The Turning Point
A handsome, middle aged man walked quietly into the cafe and sat down. Before he 1 , he couldn't help but 2 a group of younger men at the table next to him. It was 3 they were making fun of something about him, and it wasn't until he remembered he was 4 a small pink ribbon on the lapel (翻领) of his suit that he became aware of what the 5 was all about.
The man 6 the reaction as ignorance, but the smirks (嬉笑) began to get to him. He looked one of the 7 men square in the eye, placed his hand beneath the ribbon and asked, "This?"
With that the men all began to laugh out loud. The man he 8 said, as he fought back 9 , "Hey, sorry man, but we were just commenting on how 10 your little ribbon looks against your blue jacket!"
The middle aged man 11 motioned for the joker to come over to his table, and invited him to sit down. As 12 as he was, the guy obliged, not really sure why. In a 13 voice, the middle aged man said, "I wear this ribbon to bring 14 about breast cancer. I wear it in my mother's 15 ."
"Oh, sorry. She died of breast cancer?"
"No, she didn't. She's alive and 16. But her breasts nourished (养育) me as an infant, and were a soft 17 place for my 18 when I was scared or 19 as a little boy. I'm very grateful for my mother's breasts, and her 20 ."
| A．ordered | B．settled | C．realized | D．left |
| A．notice | B．meet | C．glance | D．catch |
| A．common | B．strange | C．natural | D．obvious |
| A．showing | B．wearing | C．hanging | D．fixing |
| A．fun | B．talk | C．joke | D．story |
| A．shut off | B．took off | C．put off | D．brushed off |
| A．happy | B．rude | C．dishonest | D．selfish |
| A．addressed | B．interrupted | C．scolded | D．questioned |
| A．anger | B．laughter | C．tears | D．words |
| A．ugly | B．small | C．funny | D．pretty |
| A．quickly | B．calmly | C．cleverly | D．carefully |
| A．unfortunate | B．uncertain | C．unfair | D．uncomfortable |
| A．high | B．sharp | C．soft | D．loud |
| A．awareness | B．promotion | C．changes | D．lessons |
| A．name | B．honor | C．request | D．sense |
| A．suffering | B．wealthy | C．lucky | D．well |
| A．hiding | B．healing | C．resting | D．sleeping |
| A．hand | B．arm | C．head | D．mind |
| A．hungry | B．lonely | C．proud | D．nervous |
| A．strength | B．accompany | C．fame | D．health |
Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, was born in Kingfish, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. He was raised in Missouri where he worked in his father’s store while attending school. This was his first retailing (零售业) experience and he really enjoyed it. After graduation, he began his own career as a retail merchant.
He soon opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart specialized in name brands at low prices and Sam Walton was surprised at the success. Soon a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America.
Walton's management style was popular with employees and he founded some of the basic concepts of management that are still in use today.
After taking the company public in 1970, Walton introduced his “profit sharing plan”. The profit sharing plan was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to improve their income dependent on the profits of the store. Sam Walton believed that “individuals don't win, teams do”. Employees at Wal-Mart stores were offered stock options (认股权) and store discounts. These benefits are commonplace today, but Walton was among the first to implement (实现) them. Walton believed that a happy employee meant happy customers and more sales. He also believed that by giving employees a part of the company and making their success dependent on the company’s success, they would care about the company.
By the 1980s, Wal-Mart had sales of over one billion dollars and over three hundred stores across North America. Wal-Mart’s unique decentralized (分散的) distribution system, also Walton’s idea, created the edge needed to further encourage growth in the 1980s during growing complaints that the “superstore” was stopping smaller and traditional stores from developing. By 1991, Wal-Mart was the largest US retailer with 1,700 stores. Walton remained active in managing the company, as president and CEO until 1988 and chairman until his death. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death.
Sam Walton first made a hit in retailing when __________.
A．he worked in his father’s store B．he created Walton's management style C．a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America D．he specialized in name brands at low prices
A．To make sure all the employees had their own shares. B．To encourage the employees to work hard and make joint efforts. C．To select excellent employees for his stores. D．To make more profit for himself.
A．With Walton’s management style, employees treated the stores as their own. B．Walton wasn’t one of the merchants who first implemented stock options. C．The smaller and traditional stores were well affected by Walton’s stores. D．In his old age, Walton gave all the management to his men.
A．Danger. B．Disadvantage. C．Advantage. D．System.
Debbie Macomber decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. She rented a typewriter, put it on the ____ table and began typing each morning after the kids went to school. ____ the kids came home, she moved it and made them dinner. When they were ____ she got it back and typed some more.
Debbie followed this ____ for two years. She had become a struggling writer and she loved every minute of it. One night, ____, her husband, Wayne, said, “Honey, I’m sorry, but you’re not ____ any income. We can’t do this anymore. We can’t survive on just what I make.” That night, her heart was ____. Debbie knew, with all of the ____ of keeping up a house, working 40 hours a week would ____ her no time to write.
Seeing her ____, her husband asked, “What’s wrong?” “I really think I can make it as a ____.” “All right, honey, go for it,” Wayne ____ for a long time and then said.
So Debbie returned to her ____ and her typewriter on the kitchen table, writing for another two years. Wayne worked harder and their kids went without vacations and wore hand-me-downs. But the sacrifice finally ____.
Debbie sold her first book after five years of ____. Then another. And another. Until today, Debbie has ____ more than 100 books, many of ____ have become New York Times best-sellers. Over 60 million copies of her books are in print.
And Wayne? His selfless ____ of his wife paid off. He got to retire at 50 and now spends his free time building a private airplane in the basement of their 7,000 square-foot mansion. ____, Debbie’s kids also got a gift more important than several summer camps. As adults, they ____ what Debbie gave them was far more important — persistence and encouragement to pursue their own dreams.
A．coffee B．bedside C．kitchen D．dressing
A．Unless B．When C．Though D．Wherever
A．asleep B．awake C．free D．convenient
A．standard B．suggestion C．tradition D．routine
A．therefore B．however C．somehow D．anyway
A．making up B．cutting down C．finding out D．bringing in
A．broken B．warm C．touched D．cold
A．abilities B．balances C．duties D．problems
A．stop B．leave C．ensure D．permit
A．achievements B．behavior C．efforts D．sadness
A．typist B．housewife C．writer D．designer
A．doubted B．compared C．delayed D．hesitated
A．office B．dream C．state D．home
A．paid off B．broke up C．came back D．cleared up
A．challenging B．struggling C．thinking D．arguing
A．collected B．published C．prepared D．translated
A．them B．that C．it D．which
A．support B．respect C．trust D．protection
A．Surprisingly B．Gratefully C．Gradually D．Similarly
A．admit B．realize C．wonder D．prove
A year ago, August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but it was for Dave to find work, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at the risk of joining the millions of Americans who have their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely —$7,000, a legacy(遗产) from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident. “It really made a difference when we were meeting difficulty.” says Dave.
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were by what the Hatches had done. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars; in , it was more than $100,000.
It nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million—they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm.
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of . They preferred comparison shopping and would go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase.
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camps when their parents couldn’t it. “Ish and Arlene never asked if you anything,” says their friend Sandy Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them.”
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches their farmland. It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents—should the whole community and last for generations to come.
Neighbors helping neighbors—that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.
A．happy B．hard C．easy D．nice
A．lost B．bought C．left D．wanted
A．gift B．money C．encouragement D．package
A．accept B．defeat C．win D．receive
A．amazed B．excited C．upset D．touched
A．the other B．another C．other D．others
A．surprised B．frightened C．pleased D．encouraged
A．kind B．generous C．living D．saving
A．afford B．buy C．offer D．keep
A．suffered B．enjoyed C．needed D．did
A．put away B．put up C．gave up D．gave away
A．enrich B．bless C．brighten D．expand
There was a Greek shopkeeper in a small corner shop in London. She taught me about the of an act of kindness, which has motivated me to give.
On the day I went to that shop, I was with a very high fever. I had been off work for days and I had out of food. Because I had been working so hard since I had to town, I also had no friends who could help.
So I went out to get some food. , I would have gone to the supermarket, but on this , I went into the Greek shop because it was closer. I a few things, which revealed the that I lived alone. Then I them to the shopkeeper, who told me, “You are unwell.” I rather shyly. She pointed at the things I was buying and “I can make you a sandwich, so you don’t have to do it yourself.”
So, she made the sandwich and asked me to a moment. She went in the back room and reappeared with a container of hot soup.” It will you up,” she said with a smile.
What really warmed me up, , was not the soup. It was her that told me she cared. Her kindness made me feel cared for when I was particularly .
And it me. It made me want to be as as the shopkeeper. I had been quite shy, but, from that day on, I did not let shyness prevent me from random acts of kindness.
I was determined to the joy… and I haven’t felt lonely since!
A．power B．method C．lesson D．cause
A．sick B．angry C．satisfied D．nervous
A．made B．sold C．run D．eaten
A．arrived B．turned C．moved D．saved
A．Normally B．Officially C．Formally D．Probably
A．chance B．occasion C．point D．reason
A．picked up B．took in C．gave off D．made out
A．news B．fact C．secret D．idea
A．handed B．lent C．returned D．threw
A．paid B．listened C．nodded D．followed
A．promised B．wondered C．introduced D．offered
A．leave B．stop C．wait D．last
A．warm B．take C．put D．catch
A．thus B．even C．still D．though
A．permission B．choice C．smile D．view
A．bored B．curious C．guilty D．lonely
A．surprised B．inspired C．developed D．punished
A．patient B．lovely C．kind D．pure
A．performing B．judging C．accepting D．helping
A．hold B．spread C．enjoy D．value
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