A businessman was deep in debt (欠债) and could see no way out. He sat on the park bench, _____ in hands, wondering if anything could his company.
Suddenly an old man appeared. “I can see _ ___ is troubling you,” he said. After listening to the businessman's , the old man said, “I believe I can you.” He asked the businessman’s name ,and a check (支票), saying , “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can me back at that time.” Then he left quickly.
The businessman in his hand a check for $ 500,000, signed(签字)by John D. Rockefeller, who was then one of the men in the world! “I can get rid of my money worries now!” he realized. But instead, he to put the check in his case, just knowing it was there to give him the strength to work out a to save his company.
Within a few months, he was out of debt and money once again. Exactly one year later, he returned to the with the check. At the agreed-on , the old man appeared. Just the businessman was about to hand back the check and his successful story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. “I am so I caught him!” she cried, “I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's escaping from the rest home and people he’s John D. Rockefeller.” And she led him away by the arm. The businessman just stood there, .
Suddenly, he realized it wasn't the money, real or imagined, but his new found self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.
1.A. money B. hair C. cheek D. head
2.A. start B. stop C. save D. sell
3.A. something B. everything C. nothing D. anything
4.A. programs B. troubles C. wishes D. dreams
5.A. find B. teach C. help D. protect
6.A. packed up B. picked up C. took out D. wrote out
7.A. bring B. pay C. feed D. call
8.A. saw B. tied C. pulled D. hid
9.A. tallest B. richest C. strongest D. busiest
10.A. continued B. refused C. decided D. forgot
11.A. record B. result C. problem D. way
12.A. losing B. making C. lending D. raising
13.A. park B. room C. company D. hospital
14.A. time B. corner C. price D. weekend
15.A. if B. as C. after D. because
16.A. read B. test C. share D. hear
17.A. sad B. angry C. tired D. glad
18.A. seldom B. hardly C. never D. always
19.A. ordering B. warning C. telling D. reminding
20.A. shocked B. bored C. excited D. interested
Does this situation seem familiar to you? Your English is progressing well, the grammar is now familiar, the reading comprehension is no problem, and you are speaking quite fluently. 1.________
First of all, remember that you are not alone. Listening is probably the most difficult job for almost all learners of English as a foreign language. 2._______ What you need to do is to find listening resources. The Internet is really a useful tool for English students. You can download The Real Player from Real Media.com. The Real Player allows you to use the Internet like a radio station.
Once you have begun to listen on a regular basis, you might still be frustrated (受阻) by limited understanding. 3.________
Here is some of the advice I give my students:
• Accept the fact that you are not going to understand everything.
• Stay relaxed when you do not understand, and try listening to the material for more times.
• Do not translate everything into your native language.
• 4._______ Don't concentrate on detail until you have understood the main ideas.
• Listen to something you enjoy.
I remember the problems I had in understanding spoken German when I first went to Germany. In the beginning, when I didn't understand a word, I insisted on translating it in my mind. ____5.___ Then, after the first six months, I discovered two extremely important facts. Firstly, translating creates a barrier between the listener and the speaker. Secondly, most people repeat themselves constantly. By remaining calm, I noticed that even if I didn’t pay much attention I could usually understand what the speaker had said.
A．What should you do?
B．But listening is a problem for most of the beginners!
C．However, after several weeks, I got used to the grammar rules.
D．The most important thing is to listen as often as possible.
E．This method usually resulted in confusion.
F．Listen for the general idea of the conversation.
G．But you can’t follow a native English speaker at all!
A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups—porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some exquisite and expensive—telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured（确信的）that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided for us.”
God brews（泡，沏）the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. "
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
1.What did the conversation turn into?
A. complaints B. study
C. discussion D. chat
2.Why did the professor offer his students coffee with varieties of cups?
A. To give his students many more choices.
B. To teach his students how to enjoy coffee.
C. To show the students his collection of cups.
D. To tell his students the right attitude to life.
3. According to the professor, the happiest people are the ones who _____.
A. get the best type of coffee cups
B. make the best of what they have
C. have a wide range of coffee cups
D. care about social status and wealth
4.The best title for the passage would be _____.
A. God's Coffee
B. The Pressure of Life
C. The Happiest People
D. Professor's Coffee Cups
Here is a great new toy just for you! It is called FUNNY FACES. It is small enough to fit in your hand, but you can do so many things with Funny Faces!
With Funny Faces, you can shape a mouth into a happy smile, or you can make a sad face. If you want to show an angry face, you can make it appear to be fierce（凶狠的）. The eyebrows (眉毛) move up and down, the eyes turn from side to side, and the ears move slightly.
It is lots of fun to play with Funny Faces, by yourself or with your friends, make up stories about the different faces, put on a Funny Faces show and invite your friends to watch it.
A Funny Faces toy costs only five dollars. It is a super toy that every child should have. Buy Funny Faces today! You will find it in many stores in your city or town.
And if you buy Funny Faces now, we will send you a FREE gift. It is a special case for your toy. You will not find this case in stores. Here is all you have to do:
Cut off the top of the Funny Faces box. It writes “A Great New Toy!”
Write your name and address on a piece of paper.
Mail both pieces to the Funny Faces address on the front of the box.
Act today! This offer is good only until June 30.
1.According to the passage, what is Funny Faces?
A. A kind of toy. B. A box.
C. A special show. D. A picture.
2. With Funny Faces, we can _____.
A. make our friends angry
B. write names and address
C. shape a mouth into a smile
D. turn our eyes from side to side
3.Why does the author write this passage?
A. To tell us how to get a free gift.
B. To encourage us to buy Funny Faces.
C. To show us how to enjoy Funny Faces.
D. To advise us to put on an interesting show.
4.We can see the passage is _____.
A. a story B. a news report
C. a letter D. an advertisement
The iMOVE database is a foreign-language information platform for persons interested in job opportunities offered by German companies. The information can be obtained in seven languages: German, English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.
All programs in the area of professional training are carried out by German training providers. All these programs have a clear content to meet your special needs.
Programs which take place in Germany are carried out in English. Many of the German training providers have stated their training activities towards the international market. Therefore, they also offer courses abroad. These courses are taught in English or the language of the target country. Providers will be glad to supply you with additional information on these courses. You can contact the provider directly to find out more about a program and the training provider.
To guarantee(保证) high standards in the database, iMOVE has developed quality standards for training providers and their services. All of the training facilities in the iMOVE database have to follow these quality criteria(标准). All training providers who publish their international training programs in the iMOVE database have recognized general terms and conditions.
1.The iMove database is intended for people who __________.
A. seek a job as a language translator
B. wish to work for professional training providers
C. are interested in German
D. want to be employed by German companies
2.Which of the following measures has iMove taken to guarantee its high standards?
A. Offering different language courses.
B. Providing modern training facilities.
C. Developing quality standards.
D. Starting training courses overseas.
3.The purpose of the passage is to _______________.
A. advertise the iMove database
B. hire overseas employees to work in German
C. make German companies more popular
D. encourage people to learn more foreign languages
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
“What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors.
“We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” one of the brothers said excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and all kinds of other insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the scoffing(嘲笑)visitors. Then he said quietly and confidently, “Even if we don’t dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!”
Their goal was far too ambitious（有野心的）, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for — to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen; in other words, to set us to digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every relationship will endure(长久持续). Not every dream will be realized. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, “Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!”
It is in the digging that life is lived. And I believe it is joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters.
1.Which of the following is NOT the reason why the older boys laughed at the two brothers?
A. The two brothers only dug out a lot of insects
B. The two brothers lacked knowledge of the earth.
C. The two brothers were foolish.
D. The two brothers had a far too ambitious goal.
2.What does the underlined part “when you fall short of your aim” probably mean?
A. When you are shorter than you expected
B. When you have less than the amount than you wanted
C. When you fail to obtain（得到）what you expected
D. When you miss the target you are aiming at
3.The passage is written to _____.
A. tell readers a story
B. teach readers how to set a goal
C. praise the two brothers
D. teach readers a lesson
4.Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Dig a Hole Through the Earth
B. Joy in the Journey
C. Realize Your Goal
D. Don’t Laugh at Others
