One day the employees of a large company in St Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said, “Yesterday the person who has been hindering (阻碍) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be.
The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered, “Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here.”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin (棺材) and when they looked inside it, they became speechless. They stood there, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their souls.
There was a mirror inside the coffin. Everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said, “There is only one person who can set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”
You are the only person who can change your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.
Your life does not change when your family changes, when your friends change, when your boss changes, and when your company changes.
Your life changes when you change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
1.The writer’s purpose in writing the article is to tell us that .
A. the harder we work, the more successful we will become
B. our work and life are closely connected with others
C. changing our lives is down to ourselves
D. we will have a better future if people do not hinder our development
2.People were speechless when they looked inside the coffin because .
A. there was nothing but a mirror inside
B. they could see their own souls inside
C. their closest colleague lay inside
D. what was inside told a great truth
3.Who probably wrote the sign on the front door?
A. The company boss.
B. A worker who liked to make fun of others.
C. The director in charge of production.
D. A worker who wanted to teach others a lesson.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The employees were happy to hear the death of a competitor.
B. The lesson the employees learned would influence them greatly.
C. The employees’ lives depended on the attitude of their boss.
D. The employees got angry after the funeral.
Podcasts (播客)
The B. S. Report
Designed for the sports fan with a sense of humor, the B. S. Report is located by the sportswriter Bill Simmons. It’s not uncommon for him to go almost a whole show without even mentioning sports.
Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me
The show is a news program in the form of a game show. Each week a group of humorists and writers join host Peter Sagal in Chicago, where they are quizzed on the week’s most important and funny news stories. Listeners also get to call in to play different news related games for a prize.
The Moth
The Moth is a weekly podcast run by a nonprofit art organization. The show is made up of recordings of “true story told before a live audience without notes”. Each week, the group releases short 10-20 minute tales told by people from all walks of life. Past presenters have included writers, comedians, scientists and even New York City police officers.
Filmspotting
Filmspotting is a weekly podcast and is a must-listen for any movie fan. The show is focused on movie reviews, but hosts Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson do more than just tell their listeners which new movie is worth seeing, they also discuss and examine the film as an art form. The show doesn’t focus on current movies, either, as the hosts frequently discuss old films as part theme marathons.
1.If you are a police officer, you can take part in .
A. The B. S. Report B. Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me
C. The Moth D. The Filmspotting
2.What do The Moth and Filmspotting have in common?
A. They are weekly programs.
B. They are open to everyone.
C. Their hosts tell stories to the listeners.
D. They are nonprofit arts organizations.
3.Which of the following is true?
A. You can play games in the B. S. Report.
B. People can tell stories in the Moth.
C. Adam Kempenaar just tells their listeners old movies.
D. The Moth is available only in New York.
你是王玲，两周前你从网上订购一套书虫系列读物（Bookworm Series）昨天才到货，且包装破损，数量不足。请就此向网店客服写邮件投诉。要点如下：
1.介绍购物情况；
2.反映存在问题；
3.提出解决方案。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
To whom it may concern,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Looking forward to your reply.
每句中只有一个错误。每处错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
Water is very important to us, without that there would be no life. therefore, some people don’t turn the tap off at once after using it. some people don’t realize they wash them in the shower too long. Some even threw away bottles full in water. As middle school students, we should make great efforts to save water. On the one hand, every single person’s save water is significance. On other hand, we can use the water we just used to watering plants. We shouldn’t leave the tap running for a long time while we brush our tooth.
Most children with healthy appetites are ready to eat almost anything that 1.(offer)to them. A child seldom dislikes food 2.it is badly cooked. The way meal is cooked and served is most important and a 3.(good) served meal will often improve a child’s appetite. Never ask a child 4.he likes or dislikes the food and never discuss likes and dislikes in front of him or allow anybody else to do 5.. Parents should accent the fact6.he likes everything and he probably will. Nothing healthy should be omitted from the meal because of a7.(suppose)dislike. At meal times it is a good idea to give a child a small part and let him come back for 8.second helping rather than give him as much as he is likely to eat all at once. Do not talk too much to the child during meal times, 9.let him get on with his food; and do not allow him to leave the table immediately after a meal or he will soon learn to swallow his food so that he can hurry back to the toys in his room10.no condition must a child be forced to eat.
New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. When I was a kid ,the thing I enjoyed most about New Year’s Eve was trying to stay awake until midnight. My parents didn’t ______me to go to bed early, but my heave eyelids usually _______me well before the new year arrived. When I woke up the next morning, my mum would ask me if I wanted to make a New Year’s ______. I had no ______what it was. After she ______it to me, I said I would try to_______less with my older brother. This got me a(n)______and a pat on the head from my mum. _______, the resolution lasted only until dinnertime, when my brother and I got into a(n)______about who would set the ______.
A New Year’s resolution is a decision to do or not to do something in order to _______a personal goal or break a habit. It comes at a time when people_______the past year and make an effort to _________themselves as the new year begins.
Like many _______, New Year’s resolutions have a long and interesting________.
New Year’s Day was first celebrated 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. Although the Babylonians did not have a written calendar, historians determined that they ________the start of the new year in late March with the arrival of the spring season.
If you would like to make a New Year’s resolution this year, there are some _______to consider, for example, volunteer at a church or animal rescue organization.
Remember that it takes work to keep a New Year’s resolution. Don’t worry if you______once or twice. If you are_______to what you want to accomplish, you’ll be a ________person at the end of the year than at the beginning.
1.A. suggest B. force C. demand D. forbid
2.A. betrayed B. beat C. surprised D. disappointed
3.A. wish B. guess C. resolution D. comment
4.A. plan B. opinion C. thought D. idea
5.A. showed B. passed C. left D. explained
6.A. chat B. talk C. fight D. share
7.A. complaint B. blame C. smile D. honor
8.A. Luckily B. Unfortunately C. Amazingly D. Honestly
9.A. argument B. situation C. conversation D. agreement
10.A. firework B. bed C. table D. clock
11.A. accomplish B. design C. create D. abandon
12.A. look forward to B. look back on C. look down upon D. look out of
13.A. improve B. enjoy C. entertain D. relax
14.A. habits B. places C. countries D. traditions
15.A. story B. meaning C. history D. mystery
16.A. observed B. witnessed C. fixed D. established
17.A. requirements B. factors C. rules D. choices
18.A. slip up B. make up C. turn up D. draw up
19.A. calm B. devoted C. grateful D. enthusiastic
20.A. wealthier B. smarter C. healthier D. better
