The phone rings. It’s a friend who wants to tell you his or her latest health problems. You hate to be impolite and cut your friend off, but what can you do? Stephanie Winston, author of Stephanie Winston’s Best Organizing Tips, offers his advice:
Don’t ask questions like “What’s new?” They give the information that you have time to talk. After “hello”, get right to the heart of the matter.
Time your calls wisely. If you make a call right before lunch or dinner, or at the end of the workday, people chat less.
Set a time limit. Start with, “Hi, I’ve only got a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you about….” Or, “Gee, I’d love to talk more, but I only have a couple of minutes before I have to leave.”
Jump on a pause. Even the most talkative caller has to pause now and then. Quickly say, “It has been great talking with you.” Then end the conversation.
Forget niceties. Some people just don’t take a hint. Cut your caller off and say, “I’d like to talk to you longer, but I’m afraid I have no enough time. Good bye.” Then hang up.
Find “a partner in crime”. If nothing else works, ask someone in your home to help you. For example, one woman gives a sign to her husband, who shouts, “Jane, I think the roast chicken is burning.”
Avoid the phone completely. Use an answering machine to screen calls. If you have an important message for a chatterbox, leave the message when he or she isn’t in.
1.What’s the good time to make a call so that people can chat less?
A. After lunch or dinner.
B. In the middle o
f the workday.
C. Before lunch or dinner.
D. At the beginning of the workday.
2.“Finding a partner in crime” means ______.
A. finding someone to answer the call
B. getting right to the heart of the matter
C. telling the caller you are just cooking
D. asking someone to help you end the call
3.What’s Winston’s advice about?
A. How to talk on the phone.
B. How to make calls wisely.
C. How to make a phone call.
D. How to keep phone calls short.
The Westwood Middle School has decided to hold a blood drive (献血活动), and you can help.
Help with The Blood Drive |
The School is holding a blood drive for teachers, parents, and town people. We need everyone’s help to make it a success. That includes you! We need to collect 50 units of blood. That means 65 people are needed to come to the drive. |
How You Can Help |
Pick up information brochures (小册子) in the school office. Pass them out to your parents, teachers and any person who is healthy and at least 17 years old. |
When and Where to Go |
The blood drive will take place on Tuesday, October 21, from 3:00 to 6:00 pm, in the school canteen. |
1.How many people are needed for the blood drive?
A. 50.B. 65. C. 17. D. 21.
2.Students can pick up information brochures ____.
A. in the school officeB. at the school gate
C. in the school canteenD. on the school playground
3.When will the blood drive take place?
A. On September 20.B. On September 21.
C. On October 20. D. On October 21.
An old woman has two large pots, one on each end of a pole（扁担）. She carried the pole with the pots（壶）__ __ her neck.
One of the pots had a crack（裂缝）in it while the other pot was perfect and always filled a full pot of water. At the end of the long __ _ from the well（井）to the house, the cracked pot _ only half-full left.
For two years this happened daily, with the woman bringing home only __ ___ pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was _ __. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
One day, the cracked pot spoke to the woman _ __ the well:“I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your __ __.”
The old woman smiled:“Did you notice that there are ___ __ on your side of the path, but not on __ __ pot’s side? That’s because I have __ _ known about your crack, so I __ __ flower seeds（籽）on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you ___ __ them.” She added, “ For _ _ years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate（装饰）the table. Without you, being just the 
___ ___ you are, I would not have this beauty.”
Each of us has our own cracks. But it’s these __ _ that make our lives together so interesting and meaningful.
1.A. crossB. across C. past D. through
2.A. travelB. rideC. walkD. trip
3.A. arrived B. heldC. reachedD. meant
4.A. one or twoB. one and a halfC. twoD. half and one
5.A. proudB. sadC. happy D. worried
6.A. with B. fromC. byD. in
7.A. field B. sideC. wellD. house
8.A. seedsB. potsC. plants D. flowers
9.A. otherB. the otherC. anotherD. others
10.A. neverB. everC. always D. often
11.A. tookB. madeC. plantedD. kept
12.A. waterB. seeC. visitD. understand
13.A. manyB. a fewC. twoD. three
14.A. roadB. sideC. pathD. way
15.A. decorations B. seedsC. flowersD. cracks
--- Millie, do you mind if I turn on the TV?
--- ________. My grandma is sleeping now.
A. No, of course not B. Yes, please C. You’d better not D. That’s OK
--- Mrs. White, when shall we go for a picnic?
---If it _____, we _____ for a picnic in the park tomorrow.
A. rains；will go B. will rain；go C. doesn’t rain；will go D. doesn’t rain；go
There was a big fire in the street last night, but the firemen _______ within twenty minutes.
A. took it out B. brought it out C. worked it out D. put it out
