I sat down to watch a recorded TV play after my husband left for his night-shift job. Not ten minutes into my favorite TV play, I was alerted to the unmistakable beep (哔哔声) of the smoke alarm indicating a low battery. Sighing, I paused my program and got up from the sofa.
I got a stepladder, climbed up it and quickly replaced the battery. The second I sat down and started watching my play, the beep started again. Evidently, the replacement battery was dead, too, so I went through all the motions again. I’d barely picked up the remote and pressed Play a third time when the alarm went off yet again. I gave out some unladylike comments. This time, I was one rung down when the same thing happened.
By then, I was out of all the batteries. I had to search the entire house for some electronic equipment that housed the same kind. I finally found one in an old clock. I crossed my fingers, hoping the battery still had some juice, and popped it in.
No luck! That round, plastic thing that was designed to save lives was about to make me have a nervous breakdown! Frustrated, I pulled the entire thing out of its “nest” and actually yelled at it to shut up before I tore it up into pieces. Holding it, I climbed back down and almost killed myself by practically falling over the dog and two cats who always watched every move I made and every breath I took. Driving my pet s away, I threw the alarm on the table and reminded myself to sleep fully clothed in case I smelled smoke. Carbon-monoxide (一氧化碳) detection would be taken care of by our back up alarm downstairs.
I glared at the troublesome item once more before walking off to seat myself on the sofa again. My program was already forty-five minutes into the play because I’d forgotten to pause it. Within seconds, that sound hit my ears again!
注意：
1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I realized that my frustration was not the solution to the problem.
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The technician arrived shortly.
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2 . In the 1950s, British historian Northeaster Parkinson came up with a concept which was later known as Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. It states that the amount of time spent discussing an issue in an organization is oppositely associated with its actual importance.
Parkinson’s Law of Triviality is also known as “bike-shedding (车棚)”, after the story Parkinson uses to illustrate it. He asks readers to imagine a financial committee meeting to discuss a three-point agenda. The points are as follows: A proposal for a f10 million nuclear power plant; A proposal for a f350 bike shed; A proposal for a f21 annual coffee budget.
What happens? The committee ends up running through the nuclear power plant proposal in little time. It’s too advanced for anyone to really dig into the details. The discussion soon moves to the bike shed. Here, everyone’s an expert. In the end, the committee runs out of time and decides to meet again to complete their analysis.
Bike-shedding happens because the smaller a matter is, the more people will have an opinion on it, even when there is no real value to add. When something is outside of our circle of competence, like a nuclear power plant, we don’t even try to express an opinion. But when something is understandable everyone wants to show that they know about the topic at hand.
How can we avoid bike-shedding? The main thing you can do is to have a clear purpose. Priya Parker, the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, says that any successful gathering needs to have a focused purpose. “Specificity,” she says, “is a key element.”
When it comes to choosing your list of invitees, Parker writes, “if the purpose of your meeting is to make a decision, you may want to consider having fewer cooks in the kitchen.” Getting the result you want—a thoughtful, educated discussion about that power plant—depends on having the right people in the room.
1. What is Parkinson’s purpose of presenting the imaginary meeting?| A．To state a fact. | B．To clarify a concept. | C．To make a prediction. | D．To introduce a new point. |
| A．The more you know, the less you speak. |
| B．What is simple for you may be tough for others. |
| C．What requires more work may get less attention. |
| D．The more you put in, the better your result will be. |
| A．Planning before the meeting. | B．Getting the right people to the table. |
| C．Spending less time on the minor issues. | D．Taking different opinions into account. |
| A．Purpose: The Key to an Effective Meeting |
| B．Talent: A Crucial Element in Organizations |
| C．The Bike Shed Effect: Avoiding Small Matters |
| D．Nuclear Power Plant: The Less-known Proposal |
“I’m sorry, Lisa, but Debbie and I are going to move back into the house. You’re going to have to find another place to live.”
I couldn’t believe what Neil, my landlord (房东), was telling me on that warm April night. I had tears in my eyes, and so did he. I had lived in his Staten Island house for more than twelve years.
Neil had never raised my rent, which was $750 a month, very cheap for New York City. This was a big comfort when I was laid off from my newspaper job and couldn’t find any work for two years. He promised me that I would always have a home, even if I had a hard time paying the rent. But now, I was going to have to find a new apartment and pay more.
Although he gave me six months to find a new place, I was still astonished and worried. So I called Jon, my best friend, to complain about my bad experience. But Jon surprised and annoyed me.
“Look on the bright side.” he said. “Maybe you will find a place you like better. Do you remember you complained all the time about the crowded bus to and from the house? Why don’t you find a place where you don’t have to take that bus?”
“How can you say that?” I shouted at him. “This is way out of my comfort zone!”
“Come on, Lisa. Did it ever occur to you that change could be good?” Jon said.
“No!” I screamed and hung up on him.
I felt upset for the next few days about our argument. But what if Jon was right? Why did I assume that every change would be bad? Maybe my life needed to be shaken up.
That summer, as I started looking for apartments, I began to think about new possibilities. Maybe I could find an apartment with better furniture.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Finally, that October, I spotted the apartment of my dreams in a new home in a nice neighborhood.
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As time went on, I found myself doing more things out of my comfort zone and feeling more positive about life.
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4 . At 28 years old, I lost my job as a full-time magazine editor. I’d always dreamed of becoming a self-employed writer, but I
Despite the fear I felt at
I’ve been working for myself full-time for two years. Not only am I happier thanks to a(n)
When it comes to big dreams, many of us plan out every last detail so that we feel
When Jennifer Qiao got
Never let over-planning get in the
| A．enjoyed | B．imagined | C．started | D．suggested |
| A．so | B．but | C．once | D．although |
| A．diving into | B．carrying on | C．breaking up | D．letting out |
| A．offer | B．option | C．application | D．judgement |
| A．shared | B．treated | C．understood | D．faced |
| A．strict | B．tight | C．flexible | D．ambitious |
| A．chief | B．part-time | C．retired | D．salaried |
| A．eager | B．grateful | C．prepared | D．regretful |
| A．fired | B．employed | C．dressed | D．married |
| A．born | B．forgotten | C．stolen | D．rejected |
| A．plan | B．charge | C．market | D．deadline |
| A．widely | B．quickly | C．secretly | D．officially |
| A．business | B．challenge | C．organization | D．game |
| A．adjusted | B．referred | C．contributed | D．grown |
| A．form | B．way | C．beginning | D．middle |
5 . Never lose hope. You never know what tomorrow may bring.
You need to believe that you can do anything for the world because IMPOSSIBLE itself says I'M POSSIBLE. If it is in your mind, it is in your range.
Do as I say, and we should fight until the last breath because you’ll never know what will happen.
| A．But she didn’t lose hope. |
| B．Arunima Sinha is an exception. |
| C．So keep a good state of mind. |
| D．Take Arunima Sinha for example. |
| E．Because life works in a very mystical way. |
| F．Face challenges bravely when difficulty comes. |
| G．So if you want to do anything, just put effort into completing it. |
6 . It was a beautiful midwinter day in Pretoria. The sun shone warmly, and the air was fresh, calling us outdoors. A friend and I went for a walk up a small hill. Everywhere around us the grass was a dull brown color, as if painted with a dirty brush. I told my thought to my friend who, in reply, drew from his coat a pocket microscope. Bending down, he picked some of the ugly-colored growth and handed it to me with the microscope. I could hardly believe my eyes, for suddenly I was looking at some shining tiny flowers of lovely color. It seemed strange that so much beauty should be so hidden, a secret life carried on by nature beneath a dull exterior (外表).
Some days later, while I was at the hospital where I worked, a woman entered with three children. Her hair hung in untidy wisps round a face whose uncared-for skin looked dried and dull. She sat down and waited her turn with the patience of the poor. The children gradually gathered courage and made braver explorations as time went by. Suddenly the little girl overbalanced and fell. Both her brothers, a little bigger than her, rushed anxiously to her aid. When the child fell, the mother had at first started up in alarm, but when she saw that the child was not really hurt and that her brothers were caring for her with such love, her eyes grew soft and a look of such indescribable love passed over her face — once again I looked at great beauty.
Beauty lies on every side; we must develop our own microscopes of perception ( 感知能力) in order to look through the physical exterior which, like the grass-covered hillside, conceals a beauty still hidden from our eyes.
1. Why did the author and his friend go for a walk up a small hill?| A．To enjoy the beauty of the day. | B．To test his friend’s microscope. |
| C．To find hidden beauty on the hill. | D．To check the growth of the grass. |
| A．Her kindness. | B．Her strong will. |
| C．Her patience as a patient. | D．Her great love as a mother. |
| A．Nature can teach us a lot. | B．The poor have a soft heart. |
| C．We should learn to find hidden beauty. | D．We should never look down upon the poor. |
| A．Steals. | B．Covers. | C．Freezes. | D．Exposes. |
7 . Having made a fortune in business, a man bought a piece of land in rural Visakhapatnam and built a big house with an impressive swimming pool and a 100-year-old mango tree in the backyard. He bought the property (地产) precisely because of this tree — his wife loved eating mangoes. She had very fresh mangoes to eat afterwards.
The man never quite believed in vastu (风水), yet he took his friends’ advice and went to invite Dr.Veera Reddy — a well-known vastu expert for guidance.
On their way to the man’s home, when cars behind them tried to overtake, the man would give way. The expert remarked, “Your driving is really safe.” The man responded, “Usually people who need to overtake have some urgent matter, so we shouldn’t hold them up.”
When the streets grew narrow, the man slowed down. A laughing child suddenly came out from a side road, but when the child crossed the street, the man still didn’t speed up, as if waiting for someone. Suddenly, another child came out, chasing after the child ahead. Dr. Reddy was surprised, “How did you know there would be another child?” The man smiled, “Kids are always chasing after each other so it’s impossible for a child to be in such joy without a playmate.” Dr. Reddy agreed and laughed, “That’s really considerate of you!”
They finally arrived. Several birds suddenly flew off from the backyard. Seeing this, the man told the expert to wait for a while. “What’s the matter?” the expert was shocked. “Oh, there are probably some kids stealing mangoes in the backyard. If we walk in now we might give them a fright; let’s not risk anyone falling off the old mango tree,” the man replied.
Dr. Reddy stayed silent for a while before making a statement, “This home doesn’t need a vastu treatment anymore. Any place graced (承蒙光临) with your presence naturally becomes the property with the luckiest vastu”.
When we think of others’ peace and happiness first, the ones who benefit are not just others, but ourselves, too.
Hope your home doesn’t need a vastu expert either.
1. The man chose to build his house in that piece of land for________.| A．the convenience of his wife |
| B．the beauty of the rural area |
| C．further developing his business |
| D．protecting the 100-year-old mango tree |
| A．He was a great believer in vastu. |
| B．He had many vastu expert friends. |
| C．He was a new driver who feared fast driving |
| D．He was good at observation and analysis. |
| A．He had a pleasant surprise for the expert |
| B．He wouldn’t like to endanger anyone |
| C．He wanted to play a trick on the kids. |
| D．He planned to catch the thieves in person. |
| A．To inspire us to be kind to others. |
| B．To tell us not to believe in fortune |
| C．To show respect to a vastu expert |
| D．To give guidance on choosing real property. |
The other day, I was driving home, a little upset because I hated working at the weekend. On the way, I decided to grab some veggies in the nearby greengrocer's. Since there was still thin ice on the road, I took a glance at the rear mirror to make sure no pedestrians or vehicles came close, and slowly steered the wheel to the right. Then out of any of my expectancy my car bumped into an electric bike, giving out a harsh metallic clash. I collected myself and saw out of the window screen a teenager lean on one side of the bike, one foot off the ground.
All of a sudden, a familiar scene flashed across my mind.
When I was in high school, I had fun riding my bike along the country road on sweltering and boring afternoons during summer holidays. Sometimes I carried my little brother to the only grocery store in the neighborhood where we could buy our favorite ice cream. Once we had an argument about what to buy. Seeing him leave the store in a temper, I jumped on the bike and tried to talk him into going back. Suddenly, he gave me a push and I inclined towards the middle of the road when a motorbike came in my face. I fell on the ground before I could see anything clearly. Luckily, I didn't get hurt but still couldn’t rise to my feet. The motorist, a middle-aged man, ignoring his torn jeans, shed to check on me, “Are you okay? Your leg? Your foot?"
“I am all right, but..."I stared at him, terrified because I was sure he would ask for "big" sum of money for compensation. Instead, he just let me go despite his wife's protests. Guilty as I was, I was happy that I was spared. I was really grateful to the man for pardoning a silly kid who had made such a big mistake involuntarily.
注意：1,续写的词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1
Seeing the same fright in the boy's eyes, I quickly got out of my car.
Paragraph 2
The boy offered to give me some money for the damage.
