第十四讲 妙用常识及排除法
(1)(8 min.)
John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss __1__ Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary __2__. John could not take it anymore, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value __3__ staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, “Thank you for your __4__， but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your decision and __5__ your resignation.”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and
find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man __6__ watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg. John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to __7__ the boss $1.2 per kg.
The boss told John to wait a __8__ and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, “Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory (清单) of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, bought from the South two days ago, they are __9__ and red, good quality.”
John was very __10__ and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
Chances exist in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and __11__ so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. Then, the __12__ between a year and a day is 365 times!
1. A. appointedB. brought
C. made
D. chose
2. A. scholar
B. messenger
C. employee
D. manager
3. A. talented
B. clever
C. acute
D. hardworking
4. A. praise
B. criticism
C. respect
D. apology
5. A. take up
B. take back
C. take in
D. take over
6. A. selling
B. sailing
C. exporting
D. sponsoring
7. A. bother
B. equip
C. inform
D. notice
8. A. day
B. month
C. fortnight
D. second
9. A. delicious
B. fresh
C. tasty
D. fortunate
10. A. impressed
B. content
C. surprised
D. faithful
11. A. wider
B. less
C. deeper
D. farther
12. A. chance
B. assessment
C. difference
D. recognition
(2)(8 min.)
No matter where in the world the U．S. President travels, if he travels by air, he flies on a plane called Air Force One. It is a wellknown __1__ of the United States, particularly the U．S. presidency.
Air Force One, sometimes __2__ as “the flying White House”， isn't technically a plane. It's the radio call name for any U．S. Air Force plane __3__ the President of the United States. In practice, however, Air Force One is used to refer to one of two __4__ customized Boeing 747200B series aircraft. Capable of refueling in midair, Air Force One has __5__ range and can carry the President wherever he needs to travel.
Inside, the President and his travel companions __6__ 4,000 square feet of floor space on three levels, including the President's onboard living __7__， with his own bedroom, bathroom, workout room and office space.
Because Air Force One carries the President and because some trips can be quite long, the plane has a number of special __8__， many of which are found on no commercial jetliner.
The plane has a lot of technology in its onboard medical __9__. The medical room has an extensive pharmacy, loads of emergency room equipment and __10__ an operating table. The plane also has a staff doctor, who travels with the President wherever he goes.
The onboard electronics are __11__ to protect against electromagnetic pulse attacks, and Air Force One is equipped with advanced secure communications __12__， allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States.
1. A. symbol
B. signal
C. session
D. sense
2. A. applied to
B. turned to
C. referred to
D. pointed to
3. A. fetching
B. carrying
C. searching
D. removing
4. A. lowly
B. commonly
C. naturally
D. highly
5. A. unlimited
B. unexpected
C. unmanned
D. unadjusted
6. A. survive
B. escape
C. enjoy
D. experience
7. A. standards
B. quarters
C. habits
D. costs
8. A. meanings
B. services
C. choices
D. features
9. A. ward
B. experts
C. facility
D. association
10. A. just
B. only
C. still
D. even
11. A. shut
B. strengthened
C. opened
D. cleaned
12. A. approach
B. technology
C. condition
D. equipment
(3)(8 min.)
I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal(麦片粥), eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a(n) __1__. As you can guess, my supper was __2__ from the other kids'. But at least I was not alone in my __3__. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were __4__. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear __5__ clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We __6__ the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9：00 each night and __7__ at 7：45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the __8__ to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night
__9__ mean things to do to us. Through the years, our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would __10__ be content with black marks. None of us was __11__ the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I'm now trying to __12__ my three children. I'm filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.
1. A. egg
B. Pepsi cola
C. candy
D. sandwich
2. A. different
B. more
C. richer
D. less
3. A. happiness
B. family
C. suffering
D. life
4. A. at times
B. at all times
C. in no time
D. some times
5. A. clean
B. dirty
C. graceful
D. old
6. A. cleared
B. measured
C. held
D. reached
7. A. down
B. up
C. off
D. out
8. A. power
B. freedom
C. courage
D. privilege
9. A. thinking for
B. thinking back to
C. thinking up
D. thinking much of
10. A. merely
B. hardly
C. never
D. completely
11. A. refused
B. promised
C. awarded
D. allowed
12. A. bring in
B. bring up
C. feed up
D. play with