A TAXI driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Inspiring speakers charge thousands of dollars to give his kind of training to corporate directors and staff.  It cost me only a ＄12 taxi ride.

I had flown into Dallas just for the purpose of calling on a client. Time was important and my plan included a quick turn – around trip from and back to the airport. A clean taxi pulled up.

The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As be got in the driver’s seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy.

Well! I looked around for a “Candid Camera!” Wouldn’t you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, “Obviously you take great pride in you work. You must have a story to tell.”

“You bet,” he replied, “I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my right position in life, somewhere I could feel proud of being the best I could be.

I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day’s work and done it well. I evaluated my personal property and, I became a taxi driver!

One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I jus have to meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXEED the customer’s expectations! I like the sound of being ‘great’ better than just being ‘average’. ”

Did I tip him big time? You bet!

 The taxi driver taught me a great life lesson: Go an extra mile when providing any service to others. And there is no good or bad job you can make any job good.

What lesson did the author learn from the taxi driver?

    A．How to make the best use of time.

    B．How to do better in the service business.

    C．How to turn an interest into your career.

    D．How to become a motivational speaker.

Why did the author look around for a “Candid Camera”?

    A．Because he was afraid he would be photographed in the cab.

    B．Because he was worried what the driver could be up to.

    C．Because he was amazed by the way the driver was treating him.

    D．Because he wasn’t interested in the tapes offered by the driver

It can be inferred from the story that          .

    A．the taxi driver couldn’t accept just being average

    B．the author was anxious to get back to meet a client

    C．when the author waited for a taxi at the airport, he was not in a rush

    D．the taxi driver loved to play his favorite music during rides

According to the story, the taxi driver        .

    A．was dissatisfied wit his present job

    B．was once often rewarded for being a model worker

    C．enjoyed offering his customers more than they expected

    D．was forced to become a taxi driver to support his family

A friend and I were standing in line at the grocery store the other day, and I was telling her how lazy my children were．I had come in from work that morning, and like most times, my house was wrecked.

  “I believe children nowadays are just out for what they can get．They can never help keep our house clean.” I said, feeling unhappy.

“Do you know how happy you are?” a woman behind us asked．“I would love to go home and find my house a mess．I wouldn’t mind my floor being dirty．Nor would I mind the dirty clothes being piled high．I wouldn’t even mind anyone talking about my dirty home．I would love it．I would love to kick my way through the house just to get to my kids and be able to hug them, kiss them and tell them how much I love them．You see, my two children were killed in an accident． My house stays clean; my clothes stay put up; the dishes are done.”

“There are no fingerprints on my walls．There are no sounds of arguing, either．So you see, you are very lucky．I would give anything to be going through what you are now! How I’d love to be able to hold my kids, wipe away their tears and share their dreams! I wouldn’t care how my house looked．I would be happy just to have them.”

Now if you come into my house and see a big mess, you can think bad thoughts if you want, but I feel greatly blessed.(268 words)

The writer was complaining about her children to her friend because they ____.

       A．would go out without permission   B．couldn’t keep the house clean

       C．made her look dirty and bad   D．were too lazy to hug or kiss her

My house was wrecked in the first paragraph means my house _____.

       A．was very dirty                     B．was broken into

       C．needed to be painted       D．looked beautiful

What is the main idea of the passage?

       A．Children shouldn’t be left home alone.

       B．A mother lost her children in an accident.

       C．People should be thankful for what life gives.

       D．A mother complained about the mess at her house.

Have you ever wished that you could make your little sister’s teddy bear talk to her? Or have you ever wanted to bring a puppet (木偶) to life? If so, you may be interested in learning the art of ventriloquism (腹语术). A ventriloquist can make an ordinary object seem to be alive by giving it a personality, movement, and speech.
Your object can be a puppet, or a doll. Give your new “friend” a name, and then decide on the personality that he will have. The next step is to give your friend movements that agree with the personality you have chosen.
Now you can learn to make your “friend” talk. A ventriloquist will control his mouth and lips so that it will appear that his voice is coming from the object he is using. This will take practice, but you can do it.
First, decide on a voice that is different from your own. It could be higher or lower than yours, or could even have a special accent. Then, find a clean teaspoon and hold the handle between your front teeth. Now, using the voice you created for your friend and holding the handle of the teaspoon tightly between your teeth, look into a mirror and talk. Practicing with the spoon in your mouth will help you learn to keep your mouth from moving. Now try telling a joke in your normal voice and have your friend speak in his voice. Practice those words until you can say them without your lips moving at all.
Ventriloquism is fun. It also requires hard work to become good at it. The most important thing to do is practice. But if you are willing to take the time to give your friend an interesting personality, to practice lively movements, and to work on good mouth control, then you will be well on your way to becoming a ventriloquist!
【小题1】According to the text, a ventriloquist           .

B
Will you get a good job？ What will you do？ Many new graduates feel lost when they consider the endless list of career choices. They’ve invested a lot of money for their diploma（文凭）and now an important question stares them in the fact.
I’ve seen so many now graduates who do not know how to use the degree they have just earned. An example was Dave，who loved sports and had played baseball throughout his college years. He had his heart set on working for Nike. But he had never made clear in his own mind what kind of job he could do for Nike，so nothing ever happened. Another example was Allison，who was a history major. She wanted to work as an event planner，but unfortunately，no one hired her. Why？ No experience.
Failing to do some solid career exploration first，to get a clear idea of the types of jobs you can do，is a big error that many college students make. After our suggestion，Dave and Allison both found their jobs. To ensure a brighter future，follow these effective strategies：
—Make educated career choices. Identify the job you want. Conduct research. Ask parents to advise you on actual job duties. Consider what your natural talents are，and look for positions where you can use them.
—Don’t rely on the Internet. Networking is an effective tool—be sure it’s a job—hunting strategy you use. New studies from the Department of Labor state that only 4％ of job-seekers found their job on the Internet. The fact is that 63％ of all jobs are filled by contacts.
Employers are making quick decisions. Most people lose the job in the first minute of the interview. It’s deadly to let the employers focus quickly on how well you can perform the job.
—Practice your interviewing skills. Be ready for the tough questions by first writing out good answers to possible questions and having a role-playing interview with your friend.
60．What does the author seem to be most probable？
A．A job-hunter. 　　　　　　　B．A magazine editor.
C．A website owner. 　　　　　 D．A job-seeking adviser.
61．In order to be well prepared for the interview, you’d better ____________.
A．surf the Internet for contacts
B．get along well with your workmates
C．practice the interview for several times
D．take care of your dress
62．According to the text it is suggested that Dave should ____________.
A．let others know what he can do for them
B．study further to get a higher degree
C．give up his interest in playing basketball
D．take part-time jobs first
63．For Allison, she should ____________.
A．find a job in another field
B．find some work to gain work experience
C．not tell the employer her major
D．offer more personal information

B
A mosquito is an insect that is found all over the world．There are thousands of different kinds of mosquitoes in many different sizes and colors．The female mosquito needs blood from vertebrates （脊椎动物）to lay eggs and produce more mosquitoes．She has a special part of her mouth that she uses to suck blood，and her saliva（spit）thins the blood so she can drink it．In fact．It’s the mosquito’s saliva that makes the bites itch（痒）!
A person who gets bitten by a mosquito will notice a wheal，which is a bump around the bite．
The wheal will be round，with pink or red around the edge and white in the middle．The wheal will
itch a lot．Soon the wheal will disappear, but the itch will stay．
If you’ve been bitten by a mosquito，wash the bite with soap and water．Put on some calamine lotion to help stop the itching，or an adult can find an anti-itch cream at the drugstore for you．Placing an ice pack on the bite may also help．Tell an adult you’ve been bitten by a mosquito，especially if you live in the eastern United States．But if you develop an allergic reaction and feel dizzy or sick，tell a doctor immediately．He can treat allergic reactions with sole medicine．
The best way to avoid mosquito bites is to wear an insect repellent．Repellents that include one of these ingredients are best：BEET and lemon eucalyptus．Ask a parent to help you apply them．
Since mosquitoes lay their eggs in water，it’s also a good idea to empty out buckets，flower pots，toys and other things in your yard that may have collected water during a rainstorm．And when it’s possible，you’d better wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to keep mosquitoes away from your skin．
60．What makes you itch after the mosquitoes’bites?
A．A bump around the bite．          B．The mosquito’s saliva．
C．Some calamine lotion．             D．An antic-itch cream．
61．The underlined word“wheal”（Paragraph 2）is closest in meaning to________．
A．a small mouth that can prevent an insect
B．a small mark after an insect bite that usually itches
C．an illness after an insect bite that always spreads nearby   
D．an illness from mosquitoes’ bites and other pollution diseases
62．Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A．There are thousands of mosquitoes in the same sizes and colors．
B．The wheal will never disappear forever but the itch will disappear soon．
C．Ask a doctor for some medicine if you develop an allergic reaction for the bite．
D．Ask a parent for an insect repellent if you see mosquitoes laying their eggs in water．