| Title | Focus on the present |
| Theme | To (1) ______ our goals, we should focus on what we have and where we are now. |
| Common (2)______ | ﹡We do not focus on our present situation. ﹡Most of us see our present situation as a stepping stone to our final destination. ﹡W e do not spend the time truly (3)______ where we are today and what we already have in our lives. |
| (4)______—our job | ﹡(5)______ the thought of getting promoted. What we should do is (6)______ our best to do our current job. ﹡To be the best in our curr ent job, we should get further education, work harder than (7)______, stop complaining and (8)______ ourselves to our job. |
| Conclusion | If we are (9)______, grateful for what we have, and take time to help ourselves be the very best we can, we can not only (10)______ in the future, but also enjoy our life every day. |
| 1. achieve/ reach 2. mistakes 3. appreciating 4. Example 5. Forget/ Ignore 6. try/ do 7. colleagues/ others 8. devote 9. patient 10. succeed | |
| 阅读理解。 | |
| A is for always getting to work on time. B is for being extremely busy. C is for the conscientious ( 勤勤恳恳的 ) way you do your job. You may be all these things at the office, and more. But when it comes to getting ahead, experts say, the ABCs of business should include a P, for politics, as in office politics. Dale Carnegie suggested as much more than 50 years ago hard work alone doesn"t ensure career advancement. You have to be able to sell yourself and your ideas, both publicly and behind the scenes. Yet, despite the obvious rewards of engaging in office politics-a better job, a raise, praise-many people are still unable-or unwilling-to play the game. People assume that office politics involves some manipulative (工于心计的) behavior, says Deborah Comer, an assistant professor of management at Hofstra University. But politics derives from the word "polite". It can mean lobbying(游说) and forming associations. It can mean being kind and helpful, or even trying to please your superior, and then expecting something in return. In fact, today, experts define office politics as proper behavior used to pursue one"s own self-interest in the workplace. In many cases, this involves some form of socializing within the office environment-not just in large companies, but in small workplaces as well. The first thing people are usually judged on is their ability to perform well on a consistent basis, says Neil P. Lewis, a management psychologist. But if two or three candidates are up for a promotion, each of whom has reasonably similar ability, a manager is going to promote the person he or she likes best. It"s simple human nature. Yet, psychologists say, many employees and employers have trouble with the concept of politics in the office. Some people, they say, have an idealistic vision of work and what it takes to succeed. Still others associate politics with flattery (奉承), fearful that, if they speak up for themselves, they may appear to be flattering their boss for favors. Experts suggest altering this negative picture by recognizing the need for some self-promotion. | |
| 1. Office politics (Line 2, Para. 4) is used in the passage to refer to ______. | |
| A. the code of behavior for company staff B. the political views and beliefs of office workers C. the interpersonal relationships within a company D. the various qualities required for a successful career | |
| 2. To get promoted, one must not only be equal to his job but ______. | |
| A. give his boss a good impression B. honest and loyal to his company C. get along well with his colleagues D. avoid being too outstanding | |
| 3. Why are many people unwilling to play the game (Line 4, Para. 5)? | |
| A. They believe that doing so is impractical. B. They feel that such behavior is unprincipled. C. They are not good at manipulating colleagues. D. They think the effort will get them nowhere. | |
| 4. It is the author"s view that ______. | |
| A. speaking up for oneself is part of human nature B. self-promotion does not necessarily mean flattery C. hard work contributes very little to one"s promotion D. many employees fail to recognize the need of flattery | |
| 短文填词。 | |
| My elder brother gave me inportant lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult. O 1 when I returned from a baseball game, 2 was Steve who took time to ask me what had happened. When I 3 (解释) my baseball had flown through Mrs. Holt"s window, b 4 the glass, Steve encouraged me to admit to her. After all, I should have played in a park. Yet of all my elder brother"s 5 (教导), his respect for life was the most vivid in my mind. At twelve, I killed a sparrow. I shouted e 6 to Steve to come to take a look. I shall never forget the way 7 which he stood and stared at the bird. Then in a quiet 8 (声音), he asked, "Did it hurt you first, Mark?" I didn"t know 9 to answer. "When you want to hurt living things you should consider whether they hurt you 10 ." | |
| 阅读理解。 | |
| Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids" interest. Many offer workshops for making land-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children"s favorite writer, and even musical performances and other arts. ·Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龙) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up. ·Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet (木偶) making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find. ·Try hands-on science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They"ll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums. | |
| 1. If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit | |
| A. a Youtheater B. an art museum C. a natural history museum D. a hands-on science museum | |
| 2. What can kids do at a Youtheater? | |
| A. Look at rock collections. B. See dinosaur models. C. Watch puppet making. D. Give performances. | |
| 3. What does "hands-on science" mean in the last paragraph? | |
| A. Science games designed by kids. B. Learning science by doing things. C. A show of kids" science work. D. Reading science books. | |
| 4. Where does this text probably come from? | |
| A. A science textbook. B. A tourist map. C. A museum guide. D. A news report. | |
| 阅读理解。 | |
| About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio (影棚) to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things. We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold. The next scene was a complete contrast (对比). The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen (幕). An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water"s edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio! Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film "stars"! | |
| 1. Who is the author? | |
| A. A cameraman. B. .A film director. C. A crowd-scene actor. D. A workman for scene setting. | |
| 2. What made the author feel cold? | |
| A. The heavy snowfall. B. The man-made scene. C. The low temperature. D. The film being shown. | |
| 3. What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned in the last paragraph? | |
| A. A new scene would be filmed. B. More stars would act in the film. C. The author would leave the studio. D. The next scene would be prepared. | |
| 阅读理解。 | |
| For those who are tired doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app(application). Strange though it may seem - "my wife already does that" was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week - Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install (安装) a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them "smart". Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it"s Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad. The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owners is at work or on the bus. Samsung says it"s not just something new - the app connection actually has some practical uses. "If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go," said spokesperson Amy Schmidt. The company also says that with electricity rate (电价) varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money. Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do -enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV. | |
| 1. What can be inferred from the common response of the attendees at the CES? | |
| A. The machine will be a big success. B. their wives like doing the laundry. C. The machine is unrelated to their life. D. This kind of technology is familiar to them. | |
| 2. What can we learn about the new laundry machines? | |
| A. They can tell you when your clothes need washing B. They can be controlled with a smartphone C. They are difficult to operate D. They are sold at a low price | |
| 3. We can conclude form Samsung"s statements that ___________. | |
| A. the app connection makes life easier B. it is better to dry clothes in the morning C. smartphone can shorten the drying time D. we should refresh clothes back at home | |
| 4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph? | |
| A. The laundry should be frequently checked B. Lazy people like using such machines C. Good technologies also cause problems D. Television may help do the laundry. |