John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it anymore. So without hesitation, he presented a tender resignation to the boss quickly, complaining the boss did not know how to identify a good clerk and did not value hard-working staff, but only promoted those who flattered (讨好) him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, “Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps in time you will change your decision and take back your resignation.” John agreed.
The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.
The boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, “Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10 kg, and he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 2 kg, bought from the South two days ago. They are fresh and red, of good quality.”
John was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, thinks more and explores in depth. Chances exist in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow, the difference between a year and a day is 365 times. How could you win?
1. After Bobby’s promotion, what did John do? (no more than 12 words)2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “take” in Paragraph 1? (no more than 3 words)
3. What was “one more thing” the boss asked John to do before he left the company? (no more than 15 words)
4. What kind of person is Bobby? (no more than 12 words)
5. To be a more successful person, what would you like to do? Please tell your reason(s). (no more than 25 words)
I recently gave my adult class homework. The assignment was to “go to someone you love and tell them you love them. It has to be someone you have never said those words to before or haven’t shared those words with for a long time”.
That doesn’t sound like a tough assignment, but most of the men in that group were over 35 and were taught that expressing emotions is not “macho(男子汉的)”.
At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them. One of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite moved and a bit shaken.
He began by saying, “I didn’t feel that I had anyone to say those words to. But as I began driving home, I knew exactly who I needed to say ‘I love you’to. Five years ago, my father and I had a disagreement and never resolved it. We hardly spoke to each other.” “The next morning, I called my dad. When he answered the phone, I said, ‘Dad, can I come over tonight? I have something to tell you.’ I assured him it wouldn’t take long, so he finally agreed.”
“At 5:30, I was at my parents’ house ringing the doorbell. As luck would have it, Dad answered the door.”
“I took one step in the door and said, ‘Dad, I just came over to tell you that I love you’”
“His face softened, his wrinkles(皱纹)disappeared and he began to cry. He reached out and hugged me and said, ‘I love you too, son, but I’ve never been able to say it.’”
“Dad and I hugged for a moment longer. I hadn’t felt that great in a long time.”
“Two days after that visit, my dad had a heart attack and ended up unconscious in the hospital. I don’t know if he’ll make it.”
“My message to all of you is this:Don’t wait to do the things that need to be done. Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!”
1. Why might the assignment challenge the students?(no more than 10 words)2. What happened to the author’s student and his father five years ago?(no more than 15 words)
3. What is the meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 5?(no more than 5 words)
4. Why did the student’s father cry? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you often do when you have disagreements with your parents? Please explain.(no more than 20 words)
I needed to get some money so, after Christmas, I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget.
I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock (货物) and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds? (clothes not in perfect condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building. This made me very nervous.
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand. The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in. I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind.
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colours and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers were using their small children to crawl(爬行) through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous English Queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾气)! I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this.
In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it was a bargain it was OK.
You won’t believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale.
1. What kind of clothes is likely to be sold 5% cheaper?
A.Last summer’s clothes. | B.Clothes not in perfect condition. |
C.Clothes bought in specially for the sales. | D.Clothes for winter. |
A.The customers gave up the queuing for which the English are famous. |
B.The customers kept their temper while looking for clothes they wanted. |
C.Small children enjoyed crawling through people’s legs. |
D.The security guards were fearless of the crowd. |
A.There were too many clothes and they wanted to clear them in the sales. |
B.They were eager to show that they were clever at doing business. |
C.They could take the chance to raise the prices of all their clothes. |
D.They wanted to make more money by having sales. |
A.chatted with her friends | B.slept soundly |
C.broke down | D.dined out |
A.The Best Bargain. | B.Hunting for a job. |
C.Sale Fever. | D.A Pleasant Fortnight. |
4 . Mom wanted only one thing for her birthday."Can you find me another copy of this song?"she asked,and handed me a worn-out cassette tape. I know exactly what was recorded on it-"My Redeemer (救世主)."I heard the song played at least a thousand times while growing up. After 37years,the cassette tape was too worn-out to be used. I promised her I would find a replacement.
"My Redeemer"had become Mom's favorite song after my younger brother Tim was killed by a drunk driver in 1973. The only thing that helped her calm down was the soulful sound of"My Redeemer"from the local radio station.We recorded it on a cassette tape so she would listen to it any time she wanted,but none of us knew who the singer was. These days, I figured it would be easy to find out. I went home and searched the Internet. Several songs with that title came out,but none of them were the one Mom loved. I got depressed.
Mom's birthday drew near and then one day, I was driving home, listening to our local radio station.I heard a familiar song, "My Redeemer!"As soon as I could, I phoned the station. I found out the singer was Alan Parks.I typed his name into Google and found his home number in South Carolina. Minutes later, I was telling him how much his recording meant to Mom. He offered to post two CDs to me personally. I gave him my address.
"Red Lion, Pennsylvania?"he said."Do you know the Logans?""They're our neighbours!""I've been friends with them for 25years,"Alan said. "They'll be at my concert at Your Gospel Chapel on April 17th. Would you and your mom come, too?"We sure would. Mom was excited to hear Alan sing"My Redeemer", on the evening of her 87th birthday.
1. The author promised her mother she would ________ .A.help her mother go to the concert |
B.buy her mother a new cassette tape |
C.record a new popular song for her mother |
D.find another cassette tape of"My Redeemer" |
A.It was first sung by her. |
B.It was the memory of her mother's youth. |
C.It helped her calm down after her younger son died. |
D.It was such a fantastic song that she couldn't forget forever. |
A.She searched for it on Google. |
B.She called the station and got it. |
C.She heard it from the radio station. |
D.She got it from Alan's neighbour. |
A.He lives in Red Lion,Pennsylvania. |
B.He'll sing for the author's mom at the station. |
C.He offered to give the author two cassette tapes. |
D.He has been friends with the Logans for many years. |
5 . Music is something I could never live without. Without music, I was
Everyone who wanted to be in show choir auditioned for the
A year passed, I was at a
A.calm | B.mad | C.anxious | D.quiet |
A.teach | B.express | C.praise | D.help |
A.heart | B.brain | C.mind | D.head |
A.looking forward to | B.getting along with | C.trying out for | D.picking up |
A.pride | B.adventure | C.passion | D.courage |
A.activity | B.programme | C.service | D.job |
A.suggested | B.recorded | C.permitted | D.written |
A.sound | B.scene | C.play | D.answer |
A.relief | B.concern | C.anger | D.sympathy |
A.removed | B.signed | C.expected | D.posted |
A.signature | B.mark | C.name | D.position |
A.kindness | B.confidence | C.pressure | D.luck |
A.crashed | B.started | C.continued | D.existed |
A.theatre | B.restaurant | C.garden | D.park |
A.eat | B.dance | C.sing | D.drink |
A.create | B.write | C.play | D.choose |
A.struggled | B.stopped | C.cheered | D.voted |
A.efforts | B.ideas | C.knowledge | D.hope |
A.picked out | B.turned down | C.brought up | D.left behind |
A.love | B.connection | C.touch | D.common |
6 . The moon had gone behind a cloud and there weren’t many stars in the sky. As I took a glance(一瞥)at my neighbor’s house, I saw a flame (火焰)in his
Soon, there was a
I
I tried to throw water through the kitchen window
When my neighbor came back, he was
Weeks later, my neighbor repaired and restored his kitchen. He
A.sitting room | B.bathroom | C.kitchen | D.bedroom |
A.chair | B.table | C.bed | D.sofa |
A.valuable | B.hot | C.special | D.burning |
A.After a while | B.All the time | C.Once in a while | D.At once |
A.examine | B.search | C.reserve | D.smell |
A.said | B.shouted | C.received | D.whispered |
A.hear | B.listen to | C.ask | D.turn to |
A.walked | B.rushed | C.jumped | D.stepped |
A.called in | B.called up | C.called out | D.called for |
A.answer | B.light | C.sound | D.fire |
A.take out | B.take up | C.break down | D.break into |
A.and | B.but | C.because | D.therefore |
A.Luckily | B.Sadly | C.Unfortunately | D.Suddenly |
A.in time | B.on time | C.at a time | D.at times |
A.run | B.spread | C.flow | D.return |
A.amazing | B.sad | C.sick | D.angry |
A.children | B.parents | C.life | D.pets |
A.expect | B.want | C.accept | D.permit |
A.persuaded | B.begged | C.admitted | D.invited |
A.gradually | B.particularly | C.specially | D.regularly |
7 . I shared one of the lifeboats with the chief engineer, Tom Fenton. I don't
A.remember | B.recognize | C.doubt | D.see |
A.areas | B.ways | C.troubles | D.cases |
A.pulled | B.carried | C.thrown | D.put |
A.shadow | B.cloud | C.wind | D.storm |
A.quiet | B.unusual | C.rough | D.deep |
A.sun | B.stars | C.rainbow | D.lightning |
A.crazy | B.bored | C.sad | D.alive |
A.sank | B.returned | C.drifted | D.appeared |
A.slept | B.talked | C.played | D.ate |
A.shocked | B.hurt | C.awakened | D.heated |
A.body | B.face | C.ears | D.eyes |
A.shape | B.water | C.bank | D.sky |
A.Now that | B.Although | C.As if | D.Unless |
A.get around | B.worry about | C.work out | D.give up |
A.important | B.ready | C.gone | D.broken |
A.possibly | B.successfully | C.luckily | D.mostly |
A.forest | B.island | C.ocean | D.river |
A.wife | B.doctor | C.patient | D.companion |
A.ring | B.wake | C.dress | D.bring |
A.Keeping | B.Turning | C.Getting | D.Looking |
8 . I hear some actors keep a sad thought or memory tucked away to help them with scenes where they might need to cry. I think we should each try to find the opposite; a happy memory, something to lift us up on those inevitable down days. I’m saying this because I think I just found mine!
I had some work in Glasgow today. I was on a really tight schedule, which meant I would have no time for myself (or my own work) all day. I was having one of those days, the train was completely packed out and the conversation going on around me seemed to be particularly inane. On top of all that, I had a bit of a headache.
Walking briskly across the concourse, I fished some change from my pocket. There was usually someone at the exit selling The Big Issue (a magazine that helps homeless folk earn a living).
As the crowd parted ways at the bottom of the concourse, I saw someone selling the Big Issue. You had to be homeless to sell the Big Issue. She really looked like she’d been sleeping rough. Her clothes were ragged and she obviously hadn’t had a scrub up for quite a while.
As I approached the exit, I saw that she was also rocking from side to side. At first I thought maybe she was trying to keep warm against the biting wind. But she wasn’t, she was moving in time to a tune. I couldn’t hear her, but I could see her lips moving.
As I got closer, I saw a white cane hanging from her elbow and noticed that she had sunken eyes. She was blind, dirty and living on the streets. I came closer and through the noise of the traffic and the commuters I heard her sing the immortal line, “… and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!”
I bought her last magazine for twice what I’d originally intended. She thanked me, then she picked up her stuff and went tapping off along the pavement - still singing!
So, I have my happy memory for the day. And I think it will stay with me a long, long time. Feel free to borrow it if you like.
1. Why do some actors keep a sad thought or memory according to the passage?A.Because some of them always feel unhappy | B.because they are scolded by the director |
C.Because it helps meet the needs of their roles | D.Because they can’t find a happy memory |
A.Made | B.exchanged | C.pull into | D.took out |
A.Only those homeless people can sell the magazine |
B.The author heard her singing as he came close to the exit |
C.The girl selling the magazines was blind, dirty and homeless |
D.The author never heard what the girl was singing |
A.the author had a headache because of his busy work |
B.the author bought more magazines than planned to |
C.the girl went away as soon as she sold out magazines |
D.the author felt unhappy because he missed his train |
A.A happy Memory to Lift You Up |
B.An Unforgettable Day I Experienced |
C.The Roses in Her Hand: the Flavor in Mine |
D.A Bird in the Hand is Worth than Two in the Bush. |
9 . Almost everything was fantastic in the nature camp except for a girl, Elizabeth. When I saw her sitting alone in the hot sun at lunch, I asked her to eat with us under a(n)
It
“What do you like to do
“I get it,” I said. “I don’t always know how to
After that, Elizabeth seemed to get along well with us, and I think she actually
Next time, if someone is unfriendly, give him a second
A.old | B.shady | C.warm | D.pretty |
A.proposal | B.help | C.symbol | D.order |
A.turned over | B.turned in | C.turned out | D.turned down |
A.unfair | B.unfit | C.unfriendly | D.uncertain |
A.seemed | B.appeared | C.looked | D.happened |
A.talk | B.discussion | C.voyage | D.hike |
A.for free | B.for ever | C.for fun | D.for certain |
A.mistakes | B.talks | C.changes | D.promises |
A.jog | B.work | C.live | D.walk |
A.replied | B.insisted | C.complained | D.shouted |
A.unless | B.though | C.until | D.since |
A.happily | B.coldly | C.sadly | D.luckily |
A.silence | B.pain | C.peace | D.trouble |
A.lay | B.sat | C.ate | D.fell |
A.still | B.yet | C.already | D.ever |
A.smiling | B.crying | C.drawing | D.coughing |
A.nicely | B.properly | C.rudely | D.naturally |
A.ruin | B.recognize | C.repair | D.handle |
A.enjoyed | B.planned | C.hated | D.avoided |
A.life | B.bird | C.chance | D.try |
10 . A Teacher’s Lifesaving Call
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Julia Koch began what was only her second year as a first grade teacher in a virtual classroom.
One September afternoon a few weeks into the school year, she received a call from Cynthia Phillips, who was having technical difficulties with her granddaughter’s tools for online learning.
Koch immediately knew something was wrong with Phillips. The two women had spoken numerous times before, but Koch had never heard the grandmother sound quite like this. Her words were so jumbled that Koch could barely understand her, though she was able to make out that Phillips had fallen four times that day.
Koch called her principal, Charlie Lovelady, who assured her that he would call and check on Phillips himself.
Just like Koch, Lovelady could barely understand Phillips. He suspected she might be having a stroke—he recognized the signs from when his own father had suffered one. Lovelady was able to make out the word “kids” and immediately became concerned that Phillips’s two grandchildren, aged six and eight, were probably home alone with her—she is their primary guardian—and scared. Lovelady asked his office manager to send an ambulance to the grandmother’s home. Then Lovelady called two deans in the school district, to tell them what was going on, both of whom dropped everything and drove to the family’s home.
When they pulled up less than ten minutes later, the EMTs(急救人员)were treating Phillips while the two girls, looking visibly shaken, were outside with a neighbor.
The quick response from Koch and Lovelady saved Phillips’s life. She arrived at the hospital in time to get treatment and before chronic damage occurred.
“If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here,” said Phillips from her hospital bed about a month after her stroke.
Thanks to an extended stay in the hospital, she has regained most of the movement throughout her body except for one hand and a portion of her mouth, which affects her speech.
1. When did the story happen?A.When Koch was in her first grade. |
B.When the grandchildren were having online classes. |
C.When Lovelady was with his own father. |
D.When the EMTs were giving medical help to Phillips. |
A.Because Phillips’s voice sounded strange. |
B.Because Phillips had seldom called Koch. |
C.Because Phillips spoke a strange language. |
D.Because Koch could not hear very clearly. |
A.By calling the hospital for advice. |
B.By visiting Phillips in person. |
C.By recognizing the signs he knew. |
D.By asking the office workers for help. |
A.minor. | B.unknown. | C.obvious. | D.serious. |
A.She could not move about properly. |
B.She could not speak clearly. |
C.She could not have meals properly. |
D.She could not use her hands as before. |