Shouldyouspendyourmoneyonahome-优题课

When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter（炼铜厂），and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.
　　Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was “No”.
Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.
　　Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.
　　And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.
　　Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.
When Paul was a boy，______________.

A．he had decided never to leave his hometown

B．the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter

C．no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution

D．he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area

Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants？

A．Because he wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.

B．Because he was interested in planting trees since he was young.

C．Because he wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.

D．Because he thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.

What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probably refer to?

A．That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland.

B．That his normal work and life would be greatly affected.

C．That no one would like to join him in the efforts.

D．That he had to keep everything he did secret.

The company hired Paul to plant trees and grass because___________.

A．they realized the importance of environmental protection

B．What Paul was doing moved them

C．Paul persuaded them to help him

D．they had legal pressure

The message of the passage is that _____________.

A．action speaks louder than words

B．perseverance（持之以恒）will work wonders

C．God helps those who help themselves

D．many hands make light work

As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities, others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "flight or fight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Since we can't remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.
People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _____.

A．they regard working as their greatest enjoyment

B．they believe that work is superior to relaxation

C．they are traveling fast all the time

D．they are becoming busier with their work than ever before

According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his _____.

A．strong will to hold out stress

B．knowing the art of relaxation

C．high sense of responsibility

D．having control over performance

Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?

A．We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress.

B．Stress is always harmful to people's health

C．It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.

D．Different people can bear different amount of stress.

In the last sentence of the passage, “do so” refers to _____.

A．"expose ourselves to stress"

B．"find ways to deal with stress"

C．"remove stress from our lives"

D．"establish links between diseases and stress"

According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is _____.

A．to avoid it

B．to try to cope with it

C．to regard it as a vital motivation

D．to find some relaxation

A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! By Rich Ezzo. It took only about an hour to read.
When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick type of publication. Nothing is wrong with Get Rich Quick, but my mind just doesn’t chase after dreams of wealth. I think that if God ever wants me to be rich, he knows where to find my purse.
When I began reading When Money Talks, Listen!, I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either. He, too, is hungry far more important than money.
Since I love this e-book so much, why wait a week to write the review? Simple. I wanted to see if the effect it had on me was a keeper. After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money. I had so many thoughts running around my mind that I had to install(安装) a stoplight to stop some while others made their way into the picture, then I yielded(让路) them as a few ones arrived in town. I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is.
It has been a week and the effect is the same. I truly do look at money differently and have even done a few things differently this week. This is an e-book you’ll want to read, I promise. I often recommend books to my daughter, and this is one that I didn’t just “suggest”---I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, “Read it, you’ll love it.”
I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn’t go myself. I urge you to visit the author’s website, Myster Money, and to download the e-book. You won’t regret it.
The author wrote this passage to _________　

A．strongly recommend an e-book.

B．show the author's attitude to money.

C．introduce the general idea of an e-book.

D．point out Rich Ezzo isn't money hungry.

According to the passage, a Get Rich Quick type of publication ______.

A．is what the author really cares for

B．deals with how to make money

C．is also an e-book written by Rich Ezzo

D．is more popular than e-books

The author didn't write the review as soon as he finished reading the book because________.

A．he was too excited to write anything

B．he was not sure whether he did well

C．he had to wait for Rich Ezzo's permission

D．he wondered if the book would have long influence on him

By saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4, the author probably __________.

A．shows that the book brought him many new thoughts

B．shows how bad the traffic is in town

C．describes the difficulty in understanding the book

D．explains it's hard to change one's attitude to money

Which of the following is supported by the passage?

A．The author had known Rich Ezzo before.

B．The author hasn't dreamed of getting rich immediately.

C．The author always prefers e-books to paper books.

D．The author likes Get Rich Quick-type of publications.

A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation. The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title．“What is your occupation?” she asked.
The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, and then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t）, in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (依托) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern．
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?

A．The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was.

B．The recorder was impatient and rude.

C．The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced.

D．Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society.

How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?

A．curious

B．indifferent

C．puzzled

D．interested

How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?

A．calm

B．panic-stricken

C．confident

D．cool

Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?

A．Because the author cared little about rewards.

B．Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab.

C．Because she thought the author did admirable work.

D．Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of.

What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A．To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.

B．To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect.

C．To show that the author had a grander job than Emily.

D．To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后第76至第85小题的空格里填上适当的单词并将答案转写到答题卡上。
注意：每空仅填一个单词。
The ancient religions of the Greeks and Romans were based on myths. Originally the word meant “spoken words” or stories. Nowadays myths refer to tales without a kernel of truth, or fantasies.
In nearly every civilization people tried to control their surroundings and the things happening around them to make them less threatening. In prehistoric cultures myths were used to explain natural phenomena. Ancient civilizations saw the earth as the goddess because of its fertility. Other phenomena like wind, lightning and thunder also were brought into connection with supernatural forces. The people felt themselves surrounded by gods and completely dependent.
The Greek myths also originated in that manner, but had more functions. They also explained the beginning of the world and the origin of man. Furthermore, the myths kept alive the memories of the foundation of important cities as well as the heroic deeds of civilizations and individuals. The tales of heroes, human beings with often supernatural capacities, gave men examples of perfection. During the whole Classical Period people believed the myths, but over time they came to be taken less and less seriously.
During the Greek Period myths were spread by word of mouth. The singing of mythical events was an important aspect of religious ritual. Many singers traveled around and sang the tales they heard on their way.
The first collection of myths was the work of Homer. He was blind, and to survive he collected traditional stories and let them been written down by others. The books of his that we know are the Iliad and the Odyssey. The first author to write about the beginning of the world and its deities was Hesiod in the 18the century.

Title: _____ of Myths
Meaning	________	They meant “spoken words” or traditional stories.
Nowadays	They meant something that people believe but which doesn’t _____ or is false.
____ and Status	Prehistoric cultures	They were used to explain aspects of the natural world and supernatural phenomena.
People felt completely dependent on _____.
Classical period	Besides explaining natural phenomena, they also ①explained how the world began and how the man came into ______; ②________ the foundation of important cities and good deeds; ③dealt with supernatural beings and heroes.
People believed in them but were not___ about them gradually.
Forms	Oral myths	They were usually sung in religious rituals or by ___ singers.
____ myths	The representative authors are Homer and Hesiod.

A．kids’ room	B．sock drawer
C．medicine cabinet	D．safe