Many years ago, I worked as a salesman in a company. We sold______by advertising in small town newspapers and when we received________, we would load our little trucks, drive into the area and_________the pianos to those who had replied.
Every time we advertised, we would receive a reply from a small village on a______which said, “Please______me a new piano for my little granddaughter. I can pay $10 a month______my egg money.” The lady scrawled(潦草地写) on the postcard______she filled it up, then turned it______and even wrote on the front until there was______any room for the address.
Years later, I______my own piano company, and when I advertised in that area, the postcards started coming to me. For months, I______them. But then I______a piano to her and told her I would not _____for it.
But the payments came in, all as______ — sometimes with coins taped(用带子困起来) to a 3 x 5 inch card in the envelope. It was______ !
Then one day I was in Memphis on______, and after dinner, I went into the lounge(休息室). ____I was sitting at the bar enjoying a drink, I______the most beautiful piano music behind me. I looked around, and there was a lovely young woman playing a very nice grand piano.
When she took a______, I picked up my drink and moved to the table beside her. She smiled and asked, “Aren’t you the man who sold my grandma a piano a long time ago?” Then I realized a little kindness meant much to a person who was in______.
1.A. books B. vegetables C. pianos D. drinks
2.A. comments B. replies C. supplies D. goods
3.A. move B. sell C. play D. fetch
4.A. postcard B. letter C. poster D. telegram
5.A. lend B. offer C. show D. bring
6.A. on B. with C. at D. for
7.A. when B. since C. until D. after
8.A. to B. away C. on D. over
9.A. hardly B. nearly C. precisely D. partly
10.A. owned B. lost C. chose D. left
11.A. answered B. ignored C. asked D. paid
12.A. introduced B. turned C. drove D. delivered
13.A. accept B. buy C. pay D. charge
14.A. expected B. planned C. suggested D. discussed
15.A. wonderful B. excellent C. unbelievable D. shining
16.A. tour B. business C. holiday D. festival
17.A. While B. Since C. Though D. Before
18.A. watched B. played C. heard D. recorded
19.A. lift B. look C. class D. break
20.A. courage B. order C. need D. sorrow
We all wish we had just a bit more time. Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine, or springclean the house, or write your novel, or learn the guitar and so on.
1. But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.
◆ Get Out of Bed Earlier
If you normally get up at 7：30 a．m., try getting up at 7：00 a．m. That halfhour might not sound like much, but it could be time that you use to exercise, to read that book you've been meaning to finish. 2.
◆ Do the Important Tasks First
Once you get to work, get the important ones done first (not the easy ones, or even the urgent ones). You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big, important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.
3. The urgent tasks will still get done, and you won't miss the important ones.
◆ Reduce Interruptions
If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat, or if the phone is constantly ringing, you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter. Constant interruptions don't just eat up time, they also break your concentration.
When you've got a big task to focus on, let your calls go to voicemail. 4. Wearing headphones makes it less likely that people will try to strike up a conversation.
◆ 5.
A few minutes' chatting, browsing the web, and so on, can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day.
When you're working, work. If your concentration is slipping, take a proper break: go and get a glass of water, or stretch your legs a bit. And if you're facing a difficult task, try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it's easier to deal with.
A．Stay Focused on Your Work.
B．Take Breaks When Necessary.
C．If you have an office door, close it.
D．If you work like this, you'll usually save time.
E．Would you want me to make your day longer?
F．I can't magically make all your days 25 hours long.
G．Or simply to get your day off to a calm and organized start.
Why do people lie? Many psychologists agree that lying can start from childhood.
There are various reasons why children make false statements. They usually tell untruthful stories to cover up the mistakes that they have done in the past. Lying is also a way to avoid receiving punishments from parents. If parents fail to reprimand their children for making up false stories, then there is a possibility that they will continue to lie during their teenage years.
Teenagers lie because they want to be accepted by their friends. This is the main reason why they create stories that are not true just to become presentable and acceptable to other people. In some instances, teenagers tell untruthful statements to avoid criticisms from their families and friends.
As teenagers grow, lying becomes one of their habits. Their knowledge on making up untruthful stories becomes more developed. People lie in workplaces if they fail to meet the deadlines and if they fail to accomplish and do their tasks efficiently. Some of the common lies made in workplaces are getting sick and having emergencies at home.
The danger involved in frequent lying is when it becomes a character. Frequent lying causes the development of the condition known to doctors as pathological(病态的) lying.
Pathological lying is a mental health condition, which is associated with individuals who have the urge to tell untruthful statements. Patients suffering from it make up stories about everything and anything. These individuals lie to meet the standards of other people who they want to please. These patients deceive other people because it gives them an unexplained pleasure. One of the best ways of treating pathological liars is to help them tell true statements and stories at all times. This may be hard for them, but as they are accustomed to it, they will start to realize that they will be more accepted by their families and other people if they stop themselves from making up false stories.
1.The underlined word "reprimand" in Paragraph l means " ".
A. scold B. fine C. praise D. disappoint
2.What's the major reason for teenagers' lying behavior?
A. Protecting themselves. B. Pleasing themselves.
C. Avoiding embarrassment. D. Becoming popular.
3.Pathological lying is a disease because the patients .
A. lose interest in everything
B. are critical about themselves
C. can't help lying all the time
D. have the urge to please others
4.The writer addresses pathological lying by analyzing .
A. some typical cases
B. its causes and development
C. its unexplained pleasure
D. the difficulty of its treatment
If you are interested in studying at an American university, you have to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is widely known as the TOEFL. It is the most widely used language exam for American universities.
There are two major kinds of the TOEFL test. The first is the IBT, or Internet-based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted by nearly every university and scholarship program in the United States.The other kind of the test is called the Paper-based Test or PBT. The PBT is less costly to take and does not require use of the Internet.
But how to get started with TOEFL? Here are some tips.
1. Plan ahead ---It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL score. Do not expect a big lift in your test results after two weeks. You will have to spend a lot of time and energy.
2. Master the basics first ---You should have to be good at basic English before you take the test. If you score below 500 on the PBT or 70 on the IBT, study for a few months and come back to the TOEFL later.
3. Get a study guide --- It is easy to find study guides for the IBT. Pearson, Barron's, ETS, and Kaplan all produce quality materials. Take a practice test once or twice a month. The best study guides will have explanations in the answer key.
4. Use outside resources --- Remember, you are learning a language, not a test. You can improve your TOEFL score by making English part of your daily life. Some simple ways are listening to English speakers, watching movies and reading newspapers. Some others are reading English textbooks, sending and reading text messages in English, and writing online in English.
The best way to do well on the TOEFL is to know English well.The real goal of the test is to measure how well a student can communicate in English-speaking classroom.
If you want to know more, please click here.
1.If you want to study in an America university, you have to_________.
A. be very rich and work hard
B. be well prepared to take the TOEFL test
C. ask an English teacher to help you
D. prepare for a month before taking the TOEFL test
2.From the passage we can learn that___________.
A. the IBT is more expensive to take and requires use of the Internet.
B. Pearson is a person who teaches quality materials.
C. If you score 500 on the PBT,you can pass the TOEFL test.
D. If you are good at reading ,you can pass the TOEFL test.
3.The real purpose of the TOEFL is to , according to the passage.
A. get more foreign students to study in American universities
B. let foreign students know more about American universities
C. measure one’s communicating ability in English.
D. improve foreign students’ skills of taking tests
4.Where does the passage most probably come from?
A. A website B. A lesson
C. A science book D. A novel
Mrs. Timms listened as the radio announcer gave a hurricane (飓风) warning for her town. Then she woke up her sons, Eddie and Jasper, and quickly explained, "We’ve got a lot to do, boys. There is no school today, and my office is closed. The hurricane is coming!
Just then, the boys grandfather arrived from his seaside home. Grandpa explained that the local government had told people to evacuate their homes by the sea. It just wasn’t safe for anyone to stay near the ocean during the hurricane.
Soon afterwards, Mrs. Timms left to buy supplies that the family would need during the storm. Batteries, bottled water and canned food were a few of the items on her list.
Grandpa stayed with the boys, and the three of them made preparations for the storm. First, they filled the bathtub and all the empty water bottles they could find. Next, they unplugged(拔掉插头)almost everything in the house. Then, Eddie helped Grandpa strengthen the windows. Meanwhile, Jasper put the outdoor chairs inside.
Later, as the storm approached, the family stayed in protected areas away from the windows and outside walls. Mrs. Timms and Grandpa moved chairs to a protected space near the staircase. Eddie and Jasper sat under a strong table next to them, reading and playing games. They waited for the radio announcer to declare that the hurricane had passed.
1.What did Mrs. Timms do after hearing the hurricane warning?
A. She went to work. B. She woke up her sons.
C. She prepared breakfast. D. She watched the hurricane.
2.The underlined word “evacuate” in Paragraph 2 means______.
A. lock B. reach C. repair D. leave
3.While Eddie helped Grandpa strengthen the windows, Jasper_______.
A. filled the bathtub B. turned off the lights
C. put the outdoor chairs inside D. sat under a strong table
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A. A Happy Family. B. A Seaside House.
C. The Damage of the Hurricane. D. The Day of the Hurricane.
Pacific Science Center Guide
◆Visit Pacific Science Center’s Store
Don’t forget to stop by Pacific Science Center’s Store while you are here to pick up a wonderful science activity or souvenir to remember your visit. The store is located(位于) upstairs in Building 3 right next to the Laser Dome.
◆Hungry
Our exhibits will feed your mind, but what about your body? Our café offers a complete menu of lunch and snack options, in addition to seasonal specials. The café is located upstairs in Building 1 and is open daily until one hour before Pacific Science Center closes.
◆Rental Information
Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. The lockers are located in Building 1 near the Information Desk and in Building 3. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are available to rent at the Information Desk and Denny Way entrance. ID required.
◆Support Pacific Science Center
Since 1962, Pacific Science Center has been inspiring a passion(热情) for discovery and lifelong learning in science, math and technology. Today, Pacific Science Center serves more than 1.3 million people a year and brings inquiry-based science education to classrooms and community events all over Washington State. It’s an amazing accomplishment and one we cannot achieve without generous support from individuals, corporations, and other social organizations. Visit pacificsciencecenter.org to find various ways you can support Pacific Science Center.
1.Where can you buy a souvenir at Pacific Science Center?
A. In Building 1.
B. In Building 3.
C. At the last Dome.
D. At the Denny Way entrance.
2.What does Pacific Science Center do for schools?
A. Train Science teachers.
B. Distribute science books.
C. Distribute scientific research.
D. Take science to the classroom.
3.What is the purpose of the last part of the text?
A. To encourage donations.
B. To advertise coming events.
C. To introduce special exhibits.
D. To tell about the Center’s history.
