. perseverance
47. A. struggling B. fighting C. trying D. succeeding
Even after several weeks, every time I read this little story I start to cry:
My sister-in-law teaches physically and mentally handicapped children at a private school in B
rooklyn.She recently 21a Special Olympics and went to the starting line of the 100-metre dash with six 22 contestants.
As the starting whistle sounded, a boy tripped, fell and began to cry. All the other 23 stopped, turned and went back to help.Then they all 24 hands and went on to the finish line together. Needless to say, everyone in the stands 25 .
Why am I so moved? There are tears of joy 26 with tears of sadness. Tears of joy, just for the 27 friendship, selflessness and love embodied (体现) by these children. Tears of sadness, just for how 28 from such behavior we adults have wandered. Wouldn’t it be nice if, at least once in a while, we could pause in our race for money and power; turn around to see the 29 of those we have left behind; go back and 30 these less able ones to their feet; and then walk forward together with them, arm in arm.
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Most people have no idea of the hard work and worry that gosintosthe
collecting of those fascinating birds and animals that they pay to see in the
zoo.One of the questions that is always asked of me is __1__ I became an animal
collector in the first __2__ .The answer is that I have always been interested
in animals and zoos.According to my parents, the first word I was able to say
with any __3__ was not the conventional“mamma”or“daddy”，__4__ the word“zoo”，
which I would __5__ over and over again with a shrill __6__ until someone,
insgroupsto __7__ me up, would take me to the zoo.When I __8__ a little older,
we lived in Greece and I had a great __9__ of pets, ranging from owls to
seahorses, and I spent all my spare time __10__ the countryside in search of
fresh specimens to __11__ to my collection of pets.__12__ on I went for a year
to the City Zoo, as a student __13__ , to get experience of the large animals,
such as lions, bears, bison and ostriches,__14__ were not easy to keep at
home.When I left, I __15__ had enough money of my own to be able to __16__ my
first trip and I have been going __17__ ever since then.Though a collector's job
is not an easy one and is full of __18__ ,it is certainly a job which will
appeal __19__ all those who love animals and __20__ .
1.A.how B.where C.when D.whether
2.A.region B.field C.place D.case
3.A.clarity B.emotion C.sentiment D.affection
4.A.except B.but C.except for D.but for
5.A.recite B.recognize C.read D.repeat
6.A.volume B.noise C.voice D.pitch
7.A.close B.shut C.stop D.comfort
8.A.grew B.was growing C.grow D.grown
9.A.many B.amount C.number D.supply
10.A.living B.cultivating C.reclaiming D.exploring
11.A.increase B.include C.add D.enrich
12.A.later B.further C.then D.subsequently
13.A.attendant B.keeper C.member D.aide
14.A.who B.they C.of which D.which
15.A.luckily B.gladly C.nearly D.successfully
16.A.pay B.provide C.allow D.finance
17.A.normally B.regularly C.usually D.often
18.A.expectations B.sorrows C.excitement D.disappointments
19.A.for B.with C.to D.from
20.A.excursion B.travel C.journey D.Trip
I remember vividly the call that changed my life. It was Tuesday, February 18. When the1rang in the kitchen of my Los Angeles, the 2was Marty Banderas, a literary agent to whom I had sent a draft( 草稿 )of my novel three weeks earlier. “I have a couple of 3 .” Banderas saiD. “First, how old are you?” “I'm 48,” I replieD. “Are you in good 4?” “Yes, excellent. What’s this about? ” “I’ve sold your novels 5one and a half million dollars.” I sat down in 6. I had written fourteen novels in twenty years, but each one had been 7by the publishers. I suppose many people would have been 8, but not me. Each time, I just 9 writing another one. My husband advised me to find something else to do, but I refused to 10up. Seeing this book 11was the best thing that has ever happened to me. It's a mystery story (like all the others) and it was on the best-seller 12two weeks after publication! I got my first lesson in story 13from my grandmother. She used to read my stories. She was the one who gave me a 14of words. She sparked (激发) my 15and she has been a 16influence on me. I always had stories running through my 17and as soon as I could write, I 18them down on paper. I married young and I have three children, but I never stopped writing. 19novels between doing the diapers(婴儿的尿布) and dishes. I'm writing another novel now. Yes, my 20has changed my life.
1. A. phone B. bell C. clock D. alarm
2. A. line B. step C. outside D. doorway
3. A. novels B. things C. questions D. problems
4. A. wealth B. health C. condition D. order
5. A. to B. for C. on D. in
6. A. need B. joy C. settlements D. shock
7. A. rejected B. received C. decided D. lost
8. A. worried B. encouraged C. discouraged D. excited
9. A. couldn't help B. got down to C. got used to D. went on
10. A. hold B. look C. give D. set
11. A. sold B. published C. printed D. passed
12. A. books B. shops C. record D. list
13. A. writing B. organizing C. telling D. reading
14. A. use B. love C. meaning D. respect
15. A. hope B. efforts C. novels D. imagination
16. A. lasting B. normal C. careful D. general
17. A. head B. mouth C. voice D. work
18. A. took B. put C. broke D. added
19. A. writing B. reading C. developing D. translating
20. A. friend B. call C. success D. work
My father often works very hard. And he has 1to see a film. Here I’ll tell you 2about
One afternoon, when he finished his work and 3go home, he found a film ticket under the4on his desk. He thought he 5to have not much work to do that day and 6was quite wonderful to pass the 7at the cinemA. So he came back home and 8finished his supper. Then he said 9to us and left.
But to our 10, he came back about half an hour later, I 11him what was the matter. He smiled and told us about 12funny thing that had happened at the cinema.
When my father was sitting in his seat, a 13came to my father’s and said that the seat was14. Ｍy father was surpriseD. He took out the ticket 15looked at it carefully. It was Row17, 16 . And then he looked at the seat. It was the same. So he asked her 17her ticket. She took out the ticket at once and the seat shown in it was Row 17, Seat 3.
18? What’s the matter with all this? While they were wondering suddenly the woman said, “The 19of the tickets are different.” So they looked at the ticket more carefully. After a while, my father said, “Oh,20, I made a mistake. My ticket is for the film a month ago. Take this seat, please.” With these words, he left the cinema.
1. A. little money B. much money C. little time D. much time
2. A. a funny story B. a good story C. an old story D. a strange story
3. A. was to B. was about to C. had to D. ought
4. A. box B. book C. glass D. paper
5. A. happened B. liked C. pretended D. wanted
6. A. it B. this C. that D. which
7. A. morning B. afternoon C. day D. evening
8. A. early B. quietly C. quickly D. suddenly
9. A. hello B. good-bye C. good evening D. good night
10. A. disappointment B. joy C. sorrow D. surprise
11. A. asked B. explained C. told D. wanted
12. A. a B. one C. some D. the
13. A. man B. woman C. doctor D. nurse
14. A. hers B. his C. taken D. wrong
15. A. and B. but C. or D. so
16. A. Seat1 B. Seat2 C. Seat3 D. Seat4
17. A. it bring B. to get C. to see D. to show
18. A. Why B. How C. When D. where
19. A. designs B. colors C. prices D. owners
20. A. I’m sad B. I’m sorry C. I’m wrong D. I’m worried
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