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.
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When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr. Zigler 41 everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling. I 42 there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said, “Dad, I want to 43 people feel like that.” My father asked me what I meant. “I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr. Zigler,” I replied. A (An) 44 was born.
Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others. 45 a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 Company 46 as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my 47 . Many people were surprised that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked why I would risk everything for a dream.
I made my 48 to start my own company and leave my secure position after 49 a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a speech that changed my life. He asked us, “If a god would offer you three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a (an) 50 to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a 51 ?” I would never forget the power I felt at that moment. I realized that 52 I accomplished in the past had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and didn’t need a god’s help to become a motivational speaker. A motivational speaker was born.
Having made that decision, I was immediately 53 . One week after I handed in my notice (辞职信), my husband was laid off from his job, and now we had no 54 . But I held fast to my dream. The wonder really began to happen. In a short time my husband found a better job. And I was able to book several 55 engagements with new customers. I discovered the incredible power of dreams.
A．rise B．blow C．put D．raise
A．left B．came C．arrived D．slipped
A．get B．hope C．make D．cheer
A．idea B．dream C．girl D．speaker
A．After B．Before C．Because D．While
A．beginning B．working C．acting D．regarding
A．life B．love C．income D．career
A．plan B．promise C．decision D．mind
A．attending B．joining C．entering D．holding
A．day B．minute C．week D．hour
A．help B．job C．god D．company
A．everything B．anything C．nothing D．something
A．examined B．searched C．checked D．tested
A．help B．harm C．income D．money
A．selling B．speaking C．writing D．listening
“Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.” I saw this wonderful old saying again in a book recently. It got me thinking about all the times that I have been 31 to forgive others in my life and all the joy that it has brought me. One 32 stands out particularly well.
I was a young boy at a summer camp. I was having a great time and 33___ everything about it except for another young boy of my age. To say we didn’t
34 would be a statement that made the situation less serious than it really was. We spent most of the week irritating, insulting (侮辱), and picking on each other.
35 finally came to a fight on the next to last day of camp. We got into a fist fight which I lost. 36 older boys broke it up before I was hurt too much. I spent the rest of the day alone, refusing to speak andlost in my own 37 .
The next day my spirits were 38 when Mom brought the boys in our cabin some of her delicious homemade 39 . I was enjoying a few slices of it when I saw the other boy sitting by himself at the bottom of the steps outside. He seemed very 40 right then. I am not sure what moved me to do so, but I took my pizza down and 41 it with him. It made all the anger and pain inside me 42 . We became friends after that. I never got into another fist fight either. I had found out that sharing and forgiving were much more fun and a lot less painful.
Forgiveness is 43 the sweetest revenge. It can turn an enemy into a friend. It can 44a heart from the chains of anger, hatred, and pain. It can open a soul to the sweetness of love and joy once again. May your life always be 45 of sweet forgiveness.
A．disappointed B．satisfied C．unwilling D．able
A．memory B．lesson C．incident D．week
A．struggling B．exploring C．enjoying D．remembering
A．get across B．get along C．hold on D．hold up
A．Thoughts B．Words C．Friends D．Conflicts
A．Surprisingly B．Thankfully C．Unexpectedly D．Regretfully
A．fight B．regret C．luck D．anger
A．sunk B．broken C．lifted D．shown
A．pizza B．hamburger C．pie D．sandwich
A．angry B．proud C．ashamed D．lonely
A．presented B．shared C．distributed D．divided
A．go away B．go on C．crowd in D．build up
A．nearly B．merely C．truly D．hardly
A．keep B．cure C．comfort D．free
A．full B．aware C．confident D．certain
Years ago I had the opportunity to meet a girl who strengthened my understanding of the power of belief. She was __36___ the most powerful individual I had ever met. I met Chris for the first time while taking the Dale Carnegie __37___ in California.
Our class had already been going for quite some time when ___38___, supported by metal crutches(拐杖), ___39__ herself in. Chris had cerebral palsy(大脑性麻痹). She had much ___40___ in communicating with others. This was not due to ___41___ of desire, but because most of her twenty-one years of life she had been kept in a room with no more than Elvis records and tapes to __42___ her. No one had taken the time to assist her in developing the ability to ___43___. It was Bonnie, her present caretaker, who ___44___ there was much more to Chris than anyone else could see.
When asked by the instructor what her goal ___45___ the twelve-week course was, Chris struggled to respond and became frustrated and ____46___ in the process. For most of her ___47___ nobody would listen to her. The only way she knew to get someone to ___48___ was through temper outbursts(发脾气). With Bonnie as her interpreter, Chris conveyed that her ___49___ was to be able to stand by herself in front of forty-five people and tell us about herself.
On the twelfth week, Chris stood in front of the room and ___50___ with us, in her own words, what her life had been like. It was one of the most beautiful and enlightening experiences I had ever ___51____. Though as a girl who had in many ways been ____52___, she believed that she could ___53___ more in her life and she did. And she also had the love and support of forty-five friends, who, just weeks before, had been ____54___ strangers.
What we all witnessed through Chris’ courage is that life is ____55___ moment by moment, based on our beliefs, which are relevant to both our personal and professional direction and have the power to make our wildest dreams come true.
A．luckily B．naturally C．formally D．probably
A．break B．course C．house D．chance
A．someone B．he C．herself D．she
A．ran B．rushed C．dragged D．jumped
A．difficulty B．concept C．disagreement D．suggestion
A．lack B．need C．notice D．cheer
A．impress B．entertain C．calm D．annoy
A．walk B．pronounce C．communicate D．write
A．knew B．asked C．spoke D．required
A．at B．for C．on D．in
A．grateful B．surprised C．angry D．noisy
A．way B．process C．operation D．life
A．watch B．smile C．listen D．understand
A．class B．goal C．ability D．reason
A．began B．agreed C．found D．shared
A．argued B．attended C．witnessed D．accepted
A．found out B．thrown away C．brought up D．held out
A．give B．accomplish C．spend D．accompany
A．complete B．necessary C．enough D．typical
A．called B．carried C．searched D．created
An amazing teacher
Years ago a John Hopkins professor gave a group of graduate students this task: Go to the slums（贫民窟）. Took 200 boys, between the ages of 12 and 16, and 31 their background and environment, then 32 their chances for the future.
The students, after consulting social statistics, talking to the boys, and collecting much data， concluded that 90 percent of the boys would 33 some time in prison.
Twenty-five years later 34 group of graduate students was given the job of 35 the prediction. They went back to the same area. Some of the boys---by then 36 ---were still there, a few had died, some had moved away, but they got in touch with 180 of the 37 200.They found that only four of the group had ever been sent to 38 .
Why was it that these men, who had lived in a breeding place of crime, had such a surprisingly good record? The researchers were 39 told,“Well, there was a teacher…”
They pressed（追问）further, and found that in 75 percent of the cases it was the same woman. The researchers went to this teacher, now living in a home for retired teachers. How had she had this brilliant 40 on that group of children? Could she give them any reason why these boys should have remembered her?
“No,” she said,“No，I really couldn’t.”And then， thinking back 41 the years, she said musingly（沉思地）,42 to herself than to her questioners,“Ｉloved those boys…”
A．look into B．make up C．show up D．result in
A．control B．arrange C．desert D．predict
A．cost B．spend C．take D．waste
A．others B．the other C．another D．other
A．cursing B．convincing C．applying D．testing
A．teachers B．students C．men D．professors
A．native B．rare C．recorded D．discouraged
A．slums B．society C．prison D．school
A．continually B．optimistically C．curiously D．officially
A．reflection B．harmony C．effect D．existence
A．before B．after C．in D．over.
A．less B．more C．better D．worse
One dark stormy night an elderly couple hurried into a hotel and asked whether they could be 36 for the night." I’m very sorry,” the clerk on night shift said politely, "we are all 37 tonight． 38 ,you
could stay in my room if you don't mind．I’m 39 , so I'll be here．“ The young man gave the sincere advice．
The elderly couple accepted his 40 with gratitude．They apologized for the 41 they had caused him．The next day, the rain stopped and it 42 ．When the old gentleman went to pay his bill, the same clerk said．" The room you and your wife stayed in is not a proper 43 room in this hotel, so you don't need to pay．”
The old gentleman nodded in 44 : “You are an employee that every boss in the hotel business would dream of．Perhaps someday I’ll build a hotel for you．”The clerk was__45 but, deciding that the
guest must have been 46 , he gave the remark 47 thought．
Two years later, the young man received a registered letter from the old gentleman, in which he 48 the experience of that dark stormy night．The letter also 49a formal invitation, asking that young man to pay a visit．
At a street comer in Manhattan, the young man met his 50 guest．The old gentleman, pointing
to a magnificent new building__51 over the crossroads, said, "Look, that is the hotel I 52 to build for you．I hope you will 53 it for me．Remember what I said then? Well, I was 54 about it．”
The young man stammered, "But…will there be any 55 ,sir? Why do you choose me? And who are you?"
“My name is William Aster．”This building was none other than the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, a symbol of supreme status and honor in New York．
A．put up B．put away C．stay up D．set up
A．preserved B．conserved C．booked D．occupied
A．Meanwhile B．Moreover C．Otherwise D．However
A．on duty B．on display C．on stage D．on hand
A．service B．view C．offer D．invitation
A．instruction B．consideration C．inconvenience D．interruption
A．cleared away B．picked out C．cleaned up D．cleared up
A．living B．double C．admirable D． luxury
A．appreciation B．admiration C．surprise D．excitement
A．excited B．skeptical C．annoyed D．respectful
A．lacking B．covering C．joking D．cheating
A．not more B．no more C．some D．another
A．described B．stated C．recited D．recalled
A．swapped B．included C．attached D．added
A．former B．original C．formal D．primitive
A．displaying B．towering C．flying D．climbing
A．determined B．promised C．tended D．intended
A．get B．keep C．manage D．make
A．sensitive B．concerned C．curious D．serious
A．scene B．situation C．condition D．occasion