My father was a self-taught mandolin player. He was one of the best string _______ players in our town. He could not ______ music, but if he heard a tune a few times, he could play it.
Dad loved to play the mandolin for his ___ ___ for he knew we enjoyed singing, and hearing him play. He was always there, ___ ___ his time and efforts to see that his family had enough in their life. I had to grow into a man and have children of my own ________I realized how much he had sacrificed.
I joined the United States Air _ _ in January of 1962. Whenever I would come home ___ ___ , I would ask Dad to play the mandolin. He could ___ __ _your soul with the tones that came out of that old mandolin. He seemed to shine when he was playing. You could see his _ ___ in his ability to play so well for his family.
In 1950, our family moved to Maryland. While working at Todd Steel, he was _ ___ in an accident. On that particular day, Dad got the third index finger of his left hand ________ by the machine. He didn't lose enough of the finger ____ it would stop him picking up anything, but it did _ _ his ability to play the mandolin. After the accident, When I came home and asked him to play, Dad would make ______ for why he couldn't play. For the family it didn't make any ___ ___ that Dad couldn't play as well.
In August of 1993, my father was discovered with lung cancer. He chose not to receive treatments so that he could live out the rest of his life ____ dignity. About a week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for us. He made excuses but said "okay". He knew it would probably be the _ ___ time he would play for us. He tuned up the old mandolin and played a few _ __ . When I looked around, there was not a _ _ eye in the family. We saw before us a quiet man with an inner strength. Dad would never play the mandolin for us again. Dad was doing something he had done all his life, _ ______. As sick as he was, he was still pleasing others. Dad sure could play that Mandolin!
A．equipment B．instrument C．musical D．musician
A．read B．see C．look at D．copy
A．audience B．employer C．family D．friends
A．employing B．devoting C．spending D．wasting
A．since B．when C．after D．before
A．Power B．Energy C．Force D．Strength
A．on duty B．on holiday C．on vacation D．on leave
A．feel B．touch C．contact D．keep
A．proud B．pride C．please D．praise
A．involved B．participated C．took part D．joined
A．cut in B．cut up C．cut off D．cut out
A．which B．that C．what D．where
A．destroy B．affect C．effect D．injure
A．uses B．preparations C．excuses D．impressions
A．difference B．sense C．comment D．decision
A．at B．on C．off D．in
A．first B．latest C．last D．longest
A．notes B．bills C．symbols D．signs
A．wet B．dry C．cried D．crying
A．sponsoring B．taking C．distributing D．giving
Everyone in business has been told that success is all about attracting and retaining (留住) customers. It sounds simple and achievable. But, , words of wisdom are soon forgotten. Once companies have attracted customers they often
the second half of the story. In the excitement of beating off the competition, negotiating prices, securing orders, and delivering the product, managers tend to become carried away. They forget what they regard as the boring side of business—
that the customer remains a customer.
to concentrate on retaining as well as attracting customers costs business huge amounts of money annually. It has been estimated that the average company loses between 10 and 30 per cent of its customers every years. In constantly changing
, this is not surprising. What is surprising is the fact that few companies have any idea how many customers they have lost.
Only now are organizations beginning to wake up to those lost opportunities and calculate the
implications. Cutting down the number of customers a company loses can make a big in its performance. Research in the US found that a five per cent decrease in the number of defecting (流失的) customers led to
increases of between 25 and 85 per cent.
In the US, Domino’s Pizza estimates that a regular customer is worth more than $5,000 over ten years. A customer who receives a poor quality product or service on their first visit and never returns, is losing the company thousands of dollars in
profits (more if you consider how many people they are likely to tell about their bad experience).
The logic behind cultivating customer is impossible to deny. “In practice most companies’ marketing effort is focused on getting customers, with little attention paid to
them”, says Adrian Payne of Cornfield University’ School of Management. “Research suggests that there is a close relationship between retaining customers and making profits.
customers tend to buy more, are predictable and usually cost less to service than new customers. Furthermore, they tend to be less price
, and may provide free word-of-mouth advertising. Retaining customers also makes it
for competitors to enter a market or increase their share of a market.
A. in particular B. in reality
C. at least D. first of all
A. emphasize B. doubt
C. overlook D. believe
A. denying B. ensuring
C. arguing D. proving
A. Moving B. Hoping
C. Starting D. Failing
A. markets B. tastes
C. prices D. expenses
A. culture B. social
C. financial D. economical
A. promise B. plan
C. mistake D. difference
A. cost B. opportunity
C. profit D. budget
A. as a result B. on the whole
C. in conclusion D. on the contrary
A. huge B. potential
C. extra D. reasonable
A. beliefs B. loyalty
C. habits D. interest
A. altering B. understanding
C. keeping D. attracting
A. Assumed B. Respected
C. Established D. Unexpected
A. agreeable B. flexible
C. friendly D. sensitive
A. unfair B. difficult
C. essential D. convenient
I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn’t like attention drawn to myself. And otherwise assigned（指定）a seat by the teacher, I always
to sit at the back of the classroom.
All this after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a crazy
because I didn’t have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the
to keep pace with the others on the team and they would tease me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my “
for it”, I wouldn’t have decided to give a try.
Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts was only the of it! When I first started
the practice sessions, I didn’t even know the rules of the game, much
what I was doing. Sometimes I’d get
and take a shot at the wrong direction—which made me feel really stupid.
, I wasn’t the only one “new” at the game, so I decided to
on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn’t
“just yet”.
I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the and the “moves”. Being part of a team was fun and motivating. Very soon the competitive
in me was winning over my lack of confidence. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the
— friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. I never had so much fun!
With my self-confidence comes more praise from teachers and classmates. I have gone from
in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself,
raising my hand— even when I sometimes wasn’t and not 100 percent
I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.
A. as B. until C. unless D. though
A. hoped B. Agreed C. meant D. chose
A. continued B. changed C. settled D. started
A. idea B. plan C.belief D. saying
A. right B. chance C. ability D.patience
A. going B. looking C. cheering D. applying
A. point B. half C. rest D. basis
A. enjoying B. preparing C. attending D. watching
A. less B. later C. worse D. further
A. committed B. motivated C. embarrassed D. Confused
A. Interestingly B. Fortunately C. Obviously D. hopefully
A. focus B. act C. rely D. try
A. want B. do C. support D. know
A. steps B. orders C. rules D. games
A. roles B. part C. mind D. value
A. process B. operation C. movement D. situation
A. expressed B. improved C. preserved D. recognized
A. dreaming B. playing C. relaxing D. hiding
A. by B. for C. with D. to
A. lucky B. happy C. sure D. satisfied
When I was small, my mom used to give the family a funny special treat from time to time.
One evening, my mom a plate of eggs, sausage and very burnt toast in front of my dad. But my dad just took his toast,
at my mom and asked me how my
at school had been. ①I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember
him put butter and jelly (果冻甜品）on that toast. He ate it up as usual, every single bite！
After dinner, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for the toasts. And I will never
what he said, "Honey，I love burned toasts."
Later that night, I went to kiss daddy good night and I asked him he really liked his toasts burned. He
me in his arms and said, "Your mommy worked very hard today and she is really
. And besides, a bit of burnt toast never
anyone!"
Life is full of imperfect things. Nobody is either. I'm not the best at anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries (周年纪念）just like everyone else, but I have
something important over the years. We need to accept each other's
. We need to tolerate each other's differences. These two things are the keys to
a healthy, growing and lasting relationship.
This rule any relationship-friends, family, workmates, the people you meet on the bus.
is the basis of everything, whether between a husband and wife，a parent and child or just between two friends.
Don't put the key to your in someone else's pocket.
it in your own. And don't get
if the toast gets burnt. Remember, burnt toast never hurt anyone. ② It's the kind thoughts that
, and the people with those kind thoughts who make life worth living.
A. dropped B. threw C. carried D. placed
A. laughed B. stared C. smiled D. shouted
A. score B. action C. homework D. day
A. finding B. watching C. spying D. recording
A. burning B. making C. having D. eating
A. forgive B. miss C. forget D. lose
A. how B. whether C. what D. when
A. took B. brought C. hid D. carried
A. careless B. tired C. helpful D. angry
A. influence B. kill C. hurt D. defeat
A. believable B. practical C. worthwhile D. perfect
A. learned B. remembered C. researched D. studied
A. gifts B. faults C. similarities D. ideas
A. discovering B. creating C. opening D. deciding
A. accounts for B. applies for C. goes for D. pays for
A. Discussing B. Competing C. Admiring D. Understanding
A. happiness B. future C. life D. confidence
A. Keep B. Lock C. Make D. Feel
A. excited B. impressed C. proud D. upset
A. succeed B. puzzle C. matter D. balance
When Alice started to cycle home from Jenny’s house, she wasn’t nervous. She was certainly not afraid of the dark. __, it was only a 15-minute ride home. But halfway there, she began to wish that she hadn’t been so __
_.
As she rounded a sharp bend, it suddenly ____ cold — very cold. Alice’s breath became puffs of white cloud and her legs were so cold that it became hard to ride.
With her heart beating fast, she struggled so hard to move ___ that she didn’t hear the car which suddenly appeared beside her. She stopped by the road. The big black car also __
__. Slowly, the passenger-window began to slide down. Alice held her breath. In the soft light inside the car, something __
__. Then, the light brightened and Alice was staring at a sweet, grey-haired old lady. “Hello, dear,” said the old lady. “I need __
__. I’m afraid I’m lost. I need to find the nearest airport. I must be there in the next five minutes.”
“Airport? You ____ are lost,” Alice said. “You need to go back five kilometers __
__ you reach the T-junction. Turn left and __
__ for about another 10 kilometers to the main highway. From there, just follow the __
__ to the airport. But I’m afraid there’s no __
__ you’ll get there in five minutes!”
“Thank you very much, dear,” replied the old lady. “Don’t worry — I’ll ____ in time.”
The ____ moved up and the car started off. A little way ahead, it __
_ and with headlights flashing, it drove past Alice. But then, something __
__ happened. The car began changing. First, its color __
__from black to silvery-grey. Then, the wheels began disappearing, but the car continued to move forward, __
_ just above the ground. As the car __
_ into the dark sky, the big red tail-lights grew larger and larger and glowed more and more brightly. With a faint whistling __
_, the car was gone in seconds, leaving Alice shaking her head in disbelief…
A However B Besides C Therefore D Otherwise
A brave B excited C curious D stubborn
A fell B seemed C proved D grew
A aside B around C forward D backward
A arrived B stopped C stayed D started
A gathered B existed C dropped D moved
A help B gas C rest D water
A necessarily B normally C basically D certainly
A if B until C unless D as
A drive B walk C follow D march
A address B signs C notices D guidance
A doubt B room C time D way
A have it B get it C make it D finish it
A door B window C headlight D wheel
A passed B rushed C turned D continued
A strange B sensitive C imaginable D horrible
A developed B appeared C spread D faded
A rolling B floating C drawing D flashing
A pointed B returned C broke D rose
A tune B voice C sound D tone
The Monkey with the Wooden Apples
There once was a happy monkey in the jungle. He was wandering all days, eating delicious fruit when hungry and when tired. One day he came upon a house, where he saw a bowl of the most beautiful
. He took one in each hand and ran back into the forest.
The monkey tried to eat them, but hurt his teeth. The apples were made of wood, but they were beautiful, and when the other monkeys them, he held onto them even tighter.
The monkey admired his new possessions proudly as he wandered the jungle. They glistened (闪亮) red in the , and seemed perfect to him. He became so attached to them that he didn't even notice his
at first.
A fruit tree reminded him, but he felt the apples in his hands. He couldn't bear to set them down to reach for the fruit. In fact, he couldn't , either, if he was to defend his apples. This proud, but less happy monkey continued to walk along the forest trails.
The apples became , and the poor little monkey thought about leaving them behind. He was tired and hungry; he couldn't climb trees or collect fruit with his hands
. What if he just let go? Letting go of such
things seemed crazy, but what else could he do? He was so tired. Seeing the next fruit tree and smelling its fruit, the monkey stopped. He
the wooden apples and reached up for his meal. He was happy again.
Like that little monkey, we carry things that seem too valuable. Letting go off them seems crazy. But
: only with open hands can we receive something else.
A. walking B. shouting C. resting D. crying
A. bananas B. pears C. stones D. apples
A. pinked B. carried C. saw D. enjoyed
A. rain B. sun C. shade D. wind
A. appearance B. hunger C. danger D. home
A. stop B. look C. relax D. breathe
A. heavier B. larger C. taller D. cheaper
A. full B. dirty C. wet D. flat
A. expensive B. delicious C. strange D. valuable
A. finished B. dropped C. sold D. passed
A. always B. seldom C. never D. sometimes
A. copy B. write C. remember D. hope
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