In an instant, I realized what I had done.I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be.I hated what I saw in myself.This incident re-awakened my belief in humility (谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant.I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S.at the age of 15.I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother.Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见).I remember a time, at age 17 — I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me.I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going.That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness.She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open.By the way, I helped that lady to the post office.And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.
1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that________________________________.
A.the author regretted his act of prejudice |
B.the blind woman needed the money badly |
C.the author was as poor as the blind woman |
D.the author was a native American |
A.rather hurt | B.very excited | C.deeply moved | D.greatly inspired |
A.be nice to the elderly and the disabled |
B.try to experience different kinds of life |
C.treat others equally with love and respect |
D.think about one’s past as often as possible |
A.Learn from Your Past | B.How My Dream Comes True |
C.A Belief That Will Never Change | D.A Priceless Lesson in the Street |
2 . A little boy invited his mother to attend his school’s first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy’s
At the meeting, the people were
The teacher asked
The mother replied,“
At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great
A.enjoyment | B.disappointment | C.surprise | D.excitement |
A.would | B.could | C.should | D.must |
A.noticed | B.greeted | C.accepted | D.met |
A.sick | B.ashamed | C.afraid | D.tired |
A.included | B.passed | C.covered | D.shaded |
A.talk about | B.think about | C.care about | D.hear about |
A.impressed | B.surprised | C.excited | D.comforted |
A.in sight of | B.by means of | C.by way of | D.in spite of |
A.hid | B.protected | C.separated | D.escaped |
A.understood | B.reminded | C.heard | D.learned |
A.carefully | B.seriously | C.nervously | D.anxiously |
A.As | B.When | C.Since | D.While |
A.so | B.much | C.quite | D.too |
A.out of control | B.under control | C.in control | D.over control |
A.helpless | B.hopeless | C.senseless | D.useless |
A.pointed | B.showed | C.wiped | D.touched |
A.ugly | B.lasting | C.serious | D.frightening |
A.forgot | B.recognized | C.considered | D.regretted |
A.honor | B.sense | C.happiness | D.pride |
A.quietly | B.slightly | C.tightly | D.suddenly |
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about us. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list of you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍)yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!
1. You need to build a positive self-image when you .
A.dare to challenge yourself | B.feel it hard to change yourself |
C.are unconfident about yourself | D.have a high opinion of yourself |
A.To keep a different image of others. | B.To accept your weaknesses. |
C.To understand your own world. | D.To change the way you think. |
A.How to prepare for your success. | B.How to face challenges in your life. |
C.How to build a positive self-image. | D.How to develop your good qualities. |
阅读下面短文,从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
I am a team leader in an insurance company. We are going through a lot of changes right now, which is 36 much stress for all of us.
A few weeks ago I was having a day so 37 that I even doubted if I had the ability to do this challenging work, and was about ready to change to a less stressful job 38 . Something happened that day to change my way of 39 and I am so appreciative of this young lady. I want to let her know that the small act 40 .
On the top of my cubicle (工作隔间) I have a small collection of lighthouses (灯塔) to let people know where I am sitting 41 my team members have to find me for emergencies.
That day I came into the office and was about to get the day 42 when Crystal came over. l asked if she needed anything. She said, "I 43 you something. " I looked at her with a 44 look and said, "Well, thank you, but why 45 you buy me anything?" I had never spoke to this young lady _46 . She said, "Every day I stand up and look across the 47 and see your lighthouses. Then I feel I am not alone and I encourage myself that there are always 48 things in life. I saw this on the way to work and thought 49 would like it. I wish it would have the same 50 as your Lighthouses do. " In her hand she had a small globe with a Lighthouse and a ship on it. I gave her a hug and 51 her. I don't think she knows how much that small act of 52 changed my day: 1 remained 53 the rest of the day.
For anyone that reads this, I hope you remember, no matter what the 54 is, you could change
someone's day, 55 even his views on life.1.
A.preventing | B.reducing | C.causing | D.suffering |
A.funny | B.nice | C.bad | D.dull |
A.everywhere | B.elsewhere | C.anywhere | D.nowhere |
A.working | B.behaving | C.speaking | D.thinking |
A.broke my heart | B.touched my heart | C.lost my heart | D.tore my heart |
A.in case | B.so that | C.as if | D.even though |
A.ended | B.started | C.changed | D.avoided |
A.borrowed | B.lent | C.sold | D.bought |
A.delighted | B.puzzled | C.thankful | D.worried |
A.might | B.dare | C.could | D.would |
A.before | B.then | C.since | D.after |
A.dorm | B.office | C.ship | D.tower |
A.bright | B.challenging | C.bad | D.stressful |
A.colleagues | B.leaders | C.you | D.I |
A.opinion | B.cause | C.expectation | D.effect |
A.praised | B.thanked | C.scolded | D.refund |
A.justice | B.courage | C.kindness | D.tolerance |
A.careful | B.encouraged | C.tired | D.alone |
A.present | B.work | C.gesture | D.intention |
A.so | B.for | C.or | D.nor |
People often talk as if shyness is a disease or mental condition that can be cured. I prefer to think of it as an emotional disability. It’s something we are born with and something we carry with us in our entire lives. There are many people, however, who seem to be determined to find some way of doing away with their shyness. In my opinion, it’s a waste of time. I don’t mean that we should do nothing about it; quite the contrary, I think we need to separate the basic fact of our shyness from our ability to take part in a social environment.
Look at one of the most famous shy people, Johnny Carson. This man is painfully shy, yet for decades he made a living talking and associating(交往) with different people every night, in front of a national audience. Carson has never done away with his shyness, but he has successfully found a way to deal with it to the extent that he could be, not just a talk show host, but a legend(传奇) among talk show hosts. Look also at Sally Fields, who has recently admitted her problem with shyness. This is a woman who has appeared in many films, TV shows and interviews, yet in her early years she was so shy that she turned down a lunch invitation from Jane Fonda because she was terribly afraid of meeting her.
I guess that our shyness is there because each of us is born with some insecurity and this insecurity prevents us from reaching out to others the way people with a more open personality do. As we grow up, we allow our social skills to grow and develop. But we are still stuck in kindergarten or elementary school or wherever it was when our shyness took root in our soul.
1. In the author’s view, shyness can be explained as ________.A.a disease that can be easily cured | B.a not very normal mental condition |
C.an emotional disability | D.something we pick up after birth |
A.develop a healthy personality | B.talk with people as much as possible |
C.study where shyness comes from | D.look for ways to do away with one’s shyness |
A.He dared to speak in front of a national audience. |
B.He did away with his shyness carefully. |
C.He was described as a hero in some legend books. |
D.He failed to become a good talk show host. |
A.feeling safe | B.feeling supported | C.feeling afraid | D.feeling comfortable |
6 . Every night for a year, Neil Simons quietly went out of his house. He wanted to “talk” to an owl (猫头鹰)settling for the night at the end of his garden. He made owl cries like a real wild owl and was happy to hear the bird “hooting (大声叫嚣)” back to him.
Last year Fred Cornes moved in next door. He heard an owl hooting and answered back. For 12 months the neighbors got into the back gardens of their homes, thinking they were talking with nature. Mr. Simmons kept a diary of all his talks with his bird friend. They would both be out again tonight if it wasn’t for a chance talk between their wives.
Mr. Simmons said. “My wife Kim was telling Fred’s wife Wendy about my owl watching and described how I got the birds to boot back. She said, ‘That’s funny — that’s just what Fred has been doing.’ Then the penny dropped, I felt such a fool when I found out. The trouble is that owl calls aren’t exactly the same and it’s easy to make a mistake.”
Mr. Cornes said, “I’m really flattered (过奖). I didn’t know I sounded so real. I love nature and I couldn’t resist hooting at the owls. I was very excited when they hooted back. I’m sorry that I was fooling my neighbor who was fooling me.”
1. After the talk between the wives, the two men would probably _________ .A.stop observing owls | B.not stay up hooting again |
C.not enter the back garden again | D.make no mistakes about wild owl cries |
A.I understood | B.everybody knew about it |
C.I heard the noise | D.no money was paid |
A.all his efforts seemed to be meaningless | B.his wife let out his secret by chance |
C.garden owls hooted so differently | D.Fred had been doing the same |
A.Nail seldom heard natural owl calls | B.the owl never hooted back to Neil |
C.Fred was always good at pleasing owls | D.owl watching is no longer interesting to Fred |
Tears are also a sign of strong emotion.We cry when we are sad and we cry when we are happy.
And tears seem to be uniquely (惟独) human.We know that animals also experience emotion ——fear, pleasure, loneliness——but they do not shed (流) tears.From this, we can conclude that tears are closely related to the emotional and biological make-up(结构;组成) of the human species.
Biologically speaking, tears are actually drops of saline fluid, which is a little bit salty, produced by a gland (腺) in the body.Because salt is an important component, tears may actually constitute the most conclusive evidence that the human animal is the end product of a long evolutionary process that began in the sea.
And it is clear that, in addition to (除了) the emotional benefits (好处), the shedding of tears has a specific biological function as well.Through tears, we can eliminate from our body certain chemicals which build up in response to stress and create a chemical imbalance(不平衡) in the body.Crying actually makes us feel better by correcting that imbalance and making us feel good again.And thus the emotional and biological functions of tears merge (合并) into one and make us even more “human” than we would otherwise be.
1. According to the passage, human beings may have originated (起源于) in_______.
A.the sea | B.the salt | C.chemicals | D.animals |
A.Biological | B.Emotional | C.Political | D.Chemical |
A.add | B.produce | C.replace | D.remove |
A.Tears are a sign of strong emotion. |
B.Tears are always making us feel more comfortable. |
C.Tears are uniquely human. |
D.Tears have certain biological function. |
The thing is, my luck’s always been ruined. Just look at my name: Jean. Not Jean Marie, or Jeanine, or Jeanette, or even Jeanne. Just Jean. Did you know in France, they name boys Jean? It’s French for John. And okay, I don’t live in France. But still, I’m basically a girl named John. If I lived in France, anyway.
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate. So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase. I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me, and then got no answer to my many phone calls, asking where my aunt and uncle were. Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver, instead of getting out and helping me with my bags, just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches, it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me. It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.
According to my mom, most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s. But now they’ve been divided up into apartments, so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone, though. Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone. That’s practically one floor per person, since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids, my cousins Tory, Teddy, and Alice.
Back home, we just have two floors, but there are seven people living on them. And only one bathroom. Not that I’m complaining. Still, ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs, it’s been pretty frightful at home.
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was, it was really narrow—just three windows across. Still, it was a very pretty townhouse, painted gray. The door was a bright, cheerful yellow. There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window, flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted, since it was only the middle of April, and not quite warm enough for them.
It was nice to know that, even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York, people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be. The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little.
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today, and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.
Like everything was going to be all right, after all.
Yeah. With my luck, probably not.
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street, then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin. Leaving one bag on the sidewalk, I dragged the other up the steps with me. Maybe I took the steps a little too fast, since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk. I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…
1. Why did the author go to New York?
A.She intended to go sightseeing there. |
B.She meant to stay with her aunt’s family. |
C.She was homeless and adopted by her aunt. |
D.She wanted to try her luck and find a job there. |
A.she was given a boy’s name in French |
B.the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags |
C.her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs |
D.nobody had come to meet her at the airport |
A.have an effect on | B.play tricks on | C.put pressure on | D.throw doubt on |
A.the author left home without informing her mother |
B.the author arrived in New York in a very warm season |
C.her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own |
D.her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival |
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2,600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 per cent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 per cent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11,000 Italians proved 8 am on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewer heart attacks in both countries.
The findings could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. “We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol(胆固醇)but we don’t know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can’t give clear advice on how to prevent them,” he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
“When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal(内分泌)changes in their bodies,” Willich explained. “All these things can have an unfavourable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot(血凝块)in the arteries(动脉)which will cause a heart attack.”
“When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activity,” said Willich.
1. Monday morning feeling, as this passage shows, .
A.is not so serious as people thought |
B.is harmful to working people in developed countries. |
C.is the first killer in Germany and Italy. |
D.is created by researchers in Germany and Italy |
A.people’s working time |
B.people’s living place |
C.people’s diet and lifestyle |
D.people’s nationalities |
A.blood pressure | B.heart rate |
C.hormonal changes | D.blood group |
A.Stop working on Monday |
B.Create a pleasant working environment |
C.Get up late on Monday morning |
D.Go to work with a doctor |