Several years ago, I had to replace a receptionist for my unit. Before I advertised for the position, I was approached by another manager, and asked if l would consider a transfer from his staff instead of opening a new competition. My natural question was to ask who he wanted me to consider and why.
It appeared from his description of this employee, Maria, that she was having a lot of problems performing her duties, and had difficulties with her boss, and did not appear to respond to any attempts he, the manager, had made to settle the issues. Now, after listening to his explanation, I really had severe doubts. What crossed my mind, after this discussion, was that he wanted me to take a problem off his hands.
I told him I would think about it and would let him know the next day. As promised, after thinking more about this potential performance issue, I decided that I would agree to speak with Maria privately before I made any decision.
And, what I found out during this interview, left me deep in thought. As it turned out, the performance issue appeared to result from working for a boss who never extended a good morning greeting, never gave a word of encouragement, and was constantly changing the work load and routines. The end result was a totally ruined employee who was unconfident, hated to see a new work day start.
I decided to accept her transfer to my unit. What started out as a shy, withdrawn and frightened employee turned out to be one of the most productive and loyal employee that I had ever worked with. Maria couldn't do enough and was constantly asking for more and for more responsibility. I was more than happy to give her what she needed-praise for work well done, respect as a person, and encouragement for doing well in anything she dealt with.
Sometimes, we are guilty of holding others back from accomplishing or doing or developing as they should or could. It may be a wise idea that we all look in the mirror, from time to time, to see what we are really like.
1.What can we learn about the writer from the first paragraph?
A. He is a manager in the company.
B. He doesn't like his receptionist.
C. He likes to compete with others.
D. He wants to find another position.
2.After hearing his colleague's description of Maria, the writer thought that Maria_______.
A. attempted to settle the issues
B. was a problem to her boss
C. shouldn't stay in the company
D. could get on well with others
3.Why did Maria fail to perform well in her previous job?
A. Her previous job was not suitable for her.
B. She had difficulty responding to her manager.
C. Her boss didn't inspire her working enthusiasm.
D. Her boss showed no trust in her ability.
4.The writer accepted Maria's transfer to unit probably because he thought that________.
A. she was a ruined employee
B. she would need his protection
C. she would turn out to be a good employee
D. she was a shy and frightened employee
5.The writer probably believes that a good boss should________.
A. praise and award his employees a lot
B. respect, praise and encourage his employees
C. greet his employees and give them much work
D. always give his employees guidance in working
Do you know the open-air art gallery in London's Blackall Street? Probably -not. Not many Londoners know it either, but Henri does and he is willing to show it to you.
Henri used to sleep in parks until he met a charity(慈善机构) that helps homeless people get back on their feet by becoming tour guides.
Rather than show traditional London sights, “Unseen Tours" take people off the beaten track. Henri has been teaching tourists about the history and architecture of Shoreditch, where he slept on public benches for three years.
When he felt separated from the society, contact with the volunteer network "The Sock Mob" gave Henri hope. "Not everyone just looked down on me," he said. The tours aren't the only actions trying to help those who have suffered a misfortune to stand tall again.
An innovative(创新的) college for homeless people in London, the first of its kind in the country, is attracting hundreds of students. The Recovery College, set up by St Mungo's charity, is providing courses designed to improve technical skills and life skills.
According to Andy Williams, who helps to organize the college, the most popular courses have proved to be about raising self-confidence and developing self-pride.
Steve, now in his 50s, told a reporter how much of a difference it makes to "have a bit of confidence". He had difficulty learning to read and had to leave school when he was 12. Because Steve's problem was not recognized at the time, he was "seen to be unable to read or write", and suffered with depression and alcohol addiction. He says the status of "student" is itself important for people who are used to being treated as outcasts（被遗弃者）
Some charities aim not only to help the homeless become independent but also to make them popular. The Homeless World Cup started ten years ago. Today the tournament draws teams from 48 countries made up of players-men and women-who are, or have been, living in the streets. It gives them a chance to become football heroes.
1.The underlined part "take people off the beaten track" means "take people to______.”
A. famous galleries B. traditional sights
C. unusual places D. public benches
2.How does the Recovery College help the homeless people?
A. By training them to be guides
B. By offering them different courses.
C. By keeping in contact with them.
D. By asking more students to help them.
3.At the age of 12, Steve _______ .
A. wasn't treated as a normal student
B. had much confidence in himself
C. didn't want to study at school
D. left school because of depression
4.The purpose of the Homeless World Cup is to help the homeless people _______.
A. become football stars B. improve life skills
C. gain self-confidence D. find proper jobs
5.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Confidence Back Now. B. London Tour.
C. The Popular Homeless. D. Football Heroes.
Life is to be enjoyed. There’s no point in giving up something you enjoy unless you get something back that’s even better. When people eat more healthfully, exercise, quit smoking, and manage stress better, they find that they feel so much better that it reconstructs the reason for making these changes from fear of dying to joy of living. The latest studies show that when you exercise and eat right:
YOUR BRAIN receives more blood flow and oxygen, so you become smarter, think more clearly, have more energy, and need less sleep. Two studies showed that just walking for three hours per week for only three months caused so many new neurons (神经细胞) to grow that it actually increased the size of people’s brains!
YOUR FACE receives more blood flow, so your skin glows more and wrinkles less. You look younger and more attractive. In contrast, an unhealthy diet, chronic emotional stress and smoking reduce blood flow to your face so you age more quickly. Smoking accelerates aging because nicotine causes your arteries (动脉) to narrow down, which decreases blood flow to your face and makes it wrinkle earlier. This is why smokers look years older than they really are.
YOUR GENES change. In May, a study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that changing your lifestyle changes your genes.
YOUR TELOMERES (染色体端粒) get longer. Telomeres are the ends of our chromosomes (染色体) that control how long we live. As telomeres become shorter, then cells age more quickly, thus shortening your life.
Besides, one of the most interesting findings in the study was that the mothers’ awareness of stress was more important than what was really occurring in their lives. The researchers gave the women a questionnaire and asked them to rate on a three-point scale how stressed they felt each day, and how out of control their lives felt to them. The women who were aware that they were under heavy stress had significantly shortened and damaged telomeres compared with those who felt more relaxed. On the contrary, some of the women who felt relaxed despite raising a disabled child had more normal-appearing telomeres.
In other words, if you feel stressed, you are stressed; if you feel fine, you are fine.
1.Which of the following are good for lengthening one’s life, according to the passage?
① eat healthy food ② drink plenty of water ③ take exercise ④ get up early
⑤ go to sleep early ⑥ release one’s stress
A. ①③⑥ B. ①②③ C. ①⑤⑥ D. ③④⑥
2.The underlined words “your skin glows” in Paragraph 3 are closest in meaning to _________.
A. your skin becomes white as there is plenty of sunshine
B. your skin becomes smooth as there is much blood in it
C. your skin looks pink as you are healthy
D. your skin becomes soft as you exercise enough
3.In the author’s opinion, when you exercise and eat right, you will experience some changes EXCEPT _________.
A. brains becoming cleverer B. faces having fewer wrinkles
C. arteries turning narrower D. genes being changed
4.From the last but one paragraph we learn that _________.
A. mothers will have more damaged telomeres if they raise a disabled child
B. mothers don’t know how to handle stress effectively
C. some women were asked to fill out a questionnaire about educating children
D. mothers’ positive attitudes are the key to managing their stress
5.The best title for the passage would be _________.
A. Eat better, live better B. Feel better, live longer
C. Less stress, fewer diseases D. Smoke more, age sooner
A fellow speaker from California named Geri flew to Japan, in her favorite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at Narita Airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Geri took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly.
When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Geri to tea in the lobby (大厅). While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”
At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said “Sayonara” and left immediately. Poor Geri was left astonished. What did she do wrong?
Everything! Her jeans were the first gaffe. Even if you’re coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet c1ients (客人) casually dressed. The second mistake was Geri’s handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Geri put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other’s cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safekeeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect.
Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Geri hadn’t even given them a gift!
1.In the four Japanese gentlemen’s eyes, Geri took their cards _____________.
A. excitedly B. embarrassingly C. politely D. disrespectfully
2.Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly?
A. Because they couldn’t bear Geri’s behavior any longer.
B. Because they had finished the task.
C. Because Geri had something more important to do.
D. Because Geri felt embarrassed.
3.What does the underlined word “gaffe” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. ignorance B. sadness C. mistake D. carelessness
4.The third mistake Geri made was that she _____________.
A. used her own card as a conversation starter
B. took her clients’ cards with one hand
C. kept her clients’ cards in a wrong place
D. met her clients in jeans
5.What lesson can we draw from this story?
A. Honesty is the best policy.
B. Think twice before you take any action.
C. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
D. Don't claim to know what you don't know.
The Town of Pressure and the Town of Pleasure were neighbors but had nothing in common. Residents built walls to influence from the other town.
In Pressure, struggled to be the very best. When women gave birth, they would to have the baby with the loudest cry. There was violent competition in every aspect of life. Because was the index (指数) of success, people were busy making money, with for relaxation. Some young people couldn’t bear the intensity and resorted to drink or drugs to escape.
_ , over in Pleasure, the motto was “As long as you like it, do it.” People grew up without and do anything they liked. Children played computer games day and night. At school, teachers didn’t _ whether students showed up or not. Workers might sit around the office sipping coffee and doing nothing. the lack of regulations, nobody worried about losing their jobs. It was that mattered. No one had the thought of moving forward, either for themselves or for the town. The computers they used were models from Pressure.
Some of the young were addicted to because of the meaninglessness of their lives. Then, people in the two towns began asking themselves, “What is for?” But, just before life in the two towns completely , there came a saint – Mr. Reason. He went from door to door, talking with people and giving advice. People in Pressure learnt to be with what they had, while people in Pleasure began to make plans. They the walls between them and built a road to connect the two. The towns’ people came to realize the truth—there is no space between Pressure and Pleasure if they don’t go to extremes.
1.A. connect B. keep C. keep out D. prevent
2.A. everyone B. anyone C. nobody D. somebody
3.A. have B. like C. compete D. try
4.A. health B. joy C. children D. wealth
5.A. seldom B. always C. hardly D. sometimes
6.A. much time B. no reason C. many reasons D. no time
7.A. Meanwhile B. At the same time C. Therefore D. Virtually
8.A. pleasure B. pressure C. work D. happiness
9.A. must B. need C. could D. dared
10.A. know B. find C. recognize D. care
11.A. in the morning B. in the evening C. all day long D. in the afternoon
12.A. Thanks to B. Regardless of C. Owe to D. According to
13.A. money B. time C. pleasure D. pressure
14.A. strongest B. slightest C. most D. smallest
15.A. the old B. the new C. the best D. the same
16.A. books B. work C. money D. drugs
17.A. pressure B. life C. pleasure D. money
18.A. improved B. failed C. succeeded D. lived
19.A. content B. surprised C. patient D. angry
20.A. built B. put down C. pulled down D. set up
