Everyone has something that he or she cherishes a lot.
Dad had a green comb. He bought it when he married Mum. Every night, he would hand me his ______ and say, "Good girl, help Daddy clean it, OK?"
I was ______ to do it. At age five, this dull task brought me such ______. I would excitedly turn the tap ______ and brush the comb carefully. Satisfied that I'd done a good job, I would happily return the comb to Dad. He would ______ affectionately at me and place the comb on his wallet.
Two years later, Dad started his own ______, which wasn't doing so well. That was when things started to ______ . Dad didn't come home as early and as much as he used to. Mum and I became ______with him for placing our family in trouble. With ______ , an uncomfortable silence grew between us.
After my graduation, Dad's business was getting back on track. On my 28th birthday, Dad came home ______. As usual, I helped him carry his bags into his study. When I turned to leave, he said, "Hey, would you help me ______ my comb?" I looked at him a while, then ______ the comb and headed to the sink.
It hit me then: why, as a child, ______ Dad clean his comb was such a pleasure. That routine meant Dad was home early to ______ the evening with Mum and me. It ______ a happy and loving family.
I passed the clean comb back to Dad. He smiled at me and ______ placed his comb on his wallet. But this time, I noticed something ______. Dad had aged. He had wrinkles (皱纹) next to his eyes when he smiled, ______ his smile was still as ______ as before, the smile of a father who just wanted a good ______ for his family.
1.A. wallet B. comb C. bag D. brush
2.A. ashamed B. annoyed C. pleased D. relieved
3.A. pain B. courage C. sadness D. joy
4.A. over B. in C. on D. out
5.A. smile B. stare C. laugh D. shout
6.A. task B. journey C. family D. business
7.A. improve B. change C. form D. progress
8.A. mad B. satisfied C. delighted D. strict
9.A. speed B. time C. ease D. patience
10.A. rarely B. occasionally C. early D. frequently
11.A. repair B. keep C. sharpen D. clean
12.A. took B. dropped C. threw D. handed
13.A. watching B. letting C. helping D. hearing
14.A. spend B. lose C. waste D. find
15.A. affected B. broke C. supported D. meant
16.A. hurriedly B. firmly C. carefully D. casually
17.A. exciting B. interesting C. urgent D. different
18.A. yet B. or C. for D. so
19.A. cautious B. heartwarming C. innocent D. convincing
20.A. education B. origin C. life D. reputation
Most people think that good looks and being smart will give you advantage in life. The first is God-given. 1. In this article we explore some different ways to become smarter.
Go to college, and get an education. 2. It means that you will have been exposed to many different ideas and hopefully you will have learned how to think. Being able to think outside the box and for yourself are features smart people possess.
Read books and educational magazines. 3. Educational magazines such as Discovery or National Geographic are a wealth of knowledge that you can share with others, thus making you sound very smart. If you do watch television, try watching something where you can learn such as the History Channel, Discovery etc.
Expand your vocabulary. Try to learn one new word a week. It does not seem like much, but adding 52 new words to your vocabulary will really make you appear much smarter. Subscribing to vocabulary.com is a good start. 4. This way you are actually getting 365 words a year, but that is usually more than most people can absorb.
5. Uneducated people and people not considered as being smart tend to do this. They hear an outrageous(骇人的) claim and they repeat it to the nearest ear. You can do much harm to your quest for being smart if you are known for giving bad information.
A. That is my exact point.
B. And unluckily most of us are not good-looking.
C. You will have a new word sent to your e-mail address daily.
D. Reading books works the brain out more than viewing television.
E. The programs actually provide you with information you can use.
F. College does not necessarily mean you will be smarter, just educated.
G. Do not repeat everything people tell you until you know that it is true.
It's time for those who are about to graduate to look for jobs since graduation season is drawing near. Competition is tough, so job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices. Whatever we are wearing, our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.
A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (文身), nose rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can't judge a book by its cover, yet people do "cover" themselves in order to convey (传递) certain messages. What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are．Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances, so do companies. Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.
Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees, because those people represent the companies to their customers.
As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers．Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our customers are.
There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.
1.Which of the following is the newspaper editor's opinion according to Paragraph 2?
A. People's appearances carry messages about themselves.
B. Customers' choices influence dress standards in companies.
C. Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated.
D. Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace.
2.What can be inferred from the text?
A. Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview.
B. Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates.
C. Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates.
D. What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies.
3.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Employees Matter
B. Appearances Matter
C. Personal Choices Matter
D. Hiring Managers Matter
4.The author's attitude towards strange dress styles in the workplace may best be described as ______.
A. enthusiastic B. positive
C. negative D. sympathetic
Do you always agree to do things that you are unwilling to do? Are you the type of person who always says "yes"? I've come to learn that it is very important to learn to say NO! It's okay. People are still going to like you. They may even respect you more because they know you are honest.
I'm not saying to say "no" to someone who really needs your help. I'm talking about refusing that meeting that you really do not want to attend or that birthday party that you don't want to be a guest at.
Think for a moment how you feel when you say YES to something that you really don't want to do. If you're like I once was，you can't sleep at night and you think about it too much. It weighs on your mind. You try to find ways out. Whatever you're saying to yourself，if you really wanted to go，you wouldn't have all of these thoughts.
So，why not just say NO from the beginning? Maybe you feel like if you don't show up at the meeting (by the way，it is not the one you must attend) your boss isn't going to like you or your co-workers won't respect you. Maybe you feel as if your mom，dad or sisters won't love you as much if you don't do everything for them that they ask every occasion.
If these people are your true friends，family members，or a good boss，they will like or love you the same no matter what. People treat you the way you teach them to, and if you're someone who always says "yes", then that's what they're expecting.
You need to do what is right for you. Of course we do have real obligations in life to fulfill，but we do not have to do everything others want us to do.
1.Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?
A. We should try to do what our friends ask us to do.
B. We should help others in need.
C. Always saying "no" means you are brave.
D. Always saying "yes" means you are dishonest.
2.What does the underlined word '' It" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Saying "yes".
B. A friend's birthday party.
C. Something you're unwilling to do.
D. Something you think difficult to do.
3.The writer believes that if you say "no" to your family members，you'll ______.
A. upset them
B. disappoint them
C. have a loose relationship with them
D. have the same relationship with them as before
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Learn to Make a Right Choice
B. To Be Yourself
C. Learn to Say No
D. Do What You Want to Do
You can't imagine how terrible I felt at that time. A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was "not athletic".
The idea that I was "not athletic" stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: "GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!"
By mile17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a "marathon winner".
1.A month before the marathon, the author ______.
A. lost hope
B. felt scared
C. was well trained
D. made up his mind to run
2.Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
A. To acknowledge the support of his teacher.
B. To amuse the readers with a funny story.
C. To show he was not talented in sports.
D. To share a precious memory.
3.How was the author’s first marathon?
A. He made it.
B. He quit halfway.
C. He got the first prize.
D. He walked to the end.
4.What does the story mainly tell us?
A. One is never too old to learn.
B. . Failure is the mother of success.
C. A winner is one with a great effort of will.
D. A man owes his success to his family support.
Washington, D. C. Bicycle Tours
Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.
Duration:3 hours
This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see the world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability──and the cherry blossoms──disappear！
Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours(4 miles)
Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.
Capital City Bike Tour in Washington, D. C.
Duration: 3 hours
Morning or Afternoon, this bike tour is the perfect tour for D. C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C. in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with the most interesting stories about Presidents，Congress, memorials, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route (路线) make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.
Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour
Duration:3 hours (7 miles)
Join a small group bike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All riders are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.
1.Which tour do you need to book in advance?
A. Capital City Bike Tour in Washington, D. C.
B. Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour.
C. Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington,
D. C.
2.What will you do on the Capital City Bike Tour?
A. Meet famous people.
B. Go to a national park.
C. Enjoy interesting stories.
D. Visit well-known museums.
3.Which of the following does the bicycle tour at night provide？
A. Meals.
B. Cameras.
C. City maps.
D. Safety lights.
