He wasn’t sick. He wasn’t old. And he wasn’t losing. He had a very good final season and won his last game in 2008. And then he walked away.
Lloyd Carr was 62. That’s a few years earlier than retirement(退休) age in America and many years earlier than some college football coaches say goodbye. How was Carr, who coached University of Michigan, able to leave so easily?
“ It can be intoxicating,” Carr admits. “The Saturday afternoons and the crowds. And when you win, there’s nothing like it.”
But the job needs hard work. The pressure to win. The endless training. The hours are so long that sleeping at the office is a normal thing. I reported Carr’s career at Michigan from 1995 to 2007. I saw him run onto the field before 100,000 cheering fans, saw him enjoy a share of a national championship with a 12-0 season.
And when I visited him recently in retirement, the difference was noticeable. He seems much calmer, relaxed, more at peace. He says, “As much fun as it is, there’s a period when you have other things to deal with.”
Carr knew he wanted to travel, see the world, read more, do other work. He is now connected with a children’s hospital, does some speaking, plays golf, and enjoys relaxing with his wife, Laurie, and their many grandchildren.
Several of today’s big-name coaches are all about Carr’s retirement age. Nick Saban turns 59 this month. Jim Tressel is 57. Frank Beamer is already 63. None of them seems to be slowing down.
So when, I ask Carr, is the right moment to leave such a great job?
He thinks. Finally, he says, “When you love it and can still walk away from it. That’s the right moment.”Lloyd Carr stopped working as a coach because he _______.
| A．was too old | B．was injured seriously |
| C．had other things to experience | D．followed others’ examples |
The underlined word “intoxicating” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.
| A．exciting | B．disappointing | C．surprising | D．puzzling |
It can be inferred from the text that Lloyd Carr ________.
| A．was always free after retirement |
| B．was a failure as a football coach |
| C．missed the time when he coached |
| D．enjoyed his retirement life very much |
The author is most probably ________.
| A．a football player | B．Lloyd Carr’s assistant |
| C．a retired coach | D．a sports reporter |
A psychologist once said,“If you’ve conquered every one of your fears, congratulations — you’re dead.”This humorous quote points to a simple truth — no one can escape fear completely.
However, fear can be a good thing. It is a natural, healthy reaction to danger. In fact, sometimes we are afraid of things that aren’t dangerous, such as public speaking, failing a test, or being rejected. These unhealthy fears can keep us from fulfilling our dreams. So how can we successfully face our fears?
First, admit what you fear and then share it with someone you trust. Perhaps you worry that others would look down on you if they know what you fear, but you might be surprised at how many other people share the same fears. Learning you are not the only one who fears something will give you self-esteem(自尊心) a push. Second, ask yourself,“What is the worst-case scenario（最坏的情况）?”This question can help you gain perspective（洞察力）.If you think about it, the worst might not be that bad, after all. Compared with the fear of losing a contest or being turned down, the regret of having missed opportunities can be even harder to bear. Even worse, you will never know what you might have accomplished. Finally, take small steps toward conquering your fears. If you fear public speaking, start by giving a small talk to a few people. If your talk doesn’t go well, try again. Each small success will increase your confidence and persistence is one of the keys to success.
You might never completely conquer your fear of certain things, but what is important is that you can bring yourself to do what you fear. True bravery is feeling afraid but doing what you have to do anyway. It’s also true that you struggle with fear and don’t let your fears stop you from getting the most out of life.This passage mainly discusses .
| A．the harm of fear to success | B．varieties of fear |
| C．ways to handle fear | D．necessity of fear |
In the writer’s opinion, what might be even worse than losing a contest?
| A．Being turned down by others. |
| B．Forgetting what to say in public speaking. |
| C．Sharing ideas with others. |
| D．Missing an opportunity. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Not everything we are afraid of is dangerous. |
| B．It’s encouraged to share your fear with others. |
| C．It’s difficult to overcome some fears. |
| D．What you fear should be worse than what you think. |
It can be learned from the passage that a really courageous person .
| A．does what is necessary to do |
| B．always achieves what he or she wants |
| C．has no fear in his or her life |
| D．never loses a contest |
One day, when I went shopping with Julie, we came across something special. Waiting in a long checkout line, I thought about going to another, which had the shortest queue. There was only one guy in it, but he was in a wheelchair. Well, we stepped in behind him. At first, he seemed to be having difficulty getting his groceries onto the checking desk. But after a while, I realized that what he was actually doing was separating them into two piles.
However, doing that job was no easy task in itself. I offered to help, but he and the checkout lady had it under control. He asked my wife if she would mind putting his empty basket away. What must it be like, I wondered, to be so dependent on other people like that? The checkout operator came around and gave him his change and the items he needed to have to hand. She hung one bag of groceries over a handle at the back of his chair. I offered to get the other, bigger, bag and he said, “No. But you could do me a favour. Take that lot along to the entrance and give it to Angela.”
As I was told, I did that, leaving Julie with our shopping. Angela, as turned out, was collecting food for people who might otherwise go hungry! I hadn't even noticed her before. This guy, despite the limitations that his physical condition imposed on him, had bought more than twice as much shopping as he needed – and given the bigger bag away to help other people! He didn't let the fact that he needed help stop him from being a help. He may have been limited physically, but his heart was more than capable of overcoming all that. And it changed my idea of dependence when I realized that the help he had given was more than the help he had received.
So … what’s holding the rest of us back? From the first paragraph, we know that______.
| A．the writer was obviously a disabled person |
| B．the man in a wheelchair was a shopper |
| C．the writer and Julie jumped the queue |
| D．only three people were shopping then |
The man put the things he bought into two piles, probably because______.
| A．his shopping bags were too small to hold all the groceries |
| B．he hoped to keep the balance of his wheelchair |
| C．he intended to help the people in need |
| D．it would be easy for him to carry |
From the passage, we can learn that Angela was probably______.
| A．the disabled person’s wife |
| B．the girl at the checking desk |
| C．a hungry and homeless beggar |
| D．a kind-hearted and helpful woman |
Which of the following can best describe the man in the wheelchair?
| A．kind, energetic and determined |
| B．positive, dependent and easy-going |
| C．active, optimistic and open-minded |
| D．helpful, generous and strong-hearted |
Environmental problems are becoming more and more serious all over the world. For example, cars have made the air unhealthy for people to breathe and poisonous gas is given off by factories. Trees on the hills have been cut down and waste water is being poured continuously into rivers. Furthermore, wherever we go today, we can find rubbish carelessly disposed.
There are different kinds of pollutants, each of which comes from different sources. It is necessary to identify the source of pollution, in order to make a policy to eliminate them.
Different products, processes and activities of our industrialized world together form the major source of pollution. The forms of pollution can be mainly divided into three kinds—solid, liquid and gas.
These pollutions have greatly damaged our planet and continue to do so. In fact, pollution is threatening our existence. The whole ecological balance of the earth is changing. Massive destruction of environment has brought about negative effects and even posed a great threat to man’s existence.
We must face the situation that exists and take action to solve our environmental problems. For instance, new laws must be passed to place strict control over industrial pollution, the public must receive the education about the danger of pollution and so on.
The earth is our home and we have the duty to take care of it for ourselves and our later generation. Fortunately, more and more people have realized these problems. Measures have been taken to deal with these situations by the government. Laws have been passed to stop pollution, I hope the problems will be solved in the near future and our home will become better and better. How many examples of environmental problems are given in the first paragraph?
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．In all there are three kinds of pollution |
| B．If people continue to pollute our planet, there will be no trees. |
| C．Industrial pollution has been completely controlled. |
| D．Laws have been passed to stop pollution and protect our environment. |
The sentence “We hope that all these measures will be effective and bring back a healthy environment” can best be put at the end of paragraph _____.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．5 | D．6 |
The writer’s attitude towards the future of the earth is _____.
| A．despair | B．negative | C．optimistic | D．hopeless |
Taiwan-born American director Ang Lee's win of his second directing Oscar has sparked complex feelings among Chinese audiences, who expressed their pride due to the director's Chinese roots, but couldn't help but reflect on why the Chinese mainland has failed to deliver more outstanding films to the world .
Lee, 58, on Sunday accepted the Academy Award for best director for Life of Pi, a 3D adventure-drama film.Lee had won the top directing award in 2006 for Brokeback Mountain and the best foreign language film Oscar in 2001 for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Lee came to Hollywood's attention after directing three Chinese-language films in the early 1990s, with an emphasis on the interactions between modernity and Chinese traditions.Some Web users called Lee "a source of pride for Chinese people," and admired him for bearing the torch of Chinese culture.
However, a large number of audience members and critics from the mainland expressed their frustrations over home-made movies: Mainland filmmakers have made numerous ambitious tries for the prestigious award but never won.
Hao Jie, a young director whose 2010 film Single Man won the Special Jury Prize in the Tokyo Filmex Festival but was never screened in the mainland for it showed complex sex lives in a village.
"Due to the censorship(审查), we are prevented from the beginning of our production, which forbids our works from mirroring realities," Hao said.
While acknowledging the system's role in undermining(削弱) excellent works, Su Mu, a well-known film critic, argued that the atmosphere in the mainland's film circle is also to blame."Lee produces his works with his heart, but most mainland directors now only have money in mind."
Though having obtained approval for his second film from the film authority, Hao said cinemas have kept delaying the screening of his work."This is another factor that prevents us from progressing. Cinemas won't risk showing our film, which features no stars and is considered non-mainstream," complained Hao.What does the underlined phrase “the prestigious award” refer to?
| A．the Best Director of Oscar |
| B．any of the Oscar Awards |
| C．the Special Jury Prize |
| D．the best foreign language film Oscar |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Ang Lee’s films are always focusing on Chinese traditions. |
| B．Chinese audiences are proud of their Chinese identity in the films. |
| C．Ang Lee has won the world’s favor only by means of his three Oscars. |
| D．Ang Lee is famous for his combining modernity and Chinese traditions. |
Which of the following is NOT the factor that prevents Chinese mainland films’ progressing?
| A．Strict censorship. |
| B．A lack of wonderful directors. |
| C．The bad atmosphere in the film circle. |
| D．Cinemas’ not risking showing low-cost films. |
The best title for the passage is probably_____.
| A．Ang Lee-Pride of Chinese Movie-makers |
| B．The Future of Chinese Mainland Film-making |
| C．Bitter-sweet Feeling over Ang Lee’s Oscar Win |
| D．What Can Chinese Films Do for the Oscar Awards |
Last week Jay McCarroll and The HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) made a bold fur-free statement on the runway, marking a new chapter for the fashion industry and animal protection. The encouraging response to McCarroll’s show confirmed that change is happening in fashion.
McCarroll has good reasons for rejecting fur. Each year, tens of millions of amimals, including dogs and cats, needlessly suffer and die to fuel the fur industry. But what did Jay McCarroll use in place of fur?“I have patchwork pieces that contain all sorts of combinations of fabrics. The rest is cotton, nylon, polyester…you name it. I even have some stuff made out of bamboo / cotton blend. Anything but fur and leather,”he told Fashion Wire Daily.
“So many people want to protect animals and live their lives without causing unnecessary cruelty. More than two thirds of Americans have pets, and we share a bond with animals every day. Saying no to fur can help millions of animals, and we want to show our respect to leading designers like Jay who embrace compassion(同情) as the fashion,”said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The HSUS.“It is great to see leaders in the fashion industry recognizing that the animals need their fur more than we do.”Which of the following is true about Jay McCarroll?
| A．He is a famous fashion designer. |
| B．He is the executive vice president of the HSUS. |
| C．He is an editor of Fashion Wire Daily. |
| D．He is the head of an animal protection organization. |
What does“a new chapter”in line 2,paragraph 1 mean?
| A．A new unit of a book. | B．The beginning of a new trend. |
| C．The latest issue of a magazine. | D．A newly established organization. |
Which of the following is NOT recommended for clothing by Jay McCarroll?
| A．Polyester. | B．Bamboo. | C．Leather. | D．Patchwork pieces. |
What do we learn from this passage?
| A．Human beings depend emotionally on animals. |
| B．Fashion can go hand in hand with compassion for life. |
| C．Fur is more effective than bamboo/cotton blend for clothing. |
| D．Fur is more expensive than other materials for fashion designers. |
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