1. Mean old ladies

There is always a reason why an old lady gives you a serious look – you are being too loud, dressed improperly or not crossing the street in the right place. Sometimes it can be lovely, but if you are already having a bad day, a mean old lady can drive you mad.

What to do about it:

I’ve come to realize that when people start conflicts, it is actually an expression of their inner state expressed in an outside way. You, your personality, your looks or your actions have nothing to do with it. It is not personal, so why take it personally?

2. That person, who cuts in front of everybody in line

This is something that gets me angry. Even if I am not in a hurry, I still feel bad for the other people in line who are being treated unjustly. Are you more patient than I am or do you feel annoying too?

What to do about it:

If we have negative thoughts then we are wasting our energy on negativity. Situations like this could be a great opportunity to learn to control our first negative responses and practice understanding. After all, the person may just have a quick question or maybe there is an emergency.

Friends that tell you “I told you so”

It is one thing to admit that you made a mistake and another to hear it from a friend. Friends should be there to support you and cheer you up when you are feeling down, not make themselves feel better at your expense, right?

What to do about it:

It helps to remember that when people say “I told you so”, they may mean, “Please listen to my advice to avoid future mistakes.” If this is not the help you need – voice it out, without getting defensive.

1.According to the author, what can you do when meeting with a mean old lady?

A. Take it personally.                       B. Take it seriously.

C. Don’t apologize to her.                   D. Don’t get upset.

2.When seeing someone cutting in line, we’d better ________.

A. stop him immediately                             B. treat it with a good state of mind

C. pretend not to see it                                 D. teach him a good lesson

3.The third tip intends to advise you ________.

A. not to keep silent at a friend’s improper suggestion

B. to tell your friend if they have misunderstood you

C. not to talk to your friend if they feel better at your expense

D. to apologize to your friend when you’ve done something wrong

4.What is the best title for this passage?

A. What to do when meeting with these people?

B. How to ask your friends for help when in trouble?

C. How to give advice to your friends when asked to?

D. What to say when faced with different situations?

 

 You must know the “ding dong ditch”. Person A rings Person B’s doorbell, and then quickly runs away or hides before Person B answers. Person B hurries to answer the door, only to find that on one’s there. After the __16__ thing is repeated several times, this is called “ding dong ditch”.

    Sharon Mardis, a single mother of four, told ABC(Australian Broadcasting Corporation) News that she __17__ a “ding dong ditch” when she __18___ to her door at 1:00 a.m. last night.

    “My doorbell started ringing, and I came to the door,” Sharon told ABC News. “There was nobody at the door. I went back in the house. I got ten to twenty feet and the doorbell started ringing again. I came back to the door, but there was still nobody at the door.” She got __19__ and stepped outside, shouting, “Who’s that? What on earth are you going to do?” Everywhere seemed to be __20__.

    But after Sharon returned to the house, she __21___ something. Smoke! Sharon quickly __22__ her kids and the family pets and ran out of the house. Only then did she __23__ how bad the fire was. The __24__ of the house fell down; the house was quickly covered by __25__ . The smoke detectors （探测器）had never gone off; they were out of batteries. Good thing for the doorbell.

    The __26__ is who had rung it. __27__ found that the flames had fused （溶化）the wires of the doorbell together, causing it to ring. But __28__, the fire had nothing to do with the door wiring at all. It had started in the bathroom, well down the hall. From there, the flames didn’t spread to the nearby __29__, where the children and Sharon were sleeping. Instead, they surprisingly reached the doorbell first, making it ring repeatedly, and __30__ Sharon to avoid danger.

    Sharon believes it happened that way thanks to an angel.

16.	A. special	B. same	C. important	D. serious
17.	A. experienced	B. followed	C. learned	D. practiced
18.	A. fell	B. turned	C. responded	D. returned
19.	A. angry	B. tired	C. worried	D. interested
20.	A. awful	B. dirty	C. silent	D. funny
21.	A. tasted	B. felt	C. touched	D. smelled
22.	A. comforted	B. settled	C. gathered	D. frightened
23.	A. realize	B. dream	C. wonder	D. agree
24.	A. paintings	B. roof	C. lights	D. floor
25.	A. clouds	B. sands	C. trees	D. flames
26.	A. question	B. opinion	C. mistake	D. fact
27.	A. Nurses	B. Teachers	C. Firefighters	D. Doctors
28.	A. fortunately	B. strangely	C. honestly	D. clearly
29.	A. kitchen	B. hall	C. bathroom	D. bedroom
30.	A. ordering	B. encouraging	C. warning	D. advising