Listen carefully, working people, we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s “no”.
What do you ask? We’ll say it again: “No”.
Sweet and simple “no”.
Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself, ” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
“Time is precious. People are spending money buying time. And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”
Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated(强制的) ‘yes’, ” she said.
Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all, ” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury, Connecticut. “Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.” Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time… Other people are happy to use up your time, ” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.
“No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.
“No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.
But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”
【小题1】.
The sentence “Saying ‘yes’ to yourself” means _______.

A．you can have more time to play with others

B．you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy

C．you are selfish and treat others rudely

D．you can deal with your business as you have planned

【小题2】.
When you say “no” to others you should say it in a _______.

A．secret way	B．polite way
C．proud way	D．guilty way

【小题3】.
. In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that _______.

A．they say “no” at a suitable time

B．they say “no” as much as possible

C．they are afraid of saying “no”

D．they make others angry at them

【小题4】.
. If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receive may be that he or she _______.

A．enjoys a wonderful life

B．makes a lot of money

C．faces difficulty in life

D．forgets to say “yes” in the end

Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

Place friendship in the first place. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the lawn go unmowed or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.

Open up to close friends. Keeping a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密).Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems，but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self­esteem when they are sad about a job loss, or other such events.

Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies，singing in a choir，and joining in a bowling league.

Don’t wait for a friend to ask for helps. When a friend has the flu，offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after­school activities.

Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage，friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.

Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms，or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.

Enroll in an adult­education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.

1.People with close friends have a        ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

A． less   B． greater      C．poorer         D． little

2.According to the passage，you’d better offer advice to your friends       .

A． at any moment

B． only when they are happy

C． only when they want it

D． only when you are glad

3.What we should do to have friends according to the author?

A． Make friendship a priority.

B． Open up to close friends.

C． Never take a friendship for granted.

D． All the above.

4.Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A． You should have different friends for the same activities.

B． You should wait for a friend to ask a favor.

C． You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores.

D． You should never take a friendship for granted.

5.The underlined word “enroll” in the last paragraph means         .

A． give  B． join   C． get    D． catch

 

As we all know, getting benched in sports is usually a bad thing. But at one school in Florida, a girl has taken a bench and turned it into something entirely different – a place to find friends. It’s called the Friendship Bench. And it’s the brainchild of a sixth grader at Palm Bay Elementary – a girl named Acacia Woodley.

Acacia’s attitude toward life might be summed up best by a question she recently asked members of the Brevard County School Board – “what if we spend as much time putting the spotlight on kindness as we do on cruelty?” It’s a philosophy Acacias has learned to live her own life -despite having a lot of people would consider a handicap. She was born without a right hand. And her left hand did not form properly. But Acacia says that she has not stopped her from achieving her goals. “You need to believe in your dreams. If you don’t believe in you dreams, I can definitely tell you that they are not going to come true.” She said.

Acacia came up with the idea for the Friendship Bench after seeing kids getting bullied at school. She says she has also experienced bullying herself – kids whispering about her or picking on her because she is different. “Some people say they feel sorry for me. I tell them not to,” she said. “I don’t care that I’m different. I like being different.”

The Friendship Bench looks like a lot of other benches. It has arm sets and a place to lean on. But there are also words painted on it – words such as “hope”, “respect”, “listen” and “dream”. Acacia put the benches together with the help from her mother and brother.

Any time a kid feels he or she needs a friend, all that kid needs to do is sit on the bench. It is then up to the other kids – or grown-ups – to fill that need. “It’s a perfect idea,” Palm Bay Elementary Principal Lori said. “It’s something we’ve needed so badly.”

The Friendship Bench has been such a success at Palm Bay Elementary that other schools are now interested in installing one too. “There’s a saying in my teacher’s classroom,” Acacia said. “It says, ‘it you can dream it, you can achieve it.’”

1.What is the function of the first sentence in Paragraph One?

A. To explain the meaning of getting benched is sports.

B. To introduce the important role “bench” plays in sports.

C. To introduce what the author wants to say in the text to us.

D. To tell us that the passage is connected with the word “bench”.

2.What can be learned about Acacia from the passage?

A. She is disabled but leads an active life.

B. She has a deep understanding of life.

C. She finds it difficult to achieve her goals.

D. She finds herself always in need of help.

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Acacia has also suffered from other kids’ bullying.

B. The kids who sit on the bench feel they need friends.

C. Grown-ups are allowed to offer their help to the one in need.

D. The Friendship Bench is different from others in the arm sets.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A. More Friendship Benches will be installed in other schools soon.

B. Students stop bullying other schoolmates at Palm Bay Elementary.

C. The students at Palm Bay Elementary have become more friendly.

D. Acacia has become a very important figure at Palm Bay Elementary.

5.What is the best title of this passage?

A. Acacia’s New Invention

B. The Friendship Bench

C. Help from a Special Bench

D. Getting Benched in School