阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is famous for its festivals. There are twelve festivals around the year, half of 1. are celebrated during the months of July and August. Here are two famous festivals 2. (hold) each year during the summer in Edinburgh — the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
The first Edinburgh International Festival 3. (plan) during World War II for artists to find hope and communicate with each other. 4. (late), actors, musicians, dancers and singers from all over the world came over to give 5. (perform). The Edinburgh International Festival developed so fast that it soon earned its reputation 6. one of the world’s greatest celebrations of the art. Anyone can perform in the festival 7. many artists take part in it. During the festival, you can go to the Royal Mile 8. (watch) shows for free.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival is the largest book festival in the world. The festival 9. (take) place every year in Charlotte Square Gardens in the centre of Edinburgh. There are over 700 events for people who love books. Many kids find the festival 10. (attract) because they can listen to stories and watch artists draw pictures of the stories
I was recently invited to dinner by a friend. During the meal, the ______ of the restaurant came over and said our meal was free. I was ______. He stood there smiling at me and there was an air of ______. Finally I asked him if he knew me. He said I had ______ forgotten him, but I had ______ his life. My friend was quite ______ and asked him how I had done this.
He said twelve years ago I was teaching a stress management class and he was one of the ______. I asked the group what their number one ______ was and most of them said it was from their bosses.
I listened to everyone, then ______ a chair and invited everyone to stand on it. I wanted them to look at the room from ______ there. After that, I asked the group to think about how the room looked ______ when they changed their perspective (角度).
Then I asked them to ______ their bosses. Was this the same person who had _______their good qualities and hired them? Do they remember how ______ they were to be chosen for the job?
He said I looked at him and asked if he had ever thanked his boss for the ______ to earn a living and _______him new skills and to be a better employee.
He said he went back to work the next day with a thank-you card to his ______. He learned to ______ stress in a smart way. Now he has been the manager of the restaurant for eight years. He said I had taught him to _______life from different perspectives and to express ______.
1.A. waiter B. manager C. cook D. owner
2.A. satisfied B. excited C. surprised D. moved
3.A. familiarity B. understanding C. importance D. dignity
4.A. hardly B. rarely C. specially D. probably
5.A. changed B. planned C. built D. noticed
6.A. patient B. anxious C. curious D. doubtful
7.A. Employers B. students C. organizers D. teachers
8.A. joy B. stress C. danger D. pride
9.A. removed B. broke C. held D. took
10.A. down B. outside C. up D. inside
11.A. natural B. different C. funny D. strange
12.A. consider B. ask C. visit D. watch
13.A. seen B. predicted C. chosen D. improved
14.A. puzzled B. touched C. Happy D. calm
15.A. ability B. chance C. process D. luck
16.A. allowing B. advising C. encouraging D. teaching
17.A. colleague B. customer C. boss D. parent
18.A. leave behind B. deal with C. suffer from D. bring about
19.A. look at B. talk about C. work on D. take over
20.A. apology B. regret C. appreciation D. sympathy
Q&A
Question: Before graduation, I decided to be a useful man for our country. However, when I applied for some positions, I was turned down. Only then did I realize it was not easy to achieve my dream.
1. Now I even don’t have the courage to try a new position. How can I find the power to continue my dream?
Answer: I can understand the situation you are in. You feel your life lacks the power that you want and the motivation that you need. 2.
By training your thoughts to concentrate on the bright side of things, you are more likely to have the incentive (动机) to work towards on your goals. 3.
Your life can be improved, and your happiness enriched when you choose to change your views. Don’t leave your future to chance, or wait for things to get better mysteriously alone. 4. Begin to build your confidence, and work through problems rather than avoid them. Remember that power is not just about control over situations, but the ability to deal with whatever comes your way.
Always believe that good things are possible, and remember that mistakes can be lessons that lead to discoveries. Take your fear and transform it into trust. 5. Turn your “worry hours” into “productive hours”. You will see beautiful things happen when you allow yourself to experience the joys of life.
A. What you need is to change your goal.
B. The fact that the positions were not offered to me beat me.
C. Learn to rise above anxiety and doubt.
D. You are less likely to be held back by negative ideas that might limit your performance.
E. Unfortunately, many people haven’t realized it.
F. Actually all you have to do is change your points of view.
G. You must go in the direction of your hopes and ambitions.
People do not like being separated from their mobile phones, even while enjoying a restful holiday at the beach. However, the phone battery (电池) may become exhausted completely. If that happens, they have no choice but to connect the phone to the power supply. But it’s impossible to get the battery charged (充电) at the beach. What’ s worse, the hot sun is shining right overhead, and the water in the bottle is sure to reach a very high temperature.
Antoine Sayah, a university student from Lebanon, developed a special beach mat called the Beachill. It looks similar to the ordinary beach mat and will cause back pain as well. However, the device can recharge any mobile phone. It is designed to be water-resistant (防水的) and has a 5-watt solar panel, which provides power continuously. The mat also has the refrigeration equipment that can help keep drinks cool, just like the refrigerator.
Antoine Sayah began selling the Beachill on the Internet for $150. He says he has been surprised at the reaction worldwide. “I have got orders for the device from Brazil, Toronto, all over Europe, especially France, America, from all continents.” The Beachill is also gaining popularity in other places, like swimming pools and boats.
Some people like the mat because it is lightweight and easy-to-carry. Rita Mathieu bought one of the Beachills. “When I am on the beach, I used to look around for a charger and never managed to find any and the water never stays cool,” she says. “So this kind of beach mat is wonderful and has everything in it, even a pocket where I can put a book. Thanks to it, I can surf the Internet and keep in touch with friends at any time at the beach.”
1.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ______.
A. show great pity for people at the beach
B. attract the readers’ interest in the subject
C. provide some key facts about mobile phones
D. prove the importance of water in hot weather
2.What can we learn about the Beachill?
A. It is quite unusual in appearance.
B. It will stop working in the water.
C. It has some function of the refrigerator.
D. It functions more effectively than ordinary ones.
3.Rita Mathieu is mentioned to prove the Beachill’s _______.
A. popularity B. convenience
C. good quality D. low price
4.The text is written to _______.
A. tell people a new way to get a cold drink
B. ask people to stop using phones at the beach
C. encourage people to travel around the world
D. introduce a beach mat that can charge a phone
When I first became a store manager for Walmart, I ran a small store with less than 100 employees. I liked the store because it offered flexible(灵活的) hours, and it allowed me to work while still taking an active role at home as a wife and mother. The store was even right next to my son’s kindergarten.
After a year, my boss offered me a chance to manage a Walmart 40 miles away. It had been a problem store for years. The previous two managers had not been successful. The distance and the larger size of the store would mean much more time and energy from me. The new job would be a great challenge. I told my boss I needed to think about it.
Driving home, my immediate thought was, “No way!” If two men couldn’t run this store, what made me think I could do it while being a wife and mother? I had far less experience than either of the two previous managers.
I got home and consulted my husband, who I thought would have the same response as I did. But he didn’t. He said I should accept the new role, and he offered to do more around the house to help me succeed in it. I called my parents, again hoping that they would talk me out of it. To my shock, they also said I should go for it. They said I was exactly what that store needed.
Now, I have been at this Walmart for 10 months. I am proud to say we have changed from being one of the worst stores in our area to one of the best. I am so happy that I said no to my own doubt and yes to a new challenge.
1.The first paragraph is mainly about_______.
A. what the author did in her previous job
B. the author’s happy and busy family life
C. how the author balanced her life and work
D. the advantages of the author’s previous job
2.Why did the boss want the author to manage a new Walmart?
A. The boss disliked the former managers.
B. The author didn’t do well in her previous job.
C. The author didn’t get along well with the boss.
D. The author is more experienced than the former managers.
3.What had the author expected her family to do?
A. Agree on her attitudes towards the new job.
B. Support her in her new job.
C. Give her some tips for her new job.
D. Ask her boss for further consideration.
4.What did the author most probably learn from her experience?
A. Strike while the iron is hot.
B. Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
C. Believe in yourself and you will succeed.
D. All things are difficult before they are easy.
Some students from Washington Adventist University, near Washington, D.C. have been helping poor children with their schoolwork. But the students did not work with the boys and girls at a traditional school. Every Thursday night, they have been meeting at a laundromat, a place where people go to wash their clothes. At the same time, the students are carrying out a marketing plan they designed for the laundromat.
The program began with just five children, but has grown to about 20. Before the program works, the business was so bad that the owner had even considered closing his business, which is why the group came in. They were writing a marketing plan to give people a reason to keep coming to the laundromat. Then one student said, “There’re a lot of children hanging around. Why don’t we add teaching?”
The project is part of an international program called Enactus. It was started in the United States 40 years ago. The project is now at more than 1,700 colleges in 36 countries. It wants to give students experience before they graduate, so the project works with the community and with businesses.
Ms. Pichot, the head of the university’s business department, says they invite any business to come in. It’s a free workshop. Her students are working with other businesses in addition to the laundromat. She says the students help business owners increase their profits while gaining experience that they cannot get in school. They volunteer long hours.
Christine Sumampouw is completing her studies this year. She has spent about 1,000 hours as a volunteer. That is more than any other student in the group. She says she has learned a lot from volunteering.
1.Why do college students teach poor children at a laundromat?
A. They work part-time there.
B. The poor children can’t afford to go to school.
C. They want to increase the laundromat’s business.
D. The poor children don’t have other places to study.
2.What do we know about Enactus?
A. Students offer help to businesses in need without being paid.
B. It aims to help students start their own business.
C. It is created by Washington Adventist University.
D. It is a program which only benefits businesses .
3.What does Christine think of the project?
A. It’s a waste of time.
B. It’s beneficial.
C. It takes too much of her time.
D. It has a bad effect on her study.
