Life Lessons
Life is not easy when you are pursuing something worthwhile and ready to learn from the best experiences. 1. Here are some life lessons which people will learn the hard way in majority of cases.
It takes consistent time and effort to be successful in any area. However, People usually get discouraged when it takes more time than they thought it would. At this time, people refer only to people who have already achieved what you want to be, which most people fail to do. Look at any successful person and you’ll notice one thing common in all of them. They took time to learn and mastered their skills like no one else. 2.
Be brave to take the road less travelled. In our whole life, we always want to follow the same path that everyone suggests, do the same things everyone does, take the same career path everyone takes, wear the same clothes everyone wears, and hang out with the same people we work with. 3. But when you get bored of life, you will realize that you are not meant to do what everyone does and that your destiny is different from anyone else’s out there in the world. But the price you pay to realize this is high because it takes a great amount of courage to follow your own path.
You don’t have to live your life in a way society wants you to. 4. Parents sometimes force their children to select a career they don’t want because other children have selected that career. Worst of all, people follow them without even asking. There is no harm in old rituals（惯例） and beliefs but when you pursue them before your interest, sooner or later you’ll realize that you should first do what you think is right.
5. However, if you are smart enough to learn early and wish not to waste your precious time learning them the hard way, learn them now and apply it to your life as soon as possible.
A. You have to break the rules sometimes.
B. After all, life lessons are always learned the hard way.
C. There is no elevator to success; you have to take the stairs.
D. The reason why we follow others is that we are scared to fail.
E. It always takes tests and then fails us to learn anything worthwhile.
F. The general rule goes that the harder you try, the greater results you get.
G. Many old beliefs are being performed these days and are followed blindly.
Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time communicates in many ways.
Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a special meaning to the event. It is not customary to telephone someone every early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he assumes it is a matter of life or death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.
In social life, time plays a very important part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But this is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten.
The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world. Thus, misunderstandings often arise between people from cultures that treat time differently. Promptness(准时) is valued highly in American life, for example. If people are not prompt, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. In the U.S., no one would think of keeping a business partner waiting for an hour; it would be too impolite. A person who is five minutes late is expected to make a short apology.
This way of treating time is quite different from that of several other cultures. This helps to explain the unfortunate experience of a certain agriculturist from the United States, assigned to duty in another country. After a long delay, the agriculturist was finally agreed an appointment with the Minister of Agriculture. Arriving a little before the appointed hour, the agriculturist waited. The hour came and passed. At this point he suggested to the secretary that perhaps the minister did not know he was waiting in the outer office. This gave him the feeling of having done something to solve the problem, but he had not. Twenty minutes passed, then thirty, then forty-five. To an American, that is the beginning of the “insult period”. No matter what is said in apology, there is little that can remove the damage done by an hour’s wait in an outer office. Yet in the country where this story took place, a forty-five-minute waiting period was not unusual.
In the West, particularly in the United States, people tend to think of time as something fixed in nature. As a rule, Americans think of time as a road stretching into the future, along which one progresses. The road has many sections, which are to be kept separate— “one thing at a time”. People who cannot plan events are not highly regarded. Thus, an American may feel angry when he has made an appointment with someone and then finds a lot of other things happening at the same time.
Since time has such different meanings in different cultures, communication is often difficult. We will understand each other a little better if we can keep this fact in mind.
1.According to the passage, an announcement broadcast during class must be very important because ________．
A.it is a customary time to make. B.it makes everyone surprised.
C.it requires immediate attention. D.it speaks more plainly than words.
2.The author mentions an agriculturist’s experience in order to show ________．
A.the value of promptness for Americans.
B.the cultural differences in treating time.
C.the bad manners of the Minister of Agriculture.
D.the importance of time in different parts of the day.
3.The underlined word “insult” in Paragraph5 probably means ________．
A.boring. B.patient.
C.shameful. D.hopeless.
4.We can learn from the passage that people will understand better if ________．
A.they are concerned with the value of time.
B.they know how to communicate with each other.
C.they escape dealing with many things at one appointed time.
D.they keep in mind that different cultures treat time differently.
A few weeks ago, I called an Uber to take me to the Boston airport for a flight home for the holidays. As I slid into the back seat of the car, the warm intonations(语调) of the driver’s accent washed over me in a familiar way.
I learned that he was a recent West African immigrant with a few young children, working hard to provide for his family. I could relate: I am the daughter of two Ethiopian immigrants who made their share of sacrifices to ensure my success. I told him I was on a college break and headed home to visit my parents. That’s how he found out I went to Harvard. An approving eye glinted at me in the rearview window, and quickly, we crossed the boundaries of rider and driver. I became his daughter, all grown up—the product of his sacrifice.
And then came the fateful question: “What do you study?” I answered “history and literature” and the pride in his voice faded, as I knew it might. I didn’t even get to add “and African-American studies” before he cut in, his voice thick with disappointment, “All that work to get into Harvard, and you study history?”
Here I was, his daughter, wasting the biggest opportunity of her life. He went on to deliver the age-old lecture that all immigrant kids know. We are to become doctors (or lawyers, if our parents are being generous)—to make money and send money back home. The unspoken demand, made across generations, which my Uber driver laid out plainly, is simple: Fulfill your role in the narrative(故事) of upward mobility so your children can do the same.
I used to feel anxious and backed into a corner by the questioning, but now as a junior in college, I’m grateful for their support more than anything. This holiday season, I’ve promised myself I won’t get annoyed at their inquiries. I won’t defensively respond with “but I plan to go to law school!” when I get unrequested advice. I’ll just smile and nod, and enjoy the warmth of the occasion.
1.Why did the author feel warm at the driver’s accent?
A.The driver took her to the Boston airport.
B.The author became the driver’s daughter.
C.The driver worked hard to provide for his family.
D.The author’s parents were also African immigrants.
2.What disappointed the driver？
A.The author’s attitude towards him.
B.The school that the author is attending.
C.The author’s major in history and literature.
D.The author’s interests in African-American studies.
3.Why are immigrant kids expected to be doctors or lawyers?
A.Their parents want them to move upward in society.
B.Their parents are high-achieving as well.
C.They have much more knowledge.
D.They are very smart in general.
4.How did the author react to the driver’s questioning？
A.Getting upset. B.Feeling satisfied.
C.Defending herself. D.Appreciating his concern.
Choosing where to live may be one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when you move to Sydney, but you’ll have plenty of help.
Temporary arrival accommodation
Before you move to Sydney, we recommend that you book a temporary place to stay. Once you get here, you can look for longer-term accommodation.
--sydney.edu.au/accommodation/short-term
On-campus-residential colleges (fully catered饮食全包的)
The University has eight residential colleges on the Camperdown/Darlington Campus, including International House, a residential community of global scholars. Colleges provide comfortable, fully furnished single rooms and daily meals, along with sporting, cultural, leadership and social programs. They also include on-site tutorials(辅导课) in addition to campus-based classes.
--sydney.edu.au/colleges
On-campus residences (self-catered饮食自理的)
The University has two self-run residences—Queen Mary Building (QMB) and Abercrombie Student Accommodation—on the Camperdown/Darlington Campus. Both just under a year old, they house up to 1000 students. These residences provide modern single-study rooms with large common living, learning and study spaces, shared kitchens, a theatre, gyms, soundproofed music rooms, art studios, sky lounges and rooftop gardens.
--sydney.edu.au/campus-life/accommodation/live-on-campus.html
Off-campus living
More than 90 percent of our students live off campus. The University is close to many dynamic and multicultural suburbs such as Annandale, Newtown, Chippendale and Glebe. A great place to search is our large online database of properties.
--sydney.edu.au/campus-life/accommodation/live-off-campus.html
1.Where can you find a place to live temporarily?
A. On “sydney.edu.au/colleges”.
B. On “sydney.edu.au/accommodation/short-term”.
C. On “sydney.edu.au/campus-life/accommodation/live-on-campus.html”.
D. On “sydney.edu.au/campus-life/accommodation/live-off-campus.html”.
2.What do students living in QMB have access to?
A. Their own kitchens.
B. On-site tutorials.
C. Daily meals.
D. Gyms.
3.What is the most popular choice among students?
A. Living off campus.
B. Living in host families.
C. Living in self-catered flats on campus.
D. Living in fully catered houses on campus.
I was ten when my father first sent me flowers. I had been taking ballet lessons for four months, and the school was giving its yearly performance. As a member of the beginners’ chorus group, I was surprised to hear my name called out at the end of the show along with the leading dancers and to find my arms full of red roses. I can still feel myself standing on that stage, seeing my father’s big smiles.
Those roses were the first of many bunches accompanying all the milestones in my life. Getting all those roses was wonderful, but they brought a sense of embarrassment. I enjoyed them, but I also felt they were too much for my small achievements.
Not for my father. He did everything in a big way. Once, when mother told him I needed a new party dress, he brought home a dozen. His behavior often left us without money for other more important things. Sometimes I would be angry with him.
Then came my 16th birthday. It was not a happy occasion. I was fat and had no boyfriend. And my well-meaning father furthered my suffering by giving me a party. As I entered the dining room, there on the table next to my cake was a huge bunch of flowers, bigger than any before.
I wanted to hide. Now everyone would think my father had sent flowers because I had no boyfriend to do it. Sweet 16, and I felt like crying. But my best friend, Jenny, whispered, “Boy, you’re lucky to have a father like that.”
As the years passed, other occasions—birthdays, awards, graduations—were marked with Dad’s flowers. Those flowers symbolized his pride, and my success. As my fortunes grew, my father’s health became worse, but his gifts of flowers continued until he died. I covered his coffin with the largest, reddest roses I could find.
Often during the dozen years since, I felt an urge to buy a big bunch to fill the living room, but I never did. I knew it would not be the same.
Then one birthday, the doorbell rang. I was feeling blue because I was alone. My husband and my two daughters were away. My 10-year-old son, Tommy, had run out earlier with a “see you later”. So I was surprised to see Tommy at the door. “Forgot my key,” he said. “Forgot your birthday too.” He pulled a bunch of roses from behind his back.
“Oh, Tommy,” I cried. “I love flowers!”
1.The writer felt embarrassed getting her first roses because .
A.she wasn’t a member of leading dancers.
B.she thought her success wasn’t big enough.
C.she regarded the flowers as a milestone in her life.
D.she found herself standing on the center of the stage.
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.The father made the writer happy by giving her a party.
B.The father was proud of the writer in her growth stages.
C.The father didn’t leave the family money for important things.
D.The father bought the writer flowers when she got angry with him.
3.Tommy came back again, mainly to .
A.take back his keys. B.show his love for flowers.
C.encourage his mother. D.bring his mother birthday gift.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Love in Bloom. B.Father and Me.
C.Pleasure and Embarrassment. D.Father’s Flowers.
The world always makes way for the dreamer
When I was nine years old, I lived in a small town. I found an ad for selling greeting cards in the back of a children’s magazine. I thought to myself I could do this, so I begged my mother to let me send for the kit (卡片盒). Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I took the cards and ran out of the house. Three hours later, I returned home with no ______ and a pocket full of money. A ______ was born.
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to ______ Zig Ziegler. I remember listening to Mr. Ziegler who raised everyone’s ______ up to the ceiling. I left there feeling like I could do anything. I wanted to be a speaker just like Mr. Ziegler. Then a ______ was born. Recently, I began pursuing my dream of ______ others.
After working for many years in the company, I decided to ______ my secure position after attending a sales meeting. The vice-president of our company made a speech that ____ my life. He asked us, “______ an angel could realize your three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a moment to ______ the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need an angel?” I would ______ forget the encouragement it gave me at that moment. I ____ that I didn’t need an angel’s help to become a great speaker.
Having made that decision, I was immediately ______. My husband was laid off from his job just one week after I ______ my job. We had recently bought a new house and needed both ____ to pay the monthly mortgage (按揭贷款). I even planned to turn back to my ____ company, knowing they wanted me to stay but I was ______ that if I went back, I would never leave. I decided I still wanted to ______ forward rather than end up with a mouth full of “if onlys” later on. A motivational speaker was born.
When I firmly ______ my dream, the miracles really began to happen. In a short period my husband found a better job. And I was able to get a lot of _______ engagements. I discovered the unbelievable power of dreams.
1.A.cover B.tool C.card D.magazine
2.A.salesperson B.advertiser C.designer D.collector
3.A.help B.see C.hug D.encourage
4.A.height B.senses C.Voice D.spirits
5.A.concept B.memory C.dream D.chance
6.A.controlling B.entertaining C.challenging D.motivating
7.A.leave B.gain C.pursue D.question
8.A.prevented B.ruined C.changed D.studied
9.A.If B.Although C.Unless D.Before
10.A.give up B.look into C.carry out D.write down
11.A.never B.seldom C.always D.sometimes
12.A.argued B.realized C.expected D.imagined
13.A.improved B.criticized C.tested D.accepted
14.A.knew B.quit C.offered D.created
15.A.ideas B.confidence C.energy D.incomes
16.A.ideal B.former C.official D.secure
17.A.optimistic B.certain C.sensitive D.generous
18.A.touch B.sit C.manage D.move
19.A.stuck to B.adjusted to C.returned to D.objected to
20.A.selling B.operating C.speaking D.publishing
