An African-American man named John Henry was the hero of former slaves and the people who built the railroads in the US in the 19th century.

John Henry was born a slave. He was known for his strength. Many people say he represents the spirit of growth in America during that period.

John Henry grew up in a world that did not let children stay children for long. Before he was six years old, he was carrying stones for workers building a nearby railroad. By the time John Henry was a young man, he was one of the best railroad workers in the country.

John Henry was asked to lead workers on a hard project, creating a tunnel through a mountain. The project required about 1,000 laborers and lasted three years. Hundreds of men became sick as a result of the hot weather and tiredness. John Henry was the strongest and fastest man. Concerned his friends might lose their jobs, he picked up their hammers and began doing their work. He worked day and night, rarely stopping to have a rest.

One day, a salesman came to the work area with a new drilling machine powered by steam. He said it could drill holes faster than twelve men working together.

John Henry looked at the machine and saw images of the future. He saw machines taking the place of America’s best laborers. He saw himself and his friends unemployed and sanding by a road, asking for food. He decided he would never let the machine take their jobs. Therefore, a competition between a man and a machine began .At first, the steam-powered drill worked twice faster. Then, John Henry started working with a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. People cheered when the machine broke down and was pulled away. But they were sad to find John Henry fall to the ground, with blood spilling all around, and still holding a hammer in one of his hands.“I beat them,”he said. Then he took his last breath.

1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A. Many children in those days starved to death.

B. Children at that time grew much faster.

C. Children in those days had to work like adults.

D. Children at that time couldn’t stay together.

2.Why did hundreds of workers become sick?

A. Because they had to work long hours.

B. Because the weather was hot and they were tired.

C. Because the project was too hard.

D. Because they didn’t have time to eat.

3.John Henry helped do his friends’ work      .

A. because he was the strongest and fastest man

B. for fear that his friends would lose their jobs

C. so that they could regain their strength

D. in order be the hero of the railroad workers

4.Which of the following best describes John Henry?

A. Kind and determined.                               B. Cautious and considerate.

C. Brave and strict.                                         D. Hardworking and stubborn.

 

I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.

What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.

What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.

Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.

Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.

1.. What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?

A．Famous people are selfish to start work for themselves.

B．Doing meaningful work requires our interest in it.

C．Interest is the best teacher in learning.

D．Honesty makes for the greatest people.

2.. When you downplay the value of your work, you tend to think it is ______.

A．quite different

B．very successful

C．not meaningful

D．less important

3..According to the passage, what meaningful job does the writer advise us to take?

A．The one which is popular in society.

B．The one which brings you profits.

C．The one which wins you fame.

D．The one which interests you.

4.. The article is intended to ________.

A．explain what is the most important in changing one’s job

B．advise taking an immediate action to find meaningful work

C．suggest we should show confidence and talent in work

D．tell us the problem that the author’s client met

 

I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.
What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.
What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.
Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.
Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.
【小题1】. What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?

A．Famous people are selfish to start work for themselves.

B．Doing meaningful work requires our interest in it.

C．Interest is the best teacher in learning.

D．Honesty makes for the greatest people.

【小题2】. When you downplay the value of your work, you tend to think it is ______.

A．quite different

B．very successful

C．not meaningful

D．less important

【小题3】.According to the passage, what meaningful job does the writer advise us to take?

A．The one which is popular in society.

B．The one which brings you profits.

C．The one which wins you fame.

D．The one which interests you.

【小题4】. The article is intended to ________.

A．explain what is the most important in changing one’s job

B．advise taking an immediate action to find meaningful work

C．suggest we should show confidence and talent in work

D．tell us the problem that the author’s client met

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。     

A

Part-time Waitress

Busy café needs honest and good-looking waitress for weekends. Must enjoy working with a team and dealing with customers. Call Li Ling at 0732-8536724 after 6 pm.

Delivery (投递) Person

Young, healthy person able to deliver heavy boxes of books. Must have a driver’s license and can carry heavy boxes. We’re looking for a person for this position. Call Liu Fang at 0732-7887766 at any time.

Nanny Wanted

Kind, hard-working nanny wanted to look after three friendly children. Must be experienced and have childcare quail fications(资格). Please call Chen Yiping at 0732-6774538 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m  

These are _______ in the newspaper.

A. notices          B. ads          C. stories          D. news

If you can get the job in the café, you must be a _______.

A. pretty young woman               B. good-looking boy

C. cool young man                   D. hard-working student

Who can do the delivery job?

A. A beautiful woman who is good at selling books.

B. A person who has been a taxi driver for more than 40 years.

C. A beautiful and hard-working girl.

D. A strong young man who can drive.

Which of the four statements is true?

A. You can call Chen Yiping in the evening.

B. If you want to call Li Ling, do it in the morning.

C. You can call Liu Fang at any time.

D. If you want to call Li Ling, you can do it in the afternoon.

What’s the Chinese for the underlined word “nanny”?

A. 奶奶             B. 阿姨             C. 保姆             D. 护士

On the day of a big event, many people came to Big Bend Mountain to watch. John Henry and the salesman stood side by side. Even early in the day, the sun was burning hot.

The competition began. John Henry kissed his hammer and started working. At first, the steam-powered drill worked two times faster than he did. Then, he started working with a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. In the mountain, the heat and dust were so thick that most men would have had trouble breathing. The crowd shouted as clouds of dust came from inside the mountain.

The salesman was afraid when he heard what sounded like the mountain breaking. However, it was only the sound of John Henry at work. Polly Ann and her son cheered when the machine was pulled from the tunnel of the mountain. It had broken down. Polly Ann urged John Henry to come out. But he kept working, faster and faster. He dug deep into the darkness, hitting the steel so hard that his body began to fail him. He became weak, and his heart burst.

John Henry fell to the ground. There was a terrible silence. Polly Ann did not move because she knew what had happened. John Henry’s blood spilled over the ground. But he still held one of the hammers. “I beat them,” he said. His wife cried out, “Don’t go, John Henry.”“Bring me a cool drink of water,”he said. Then he took his last breath.

His friends carried his body from the mountain. They buried him near the house where he was born. Crowds went there after they heard about John Henry’s death.

Soon, the steam drill and other machines replaced the steel-drivers. Many laborers left their families to look for work. They took the only jobs they could find. As they worked, some sang about John Henry.

What does the big event mentioned in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A.John Henry’s work on a machine.

B.A competition between John Henry and a salesman.

C.John Henry’s work with his hammer and the steel.

D.A competition between John Henry and a drill.

The underlined word “tunnel ”in Paragraph 3 probably means “           ”.

A.flat ground                B.big rock             C.underground passage         D.hard metal

What happened to John Henry when he fell to the ground?

A.He was tired and had to have a rest.

B.He had heart trouble and was dying.

C.He was thirsty and wanted to drink some water.

D.He was injured slightly and was bleeding.

What do we know about John Henry?

A.He won the competition finally.        B.He was buried under the mountain.

C.He loved his work very much.          D.He said nothing before his death.

What can we infer from the passage?

A.Humans can never beat machines.            B.John Henry was regarded as a hero.

C.Laborers hated machines very much.        D.It was easy for laborers to find work.