You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的).The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening — in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed — and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers. But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.
1.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to ______ .
A. expect small changesB. notice small changes
C. welcome small changesD. exaggerate (夸大) small changes
2.How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
A. Cautiously.B. Skeptically.C. Positively.D. Critically.
3.When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by ______ .
A. the tight securityB. the messy arrivals hall
C. the relaxed policemenD. the bank robbers
4.Which might be the best title for the passage?
A. Life in Britain.B. Britain in Memory.
C. Britain in Future.D. Back in Britain.
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
1.According to the passage, winners .
A. blame themselves rather than others
B. meet with fewer difficulties in their lives
C. have responsible and able colleagues
D. deal with problems rather than blame others
2.The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. improve B. accept C. avoid D. consider
3.When problems occur, winners take them as ______.
A. excuses for their failures B. chances for self-development
C. challenges to their colleagues D. barriers to greater power
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. A Winner’s Opportunity.B. A Winner’s Problem.
C. A Winner’s Secret.D. A Winner’s Achievement.
Dear son,
The day that you see me old and I am already not in good health, have patience and try to understand me.
If I get dirty when eating, if I can not dress, have patience and remember the hours I teaching it to you. If, when I speak to you, I the same things thousand and one times, do not me, listen to me. When you were small, I had to read to you thousand and one times the same story you got to sleep. When I do not want to have a , neither shame me nor scold me. Remember when I had to chase you with thousand excuses I , in order that you wanted to bathe. When you see my little about new technologies, give me the necessary time and do not look at me with your mocking (嘲弄) smile. I taught you to do so many things: to eat good, to dress well, to confront life….When at some moment I lose the memory or the of conversation, let me have the necessary time to remember, and if I can not do it, do not become nervous, as the most important thing is not our conversation but surely to be with you and to have you to me.
If ever I do not want to eat, do not force me. I know well I need to and when not. When my legs do not allow me to walk, give me your , the same way I did when you gave your first . And when someday I say to you that I do not want to any more — that I want to rest forever, do not get angry. Someday you will understand.
Try to understand that my age is not lived but survived. Some day you will discover that, my mistakes, I always wanted the thing for you and that I tried to prepare the way for you. You must not feel sad, angry or impotent (无奈) for seeing me you. You must be next to me, try to understand me and to help me as I did it when you living. Help me to walk, help me to end my way with love and . I will pay you by a smile and by the immense love I have had always for you.
I love you, Son.
Your father
1.A. paid B. spent C. cost D. took
2.A. repeat B. think C. praise D. criticize
3.A. disturb B. avoid C. look D. interrupt
4.A. when B. after C. until D. since
5.A. rest B. word C. sleep D. shower
6.A. noticed B. discovered C. invented D. assumed
7.A. knowing B. fearing C. enjoying D. consulting
8.A. what B. when C. how D. why
9.A. attitude B. thread C. material D. news
10.A. talking B. appealing C. responding D. listening
11.A. when B. how C. that D. where
12.A. short B. tired C. long D. strong
13.A. hand B. ear C. mind D. leg
14.A. laugh B. step C. pace D. cry
15.A. talk B. sleep C. write D. live
16.A. though B. since C. while D. despite
17.A. last B. best C. first D. most
18.A. against B. behind C. near D. below
19.A. made B. found C. started D. earned
20.A. patience B. mercy C. excuse D. care
— What is that building ______ construction ?
— It looks like a hospital..
A. under B. on C. in D. through
Honestly speaking, I would agree with Shirley, though not ______.
A. entirely B. widely C. possibly D. eventually
Every possible means ______ to prevent the air pollution, but the sky is still not clear.
A. has been used B. have been usedC. is used D. are used
