A few weeks ago, I followed a friend into an art supply store.I found him picking out tubes of water-color paint, which __36__ me because he’s not an artist.
"I 37 up for a water-color class, and it starts next week," he said."I really don’t have 38_ for it, but it was on my list of 50 things to do before I die, so I _39__ it.Every few months I look at the list and decide what to focus on next. 40 I had the list, I complained a lot about what I was 41 _ in my life.Now I just bury myself in doing these things.Write your own list.and you’ll 42 what I mean."
So that night.I did just that, and he was right.The list revealed (显露出) a whole lot about what was __43__ to me.It also revealed how _44___ behind I am at getting to the things I really want.
I filled up the first twenty __45__ quickly, but then began to think carefully.
Eventually I __46_ items I’ve thought about for years, and __47__ I’ve carried with me since I was young.When I 48 the list later, some entries surprised me.
First, I want to _ 49_ much more, particularly now that my children are 50_ and can go with me to see the world.I would like to take them to bike through Denmark and camp in the Canadian Rockies.
I’m also surprised to _51_ some things on the list that need to be done soon.If I’m going to learn to roller-blade (轮滑), __52_, I’d better start before I turn 50.
Like my friend, I now have an alternative to __53__.When I’m bored with life, I take out my list.
My friend told me the _54_ was preparing the ground so that life could work in mysterious ways."If you want your ship to come in, you must build a dock (码头)," he said.
Thanks to my _55__, I’m working on some big docks.
A.surprised B.moved C.pleased D.excited
A.made B.took C.signed D.gave
A.interest B.concern C.time D.emotion
A.went for B.called for C.accounted for D.cared for
A.Because B.After C.Before D.Although
A.doing B.missing C.pushed D.engaged
A.admire B.abolish C.spot D.see
A.important B.strange C.beneficial D.special
A.slightly B.slowly C.possibly D.hopelessly
A.thoughts B.lists C.ideas D.blanks
A.studied B.added C.dropped D.obtained
A.burdens B.challenges C.dreams D.responsibilities
A.reviewed B.discovered C.wrote D.appreciated
A.play B.relax C.travel D.hike.
A.wealthier B.cleverer C.healthier D.older
A.write B.put C.find D.leave
A.such as B.for instance C.in fact D.in particular
A.complaining B.relaxing C.objecting D.adjusting
A.problem B.key C.answer D.question
A.hobbies B.optimism C.list D.wishes
______ there was no conclusive evidence, most people thought he was guilty.
A.When | B.As far as | C.As long as | D.While |
---Where___?
—I got caught in the heavy traffic, or I ___ here earlier.
A.did you go; had arrived | B.are you; was | C.were you; would come | D.have you been ; would have been |
---Do you often stay up?
---No. I always get a good night’s sleep _______ much work I have to do.
A.whenever | B.however | C.whatever | D.whichever |
—You speak very good French!
—Thanks. I ______ French in Sichuan University for four years.
A.studied | B.study | C.was studying | D.had studied |
—He got his first book published. It turned out to be a bestseller.
—When was ________?
—______ was in 2000 when he was still in college.
A.that; This | B.this; It | C.it; This | D.that; It |
People working 10 or 11 hours a day are more likely to suffer from health problems than _____who go off duty after eight hours.
A.those | B.that | C.these | D.them |
I should convey my appreciation to my high school teachers, without ____ help I wouldn’t achieve such a big success.
A.whom | B.them | C.which | D.whose |
— She might complain about you to your manager.
—____ ? I know I am in the right.
A.What for | B.Why not | C.What’s up | D.So what |
The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything. |
B.Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear. |
C.Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing. |
D.Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning. |
What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?
A.annoyed | B.made less angry |
C.convinced | D.got over |
What was the mother’s attitude toward Alfred?
A.She felt disappointed with him. | B.She was very strict with him. |
C.She was supportive of him. | D.She was afraid of him. |
What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ________.
A.how angry she was | B.that she didn’t cry |
C.that she was able to save him | D.how effectively she handled Mr. Carr |
From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ________.
A.was no longer a youth | B.felt proud of his mother |
C.wanted his mother to be happy | D.felt guilty and regretful for his deed |
A different sort of generation gap is developing in the workplace. Someone --- specifically the father-daughter team of Larry and Meagan Johnson --- has figured out that on some American job sites, five generations are working side by side.
In their new book about generations in the workplace the pair argue that while such an age difference adds a lot of texture and a variety of life experiences, it can also bring tensions and conflicts.
The Johnsons are human-resource trainers and public speakers. Dad Larry is a former health-care executive; daughter Meagan is a onetime high-level sales manager.
Here are the oldest and youngest of the five generations they identify:
They call the oldest group Traditionals, born before 1945. They were heavily influenced by the lessons of the Great Depression and World War Two. They respect authority, set a high standard of workmanship, and communicate easily and confidently. But they’re also stubbornly independent. They want their opinions heard.
At the other extreme are what the Johnsons call Linksters, born after 1995 into today’s more complicated, multi-media world. They live and breathe technology and are often social activists.
You won’t find many 15-year olds in the offices of large companies, except as volunteers, of course, but quite old and quite young workers do come together in sales environments like bike shops and ice-cream stores.
The Johnsons, Larry and Meagan, represent a generation gap themselves in their work with jobsite issues. The Johnsons’ point is that as the average lifespan continues to rise and retirement dates get delayed because of the tight economy, people of different generations are working side by side, more often bringing with them very different ideas about company loyalty and work values.
The five generations are heavily influenced by quite different events, social trends, and the cultural phenomena of their times. Their experiences shape their behavior and make it difficult, sometimes, for managers to achieve a strong and efficient workplace.
Larry and Meagan Johnson discuss all this in greater detail in a new book, “Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters --- Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work,” published by Amacom Press, which is available in all good bookstore from this Friday.
The type of generation gap in paragraph 1 refers to the difference in beliefs ________.
A.between managers and workers | B.among family members |
C.among employees | D.between older and newer companies |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about Traditionals?
A.They’ve learned much from war and economic disaster. |
B.They’re difficult to work with as they are stubborn. |
C.They respect their boss and hope to be respected. |
D.They’re independent workers with great confidence. |
According to the passage, the Linksters are usually ________.
A.found working in the offices of large companies |
B.influenced by media and technology |
C.enthusiastic multi-media activists |
D.ice-cream sellers |
According to the passage, modern workforces are more diverse because ________.
A.people want to increase their average lifespan |
B.many young people are entering the workforce |
C.employees with different values can benefit their companies |
D.retirement dates are being delayed for economic reasons |
What’s the main purpose of the passage?
A.To promote a new book by Larry and Meagan Johnson. |
B.To describe the five different workplace generations. |
C.To introduce the Johnsons’ research about diverse workforces. |
D.To identify a major problem in modern workforces. |
The story goes that some time ago, a man had a very lovely little daughter.One day the man 1 his 3-year-old daughter for 2_ _ a roll of gold wrapping paper.Money was tight and he became 3 when the child tried to decorate a 4 to put under the Christmas tree.However , the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was 5 by his earlier 6 , but his anger flared again when he found out the box was __7 .He yelled at her, stating, "Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is 8 to be something inside?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all.I blew kisses into the box.They are all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He 9 his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her 10 .Only a short time later, an 11 took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out a(an) 12 kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.In a very real sense, each one of us, as human beings, has been given a gold container 13 unconditional love and kisses...from our children, family members, friends and God. There is simply no other __14 , anyone could hold, more 15 than this.
A.asked B.praised C.begged D.punished
A.wasting B.stealing C.selling D.holding
A.glad B.angry C.sad D.upset
A.room B.hall C.box D.ball
A.puzzled B.surprised C.scared D.embarrassed
A.overwork B.overreaction C.overcoat D.overtime
A.empty B.heavy C.full D.wet
A.happened B.seemed C.supposed D.used
A.put B.turned C.handed D.gave
A.kindness B.forgiveness C.sadness D.carelessness
A.overcoat B.incident C.accident D.action
A.imaginary B.kind C.gentle D.warm
A.filled with B.pleased with C.crowded with D.equipped with
A.world B.feeling C.possession D.love
A.expensive B.precious C.comfortable D.interesting
You can’t imagine what great trouble I had ____ his address.
A.to find | B.of finding | C.finding | D.about finding |
I don’t think she is a nice woman; I am _____ her empty talk.
A.grateful for | B.tired of | C.crazy about | D.concerned about |