It’s really a tough job for automakers doing marketing and sales in China, where competition is acute and customers have little loyalty. They have tried a range of tricks in recent years.
But there should be a moral bottom line. Unfortunately, a Buick dealership used the tragedy of a two-month-old infant to advertise its cars last week on Weibo – Micro blog. And Hyundai Motor followed suit.
On March 4, an SUV was stolen with the infant left inside alone in the northeastern city of Changchun. The news spread widely on Weibo after the baby’s father called the local police and radio station for help. The next day it was revealed that the infant was choked to death and buried in snow by the thief. The online community expressed its deeply felt sympathy and condolences.
The Buick dealership posted a photo of the baby and two of its cars on its official Weibo account to advertise its GPS system that can locate the stolen car. “A few thoughts on the Changchun stolen car and baby incident: when buying a car it’s entirely OK to choose a brand with advanced technology,” said the post. Though the post was made before tragic fate of the infant was known, the action generated a storm of outrage on Weibo. Some online commentators said it is “marketing at the cost of lives” and “extremely despicable.”
Worse was the post on Hyundai’s official Weibo account that advertised the anti – theft system on its new SUV Santa Fe, an entry made after the child was known to have died. The action also enraged micro bloggers.
Both posts were soon deleted. The Buick dealership made an apology on Weibo to the family of the victim and the public. But screenshots saved by users continued to be posted and the negative impact on both brands persists.
The two brands probably didn’t expect such a firestorm of fury from the Internet community, but they really made a big mistake sinking below the moral bottom line. They certainly ruined their own brand images.
The Chinese have the same proverb as the English language – a little leak will sink a great ship. It takes decades to build the great ship of a respectable brand but it can take just a moment of negligence to make it fail completely.
For those in corporate marketing, two lessons should be learned: first, be careful in the era of social media when one wrong can be easily magnified and have disastrous impacts in just a few clicks.
Second and more importantly, think with your brain and heart. Never break the moral bonds of respect for human life and sympathy for our fellow man.
【小題1】Who is to blame for the tragedy of Changchun infant according to the passage________?

A．The baby’s father	B．Buick and Hyundai dealership
C．Weibo	D．Not clear

【小題2】Which of the following statements is correct________?

A．The missing infant was found alive in the stolen car.

B．Micro blog marketing of tragic infant death fuels firestorm of criticism.

C．People can’t see the two posts any more because they were deleted.

D．The two car brands mentioned in the passage spoiled their own reputation by selling the stolen car.

【小題3】What does the underlined word – “despicable” in paragraph 4 mean________?

A．Immoral

B．Important

C．Distinguished

D．Considerable

【小題4】The reason why Hyundai’s post was worse than Buick’s is that _________.

A．Hyundai dealership didn’t make an apology on Weibo

B．Buick dealership expressed its deeply sympathy and condolences

C．Hyundai’s post was made after people knew the infant had died

D．Buick’s car was more advanced on its GPS system

【小題5】In the last paragraph, the author encourages people __________.

A．not to sink below the moral bottom line

B．not to sympathize our fellow man

C．to think twice before making decision

D．to magnify the mistakes people make

Janelle was running late for work, so she just had time for a quick look at herself in the mirror as she was going out. What she saw there made her stop dead in her tracks.
Being a busy college student just one year removed from her teenage years, she wasn’t exactly obsessive-compulsive(有強迫觀念和行為的) about the neatness of her clothes. But her boss at the restaurant where she works saw things a little differently. He had recently lectured the entire staff on the importance of appearance, and had specifically mentioned the need for servers to wear clean, unwrinkled blouses. As an assistant manager, Janelle felt it was important to set an example for the other employees. But if she stopped to iron the blouse normally, she would be late —and work without delay was an area of even greater concern to her boss.
So she grabbed her iron and plugged it in and set it for low heat. Carefully holding her blouse away from her body, she continued to iron it while she was wearing it. It seemed like a logical answer to an urgent problem.
And it seemed to be working until Janelle tried to iron the collar and accidentally ironed her neck by mistake. Then it suddenly seemed like a really stupid idea and a really painful one as well. It took more time to treat her burn than it would have taken to iron her shirt properly. And she spent a miserable shift dealing with the pain of the burn.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? For me it was cutting my own hair. For a former roommate it was trying to pull his own wisdom teeth. For another college acquaintance, it was trying to change the oil in his car while the motor was still running.
“There’s a right way and a wrong way of doing things,” Dad used to tell me whenever I’d spoil the look of our yard by trying out a faster, easier and more creative way of pulling weeds or edging the lawn. “If a thing is worth doing,” he said, “it’s worth doing it right.” There’s a reason why certain things are done in certain ways. Those old, boring, predictable ways work.
【小題1】Jenelle found in the mirror that __________.

A．there were stains on her blouse

B．her blouse was wrinkled

C．she wore heavy makeup

D．she put on a wrong blouse

【小題2】It’s learned from Paragraph 2 that______________.

A．Jenelle had no sense of responsibility at work

B．Jenelle failed to set an example for employees in daily work

C．Jenelle didn’t care about the neatness of her clothes at all

D．Jenelle’s boss put doing something on time above appearance

【小題3】What can we infer from the fifth paragraph?

A．We all have done loads of things like Janelle.

B．We are careful enough in daily life.

C．We all have done something creative.

D．We all have tried to iron clothes while we are wearing them.

【小題4】What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the last paragraph ?

A．Be creative.	B．A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
C．Stick to old ways.	D．Do things right.

My daughter Allie is leaving for college in a week. Her room is piled with shopping bags filled with blankets, towels, jeans, sweaters. She won’t talk about going.
I say, “I’m going to miss you,” and she gives me one of her looks and leaves the room. Another time I say, in a voice so friendly it surprises even me: “Do you think you’ll take your posters and pictures with you, or will you get new ones at college?”
She answers, her voice filled with annoyance, “How should I know?”
　My daughter is off with friends most of the time. Yesterday was the last day she’d have until Christmas with her friend Katharine, whom she’s known since kindergarten. Soon, it will be her last day with Sarah, Claire, Heather... and then it will be her last day with me.
　My friend Karen told me, “The August before I left for college, I screamed at my mother the whole month. Be prepared.”
　I stand in the kitchen, watching Allie make a glass of iced tea. Her face, once so open and trusting, is closed to me. I struggle to think of something to say to her, something meaningful and warm. I want her to know I’m excited about the college she has chosen, that I know the adventure of her life is just starting and that I am proud of her. But the look on her face is so mad that I think she might hit me if I open my mouth.
　One night — after a long period of silence between us — I asked what I might have done or said to make her angry with me. She sighed and said, “Mom, you haven’t done anything. It’s fine.” It is fine — just distant.
　Somehow in the past we had always found some way to connect. When Allie was a baby, I would go to the day-care center after work. I’d find a quiet spot and she would nurse — our eyes locked together, reconnecting with each other.
　In middle school, when other mothers were already regretting the distant relationship they felt with their adolescent daughters, I hit upon a solution: rescue measures. I would show up occasionally at school, sign her out of class and take her somewhere — out to lunch, to the movies, once for a long walk on the beach. It may sound irresponsible, but it kept us close when other mothers and daughters were quarrelling. We talked about everything on those outings — outings we kept secret from family and friends.
　When she started high school, I’d get up with her in the morning to make her a sandwich for lunch, and we’d silently drink a cup of tea together before the 6:40 bus came.
　A couple of times during her senior year I went into her room at night, the light off, but before she went to sleep. I’d sit on the edge of her bed, and she’d tell me about problems: a teacher who lowered her grade because she was too shy to talk in class, a boy who teased her, a friend who had started smoking. Her voice, coming out of the darkness, was young and questioning.
　A few days later I’d hear her on the phone, repeating some of the things I had said, things she had adopted for her own.
　But now we are having two kinds of partings. I want to say good-bye in a romantic way. For example, we can go to lunch and lean across the table and say how much we will miss each other. I want smiles through tears, bittersweet moments of memory and the chance to offer some last bits of wisdom.
But as she prepares to depart, Allie has hidden her feelings. When I reach to touch her arm, she pulls away. She turns down every invitation I extend. She lies on her bed, reading Emily Dickinson until I say I have always loved Emily Dickinson, and then she closes the book.
Some say the tighter your bond with your child, the greater her need to break away, to establish her own identity in the world. The more it will hurt, they say. A friend of mine who went through a difficult time with her daughter but now has become close to her again, tells me, “Your daughter will be back to you.”
“I don’t know,” I say. I sometimes feel so angry that I want to go over and shake Allie. I want to say, “Talk to me — or you’re grounded!” I feel myself wanting to say that most horrible of all mother phrases: “Think of everything I’ve done for you.”
Late one night, as I’m getting ready for bed she comes to the bathroom door and watches me brush my teeth. For a moment, I think I must be brushing my teeth in a way she doesn’t approve of. But then she says, “I want to read you something.” It’s a brochure from her college. “These are tips for parents.”
I watch her face as she reads the advice aloud: “ ‘Don’t ask your child if she is homesick,’ it says. ‘She might feel bad the first few weeks, but don’t let it worry you. This is a natural time of transition. Write her letters and call her a lot. Send a package of candies...’ ”
Her voice breaks, and she comes over to me and buries her head in my shoulder. I stroke her hair, lightly, afraid she’ll run if I say a word. We stand there together for long moments, swaying. Reconnecting.
I know it will be hard again. It’s likely there will be a fight about something. But I am grateful to be standing in here at midnight, both of us tired and sad, toothpaste spread on my chin, holding tight to—while also letting go of—my daughter who is trying to say good-bye.
【小題1】Why is there a period of silence between the author and Allie one night?

A．Allie is tired of the author’s suggestions.

B．The author is angry with Allie’s rudeness.

C．Allie is anxious about talking about leaving.

D．The author is ready to adjust her way of parenting.

【小題2】How did the author deal with the possible distance with Allie when Allie was in middle school?

A．She would chat with Allie till late at night.

B．She would invite Allie and her friends home.

C．She would visit Allie at school and take her out.

D．She would communicate with Allie by telephone.

【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that__________.

A．Allie is emotional and only has a few good friends

B．the author is not satisfied with the college Allie has chosen

C．there is a lack of communication between the author and Allie

D．there are different attitudes to parting between the author and Allie

【小題4】What Allie reads to the author is__________.

A．the tips to parents on how to educate their children

B．the suggestion on how to deal with the generation gap

C．the tips to parents on when they depart with their children

D．the suggestion on how to ease the homesickness of children

【小題5】The author doesn’t say anything to Allie when they are standing together because_________.

A．she can’t read Allie’s mind

B．she is afraid that Allie will leave

C．she is too excited to speak a word

D．she doesn’t know how to speak to Allie

【小題6】From the underlined part in the last paragraph we can know that___________.

A．the tie between the author and Allie is broken

B．Allie doesn’t need the author’s care any more

C．the author expects Allie to live an independent life

D．the author will keep a close relationship with Allie as before

A shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The boy walked a long way, and finally came upon a beautiful castle where the wise man lived.
Rather than finding a holy man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were chatting in the corners and a small orchestra was playing soft music. The wise man talked with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn.
The wise man listened carefully to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something,” said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill”.
The boy began to walk up and down stairs in the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned.
“Well,” asked the wise man, “Did you see the Persian tapestries (波斯織錦) hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener 10 years to create?”
The boy was embarrassed, and replied that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil.
“Then go back and observe the wonderful things of my world,” said the wise man.
Then the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens and the mountains all around him. When he returned, he described in detail everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I gave to you?” asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,” said the wise man. “The secret of happiness is to see all the wonders of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”
【小題1】When the shopkeeper’s son arrived at the castle, he ______.

A．received warm welcome from the wise man

B．didn’t expect to see so many people around

C．was shown around the palace by the local people

D．had already missed his chance to talk to the wise man

【小題2】The wise man gave the boy two tasks in order to ______.

A．let the boy enjoy his palace and garden

B．show him how to observe the wonderful things in the world

C．make him learn from his mistakes

D．teach him the secret of happiness

【小題3】We can infer from the article that “the drops of oil on the spoon” probably refer to ______.

A．the beauty of nature

B．the fortune a person owns

C．the responsibilities of a person

D．the great opportunities in life

【小題4】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A．The wise man was satisfied with the way the boy performed the second task

B．It took the wise man about 10 years to finish his garden.

C．The wise man wasn’t paying much attention to the boy at first.

D．The boy took no notice of the surroundings during his first task.

When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault; the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.
【小題1】According to the passage, winners       .

A．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives

B．have responsible and able colleagues

C．deal with problems rather than blame others

D．blame themselves rather than others

【小題2】The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

A．a(chǎn)void

B．a(chǎn)ccept

C．consider

D．improve

【小題3】When problems occur, winners take them as ______.

A．chances for self-development	B．barriers to greater power
C．challenges to their colleagues	D．excuses for their failures

【小題4】Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．A Winner’s Problem	B．A Winner’s Secret
C．A Winner’s opportunity	D．A Winner’s Achievement

It does not have to be January 1st to give yourself a chance to make the most out of your day — and your life. Every day is a new day and a fresh start to learn, grow, develop your strengths, heal yourself from past regrets or hurts, and move forward older and wiser. Every day gives you a chance to reinvent yourself, to fine-tune who you are, and build on lessons of what you have learned. It is never too late to change things that are not working in your life and switch gears, instead of thinking in the same old ways, hoping for a different outcome.
Be intelligent, be flexible, and keep and open mind to start each day anew! Flexibility is the key!
Ask yourself: How do you wake up each day? Do you start your day going already feeling pressured and rushed? Do you go through the morning routine without much thought at all, doing what you "have to do" to start your day?
How about starting each new day with a moment to stop, breathe and think of a positive intention for the day.
Think not just what you want to DO, but how you want to BE today?
Each day is a new beginning and a blank slate. How would you like to create your day? Think of it as a blank canvas — what would you like to paint on it. What can you create? If you wake up in a negative mindset, you are more likely to paint a dark picture throughout the day, and your canvas will not reflect hope, happiness and joy.
If you take each day to think positively, and have a positive intention for how you would like to create your day, how would your life be different? What positive outcome can reflect your positive intention?
What can daily positive intentions do for you? Every day you will give yourself the gift of an "attitude of gratitude."
Visualizing how you would like your day will help release positive energy from within you and you will attract more positive energy from those around you. Instead of spinning your wheels in an old way of thinking, each day is a chance to reframe and re-look at things in a different way.
You can experience each day an awe （敬畏）in the beauty and creation of the world — and the beauty of you who is in it!
You find yourself shifting from an "I can't mindset" to an "I can" mindset.
With a focus on positive intentions, you feel more empowered and more like a "victor" than a "victim."
You are more mindful of the present, and will be more likely to live fully in the present each moment of each day. After all, the past is a great place to visit, but you don't want to live there!
So how about starting each day taking a moment to think of a positive intention for the day? Each morning, write it down and reflect each evening on how you did!
Here are examples of Positive Intentions:
"Today I would like to replace my feelings of annoyance towards my co-worker to feelings of acceptance."
"I am looking forward today to focusing on what I am grateful for in my life, rather than what is missing, and express gratefulness to others."
"Today I want to slow my life down and take time to savor the moment, especially with my children".。
Using each day to recommit yourself to positive thinking and intention will help you create the life you want and that you deserve!
【小題1】According to the writer, which is the most important?

A．changeable

B．positive

C．forgettable

D．a(chǎn)ctive

【小題2】When you get up, what is the right way to start?

A．Just do as you do regularly

B．Brushing teeth and washing as quickly as possible

C．Stopping for a short while and planning some active things

D．Doing morning exercise to build up your body

【小題3】Which of the followings is considered to be positive intention?

A．The boss told me to finish the task, so I have to hurry today

B．Mr. Smith treated me to dinner, so I’d like to send him a card.

C．I have finished all the tasks ,so I’m free today.

D．I didn’t sleep well last night, but it’s time to go to work..

【小題4】What can daily intention do for you ,except______?

A．You can live fully

B．You will become mindful everyday

C．You will feel powerful

D．You can spend your day happily

About this time every year, I get very nostalgic(懷舊的). Walking through my neighborhood on a fall afternoon reminds me of a time not too long ago when sounds of children filled the air, children playing games on a hill, and throwing leaves around in the street below. I was one of those children, carefree and happy. I live on a street that is only one block long. I have lived on the same street for sixteen years. I love my street. One side has six houses on it, and the other has only two houses, with a small hill in the middle and a huge cottonwood tree on one end. When I think of home, I think of my street. Only I see it as it was before. Unfortunately things change. One day, not long ago, I looked around and saw how different everything has become. Life on my street will never be the same because neighbors are quickly grown old, friends are growing up and leaving, and the city is planning to destroy my precious hill and sell the property to contractors.
It is hard for me to accept that many of my wonderful neighbors are growing old and won’t be around much longer. I have fond memories of the couple across the street, who sat together on their porch swing almost every evening, the widow next door who yelled at my brother and me for being too loud, and the crazy old man in a black suit who drove an old car. In contrast to those people, the people I see today are very old neighbors who have seen better days. The man in the black suit says he wants to die, and another neighbor just sold his house and moved into a nursing home. The lady who used to yell at us is too tired to bother any more, and the couple across the street rarely go out to their front porch these days. It is difficult to watch these precious people as they near the end of their lives because at once I thought they would live forever.
The “comings and goings” of the younger generation of my street are now mostly “goings” as friends and peers move on. Once upon a time, my life and the lives of my peers revolved around home. The boundary of our world was the gutter at the end of the street. We got pleasure from playing night games or from a breathtaking ride on a tricycle. Things are different now, as my friends become adults and move on. Children who rode tricycles now drive cars. The kids who once played with me now have new interests and values as they go their separate ways. Some have gone away to college like me, a few got married, two went into the army, and one went to prison. Watching all these people grow up and go away makes me long for the good old days.
Perhaps the biggest change on my street is the fact that the city is going to turn my precious hill into several lots for now homes. For sixteen years, the view out of my kitchen window has been a view of that hill. The hill was a fundamental part of my childhood life; it was the hub of social activity for the children of my street. We spent hours there building forts, sledding, and playing tag. The view out of my kitchen window now is very different; it is one of tractors and dump trucks tearing up the hill. When the hill goes, the neighborhood will not be the same. It is a piece of my childhood. It is a visual reminder of being a kid. Without the hill, my street will be just another pea in the pod.
There was a time when my street was my world, and I thought my world would never change. But something happened. People grow up, and people grow old. Places changes, and with the change comes the heartache of knowing I can never go back to the times I loved. In a year or so, I will be gone just like many of my neighbors. I will always look back to my years as a child, but the place I remember will not be the silent street whose peace is interrupted by the sounds of construction. It will be the happy, noisy, somewhat strange, but wonderful street I knew as a child.
【小題1】The writer finds it hard to accept the fact that _____________.

A．many of his good neighbors are growing old

B．the lady next door who used to yell at him and his brother is now a widow

C．the life of his neighbors has become very boring

D．the man in his black suit even wanted to end his own life

【小題2】The biggest change on the writer's street is _____________.

A．removing the hill to make way for residential development

B．the building of new homes behind his kitchen window

C．the fact that there are much fewer people around than in the past

D．the change in his childhood friends' attitude towards their neighborhood

【小題3】What does the writer mean by saying “my street will be another pea in the pod”?

A．his street will be very noisy and dirty

B．his street will soon be crowded with people

C．his street will have some new attractions

D．his street will be no different from any other street

【小題4】Which could be a good title for the passage?

A．The Past of My Street will Live Forever

B．Unforgettable People and Things of My Street

C．Memory Street Isn’t What It Used to Be

D．The Big Changes of My Street

This is my world now; it’s all I have left. You see, I’m old. And, I’m not as healthy as I used to be. I’m not necessarily happy with it, but I accept it. Occasionally, a member of my family will stop in to see me. He or she will bring me some flowers or a little present, maybe a set of slippers—I’ve got eight pairs. And then they will return to the outside world and I’ll be alone again. Oh, there are other people here in the nursing home. Residents, we’re called. The majority are about my age. I’m 84. Many are in wheelchairs. The lucky ones are passing through—a broken hip, a diseased heart, something has brought them here for rehabilitation(康復). When they’re well they’ll be going home.
The help here is basically pretty good, although there’s a large turnover of staff. Just when I get comfortable with someone he or she moves on to another job. I understand that. This is not the best job to have. I don’t much like some of the physical things that happen to us. I don’t care much for a diaper(尿布). I seem to have lost the control acquired so diligently as a child. The difference is that I’m aware and embarrassed, but I can’t do anything about it. I’ve had three children, and I know it isn’t pleasant to clean another’s diaper. My husband used to wear a gas mask when he changed the kids. I wish I had one now.
Why do you think the staff insists on talking baby talk when speaking to me? I understand English. I have a degree in music and am a certified teacher. Now I hear a lot of words that end in “y”. There is little need for anyone to position their face directly in front of mine and raise their voice with those “y” words. Sometimes it takes longer for a meaning to sink in; sometimes my mind wanders when I am bored. But there’s no need to shout.
I’d love to go out for a meal or travel again. I’d love to go to my own church, sing with my own choir. I’d love to visit my friends. Most of them are gone now or else they are in different “homes” of their children’s choosing. I’d love to play a good game of bridge, but no one here seems to concentrate very well. My children put me here for my own good. They said they would be able to visit me frequently. But they have their own lives to lead. That sounds normal. I don’t want to be a burden. They know that. But I would like to see them more. One of them is here in town. He visits as much as he can.
Something else I’ve learned to accept is loss of privacy. Quite often I’ll close my door when my roommate—imagine having a roommate at my age—is in the TV room. I do appreciate some time to myself and believe that I have earned at least that courtesy(禮貌). As I sit thinking or writing, one of the aides invariably opens the door unannounced and walks in as if I’m not there. Sometimes she even opens my drawers and begins searching around. Am I invisible? Have I lost my right to respect and dignity? I am still a human being. I would like to be treated as one.
Back to my semiprivate room for a little semi-privacy or a nap(午睡). I do need my beauty rest; company may come today. What is today, again? The afternoon drags into early evening. This used to be my favorite time of the day. Things would wind down. I would kick off my shoes. Put my feet up on the coffee table. Pop open a bottle of Chablis and enjoy the fruits of my day’s labor with my husband. He’s gone. So is my health. This is my world.
【小題1】Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

A．The staff at the nursing home mistreated the elderly people.

B．Nursing home workers sometimes stole items from her drawers.

C．Her children did not often visit because they felt guilty for having put her in the nursing home.

D．The staff used baby talk with her because they assumed her mind had aged as her body had.

【小題2】The author concluded her essay with a tone of ________.

A．dignity

B．sadness

C．disappointment

D．confusion

【小題3】How will the author’s son most probably feel after he reads this essay?

A．Sympathetic.

B．Regretful.

C．Angry.

D．Relieved.

【小題4】The best title for the passage would be ________.

A．The Disadvantages of Growing Old

B．If Only I could be getting better

C．The Elderly: A Forgotten Generation

D．The Place That Changed My Life

Even when you’re extremely busy, you aren’t using your time with 100% efficiency. There are gaps in everyone’s schedule where they aren’t doing anything important. Even if your schedule has no gaps, there is probably lots of time when you aren’t working as fast or as effectively as you possibly could.
Why aren’t you completely efficient? It’s because time isn’t the limiting factor. If it were the limiting factor, people could work non-stop without breaks or any unproductive distractions (消遣). Instead, people, even those who are highly productive, need to take breaks, occasionally procrastinate (拖延) and slow down on tasks throughout the day.
The real and most important limiting factor for productivity is your energy levels to pay attention. Energy levels limit your productivity because when you’re tired, you can have enough time and still not get everything done. Your attention ability is also limited, because even if there are a million things that need to be done, you can only focus on one or two at a time.
You might not be able to insert another 4-5 hours into your schedule without making some sacrifices（犧牲）. But even extremely busy people can add an hour or two into their schedule without cancelling anything. The reason why it’s hard to “find time” isn’t a lack of time. It’s because you don’t have enough energy left to focus on something else that needs to fit into your day.
I first suspected time wasn’t the real problem during an extremely busy period in my life over a year ago. I was extremely busy, but at that time I still exercised regularly. I had daily to-do lists with over twenty items, and I still found time to exercise. However, after a few weeks off, because of illness, I stopped exercising. I was not busy by any standards, in fact, my schedule was very light. Despite this free time, I found it hard to find time to exercise. It seemed to get pushed later and later into my schedule until it was gone. How can I explain this strange experience? I believe you have known it.
【小題1】If someone can’t work with 100% efficiency, the most important limiting factor is ________.

A．a(chǎn) schedule without gaps

B．breaks and distractions

C．the limited time

D．the limited energy

【小題2】According to Paragraph 4, everyone, including the extremely busy people, can ________.

A．work without any rest

B．focus on many things at a time

C．find some more time in a day

D．do some exercise regularly

【小題3】The writer gives the example of himself in the last paragraph in order to ________.

A．prove what the real limiting factor is

B．show us how busily he needs to work

C．explain how important a healthy body is

D．tell us what a strange experience he has

【小題4】What is the best title of the passage?

A．Do You Really Lack Time?

B．How Can You Work Efficiently?

C．What Makes Your Energy Limited?

D．When Should You Do Exercise?

I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent.
I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows (誓約) mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today.
So here's what I wanted to tell you today: get a life. A real life, not a desire of the next promotion (提升), the bigger paycheck, the larger house.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love，and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure(休閑) but work. Pick up the phone. Send an e­mail. Write a letter. And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted.
It is so easy to waste our lives，our days，our hours，and our minutes. It is so easy to exist instead of living. I learned to live many years ago. Something really，really bad happened to me，something that changed my life. If I had my choice，it would never have been changed at all. And what I learned from it is what，today，seems to be the hardest lesson of all.
I learned to love the journey，not the destination. I learned to look at all the good in the world and tried to give some of it back because I believed in it，completely and totally. And I tried to do that，in part，by telling others what I had learned.
By telling them this：read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a deadly illness，because if you do，you will live with joy and passion(激情) as it ought to be lived.
【小題1】How did the author form her view of life?

A．Through social experience.

B．By learning from her friends.

C．Through an unfortunate experience.

D． From her children and husband.

【小題2】By the underlined sentence “It is so easy to exist instead of living.” in the fifth paragraph，the author really means that people tend to________.

A．make a living rather than live a real life

B．work rather than enjoy life

C．waste a lot in life

D．forget the most important lesson in life

【小題3】What’s the author’s attitude toward work?

A．Do it well to serve others.

B．Earn enough money to make life better.

C．Try your best to get higher position and pay.

D．Don’t let it affect your real life.

【小題4】It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A．the author is a success in personal life

B．the author doesn’t try her best to work well

C．the author spends all her time caring for her children

D．the author likes traveling very much