While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous and anxious as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr Larchmont refused to grant his request? Andrew had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. Of course, he deserved a wage increase.
The thought of walking into Larchmont’s office left Andrew weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally courageous enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal（一向节俭的）Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a raise!
Andrew arrived home that evening—despite breaking all city and state speed limits—to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had tipped her off!
Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick it up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase.”
Suddenly tears swelled in Andrew’s eyes. Total acceptance! Tina’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.What was Andrew’s plan that Friday?
| A．To request a wage increase from his boss. |
| B．To get a job with the Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. |
| C．To celebrate his success with his wife at home. |
| D．To ask his boss to come for dinner. |
On his way back home, Andrew _________.
| A．felt weak in the knees |
| B．was punished by the traffic policeman |
| C．was too anxious to share the news |
| D．couldn’t wait to enjoy a meal |
Which of the following statements about the story is FALSE?
| A．Andrew was afraid that his request would lead to disaster. |
| B．Andrew had worked very hard and done his part for the company. |
| C．Andrew’s boss agreed to his request. |
| D．One of Andrew’s colleagues had told his wife the good news. |
Why did Tina prepare a grand dinner for Andrew that day?
| A．She was confident of his getting a pay raise. |
| B．She meant to show her support whatever the result would be. |
| C．She believed that her husband was the best in his company. |
| D．She wanted to express her gratitude for his devotion to the family. |
We can conclude from the text that ______.
| A．we should never be afraid to ask for what is due to us |
| B．work hard and you will be rewarded |
| C．many fears turn out to be unfounded |
| D．unconditional love brings courage and strength |
Decision-making can be extremely difficult. Decision-making styles are significantly different in different cultures.
In any approach to a problem and in any negotiations, the Western world turns to the“I to you” approach while Japan，the “you to you” approach. The former means both sides present their arguments openly from their own point of view. Naturally, often comes a confrontation(冲突) situation, which Westerners are very skillful in dealing with.The latter is based on each side trying to understand the other person’s point of view. Thus, the direction of the meeting is a mutual(相互的) attempt to reduce confrontation and achieve harmony.
Besides, Western decision-making goes mostly from top management(管理人员) and often does not consult middle management or the worker. However, in Japan great consideration is given to the thoughts and opinions of everyone at all levels. Based on “bottom-up direction”, ideas can be created at the lowest levels, travel upward through an organization and have an effect on the final decision.
Difference in decision-making also comes from different communication styles. The Japanese business person works to achieve harmony, even if the deal fallsthrough, and will spend whatever time is necessary to determine a “you to you” approach, communicating personal views only indirectly. They put a thorough job above the Western deadline approach. So the Japanese are thorough in their meetings. Thus Americans are often annoyed by the many meetings in many Japanese businesses. But where the American is pressingfor a specific decision, the Japanese is trying to think up a rather broad direction.
On the other hand, once a given agreement is made, it is the Japanese who sometimes wonderat the slow pace in which Westerners carry out the decision. The Japanese are eager to move forward and Westerners, perhaps, lag(落后)behind as they take the time for in-depth planning. The text mainly tells us that Japan and the Western world .
| A．face great difficulty in making decisions |
| B．are different in decision-making styles |
| C．have all members contribute to a decision |
| D．have two approaches: “I to you” and “you to I” |
Which of the following is TRUE of the Westerners?
| A．They carry out the decision once it is made. |
| B．There are many meetings in their businesses. |
| C．They work to achieve harmony in doing business. |
| D．They are good at handling confrontation situation. |
The author’s attitude towards Japanese decision-making is .
| A．positive | B．critical | C．negative | D．casual(无所谓的） |
The Ministry of Health has called for more awareness from the public on the mental health of the young, as part of efforts to mark World Mental Health Day.
More than 15 percent of the Chinese youth have been found with mental problems, and about 30 million young people under 17 are suffering from depression, the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily reported.
The World Health Organization predicted that before 2020, the rate of children with mental problems will increase to 50 percent, and mental problems will become a major factor behind death and illness in the young worldwide.
Deng Xiaohong, the spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, said rapid social change is one of the reasons behind the rising number of youngsters with psychological problems. If these mental diseases are not addressed on time, occurrence (发生) of crime, drugtaking and other dangerous behavior is expected to rise.
Experts said mental disease could be caused by many factors, such as the inability to handle interpersonal relations well, unstable (不稳定的) emotions and pressure from the overload of study. A number of experts have also said the one-child policy is another reason leading to poor mental health in the young.
Children were said to be too “spoiled” and “selfish” in one-child families. Schools in many cities were reported rolling out measures to help students maintain their mental wellbeing. Yin Jingmiao, a teacher of the Beijing No. 105 Middle School, told China Daily that the school invites psychologists to provide counseling (咨询) to students three times a month. “Students can be arranged to have 40minute counseling lessons,” Yin said. The school also gives lectures on mental health to senior grade students before they take the national college entrance exams, to help ease any anxiety arising from the tests. What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To urge awareness on mental health of the young. |
| B．To give details of the problems the Chinese youth are facing today. |
| C．To recommend that schools should invite more psychologists to help students. |
| D．To show us causes of the mental problems among students. |
The underlined word “addressed” in the fourth paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．talked about | B．dealt with | C．decided | D．introduced |
From the passage we can know that the causes of mental problems are mainly the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．one-child policy |
| B．lack of ability to handle interpersonal relations well |
| C．lack of special training in mental health |
| D．heavy burden from study |
We can learn that to bring down the occurrence of mental problems among the youth, ________.
| A．special attention should be paid to the mental health of the young |
| B．psychologists must be a necessary part of schools |
| C．the government should cancel tests to ease the pressure on the students |
| D．parents must try their best to meet all the needs of their children |
What should you think about when you try to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others, and these may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at mental work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.
If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school records, for instance, may not be very good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not feel sorry about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.In the writer’s opinion, for a student to have a part-time job is probably ________.
| A．a good way to find out his weak points |
| B．one of the best ways of earning extra money |
| C．of great use for his work in the future |
| D．a waste of time he could have spent on study |
If a student’s school record is not good, according to the passage, he ________.
| A．may do well in his future work |
| B．won’t be able to find a suitable job |
| C．may be a complete failure in the future |
| D．will regret not having worked harder at school |
The whole passage centers around ________.
| A．looking for a part-time job |
| B．developing one’s abilities at school |
| C．gaining much knowledge by working hard at school |
| D．knowing yourself before trying to choose a career |
The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks (火星) fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.
“Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (钉), even if it is only to pass the time?” said the blacksmith. “Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you.”
The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.
Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.
“How funny it seems,” he used to say, “even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.” The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ________.
| A．his father told him to | B．he wanted to learn a skill |
| C．Jones encouraged him to | D．he just wanted to pass his time |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Old Mr. Smith enjoyed making the shoe tacks. |
| B．The blacksmith had predicted the young man would be in need of the skill. |
| C．The higher prices they paid, the more tacks the shoemakers would get. |
| D．The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Skill makes life easy. |
| C．A good beginning makes a good ending. | D．Every man has his gift. |
In Britain, in a population of 60 million, there are 13 million grandparents, many of whom live alone a long way from their grandchildren.The loneliness of these older people has become an issue that schools are trying to teach children about .
On a popular teacher’s website, there is a classroom activity to help make children aware of the implications of the different generations of the same family living far from each other. It’s a story about Mrs. Eiderdown, an elderly lady whose grandchildren have moved to Australia with their parents. She lives alone and rarely sees her fami
ly .
First of all, the children speculate about Mrs. Eiderdown’s life. What does she have for breakfast ? what does she do all day ?how does she feel about her life ?
One day, Mrs. Eiderdown decides that she wants a pet to keep her company and puts an advertisement in a local shop window. Then she waits at home to see if anyone will answer her advertisement .
A tall thin man rings her doorbell. he is holding a cardboard box. Mrs. Eiderdown chats with the man for ten minutes before she realizes that she hasn’t looked in-side the box to see what the pet is. She can hear a his-sing sound. The children guess what is in the box(a snake). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the man but says she doesn’t think the snake is a good idea .
The next time the doorbell rings, there’s a lady on the doorstep, also carrying a cardboard box.In the bottom of the box, Mrs. Eiderdown sees something black and hairy with eight legs. Again ,the children say what they think it is (a spider). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the lady for her kindness but says that a spider is not the sort of pet she has in mind.
At last, the littl
e girl next door brings her a dog .Mrs. Eiderdown’s life improves a lot because of the dog. more importantly, of course, the little girl, whose own granny lives a long way away, starts to visit Mrs.Eiderdown more often. This interactive classroom idea has led to a greater awareness among children about the possible loneliness of older people who live quite near them .what’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．children get to know about the trouble of the elderly |
| B．neighbors help select pets for Mrs. Eiderdown |
| C．society helps the lonely people in the UK |
| D．school send pets to the lonely elderly |
what does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean ?
| A．they talk about how she feels about being old |
| B．they try to experience her loneliness |
| C．they try to imagine how she lives |
| D．they write about her life story |
what can we infer from the passage ?
| A．the little girl often visits her own granny |
| B．the people who offer pets are lady’s neighbors |
| C．the farther the elderly live ,the lonelier they feel |
| D．the little girl begins to care more about Mrs. Eiderdown |
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