Nowadays, we live in a strict and judgmental world where people are quick to point out the faults of others yet seem to ignore their own ones. Some misguided souls believe they have a moral duty to help you be a better person telling you what a failure you really are.
If you're the one placing criticism upon others, please stop. Make a conscious decision, rather than focus on the negative aspect of a person's performance or attitudes, and you can offer helpful suggestions. If I'm painting a living room and making a mess in doing so, I'd have my husband say to me, “This is a tough job. Can I offer a suggestion that might make it easier for you?” rather than have him point out what a careless painter I am.
If you're on the receiving end of criticism, the “OK” response is a perfect solution. When someone comments negatively on a task you're doing, the natural response is to defend and attack.
However, this approach is rarely effective as it puts both parties on the defensive. It diffuses (扩散) a potentially explosive situation. It's important to keep calm and listen without feeling, to be an objective observer. There is much that one can learn from a negative review. You can ask yourself: Could I have done better, and been more thoughtful? Did I give 100% of myself to the task at hand? Is there any truth in what the other person says? If so, how can I improve?
In any event, one should remember the saying, “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.” One can learn to be “OK” with criticism and not allow it to negatively impact his or her relationship with the other party. Let it go and that will be “OK”.
1.According to the author, today's people .
A.ignore the mistakes of others
B.focus on how to handle mistakes
C.like to point out the mistakes of others
D.have a moral duty to point out others' faults
2.In Paragraph 2, the author uses the example to show .
A.pointing out a fault needs a skill
B.It's hard to avoid making mistakes
C.we ought to accept others' criticism
D.praise is more important than criticism
3.What is the proper response to criticism in the author's opinion?
A.Paying no attention to it.
B.Learning something from it.
C.Making excuses for your mistakes.
D.Defending and attacking sometimes.
4.Why should you ask yourself some questions mentioned in Paragraph 3?
A.To comfort yourself.
B.To find out your potentials.
C.To make yourself become better.
D.To persuade yourself to admit your mistakes.
5.Which would be the best title for this passage?
A.Is criticism really necessary?
B.What can you learn from criticism?
C.What's the best way to voice criticism?
D.How to criticize and reply to criticism?
There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade,” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.
Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friends don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of work and technology, which may bring them even closer together.
Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. Sometimes this is not an equal relationship. Daughters don’t always feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. But mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers always “trump (胜过)” friends.
1.What does the underlined word “preclude” in paragraph 1 probably mean?
A.differ. B.benefit.
C.prevent. D.change.
2.What can we learn from what Marina said?
A.Best friends will not spend money on her wedding.
B.Best friends will not remind her of important issues in life.
C.Her mother is wiser on account of her age.
D.Her mother is anything but her best friend.
3.Why can a mother and a daughter build a closer relationship?
A.Because they share advanced technology with each other.
B.Because they work together to support the whole family.
C.Because they experience the same values and traditions.
D.Because they have common experience in life and work.
4.What do we know from the text?
A.The mother and daughter relationship can be replaced by a best friend.
B.A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship.
C.Marina has a troubled relationship with her mother.
D.The mother and daughter relationship goes beyond best friendship.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A.How to build a good mother and daughter relationship.
B.A mother-daughter relationship is irreplaceable.
C.Mothers want to be daughters’ friends.
D.A daughter is a mother’s best friend.
Jenny was driving her six-year-old son, Tony, to his piano lesson. They were late, and Jenny was beginning to think she should have given it up. There was always so much to do, and Jenny recently helped with an operation. She was tired. The storm and ice roads added to her tension. Maybe she should turn the car around.
“Mom!” Tony cried. “Look!” Just ahead a car had lost control on the patch of ice. As Jenny tapped the brakes, the other car wildly rolled over; then crashed sideways into a telephone pole.
Jenny pulled over, stopped and threw open her door. Thank goodness she knew her job well—she might be able to help these unfortunate passengers. Then she paused. What about Tony? She couldn’t take him with her. Little boys shouldn’t see scenes like that. But was it safe to leave him alone? What if their car were hit from behind? For a brief moment Jenny considered going on her way.
She asked Tony to stay in the car and ran, slipping and sliding, toward the crash site. It was worse than she’s feared. Two girls of high school age in the car. One was killed. The driver, however, was still breathing. Jenny quickly applied pressure to the wound in the teenager’s head while her practiced eye checked the other injuries. A broken leg, maybe two, along with probable internal bleeding. But if help came soon, the girl would live.
A trucker had pulled up and was calling for help on his cellphone. Soon ambulance and rescue workers came. “Good job,” one said while examining the wounds. “You probably saved her life!” Later the families of the victims came to meet Jenny, expressing their gratitude for the help she had offered.
1.What was Jenny doing when the accident happened?
A.She was helping with an operation.
B.She was driving for her son’s lesson.
C.She was driving home with her son.
D.She was making a telephone for help.
2.What does Jenny do according to the passage?
A.A taxi-driver. B.A firefighter.
C.A nurse. D.A teacher.
3.The car accident was caused by ________.
A.the tiredness of the driver
B.the truck who was telephoning while driving
C.the students’ careless driving
D.the bad weather and terrible road conditions
4.Before going to rescue the wounded, Jenny worried a lot about ________.
A.her poor skills of saving people
B.her little son’s safety in the car
C.her little son’s piano lesson
D.the students killed in the accident
5.We can infer from the passage that ________.
A.the driver was saved thanks to Jenny’s timely help
B.there were at least two deaths in the car accident
C.Jenny was to blame for the terrible car accident
D.Jenny was late for his piano lessons for this accident
JOHN WINSTER
6:30 pm——11:00 pm Free at the Minack Theatre.
Do you know who’s playing in your district? We’re bringing you an exciting evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract? If so, come early to the talk at 6:30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.
DAVID BROWN
7:00 pm——11:30 pm Comedy at the Novella Theatre.
Come and see David Bremen perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. David Bremen really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 6:30pm for drinks and fine foods.
BENJAMINS STUDIO
5:30pm——8:00pm Thursdays at the Royal Opera House
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Benjamin will give you the confidence to be funny.
RED SCARF
7:30pm——11:30pm City Music World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music is a great evening out. Red Scarf perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with Stephen Hough on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta (面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer and white wine.
1.Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?
A.Jules Skye. B.David Brown.
C.Red Scarf. D.Stephen Hough.
2.Where can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh？
A.The Minack Theatre. B.The Novella Theatre.
C.The Royal Opera House. D.City Music World.
3.What do we know about Benjamin’s Studio？
A.It is held every Thursday. B.It is run by a famous club.
C.It lasts two hours each time. D.It requires membership status.
4.What can people do in the City Music World?
A.Listen to Red Scarf’s best-selling CD.
B.Learn how to play the piano.
C.Read books while waiting for a table.
D.Enjoy foods of Italian flavors.
5.What’s the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
A.To advertise four places for people to eat out.
B.To call on people to join four clubs.
C.To introduce four places for entertainment.
D.To show four famous artists in theater performance.
Dusty is a golden hunting dog that joined my family five years ago. She’s a great dog, but the dog hair drives me_______sometimes. It’s on my clothes, it’s on the furniture, and it _______in little piles in the corner of every room. It’s _______!
We now have the little sticky, roll tool, which is used to _______ the hair before we leave the house. It is especially _______ for the kids as they insist on giving Dusty a big _______ before going to school every morning.
My elder son, Hayden, is 10 and a half, and my twins Madison and Logan turn 8 in November this year. In the past couple of months, I have _______ been able to enjoy few nights’ complete _______. That’s over ten years’ deprivation(剥夺) of my rest time! However, _______ I always pay attention to my toil(辛劳), I can quickly become a(n)________ woman who is too bored and upset to enjoy life properly. Without the help of my husband, having 3 young kids and a pet to ________ in the house is surely not a(n)________ task. However, if I remember to ________ the positives that they bring to my life instead of the ________ and the cost of private schooling for the kids, I can feel my job is full of happiness. Indeed, our smart pet and healthily-growing children have given me lots of ________.
In spite of the troubles in life, what we focus on ________ our feelings. Our families, our jobs, our communities and so on, each ________ some annoying elements that can rob us of our ________. So our ________ is to stop wasting time considering the annoyances and ________ to be grateful for the positives.
1.A.busy B.crazy C.funny D.calm
2.A.grows B.comes C.gathers D.disappears
3.A.everywhere B.somewhere C.nowhere D.elsewhere
4.A.throw up B.clean up C.burn out D.put up
5.A.important B.interesting C.comfortable D.annoying
6.A.hug B.smile C.praise D.nod
7.A.only B.yet C.always D.even
8.A.imagination B.sleep C.music D.work
9.A.before B.so C.if D.although
10.A.peaceful B.anxious C.kind-hearted D.generous
11.A.educate B.put C.raise D.accompany
12.A.meaningful B.reasonable C.bored D.easy
13.A.put out B.deal with C.make up D.focus on
14.A.emotions B.events C.troubles D.appearances
15.A.creativity B.freedom C.ability D.pleasure
16.A.catches B.stops C.shapes D.forbids
17.A.costs B.reaches C.returns D.contains
18.A.joy B.excitement C.sorrow D.surprise
19.A.fact B.challenge C.reason D.theory
20.A.remember B.ignore C.refuse D.hope
The handicrafts, ________ had been made by the students, were sold out soon.
A.most of which B.most of what
C.most of them D.most of whom
