I was a publishing director and was looking forward to embracing a new day of work, as always，that morning．

I would always turn to the crossword, but that day it didn't  31  I'd been doing it for 30 odd years, but trying to read this one was like treading through syrup（糖浆）: 32  slow and hard． I thought I must be tired． I said to my assistant． The 33  colleague contacted my wife, Beth, and she drove me straight to hospital． There, confirmation came that I'd had a stroke in the part of my brain that 34 communication． I was now in a condition that means it's difficult or 35 to receive and produce language． It was the only time I 36 ．

I was back at home a week later, and my goal was to get better and  37  Work in a couple of months． The way to  38  my language ability was rough． I'd look at simple pictures and try to describe them as my mind  39  round and round in the darkness, looking for words．

As the months passed it became  40  that I wasn't going to be able to go back to my old job． For 25 years, I had  41  myself as a publisher． I was used to a busy day of meetings． I enjoyed colleagues and the 42 I'd had． I didn’t feel ready to say goodbye to my old self． There were times when I felt incredibly  43 ．

In the darkest months, I devoted myself to  44 ． I couldn't manage novels or newspapers,  45  I tried reading poetry, and found the shorter lines less overwhelming． My speech came back, and I learned how to read again, though much more slowly． I also learned the  46  to keep up． I allowed myself to slow down, and started to enjoy it．

47  , I rid of my old skin． I grieved the past, its passing and its absence, and started to 48  it． Now,  10 years  later,  I look after my grandson a day a week, and my relationship with my family is deeper than ever． If you'd asked me 15 years ago to  49  the importance of the things in my life I might have said work, but now I'm no longer a high-achieving publisher． I'm a  50         man． 

1.                A．wear off        B．make any sense   C．count up  D．pay off

 

2.                A．temporarily     B．scarcely        C．incredibly D．savagely

 

3.                A．curious         B．reserved        C．rigid D．concerned

 

4.                A．calls for        B．deals with       C．suffers from   D．responds to

 

5.                A．practical        B．absurd         C．impossible D．innocent

 

6.                A．prayed         B．cried           C．failed D．withdrew

 

7.                A．contribute to    B．agree to        C．return to  D．appeal to

 

8.                A．obtaining       B．rebuilding       C．revealing D．improving

 

9.                A．slipped         B．doubted        C．wandered D．reckoned

 

10.               A．messy          B．flexible         C．straightforward D．self-evident

 

11.               A．informed       B．estimated       C．reflected  D．defined

 

12.               A．extinction       B．reward         C．agenda    D．status

 

13.               A．angry          B．acute          C．prejudiced D．merciless

 

14.               A．speaking        B．trying          C．writing    D．managing

 

15.               A．since          B．until           C．SO   D．as

 

16.               A．favor          B．patience        C．coincidence    D．comfort

 

17.               A．Gradually       B．Hopefully       C．Narrowly D．Annually

 

18.               A．keep up with    B．come to terms with    C．get around to   D．live up to

 

19.               A．arrange        B．compare        C．rank  D．declare

 

20.               A．genius         B．community      C．dignity    D．family

 

 

Why do so many Americans distrust what they read in their newspapers? The American Society of Newspaper Editors is trying to answer this painful question. The organization is deep into a long self-analysis known as the journalism credibility project.

Sad to say, this project has turned out to be mostly low-level findings about factual errors and spelling and grammar mistakes, combined with lots of head-scratching puzzlement about what in the world those readers really want.

But the sources of distrust go way deeper. Most journalists learn to see the world through a set of standard patterns into which they plug each day's events. In other words, there is a conventional story line in the newsroom culture that provides a backbone and a ready-made narrative structure for otherwise confusing news.

There exists a social and cultural disconnect between journalists and their readers, which helps explain why the "standard patterns" of the newsroom seem alien to many readers. In a recent survey, questionnaires were sent to reporters in five middle-size cities around the country, plus one large metropolitan area. Then residents in these communities were phoned at random and asked the same questions.

Replies show that compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedes, and trade stocks, and they're less likely to go to church, do volunteer work, or put down roots in a community.

Reporters tend to be part of a broadly defined social and cultural elite, so their work tends to reflect the conventional values of this elite. The surprising distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.

This is an explosive situation for any industry, particularly a declining one. Here is a troubled business that keeps hiring employees whose attitudes vastly annoy the customers. Then it sponsors lots of symposiums and a credibility project dedicated to wondering why customers are annoyed and fleeing in large numbers. But it never seems to get around to noticing the cultural and class biases that so many former buyers are complaining about. If it did, it would open up its diversity program, now focused narrowly on race and gender, and look for reporters who differ broadly by outlook, values, education, and class.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. needs of the readers all over the world   

B. causes of the public disappointment about newspapers

C. origins of the declining newspaper industry      

D. aims of a journalism credibility project

2.The results of the journalism credibility project turned out to be______.

A. quite trustworthy                     B. somewhat contradictory

C. very instructive                      D. rather superficial(肤浅的)

3.The basic problem of journalists as pointed out by the writer lies in their _________.

A. working attitude                     B. conventional lifestyle

C. world outlook                       D. educational background

 

It’s difficult for him to        without a car.

   A. get off          B. get in            C. get on             D. get around

 

The Most Direct Solution to Any Problem
When trying to solve various problems in life, an approach I find very useful is to first identify what I’d consider the most direct solution, regardless of how I feel about actually implementing (实施) it. What is the clearest, most direct path to my goal or the most efficient way to get around an obstacle?
Many problems will have multiple direct solutions, but often these solutions will be unpleasant at first glance because they’ll require courage, self-discipline, creativity, or persistence to implement.  【小题1】 
For example, suppose you want to lose weight. And suppose we can say that one of direct solutions is to eat the same as you’re eating now and increase your exercise output by 500 calories a day.   【小题2】 It may require discipline and persistence, but most people would agree that it will work if you follow through.
Another example:   【小题3】  However, you don’t know how that person feels about you. One direct solution would be to simply walk up, explain your thoughts and feelings, and ask if she or he is interested in discussing the possibility of a closer relationship. This will take less than a minute to say, and whatever the outcome is, at least you know where you stand.   【小题4】          Anyhow it’s very simple and straightforward.
  【小题5】  What’s the simplest and quickest way to reach your goal, assuming that you had limitless courage and discipline?

A．Of course this solution may require a lot of courage toovercome the possibility of rejection.

B．But if we can get ourselves to follow through, we know the solutions will actually work.

C．See if you can identify the most direct solution to some of your problems.

D．So the best way to overcome the difficulty is to ask your friends for advice.

E. If you implement this rather simple solution, you’ll lose weight.
F. Suppose you’re interested in starting a relationship with someone.
G. However, the solution implemented does not work.

No matter who breaks the law, he cannot _______ with it.

   A. get around        B. get away         C. get down     D. get through