1 . I was sitting at my desk when another graduate student in my lab approached me. "Can you help?" he begged. His experiment wasn't working and he desperately needed help. I was a fifth year Ph.D, student, the senior member of the lab at the time. As I had many times before, I gave in and said yes.
I had a hard time saying no to such requests. I was new to the United States, having moved from China for graduate school. I found it difficult to make new friends and discover afterwork activities I enjoyed. My lab-mates served as my primary source of social connection. I feared that if I brushed them off, I'd lose their favor.
After I graduated and started a job in industry, I continued to carry the same attitude with me, and it continued to cost me. It wasn't until my wife gave birth to our first child that I realized how thin I had stretched myself and how misguided my priorities（重要的事）were. While she lay in a hospital bed in the early stages of labor（分娩阵痛）, І sat nearby, busy in correcting a work report on my laptop for my colleague. Hours later, after hearing my daughter's first cry and watching her tiny fingers grab tightly onto mine, it dawned on me that I should have been fully present during my daughter's birth.
From then on, I determined to spare more time for my family by reducing my work tasks and carefully considering each request for help. I sill enjoyed cooperating with others, but I dealt with mutually（共同地）beneficial tasks first, rather than accepting everything that came my way.
I noticed many benefits, and few disadvantages. My daily work schedule was not so crowded. I no longer worked overtime, and I was able to improve my work performance by focusing more on important tasks. I was also pleased to discover that "Sorry, I'd love to help but I have a deadline coming, up", is an acceptable response to a request for assistance. Most colleagues seem to understand.
It's hard to say "no" to those you work with. But I've learned that sometimes that's the best way to avoid too much workload and lead a freer and happier life.
1. Why was it hard for the author to refuse others' requests in school?| A．He was eager for a bond with others. |
| B．He was interested in helping others. |
| C．He was fond of doing experiments. |
| D．He was the most experienced student. |
| A．His graduation. | B．His wife's request. |
| C．The birth of his daughter. | D．The unhealthy state of his body. |
| A．Writing a report. | B．Connecting with others. |
| C．Accompanying his family. | D．Requesting others for help. |
| A．He got along badly with his colleagues. |
| B．He got a lot more vital tasks. |
| C．He received assistance from his colleagues. |
| D．He got less work and more joy. |
2 . How to Show Maturity
Sometimes it's fun to be a kid, but other times you want to show that you can be mature. Maturity can be a signpost of moving from childhood to adulthood.
●Live by your values. Maturity includes making decisions based on your values and morals, instead of what feels good at the moment.
●
●Treat people with respect. Respect builds trust and support in a relationship. Make sure you treat others with the same respect, whether it is your parents, friends or romantic partner.
●Admit your disadvantages.
| A．Keep your commitments. |
| B．This is a very mature action. |
| C．Reflect on what makes you active. |
| D．Allow your values to guide your life. |
| E．Respect others with both your actions and your words. |
| F．A good way to learn respect is to first respect yourself. |
| G．It can include intellectual, emotional and even spiritual aspects. |
3 . Learning to Give Praise to Others
Words of praise, when used right, can have powerful positive effects on others. They are free, but they’re worth so much to the receiving person.
Of course, with what I have mentioned above, be sure it’s coming from your heart.
Besides, praising in public is rather important.
I believe that as you begin using these communication tips and praising people around you, you’ll see a change in the atmosphere of your work environment.
| A．So you need to be sincere in praise. |
| B．This is more so in voluntary organizations. |
| C．People will become happier and smile more. |
| D．Words aren’t always necessary in praising others. |
| E．It is much more effective than praising in private. |
| F．Remember that measured praise is not praise at all. |
| G．The best way to give praise is by being an example. |
4 . Every year, billions of kilograms of fresh produce are wasted in the United States. Meanwhile, millions of poor Americans go hungry, without access to healthy and affordable meals.
Evan Lutz is enthusiastic about correcting that social injustice. And he combines that goal with enthusiasm for business. Lutz is CEO and founder of Hungry Harvest, a business which collects and sells “ugly” produce. These are fruits and vegetables that most food companies would throw away. More than six billion pounds are wasted each year due to surface imperfections.
“So I’ll give you an example.” Lutz says, “If you go to a grocery store you will see all the produce lineup shiny, perfect, of the same size and color. But on a farm, everything doesn’t grow the same way. So all that stuff that doesn’t grow the same way often gets thrown out. And what we do is take all that normally gets thrown out because of its odd size or shape, box it up and deliver it to our customers once a week.”
For Evan Lutz, giving back to others came form his upbringing. “When I was growing up, my parents taught me the values of giving back, and giving is a lot more powerful than receiving. We sell produce with a purpose and that doesn’t just mean we reduce food from going to waste. We hire people that were formerly in prison or were formerly injured or sick living in homeless shelters. They really wanted to get back on their feet for a second chance in life.”
Evan Lutz is really happy to be realizing great mission that he thinks can really revolutionize the food industry in America.
1. The social injustice in Paragraph 2 refers to the fact that _________.| A．vegetables and fruits that don’t taste good are thrown away |
| B．grocery stores only sell produce of the same size |
| C．poor Americans can not afford healthy food |
| D．much produce gets wasted while many Americans starve |
| A．Deliver food for free. | B．Collect “ugly” produce and sell it. |
| C．Raise money for the poor. | D．Buy “ugly” produce and process it. |
| A．To provide them with a job. | B．To reduce labor costs. |
| C．To increase productivity. | D．To earn a better reputation. |
| A．Creating More Jobs for the Less Fortunate. |
| B．Putting Healthy Food on Dinner Table. |
| C．Giving Unused Produce a Purpose. |
| D．Making Profits from Shiny Produce. |
5 . “Have a nice day!” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone (腔调) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression in one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day!” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．The salesgirl is impolite. |
| B．The salesgirl is angry. |
| C．The salesgirl cares about the author. |
| D．The salesgirl says the words as a routine. |
| A．try to be polite to you | B．express thanks to you |
| C．give his blessing to you | D．share his happiness with you |
| A．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation |
| B．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture |
| C．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting |
| D．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom |
6 . On a bright Friday afternoon in spring, Sumeja Tulic had every reason to enjoy walking in the streets of New York, a city she'd
Yet her time in New York has coincided with endless ugliness, As she
At the City Hall
A man, who was
The man who had
"I don't know
On the tracks, the
An ambulance
"That is the greatest thing." Tulic said," The infrastructure(基础设施)in this city of millions is the
| A．hung out | B．moved to | C．passed by | D．left behind |
| A．pleased | B．ashamed | C．depressed | D．relieved |
| A．walked | B．rushed | C．travelled | D．toured |
| A．urgent | B．strange | C．mysterious | D．nice |
| A．station | B．school | C．theatre | D．store |
| A．struggled | B．leaned | C．lay | D．sat |
| A．note | B．report | C．announcement | D．poster |
| A．remembered | B．foresaw | C．ignored | D．glimpsed |
| A．again | B．also | C．never | D．seldom |
| A．tracks | B．road | C．train | D．platform |
| A．stood | B．settled | C．fallen | D．escaped |
| A．whom | B．whether | C．when | D．where |
| A．nervous | B．embarrassed | C．dangerous | D．disappointed |
| A．object to | B．succeed in | C．put off | D．give up |
| A．unconscious | B．dying | C．active | D．discouraged |
| A．them | B．us | C．others | D．anyone |
| A．jammed | B．recognized | C．affected | D．rescued |
| A．stopped | B．started | C．arrived | D．raced |
| A．careless | B．serious | C．slight | D．unforgettable |
| A．people | B．passengers | C．friends | D．students |
7 . My doorbell rings at 11 a.m. On the step, I find an elderly Chinese lady. She is small and slight. She holds a paper carrier bag in her hands.
I know this lady. It is by no means her first visit. Her daughter, Nicole, bought the house next door last October. Nicole, who is currently in Shanghai, has apparently told her mother that I am having heart surgery shortly, and the result is that her mother has decided I need to be supplied with meals.
I know what is inside the paper carrier bag — a stainless-steel container with a meal of rice, vegetables and either chicken, meat or shrimp. This has become an almost-daily occurrence.
Communication between my benefactor (恩人)and me is somewhat handicapped by the fact that she doesn’t speak English and all I can say in Mandarin is “hello”. Once, she brought an iPad and pointed to the screen, which displayed a message from Nicole telling me that her mother wanted to know if the food was all right.
“Your mother just can’t be bringing me meals like this all the time” I protested. “I can hardly reciprocate by cooking something from my native land, like roast beef or Yorkshire pudding for her” I said.
“Oh，no,” Nicole said. “Don’t worry about that. She has to cook for the family anyway, and she wants to do it for you. You can call her Wing, which is her surname.”
The tenant in my basement suite is a university student who speaks Mandarin quite well, so with her help, I have found out that Wing is 68—13 years younger than I am — and that she lived through the Cultural Revolution. For my part, I was raised in wartime Britain.
So here we are, two grandmothers a world away from where we were raised, neither of us able to speak the other’s language. But the doorbell keeps ringing and there is the familiar paper earner bag, handed smilingly to me by Wing.
Right now I am working on some more Mandarin words—it’s the least I can do after such a display of kindness.
“Thank you” is, of course，the first one, which somehow seems inadequate.
1. The author and Wing got to know each other .| A．as next door neighbors |
| B．when exchanging meals |
| C．by sharing similar experiences |
| D．after using an iPad to communicate |
| A．do as well | B．offer generously |
| C．give in return | D．accept with pleasure |
| A．great satisfaction | B．real kindness |
| C．heartfelt thanks | D．sincere friendship |
Other people may fool you into overestimating (过高估计) their intelligence by putting up a good front. A student who listens attentively and takes notes in class is sure to make a favorable impression on his teachers. But when it comes to exams, he may score near the bottom of the class .
It all boils down to this: you can't judge someone by appearance. The only way to determine a person's intelligence is to get to know him. Then you can see how he reacts to different situations. The more situation you see, the better your judgment is likely to be. So take your time. Don't judge a book by its cover .
1. The passage suggests that ______.
| A．a good writer may not be a good speaker |
| B．a good writer is always a good speaker |
| C．a speechless person always writes well |
| D．a good writer will find himself speechless |
| A．is an intelligence student |
| B．may not be a intelligence student |
| C．will score better in exams |
| D．will not be a good student |
| A．his teachers | B．his deeds in the classroom |
| C．his appearance | D．his reaction to different situations |
| A．not to judge a book by the cover |
| B．not to make the mistake of thinking a young man stupid |
| C．not to overestimate a student's intelligence |
| D．not to judge person’s intelligence by his appearance |
