After the classmates reunion, some graduates decided to visit their old university professor.
The conversation soon turned into about stress in work and life. his guests with coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups—porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some , some expensive, some exquisite— them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee , the professor said, “ you have noticed, all the nice-looking expensive cups have been taken up, the plain and cheap ones. While it is for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the of your problems and stress. "
"Be assured that the cup itself adds no to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even what we drink. "
"What all of you really want is coffee, not the cup, but you went for the best cups... and then you began each other’s cups.”
“Now consider this: life is the ; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not , nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. the coffee, not the cups! Don’t let the cups you ... enjoy the coffee 50 .”
A．compliments B．conflicts C．challenges D．complaints
A．Showing B．Offering C．Providing D．Handing
A．turned B．returned C．replaced D．placed
A．ever-lasting B．plain-looking C．easy-going D．best-selling
A．demanding B．saying C．ordering D．asking
A．in order B．in place C．in hand D．in number
A．Since B．For C．But D．As
A．leaving out B．leaving behind C．leaving aside D．leaving off
A．normal B．convenient C．guilty D．unbearable
A．key B．source C．resource D．symptom
A．cost B．charm C．quality D．credit
A．hides B．pollutes C．changes D．rejects
A．constantly B．mildly C．positively D．consciously
A．looking B．eyeing C．pouring D．stabbing
A．coffee B．pot C．cup D．race
A．limit B．defend C．define D．deny
A．in B．at C．on D．by
A．Take B．Buy C．Tell D．Taste
A．treat B．defeat C．delight D．drive
A．yet B．instead C．meanwhile D．anyway
Once upon a time a king, in the company of his ministers, went to the imperial garden for a walk. When he was walking around a pond, a strange idea 26 upon him and he asked, “How many buckets(桶) of water are there in the pond?” The ministers looked at each other, 27 to give an answer.
Rather 28 , the king ordered, “You have three days’ grace. Any one who offers an answer will be handsomely awarded. Those who fail will be 29 .”
The time limit was due in the twinkling（闪烁）of an eye, yet the ministers were still at their wit’s end. At this time a child appeared who declared that he knew the answer. The king told his 30 ministers to go with the child for the measurement. To their 31 , the child refused the suggestion with a smile, “It is very easy. No 32 to go to the pond.” This made the king laugh 33 , “Alright, let us know what it is.” The child winked (眨眼) and said, “That 34 on the size of the bucket. If it is as big as the pond, there is one bucket of water; if it is half as big, two buckets; if one third as big, three buckets; if...”“Stop! That’s it. You’ve got the 35 .” The king was satisfied and the child was duly rewarded.
Why did the ministers feel it so different to settle the problem? Because they fell in a pitfall (陷阱), following a wrong way of thinking. People’s thinking often goes a habitual way — the beaten track of straightforwardness. 36 is a static (静态的) way presupposing every object definite and certain, i.e. the size of the pond and the bucket should be clearly 37 . If one of them is unknown, it will be difficult to do the measurement, let alone 38 . Why not change your mode of thought — from static to dynamic（动态的）, from concrete to 39 ? If you adopt an indirect way and try to find out the proportional relation between the pond and the bucket, you’ll get an answer — flexible yet 40 to solve the problem.
Sometimes to get out of the difficulty one must change one’s way of thinking, or simply change one’s approach towards a problem.
A．fixed B．focused C．came D．looked
A．struggling B．thinking C．falling D．failing
A．disappointed B．excited C．pleased D．contented
A．killed B．punished C．blamed D．scolded
A．exciting B．amazing C．surprising D．trembling
A．doubt B．surprise C．envy D．delight
A．good B．use C．need D．wonder
A．wonderfully B．joyfully C．cheerfully D．doubtfully
A．decides B．depends C．calls D．looks
A．award B．reward C．answer D．number
A．This B．That C．It D．Such
A．marked B．measured C．signed D．known
A．another B．other C．one D．both
A．detailed B．easy C．simple D．abstract
A．acceptable B．available C．adequate D．proper
Our thoughts, words, and actions often cause harm to others and to us. Without reconciliation (和解), we cannot deepen our understanding and only cause more suffering. "Beginning Anew" is a(n) 1 of reconciliation. It involves three steps —— sharing appreciation, expressing 2 , and expressing hurt and difficulties.
In the first step, we share appreciation. We acknowledge the 3 qualities of the other person. The second step——expressing regret, is to 4 with the other person our regrets for the things we have done or said that might have caused him or her 5 . This requires humility (谦逊), and the 6 to let go of our own pride. In the third step, we express our own hurt with mindful and loving 7 without blaming or criticizing. We speak in such a way that the other person can listen and 8 our words. If we blame the other person, his heart will 9 and he will not be able to hear us. We ask the other person to help us to understand why he has spoken and acted as he has, causing us so much pain. Perhaps, later, he can share his feelings so that we can understand him more deeply. If a strong 10 arises in us while we are expressing our suffering, we should simply 11 and come back to our breathing until the emotion becomes 12 . The other person can 13 us by following his breathing until we are ready to continue. We can enjoy practicing "Beginning Anew" with our partner, our family, or our friends 14 . By doing this, we will 15 misunderstandings from accumulating. Rather, we will take care of them as they arise, as we take care of our children.
| 1. |
A. |
method |
B. |
practice |
C. |
example |
D. |
experience |
| 2. |
A. |
concern |
B. |
belief |
C. |
regret |
D. |
sympathy |
| 3. |
A. |
positive |
B. |
poor |
C. |
confident |
D. |
selfish |
| 4. |
A. |
chat |
B. |
compare |
C. |
debate |
D. |
share |
| 5. |
A. |
pain |
B. |
anxiety |
C. |
confusion |
D. |
loss |
| 6. |
A. |
willingness |
B. |
kindness |
C. |
happiness |
D. |
weakness |
| 7. |
A. |
speech |
B. |
letter |
C. |
story |
D. |
question |
| 8. |
A. |
choose |
B. |
accept |
C. |
spread |
D. |
change |
| 9. |
A. |
open |
B. |
close |
C. |
beat |
D. |
melt |
| 10. |
A. |
emotion |
B. |
responsibility |
C. |
value |
D. |
interest |
| 11. |
A. |
continue |
B. |
stop |
C. |
leave |
D. |
repeat |
| 12. |
A. |
quieter |
B. |
warmer |
C. |
deeper |
D. |
stronger |
| 13. |
A. |
forget |
B. |
support |
C. |
hate |
D. |
remember |
| 14. |
A. |
quickly |
B. |
carefully |
C. |
regularly |
D. |
willingly |
| 15. |
A. |
prevent |
B. |
protect |
C. |
separate |
D. |
forbid |
I always long for romantic moments, like a little girl longing for candies．However, my husband is my complete 36 . His inability to bring romantic moments into our life has made me get tired of our 37 . One day, I finally told him that I wanted a divorce.
“Why?” he asked, 38 .
“I am tired; there are no 39 for everything in the world!” I answered.
He kept 40 , seeming to be in deep thought, with a lighted cigarette in his hands. Finally he asked, “What can I do to change your 41 ?”
Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered, “Let’s say, I want a flower on a mountain cliff and picking the flower will cause your 42 . Will you do it for me?”
He answered, “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”
I 43 the next morning, finding a piece of paper on the dining table, which read: “My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to 44 .”
My feeling of disappointment only 45 , but I continued reading:
“You always leave the 46 keys behind, so I have to save my legs to 47 home to open the door for you. You always like to stay indoors and I 48 that you will feel too lonely, so I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories. You always stare 49 the computer and that will do nothing 50 for your eyes, so I have to save my eyes so that when we grow 51 , I can help to clip your nails. Thus, my dear, 52 I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do, I could not pick that flower yet, and die.”
My tears fell on the 53 and I continued reading:
“Now that you have finished reading my answer, if you are 54 , please open the front door for I am standing outside 55 your favorite bread and fresh milk.”
Love, not words, wins arguments.
A．supporter B．opposite C．follower D．advocate
A．marriage B．connection C．career D．future
A．annoyed B．shocked C．frightened D．amused
A．results B．signs C．causes D．reasons
A．easy B．normal C．silent D．calm
A．habit B．feeling C．attitude D．mind
A．death B．injury C．happiness D．trouble
A．hurried up B．looked up C．woke up D．went up
A．love B．explain C．stay D．change
A．arose B．disappeared C．reduced D．increased
A．car B．office C．bicycle D．house
A．leave B．walk C．rush D．get
A．worry B．think C．believe D．remind
A．at B．to C．on D．in
A．bad B．good C．terrible D．important
A．weak B．ill C．old D．close
A．unless B．if C．since D．because
A．photos B．flowers C．floor D．letter
A．hungry B．thirsty C．satisfied D．regretted
A．buying B．bringing C．heating D．catching
The Girl with the Cut - out Face
When I was a child, I often looked through a family album. I remember asking my mother why there was a 36 cut out of a photo of a little girl. But it was 37 that my mother did not want to talk about it.
38 I looked at the album I saw that cut - out face and 39 about it. I figured there was something 40 . When I was grown up and had almost 41 about the photo, my mother must have realized I should know her 42 . She sat me down one day and said, “That cat - up photo is 43 your Aunt Anna. She has schizophrenia（精神分裂症）.”
But why did my mother never 44 this before? I still didn’t understand. “Because people are… were… 45 of having mental illness in the family” was the 46 . But I wanted to meet Aunt Anna, and I 47 .
My mother and I traveled to the house 48 Anna lived with an Italian family. Anna looked like a question mark on legs, 49 she had lovely, clear eyes and a gentle manner. I could see the 50 to my mother. “So nice to meet you,” she said to me. “Do you have a trunk （象鼻；行李箱）？”
Did she think that I was an elephant? No, she wanted to run 51 and hide in the trunk of my car. The family that 52 her said that she always wanted to 53 .
The last time I saw Anna she was placed in a smaller old - age facility in Brooklyn.
54 Aunt Anna, I’m not the least bit ashamed of you. I’m 55 about you now for many to see, with your sweet young face showing under a pretty bow.
And you finally found that escape you were seeking.
A．space B．picture C．face D．corner
A．easy B．necessary C．simple D．clear
A．At once B．Every time C．On purpose D．Of course
A．wondered B．recognized C．proved D．learned
A．wrong B．serious C．difficult D．strange
A．forgotten B．remembered C．found D．lost
A．thought B．mind C．secret D．reason
A．for B．of C．about D．on
A．follow B．discover C．stop D．mention
A．proud B．tired C．ashamed D．fond
A．question B．answer C．voice D．fact
A．had B．did C．would D．dared
A．where B．when C．how D．why
A．so B．and C．but D．or
A．difference B．possibility C．chance D．resemblance
A．upstairs B．forward C．outside D．back
A．housed B．supported C．offered D．accepted
A．run B．escape C．hide D．die
A．Therefore B．Otherwise C．However D．Anyway
A．telling B．writing C．finding D．complaining
I’ve often puzzled over something that happened to me one winter when I was eight. Over the years I had been wondering if my 31 was nothing more than a kid’s imagination.
There was a 32 near our house. In winter it was the greatest 33 place in the world. One 34 all I wanted to do was go skating. I had been waiting for weeks 35 the water was frozen solid. Mom had one rule: “Never ice-skate alone.” But I couldn’t 36 any longer that afternoon. So I 37 my skates under my coat and ran to the pond. Several people were skating near the shore, and some kids were playing hockey．I was not really 38 ．
The hockey game had attracted 39 audience, so I skated in the other direction until their cheering 40 . But another noise came soon. The ice was cracking beneath me. Freezing water 41 my body, and I sank like a rock. My feet 42 the bottom. Just when I thought I wouldn’t last another 43 , I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Don’t worry,” someone said. I swung my 44 around. I couldn’t see anybody. But I heard the voice again，“Push your feet into the bottom and you’ll shoot straight up to the surface.” I did as I was told and 45 . I crawled to the shore and lay down, 46 ．The next thing I knew was people were 47 around me, covering me with coats.
When I awoke, I was home in my own bed. Mom sat next to me, 48 
my hand. “I saw nobody there. It must be an angel that came to my 49 ．” I said. Mom smiled, “I just thank God you’re safe.”
For a long time I thought I would 50 a more realistic explanation if I just thought hard, but I never did.
A．attention B．behavior C．explanation D．reason
A．river B．pond C．lake D．dam
A．skating B．fishing C．swimming D．skiing
A．afternoon B．morning C．evening D．night
A．after B．until C．as D．if
A．go B．run C．sit D．wait
A．found B．threw C．took D．hid
A．lonely B．single C．alone D．afraid
A．noisy B．happy C．small D．young
A．changed B．disappeared C．increased D．stopped
A．filled B．controlled C．covered D．loaded
A．hit B．dragged C．set D．tapped
A．day B．hour C．minute D．second
A．head B．hand C．arm D．leg
A．left B．succeeded C．tried D．survived
A．worried B．surprised C．excited D．exhausted
A．lying B．standing C．laughing D．crawling
A．raising B．shaking C．holding D．washing
A．place B．mind C．defense D．rescue
A．take up B．make up with C．bring up D．come up with
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