As my kids' summer vacation comes to an end, I find myself wanting to spend every moment with them. This past week I've been feeling guilty every time I schedule something that doesn't involve them, so I haven’t been doing much for myself. But the other day, I had a beauty treatment that I'd scheduled for over a month. I was so looking forward to it when I scheduled it, but as it approached I thought about cancelling it.
As I was leaving home, I told my kids how I was going to miss them and that I would hurry back. My daughter stopped her game, looked up at me and said, ''Oh, Mother, just go. You need to get your mood up again. '' '' Getting your mood up again'' is my daughter's way of telling me to leave home and come back with a better version of myself because it was taking a heavy toll on her too.
In that one sentence, she was telling me that she noticed I’d been running on fumes(烦恼). She was letting me know she could feel my moodiness and irritation that stemmed from not taking the time for me because I was trying to so hard to be present for her and her brothers.
It occurred to me that I'd been neglecting care for myself because I thought my kids should come first. However, in reality, my kids just want me to be happy, even if that happiness means I'm not with them all the time. Our kids would rather have parents who are smiling and feel somewhat rested than spend their days listening to their parents sigh and complain.
1. Why did the author consider cancelling the beauty treatment? (no more than 12 words)2. How do you understand the underlined part in paragraph 2? (no more than 10words)
3. What was the author's problem originally caused by? (no more than 10 words)
4. What did the author finally realize? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you learn from the author's story? (no more than 20 words)
2 . It’s good to make mistakes, and here is why.
First of all, mistakes are a clear sign that we are trying new things. It’s always good to try new things because when we are trying new things, we are growing. If we never try anything new, how can we improve? How can we expand? The simple answer is “We can’t”. Look around us. With very few exceptions, either everything you see in your physical world or every single detail of every single thing is the result of someone trying something new.
Another good thing about mistakes is this: When we are making mistakes, we are learning. Consider this --- Edison failed 10,000 times before he perfected the light bulb. When asked how it felt to fail that many times, he said that he had learned 10,000 things that didn’t work.
Finally, when we make a mistake, we are much closer to success. Why? Because when all is said and done, we will have tried some number of things before we succeeded. Every time we make a mistake, we eliminate one of those things and are one step closer.
But all this doesn’t mean that we should go through life without considering the consequences of a mistake. Quite the contrary, when we try something new, we have to be willing to set some reasonable limits so that in the event that it doesn’t work out the way we want it to, we will be in a position to try again. We all have limited resources --in the form of time and money -- so we shouldn’t blow them all on one approach to a problem. Realize that it probably won’t be perfect the first time and allocate these resources appropriately so we can learn, make corrections, and try it again. Only by accepting and using our mistakes in this way can we make significant advances in our lives.
There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.” So go forth and make mistakes. And learn. And grow. And prosper.
1. From the second paragraph, we can conclude that ________.| A．mistakes are unnecessary for development | B．mistakes let us see our own limits |
| C．it’s common for people to make mistakes | D．making mistakes is better than not trying |
| A．move forward | B．never fail | C．obtain nothing | D．be closer to mistakes |
| A．make up for | B．get rid of | C．avoid | D．solve |
| A．avoiding making the same mistakes | B．accepting the outcome willingly |
| C．making proper arrangements for our next try | D．reflecting on the consequences after each mistake |
| A．how to deal with mistakes | B．what benefits making mistakes brings |
| C．how to achieve success | D．how to make use of our mistakes |
| A．Never mind, I tried my best. | B．That’s all right. I’ll try again. |
| C．Great! Now I have learned something. | D．Look at this mess. Anyone would be upset. |
3 . When I was a child my father taught me five words that I've used all my life- in my acting career,as a mother,in my business activities.If I
A porter is a gatekeeper,who stands at a door
As an actress,before I went on camera,I'd make sure anxiety
Of course,there were always times I'd
In 1972 my husband,Fillmore Crank,and I opened the doors to our own
We were on call 24 hours a day.Something was always going
Then there was the
I stood in the door of my mind and sent fear packing.
These days at the hotel,whenever fear tries to
| A．complained | B．announced | C．recalled | D．decided |
| A．future | B．find | C．family | D．studio |
| A．letting | B．urging | C．inviting | D．observing |
| A．busy | B．involve | C．send | D．picture |
| A．so | B．for | C．but | D．or |
| A．showed up | B．stayed out | C．cut in | D．broke down |
| A．serious | B．curious | C．anxious | D．cautious |
| A．fill | B．change | C．read | D．ease |
| A．eat | B．twist | C．exchange | D．forget |
| A．clinic | B．hotel | C．laundry | D．restaurant |
| A．promising | B．demanding | C．convincing | D．boring |
| A．figured | B．confirmed | C．deduced | D．suggested |
| A．sour | B．missing | C．wrong | D．pale |
| A．hardly | B．regularly | C．specially | D．suddenly |
| A．warning | B．command | C．choice | D．solution |
| A．serve | B．touch | C．decorate | D．blanket |
| A．credit | B．energy | C．identity | D．family |
| A．ceased | B．recovered | C．dropped | D．boomed |
| A．in time | B．on purpose | C．at random | D．by chance |
| A．split | B．shelter | C．withdraw | D．register |
Just like everyone, I have experienced ups and downs in my life. I am an aerospace engineer from India, I was told by my relatives, close friends and others that it was hard for a non-IT student to pursue a master's degree in IT and graduate from a US university.
I had never taken courses related to computers or programming. I was never interested in being a programmer, but things changed. I became so fascinated with the convenience IT has brought to our life that I made up my mind in chasing a master's degree in IT.
At first, I came across too many difficulties and setbacks. Coming from a middle-class family, the huge cost per credit was a big issue. My English accent was terrible. Most importantly, the course seemed impossible at first. Although I felt so discouraged and frustrated, I never thought of giving up.
Then I decided to choose my university because it promised its students to help them learn practically. During my first month, it was difficult to understand the Americans' accent and finish my assignments. But I never gave in. I walked two miles to the university every day so that I could use my travel money to buy a meal. I started looking for jobs and I got an offer to work as a student assistant, which meant lifting benches and chairs every day.
I took all these challenges as my chances, and I believed that hard work was my strength. Right now I am graduating with a GPA of 3.96/4 and a job offer from a multinational company that has asked me to start right after graduation.
When you have a dream to realize, there is nothing that can stop you. All you need is the diligence and persistence. Hard work always pays off. Having a determined will is also necessary.
1. Why did the author's family and friends say that it was hard for him to pursue a master's degree in IT? (no more than 8 words)2. What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 mean? (no more than 5 words)
3. What is the main idea of paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
4. What made the author graduate with a higher GPA and a good job offer? (no more than 15 words)
5. How does the author's story inspire you? (no more than 25 words)
5 . Every act of kindness starts with something small, something we all can and should do every single day. I’m Will Ruhio, one of the
On Random Acts, it may be a neighbour or a colleague who recognizes a need and
So, where can you start? The key is to be like Lily: look for an opportunity to make a
After two seasons of hosting Random Acts, the joy of
We’ve been working to
Be that person doing acts of kindness out of the
| A．photographers | B．actors | C．viewers | D．hosts |
| A．expose | B．conduct | C．arrange | D．advocate |
| A．changing | B．counting | C．ranging | D．transforming |
| A．in search of | B．in need of | C．in defence of | D．in favour of |
| A．sets off | B．sets aside | C．sets down | D．sets out |
| A．Retell | B．Take | C．Create | D．Explain |
| A．anxious | B．proud | C．afraid | D．unwilling |
| A．exception | B．dilemma | C．competition | D．challenge |
| A．provided | B．seized | C．spotted | D．missed |
| A．successful | B．acceptable | C．reasonable | D．available |
| A．choice | B．difference | C．promise | D．decision |
| A．generous | B．caring | C．ambitious | D．sociable |
| A．never | B．even | C．still | D．just |
| A．put up with | B．make up for | C．work at | D．take in |
| A．bearing | B．carrying | C．reducing | D．overcoming |
| A．admit | B．realize | C．remember | D．assume |
| A．truth | B．deadline | C．destination | D．boundary |
| A．entertain | B．surprise | C．locate | D．please |
| A．relieves | B．discourages | C．hits | D．satisfies |
| A．whisper | B．curiosity | C．faith | D．goodness |
It was a hot July day. The five boys and I wanted to find some new tricks to play. “Hey!” Ned said, “We haven’t climbed the cliff for a long while.” “Let’s go!” said someone else. And off they went. I hesitated. I longed to be brave and active, like them, but I’d been a sickly child most of my eight years and my mother often told me not to adventure.
“Come on!” called Jerry, my best friend. “Just because you’ve been sick is no reason to be timid.” “I’m coming!” I yelled, and ran along after them.
Through the park and into the woods, we finally approached the cliff, which was only about 60 feet high, but to me it just seemed impossible because it was almost vertical (垂直的).
One by one, the other boys began to climb upward. Then trembling and sweating, I began to climb, my heart beating widely in my skinny chest. At some point, I looked back and was horrified. The ground at the base of the cliff seemed very far below; one slip and I would fall. Soon, the boys were u to the top. Then they left, leaving me clinging (紧握) to the rock alone.
I looked down and was overcome by dizziness: I could never climb back down. It was much too far to go and I would fall and die. But the way up to the top was even worse — higher, steeper and more dangerous; I would never make it.
Time passed and it was getting dark. I began to sob.
After what seemed one hundred years, I heard my father’s comforting voice: “Come on down, boy.”
“No, I can’t,” I howl. “It’s too far, it is too hard, I can’t do it.”
“Listen to me,” my father said. “Don’t think about how far it is and all you have to think about is taking one little step.” I inched backward. Eventually I took the last step down onto rocks at the bottom.
Now whenever I’m faced with a frightening situation, I’ll remind myself not to look at the rocks far below, but at the first small and relatively easy step, feeling a sense of accomplishment with each move, until I have done what I wanted to do.
1. Why did the writer hesitate to climb the cliff at first?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 probably mean? (no more than 2 words)
3. How does the writer like the cliff?(no more than 10 words)
4. What is the embarrassing situation the writer have to face in Paragraph 5? (no more than 15 words)
5. What’s your attitude towards “fear” in life? Please explain.(no more than 20 words)
7 . It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked. “The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read. Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, thanks for your time! Harold Belser.” “Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.
1. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?| A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser. |
| B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser. |
| C．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser. |
| D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories. |
| A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing |
| B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday |
| C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address |
| D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together |
| A．recover | B．reveal |
| C．recommend | D．recall |
| A．Because he had no children or relatives. |
| B．Because he thought he had to keep his word. |
| C．Because he was grateful for Jack’s time with him. |
| D．Because Jack had always wanted it during his childhood. |
| A．he came to realize the importance of the time with his family |
| B．he had promised to spare more time to stay with his son |
| C．he had missed his son and his family for days |
| D．he was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest. |
| A．The Good Old Times | B．What He Valued Most |
| C．An Old Gold Watch | D．The Lost Childhood Days |
8 . People get truly happy and success by becoming the best and the most genuine(真实的) version of themselves, not on the outside - on the inside. It's not about a brand or a
It sounds simple, I know. The problem is, it's very hard to do, it takes a lot of work, and it can take a lifetime to
That's what Steve Jobs
Now, let's be
Not only that, but what Jobs was talking about, or what I'm talking about, requires focus and discipline, two things that are very hard to
There's a business concept called opportunity cost. When you choose one course of action, you will miss out on all the other opportunities you might choose to
And yet, the opportunity for adventure is right there in front of each and every one of us. Until you take it, you'll never know what you might
| A．personality | B．quality | C．talent | D．reputation |
| A．put | B．leave | C．figure | D．check |
| A．Everything | B．Anything | C．Something | D．Nothing |
| A．rewards | B．chances | C．advantages | D．responsibilities |
| A．aim | B．sense | C．effect | D．result |
| A．planned | B．meant | C．mentioned | D．informed |
| A．endless | B．abundant | C．random | D．limited |
| A．mind | B．voice | C．action | D．heart |
| A．trust | B．deny | C．admire | D．forget |
| A．however | B．whichever | C．whenever | D．whatever |
| A．drawn close attention | B．attached great importance | C．made all the difference | D．struck a sensitive nerve |
| A．realistic | B．enthusiastic | C．energetic | D．optimistic |
| A．challenging | B．dynamic | C．fragile | D．consistent |
| A．turn out | B．bring about | C．fall on | D．involve in |
| A．come by | B．stand by | C．look for | D．care for |
| A．get down | B．give in | C．give rise | D．pay attention |
| A．preserve | B．create | C．pursue | D．abandon |
| A．frequently | B．rarely | C．actively | D．passively |
| A．achieve | B．survive | C．believe | D．relieve |
| A．enjoy | B．expect | C．design | D．start |
9 . There are times when we feel as if our bad circumstances will never change. When we meet troubles or problems in our lives,we are
When in this mindset(心态), I think back to a
When
In life we need to
| A．ready | B．grateful | C．responsible | D．desperate |
| A．settled | B．hidden | C．defeated | D．gone |
| A．message | B．story | C．problem | D．case |
| A．ate | B．tasted | C．touched | D．opened |
| A．Anyhow | B．However | C．Otherwise | D．Therefore |
| A．changed | B．ran | C．happened | D．showed |
| A．protected | B．kept | C．stopped | D．forbade |
| A．little | B．foolish | C．anxious | D．shy |
| A．good | B．bad | C．wrong | D．right |
| A．doubt | B．guess | C．know | D．hope |
| A．memories | B．things | C．questions | D．chances |
| A．search for | B．make up | C．take out | D．wrestle with |
| A．family | B．work | C．business | D．future |
| A．spirit | B．heart | C．will | D．mind |
| A．easy | B．difficult | C．common | D．special |
| A．adjusted | B．turned | C．stuck | D．agreed |
| A．left | B．expected | C．talked | D．remembered |
| A．fetch | B．catch | C．bring | D．take |
| A．something | B．everything | C．nothing | D．anything |
| A．prove | B．tell | C．consider | D．understand |
10 . Sometimes just when we need the power of miracles, they arise in the places we would least expect.
On a cold January afternoon in 1989, I was climbing Egypt’s Mt. Horeb, hoping to get to the peak by sunset to see the valley below. As I was winding up the narrow path, I’d sometimes see other hikers who were coming down. While they would generally pass with simply a nod or a greeting in another language, there was one man who did neither.
I saw him coming and as he got closer, I could see that, unlike other hikers, he was wearing traditional Egyptian galabia( 长 袍 ). What made his appearance so strange was that the man didn’t even appear to be Egyptian, but was a small-framed Asian man with little hair and round glasses.
As we neared one another, I said Hello, but not a sound came from him. I thought maybe he hadn’t heard me. Suddenly he stopped directly in front of me, looked up from the ground, and spoke a single sentence to me in English, “Sometimes you don’t know what you have lost until you’ve lost it.” As I took in what I had just heard, he simply stepped around me and continued his going down.
That moment in my life was a small miracle. The reason is less about what the man said but more about the timing and the context. The year was 1989, and it was during my Egyptian pilgrimage (朝圣), and specifically during my hike to Mt. Horeb, that I’d set the time aside to make decisions that would affect my career, my friends, my family, and ultimately, my life.
I had to ask myself what the chances were of an Asian man dressed in an Egyptian galabia coming down from the top of this historic mountain just when I was walking up, stopping before me, and offering his wisdom, seemingly from out of nowhere. My answer to my own question was easy: nearly no chance! In a meet that lasted less than two minutes, a total stranger had brought something clear and something of a warning, regarding the huge changes that I would make within a matter of days. In my way of thinking, that’s a miracle.
Miracles are everywhere and occur every day for different reasons, in response to the different needs that we may have in the moment. Our job may be less about questioning the extraordinary things that happen in our daily lives and more about accepting the gifts they bring.
1. Before the Asian man spoke, how did the author think about him?| A．He was very rude and strange. |
| B．He was different from others. |
| C．He was shy and nod to strangers. |
| D．He looked ordinary and was talkative. |
| A．He was in search of a miracle in his life. |
| B．It was a place for a religious person to head for. |
| C．He intended to make arrangements for his future life. |
| D．He waited patiently in expectation of meeting a wise person. |
| A．For what reason did the man stop before me ? |
| B．Why did the Asian man go to the mountain ? |
| C．What change would I make within a matter of days ? |
| D．What was the probability that others told us the right words ? |
| A．Because the Asian man’s appearance had a deciding effect on his future life. |
| B．Because his words were in perfect response to the need he had at that moment. |
| C．Because what the Asian man said was meaningful in the philosophy of life. |
| D．Because the Asian man impressed on him the worth of what he had possessed. |
| A．Can you recognize a miracle? | B．Is a miracle significant to us? |
| C．When might a miracle occur? | D．Why do we need a miracle? |
