Cameron thought of himself as merely organized. He certainly did not consider that he took great pains over anything, he did just enough to get it right. Exactly right, of course, for as he was fond of telling his staff, "if it's not exactly right, it's wrong". Occasionally a worker might be sad on hearing these words, because it meant another hour or so of going over the same bit of work, correcting the mistakes which Cameron had patiently pointed out. And doing the corrections exactly right of course.

Strangely enough, his department had the reputation for performing the highest quality work in the company, and it was seen, and not only by those who worked in the department, as a sort of elite (出类拔萃) unit. Those programmes that had to work first time, straight out of the box, Cameron's men got those. "It's mission (任务) critical—give it to Cameron" was almost a catch-phrase with his team.

It helped that Cameron was not merely particular about things. He wanted things done just so, not because of a personal taste, but because he had discovered through patient experimentation that this was the best way for it to be done.

In Cameron's dictionary, "Take as long as you want" meant that you could work on your task not just in office hours, but that evening, and late into the early hours of the following morning if you so desired. But the project had to be in by its completion date, and yes, done exactly right. Or you did it again.

But he would always be regarded, and not least by himself, as someone who had failed to meet requirements, one of those who just couldn't cut it. You had to face it, if you were not working for Cameron, you were second best. So when word got out that Cameron had messed up, big time, the news was greeted with a mixture of sympathy, and entire relief that this perfection too was human.

1.Cameron was a___________.

A．software programmer                    B．a chief scientist

C．quality controller                       D．head of department

2."Mission-critical" work was given to Cameron because___________.

A．Cameron's work was error-free             B．Cameron was critical

C．he didn't mind working late                D．he had a good team

3.Working for Cameron, people felt that___________.

A．they were part of an elite

B．their mission was critical

C．Cameron was very particular about things

D．Cameron was patient and responsible

4.According to the underlined part in Paragraph 5, what is meant by someone “who couldn't cut it” ?

A．He didn’t cut corners.                  B．He wasn't good enough.

C．He had the wrong measurements.           D．He was a perfection.

5.What can we learn about Cameron?

A．He never got things wrong.

B．He didn’t allow for any mistake.

C．He encouraged work to be done in office hours.

D．He was often misunderstood.

6.The attitude of the author towards Cameron is that of being___________.

A．positive                               B．sympathetic

C．non-subjective                         D．optimistic

 

Famous centenarians (百岁老人) still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others."

   Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.

   Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.

   Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder (胆囊) operation he composed a samba tune (桑巴舞曲) in the clinic.

   Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?" Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".

   Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.

   With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers.

1.From the first two paragraphs, we can see ______.

A. being active at 102 is achievable for everybody

B. Oliveira owes his long life to his mother’s help

C. being fit in old age is a matter of luck and character

D. social skills and wisdom are difficult for the senior

2.How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage?

A. 4                     B. 5                     C. 6                   D. 7

3.By saying "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?” in Paragraph 5, Heesters shows us he ________.

A. wants to sit or lie in comfort

B. is waiting for people to pick him up

C. is willing to work till he dies

D. prefers to give performance at home

4.In the passage so many examples were given to show ________.

A. old age is a big problem if you want to succeed

B. as a senior citizen, you have to be open-minded and optimistic

C. old people should never think of themselves as old

D. old age cannot prevent a great person from achieving a lot

5.In the writer’s opinion, the architect Oscar Niemeyer is not ________.

A. intelligent          B. pessimistic                    C. positive                       D. Diligent

 

33 Chilean miners were trapped nearly a half-mile underground after the mine accident. They had no real hope that they’d ever be found. Luckily, though, the men had Luis Urzua. They were rescued to safety on October 13, 2010.Urzua, 54, was the shift leader at the time of the disaster, and used all his wisdoms and his leadership talents to help his men stay calm and in control for the 17 terrible days it took for rescuers to make their first contact with them.

It was no surprise that Urzua was the last of the 33 miners to leave the mine.

Urzua --- after shaking hands with rescue workers ---- climbed into a capsule barely wider than a man’s shoulders at 9:46 and was hauled up (拖上来) from a narrow hole drilled through 2,000 feet of rock. He arrived at the top 11 minutes later.

“We have done what the entire world was waiting for,” he told Chilean President Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue. “The 69 days that we fought so hard were not in vain.” Pinera greeted Urzua, saying “You have been rescued, coming out last like a good leader… You have no idea how all Chileans share with

you your hardships, your hope, and your joy. You are an inspiration.” With Urzua by his side, the president led the crowd in singing the national anthem.Robinson Marquez once worked with Urzua in a nearby mine. He described Urzua as a calm, professional person and a born leader. “He is very protective of his men and obviously loves them. He wouldn’t have left until all of his men were safely above ground,” Marquez said.

Under Urzua’s leadership, the men stretched an emergency food supply meant to last just 48 hours over two and a half weeks, taking tiny sips of milk and bites of fish every other day.He described the difficulties of the first days, saying that it took about three hours for the dust to settle before the men could inspect where tons of collapsed rock sealed off (堵住) the main way out. When the rescuers first made contact by drilling a narrow hole into their refuge (避难处), the miners were so excited that everyone wanted to hug the drill hammer.After the collapse, Urzua was the first to speak to Pinera and to urge him not to let him and his men down. “Don’t leave us alone,” he asked the president, who assured the workers that they would not be abandoned, telling them he would do everything he could to get them back to the surface.

1.The mine collapsed on ____.

A．March 2

B．June 3

C．August 5

D．October 13

2.Which word can’t be used to describe Urzua?

A．Selfish

B．Calm

C．Optimistic

D．Talented

3.What do you know about the capsule?

A．It is very spacious.	B．It is very narrow.
C．It is made by Urzua.	D．It is used in space.

4.The emergency food supply was designed to last ____.

A．over two and a half weeks	B．five days
C．one week	D．two days

 

When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad’s office.

“What are you doing at home?” I asked casually.

“Andrew, I was    31    today,” he answered quietly.

I was sure he was joking. “No, you weren’t. Why are you    32    at home?”

Then I noticed his    33    and realized he was telling me the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career.    34    our family has been his joy, and I guess I have    35    his work for granted.

My father’s unemployment    36    many changes in our lives. For starters, he was at home all the time, which meant my bed had to be    37   , my room cleaned up, and my     38     done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer     39     jobs. I began to notice how    40    he seemed, and how losing his job affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be    41   . For the first time, I    42    my dad as vulnerable (易受伤的). He asked my brother and me to    43    less. I gave up my pocket money,    44    it wasn’t much. I felt I was doing the right. I also found a part-time job.

After several difficult months of searching, my dad    45    to go in a totally different direction. He    46    that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him    47    it, and I admired how much time and     48     he expended. I    49    knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really affected me.

Although this was one of the    50    experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity (逆境), and will be my foundations for success.

	A. taken off	B. put off	C. laid off	D. called off
	A. eventually	B. really	C. frequently	D. especially
	A. happiness	B. kindness	C. loneliness	D. seriousness
	A. Supporting	B. Abusing	C. Offering	D. Shooting
	A. regarded	B. taken	C. viewed	D. looked
	A. came out	B. brought about	C. gave off	D. let out
	A. made	B. sold	C. banned	D. applied
	A. job	B. homework	C. fun	D. time
	A. falling into	B. putting up	C. keeping on	D. searching for
	A. down	B. flexible	C. concrete	D. honest
	A. disappointed	B. optimistic	C. anxious	D. appropriate
	A. considered	B. remembered	C. rejected	D. predicted
	A. earn	B. enjoy	C. spend	D. find
	A. even so	B. if only	C. even though	D. as if
	A. hoped	B. decided	C. dreamed	D. expected
	A. advised	B. informed	C. explained	D. insisted
	A. form	B. open	C. set	D. build
	A. strength	B. power	C. force	D. energy
	A. never	B. seldom	C. always	D. hardly
	A. worst	B. best	C. most	D. least

In my profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS．The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life．They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages． Let me tell you about Tyler．

Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected．From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive．When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest．This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back．Medications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream．At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing．

This dreaded（可怕的） disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler．He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV - infected mother．When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death．She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven．

A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, " I might die soon．I’m not scared．When I die, please dress me in red．Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too．I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me．"

his HIV - infected mother．When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death．She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven．

A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, " I might die soon．I’m not scared．When I die, please dress me in red．Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too．I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me．"

What is the boy Tyler's attitude towards death?

A．pessimistic（悲观的）．  B．optimistic．     C．sorrowful．     D．fearful．

Tyler requested the writer to dress him in red when he died simply because___________．

A．red is a lucky color               B．red might help to cure him

C．his mom could spot him easily      D．he could find more mates by wearing red

Which of the following might serve as a possible title for this passage?

A．My unusual profession． B．A caring mother．

C．Mother and son．           D．Dying in red．

The underlined word dynamo in the fourth paragraph here means_______．

A．a promising and helpful youth          

B．an extremely energetic person

C．a rare and beautiful flower             

D．a magic and understanding superstar