How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration (移民) officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1.How did the author know about America before she got there?
A. From her relatives. B. From her mother.
C. From books and pictures. D. From radio programs.
2.Upon leaving for America the author felt _______.
A. confused B. excited C. worried D. amazed
3. For the first two years in New York, the author _________.
A. often lost her way B. did not think about her future
C. studied in three different schools D. got on well with her stepfather
4. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A. She worked as a translator. B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family. D. She helped her family with her English.
5. The author believes that ________.
A. her future will be free from troubles B. it is difficult to learn to become patient
C. there are more good things than bad things D. good things will happen if one keeps trying
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Anne responded on May 20, 2009 Julie, most of us are never going to achieve the heights you did as the CEO of a company. I just want to say that I was so touched by your transparency (坦诚). I haven’t been attacked publicly ever like you, but I’ve suffered from depression—just recently in fact. It helps a lot to hear personal stories, and it helped to read how you might have handled things differently. |
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Nancy responded on May 21, 2009 Something in Julie drew her to artwork during a very dark time in her journey. And later she stated that it’s beauty that keeps her going. Beauty and creativity can be very powerful in our lives. And it doesn’t surprise me that Julie was drawn to these naturally. Anne, maybe the artistic kinds of activities Julie used will support you well as you move beyond the depressive feelings you’re dealing with. |
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Anne responded on June 4, 2009 Nancy, thanks so much for taking the time to offer some great ideas for using creativity to help with depression. Actually during this time I’ve found that my creative work has been the one thing that’s brought me a lot of joy. |
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Julie responded on June 2, 2009 Nancy, thank you for your insights (深刻见解). Warmly, Julie. |
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Chris responded on May 31, 2009 I don’t normally comment on blogs, but this was a very insightful and transparent post (帖子). I could really feel that you were open and honest about everything you wrote about. Thanks for sharing and good luck with everything that you do. |
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Julie responded on June 9, 2009 Thanks, Chris. |
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Wendy responded on May 30, 2009 Julie, everything you shared here is inspiring. Thank you for having the courage to be so open. I love what you’re doing here. Keep it up! |
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Julie responded on May 31, 2009 Thank you, Wendy. |
1.The above posts center on a blog passage written by ______.
A. Wendy B. Julie C. Anne D. Nancy
2. Nancy and Anne share the opinion that______.
A. work can bring joy to people B. creativity may help reduce depression
C. beauty is the most important in life D. different people handle things differently
3.Which of the following about Julie is NOT true?
A. Julie is the CEO of a company. B. Julie was once attracted to artwork.
C. Julie has never been attacked publicly. D. Julie was honest about her past experiences.
It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations”. I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial package.
The cost of Dream School’s tuition, room and board was around MYM 40,000—an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as 1 was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chain. As I walked out of that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years fighting there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream” university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.
1. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?
A. He was full of joy. B. He was lost in his dream.
C. He was worried about the money. D. He was uncertain which school to go to.
2. We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.
A. honest B. strict C. supportive D. decisive
3. In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride” can be replaced by “_________”.
A. would pay for transport to the school B. would show me around the campus
C. would offer free meals at all events D. would charge me nothing for tuition
4.What does the author mainly want to say?
A. Your second-choice college may actually be your best fit.
B. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.
C. You should try your best to attend your dream school.
D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.
Have you ever thought about what you would like to do after school? Perhaps one of these rather different jobs will suit you.
TASTER: Food companies need people to taste the products that they are making. So many kinds of no bad-tasting food are put onto the supermarket shelves. All tasters do all day is take small bites of food. They make notes of what tastes good and what tastes bad. It is not a job for those who would like to stay thin.
SNAKE MILKER: This involves taking the poison out of a snake’s teeth. You hold the snake over a glass and make it open its mouth very wide. The poison will then drip from the back of the teeth into the glass; this is known as milking the snake. You have to be very brave if you want to try this.
GOLF BALL HUNTER: You will spend your day diving into waterholes at different golf courses to hunt for lost golf balls. You could be picking up as many as 5,000 balls a day. Many golfers are willing to buy used golf balls and you could be making a lot of money.
CLOCK CLEANER: Every day you will be climbing to the top of the clock towers in the city. Your responsibilities will be to oil, wind and repair the clocks. This is not a job for someone who is afraid of heights.
1. If you are a taster, you will .
A. pick up golf balls B. oil and repair the clocks
C. get some milk from snakes D. try different kinds of food
2. If you are afraid of heights, you’d better not choose the job as a .
A. taster B. snake milker C. clock cleaner D. golf ball hunter
3. You can probably find this passage in a .
A. newspaper B. textbook C. report D. novel
I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure. I remember when my mum 36 me up that morning, her voice wasn’t as 37 as it usually was.
I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was 38 to leave its warmth and comfort, and didn’t want to face the problem that I’d let myself 39 for the past six months. Finally, I dragged myself out of 40 .
I finished getting ready and tried to 41 . It didn’t work, so I decided that my 42 should go with me. We had a little time, so I thought we could practice parking. I 43 , with the wheel hitting the fence. After that, the little bit of confidence I’d had was 44 . I tried two more times, but didn’t 45 much. Then we headed to the test site.
I went into a room for some paperwork. And I waited for 20 minutes—just 46 time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my 47 . I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.
I stepped outside and the sky was the light blue I love. It offered me some 48 and I realized something: something between when I pulled myself off the seat and when I got outside. I had become 49 and confident.
The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite 50 . The confidence that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well too and I 51 it all. As I drove back, the instructor told me I would not be coming back for a second 52 next Thursday.
Back in the building I didn’t have to say a word. My mum knew just by looking at me. Her 53 made her face softer. And I’m sure it was at least as big as the smile on my face. Her eyes, 54 , looked kind of teary. I knew she was 55 for me.
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1.A. got |
B. woke |
C. turned |
D. brought |
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2.A. loud |
B. weak |
C. noisy |
D. strong |
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3.A. unable |
B. unhappy |
C. unwilling |
D. unavailable |
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4.A. mention |
B. forget |
C. leave |
D. put |
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5. A. house |
B. kitchen |
C. garage |
D. bed |
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6.A. set down |
B. take down |
C. calm down |
D. put down |
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7. A. mum |
B. dad |
C. instructor |
D. teacher |
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8. A. succeeded |
B. failed |
C. managed |
D. attempted |
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9.A. missing |
B. lost |
C. disappeared |
D. gone |
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10. A. work |
B. improve |
C. change |
D. get |
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11. A. enough |
B. little |
C. more |
D. less |
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12.A. ability |
B. performance |
C. time |
D. turn |
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13. A. belief |
B. advantage |
C. anxiety |
D. comfort |
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14. A. calm |
B. anxious |
C. excited |
D. cautious |
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15. A. badly |
B. well |
C. unsuccessfully |
D. hardly |
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16. A. passed |
B. went |
C. failed |
D. tried |
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17. A. practice |
B. paperwork |
C. test |
D. parking |
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18.A. words |
B. smile |
C. look |
D. anger |
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19. A. however |
B. therefore |
C. although |
D. but |
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20. A. sad |
B. happy |
C. nervous |
D. sorry |
—Bill, if it doesn’t rain, we can go straight on and spend more time in Vienna.
— I just want to hear Mozart.
A. Well done! B. No problem. C. That’s great! D. That’s it.
