My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling , but I always knew he was special. He never us, but used praise to our best. He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them , they die.” I remember as a child I said unkind about somebody, and my father said, “ time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.” He that if I looked for the best in people, I would get the best . From then on I’ve always tried to follow the in my life and later in running my company.
Dad’s always been very understanding. At 15, I started a magazine. It was taking up a great of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a choice：stay in school or leave to my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway（使动摇） me from my decision, any good father would. When he I had made up my mind, he said, “Richard, when I was 23, my dad persuaded me to go into law. And I’ve always it. I wanted to be a biologist, but I didn’t my dream. You know you want. Go fulfill it.”
As it , my little publication went on to become Student, a national magazine for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them in the same way Dad raise me.
1.A. biologistB. managerC. lawyerD. gardener
2.A. criticizedB. praisedC. caredD. encouraged
3.A. bring upB. bring outC. tune upD. turn out
4.A. energyB. timeC. flowerD. water
5.A. somethingB. anythingC. nothingD. none
6.A. AnotherB. AnyC. SomeD. Other
7.A. discussedB. rememberedC. explainedD. reflected
8.A. in returnB. by turnsC. by chanceD. in case
9.A. principleB. lawC. regulationD. rule
10.A. thereforeB. alsoC. neverD. too
11.A. numberB. manyC. plentyD. deal
12.A. take outB. take onC. work onD. work out
13.A. asB. andC. even ifD. as if
14.A. recognizedB. realizedC. admittedD. permitted
15.A. respectedB. remindedC. retiredD. regretted
16.A. quitB. valueC. persuadeD. pursue
17.A. howB. whichC. whatD. that
18.A. made outB. turned outC. turned inD. made up
19.A. upB. outC. inD. about
20.A. whichB. whatC. thatD. how
In the past few years, many people found themselves trying really hard to hold on to jobs that they may not have wanted. 1. . Jobs data is improving, and the labor market seems to be picking up. Here are four signs that it might be time for you to move on.
1. You really hate the idea of going to work.
We all have days that we don’t want to go in to work. We may even dislike what we do for work. But do you really hate the idea of going in? 2. .
2. You are concerned about the values of your boss and coworkers.
3. . However, if you find yourself questioning the values and ideals of those around you at work, it could be an indication that you are out of place. If you feel that you are not in line with your organization, it might be the time to move on.
3. You wish you had more challenging tasks.
For some people, easy work is preferred. 4. . However, you might wish for more challenging tasks. If you want to progress as a person, a job that doesn’t provide you with an abundant challenge can be disheartening. Now that the economy is a little more stable, you can look around for a job that offers more satisfaction.
4. 5. .
If you feel left out of the culture at work, it might be a strong indication that you belong somewhere else. You want to be in a work environment that you feel a part of. If you have been with an organization for more than a few months, and you still feel somewhat awkward, it might be a sign that you need to find an organization where you integrate(融入) into the culture a little bit better.
A. You feel like an outsider.
B. It’s a matter of working day in and day out.
C. Many of us have our own values and ideals.
D. However, now might be the time to find a new job.
E. The cultural aspects of your job are just as important as the technical aspects.
F. If this is the case, it might be the time to find a new job, or even start a business.
G. Now that the economy is tough, many of us are unwilling to rock the boat at work.
Our warming planet is expected to face serious water crisis（危机）in the coming decades — which means each nation’s natural resource will be more important than ever.
1.Which country or region has the most freshwater resource per year?
A. Guyana B. Brazil C. Iceland D. China
2.According to the statistics, what is the world average of freshwater resource per person?
A. 244,973 cubic kilometers
B. 241 cubic kilometers
C. 3,642 cubic kilometers
D. 6,122 cubic kilometers
3.Which country or region appears twice on the top 5 lists?
A. Bhutan B. Seychelles
C. Canada D. Suriname
Does stress cause gray hair? Many people believe that tension and stress can cause your hair to lose its color．In fact，it is an old wives tale that being upset all the time can result in premature graying．Here is a closer look at this situation and why some believe that this old wives tale could be true．
As one ages，the hairs on the head also age．In fact，just about everything on the human body begins to show signs of wear and tear after a while．The joints wear and become stiff and skin wears and becomes wrinkled．Hairs on the head grow and eventually die．They are replaced，but in the process something else happens．
When new hairs are replaced，the color or pigment(色素)is also added to them．However，as one ages，this pigment becomes less and less available．At first，hairs will have a limited amount of pigment and they will appear to be grayish in color．In time，they will lose all of their pigment and will be white．Many things are known to cause graying．and genetics is a very powerful factor．If one of your parents turns gray at an early age，there is a good chance that you will too．Some people begin the graying process in high school，while others may be over the age of forty．
Constant worry and tension can have many harmful effects on the human body．It is a known fact that stressful times can cause one to suffer hair loss．It would make sense that if it can cause these problems，perhaps it also may contribute to graying．However，there is no sound evidence to support this．
On the other hand，many medical professionals believe that there may be a link：between graying and a constant state of anxiety or tension．Does stress cause gray hair? There is no scientific evidence to support the theory，but it is best to avoid stressful situations．
1.The underlined phrase in the first paragraph most probably means .
A．clever remarks B．silly remarks
C．exciting remarks D．disappointed remarks
2.The second paragraph mainly tells us .
A．every part of body is replaced with age
B．hairs will grow weak but not die
C．skin becomes wrinkled with age
D．every part of body ages with age
3.From the passage we can infer that .
A．stress causing gray hair is still in question
B．gray hair has nothing to do with tension．
C．stressful situations can be of benefit．
D．sound evidence has been found．
4.What might play the most important role in the graying process?
A．Genetics and the amount of sleeping time
B．The amount of food people eat and living environment
C．The amount of pigment and genetics
D．Genetics and the amount of water people drink
Have you ever intended to be fully absorbed in your work but found yourself distracted (走神) by e-mail, the Internet and other things throughout the day? According to the survey made by a famous university in the USA, most people have the experience.
“People often lose their concentration when they are bored, of course, but also when they are engaged in challenging tasks,” says Peter Bregman, the head of the survey. “They sometimes have a feeling to escape from what’s difficult or boring, so they jump out,” he says. The part of the brain devoted to attention is connected to the brain’s emotional center. Any strong emotion —quarrels with colleagues, problems at home —can interrupt our attention. Studies over the last decade have shown that too much work to do at a time can easily lead to distraction.
Refocusing is hard for many people. Robert Epstein suggests the following, “Stop and listen to some soft music for a few minutes. Find a good friend or a teacher and say out your matter on your mind. Go for a short walk or take a deep breath, where you breathe in deeply, count to five slowly, hold it and breathe out very slowly. This can blow out all the tension and the unwanted in your mind to restore your focus.”
Take more control by structuring your time and becoming more aware of your behaviors.“Setting the phone alarm to go off every hour is my way of creating awareness,”Mr. Bregman says.“You have to inform yourself that you’ve lost focus in order to do something about it.” Starting the day with a to-do list is also important, such as when to eat, when to go to the gym or take a walk. But if it’s overly ambitious, you will put yourself in a state of anxiety, which makes it hard for the brain to concentrate. “Choosing three or four things as your priority (优先) for the day allows your brain to settle down and focus,” he says.
1.According to the passage, which is NOT the reason why some people can be distracted from their work?
A. They don’t want to be devoted to their work.
B. They are disturbed by the Internet and other things.
C. They can’t find interest in their work.
D. They feel their work is too hard for them.
2.Which incident might not interrupt your attention?
A. You were scolded by your teacher.
B. You had words with your good friend.
C. You went to school at six as usual.
D. Your mother and father had a quarrel.
3.According to Robert Epstein, how can we refocus on what we should do?
A. Listen to rock music for some time.
B. Turn to your good friends or teachers for help.
C. Run around the playground for some time.
D. Take a breath from time to time.
4.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “restore”in the passage?
A. recover B. reform
C. release D. react
The sound of the rain hitting the windows wakes me up and it sounds just exactly as it did 15 years ago, which reminded me of my girlhood.
It was my second day of school and it was raining heavily. I could not resist the habit I had at home, so I fell asleep right at my desk. I woke up to find myself not in the classroom but carried on Dad’s back. We were halfway home. It was the last time I felt close to him.
After that, he never carried me or hugged me as other fathers did to their children. I was not bothered much by this thought. I was proud of it, for I felt independent and “grown up.” However, there were times when I felt depressed by not having sought comfort from him.
One day, I was writing Chinese characters as homework. I hated doing this more than anything. Dad came and stood behind me for a moment, watching me scratching the paper. Then he said, “This kind of writing needs patience. Your writing is not strong enough. Press harder.”
I follow his advice for the next two words, but as I could see little improvement, I followed my own method----the fast way. His advice did not improve my writing but our relationship. As I grew older, I found out that he had finished his schooling in Grade 6, which was the highest grade in the town then, so he was considered to be a scholar. People used to ask him to write something to put on the walls, but he never felt very useful.
He often said to me, “As you can see, this family is going to count on you. We are useless to improve you anything for your future.You have to get an education to change the life for yourself.” As a result of his expectation, I have made it through high school and through college.
1.How did the author first react to father’s suggestion?
A. She found it hard to accept.
B. She was confused about it.
C. She accepted it.
D. She doubted it.
2.Why did the author feel depressed sometimes?
A. She found her father never carried her.
B. Her father never hugged her as other fathers did to their children.
C. She was bothered much by the thought that her father never cared her.
D. She never sought comfort from her father.
3.We can infer from the passage that the author’s father______.
A. is helpful to improving the author for her future.
B. attaches great importance to education.
C. pushes the author tightly.
D. received little education.
4.What was the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A. to introduce her father.
B. to demonstrate people her attitude toward life.
C. to encourage people to follow their fathers’ suggestions.
D. to show what matters to her personal development.
