One of my father’s favorite __1.__ (say) as I was growing up was “Try it!”. I couldn’t say I didn’t like something, __2._ it might be, until after I tried it. Over the years I’ve come to realize how much of my success I owe to my __3._ (accept) of those words as one of my values. My first job was just one I decided to try for a couple of years until I determined what I wanted to do as a career. __4._ (actual) I believed I would work for a few years, get __5._ (marry), stay home and raise a family, so I didn’t think the job I took mattered that much. I couldn’t __6.__ (be) more mistaken. I mastered the skills of that __7.__ (begin) level position and I was given the opportunity to move up through the company into __8._ (differ) positions. I accepted each new opportunity with the thought, “Well, I’ll try it; __9.__ I don’t like it I can always go back to my __10.__ (early) position.” But I was with the same company for the past 28 years.
Communication is an important part of any relationship. Many of us are ______ to share our experiences or emotions with our friends. But when it’s our turn to lend a(n) ______, we soon become bored or are short of idea on how to _____ and offer advice.
That’s because of what researchers call “listener burnout(倦怠)”. A friend might talk to us _____, often complaining about the same ______ problems. When we offer quick advice to ______ the situation, we may be unconsciously trying to ______ ourselves from burnout. However, good listeners ______ their natural tendency to solve the other’s problems hurriedly and to keep the conversation brief.
To be a good ____, you need to use “active listening”. It starts with the real ______ to help others and think through their feelings. Don’t ______ things. You can start by putting your phone ____ and sitting close to your friend. Let your facial expressions ______ what he or she is saying. ____ you are able to fully understand, acknowledge the other person’s _____ by reflecting them back: “That must be really hard for you.” Use _____ words or even sounds such as “yes”, “right”, and “hmm” to _____ the other person to continue.
Of course, a ______ can be extremely hard if the other person is too critical. But don’t get defensive. Effective listeners don’t ______ negative criticism. Instead, they listen and understand what the person is trying to convey _____ responding.
1.A. afraid B. hesitant C. shy D. eager
2.A. shoulder B. hand C. ear D. eye
3.A. respond B. explain C. argue D. quit
4.A. aimlessly B. endlessly C. deliberately D. cautiously
5.A. difficult B. old C. acute D. sensitive
6.A. fix B. discuss C. create D. describe
7.A. forgive B. protect C. discourage D. prevent
8.A. follow B. reveal C. form D. overcome
9.A. reader B. partner C. listener D. speaker
10.A. demand B. habit C. desire D. ability
11.A. skip B. rush C. overlook D. postpone
12.A. away B. off C. out D. up
13.A. record B. restrict C. reflect D. replace
14.A. Whether B. Since C. While D. If
15.A. suggestions B. purposes C. responses D. feelings
16.A. big B. tough C. strong D. short
17.A. force B. remind C. encourage D. convince
18.A. conversation B. project C. problem D. lecture
19.A. give up B. make up C. leave out D. block out
20.A. after B. before C. while D. once
__1._. You don’t show your secret personality when you are awake because you can control your behavior, but when you are asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. __2.__. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. __3.__.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you aren’t very ambitious. __4.__. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often delusive(不真实的，虚假的 ).You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to on your own, You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. _5.__.You’re usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry.
A. You’re quite shy and you aren’t quite sure of yourself
B. You know your strengths and weaknesses
C. Normally people seldom change their sleeping position
D. Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real
E. Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up
F. You usually live for today not tomorrow
G. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions
Plan on traveling around the USA? There are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true.
www.101usaholidays.co.uk
This is the latest offering that features 101 holiday ideas to the USA. It’s a diverse selection, ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine-tasting trip in California’s Napa Valley. Narrow down what you’re looking for—whether by price, region, theme and who will be traveling—and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view. It’s a really clever design.
http://byways.org
The National Scenic Byways Program covers 150 memorable roads. Some are natural scenic routes, such as Route 1 along the California coast. Others focus on history (such as Route 66) or man-made attractions (the Las Vegas Strip). For each, you’re provided with a map telling the route’s length and how long is allowed.
www.oyster.com
This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and tourist sites. There are photos of each hotel. Importantly, these are not promotional photos provided by the hotels, but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors. From the 243 hotels reviewed in New York, you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations, facilities and styles, or just pick out a selection of the best.
http://seaworldparks.com
SeaWorld in San Diego can make dreams come true, but the price is not affordable for the majority of people. So turn to long-established http://seaworldparks.com, giving big discounts on tickets, hotel and dining at SeaWorld.
1.The text is probably from _________.
A. a science report B. a news article
C. a travel brochure D. a book review
2.Travel ideas for wine lovers are available at _________.
A. www.101usaholidays.co.uk
B. http://byways.org
C. www.oyster.com
D. http://seaworldparks.com
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A. You can see some man-made attractions driving along Route 66.
B. The National Scenic Byways Program covers all American roads.
C. Photos on www.oyster.com can be trusted by tourists.
D. http://seaworldparks.com is a newly established website.
People always think men are more skilled than women in driving. Nowadays women appear to have a positive image of themselves as safer drivers than men.
In a survey done for insurer MetLife, 51% of women said they drive more safely. The evidence is on their side: Men are 3.4 times more likely than women to get a ticket for careless driving and 3.1 times as likely to be punished for drunk driving. “Women are on average less aggressive and more law abiding (守法的) drivers, which leads to fewer accidents.” the report says. However, not all male drivers share the same opinion. Of the men surveyed by MetLife, 39% claimed male drivers were safer. The findings did back them up on one point: automotive knowledge. The report showed that more men are familiar with current safety equipment such as electronic stability control, which helps prevent rollover accidents.
Auto safety unavoidably matters to money. Insurance companies focus on what classes of drivers have the lowest dollar amounts of claims, and for now, that mainly includes women. In general, women pay about 9% less for auto insurance than men. A study by the website Insweb also showed that auto insurance rates are lower for women in most states. Among individual states, women get the greatest advantage in Wyoming (where they pay 20% less), South Dakota and Washington, D. C., where their insurance costs are 16% lower.
“More than 11,900 male drivers died in U.S. traffic accidents in 2009, compared with just under 4,900 women drivers,” according to the study. “Based on miles traveled, men died at a rate of 2.5 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, v.s. 1.7 deaths for women.”
1. According to the study, male drivers _________.
A. are less aggressive while driving
B. are more skilled at auto knowledge
C. are more likely to stick to driving laws
D. are less familiar with safety equipment
2. Insurance companies focus on female driver clients(客户) probably because they _________.
A. cause more accidents on the road but ask for little
B. cause little damage and pay more money to the insurance companies
C. make up the most part of the insurance clients
D. are more careful drivers and cause less damage
3. We can infer from the passage that _________.
A. men are 3.1 times more likely to get tickets than women
B. all women in the USA pay the same for their auto insurance
C. more female drivers die every year than male drivers
D. women are generally safer drivers than the opposite sex
4. The writer mainly develops paragraphs by _________.
A. giving examples B. making comparisons
C. drawing a conclusion D. presenting an argument
There is a famous story about British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
This was an age before telephones. Someone was delivering a message. When Coleridge got back to his poem, he had lost his inspiration. His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door. His unfinished poem, which could otherwise have been a masterpiece, would now never be more than a little piece.
This story tells how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought, which brings us to the cell phone.
The most common complaint about cell phones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them. But more damaging may be the cell phone’s interruption of our thoughts.
We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cell phones, and this is by and large (大体上) a healthy, protective development. “I didn’t hear it ring” or “I didn’t realize my phone had shut off” are among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we’re beyond reach.
The notion of being unreachable is not a new concept—we have “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cell phones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while?
Now time alone, or a conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished. Even cell phone devotees（信徒）, myself usually included, can’t help at times wanting to throw their phones away, or curse(咒骂) the day they were invented.
But we don’t and won’t, and there really is no need. All that’s required to take back our private time is a general social recognition that we have the right to it. In other words, we have to develop a healthy contempt (轻视)for the rings of our own phones.
A cell phone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from the person next to us，though the call on my cell phone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg—who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie. But most likely it is not, and I’m better off thinking about the idea I just had for a new story, or the slice of pizza I’ll eat for lunch.
1. What is the point of the anecdote about the poet Coleridge in the first three paragraphs?
A. To emphasize the disadvantage of not having a cell phone.
B. To encourage readers to read the works of this poet.
C. To show how important inspiration is to a poet.
D. To direct readers’ attention to the main topic.
2. What does the writer think about people telling “white lies” about their cell phones?
A. It is a way of signaling that you don’t like the caller.
B. It is basically a good way to protect one’s privacy.
C. We should feel guilty when we can’t tell the truth.
D. It is natural to tell lies about small things.
3. According to the author, what is the most annoying problem caused by cell phones?
A. Cell phones interrupt people’s private time.
B. With cell phones it is no longer possible to be unreachable.
C. People feel guilty when they are not able to answer their cell phones.
D. People get so obsessed with the cell phone rings that they fail to notice anything else.
4. What does the last paragraph imply?
A. Never let cell phones disturb your life too much.
B. A person who calls us from afar deserves more of our attention.
C. Steven Spielberg once called the author to talk about the author’s novel.
D. You should always finish your lunch before you answer a call on the cell phone.
