The world is filled with smart, educated and gifted people. We meet them every day. A few days ago，my car was not running well. I pulled it into a garage and the young mechanic fixed it in just a few minutes. He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine sound. I was amazed. The sad truth is that great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade told me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant (顾问) who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, “JOB means ‘Just Over Broke (破产)’”. And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people. Because schools do not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers “live within their means”. They work and they pay the bills. Instead I recommend that young people seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald’s?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald’s makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald’s is excellent at business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.
1. The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that .| A．he is just one of the talented people |
| B．he is ready to help others |
| C．he has a sharp sense of hearing |
| D．he knows little about car repairing |
| A．spend more than they can afford |
| B．do in their own way |
| C．live in their own circle |
| D．live within what they earn |
| A．They don’t work hard enough. |
| B．They lack financial intelligence. |
| C．They don’t make full use of their talents. |
| D．They have no specialized skills. |
| A．how young people can find a satisfactory job |
| B．what schools should teach about finance |
| C．why so many talented people are poor |
| D．how McDonald’s makes much money |
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【推荐1】When I ( Country singer Clint Black ) was 14, I was hired for an after-school job selling subscriptions to my hometown paper, the Houston Post. I was sent to some of the city's worst neighborhoods to ask door-to-door. Even though I was often struggling around after dark in bad areas searching for some place for the night, I was thankful for the work.
It was a hard job because people didn't like a stranger knocking on their door, especially a boy trying to get them to buy something. One time, a man shut his door heavily in my face and shouted, "I don't want any paper." I forced myself to knock again and was able to tell him how great the paper was. I ended up selling him a subscription. I was soon among the top sellers and, like other successful salesmen, was asked to train newcomers.
Around this time I started playing some musical instruments. Before long I was playing in a band at some and other events. When I turned 18, I fixed my attention on becoming a professional musician. I never give up this dream. I'm sure my perseverance came from what I learned knocking on strangers' doors.
That experience helped me in many ways. Early in my music job I was locked in a lawful quarrel with a former manager. He forced me to give in, but I refused.
Having all those doors closed in my face as a boy gave me the strength to stand up to this frightening person. Except this time there was one difference: I was the one saying no. And I won.
1. Which of the following statements is untrue according to paragraph 1 ?| A．He sold subscriptions in his spare time. |
| B．The places he went to was not good. |
| C．He found it hard to look for a place for the night. |
| D．He was not satisfied with the work. |
| A．he began to do the job much earlier than newcomers. |
| B．he had been asking door to door. |
| C．he was refused many times. |
| D．he was one of the best sellers. |
| A．devote his life to music. |
| B．knock on strangers’ doors. |
| C．play some musical instruments very well. |
| D．be the head of a famous band. |
| A．Because he thought he was stronger than the manager. |
| B．Because he used to knock strangers’ doors. |
| C．Because he became brave while working. |
| D．Because the manager was much older than he. |
【推荐2】Profitable Senior Service Businesses You Can Start Today
This year, almost 4 million Americans will turn 65. That number will continue to grow for the next two decades. By 2030, it will grow to over 75million people.
Department of f Labor forecasts that senior service jobs will be the fastest-growing part of the job market for many years to come.
There comes a time-usually in their 70s or 80s-when seniors downsize and move to a much smaller residence or a retirement community.
| A．The service can be started with just a few hundred dollars. |
| B．Some senior service businesses require specialized medical training. |
| C．Their homes need to be as fall-proof as possible, to prevent accidents. |
| D．A senior relocation service professional helps those folks organize that move. |
| E．That will bring many senior service jobs for those who are caring and capable. |
| F．Seniors today are richer than ever before with 31 percent enjoying “high income.” |
| G．A senior concierge can fill in when the children of an elderly parent can't be there to help. |
【推荐3】The start of the year is traditionally the time to make resolutions to change your behaviour. Here are some suggestions for what managers ought to resolve to do in the coming new year.
People don’t come to work just for the money. They like to feel they are making a valuable contribution. Pick something specific that a worker has done which shows extra skill or effort and single them out; ideally so that others can hear the compliment. This is particularly important for the most junior employees, who will feel anxious about their status.
Listen to your staff.
They are the people who are dealing with the bureaucracy of the organization. Their feedback is essential, beyond annual engagement surveys. You hired them for their skill and expertise: learn to rely on it.
Keep meetings short.
Drop the team-building exercises.
Paintballing in the woods, tackling an army attack course, constructing a model of the Empire State Building from matchsticks — no one wants to go to an awayday weekend. They would much rather be at home with their families. Why not build a team by introducing its members and explaining what you want them to do? It is a lot cheaper.
| A．Set a conversational tone. |
| B．Give out some praise. |
| C．It also wastes a lot less of everybody’s valuable time. |
| D．If you don’t trust their judgment, you have hired the wrong people. |
| E．If you don’t approve of their decisions, you can tell them what to do. |
| F．Ideally, a meeting should be the length of a sitcom episode (剧集) not a film. |
| G．If it is just to update people on progress, that can be done in an email or in a one-to-one conversation. |
【推荐1】“I wish I grew up back in your childhood,” my 14-year-old son said to me. He has an iPhone that is newer than mine. He has many kind friends. There are many forms of entertainment today and he can find nearly all of human knowledge through the Internet. However, he wishes he grew up in the 1970s and 1980s. “Why?” I asked. My son’s answer involves freedom, risk and over-involvement of adults in kids’ lives.
My son has heard his dad tell stories of summer days at the river with his friends. They would jump off the wooden bridge into the water below. My son lives just a few blocks from the same river and the same bridge. The town hasn’t changed, but times have changed. My son knows that if he and his friends try to jump off the bridge and swim as his dad did many times, the most likely outcome (结果) is that some kind adults will call the police.
At 14, an age at which, in generations past, most boys were contributing to the well-being of their families by working, and my son is ready, able and willing to put his skills and strength to the test in the real world. However, he, like so many other American boys and girls, is prevented by a culture that seems to have raised safety to the highest regard, without considering how a lack of risk might negatively affect kids’ development.
Let kids try some risky things — cutting the lawn; using tools and sharp knives; starting a fire; cooking — under the supervision (监管) of an adult who tells them safety rules. Allow your kids to gradually take more responsibility. A kid who helps prepare and cook meals will be better prepared to cook independently.
Above all, encourage and praise your kids’ determination. Their desire to deal with challenges and take risks will serve them well in the years to come.
1. Why does the author mention her son?| A．To praise her son for his creativity. |
| B．To encourage kids to live a simple life. |
| C．To introduce the topic of kids’ lacking chances to risk. |
| D．To show kids’ love for their parents’ childhood life. |
| A．warned of danger | B．stopped by the police |
| C．praised for his courage | D．punished seriously by his parents |
| A．Try risky things before their kids. |
| B．Help their kids complete risky things. |
| C．Let their kids know the safety rules first. |
| D．Supervise their kids when they are doing risky things. |
| A．Let Your Kids Take a Risk! |
| B．Improve Your Kids’ Determination! |
| C．Don’t Be Afraid When Facing Challenges! |
| D．Share Your Childhood Life with Your Kids! |
【推荐2】When people travel abroad, they may get the anxiety and feelings of surprise and confusion(困惑) felt when they have to operate within a different cultural and social environment. Besides, maybe when they come back to their own country, they will meet the reverse cultural shock. There is no doubt that people are experiencing cultural shock. So, what is cultural shock? And what causes cultural shock? We interviewed John Robb, Cristal and Jim about their feelings of facing cultural shock abroad.
John has been in China for 24 years. In his opinion, he thinks people wail a long time to make decisions in China. And in his culture, they usually make most decisions far in advance. So, that's a big difference.
Cris has been in Australia for 2 years. He thinks people from different countries speak different languages. And he usually speaks English with them. In learning, there are many people who are willing to communicate with him about different regional cultures. Australians eat more meat and high-calorie foods. And some raw vegetables go with their diet.
Jim has been in Britain for 7 years. He liked that freedom very much at first in Britain And he traveled to a lot of places and met a lot of people. But over time he found he had to say goodbye to them. Therefore, he became sad little by little. After wandering for a long time, he really looked forward to finding a sense of belonging.
As John said, " Every culture does things differently. So, you have to learn the new ways. ” Facing differences, the most important thing is to make changes. After staying in China, John enriched his experience, learned to think about his future and wanted to open a new life. After studying in Britain, Jim became independent, sensible and learned many life skills.
1. Which is one of the feelings of culture shock?| A．Being sorry. | B．Being homesick. | C．Being free. | D．Being puzzled. |
| A．He stayed abroad for the longest time. | B．He experienced the reverse culture shock. |
| C．He was the one who felt homesick, | D．He was the youngest among the interviewees. |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Shocked. |
| A．The conclusion of culture shock. | B．The introduction to culture shock. |
| C．The cause of culture shock. | D．The process of culture shock. |
【推荐3】Olympic National Park, with its temperate rainforests and breath-taking views, exerts a natural pull on many Pacific Northwestemers. But Seattle writer Rosette Royale found it repellent. To Royale, the park seemed like a damp, dirty and unpleasant place. “I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to carry a 50-pound pack into the wilderness and camp there for days,” he said. “It didn’t make sense.”
Then he met Bryant Carlin, a vendor (小贩) for Real Change, the Seattle weekly sold on the street by vendors who are homeless or low-wage earners. He was also a skilled outdoorsman and a nature photographer who would take weeks-long photographic journeys to the park. The two men connected in the fall of 2011 when Royale interviewed Carlin for a feature story in Real Change about Carlin’s photography.
That first time they met—and for years afterward—Carlin invited Royale to go camping with him. Each time, Royale said “Thanks, but no thanks.” Until one day, in the spring of 2015, Royale surprised himself by saying yes. “Little did I know,” said Royale, “that saying ‘yes’ would change the course of my life.”
Royale and Carlin went on five separate journeys to the Olympic wilderness. They camped in spring, summer, fall and winter. For Royale, the trips were exhausting and terrifying. But the trips were also inspiring, and helped Royale—a black, strange man—to develop a relationship with the outdoors that he had never experienced before.
For Carlin, the trips were an opportunity to throw off the label of “homeless”. In Olympic National Park, sleeping outside just means you’re a camper. But there was one aspect of Carlin’s life in the city that he couldn’t escape: alcohol abuse. While he never brought beer on their camping journeys, the effects of years of drinking weren’t so easy to leave behind.
1. What does the underlined word “repellent” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Appealing. | B．Puzzling. |
| C．Rewarding. | D．Disgusting. |
| A．His first meeting with Carlin. | B．His rejection of Carlin’s invitation. |
| C．His camping trips with Carlin. | D．His reading of Carlin’s feature story. |
| A．They improved his photography skills. |
| B．They helped him feel a sense of belonging. |
| C．They deepened his relationship with nature. |
| D．They enabled him to get rid of alcohol addiction. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Actually, long-distance bicycle camping is one of the most pleasurable activities I have ever experienced. I generally sleep poorly at night, but in the woods on a tour, I sleep like a baby, falling asleep with the music of insects. In the morning, I am awakened by the cheeps of birds. I eat a snack before getting up, and then I quickly pack my sleeping bag, air mattress (垫), tent, and other things and get on with my road. I'm slower in the morning, having less speed but a greater desire to stop at pleasant spots and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Traveling by bike allows me to stop anywhere, such as grasslands, lakes, woods, and scenic spots. Near lunch, I find a small grocery and buy some bread, sandwiches and fruit. Then I will find a town park or other shady spots to wait out the high mid-day sun. In the afternoon, my speeds are higher, and I spend less time on stops. In the late afternoon, I start riding more slowly, and I start thinking about where I will stop. I finally find a place in the early evening, cook a simple meal and have a rest. As it starts to get dark, I put up my tent, crawl in and fall asleep.
There are exciting times and difficult times as well. Visiting strange or famous places and accomplishing goals are always exciting to me. I meet and talk with interesting people along the way, sometimes other traveling cyclists. Appreciating beautiful views, meeting wild animals, and traveling up and down hills also. On the other hand, I may run into a rainy or hot spell (一段时间), have to repair my bike, or just find myself in a bad mood. The problems are infrequent and are easy to deal with. The pleasures remain in my mind for years.
1. We can learn from the passage that the author can have a good sleep ______.
| A．in a hotel |
| B．at home |
| C．in the shade |
| D．in the woods |
| A．how he sleeps during his travel |
| B．the route of his bicycle travel |
| C．why he rides slowly all the time |
| D．one day’s activities of his bicycle travel |
| A．enjoys a free and pleasant journey |
| B．likes riding in the woods |
| C．rides fast in the morning |
| D．cooks a simple lunch |
| A．a beautiful view |
| B．a rainy day |
| C．a hot day |
| D．a strong wind |
【推荐2】I was 16 years old the day I skipped school for the first time. It was easily done: Both my parents left for work before my school bus arrived, so when it showed up at my house on that cold winter morning, I simply did not get on. The perfect crime!
And what did I do with myself on that glorious stolen day, with no adult in charge and no limits on my activities? Did I get high? Hit the mall for shopping?
No. I built a warm fire in the wood stove, prepared a bowl of popcorn, grabbed a blanket, and read. I was thrilled and transported by a book — it was Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises —and I just needed to be alone with it for a little while. I ached to know what would happen to Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley and Robert Cohn. I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in a classroom taking another biology exam when I could be traveling through Spain in the 1920s with a bunch of expatriates (异乡客).
I spent that day lost in words. Time fell away, as the room around me turned to mist, and my role — as a daughter, sister, teenager, and student — in the world no longer had any meaning. I had accidentally come across the key to perfect happiness: I had become completely absorbed in something I loved.
Looking back on it now, I can see that some subtle things were happening to my mind and to my life while I was in that state of absorption. Hemingway’s language was quietly braiding itself into my imagination. I was downloading information about how to create simple and elegant sentences, a good and solid plot. In other words, I was learning how to write. Without realizing it, I was on the trail of my own fate. Writing now absorbs me the way reading once did and happiness is their generous side effect.
1. Why did the author skip school on that day?| A．Because her parents left home early. |
| B．Because she was attracted by a novel. |
| C．Because she planned to go shopping. |
| D．Because she missed the school bus. |
| A．Reading by the fire. | B．Travelling in Spain. |
| C．Freeing herself from the roles. | D．Being lost in one’s passion. |
| A．Learn how to write automatically. | B．The state of absorption. |
| C．Reading. | D．My own fate. |
| A．I was tired of my real-life roles. |
| B．I simply learnt how to write on the internet. |
| C．Hemingway’s style influenced me a lot. |
| D．Becoming a writer was my childhood dream. |
【推荐3】Derek Rabclo is not the only surfer to conquer Hawaii’s famous Pipeline big wave break, but while all others use their sight to do it, this young professional surfer must rely only on his other senses. That's because he is completely blind.
When Derek was born, over 24 years ago, he got his name from Derek Ho, the first Hawaiian surfing world champion. A surfing enthusiast himself, Ernesto dreamed that his son would share the talent of his uncle, a professional surfer. Unfortunately, Derek was born completely blind, but this didn't stop his family from believing that he could do anything he wanted, even if that meant becoming a surfer.
At age 2, Derek received a bodyboard and the beaches of Guajarati, Brazil, became his backyard. He was always comfortable in the water and surfing was in his blood, but he didn’t actually try riding a wave until he turned 17, when his father bought him a surfboard. His father taught Kira the basics and encouraged him to keep practicing, but after successfully standing up on the surfboard, Derek knew he needed to become much better if he was going to achieve Ernesto's dream and become a professional surfer. So he joined the Praia do Morro surf school, where he studied under coach Fabio Maru.
Standing up on a surfboard and conquering small waves is one thing, while gathering the courage to take on Hawaii's board-breaking Pipeline is another. But that was exactly what Derek Rabclo set out to do just months after learning how to surf. Everyone told him it was too dangerous, but he felt he could do it. And he did, earning the praise of famous professional surfers like Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning. Now 24, Rabelo has been surfing the Pipeline every winter since.
1. What does the first paragraph tell us?| A．Good eyesight is necessary for becoming good suffers. |
| B．Nobody has ever conquered Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| C．Derek Rabelo dreams to conquer Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| D．Derek Rabelo is the only blind professional surfer to conquer Hawaii’s big wave break. |
| A．He never lost confidence in him. | B．He named him after his uncle. |
| C．He sent him to a surfing champion. | D．He started his own interest in surfing. |
| A．Skillful but proud. | B．Brave and confident. |
| C．Courageous but stubborn. | D．Thoughtful and modest. |
