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MAINE
by J. Courtney Sullivan, fiction, $26
The Kellehers are a big, disorderly family who sometimes seem to have only one thing in common: love for their beach house in Maine. Lie there with this novel and listen to a summer’s worth of secrets, quarrels, and misunderstandings.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I ALMOST DIED
by Chris Licht, nonfiction, $23
The energetic co-creator of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” was unprepared for the pain, fear, and helplessness he felt after suffering a brain bleed. But as he detailed in this outspoken, thoughtful book, the lessons he took from the event surprised him the most.
FIRE AND RAIN
by David Browne, nonfiction, $26
This book transports you back to a year — the 1970 of Apollo 13, the first Earth Day — and the turning point of albums by the Beatles, James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills and Nash that provided the sound for a new decade. Rolling Stone contributing editor Browne artfully describes the creation of these classic songs.
LONG DRIVE HOME
by Will Allison, fiction, $22
A moment of anger has life-and-death consequences in this beautifully written novel. Being angry with a speeding teenage driver, Dad Glen Bauer makes a turn of his car in response, causing an accident in which the other driver dies. It’s a story about guilt, responsibility, and how mistrust can tear a loving family apart.
JESSICA LOST
by Bunny Crumpacker and J.S. Picariello, memoir (回忆录)，$25
Two authors — a woman who gave up a baby for adoption and the child herself — write alternating chapters in this memoir, which takes readers on a 50-year journey through their separate lives, their meeting, and their following relationship. Its account is both original and heartbreaking.
1. Which of the following is TURE according to the text?
A. MAINE talks about a loving happy family.
B. WHAT I LEARNED WHEN I ALMOST DIED is a novel.
C. JSSICA LOST is about a mother and her daughter.
D. LONG DRIVE HOME is written in the first person.
2.. Which of the following may be favored by music lovers?
A. MAINE. B. FIRE AND RAIN.
C. LONG DRIVE HOME. D. JESSICA LOST.
3.The text is most probably a(n) _______.
A. advertisement. B. literary research report.
C. Collection of novels D. book review
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It’s good to make mistakes, and here is why.
First of all, mistakes are a clear sign that you are trying new things. It’s always good to try new things because when you are trying new things you are growing. If you never try anything new, how can you improve? How can you expand? The simple answer is “You can’t”. Look around you. With very few exceptions, either everything you see in your physical world or every single detail of every single thing is the result of someone trying something new.
Another good thing about mistakes is this: When you are making mistakes, you are learning. Consider this: Edison failed 10,000 times before he perfected the light bulb. When asked how it felt to fail that many times, he said that he hadn’t failed 10,000 times, but rather had learned 10,000 things that didn’t work．
Finally, when you make a mistake you are much closer to success. Why?
Because when all is said and done, you will have tried some number of things before you succeeded. Every time you make a mistake you eliminate one of those things and are one step closer.
But this all doesn’t mean that you should go ahead without considering the consequences of a mistake. Quite the contrary, when you try something new you have to be willing to set some reasonable limits so that in the event that it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, you will be in a position to try again.
We all have limited resources in the form of time and money so don’t blow them all on one approach to a problem. Realize that it probably won’t be perfect the first time and allocate (分配) these resources appropriately so you can learn, make corrections, and try it again. Only by accepting and using your mistakes in this way can you make significant advances in your business and your career．
There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough．”
So go forth and make mistakes. And learn. And grow. And prosper（成功）．
1.From the second paragraph, we can conclude that _______．
A. mistakes are unnecessary for development
B. we are afraid of trying new things
C. it’s common for people to make mistakes
D. mistakes are better than not trying
2. The underlined word “eliminate” means _______．
A. avoid B. Remove C. accept D. solve
3.. According to the article, one thing you should pay attention to about making mistakes is ．
A. avoiding making the same mistakes
B. accepting the punishment willingly
C. taking consequences into account
D. trying things out one by one
4.. What would the writer probably suggest we say to ourselves when we make a mistake?
A. Never mind, I can always try again．
B. I’d better stay out of trouble．
C. Ok! Now I can learn something．
D. Look at this mess. Anyone would be upset．
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China in the 21st century is making great progress in space technology. In 2003, the country sent up the manned spacecraft Shenzhou-V. Four years later, Chang’e-I went into orbit (轨道) around the moon. In 2008 a Chinese man did the country’s first spacewalk.
These achievements would have been unthinkable without the contribution of Qian Xuesen, a key scientist on space programs and rocketry (火箭技术) of the People’s Republic of China. This pioneering scientist passed away in Beijing on October 31 in 2009 at the age of 98.
Once called “the father of our space industry”, Qian began working on China’s missile and space technology in 1956, when China had little technology. When asked by General Chen Geng whether the Chinese could develop their own missiles, Qian said Chinese could do anything that foreigners could.
His research helped lead to the explosion of China’s first atomic bomb (原子弹) in1964, as well as to its first man-made satellite in 1970 and its first manned spacecraft in 2003.
Qian was born in Shanghai. He graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934.Then he studied in the US at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later at the California Institute of Technology. During World WarⅡ, Qian’s research contributed to the development of rocket technology that the US military (军队) began using in the 1940s. He was once prevented from leaving the country because it was decided that he knew too much about certain military matters. It was not until in 1955 that Qian returned to China with the help of the late premier Zhou Enlai.
“I plan to do my best to help the Chinese build a nation where they can live with dignity (尊严) and happiness, ” Qian told reporters before sailing for China in 1955. The great scientist devoted all his life to keeping the promise.
1. What is the article mainly about?
A. It gives a short history of Chinese missile and space programs.
B. It is about how Qian contributed to the Chinese space program.
C. It lists important events that Qian experienced.
D. It is a brief introduction to Qian, a famous Chinese scientist.
2.. Which statement about Qian is TRUE?
A. He was born in China and brought up in America.
B. He went to America for further study after graduation from university.
C. He returned to his hometown right after finishing his education.
D. He had worked on missiles in the US military before coming back to China.
3.Qian was personally involved in many historic events in China EXCEPT .
A. the first spacewalk B. the first man-made satellite
C. the development of missiles D. the explosion of an atomic bomb
4. From the article, we can conclude that .
A. the US military had hoped to take full advantage of Qian’s talent
B. Qian had an important position in the US military in the 1940s
C. when World War broke out, Qian was studying at Shanghai Jiaotong University
D. it was not easy to get Qian back from the US
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My first job was at a local restaurant, where I worked for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow 36 .
Helen was in her 30s and had extraordinary self-confidence, something I was really 37 . I looked up to Helen 38 she was doing what she loved— 39 people better. She always made everyone, customers and co-workers, 40 and feel good.
Being a waitress changed my life. One of my 41 customers was Fred Hasbrook. He always ate an omelet, and when I saw him _42 , I tried to have it on his table as soon as he sat down.
Thanks to the newfound confidence I 43 __from Helen, I dreamed of having my own __44 . But when I called my parents to ask for a loan, they said, “We just don’t have the money.”
The next day, Fred saw me and asked, “What’s 45 ? You’re not smiling today.” I __46__my dream with him and said, “Fred, I know I can do more if somebody 47 just have faith in me.”
Before long he handed me checks 48 __$50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, “The only collateral（抵押品）on this loan is my trust in your 49 as a person. Good people with a dream should have 50 __to make that dream come true.”
I took the checks to Merrill Lynch, where the money was provided for me. I_ 51 __working at the restaurant, making 52 for the restaurant I would open. My plans soured, though, and I lost the 53 .
Later I decided to apply for a job at Merill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was__54 and ended up becoming a pretty good agent. 55 . I paid back Fred the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.
1.A. friend B. waitress C. citizen D. customer
2.A. losing B. earning C. sharing D. lacking
3. A. while B. though C. because D. unless
4. A. serving B. respecting C. helping D. praising
5. A. work B. eat C. smile D. speak
6.A. regular B. favorite C. respected D. fresh
7.A. eating B. greeting C.smiling D. coming
8.A. found out B. picked up C. got back D. took away
9.A. restaurant B. work C. house D. money
10.A. ahead B. that C. there D. up
11.A. exchanged B. discussed C. shared D. explained
12.A. should B. would C. might D. must
13.A. totaling B. counting C. adding D. valuing
14.A. ability B. honesty C. responsibility D. identity
15.A. patience B. confidence C. choice D. chance
16.A. loved B. practiced C. continued D. enjoyed
17.A. tables B. plans C. decisions D. suggestions
18.A. faith B. honesty C. money D. friend
19.A. hired B. rejected C. encouraged D. determined
20.A. Fortunately B. Excitedly C. Personally D. Eventually
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—What about going riding on a cable car?
— ________! Hopefully we will have a good time.
A. Good luck B. Doesn’t matter C. Sounds interesting D. Cheer up
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—He is eager to try something he has never tried before.
—Oh I see. That’s ______he’s different from others.
A. when B. where C. how D. what
