Bum rate is the speed at which a startup business consumes money. My rate would be $ 50,000 a month when my new media company started. So, I began looking around for individuals who would be my first investors. “Angel money” it was called. But when I reviewed my list of acquaintances to find those who might be able to help, I found the number got small.

　　With no other choices, I began meeting with the venture-capital companies. But I was warned they took a huge share of your company for the money they put in. And if you struggled, they could drop you cold.

　　As I was searching for “angel money”, I started to build a team who trusted me even though I didn't have money for paychecks yet.

　　Bill Becker was an expert in computer programming and image processing at a very famous Media Lab at M. I.T. With his arrival, my company suddenly had a major technology “guy” in-house.

　　Katherine Henderson, a filmmaker and a former real-estate dealer, joined us as our director of market research. Steve White came on as operating officer. He had worked for the developer of a home-finance software, Quicken. We grabbed him.

　　We had some really good people, but we still didn't have enough money. One night, my neighbor, Louise Johnson, came for a visit. She and I were only nodding acquaintances, but her boys and ours were constant companions. She ran a very good business at the time.

　　Louise was brilliant and missed nothing. She had been watching my progress closely. She knew I was dying for money and I had prospects but could offer no guarantees of success.

　　She told me that her attorney had talked to mine and the terms had been agreed upon. She handed me an envelope. Inside was a check for $ 500,000.

　　I almost fell down. I heard her voice as if from heaven.

　　“I have confidence in your plan,” she said. “You' 11 do well. You're going to work hard for it, but it' s satisfying when you build your own company.”

　　Who would have thought I'd find an angel so close to home? There were no words sufficient for the moment. We just said good night. She left and I just stood there, completely humbled and completely committed.

1.For a newly-established business, bum rate refers to___________.

A. the salary it pays to its staff　         B. the interest it pays to the bank

C. the way in which it raises capital　  　 D. the speed at which it spends money

2.By "Angel money", the author refers to__________.

A. the money borrowed from banks　  　 B. the money spent to promote sales

C. the money raised from close friends　　 D. the money needed to start a business

3.To get help from a venture-capital company, you may have to__________.

put up with unfair terms　         　B. change your business line

C. enlarge your business scope      　　 D. let them operate your business

4.The author easily built a team for his company because__________.

A. they were underpaid at their previous jobs

B. they were turned down by other companies

C. they were confident of the author and his business

D. they were satisfied with the salaries in his company

5. Louise decided to lend money to the author because__________.

A. she wanted to join his company

B. she knew he would build a team

C. she knew his plan would succeed

D. she wanted to help promote his sales

 

阅读短文，并根据所读的内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词，每个空格只填一个单词。

I used to be the messiest person alive. Over the years, through watching others and by trial and error, I have finally found ways to come up with plans, organize them and follow through with them.

Make an outline of everything you need to have and do to make your plan happen. Make a list of all of the steps that need to be accomplished and think about what needs to be done.

　 Detail everything thoroughly and read over it so you can start coming up with some mental solutions of how to carry out your plans.

　 You should ensure that if for some reason way one doesn’t work, you have way two and way three to lean back on. Therefore, different ways are needed at hand. It’s just a matter of being organized. Chances are that there is always more than one way of doing things, and chances are that if one of the other ones will.

　 Committing yourself to finishing at least at least part if not all of your plan at once is also necessary. It will show that you not only have initiative to get things rolling, but that you are interested in the results obtained with making the move to get everything done.

　 If you make a commitment to finish before a specific time, make sure that you carry that out, and be sure to do everything in the way you said you would, within the time-frame you set for your self.

　 Don’t try to tackle more things all at a time. All that does is to delay your progress, distract you and make you lose your interest, motivation and energy.

　 Carrying out an effective plan requires being as organized as possible. You will only achieve this by sticking to the order of the plan and not turn away from it or trying to do more at a time.

Last but not least, you should never abandon things mid-project. It will only annoy everyone around you including yourself. Unfinished plans are a waste of time, energy and, in some cases, even money.

　 So, don’t be afraid of organization. The older we get, the more necessary it becomes to have the skills necessary to follow through with confidence and to be able to carry through plans in an organized and manageable way. It pays to be organized, after all.

 

.Title: Tips on how to be (1) __________ in your life
Tips	Details	(2) _________
(3) _______ down your plan.	◆List everything you need. ◆List (4) _______ you will follow.	To make your plan happen.
Prepare three (5) _______ ways to carry out your plan.		To (6) _______ that you can have some other choices when one way doesn’t work.
(7) _______ to finish at least part of your plan if not all.	Do everything (8) _______ your own time-frame.	To show yourself you are determined to get things started and caring about the results.
Do one thing at once.	Stick to the order of your plan.	To save your interest, motivation and energy.
Finish what you have started.		To get your plan (9) ________ out thoroughly.
(10) ___________
You shouldn’t be afraid of organization because it’s really worthwhile.

 

　 Once, my father and I were waiting to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family 　36 us and the counter, who made a big 　37 on me. There were eight children, all probably under 12. You could 　38 they weren’t rich. Their clothes weren’t expensive but 　39 . The children were well-behaved, standing in line behind their parents and 　40 talking about what they would see that night.

One could 　41 they had never been to the circus before. The mother was holding her husband’s hand while the father was smiling in 　42 . The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly 　43 , “Eight for children and two for adults, please.”

The ticket lady told him the price. The man’s wife let go of 　44 hand, her head dropped, and his lip began to tremble. The father leaned a little 　45 and asked, “How much did you say?”

The ticket lady 　46 the price. The man didn’t have enough money. 　47 was he supposed to turn and tell his kids that he didn’t have enough 　48 to take them to the circus? Seeing this, my father put his hand in his pocket, 　49 a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. Then my father 　50 down, picked up the bill and said to the man, “Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket.”

The man knew what was going on. He wasn’t begging for it but certainly 　51 the timely help in such an 　52 situation. He took my father’s 　53 in both of his, squeezed（紧捏）tightly onto the 　54 , and with a tear running down his cheek, he replied, “Thank you, sir. This really 　55 a lot to me and my family.”

36. A. before　　　　　　　　　　　 B. besides　　　　　 C. behind　　　　　　　　　　 D. between

37. A. difference　　　　　　　　 B. impression　　　　 　 C. effort 　　　 D. suggestion

38. A. tell　　　　 　　　　　　 B. agree　　　　 　　 C. believe　　　 D. suppose

39. A. simple　 　　　　　　　　 B. shabby　　　 　　　　 C. clean　　　 　 D. common

40. A. excitedly　　　 　　 B. bitterly　　　 　　　 C. disappointedly D. carelessly

41. A. doubt　　　　　　　　 　 B. expect 　　　　　　 　　C. sense　　　　 　 D. recognize

42. A. surprise　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. pride　　　　　　 C. silence　　　　 　 D. turn　

43. A. laughed　　　　　　　　　　 B. responded　　　　 C. commented　　　 D. announced

44. A. my　　　　 　　　　　 B. her　　　　　 　　　　　　 C. his　　　 　　 D. their

45. A. closer　　 　　　 　　B. away　　　　 　　　 C. backwards　　 D. farther

46. A. refused　　　 　 　　 B. recited　　　　　 C. repeated　　　 D. reduced

47. A. When　　　　 　　　　 B. How　　　　　　 C. Where　　　 　　　 D. Why

48. A. money　　　　　　 　　　 B. time　　　 　　 　　C. chance　　 　 D. courage

49. A. pulled up　 　　 　　 B. pulled out　　　 　 C. picked out　 D. picked up

50. A. jumped　　　 　　　　 B. lay　　　　　 　　 C. reached　　　 D. knocked

51. A. offered　　　　　　 B. admired　　　　　　　　　 C. rejected　　　　　　 D. appreciated

52. A. interesting　　　　　　　　 B. enjoyable　　　　　　　　 C. embarrassing　　 D. unbelievable

53. A. pocket　　　 　　 B. wallet　　　　　　 C. hand　　　　 D. arm

54. A. bill　　　　　　　　　　 B. ticket　　　　　　　 　 C. pound　　　　　　　 D. paper

55. A. pays　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. costs　　　　　　　　 　 C. gives　　 　　 D. means　　　

Once, my father and I were waiting to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family 　36 us and the counter, who made a big 　37 on me. There were eight children, all probably under 12. You could 　38 they weren’t rich. Their clothes weren’t expensive but 　39 . The children were well-behaved, standing in line behind their parents and 　40 talking about what they would see that night.

One could 　41 they had never been to the circus before. The mother was holding her husband’s hand while the father was smiling in 　42 . The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly 　43 , “Eight for children and two for adults, please.”

The ticket lady told him the price. The man’s wife let go of 　44 hand, her head dropped, and his lip began to tremble. The father leaned a little 　45 and asked, “How much did you say?”

The ticket lady 　46 the price. The man didn’t have enough money. 　47 was he supposed to turn and tell his kids that he didn’t have enough 　48 to take them to the circus? Seeing this, my father put his hand in his pocket, 　49 a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. Then my father 　50 down, picked up the bill and said to the man, “Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket.”

The man knew what was going on. He wasn’t begging for it but certainly 　51 the timely help in such an 　52 situation. He took my father’s 　53 in both of his, squeezed（紧捏）tightly onto the 　54 , and with a tear running down his cheek, he replied, “Thank you, sir. This really 　55 a lot to me and my family.”

36. A. before　　　　　　　　　　　 B. besides　　　　　 C. behind　　　　　　　　　　 D. between

37. A. difference　　　　　　　　 B. impression　　　　 　 C. effort 　　　 D. suggestion

38. A. tell　　　　 　　　　　　 B. agree　　　　 　　 C. believe　　　 D. suppose

39. A. simple　 　　　　　　　　 B. shabby　　　 　　　　 C. clean　　　 　 D. common

40. A. excitedly　　　 　　 B. bitterly　　　 　　　 C. disappointedly D. carelessly

41. A. doubt　　　　　　　　 　 B. expect 　　　　　　 　　C. sense　　　　 　 D. recognize

42. A. surprise　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. pride　　　　　　 C. silence　　　　 　 D. turn　

43. A. laughed　　　　　　　　　　 B. responded　　　　 C. commented　　　 D. announced

44. A. my　　　　 　　　　　 B. her　　　　　 　　　　　　 C. his　　　 　　 D. their

45. A. closer　　 　　　 　　B. away　　　　 　　　 C. backwards　　 D. farther

46. A. refused　　　 　 　　 B. recited　　　　　 C. repeated　　　 D. reduced

47. A. When　　　　 　　　　 B. How　　　　　　 C. Where　　　 　　　 D. Why

48. A. money　　　　　　 　　　 B. time　　　 　　 　　C. chance　　 　 D. courage

49. A. pulled up　 　　 　　 B. pulled out　　　 　 C. picked out　 D. picked up

50. A. jumped　　　 　　　　 B. lay　　　　　 　　 C. reached　　　 D. knocked

51. A. offered　　　　　　 B. admired　　　　　　　　　 C. rejected　　　　　　 D. appreciated

52. A. interesting　　　　　　　　 B. enjoyable　　　　　　　　 C. embarrassing　　 D. unbelievable

53. A. pocket　　　 　　 B. wallet　　　　　　 C. hand　　　　 D. arm

54. A. bill　　　　　　　　　　 B. ticket　　　　　　　 　 C. pound　　　　　　　 D. paper

55. A. pays　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. costs　　　　　　　　 　 C. gives　　 　　 D. means