They can start by saving as little as $10 a paycheck or putting away half their next rise. A small amount of money can produce massive amounts of wealth over time. 【2】

People used not to worry about saving for their later years because many had pensions, and they didn't live as long as people do now. But they can no longer count on their employers, partly because the employers might not he able to afford their pensions, and most people don't stay with one employer. 【3】 Consequently, they should depend on themselves for retirement.

【4】 You can advise them to start by contributing 1% of their pay. If the 1% contribution hurts, then they can slay at that level until it doesn't hurt any more. If it doesn't hurt, then increase their contribution（by another 1%.）Do that until it hurts.

【5】They just ask for a small cup of coffee instead of a large cup in the coffee house or they can try to skip drinking soda daily at lunch. In time they will benefit a lot from today's’ efforts when they retire.

A.They can start small.

B.The key is getting started.

C.But believe you can make it.

D.Many people change jobs every few years.

E.It's easy to cut a dollar a day from most budgets.

F.People give lots of excuses for not saving for retirement.

G.Some seniors are confident that they will be supported by their children.

This past year has been one of the hardest for me. I felt I was stuck in a position that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do with my life. In January, after two years of being together, my boyfriend left me.

I read your blog every morning as I drink my coffee at work, but it wasn’t until this March that I told myself “no more negativity (消极性)” as you taught readers in your blog.

Since then I’ve got into new habits at work to keep my energy positive. When people walk in the front door, I’m the first face they see, so I smile big when I say “good morning” to them, especially on Monday. Instead of waiting for someone to ask me for help, I offer it with an open mind. The CEO noticed my change and offered me the executive (行政的) assistant position that I wanted.

One of the biggest things I’ve taken to heart from your blog is changing my opinions on my job. Yes, it was not an important position, but when I was passionate (热情的) about it, I could make my life fulfilling.

All in all, I have to thank you somehow for having the passion to help others because it truly is inspiring to me. So thank you so much, John. My life has changed because your words pointed me in the right direction, Take care!

Sincerely,

Amber

【1】Amber wrote the letter mainly to __________.

A.introduce herself to JohnB.ask for some advice

C.express her thanksD.talk about her bad year

【2】We can infer from the passage that Amber __________.

A.received very good educationB.spent a lot of time playing computer games

C.didn’t like her boyfriendD.wasn’t satisfied with her job

【3】What is implied about John in the letter?

A.He used to live a very negative life.

B.He likes helping others through writing positive blogs.

C.He doesn’t like sharing his life stories.

D.He is a very famous novelist.

【4】What does Amber’s change tell us?

A.A positive attitude is rewarding.B.Bad luck doesn’t exist long.

C.Practice makes perfect.D.A friend in need is a friend indeed.

In 1988, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved, the story of a mother who kills her baby daughter rather than permit her to be born into slavery. It became a best-seller and was later made into a film with Oprah Winfrey. Many Americans admired her as the country's greatest living writer, including former President Barack Obama.

She was born in 1931. She attended Howard University, an all-black university in Washington, D. C. At Howard, she read African. British and American literature, including writers William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf. After a short marriage, she became a single mother of two sons and worked as a book editor in New York.

Several publishers rejected her first book The Bluest Eye but it impressed The New York Times' book critic John Leonard, who believed Morrison was an important new voice. He said her writing was “so charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry”.

Morrison enjoyed her literary fame and was proud of her Nobel Prize.

【1】What are Toni Morrison's books mainly about?

A.Women's equality and rights.B.The development of America.

C.The literature of America.D.American history and racism.

【2】Which of the following helped Toni Morrison receive the Pulitzer Prize?

A.Beloved.B.Song of Solomon.

C.The Bluest Eye.D.The New York Times.

【3】Why is former President Barack Obama mentioned?

A.To show Barack Obama's support in literature.

B.To prove Toni Morrison' greatness as a writer.

C.To stress Toni Morrison' contribution to America.

D.To remind readers of the skin color of Barack Obama.

【4】What can we infer from John Leonard's words?

A.He thought highly of Morrison.B.He rejected the book The Bluest Eye.

C.The book The Bluest Eye made him painful.D.Toni Morrison's book was hard to understand.

Chateau de Versailles

The Chateau de Versailles is about 20kms southwest of Paris. When the castle was built, Versailles was a small village. Today, however, it is a famous area in Paris. The castle was built as a small hunting lodge (乡间小屋) for Louis XIII in the 1620s. Years later, he made it bigger. Later, louis XIV also made it larger, making it one of the largest palaces of the world.

Chateau de Chambord

The Chateau de Chambord is one of the largest castles around the world. It sits in the Loire Valley. Being at the heart of Europe’s largest enclosed wooded park, Chambord, it was built for King Francis I to serve as a hunting lodge. It is one of the world’s most well-known castles in the world because of its French Renaissance (文艺复兴) building.

Chateau de Chenonceau

As one of the most famous castles in the Loire Valley, the castle was built during the 11th century on the River Cher. It was passed through many bands. The castle was not destroyed during the French Revolution because it was the only bridge across the river for many miles.

Chateau de Chantilly

This historic castle sits in the town of Chantilly, France. This beautiful castle is made up of two buildings: the Petit Chateau built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency, and the Grand Chateau which was destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s. There are many interesting pieces of 17th century history about the castle. Every two years a fireworks competition is held in the castle gardens.

【1】What makes the Chateau de Chambord special?

A.Its long history.B.Its wealthy owner.

C.Its building style.D.Its fireworks competition.

【2】Why did the Chateau de Chenonceau manage to get through the French Revolution?

A.It was far from Paris.B.It played a very important role.

C.It hid in the Loire Valley.D.It was built by a famous French king.

【3】Which castle has a fireworks show every two years?

A.The Chateau de Chantilly.B.The Chateau de Chenonceau.

C.The Chateau de Chambord.D.The Chateau de Versailles.

We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft (手艺) no longer exists. One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability (持久性). “Homes in those days were well-built,” they say. There is no doubt that these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship.

Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, more people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairways. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old.

One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and power planes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts (精确切割) on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon any more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a solid knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs.

The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty years ago, but only if given proper material.

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— Oh,wonderful!Her warm welcome left me completely______.

A.at easeB.under attackC.beyond doubtD.in tears

【1】计算机被认为是一项最重要的发明。（regard）

【2】我们攀登那座山的尝试最终成功了。（attempt）

【3】在这部电影里担任主角让她喜极而泣。（role）

【4】在这个房间开讲座是没有用的，因为高架的噪音会淹没声音。（use）

— But I wouldn't need to ask if you actively_________the information.

A.reviewedB.releasedC.restoredD.registered

A.Facing; what to sayB.Faced; what to say

C.Having faced; how to tellD.Being faced; how to speak

1. 写作目的；

2. 活动建议；

3. 表示祝愿。

注意：1. 词数80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

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