One of the greatest sources of unhappiness, in my experience, is the difficulty we have in accepting things as they are.
When we see something we don’t like, we wish it could be different -- we cry out for something better. That may be human nature, or perhaps it’s something that’s ingrained（根深蒂固的）in our culture.
The root of unhappiness is that we decided we didn’t like it in the first place. We’ve judged it as bad, rather than saying, “It’s not bad or good, as it just is.”
An example: in my recent post（帖子）, A Beautiful Method to Find Peace of Mind, quite a few commentators thought my outlook was negative, pessimistic, or fatalistic（听天由命的）... because I said you should expect people to mess up, expect things to go differently from what you planned. Above all, you should embrace that.
It’s too negative to expect something to go wrong, they said. However, I think it’s only negative if you see it as negative, or if you judge it as bad.
Instead, you could accept it as the way the world works -- as the way things actually are. And try to understand why they are that way.
Does it mean you can never change things? Not at all. But changing things is not because you can’t accept things as they are, but because you enjoy the process of change of learning and growing.
Can we make this world a better place? Again, that’s an assumption that it’s a bad place fight now. But instead, you could say the world is just what it is -- and that’s neither good nor bad. You can say that you’ll continue to try to do things to help others, to grow as a person, to make a difference in this world -- not because you’re such a bad person now, but because that’s the path you choose to take, because you enjoy that path.
As you catch yourself judging, and wishing for different -- try a different approach: accept, and understand. It might lead to some interesting results.
1. Which of the following statements is correct according to the author?
A. We can never change things because we can’t accept them.
B. We shouldn’t try to do whatever we can to help others and make a difference.
C. It’s wrong of you to expect things to go differently.
D. There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
2. What’s the main idea of the whole passage?
A. The world is a good place for us to live in.
B. Unhappiness comes from what we want to be different.
C. You might as well accept the world as it is and try to embrace it.
D. Let’s make the world more beautiful.
3.Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A novel. B. A news story. C. A travel guide. D. A magazine.
Fred Michel is one of 7.2 million Americans who moonlight. Once a week, after his day job as medical director of a mental health center, the 40-year-old psychiatrist heads to a part-time job at a treatment center for young people. Twice a month, he travels three hours to another teenage treatment center.
Last year, 5.4 percent of the American workforce held second jobs, according to the US Labor Department, and that looks set to increase this year.
Many workers like the safety that moonlighting provides, says Carl Hausman , the writer of “Moonlighting: 148 Great Ways to Make Money to the Side”.
The information from the US Labor Department shows that 40 percent of US moonlighters take a second job to meet household expenses or pay off debts. Others save money or buy some special things.
People also take second jobs with an eye to the future -- wanting to try out a new field or gain experience.
Michel started moonlighting when medical systems were unstable. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t tied to one system that ended up failing.
Just as the purposes for moonlighting vary, the moonlighters cross all ages and racial groups. And they work in a variety of industries -- no longer just service, office and sales jobs.
“Technology just affects your ability to make money,” Hausman says. “That makes a frequent change in moonlighting.”
As its name means, moonlighting still occurs mostly at night. And that results in some pressures. Chief among them is time.
Full-time employers could misunderstand, too. Some companies do not allow after-hour work because they fear it will affect their employees’ 9-to-5 performance.
“The primary employer is saying, ‘Wait, I’m paying you for the sharp, fresh, energetic you,’” says Tom Gimbel, president and founder of LaSalle Staffing in Chicago. “If you’re burning yourself at both ends, it’s going to show.”
Still, the good done to the moonlighters can be great. Besides extra income, moonlighters enjoy variety, freedom and chance to do something new. They may also find their part-time jobs strengthen what they do full time.
Besides, “it’s fun,” Michel says. Not only do his part-time jobs offer a chance to network, stretch his professional skills and make more money, but they also give him the variety he wouldn’t find just in a full-time job.
“It’s a way of pulling from the spice cabinet,” he says, “and offering a little variety throughout the day.”
1.The reason why Fred Michel began to moonlight is that ________.
A. he found it exciting to do a part-time job
B. he needed to make ends meet with more money
C. he feared he would lose his present job one day
D. he felt more and more pressure from his employer
2.Some companies don’t allow their workers to moonlight because they are afraid ________.
A. their workers cannot do extra-hour work for them
B. their workers will be too tired to try their best at work
C. their workers will one day turn to some other different jobs
D. their workers will not get to work and be off work on time
3.The underlined sentence “It’s a way of pulling from the spice cabinet.” in the last paragraph means ________.
A. moonlighting gets you away from the job you don’t enjoy
B. moonlighting offers you freedom to make extra money
C. moonlighting strengthens your professional skills
D. moonlighting brings you chances to do something different
4.What is the article mainly about?
A. The ways of moonlighting. B. The reasons for moonlighting.
C. The problems with moonlighting. D. The kinds of people who moonlight.
Mother’s Day is usually celebrated on the second Sunday of May every year. Do you know that a mom deserves a special gift this year for Mother’s Day? Sure, flowers can always brighten Mother’s Day and a dinner out is always appreciated. However, doesn’t she deserve something more personal or something that lasts longer than an evening?
I’m talking about the gift of fitness. Improved fitness is a gift that is invaluable to everyone. When you give a woman the gift of fitness, you are helping her open her door to better health. I can’t think of a more thoughtful gift that shows the recipient （接受者）how much you care about their well-being. By giving the gift of fitness you are providing them with unlimited health benefits. Besides, it’s a gift that you can truly feel proud to give.
Of course, we all know that exercising can help people stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great benefits of exercising? Daily physical activities reduce stress and help you sleep better. Fitness has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis （骨质疏松）. Not to mention that exercising also improves self-esteem, increases energy and helps you be able to do continuous work for longer.
All moms would find these benefits extremely great. If they are like most of us, they have probably even mentioned how they would like to drop a few pounds or just get in better shape. In fact, experts say that about 62% of Americans are currently on a diet. By giving the gift of fitness, you are helping provide your mom with extra motivation. She may be more motivated to actually get fit because she doesn’t want to feel guilty about ignoring such a thoughtful gift.
1. The first paragraph is likely to tell us that ________.
A. we should give a special gift to our mom for Mother’s Day
B. we should invite our mom to a dinner for Mother’s Day
C. it’s good to send flowers to moms for Mother’s Day
D. moms aren’t worth special gifts for Mother’s Day
2. The underlined word “invaluable”（in paragraph 2） means ________.
A. priceless B. worthless C. useless D. helpless
3. According to this passage, the gift of fitness will ________.
A. make moms feel prouder
B. let moms free from illnesses
C. keep moms having a healthy diet
D. encourage moms to do more exercise
4. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Better Pay Attention to Your Mother’s Health
B. Give the Gift of Fitness This Mother’s Day
C. Moms Like to Accept the Gift of Fitness
D. Help Your Mother Keep a Good Shape
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1．5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入的空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about 36 in work and life.
Before offering his guests 37 , the professor went to the kitchen and 38 with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups -- porcelain（瓷）, plastic, glass, crystal, some 39 and cheap, some exquisite（精致的）and 40 -- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you 41 , all the nice-looking expensive cups were 42 up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is __43 for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the 44 of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself 45 no quality to the coffee. In most cases 46 is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you 47 wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously 48 for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: 49 is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to 50 life, and the type of cup we have does not define（规定）, nor change the 51 of life we live. Sometimes, by 52 only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has offered us.
God brews（酿造）the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee!
“The 53 people don’t have the best of everything: They just 54 the best of everything.”
Live simply. Love 55 . Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
1.A. difficulties B. stress C. sadness D. hate
2.A. coffee B. tea C. gift D. cups
3. A. packed B. rushed C. fetched D. returned
4.A. good-looking B. ugly-looking C. plain-looking D. nice-looking
5. A. expensive B. bright C. excellent D. comfortable
6. A. suspected B. noticed C. ignored D. appreciated
7. A. filled B. brought C. taken D. used
8. A. normal B. careful C. polite D. rode
9. A. share B. access C. entrance D. source
10.A. puts B. adds C. attaches D. ties
11.A. this B. which C. it D. one
12.A. really B. generally C. possibly D. precisely
13.A. looked B. searched C. applied D. went
14.A. Peace B. Joy C. Chance D. Life
15. A. refer B. reflect C. contain D. support
16.A. quality B. quantity C. character D. value
17.A. keeping B. basing C. concentrating D. depending
18.A. coolest B. craziest C. happiest D. saddest
19.A. make B. use C. accept D. put
20. A. nervously B. secretly C. generously D. curiously
-- He said you’d be giving them a lift.
-- ________. There are already five people.
A. Why not? B. Not likely. C. What of it? D. All right.
-- Who is dancing to music in the next room?
-- ________ the children.
A. It is B. They are C. That is D. There are
