Until a few years ago, I was a calm person. If you were going to offend me or verbally ______ me, I almost never lost it ______; of course I felt hurt, but I didn’t show it.
Then, one day, I met my husband and I fell ______ in love with him, a proud ______ who loudly discusses things even with himself when he’s not happy. Things, however, got worse for me when we started ______ on things. He seemed really angry and loud, while I seemed detached and polite. Truth is that I was ______ too, but I was used to not showing it on the outside. Fight after fight, he always acted as if nothing had happened a few minutes after each quarrel, while my moments of ______ discontent started to ______ more and more in time until they became hours, sometimes even days.
I felt this had to change and the conversation went ______ like this:
Me: “Either you change your ______ when we fight or I will start avoiding any discussion, otherwise this will ______ our relationship.”
Him: “Did you ______ the Mpemba Effect? If you put two ______ containers filled with the same amount of the same water into the ______ except that one has boiling water in it while the other one has water at ambient (周围的) ______, the boiling water will ______ faster than the ambient water. Baby, you have got to boil first, to cool down faster. That’s why the Italians live longer than Canadians.”
The connection he suggested is to be ______, but I have learned a fact I didn’t know, one that has ______ me to understand that if I’m angry about something or someone, for that anger to disappear, it has to be towards the ______ or otherwise it is like hiding the dust under the ______: your house might look clean, but it is not.
1.A. cheat B. attack C. defend D. impress
2.A. in return B. in time C. in place D. in public
3.A. steadily B. reasonably C. hopelessly D. blindly
4.A. Italian B. American C. Canadian D. Chinese
5.A. operating B. disagreeing C. living D. working
6.A. struggling B. controlling C. boiling D. accumulating
7.A. inner B. abrupt C. extra D. distinct
8.A. disappear B. expand C. recover D. withdraw
9.A. up and down B. by and by C. sooner or later D. more or less
10.A. vision B. viewpoint C. attention D. attitude
11.A. affect B. compensate C. mend D. strike
12.A. hear about B. learn from C. worry about D. hear from
13.A. mobile B. similar C. exact D. relevant
14.A. basin B. oven C. freezer D. pond
15.A. heat B. level C. environment D. temperature
16.A. explode B. burst C. resist D. freeze
17.A. suspected B. indicated C. proven D. created
18.A. warned B. inspired C. recommended D. forbade
19.A. outside B. inside C. public D. rich
20.A. dustpan B. carpet C. roof D. broom
Coming face-to-face with your inadequacies can be painful, to say the least. It challenges the way that you believe people see you and even makes you question yourself. 1.. But handling negative feedback properly will not only make you look well-behaved, but it could eventually help you grow as a person. Here’s how to do it.
Be objective about criticism
Before you jump to conclusions and begin to challenge the other person’s opinion, take a step back and look at it allsidedly. 2., don’t immediately allow your emotions to get the better of you, but rather, take a moment to consider whether the criticism is at all accurate.3..
Be open to the idea of change
4.. And it may be because of a concept called “cognitive dissonance” (认知失调) that can prevent us from changing even when that’s what we need most. “People have a view of themselves or the world that they only seek to confirm, not adjust or change,” Dr. Benn, a psychologist explains. “They may ignore criticism because they wish to avoid having to change, or because it makes them feel bad, or because they feel it is not helpful.”
Ask questions
If you’re open to using the criticism as a springboard to improvement, you will likely need more information. The initial moment you hear the criticism may not be the best time to ask for more details. Your emotions will be riding high, and you may not be particularly willing to accept extra information. 5.. “Engage with the person who criticized you, asking what you can do differently or how you can do better,” says Dr. Benn. Even if you don’t agree with their advice, thank them and promise to consider it.
A. Most of us are pretty stubborn
B. When you can’t hear clearly
C. Next time you get a bad review
D. Your immediate reaction may be to defend yourself
E. But it’s best to avoid getting into an argument
F. Give yourself a chance to really take in the information and evaluate it
G. However, when you feel ready, it could be worth revisiting the subject with the person who criticized you
Michael Herr, who has died aged 76, was the author of Dispatches (1977), the best book about the Vietnam War. It took Herr eight years to write Dispatches, in part because he went home from Saigon with a bad case of stress disorder. He had gone to Vietnam as a journalist for Esquire magazine. An American general asked him whether he was there to write about military fashion and humor. No. He wrote little for Esquire, but took advantage of the US government’s decision to allow journalists extraordinary access to go to war with the soldiers. He shared their discomforts and their fears, witnessed their death and recorded their language.
His own language, a stream of consciousness pulsing with energy, but masterfully controlled, captured the fear and the horror, but also the excitement, of the war in the jungle and paddy fields. He recorded with a connoisseur’s expertise (行家专长) such details as the many ways in which soldiers would wish each other good luck, and the degrees of madness that were considered acceptable.
The power of the book, perhaps, comes from Herr’s insistence on describing the war, or more precisely his own responses to it, rather than protesting against it. It also comes from the ceaseless accompaniment of two elements, drugs and music — more particularly rock music, and especially the music of Jimi Hendrix. Herr himself spent drug-fuelled weekends in a flat in Saigon, staring at an ancient French map of Indochina. He met soldiers with a left pocket full of Dexedrine, the “upper” (兴奋剂) officially administered by the army to get them into battle, and a right pocket full of “downers” (镇定剂) to get them through it.
Dispatches did not come out until 1977, when the country was beginning to have its mind on other problems, but it did more, perhaps, than any other book to freeze an image of despair and a sense of waste about the war, rather as the trench poets of 1914 —1918 did in Britain.
Herr also made vital contributions to two of the most influential Vietnam films Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. His work, in the book and the two films, has been seen as part of the process whereby the US came to see itself and its history no longer merely through traditional literature, but in sounds and images.
1.Why did Michael Herr go to Vietnam during the war years?
A. To join the soldiers in military actions.
B. To report military actions and advances.
C. To give an authentic account of the war.
D. To write about military fashion and humor.
2.Which of the following about Dispatches is true?
A. It truly reflects Herr’s responses to the war.
B. Music and drugs give the author inspiration.
C. Its language is casually selected and organized.
D. It fully describes Herr’s protest against the war.
3.US soldiers brought drugs with them during the war most probably because .
A. they suffered stress disorder
B. they were addicted to drugs
C. they used them to cure the wounds
D. they exchanged them for music records
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Herr directed two influential Vietnam films.
B. Herr’s work played a positive role in traditional literature.
C. Herr stopped writing after the book Dispatches was published.
D. Herr’s work offered Americans more ways to know themselves.
“How are things back at the office?” one of the gentlemen in my bicycle tour group asked me as we were nearing the end of another lengthy ride through Croatia’s scenic countryside.
“I assume they are going fine,” I said. “I haven’t had any contact and I don’t plan to.”
“Your phone isn’t on?” he asked, incredulously. “You haven’t checked your email?”
“My phone is off and no, I’m not planning on checking email,” I said.
My wife Heidi and I took my children, Daniel and Rachel, on a two-week trip to Croatia, one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We made the choice to spend some of our money on this wonderful experience so we could spend time bonding with each other and the kids.
Why would I destroy the environment we had traveled thousands of miles to create by bringing my work environment into it? That would be counter-productive to everything I wanted out of this trip. If I worked during this experience, I would be taking time away from my family and sending them the message that work takes priority over them.
In addition to sharing this incredible experience, I wanted to take us all out of the activity-driven world we live in. If I had my cell phone on and was constantly searching out a wireless connection to keep up with office, I would just bring that hyper-connected environment into the peaceful, meaningful world I was trying to create.
In addition to creating life-long memories with my family, another wonderful thing happened as a result of this bike trip. As we were returning home, I was flooded with new ideas. I came up with concepts for nine blog posts and several ideas that I want to incorporate into my business.
Taking time off restored and rejuvenated me and allowed my creative spirit to really come to the surface. How can you accomplish that goal if you simply move the source of that stress to a different location?
1.From the conversation at the beginning of the text, we can infer that .
A. the author had no access to the Internet during the tour
B. the gentleman was quite concerned about the author’s work
C. the author’s phone was off because he didn’t want to be disturbed
D. the speakers both experienced an unpleasant bicycle tour in Croatia
2.One of the purposes of the author’s Croatia’s bicycle tour is .
A. to experience a primitive life without phone calls
B. to spend some time creating closer ties with his family
C. to tell his family that his work is more important for him
D. to escape from his boring work environment in the office
3.The underlined word “rejuvenate” in the last paragraph means “ ”.
A. drive one mad B. make one more energetic
C. get one exhausted D. cause one to lost temper
4.Which of the following may the author agree?
A. Playing delights us more than working.
B. Working is the foundation of happiness.
C. Cellphones and emails are helpful when we take a trip.
D. When working, work hard; when playing, play crazily.
The Museum: The Charles Dickens Museum in London is the world’s most important collection of material relating to the great Victorian novelist and social commentator. The only surviving London home of Dickens (from 1837 until 1839) was opened as a museum in 1925 and is still welcoming visitors from all over the world. On four floors, visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and many items relating to the life of one of the most popular and beloved personalities of the Victorian age.
Opening Hours:
The Museum is open from Mondays to Saturdays 10:00-17:00; Sundays 11:00-17:00.
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Special opening times can be arranged for groups, who may wish to book a private view.
Admission Charges: Adults:￡5.00; Students:￡4:00; Seniors:￡4.00; Children:￡3.00; Families:￡14.00 (2 adults & up to five children).
Group Rates: For a group of 10 or more, a special group rate of ￡4.00 each applies. Children will still be admitted for ￡3.00 each.
Access: We are constantly working to improve access to the Museum and its collection. Our current projects involve the fitting of a wheelchair ramp (活动坡道) for better access, a customer care kit and an audio tour for visitors with impaired vision. Our Handling Sessions are also suitable for the visually impaired. The Museum has developed an online virtual tour through the Museum. Click here to visit all the rooms in the Museum online.
Hire the Museum: The Museum can be hired for private functions, parties and many other social occasions.
Find Us: The Museum may be reached by using the following buses: 7, 17, 19, 38, 45, 46, 55, 243. And by these underground services: Piccadilly Line; Central Line. For a map, please click here. The British Museum and the Foundling Museum are within walking distance.
1.Compared to going there separately, if a family with two adults and four children go to the Museum together they will save .
A. ￡22. 00 B. ￡14. 00
C. ￡11. 00 D. ￡8. 00
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. Anyone cannot hire the Museum for other uses.
B. Visitors with poor vision cannot enjoy the Museum.
C. The Museum is not very far from the British Museum.
D. In any case people cannot visit the Museum after 17:00.
3.The passage is probably from a .
A. magazine B. website
C. guidebook D. newspaper
Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman.
A man goes shopping because he needs something. His purpose is settled and decided in advance. He knows what he wants, and his aim is to find it and buy it; the price is a secondary consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it in stock (有现货的), the business of trying it on follows at once. All being well, the deal can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone’s satisfaction.
For a man, slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants, or does not have exactly what he wants. In that case the salesman, as the name implies, tries to sell the customer something else. No good salesman brings out a substitute impolitely; he does so with skill: “I know this jacket is not the style you want, Sir, but would you like to try it on for size? It happens to be the color you mentioned.” Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual response is: “This is the right color and may be the right size, but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on.”
Now how does a woman buy clothes? In almost every aspect she does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on need. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only “having a look round”. She is always open to persuasion; indeed she is influenced by what the saleswoman tells her, even by what companions tell her. She will try on any number of things. What she wants is to find something that everyone thinks suits her. Contrary to a lot of jokes, most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always on the lookout for the unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend hours going from one shop to another, to and fro. It is a tiring process, but apparently an enjoyable one. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.
1.The underlined sentence “the price is a secondary consideration” in the second paragraph means when a man is shopping .
A. he buys things without considering its price
B. he buys whatever he likes without considering its value
C. he buys things of good quality even if they are very dear
D. he cares about whether the thing is what he needs first and then the price
2.What does a man do when he can not get exactly what he wants?
A. He usually does not buy anything.
B. So long as the style is right, he buys the thing.
C. He buys a similar thing because of the color he wants.
D. At least two of his requirements must be met before he buys.
3.What does the passage tell us about women shoppers for clothes?
A. Women rarely consider buying cheap clothes.
B. They welcome suggestions from almost anyone.
C. They try to buy clothes for more than its real value.
D. Women buy things without giving the matter proper thought.
4.What is the main difference between men and women shoppers?
A. Women buy more clothes than men.
B. Women bargain for their clothes, but men do not.
C. Men go shopping based on need, but women often not.
D. Men do not try clothes on in a shop while women do.
