While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had an experience which occurred merely two feet away from me.

Trying to locate my friend among the passengers coming through the jet way, I noticed a man walking toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he kissed his three children one by one and said, “It’s nice to see you. I missed you so much!” Then he hugged his wife, “I’ve saved the best for last!” giving her the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. They stared at each other’s eyes, smiling at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn’t possibly be.

Full of admiration, I asked, “Wow! How long have you two been married?” “Being together for fourteen years total, married twelve of those.” He replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife’s face. “Well, then, how long have you been away?” I asked. “Two whole days!” “Two days?” I was astonished. By the intensity （热烈） of the greeting, I had assumed he’d been gone for at least several weeks — if not months. I knew my expression betrayed me, so I turned away my eyes and said quietly, “I hope my marriage is still that passionate after so long!”

The man suddenly stopped smiling and looked at me straight in the eye. With forcefulness he told me something that left me a different person. ″Don’t hope, friend…decide!″ Then he smiled again, shook my hand and said, ″God bless!″ With that, he and his family turned and walked away together.

I was still watching that man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, “What are you looking at?” Without hesitation, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, “My future!”

68．The best title of the passage may be __________.  

    A．Long Loving Hugs                        B．My Future

    C．Don’t Hope, Decide                      D．Love Is Everywhere

69．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

         A．The man replied to the author, with his eyes still fixed on his wife’s face.

         B．After being away for several weeks, the man missed his family very much.

         C．It was fourteen years since the couple had got married.

         D．Their three kids reminded the author of newly-weds．

70．By saying ″my expression betrayed me″ （in Paragraph 4）, the author means that __________.

         A．he failed to express his ideas to the man

    B．the man sensed his real feelings from his expression

    C．he didn’t believe in his expression any more

    D．his expression was not faithful to him

71．From the passage, we can infer that __________.

         A．the experience may be easily forgotten by the author

    B．the author will live a passionate life from now on

    C．the author will be away from his family and hug them passionately upon his return

    D．Americans prefer to save the best for last  

 

These days no car show is complete without an electric car, and the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, US, which ran from January 10 to 23, was no exception.

Among the fully electric vehicles on display were the Ford Focus Electric and the Honda Fit EV. BMW and Volvo also had prominent displays at the show, proving that they can produce practical, yet spacious family-oriented electric cars.

Industry insiders at the show claimed that more efficient batteries, improved performance and greater consumer acceptance could make 2011 the “year of electric car”.

It’s long been clear that electric cars score heavily for convenience. They are, for instance, much easier to maintain than gasoline-powered cars. When the battery runs out, you simply replace it or recharge it, just like you would for a cell phone or a laptop.

This is also a much cheaper method than filling your tank with gasoline. Better yet, electric cars don’t emit exhaust fumes. As a result, they don’t produce environmentally damaging greenhouse gases.

It appears that improved technology is making electric cars and their maintenance much more user-friendly. So, what are the obstacles which are preventing electric cars from becoming popular and fashionable?

Home charging for electric cars could be extremely convenient for users. However, it is also a potential obstacle. For a start, installing charging stations in owners’ homes will be a challenge, particularly for those who have to park several blocks away from their homes.

Also, charging the car’s battery still takes quite a long time. It may be some time yet before you can recharge an electric car in the same time as you can refill your gas tank.

Another problem is that many electric vehicles have limited ranges that may only allow for journeys of 50 miles (80 km) or less between charges. In cases where a driver wishes to charge the car primarily at home (perhaps overnight), this limits their daily driving to the range of their vehicle.

This may be one reason why hybrid cars are now becoming more popular. A hybrid car has more than one energy source, usually a traditional gasoline fuel tank and an electric battery. It’s like a more practical version of an electric car: It’s greener than a conventional vehicle, with fewer CO2 emissions, yet it also doubles as a conventional vehicle.

“I would say that hybrid is a transition to fully electronic,” Road and Track magazine editor Richard Horman told Detroit News during the show. “The trend is for lighter, smarter, more economical cars. Of course, electronic vehicles are meant to be that way.”

This sounds promising, particularly in light of the fact that the show featured more electric cars from big manufacturers than ever before.

However, it seems that the technology associated with electric cars is not yet able to fully meet people’s expectations. Don’t expect gasoline-powered cars to disappear from roads just yet.

1. What made electric cars more convenient?   

A. Easier maintenance.                  B. High scores on the show.

C. Practicality and large space.            D. Much lower prices.

2. Which of the following could NOT act as a potential obstacle of electric cars?

A. It is rough work to install charging stations at home.

B. It is time-consuming to charge the batteries.

C. The ranges between charges are limited.

D. There’s no need to fill the tank with petrol.

3.In Paragraph 10, the underlined word “hybrid” is probably closest in meaning to ________.

A. gasoline       B. electric           C. combined     D. separated

4.The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to_________.

A. introduce the 2011 Auto Show in US    B. get readers informed of electric cars

C. comment on different types of cars      D. advertise for electric cars

 

Online Voting —The Most Beautiful Places in China

What are the most beautiful places in China in your eyes? Please take part in our activity and vote online. We are looking forward to your choice and voice!

Everyone is welcome!

Rules:

1) Voting period: October 1 to November 30.

2) The results and the winners list will be released in December.

3) 10 votes are allowed.

4) Please leave your contact information when sending your votes. CRIENGLISH takes no responsibility if a winner fails to receive the award because of incorrect contact information.

5) Your comments will be important in choosing the winners.

6) CRIENGLISH reserves the right to decide the final winners.

7) CRIENGLISH reserves the right for final explanation of the rules.

Awards:

The three top winners will each receive an award worth 300 Yuan (about 48 US dollars);

The five second place winners will each receive an award worth 200 Yuan (about 32 US dollars);

The ten third place winners will each receive an award worth 100 Yuan (about 16 US dollars).

1.You need to leave your contact information when sending your votes so that ______.

A．CRIENGLISH can post it online

B．everybody online can contact you

C．CRIENGLISH can reach you if you win a prize

D．CRIENGLISH can use it for some other purposes

2.How many winners will be chosen in this activity?

A．8.

B．10.

C．15.

D．18.

3.What can be learned about the rules?

A．The activity lasts three months.

B．Everyone must provide 10 votes at least.

C．Only the one giving his information can join the activity.

D．You’d better give a comment in order to win.

4.The text invites people to ______.

A．travel around the ten most beautiful places in China

B．choose the ten most beautiful places in China

C．write an article about the ten most beautiful places in China

D．send some photos about the ten most beautiful places in China

5.Who probably wrote the passage?

A．A Travel Research Agency	B．A Medical Center
C．An Animal Reservation	D．A Souvenir shopping mall

 

基础训练篇（23）

There was once a teacher in a village. He was a man named Goldsmith. He was a kind-hearted man. He was always poor (1)___________. He taught himself  (2)___________, so sometimes people called him Doctor Goldsmith. One day a poor woman asked Mr. Goldsmith to go and see her husband, because he was very ill and couldn’t get up. Mr. Goldsmith did (3)____________. He found that the family needed help very much. The man had been out of work for a long time, but he was not (4)__________. He was just hungry because there was no food in his house.

“Come to my room this (5)_________”said Mr. Goldsmith to the woman, “I will give you some medicine for your husband.”

In the evening the woman came. Mr. Goldsmith gave her a little paper box.

“(6)__________is the medicine,” he said.” Take it and it will (7)_________ your husband a great deal of good, but don’t open the box until you get home.”

“What are the directions for (8) _________ it?” asked the woman.

“You will find them inside the box.” he answered.

When the woman (9)_______________ home, she sat down by her husband’s side, and they opened the box. They found it was full of money. And on the top were the (10)______________(direction)：“TAKE IT WHEN YOU NEED IT.”

Goldsmith had given all the money he had.

      

Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you’re tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees.

You have to make an evaluation of abstract qualities that can’t be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question, applicant after applicant.

Still, interviewers need to be told something: “What is your biggest weakness?” is not a good question. It just isn’t.

Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to know what makes an applicant different from others. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. Then what may be a proper way to respond to such a question?

Honesty, with a twist(新手法)

“‘What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?’ is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this,” says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company.

“As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative(主动性), motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these qualities into specific ‘personal statements.’”

“Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.”

“I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, ‘My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.’”

This answer leads with a strength that employers want —initiative —and still acknowledges that you’re not perfect.

Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you’re being honest.

Honesty, with progress

When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you are a perfectionist will come across as insincere.

Debra Davenport, author of “Career Shuffle,” believes citing(引用) examples are the best approach.

“My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant’s image.” Davenport explains.

“A better response might be, ‘I’ve had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn’t good for me, my family or my employer. I’ve taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I’m also committed to my overall wellness.’”

The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you’ve thought beyond the answer. You’ve actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven’t completely overcome the weakness.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes

However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide,” recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.

“If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize (共鸣) with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meet their needs for the position you seek.”

Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you’ll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.

 

Job Interviews
Tasks for a job interviewer	☆ Find the person both doing the job well and (1.)   ▲    along well with other employees. ☆ (2.)   ▲   abstract qualities of applicants by asking one question after another.
(3.)    ▲    to interviewees for replying to a tricky question	☆ Understand that the interviewers want to (4.)   ▲    between applicants and that asking a question seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see an applicant’s (5.)   ▲    . ☆ Be (6.)   ▲    and inventive when asked about your weaknesses, and respond properly. ☆ Never (7.)   ▲    you are perfect, which may be believed to be insincere. ☆Try to show that you’ve changed a lot (8.)   ▲     you haven’t completely get rid of your weaknesses. ☆ Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and have a better  (9.)   ▲      of their needs for the job.
Conclusion	☆ With the goal of the question (10.)   ▲    into account and the honest answer in your mind, you will be able to give the best possible answer.