To Whom It May Concern:
Your address was forwarded to us by How to Magazine.All of us here think The International Institute of Not Doing Much is the best organization in the world.You know how to avoid unnecessary activities!
As a matter of fact, we closely followed the advice in your article.First, we replaced all our telephones with carrier pigeons.Simply removing the jingle of telephones and replacing them with the pleasant sounds of birds has had a remarkable effect on everyone.Besides, birds are cheaper than telephone service.After all, we are a business.We have to think of the bottom line.As a side benefit, the birds also fertilize the lawn outside the new employees’ sauna(桑拿房).
Next, we sold the computers off to Stab, Grab, Grit, and Nasty, a firm of lawyers nearby.Our electricity bill went way down.Big savings! The boss is impressed.We have completely embraced paper technology.Now that we all use pencils, doodling is on the increase, and the quality of pencil woman ship is impressive, as you can tell from my handwriting in this letter.By the way, if you can, please send this letter back to us.We can erase and reuse it.Just tie it to Maggie’s leg and she’ll know where to take it.
Now it’s very calm and quiet here.You can notice the difference.No more loud chatter on the telephones! All we hear is the scratching of pencil on paper, the sound of pigeons, and the delivery of inter-office correspondence by paper airplane.
Wonderful! I’ve always wanted to work for an insurance company ever since I was a little girl.Now it’s perfect.
Sincerely yours,
Eleanor Lightly
Spokeswoman and Company Hair Stylist
ABC Activity Insurance: insure against overdoing it
1.Which of the following best describes the life the author is leading?
A.A simple, slow-paced life.
B.A life of hard work and security.
C.A religious, peasant-like life.
D.A life away from paper and pencils.
2.Where is Eleanor’s letter sent to?
A.How To Magazine.
B.ABC Activity Insurance Company.
C.Stab, Grab, Grit, and Nasty Law Firm.
D.The International Institute of Not Doing Much.
3.Which of the following is practiced in the author’s company?
A.Replacing the manual work system with modern technology.
B.Turning off lights in the daytime to save electricity.
C.Recycling paper resources whenever possible.
D.Buying birds and pets as company for the staff.
4.What is true about Maggie?
A.She works as a manager in the author’s company.
B.She sometimes helps fertilize the lawn outside the sauna.
C.She often helps with inter-office correspondence using e-mail.
D.Her handwriting has improved a lot after entering the company.
5.What is the purpose for the person to write this letter?
A.to show his dissatisfaction with the new environment.
B.to complain about the bad working condition.
C.to persuade people to live a simple life.
D.to express his gratitude for the good advice.
Every fast-food employee knows that the drive-through window is the worst position.The window sticks with constant ice; the roar of engines hurts your ; your words are lost in the howling wind.
On a afternoon, everything changed.Every once in a while, the sub-zero temperatures seal(密封) a windows shut.Drivers don’t exactly enjoy having to stand outside in the cold, their orders into a speaker box, when they expect to drive through on their heated leather seats.In such cases, most customers tend to show their annoyance to the employees.
This woman was .
“I’ll get the next car’s as well,” she said as she came up to the window to pay.She stood outside, much snow on her hair.Though she was obviously freezing, her bright lit up her face like a fire.
“You can’t their drinks,” I said, confused and tired.
“No, but I’ll buy them,” she said.“Pay it forward and all that.”
Completely puzzled, I charged her as , and when the next customer arrived at the window I explained what had just happened.I watched as his changed—first angry to be out in the cold, then at the random act of kindness, and finally, delighted by his .
“I suppose I’ll pay for the next order then,” he replied, nodding and waving at the impatient driver him.He over the cash and received his pre-paid hot drink.
The trend continued.Customers arrived annoyed, only to leave and pleased.Some were shocked but happy to spend more than they had expected, others ended up receiving their order for less than half the price.
Five vehicles passed, then ten, then twenty.No one refused to pay.Customers stood at my window a fist-full of change to buy drinks for a complete stranger.Cars drove off, honking(鸣笛) and their thanks.
It only takes one customer, one person, to change the entire of traffic.It only takes one moment, one smile, to warm up even the coldest of days.
1.A.ears B.hands C.feet D.back
2.A.freezing B.sunny C.warm D.usual
3.A.truck’s B.vehicle’s C.car’s D.lorry’s
4.A.offering B.throwing C.screaming D.cancelling
5.A.polite B.angry C.popular D.different
6.A.number B.coffee C.fee D.order
7.A.covering B.increasing C.gathering D.falling
8.A.eyes B.smile C.hair D.annoyance
9.A.take B.pay C.buy D.give
10.A.instructed B.requested C.directed D.suggested
11.A.gesture B.expression C.figure D.feeling
12.A.inspired B.upset C.surprised D.disappointed
13.A.luck B.chance C.deed D.turn
14.A.beyond B.before C.beside D.behind
15.A.took B.looked C.handed D.thought
16.A.shy B.regretful C.anxious D.calm
17.A.while B.since C.as D.unless
18.A.putting B.holding C.laying D.emptying
19.A.explaining B.sending C.introducing D.casting
20.A.jam B.row C.flow D.line
Mr. and Mrs. James feel more comfortable on a ship than they would do if they _________ any other way.
A.travel B.are travelling
C.have travelled D.travelled
—Hi, Betty.Would you like to go to see a movie with me tonight?
—Sorry, Mary._________ tomorrow’s lessons, I have no time to go out with you.
A.Not preparing B.Not having prepared
C.Not to prepare D.Being not prepared
He has made a discovery, _________ of great importance to the progress of science and technology.
A.I think which is B.which I think is
C.which I think it D.which I think it is
Rosy came in for _________ coffee and told me _________ firecrackers outside kept her awake last night.
A.a; the B.不填; the
C.the; a D.a; the