While I was having dinner with a well-known author and lecturer, our conversation drifted to money. “I have enough money,” he told me casually. “I don’t need any more money.”
“Of course you can say that,” I thought to myself. “You get fifteen thousand dollars for a lecture.”
Then I caught my thought process, and pondered(仔细考虑)more deeply on his statement. Is he satisfied because he has a lot of money, or does he have a lot of money because he chooses to be satisfied?
I know people with more money than this man, and they still don’t have enough. And I know people with very little money, and they always have enough. So is enoughness something that happens to us when we reach a certain level, or is it an experience we can choose and celebrate at any time?
My friends Adrian and Carey live in a humble cottage in the rainforest. They have quite a modest income, no telephone, and they walk around naked most of the time. I think they are the happiest people I know. They wake up with the sun, love each other very much, and welcome guests with a full and open heart. They appreciate every moment of their lives, have no distraction games going, and are not waiting for the big break around the corner. When I am with them, the predominant（主要的）feeling I have is, “It’s all right here—why would anyone want anything more?”
Ram Dass used to say, “There are three kinds of people in the world: those who say, ‘Too much!’; those who say, ‘Not enough!’; and those who say, “Ah, just right!’”; Since “too much” of one thing implies “not enough” of another, there are really only two approaches to life: lack or contentment.
1.From the first paragraph, we can infer that the lecturer ___________.
A. was living a happy life B. was careless about his money
C. was satisfied with his life D. was rich enough to live a happy life
2.We learn from the underlined part that ____________.
A. it’s money that is of importance B. it’s not money but the attitude that matters
C. we don’t have to have much money D. we won’t have enough money in life
3.What does the author think of Adrian and Carey’s life?
A. They have no guests. B. They have all they want.
C. They live a very hard life. D. They live a very happy life.
4.According to the last paragraph, people have two different attitudes towards life: ____________.
A. not enough or too much B. lack or too much
C. lack or contentment D. just right or enough
5.Which of the following best suits the passage?
A. Nothing is better than a contented mind.
B. Where there is a will, there is a way.
C. Practice makes perfect.
D. Better late than never.
When we’re little, our mother is the center of our attention, and we are the center of hers. So our mother’s
characteristics leave an indelible(持久的)impression, and we are forever after attracted to people with her
facial features, body type, personality, even sense of humor. If our mother is warm and giving, as adults
we tend to be attracted to people who are warm and giving. If our mother is strong and even-tempered, we
are going to be attracted to a fair-minded strength in our mates.
The mother has an additional influence on her sons: she not only gives them clues to what they will find attractive in a mate, but also affects how they feel about women in general. So if she is warm and nice, her sons are going to think that’s the way women are. They will probably grow up to be warm and responsive lovers and also be cooperative around the house.
Conversely, a mother who has a depressive personality, and is sometimes friendly but then suddenly turns cold and rejecting, may raise a man who becomes a “dance-away lover”. Because he’s been so scared about love from his mother, he’s afraid of commitment and may pull away from a girlfriend for this reason.
While the mother determines in large part what qualities attract us in a mate, it’s the father—the first male in our lives—who influences how we relate to the opposite sex. Fathers have an enormous effect on their children’s personalities and chances of marital happiness.
Just as mothers influence their son’s general feelings toward women, fathers influence their daughter’s general feelings about men. If a father lavishes praise on his daughter and demonstrates that she is a worthwhile person, she’ll feel very good about herself in relation to men. But if the father is cold, critical or absent, the daughter will tend to feel she’s not very lovable or attractive.
In addition, most of us grow up with people of similar social circumstances. We hang around with people in the same town; our friends have about the same educational backgrounds and career goals. We tend to be most comfortable with these people, and therefore we tend to link up with others whose families are often much like our own.
1.Why do our mother’s characteristics leave us an indelible impression?
A. Because we are likely to be attached to people with her characteristics.
B. Because the mother and her child are the centers of each other when her child is very young.
C. Because our mother is better than our dad.
D. Because our mother is a woman who is kind to us.
2.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. If our mother is warm and giving, we love to be together with warm and generous people.
B. If our mother is strong and well-controlled, we are going to be attracted to a fair-minded strength in
our mates.
C. Mother not only gives her children clues to what they will find attractive in a mate, but also affects
how they feel about women in general.
D. Fathers influence their daughter’s general feelings about men.
3.What can we know from Paragraphs 2 and 3?
A. The mother only influences her sons.
B. The sons always think women are warm and nice.
C. A mother who has a depressive personality is sure to raise a dance-away lover.
D. The mother has an additional influence on her sons.
4.What does the underlined word “lavishes” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
A. Uses much. B. Uses little. C. Never uses. D. Seldom uses.
5.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Mothers’ influence on their sons. B. Parents’ influence on their children.
C. Parents’ impression on their children. D. Fathers’ influence on their daughters.
(BEIJING, August 10)—The Beijing Daily has put together a number of tips for cost-efficient travel in Beijing.
★ Subway transfer
“Transfer” is a word frequently used by volunteers helping visitors choose the best way of transport during the ongoing Beijing Olympics to save time.
On the seven subway lines now in operation, the transport authorities have set up a total of 16 transfer stations:
Transfer between Line 2 and Line 1 at Jianguomen and Fuxingmen stations；
Transfer between Line 2 and Line 5 at Chongwenmen and Yonghegong stations;
Transfer between Line 2 and Line 13 at Dongzhimen and Xizhimen stations; Dongzhimen station can also bring you to Beijing Capital International Airport via the Airport Line；
Transfer between Line 1 and Line Batong at Sihui and Sihuidong stations；
Transfer from Line 1 to Line 10 at Guomao station to reach Zhongguancun, the north Third Ring Road (going north and west) or Jinsong (going south).
Via Line 10, transfer to Line 8 at Beitucheng station to reach the Olympic central zone, where the “Bird’s Nest” and other venues are located; transfer to Line 5 at Huixinxijie Nankou; transfer to Line 13 at Zhichunlu and Shaoyaoju stations; Sanyuanqiao station takes you to the airport via the Airport Line.
★ From subway to bus
Beijing’s subway system is thoroughly linked with bus routes.
The Beijing Railway Station, which can be reached via the Line 2 subway, has bus lines going north, southeast and to the West Railway Station, covering Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Daxing and other districts.
Xizhimen station is linked to many bus routes that go south and northeast. The long-distance bus routes near Dongzhimen station pass through Shunyi, Pinggu and other outskirts.
★ Park and ride
Park and ride facilities allow commuters to leave their personal vehicles in a parking lot and transfer to a bus or rail system.
In Beijing, because of city planning and other factors, park and ride is limited to bus and subway stations beyond the Fourth Ring Road. Since the Line 5 subway began operating, a low-fare parking lot, the largest in Beijing, was created at Tiantongyuan Beizhan station. Drivers are encouraged to spend just two yuan per day parking their vehicles and take the subway into the city.
1.At which of the station, passengers can go to the Beijing Capital International Airport by subway?
A. Dongzhimen and Xizhimen. B. Jianguomen and Fuxingmen.
C. Dongzhimen and Sanyuanqiao. D. Zhichunlu and Shaoyaoju.
2.According to the tips, if you take Line 2, how can you reach Zhongguancun?
A. Transfer to Line 1 at Jianguomen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station.
B. Transfer to Line 5 at Chongwenmen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station.
C. Transfer to Line 13 at Dongzhimen station, and then transfer to Line 8 at Beituchengstation.
D. Transfer to Line 1 at Dongzhimen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station.
3.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. You can get to the Beijing Railway Station via the Line 5 subway.
B. Park and ride is limited to bus and subway stations beyond the Third Ring Road.
C. Drivers can spend a little money in parking their vehicles in the largest parking lot.
D. Drivers must park their cars in the largest parking lot and transfer to a bus or rail system.
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. From the Beijing Railway Station, you can take buses to the West Railway Station.
B. From the Beijing Railway Station, you can take the subway to the West Railway Station.
C. The Beijing Railway Station has bus lines going north and southeast.
D. The Beijing Railway Station has bus lines going southeast and to the West Railway Station.
5.What is the purpose of the tips?
A. To help volunteers save time during the ongoing Olympic Games.
B. To help tourists enjoy the places of interest in Beijing.
C. To make people learn about the daily transport in Beijing.
D. To make it convenient and efficient to travel in Beijing during the ongoing Olympic Games.
I stood outside New York’s Madison Square Garden and just stared, almost speechless. I was a farm boy from County Kilkenny, a child who some thought would never walk, let alone go as far as I had in the world.
From the day I was born, there was a problem. The doctors at the Dublin hospital told my parents I had phocomelia, a deformity that affected both legs below the knee, which were outward and shorter than normal and each foot had just three toes.
Life was tough. I couldn’t stand, much less walk. I rarely left the farmhouse—and then only in someone’s arms. Mom bundled me up whenever she took me to town, no matter the season.
“The world will see him when he can walk,” she told Dad. “And he will walk.”
Mom devoted herself to helping me. She tried everything to get me on my feet. When I was three, she and Dad took me to a clinic in Dublin.
A few weeks later we returned to Dublin with my artificial limbs (肢). Back home I practiced walking with my new limbs.
“There’s nothing anyone can do but you can’t,” Mom said. “You and I are going to walk through town.”
The next day Mom dressed me in my finest clothes. She wore a summer dress and fixed her hair and makeup. Dad drove us to the church. We stepped out of the car. Mom took my hand. “Hold your head up high, now, Ronan,” she said.
We walked 300 meters to the post office. It was the farthest I’d walked, and I was sweating from the effort. Then we left the post office and continued down the street, Mom's eyes shining with a mother's pride.
That night, back on our farm, I lay exhausted on my bed. It meant nothing, though, compared to what I’d done on my walk.
Then I began to pursue my dream of singing. And at every step Mom's words came back to me—Ronan, you can do anything anyone else can do—and the faith she had in God, who would help me do it.
I’ve sung from the grandest stages in Europe, to music played by the world’s finest musicians. That night, I stood at the Madison Square Garden, with Mom’s words chiming in my ears. Then I began singing. I couldn't feel the pulse of the music in my feet, but I felt it deep in my heart, the same place where Mom’s promise lived.
1.What was the problem with the author as a baby?
A. He was expected unable to walk. B. He was born outward in character.
C. He had a problem with listening. D. He was shorter than a normal baby.
2.The underlined word “deformity” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.
A. shortcoming B. disadvantage C. disability D. delay
3.Why did Mom dress him and herself in finest clothes?
A. To hide their depressed feeling. B. To indicate it an unusual day.
C. To show off their clothes. D. To celebrate his successful operation.
4.From the story we may conclude that his mother was __________.
A. determined B. stubborn C. generous D. distinguished
5.According to the writer, what mattered most in his success?
A. His consistent effort. B. His talent for music.
C. His countless failures. D. His mother’s promise.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
As I hurried to the kitchen, my dad came in. “Something ____1___good,” he said. Following his nose, he ____2____in his chair at the table.
After dinner I helped with dishes and watched the news. They ____3____ a homeless family with children who’d been forced out of a ____4____ due to overcrowding. That story stuck in my mind the rest of the night. ____5____when I went to bed, I kept thinking about those ____6____chidren.
I glanced around my room and ____7____my old computer. Here I am worried about getting a new computer ____8____ that family is living on the street in the middle of winter. How could I be so ____9____?
That night, I prayed for that family and also that if I had won, for God to show me how to ____10____the money and prize wisely.
The next week seemed to drag as we ____11____ to hear about the contest for the Instant Game Winner from my ____12____a bag of chocolate. Finally, I believed that it was exactly what my mom and dad had thought—a ____13____. Yet I still couldn’t help thinking about the ____ 14____and how God would want me to use it.
“It’s for real!” My dad ____15____one night after hanging up the phone. “You did win,” he said with a smile. “They’re flying the four of us to Los Angeles in April to ____16____the prize.”
After a group hug, I caught my breath and thanked God. I realize now that ____17____do affect my everyday life. And that’s why I ____18____to give my parents the Beetle until I’m 18, ____19____$18,000 with my sister for our college fund and give $2,000 to a local ____20____shelter—to help families like the one I saw on television. That’s one sweet choice!
1.A. tastes B. feels C. touches D. smells
2.A. sat down B. got up C. put down D. set up
3.A. supported B. stood C. showed D. stayed
4.A. school B. shelter C. shoulder D. sight
5.A. Even B. Once C. So D. Again
6.A. tiresome B. stupid C. lovely D. diligent
7.A. stared at B. stepped into C. left for D. looked after
8.A. while B. before C. after D. since
9.A. proud B. wise C. selfish D. lovely
10.A. make B. use C. get D. earn
11.A. happened B. moved C. began D. waited
12.A. buying B. selling C. forgetting D. remembering
13.A. question B. trouble C. difficulty D. trick
14.A. computer B. money C. chocolate D. television
15.A. permitted B. promised C. announced D. answered
16.A. offer B. supply C. receive D. refuse
17.A. dishes B. families C. worries D. choices
18.A. decided B. came C. explained D. wrote
19.A. take B. cost C. give D. share
20.A. homeless B. happy C. hopeless D. sick
_________he is the son of the boss, he started from the lowest position as a common employee.
A. Unless B. Since C. While D. As
