阅读理解

　　Throughout our childhood our parents taught us to say "thank you" and it has become a habit－something we say automatically, along with "please"．And because of this we have forgotten just how important gratitude is and how essential it is in leading fuelled(感到满足的)lives．

　　Just for a minute, think of all the things you are grateful for, such as loving friends, good health, great holidays as well as everyday items such as a comfortable home, TV, and clean water．The list, in fact, could go on and on．

　　Now focus on events that have made you resentful－it's raining, the car won't start, and a colleague irritates(使烦躁)you．You start to feel unhappy, and that is something that certainly does not make you feel good!

　　It's a simple choice and we have the ability to choose how we feel．But for most of us, it just doesn't seem as easy as that－isn't the world out to get us? Well, no, it isn't actually, and it's just our perception(认识)of how things are．

　　Let me give you an example：it's a rainy day, and immediately most people will start to complain, telling everyone who will listen what a miserable day it is, with the result that they end up feeling miserable themselves．But look at it another way and despite wet clothes and hair, both will dry perfectly well and no lasting harm has been done．And in addition to this, because of rain, we not only live in a green and beautiful landscape, we are also able to grow a lot of fruit and vegetables．

　　There really is no obvious reason for feeling miserable－in fact there is a great deal to be grateful for．It's all to do with how we perceive things．

　　Realize what a difference having gratitude can make to your life．That's why gratitude is so special－use it to feel good!

阅读理解

　　In some urban centers, workaholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual．They accept the lifestyle as normal．Government workers in Washington

　　D#C, for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week．They don't do this because they have to; they do it because they want to．

　　Workaholicm can be a serious problem．Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else, they probably don't know how to relax．

　　Is workaholism always dangerous? Perhaps not．There are, certainly, people who work well under stress．Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in life．Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy．For most workaholics, work and entertainment keep them busy and creative．

　　Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work．Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important．But it offers more than financial security．It provides people with self confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they're finishing a challenging piece of work and are able to say, “I made that．” Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism．In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others．Perhaps some people are compulsive about their work, but their addiction seems to be a safe--even an advantageous-one．

阅读理解

　　High school graduation－the bittersweet feelings are as much a part of me now as they were twenty-one years ago．

　　As graduation day came near, excitement increased．Being out of high school meant I finally grew up．Soon I would be on my own, making my own decisions, doing what I was interested in without someone looking over my shoulder(惴惴不安)．

　　There was never any question in my mind that I would go to college．But which college I would attend seemed like a never-ending list of unknowns：What would college be like?　Would I make friends easily? Would I miss my family so much that I wouldn't be able to stand it? What if the college I selected turned out to be a terrible mistake?

　　Then panic set in．My feelings took a 180-degree mm．I really didn't want to leave high school at all．It had been nice being respected as a Senior by the underclass students for the past year; I didn't enjoy the idea of being on the bottom of the ladder again．

　　Despite months of expectation, nothing Could have prepared me for the impact of the actual day．As the familiar tune of "Pomp and Circumstance" echoed(回响)in the background, tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes, and I was consumed by a rush of sadness．I rose from my seat when I heard my name called and slowly crossed the stage to receive my diploma．As I reached out my hand, I knew that I was reaching not just for a piece of paper but for a new life．Exciting as the future of a new life seemed, it wasn't easy to say goodbye to the old one -- the familiar faces, the' familiar routine．I would even miss that chemistry class I wasn't particularly fond of．

　　That September, I was lucky to attend a wonderful university．I needn't have worried about liking it．My years there turned out to be some of the best years of my life．And as for friends, some of the friendships I formed there I still value today．

阅读理解

　　Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand of product on the shelf．

　　Colouring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell．Health foods are packaged in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colours．Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver．

　　When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colours turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective．Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package－blue because we think of it as safe, and white as calm．

　　The size of a product can attract a shopper．But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to．

　　It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!

　　The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product．The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote(推销)their goods, came to the conclusion：“Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才)to sell it．”

阅读理解

Henry Ford was the first person to build cars which were cheap，strong and fast．He was able to se11 millions of models because be could produce them in large numbers at a time；that is，he made a great many cars of exactly the same kind．Ford’s father hoped that his son would be come a farmer，but the young man did not like the idea and he went to Detroit(底特律)where he worked as a mechanic(机械师)．By the age of 29，in 1892，he had built his first car．However，the car made in this way，the famous “Model T” did not appear until 1908-five years after Ford bad started his great motor car factory．This car showed to be well-known that it remained unchanged for twenty year．Since Ford’s time，this way of producing cars in large numbers has be come common in industry and has reduced the price of many goods which would otherwise be very expensive．

阅读理解

阅读理解

　　Long time ago, there was a seed and because he was only a seed, nobody noticed him．Thus, feeling inferior(低等的), the seed gave no importance to his existence(存在)．

　　Then one day, a wind picked him up and threw him on an open field under the sun．Later, he was given rain．

　　Years later he saw a traveler sitting by his side．"Thank you God for this．I really need some rest," he heard the traveler say．

　　"What are you talking about?" the seed quickly asked．He thought the man was making fun of him．No one ever spoke to him like that．

　　"Who just spoke?" the shocked man asked．"It is me．A seed．"

　　"A seed?" The man looked at the big tree．"Are you joking? You are not a seed．You are a big tree!"

　　"Really?" "Yes! Why else do you think people come here?" "What do they come here for?"

　　"To feel your shade(树阴)! Don’t tell me you didn’t know you had grown over time．"

　　A moment passed before the traveler’s words brought him pride．

　　The seed thought and smiled for the first time in his life．The years of torture(折磨)by the sun and the rain finally helped him grow up．

　　"Oh! That means I’m not a little seed anymore! I was actually born to make people feel comfortable．Wow! That’s great!"

阅读理解

　　At Denver there was an crowd of passengers into the coaches(车厢)on the eastbound B．＆M．express．In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler．Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank face expression and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed．The two were handcuffed(拷上手铐)together．

　　As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only available seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman．Here the linked couple seated themselves．The young woman's glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her face and a tender pink tingeing(稍加染色，影响)her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand．When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard．

　　"Well, Mr．Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must．Don't you ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?"

　　The younger man aroused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand．

　　"It's Miss Fairchild," he said, with a smile．"I'll ask you to excuse the other hand; "it's otherwise engaged just at present．"

　　He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining "bracelet" to the left one of his companion．The glad look in the girl's eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror．The glow faded from her cheeks．Her lips parted in a vague(含糊，犹豫), relaxing distress．Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other forestalled him．The glum-faced man had been watching the girl's face expression with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eyes．

　　"You'll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you're acquainted with(认识，熟悉)the officer here．If you'll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen(围栏，监狱)he'll do it, and it'll make things easier for me there．He's taking me to Leavenworth prison．It's seven years for cheating．"

　　"Oh!" said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color．"So that is what you are doing out here? An officer!"

　　"My dear Miss Fairchild," said Easton, calmly, "I had to do something．Money has a way of taking wings with itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington．I saw this opening(通道)in the West, and--well, an officer isn't quite as high a position as that of ambassador, but--"

　　"The ambassador," said the girl, warmly, "doesn't call any more．I needn't ever have done so．You ought to know that．And so now you are one of these brave Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers．That's different from the Washington life．You have been missed from the old crowd．"

　　The girl's eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the glittering handcuffs．

　　"Don't you worry about them, miss," said the other man．"All officers handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away．Mr．Easton knows his business．"

　　"Will we see you again soon in Washington?" asked the girl．

　　"Not soon, I think," said Easton．"My butterfly days are over, I fear．"

　　"I love the West," said the girl irrelevantly．Her eyes were shining softly．She looked away out the car window．She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner："Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver．She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill．I could live and be happy in the West．I think the air here agrees with me．Money isn't everything．But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid--"

　　"Say, officer," shouted the glum-faced man．"This isn't quite fair．I'm needing a drink, and haven't had a smoke all day．Haven't you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won't you? I'm half dead for a pipe．"

　　The bound travelers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face．

　　"I can't deny a require for tobacco," he said, lightly．"It's the one friend of the unfortunate．Good-bye, Miss Fairchild．Duty calls, you know．" He held out his hand for a farewell．

　　"It's too bad you are not going East," she said, reclothing herself with manner and style．"But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?"

　　"Yes," said Easton, "I must go on to Leavenworth．"

　　The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker．

　　The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation．Said one of them："That officer is a good sort of man．Some of these Western fellows are all right．"

　　"Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn't he?" asked the other．

　　"Young!" exclaimed the first speaker, "why－Oh! Didn't you catch on? Say－did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?"

阅读理解

　　“Image is everything．” An entire industry has been built upon the assumption that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough．If there is no substance(事实)behind the image, the product, service or person will fail eventually．

　　First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services．Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection．Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies．But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back．For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness．But the recent scandal(丑闻)showed that behind that image, it cheated in business practices．Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit．Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm．

　　Similarly, personal advisers can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars．Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons．But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune．With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close．

　　To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person．But image is only half of the equation．What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself——the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success．

阅读理解

　　Many people influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments, and values．I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligence．There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativity．I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures．But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father．

　　As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be “Daddy’s little girl”．While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around．This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives．In every aspect of my life my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people．Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice．From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but you should make sure you are not taken advantage of by others．His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is．I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down．I have always admired his open mind, compassion for people, and sense of understanding．He is a very reserved man, but to everybody’s surprise, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends．

　　Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father．He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are involved in．