With the help of Gloria ,his wife ,Tom Peterson worked for many years to build a solid business selling television sets, stereo systems, and home appliances. Tom developed an excellent with their full satisfaction guarantee and friendly service. He was proud of his high percentage (百分率)of repeat .
About five years ago, Tom was by the owners of a competing company, Stereo Super Stores. They wanted him to them out. The price was very attractive. Everything looked good. Before making his final ,Tom asked Gloria what she thought about the purchase(购买). She told him that the numbers looked good, it didn't feel to her. However, Tom was so self-confident and so convinced that this was a rare , he went ahead and it. Within months he discovered that he had made a big . He had paid too much for a company. He tried as hard as he could to make it work out, but he couldn't turn things . He was forced into bankruptcy(破产). He was about to lose everything, including his business.
Tom was embarrassed, but he is a survivor. He looked at his situation. He decided to admit his mistake and, rather than getting stuck in lawsuits(诉讼), he would focus his on saving and rebuilding his original business. He saw also that he had made a mistake by not listening to his , and that he needed to learn from this .He dealt with the crisis(危机) in a way that delighted people, who in turn respect for him. Old customers poured into his store. He and Gloria _to changes in retailing(零售) and have built an even better business than before.
In the business world, it is natural to gain and lose, of Peterson’s experience is an example. Only those who regard their mistakes as gifts and learn from them attract endless profits.
A．produce B．fame C．cause D．home
A．customers B．assistants C．friends D．visitors
A．appointed B．approved C．approached D．appreciated
A．sell B．pay C．buy D．check
A．decision B．choice C．determination D．judgement
A．as though B．now that C．even though D．in case
A．terrible B．fair C．right D．attractive
A．possibility B．occasion C．event D．opportunity
A．protect B．made C．return D．exchange
A．difference B．discovery C．commitment D．mistake
A．dying B．controversial C．casual D．tiring
A．in B．around C．down D．up
A．original B．various C．special D．precious
A．quietly B．loudly C．openly D．secretly
A．beliefs B．spirits C．attempts D．energies
A．producer B．wife C．relative D．adviser
A．experience B．progress C．process D．history
A．won B．showed C．achieved D．earned
A．belonged B．adapted C．adopted D．appealed
A．them B．what C．that D．which
I live in Albuquerque and I used to give much money to the homeless around, feeling sorry for their misfortune. But later I became a single mom with no home, a huge ---36--- and hardly any income. ---37---, I stopped giving and became very bitter.
Several years later, things started to ---38---. I became ---39--- enough to have a home, and ---40--- a backyard, and I started to pull myself out of debt. One day we saw a homeless person with the ---41---, “ Will work for food. ” I ---42---. My daughter asked why I no longer helped the people in ---43---. I replied, “ Honey, they just use that money for ---44--- or other bad things. ” She didn’t respond. But when I said that, it didn’t feel right.
Three days later, I was ---45--- to pick up my daughter from school. A man was standing on the corner and something deep inside ---46--- me to help him. So I stopped my car , and he ran over with enthusiasm. He said, “ God bless you, I only need 77 cents. ” I ---47--- into my ashtray and ---48--- enough, there sat three quarters and two pennies.
Greatly shocked by this ---49---, I gave him all the money in the ashtray. He ---50--- with joy and tears in his eyes, “ You just made it ---51--- for me to see my mom for Christmas ! The bus offering this great sale is ---52--- right away ! ” It was a moment I’ll never forget. I think that man won’t forget it either, but I was the one who got the best ---53--- in life_____giving. It also ---54--- me that nothing is a coincidence, ---55--- everything has meaning.
Terry was a middle-aged leather trader whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often __36__ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so __37__ with the city that he had to leave.
So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Terry and his wife were busily __38__ up their new home, the light suddenly __39__. Terry was regretful to have forgotten to bring along __40__ and had to wait __41__ in a low mood. Just then he heard light, hesitant __42__ on his door that were clearly audible (听到) in the __43__ night.
“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Terry was a __44__ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be __45__, so he went to the door and opened it __46__. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor. ”“No,” answered Terry in anger and shut the door __47__.
“What a nuisance!” He complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to __48__ things.”
After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. __49__ this time she was __50__ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She __51__ me here to give you these.” Terry was very __52__ by what he saw.
At that moment he suddenly realized what caused his __53__ in life. It was his __54__ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was __55__ nobody else but himself, for his eyes had been blurred (蒙蔽) by his unsympathetic mind.
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It was a cold winter day that Sunday. The parking lot to the 36 was filling up quickly. I noticed, as I got out of my car, fellow church members were 37 among themselves as they walked in the church. As I got 38 , I saw a man leaning up against the wall outside the church. He was almost lying down 39 he was asleep. His hat was 40 down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too 41 for his feet, with holes all over them and his toes 42 out. I guessed this man was 43 and asleep, so I walked on 44 through the doors of the church. We all talked for a few minutes, and someone 45 the man lying outside. People whispered but no one took 46 to ask him to come in, 47 me. A few moments later church began. We were all waiting for the Preacher(牧师) to take his 48 and to give us the Word, 49 the doors to the church opened. In 50 the man walking down the church with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made 51 . He made his way down the church and up onto the pulpit(讲坛) where he took off his hat and coat. My heart 52 .
There stood our preacher……he was the “homeless man”. The preacher took his Bible and 53 it on his stand.
“ 54 , I don’t think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today. If you 55 people by their appearance, you have no time to love them.”
A．school B．lecture C．park D．church
A．arguing B．whispering C．stating D．speaking
A．closer B．clearer C．lower D．farther
A．even though B．so that C．as if D．even if
A．dragged B．pulled C．dropped D．pushed
A．big B．bad C．ugly D．small
A．reached B．went C．stuck D．ran
A．homeless B．hopeless C．helpless D．careless
A．out B．by C．across D．from
A．invited B．mentioned C．took D．called
A．pleasure B．measure C．courage D．trouble
A．except B．besides C．without D．including
A．turn B．place C．time D．seat
A．when B．before C．as D．after
A．rushed B．hurried C．came D．entered
A．decision B．choices C．faces D．jokes
A．sank B．fell C．broke D．failed
A．threw B．set C．laid D．folded
A．Brothers B．Folks C．Supporters D．Members
A．judge B．hate C．treat D．test
There was a terrible rainstorm unexpectedly. The rain caused the streets 36 and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were 37 to go home. Some struggled to __38 a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced the ___39_ bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I 40 to be one of people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most _41_had stopped. After making my way __42__ crowds of people. I finally found a subway line that was __43_. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to __44 the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the 45 .So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switched back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the train __46 my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I got to my office, I was _47_ through, exhausted and 48.
My co-workers and I spend most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm, I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer __49_I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and 50 reported to work. It is always relaxing, at times like these, when employees so clearly show their 51 to their jobs. Thank you.
Garth’s email was short, but I learned more from that 52 message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of __53 can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic __54_ had made me tired and upset. But Garth’s words immediately __55__ me and put a smile back on my face.
A．break B．flood C．sink D．crash
A．forced B．refused C．adjusted D．gathered
A．order B．pay C．call D．search
A．climate B．scenery C．storm D．burden
A．used B．promised C．deserved D．happened
A．practice B．routine C．process D．service
A．to B．through C．over D．for
A．operating B．cycling C．turning D．rushing
A．check B．carry C．find D．board
A．street B．ground C．floor D．platform
A．paused B．crossed C．reached D．parked
A．wet B．weak C．sick D．hurt
A．ashamed B．discouraged C．surprised D．puzzled
A．hardly B．casually C．absolutely D．eventually
A．devotion B．donation C．connection D．reaction
A．accurate B．urgent C．brief D．humorous
A．promise B．appreciation C．advice D．guidance
A．troubles B．signals C．rules D．signs
A．corrected B．supported C．amazed D．refreshed
Learning experiences happen to us throughout our lives. Not long ago, I had one that I would like to 16 .
I was going to Marblehead with my sailboat team. The team was racing down the highway at 85 mph 17 we realized we were 18 . Luckily, we saw a rest area ahead. I had a brand new $20 bill. I was so 19 because I had never had that kind of cash before. But spending it on 20 seemed like throwing it away. We all rushed into the pizza line. 21 I got a pizza and a drink, and walked to my table. About half way through the meal, I 22 I had not actually handed any money to the cashier. I had just 23 out, and nobody had noticed, I felt terrible.
My conscience( 良心) opened its mouth and swallowed me in one big bite. I couldn’t 24 over it. I just couldn’t go back to the cashier and 25 for my stolen pizza. I was so upset that I 26 to give myself the pleasure of an ice-cream for 27 that someone would say, “ Hey, Jeff, why don’t you use the change 28 the pizza instead of that nice, new $20 bill?” I was not so 29 of my cash now.
For the next two years, whenever I was 30 of the “pizza incident”, I would say to myself, “ Don’t think about it...”
I have learned two things from this 31 . Maybe I was a fool for 32 in to my conscience, and being too stupid to appreciate a 33 pizza. But the real lesson is that even if you get away from what you have done, your conscience 34 up with you.
This reflect the saying, “ A coward(懦夫) dies a thousand deaths; a hero dies one.” I was a coward and have felt terrible about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a “ 35 ” and gone back to pay for the pizza, I would have felt a little uncomfortable about it only once, or maybe twice.
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