It was an international drug dealing case, one that involved a lot of money and a lot of violence. Agents who had entered the organization had worn wires and collected evidence for years. A conviction(法庭判决) depended on an accurate translation of their tape recordings. “Five languages were involved, “says Liz Elting, 44, one of the owners of TransPerfect, the translation company chosen for the job. “The slightest mistake could mean the criminals would go free.”

When Elting started her business 18 years ago with Phil Shawe, both were attending New York University’s Stern School of Business. Neither realized just how many situations would require their services. TransPerfect’s 4,000 linguists(通晓外语的人) cover more than 100 languages.

Getting Ahead with Liz Elting

What inspired you to start TransPerfect?

When I was eight, my dad bought a KFC in Portugal. Unfortunately, the Portuguese didn’t want anything American. They thought my dad was a CIA spy! That taught me how fast things can change. I’ve studied in Spain and worked in Venezuela. This business is the perfect combination of my love for languages, cultures and business.

Is the staff multilingual?

Many are. I speak French and Spanish. My partner, Phil, who is American, likes to say he speaks English on a good day.

What languages are requested most often?

Spanish and Japanese. Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indic(South Asia), and Eastern Europeans are on the rise.

How difficult is it to manage such a diverse workforce（员工团队）?

Our challenge is to be culturally appropriate in every country. When we hand our year-end bonuses in the US, for example, we have to remember that in India, bonuses are given in the fall.

Any advice for someone starting a business?

Get started before you have kids. In the beginning, I didn’t know how to do this business on the side. I wasn’t married, didn’t have kids, and wasn’t concerned about balancing my work and personal life. Now, with strong managers in place, I can spend more time with my family (husband Michael Burlant and sons Zachary, nine and Jacob, seven), traveling and playing baseball.

1.What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A. To report on an international drug dealing case.

B. To encourage people to start a business before they have kids.

C. To present the importance of learning foreign languages.

D. To introduce Liz Elting and her company TransPerfect.

2.What does the underlined word “wires” mean in the passage?

A. A type of clothes costing a lot of money.

B. A piece of equipment designed to record messages.

C. Thin metal worn to protect yourself against violence.

D. A organization symbol made of thin metal.

3.Neither realized just how many situations would require their services.  is ______________.

A. a company that offers international legal services

B. one which has branches in countries all over the world

C. one whose staff all have to speak several languages.

D. a company whose services are in great demand.

4.It can be inferred that _______________.

A. Liz learned that love is the answer to problems of cultural misunderstanding

B. Liz started her company with a schoolmate at the age of 18.

C. The success is simply a little beyond Liz and her partner’s expectations

D. Liz and Phil are now strong managers with rich experience.

Knowing about yourself not only means finding out what you’re good at and what you like，but also means discovering what you’re not good at and what you don’t like．Both help you to see your aim in life．
Although most students would be unhappy if they failed a very difficult physics examination，they have in fact learned a lot about themselves．They know that they should not become engineers or physical scientists．So failing can help a student to live a happier life if he  learns something from it．They may then decide on their aims and choose the work they like and are fit for．
It is impossible to decide whether you like something until you have tried it．If you decide to play the piano，you need to take more than one lesson before knowing whether you are really interested in it or able to do well．It is not enough if you want to be a great pianist．You also have to like the hard practice and long training．If you enjoy being a great pianist but hate the work，forget it．
It’s a good plan to try as many ideas as possible when you are young．Then you will find out what your true interests are．
【小题1】If you say you really know yourself，        ．

A．you know what you don’t like

B．you know what you are good at

C．you have no interest in your work

D．you’ve got the whole picture of yourself

A．Failure is a better mirror

B．Success is more helpful

C．No one is fit for the job of a physical scientist

D．Physics can help students live a better life

E
Teachers have long said that success is its own reward. But these days, some students are finding that good grades can bring them cash and luxury gifts.
In at least a dozen states this school year, students who bring home top marks can expect more than just thankfulness.
The most ambitious experiment began in September, when seven states—Arkansas, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington—won spots in an Mobil?funded program that, in most cases, pays students $100 for each passing grade on advanced placement(AP) college?prep exams.
It’s an effort to get low?income and minority students interested in the courses, says Tommie Sue Anthony, president of the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science. “We still have students who are not sure of the value, who are not willing to take the courses.” she says, “Probably the motivation will make a difference with those students.”
Gregg Fleisher of the National Math and Science Initiative, which runs the seven?state program, says the effort is modeled on a program adopted by Dallas in the 1995-1996 school year that saw AP course?taking jump obviously. That program is now statewide.
While many educators would be against offering kids cash for good grades, Fleisher and others say the idea is simple. “It’s an encouragement to get them to basically make the right decision and choose a more strict class.” he says, “This teaches them that if they work at something very hard and have a lot of support, they can do something they didn’t think they could do.”
An analysis of the Texas program last month by Cornell economist C.Kirabo Jackson found that it linked to a 30% rise in the number of students with high SAT and ACT scores and an 8% rise in college?going students.
(Notes:1.SAT:美国学术能力评估考试; 2.ACT:美国大学入学考试。)
51.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.Success is its own reward.           B.Success makes a difference.
C.Good grades deserves gratitude.      D.A new motivation for students.
52.What’s the purpose of the experiment?
A.To get relatively poor students interested in their studies.
B.To help poor students to keep on with education.
C.To offer poor students luxury gifts on their birthdays.
D.To make an effort to raise the value of money.
53.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Students who top at college?prep exams get $100.
B.The program was probably first adopted by Dallas.
C.The program has been going on half a dozen states this year.
D.The program didn’t have any effect on student’s achievements.
54.What is the writer’s attitude toward offering kids cash for good grades?
A.Favorable.     B.Worried.        C.Opposed.          D.Confident.
55.According to the passage, the program_______.
A.makes everything possible            B.encourages students to study harder
C.helps students choose right classes     D.teaches students to spend money

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, impolite waiter，rude boss，or an insensitive employee      your day?

   One day I was in a taxi and we headed       the airport. We were driving in the     lane when suddenly a black car drove out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his      ，slide sideways，and at the very last moment our car stopped and     the other car by just inches！The driver of the other car looked around and started       at us.

   My taxi driver just      and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really      . So I asked，"Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！”   

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of      , full of frustration，full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage       up，they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on     ．Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave，wish them well，and move on.

   Believe me. You’ll be      ．Don’t take their garbage and      it to other people at work，at home，or on the streets. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with      ．The mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s     in your life. Roy Baumeister，a psychology researcher from Florida State University，found in his extensive research that you      bad things more often than good things in your life. You store the bad memories more easily, and you      them more frequently.

    So…Love the people who treat you right. Ignore the ones who don’t. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you       it！

    When you follow “The Law of the Garbage Truck”，you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by      go of the bad. Have a Garbage-Free Day！Have a marvelous，garbage-free day！The seeds you plant today       the harvest you reap tomorrow.

1.A. enrich                    B. ruin                         C. spare                        D. obtain

2.A. through              B. to                        C. in                           D. for

3.A. latter                B. right                               C. opposite                  D. free

4.A. brakes                 B. door                     C. window           D. seat

5.A. knocked             B. overtook                C. missed                  D. lost

6.A. laughing               B. throwing                C. glancing                  D. yelling

7.A. wondered              B. smiled                    C. ignored                 D. guessed

8.A. friendly                   B. angry                    C. tired                     D. disappointed

9.A. expectation              B. passengers                  C. garbage                 D. goods

10.A. turns             B. pushes           C. holds                     D. piles

11.A. roads              B. children                    C. you                      D. dustbin

12.A. upset                       B. happier           C. pitiful                    D. frightened

13.A. spread             B. share             C. explain                  D. contribute

14.A. surprise              B. pleasure                     C. doubt                    D. regrets

15.A. funny                B. important          C. strange             D. embarrassing

16.A. remember          B. forget             C. value                D. appreciate

17.A. enjoy               B. exchange                C. recall                       D.imagine

18.A. inspire                 B. take                      C. mend                   D. notice

19.A. letting                   B. consisting       C. making                   D. dreaming

20.A. distinguish              B. deserve                  C. deliver            D. determine

If I have to choose three critical factors in achieving success in my career, these would be my choices—belief, action and discipline.

Belief

       In order to achieve success in your career, you have to first believe. You need to believe that you can achieve it. You need to have faith in your goals and your path to success. Once your mind is convinced that you can do it, everything is possible. Belief is the “mind and heart” part of the three critical success factors.

Action

       Nothing moves until you do something. Believing alone is not going to achieve anything. It must be followed up with concrete action. Your plan for career success is nothing unless you act upon it wholeheartedly. When you act upon what you believe, there is focus. And there is energy. That energy propels (drive forward) you to greater heights. Action is the “hands and legs” part of the three critical success factors.

Discipline（自制力）

       Action in itself is not enough to increase the chances of success. But disciplined action would do that. One of the main reasons why people fail is that there is no discipline in their action. They give themselves excuses when they cannot consistently go ahead with their plans. You need some form of sacrifice（牺牲）if you want to achieve success in your career. That sacrifice takes discipline. Discipline also ensures that you can be persistent（坚持的）, especially when you’re faced with challenges after challenges in your journey to success. Discipline is the “untiring, determined hands and legs” part of the three critical success factors.

       When what you think, feel and do become one, there is nothing that can stop you from achieving career success