根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
As Nicole and Mike Zupan get closer to retirement, they worry about more than just covering their own living expenses for the next several decades.
He is autistic(患自闭症的) and may never be able to live on his own. Their idea of retirement is to live a quiet life close to their son.
They want to create a special needs trust to help pay for treatment and other expenses he might face as an adult.
“Because of our son’s needs, I guess I never really considered true retirement for us,” she says.
She is to attend college in a few years.
The Zupans’ ideal plan is for Mike, 60, to retire first, in five to seven years, and for Nicole, 52, to continue working for several years beyond that before she joins him in retirement.
But before they can get there, they want to pay off the $18,000 in credit card debt, partly because their son’s treatment is not covered by insurance. They have about $230,000 left on the mortgage(按揭) for their home in Fairfax County, Va., which they assess will take about 12 years to pay off.
Matters are complicated by the fact that Nicole, who worked as a preschool teacher, is now unemployed while she recovers from foot operation. Mike’s $120,000 income, which he earns as a government clerk, is enough to cover their basic living expenses. But Nicole wants to get back to work so the family could afford more treatment for Josef and pay down their debt faster. They also would be able to save more for their long-term goals, including retirement, their daughter’s college tuition and their son’s future living expenses.
A.Besides they have a $14,000 loan they used on home improvements. |
B.It’s unlikely that Josef will go to college. |
C.They’re also trying to save for their 14-year-old daughter, Elshaday. |
D.They want to set aside enough money for their 15-year-old son, Josef. |
E. It could be a few weeks before she can return to the workforce.
F. Can their retirement savings cover them?
G. He may need to move into a group home when he gets older.
People often say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and that's actually quite true. After all, making a good first impression is all about making others feel good when spending time with them.The following tips will help you make a positive impression every time.
● Dress appropriatelyThat means dressing up or putting on nice, clean, situation-appropriate clothes for social situations.It isn't difficult and it doesn't have to cost you much, either.
● Be aware of your body language
Words express very little of what you say.Body language can tell someone a lot about your mood and confidence level.Eye contact is an easy way to make others feel comfortable, important and special.Nervous body language can make others uncomfortable and anxious.Try to be aware of your body language when communicating with others.
● Respect the opinions of others
Not everyone will have the same opinion with you, and friendly disagreements can be a gateway to a great conversation.Respect other people's right to have their own opinion.Respect the opinions of others even if you disagree with them.
●
People love talking about themselves, but generally, you want to be careful of taking over the conversation.By listening carefully to what others are saying, you are not only making them feel important, but you can gather cues you need to keep the conversation going and bridge to new topics.
A.Be a careful listener. |
B.Show an interest in every person you meet. |
C.Smile especially when first meeting someone. |
D.Make sure you look nice whenever you meet someone new. |
E.Meeting new people and starting conversations is often challenging.
F.Others will want to be with you and help you make a good impression.
G.Don't force others to believe what you believe or to see things only as you see them.
What is your favourite colour? Do you like yellow, orange, red? ____. Do you prefer greys and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be a pessimist (悲观主义者). At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of colour preference, as well as the effect that colours have on human beings. ___
___ . If you happen to love brown, you did so as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.
_____. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. __
___ . A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides (自杀) than any other bridge in the area---until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
_____. It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.
A.On the other hand, black is depressing. |
B.They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favourite colour as we grow up --- we are born with our preference. |
C.The rooms are painted in different colours as you like. |
D.If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. |
E. Light and bright colours make people not only happier but more active.
F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colours.
G. Colours do influence our moods---there is no doubt about it.
七选五(共5小题;每小题2分,满分10分)
The Value of a Dollar
If you find a single one dollar bill in your pocket, what could you do with it? ____ If you take a few moments to think about the value of that dollar, you'd find that it can actually get you further than you think.
Pay a visit to your local dollar store. There are a lot of things you can buy. A simple trip can show wonders in savings if you know where to shop and watch for ads. ___ Some specials include more things for a dollar in which case the value of that dollar is at least doubled.
A dollar could buy a small lottery ticket. Keep in mind that this may make you spend more money, however. It can be very attractive to many people, so be careful not to let it get to your head. Even so, what is the harm in treating yourself once in a while? ___ If not, at least it was a moment of excitement in your boring life.
___ There are many stores that have containers for the purposes of a charitable cause. Next time you see one of these, take a look at it and actually read the words on the container. If it's a cause you feel strongly about, why not help to make a difference?
___ These are only a few to get you thinking about it. In today's society with so many poor people and lowincome families, this is something that's very important to think about.
A.You never know if you'll hit it lucky. |
B.Why is the value of the dollar lower today? |
C.You can also think about giving it away to charity. |
D.Many things are often on sale for a dollar or less a piece. |
E. There are endless possibilities to put that dollar to good use.
F. Sometimes it gets carelessly spent on some unimportant things.
G. The dollar's value can be compared with what it bought in the past.
Investing(投资) in yourself
Figuring out how to invest your money can be a difficult task. This is something that you will want to learn how to do.
______ Things that will improve your knowledge, skills or health are all great investments. However, before you start, you need to be clear about what you will gain out of doing all of these things.
You may think investing in yourself means investing in your education. ______. There are some other things you can do as well as buying a gym membership or learning a new skill.
So what are some specific things you can do? ____. Reading books can really expand your mind and allow you to learn different skills and gain knowledge. I’m talking about the books where you will actually learn a new skill, not fiction books.
_____. These programs are taught by people with a high level of knowledge or skill. Of course, you need to do some research before investing. Only in this way can you avoid being fooled by some sales presentation.
Moreover, investing in yourself is a safe way to keep your money. Although a savings account is seen as the most secure investment, that isn’t 100% safe. Even if you never experience your bank closing down, the return is little when inflation(通货膨胀) is taken into consideration. ______. But over time, they will show up in terms of your happiness level as well as your level of success.
A.The benefits will stay with you. |
B.This is just one way. |
C.If you aren’t a reader, you should start with that. |
D.The more you do this, the more valuable you will be. |
E. The best way to invest your money is to invest it in yourself.
F. You can also take courses and attend seminars.
G. When you invest in yourself, you may not see gains right away.
Dear Sir,
I have to travel every day from So UK Road to the airport. Two buses travel along this route No.49 and No.16. However, by the time No.16 reaches So UK Road, it’s always full.___ The timetable states that there are buses from So UK Road to the airport every ten minutes.
_____ The instructions state that if there are empty seats on a bus, the bus must stop at every stop where people are waiting.
_______
The instructions state that no bus may carry more than 40 seated passengers and 20 standing passengers. Yesterday, I was the first to get off the bus when it reached the airport. ____. There were 129 of them.
Clearly printed on the back of every bus is a sign that says “Maximum speed 50mph.” ___ Saturday morning a No.49 bus travelled the distance in ten minutes, at an average speed of 60mph. At times it must have done at least 80 or even 90 mph.
It is obvious that our bus companies have neither respect for the instructions nor consideration for their passengers. Can nothing be done about this?
Jeff
A.I counted the other passengers as they got off. |
B.Is there anything we can do to change this? |
C.The problem is that we can have to pay more for our trip. |
D.The distance from So UK Road to airport is 10 miles. |
E. This leaves No. 49 which sometimes has empty seats on it.
F. If this is so, why do I have to wait half an hour for a bus nearly every day?
G. Why is it that half-empty buses go straight past me when I am standing at the bus stop?