1 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.

I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.

Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.

I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.

The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.

Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.

1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Fear.

C．Expect.

D．Avoid.

2. Why does the author think some callers treat her badly?

A．They get angry too easily.	B．They blame her for their debts.
C．They do not see her as a real person.	D．They accuse her of taking their money.

3. Why does the author think she is good at her job?

A．She can offer callers best advice.	B．She is always respected by callers.
C．She can put herself in others’ shoes.	D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this text?

A．To call for understanding of her job.	B．To explain why she is good at her job.
C．To introduce what she is responsible for.	D．To complain about her being treated badly.

2 . It was at the midnight. I had just gone to bed, a bit drunk after _________ my birthday with some buddies in my house.

Our town was on the bank of the Ahr River, and it had been raining heavily that week; there were flood warnings for nearby areas, but not where I was. I _________ made some preparations, sandbags outside my garden door, clothing on tables etc. Before my friends left, they _________ me for doing that, but I thought, why _________?

As I drifted off to sleep, I was _________ by the sound of rushing water. When I _________ my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my _________. In darkness, I grabbed my phone and turned on its flashlight to _________ into the hall, where I saw water was pouring from the garden door. It must have broken the _________.

Any __________ of the alcohol were gone. With the fierce water, in bare feet, I started to wade to my only __________: the door that leads __________ to the rest of the house. Finally I made it and tried to open the door, but it shut again __________ I opened it a bit. I had to do something. I __________ in the water nearly to my waist, and a sword was touched. I grabbed it and wedged the door open. I managed to make a __________, enough for me to __________ through. Then, I ran up to the third floor to check my family’s __________. At that critical moment, we saw the light flashing outside—the rescue team. __________ we stood on the assault boat, I was still trembling.

The following day, the __________ news came that many houses around us were destroyed. I think the experience made me grateful. __________, “better safe than sorry” is a wise choice.

1.

A．congratulating

B．celebrating

C．broadcasting

D．applauding

2.

A．even

B．already

C．yet

D．still

3.

A．laughed at

B．approved of

C．stared at

D．accused of

4.

A．take a risk

B．make a fortune

C．make a bet

D．take a guess

5.

A．annoyed

B．awakened

C．affected

D．attacked

6.

A．bent

B．sought

C．swung

D．hung

7.

A．feet

B．knees

C．waist

D．chest

8.

A．slid

B．wandered

C．hurried

D．skipped

9.

A．wall

B．fence

C．sandbags

D．barriers

10.

A．excuses

B．causes

C．consequences

D．effects

11.

A．escape

B．direction

C．help

D．passion

12.

A．forwards

B．backwards

C．downstairs

D．upstairs

13.

A．before long

B．every time

C．as soon as

D．any time

14.

A．observed

B．experienced

C．searched

D．examined

15.

A．gap

B．glimpse

C．blank

D．distance

16.

A．jump

B．ride

C．squeeze

D．pull

17.

A．safety

B．health

C．actuality

D．motivation

18.

A．Since

B．If

C．After

D．Before

19.

A．harmful

B．fearful

C．stressful

D．powerful

20.

A．What’s more

B．Worst of all

C．In contrast

D．In any case

3 . One Saturday morning, an old man went into the market to buy something. He was dressed _________, his coat worn and his hat old. On his arm he carried a small _________.

“I wish to get a _________ for tomorrow’s dinner,” he said. The market man showed him a fat one. “Ah! That is _________ what I want,” said the old man. “My wife will be _________ with it.” He asked the price and paid for it. The market man packed it and put it in his basket.

Just then a young gentleman _________ the market. He also bought a turkey. When he asked the market man to send it to his _________ at once, the market man _________, “My errand (跑腿) boy is sick today, and there’s no one else. _________, it is not our __________ to deliver goods. It is not __________, so you can carry it yourself.” The young gentleman began to grow __________.

“Carry it myself! Who do you think I am?” said the young gentleman.

Hearing all that was said, the old man said, “Well, that is lucky. I __________ to be going that way. I’ll carry your turkey, if you will __________ me.” The young gentleman agreed happily.

__________ reaching the gentleman’s home, the old man politely handed him the turkey and turned to go. The young gentleman __________ the old man.

“Oh, it’s nothing, sir,” replied the old man. “It was no __________ to me, and you are welcome.” He bowed and went on. The young gentleman stared after him and __________. Then he walked hurriedly back to the market.

“Who is that __________ old gentleman?” he asked the market man. “John Marshall, Chief Justice (首席大法官) of the USA,” the market man answered. The young gentleman was surprised and __________.

In fact, Mr Marshall taught us a lesson that no man should feel himself too fine to carry his own goods.

1.

A．simply

B．warmly

C．casually

D．formally

2.

A．cage

B．bag

C．basket

D．box

3.

A．chicken

B．duck

C．fish

D．turkey

4.

A．only

B．just

C．always

D．also

5.

A．satisfied

B．familiar

C．busy

D．bored

6.

A．walked around

B．searched for

C．passed by

D．stepped into

7.

A．office

B．farm

C．house

D．hospital

8.

A．agreed

B．refused

C．hesitated

D．continued

9.

A．Besides

B．However

C．Therefore

D．Instead

10.

A．right

B．intention

C．rule

D．custom

11.

A．important

B．dirty

C．heavy

D．expensive

12.

A．sorry

B．angry

C．hungry

D．depressed

13.

A．happen

B．hope

C．regret

D．choose

14.

A．help

B．employ

C．pay

D．allow

15.

A．Until

B．Unless

C．When

D．Before

16.

A．praised

B．thanked

C．stopped

D．invited

17.

A．trouble

B．expectation

C．surprise

D．doubt

18.

A．smiled

B．imagined

C．waited

D．wondered

19.

A．brave

B．strange

C．kind

D．ordinary

20.

A．peaceful

B．shamed

C．sad

D．disappointed

4 . Instead of being a pacing-up time, winter is a locking-down time. Winter frees us in all sorts of ways.

I once had a neighbor named Earl. An old-timer and a self-made man, he _________ told me stories about Maine winters in the past. He suggested he had _________ the ice age. He backed up his old stories with _________ of old black-and-white photographs of heavy snowstorms that piled up to second-floor windows and completely _________ cars.

And I’ll never _________ what he said as an end to one of his stories, “A man couldn’t get much done once the snow came.” So what did he do once the snow came? He spent a great deal of time _________ to home and hearth, where he _________ the wood stove, sat with his wife, made pots of coffee, and read by the fire.

As I write these words I occasionally raise my head to _________ the window at the woodpile stacked (堆), the garden harvested, the apple tree _________, the lawn mowed, and the bicycle shed newly roofed.

As I tended to all those things, when did I have time to __________?

Some years ago a friend sent me a quote by Socrates that I try to be mindful of: Beware the fruitlessness of a __________ life.

The advice __________ me to look forward to the coming of winter, because I’ve finally learned that it is a slowing-down time, a gift of rest, a (n) __________ to acknowledge that most of the outdoor work that could be done has been done.

A friend of mine who lives in the Southeast recently called. In the course of our __________ he celebrated the climate where he lives, which __________ him to work outside year-round. “I’m always on the go.” he told me.

But I think I need a good time of winter.

1.

A．gradually

B．excitedly

C．angrily

D．unwillingly

2.

A．struggled

B．explored

C．survived

D．celebrated

3.

A．laughter

B．evidence

C．expectation

D．patience

4.

A．buried

B．struck

C．destroyed

D．supported

5.

A．realize

B．forget

C．recall

D．learn

6.

A．designing

B．improving

C．fixing

D．tending

7.

A．bought

B．controlled

C．built

D．filled

8.

A．look at

B．watch over

C．glance out

D．glare at

9.

A．picked

B．cut

C．planted

D．fell

10.

A．settle

B．arrange

C．work

D．breathe

11.

A．busy

B．happy

C．creative

D．special

12.

A．demanded

B．taught

C．appointed

D．assisted

13.

A．amazement

B．surroundings

C．opportunity

D．ability

14.

A．convenience

B．appearance

C．contribution

D．conversation

15.

A．employs

B．forces

C．enables

D．saves

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts. I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program. The school took part in the league matches every year. However, it never ended well. We were more of the audience, watching and cheering instead of sweating out in the fields.

Fortunately, the school held the tradition that the school’s old team was to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. For lack of resources, the old team bad no coach, and they didn’t even practice to prepare for the game.

I was assigned (指派) as the coach of the new team, which was why I was excited. I believed that we were going to win, but to my disappointment, we were defeated. I couldn’t believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I tried to figure out the reason and what I should do next.

It didn’t take long before I came to realize that my team was depending on me. Without proper guidance or previous experience, my team was at a loss what to do. I had to change my attitude so that I could bring out the best in them about their ability and potential.

I would let my action do the talking. First, I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. I could see their spirits lifted, with their head held high in great confidence. Most importantly, I began to treat them like winners. Only when they regarded themselves as winners could they willingly invest time and energy.

This summer, the other teams enjoyed their vacations.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Six months later, football season started.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.

I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.

For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.

The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”

Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.

1. What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?

A．They were excited and hopeful about it	B．They purchased her a harp immediately
C．They showed concern but agreed to it	D．They hesitated over it for a long time

2. What did the author find out about sheet music?

A．It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp	B．It was beneficial to foreign language learning
C．It led to her encountering difficulty in reading	D．It was an effective way of appreciating music

3. How did the author feel when the harp was burnt?

A．Astonished

B．Sorrowful

C．Frightened.

D．disappointed.

4. What lesson did the author’s experience give her?

A．Hard work pays off	B．Strike while the iron is hot
C．The simplest way is the best way	D．Never give up on what you really want to do

7 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A middle-aged man took his eighty-year-old father, who used a stick for walking, to the park to take a walk every morning.

One day, while the old man stepped out from the car, his stick fell down, and he lost his balance.

However, his son caught his hand tightly     1     (immediate), and saved him. The old man smiled at his son gratefully. The son said, “Father, pleased put that stick aside. I     2     (support)you for walking.”

    3     (hold) his son’s hand, the old man walked slowly.

After walking     4     half an hour, they felt tired and sat on a bench. Taking     5     deep breath, the old man said: “Dear, this is life!”

The son asked,“ What do you mean, Father?” The man said,“ When you were a kid, I was holding your hand to support you for walking.     6    now, you are holding my hand to help me!Years ago, you were identified as my son; now I am in your care!This is what     7    (call) the rule of life!”

“What?” the son questioned his dad. The old man replied,

“We all want to be ‘young’ forever! Ageless! Young age is always full of     8     (excite) when you keep on doing sports, When you are a child, everything is so     9    (enjoy); that never happens again    10     you catch ages. Life is short. So, live it to the fullest and make every second court!”

8 . Yesterday was my birthday, but I didn’t_________a plan to do anything with anyone. Feeling greatly_________, I decided to go out to buy a cup of coffee for a birthday celebration by myself. By the time I arrived at my favourite coffee shop, I_________a couple of ladies into the shop and waited to_________. One of the ladies asked me, “Do we get our own table or do the waiters find one for the_________?” I answered, “I think you get your own table and I’m waiting for that small one because I’m here to_________my birthday alone.” The coffee shop was fairly_________and they suggested we_________a table together. I_________that wonderful idea.

To my__________, when it was my turn to order and pay the bill, I was told it had been ordered and paid for. On sitting at the table, the ladies told me they were glad to give the surprise as a__________to me on my birthday.

We spent one hour__________ happily together and we shared many topics of common interest.__________, we had to say goodbye and continued on our separate journey. It was more than I could have expected for the day. Thank you, __________-my lovely angels for the day. They__________me that sharing is a joy. We should thank those who help and care about us.

1.

A．give away

B．come up with

C．stick to

D．break away from

2.

A．sad

B．tired

C．proud

D．excited

3.

A．helped

B．advised

C．drove

D．followed

4.

A．listen

B．fight

C．order

D．change

5.

A．friends

B．bosses

C．customers

D．workers

6.

A．show

B．celebrate

C．protect

D．attend

7.

A．full

B．empty

C．far

D．clean

8.

A．lay

B．move

C．share

D．buy

9.

A．reported

B．refused

C．recorded

D．accepted

10.

A．fear

B．pity

C．surprise

D．regret

11.

A．cake

B．dish

C．menu

D．gift

12.

A．standing

B．talking

C．looking

D．waiting

13.

A．Luckily

B．Finally

C．Slowly

D．Secretly

14.

A．ladies

B．gentlemen

C．kids

D．parents

15.

A．taught

B．wished

C．asked

D．offered

9 . It is strange how a small moment can change a person’s life. My son walked into the kitchen this morning and opened his_________to me. I opened my arms too and gave him a big hug just like I do every morning. And this time a beautiful_________came back to me.

My Italian grandma had been a big hugger when I was a boy, but my mum and dad didn’t hug me much as I got_________. By the time I was a teenager then, except for my grandma, I didn’t hug anyone.

When I was sixteen, I_________on a trip with a group of boys to tour a college. And on our way there, we also_________an old temple. As we entered we were_________there by the largest monk I had ever seen. He was over six and a half feet tall with_________arms. And as he welcomed us, he gave each one of us a huge hug. When my own_________came, I felt scared but_________in and hugged him back. I felt__________in my heart as he shared his loving-kindness. I felt peace and joy in my__________as well. It was amazing. Later that day I began to__________why I had ever stopped giving and__________hugs when they brought so much__________.

When my own children were born then I__________to never stop hugging them and telling them I loved them, no matter how big they grew or how old they got.

1.

A．arms

B．hands

C．mouth

D．eyes

2.

A．flash

B．style

C．topic

D．memory

3.

A．older

B．stronger

C．quicker

D．slower

4.

A．looked

B．opened

C．left

D．put

5.

A．thought of

B．stopped by

C．asked for

D．burned down

6.

A．greeted

B．annoyed

C．checked

D．cheated

7.

A．suitable

B．thin

C．small

D．huge

8.

A．challenge

B．confidence

C．turn

D．impression

9.

A．jumped

B．broke

C．packed

D．stepped

10.

A．warmth

B．anxiety

C．curiosity

D．horror

11.

A．personality

B．adventure

C．spirit

D．stomach

12.

A．realize

B．wonder

C．understand

D．notice

13.

A．exploring

B．designing

C．refusing

D．receiving

14.

A．advice

B．joy

C．blood

D．knowledge

15.

A．decided

B．forgot

C．changed

D．returned

10 . Dan Price was the CEO of Gravity Payments, a financial services company. One day, he found out a friend was struggling ________. The cost of living in Washington is ________, and she just couldn’t make ends meet(量入为出) on her salary. However, Dan was already earning $1.1 million a year. He realized how ________ it was that he had so much while the people working under him were struggling.

This point was driven home when he ________ a Mc Donald’s handbook on the desk of employee Rosita Barlow. When asked , Rosita burst into tears and ________ that after she left work at Gravity, she went straight to her shifts (轮班)at McDonald’s . Some nights, she even stood ________ at the local food bank.(赈济处）

That’s when Dan decided to do something to stop income ________ in his company. In 2015, he cut his own pay by 90%, mortgaging(抵押）his two houses, and ________ his stocks and savings so that he could ________ every single employee’s pay to $70,000 a year!

More than a third of his employees saw their ________ double. Some feared productivity would decline(下降）if everyone was earning more, but the ________ turned out to be true. Dan’s employees began to truly thrive (奋发）once the stress of making ends meet was ________ from their everyday lives. Employees like Rosita were finally able to quit their second jobs and ________ their work, actually increasing ________.

When COVID-19 hit the U.S, Dan’s company ________ financial difficulties. But what the employees decided ________ Dan! They chose to take a voluntary pay ________ of between 5% and 100% to keep Gravity going ________. The pay cuts worked! Gravity was able to ________ from the economic downturn, and they recently restored all salaries to their pre-pandemic amount.

As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats! Dan treated his employees well. And when it was their turn to________ him, they didn’t let him down!

1.

A．politically

B．financially

C．physically

D．emotionally

2.

A．reasonable

B．predictable

C．high

D．low

3.

A．unfair

B．strange

C．challenging

D．harmful

4.

A．forgot

B．composed

C．discovered

D．reviewed

5.

A．insisted

B．argued

C．suggested

D．admitted

6.

A．in peace

B．in line

C．in demand

D．in relief

7.

A．inequality

B．growth

C．redistribution

D．limit

8.

A．looking into

B．taking over

C．showing off

D．giving up

9.

A．earn

B．raise

C．collect

D．reduce

10.

A．market

B．creativity

C．salaries

D．costs

11.

A．same

B．opposite

C．following

D．first

12.

A．separated

B．returned

C．removed

D．hidden

13.

A．focus on

B．pass down

C．apply for

D．talk about

14.

A．requirement

B．competition

C．risk

D．productivity

15.

A．suffered

B．escaped

C．masked

D．caused

16.

A．disappointed

B．astonished

C．frightened

D．amused

17.

A．service

B．reward

C．check

D．cut

18.

A．public

B．free

C．strong

D．quiet

19.

A．benefit

B．change

C．learn

D．recover

20.

A．repay

B．respect

C．improve

D．invite