Is this book worth ______ a second time?

       A. to read                           B. being read                 C. to be read                 D. reading

This is a very good book. It is worth _______ a second time.

A. to read B. to be read C. reading D. being reading

I am one of those people who are terrible at saying no. I take on too many projects at once, and spend too much of my time doing things I’d rather not be doing. I get work done, but it’s not always the best I can do, or the best way I could spend my time.

That’s why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter.

Being a quitter isn’t being someone who gives up, who doesn’t see important things through to the end. I desire to be the opposite of that. The quitter I want to be is someone who gets out when there’s no value in what he’s doing, or when that value comes at the expense of something more important.

A friend of mine once told me, “I knew I was an adult when I could stop reading a book, even after getting 500 pages into it.” Strange though it sounds, we all tend to do this. We get involved in something, realize we don’t want to be a part of it, but keep on going. We say “Well, I’ve already invested (投入) so much time in this. I might as well stick it out.”

I propose the opposite: quit as often as possible, regardless of project status or time invested. If you’re reading a book, and don’t like it, stop reading. Cut your losses, realize that the smartest thing to do is to stop before your losses grow even more, and quit. Instead of reading an entire book you hate, read half of a bad one and half of a good one. Isn’t that a better use of your time?

Step back for a second. Let’s learn how to say “no” at the beginning, or in the middle, and free up more of our time to do the things we’d like to be doing, and the things actually worth doing. Saying no is hard, and admitting a mistaken yes is even harder. If we do both, we’ll start to make sure that we’re spending our time creating value, rather than increasing our losses. Let’s be quitters together.

60. The author wants to be a quitter, because he ______.

A. hopes to improve his personality.

B. wishes to have more time for relaxation

C. has found it hard to do several things at one time.

D. expects to make more efficient use of his time.

61. In what circumstances does the author suggest quitting is a good idea?

A. When you feel tired and need a rest.

B. When you know a task cannot be finished.

C. When you realize what you are doing is not worth the time.

D. When you meet with difficulties along the way in your life.

62. If you stop reading a book you hate, the author might think that ______.

A. it’s pity that you have wasted so much time.

B. you are wise to cut your losses.

C. you should finish a book that you have started.

D. you should regret choosing the wrong book.

63. The message the author tries to convey is to _______.

A. create more value                    B. live your life to the fullest

C. learn to say no                       D. stop doing many things at once.

                         Several years ago, I read a book Your Money or Your Life, written by Joe Domingguez and Vicki Robin. The major theme of the book is the idea that if you want to cut your spending, you’ll have to begin by stopping trying to impress other people.

     The authors divide people into two groups : people whose opinions you care about, and people whose opinions you don’t care about one way or another. It’s easy to stop caring about people whose opinions you don’t care about. Who cares what they think ? As long as you’re not doing something truly immoral —— something that might potentially create a negative reputation for you —— it doesn’t matter what they think.

     But shouldn’t you impress other people whose opinions you do care about ? Anyway, they are people you want to meet : customers, friends and family.

     The answer is that you don’t need to impress those people with expensive, shiny things. The relationship you’ve built with them —— or you’re going to build with them —— is based on you, not on the material items. They’ll either like you for you or they won’t.

    To put it simply, take care of the basics. Keep yourself clean. Keep your weight under control. Wear reasonable clothing. Work on your communication skills. If you have them covered, you don’t need to invest time and money in impressing other people.

     Coming to this realization is incredibly valuable. It drops your clothing budget. It drops your automobile budget. It drops your electronics budget. It drops your housing budget. You don’t need a shiny car, an iPhone, or a ＄50 haircut.

     Yes , you may actually still want one or two of these things, but the impetus(动力) comes from what your personal values are, not what other people around you seem to value or what marketing messages you receive.

     For some people, it seems impossible. Their social cues come from advertising-laden media and from friends who also get their cues from advertising-laden media.They believe they need a slick cellphone and ＄100 casual clothes. Their self-worth revolves around that little burst they get from impressing others.

      People should learn to break through that situation. In short, don’t play socially by the tiring old rules that revolve around needing to impress people. Instead, spend your time on things that bring real value to you and give real value to others.

46. Which of the following behaviours is “immoral”according to the second paragraph ?

   A.  Caring about other people’s opinion.

   B.  Dropping your clothing budget.

   C.  Copying existing works.

   D.  Obeying the traffic rule.

47. To build relationship with others, you should pay attention to the following EXEPT _______.

   A.  dressing casually

   B.  learning about weight control

   C.  improving communication skills

   D.  being a tidy person

48. As for people we care about, what does the author advise us to do ?

   A.  To impress them in a proper way.

   B.  To buy them special gifts.

   C.  To spare more time to be with them.

   D.  To impress them with shiny things.

49. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?

   A.  An iPhone is totally unnecessary in our life.

   B.  Your family members’ opinions are always worth caring about.

   C.  Learning how to impress others helps people save money.

   D.  You should always be aware of what other people around you seem to value.

50. What is the best title for the passage ?

   A.  Whose opinions do you care about ?

   B.  Two different groups of people.

   C.  My favorite book : Your Money or Your Life

   D.  Stop trying to impress other people.