Like lots of small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez had to decide to cut down her company’s nine-person staff (员工) when the economic recovery began to fail last spring. Unlike other companies, she picked an unlikely employee to lay off (解雇): herself.
Her business began to have problems in 2008 after going through her books (账簿)
One day, her husband, Marcos, told her she had to reduce her payroll（薪金总额）by one person. Gonzalez said at a meeting, “I want you all to know that I have to lay somebody off and it’s been a very difficult decision. And that person is me.” Employees first froze in amazement and then burst into laughter until they realized she was serious. Gonzalez ’s employees said they were grateful for her kindness.
Her reason was simple. Although she ran the business and her employees did the legwork (跑腿), she thought she could find work more easily than her staff. Sure enough, she soon got a job as a social worker for a non-profit organization called Devereux Kids. She enjoys her social-worker job now, but the salary (薪水) cut has required some lifestyle changes. She and Marcos no longer eat out daily; they no longer pay for their son’s car and mobile phone, and they changed their car to a smaller one to save $300 a month.
Her business has picked up a bit recently and Marcos has begun to work part-time at Gonzalez’s company. Gonzalez says she has no plan to return to work at her company until the economic situation becomes better, perhaps in a year. Her employees, however, will get Christmas bonuses (奖金) this year.
小题1:How many workers are there in Gonzalez’s company at present?小题2:How did her employees feel at first when they heard Gonzalez’s decision?| A．Happy. | B．Grateful. | C．Surprised. | D．Unbelievable. |
小题3:After leaving her company, _____________. | A．Gonzalez sold her car and went to work by bus | | B．Gonzalez always had meals in a restaurant | | C．Gonzalez’s son helped her a lot | | D．Gonzalez changed her lifestyle a lot |
小题4:From the text, we can learn that ___________.| A．Gonzalez will not return to her company in future | | B．Gonzalez’s business has improved a little lately | | C．Gonzalez got her social-worker job with great difficulty | | D．Marcos lost his job and had to work at Gonzalez’s company |
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小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:B |
试题分析：文章介绍因为经济危机Gonzalez的公司需要解雇一个人，Lola Gonzalez的决定是自己离开公司，离开公司后，她的生活方式改变了，她的公司生意也有所好转。
小题1:细节题：从第一段的句子：Like lots of small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez had to decide to cut down her company’s nine-person staff (员工) when the economic recovery began to fail last spring. 可知Lola Gonzalez 现在有9个工人，选B
小题2:细节题：从第三段的句子：Employees first froze in amazement and then burst into laughter until they realized she was serious. 可知职员听到这个决定很惊讶。选C
小题3:细节题：从倒数第二段的句子：She enjoys her social-worker job now, but the salary (薪水) cut has required some lifestyle changes. She and Marcos no longer eat out daily; they no longer pay for their son’s car and mobile phone, and they changed their car to a smaller one to save $300 a month. 可知离开公司后，她的生活方式改变了，选D
小题4:细节题：从最后一段的句子;Her business has picked up a bit recently and Marcos has begun to work part-time at Gonzalez’s company. 可知最近她的公司生意有所好转。选B |
核心考点
试题【Like lots of small-business owners, Lola Gonzalez had to decide to cut down her 】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
One day, a farmer’s donkey fell into a dried up well. The animal cried 16 for hours as the farmer tried to 17 what to do. Finally, he decided that the animal was 18 , the well needed to be covered up, and 19 the donkey just wasn’t worth the 20 , so he invited his neighbors to 21 and help him bury the donkey in the well. They all held shovels (铲) and begin to shovel 22 into the well. At first, the donkey 23 what was happing and 24 cried pitifully. Then, to everyone’s 25 , he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked 26 into the well and was 27 at what he saw. 28 each shovel load of dirt that hit his back, the donkey 29 something surprising. He shook it off and took a step up! As the farmer’s neighbors 30 to shovel dirt 31 the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. The donkey stepped 32 over the edge of the well! As with the donkey, 33 is going to shovel dirt 34 you, all kinds of dirt. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, by never giving 35 .
| 小题1: | | A．happily | B．hardly | C．sadly | D．greatly |
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| 小题2: | | A．carry out | B．think out | C．leave out | D．watch out |
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| 小题3: | | A．young | B．small | C．old | D．large |
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| 小题4: | | A．rescuing | B．killing | C．selling | D．buying |
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| 小题5: | | A．money | B．effort | C．praise | D．time |
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| 小题6: | | A．come around | B．come over | C．come down | D．come to |
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| 小题7: | | A．stone | B．earth | C．dirt | D．soil |
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| 小题8: | | A．realized | B．found | C．heard | D．saw |
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| 小题9: | | A．again | B．ever | C．never | D．once |
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| 小题10: | | A．joy | B．amazement | C．disappoint ment | D．excitement |
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| 小题12: | | A．astonished | B．sorry | C．worried | D．angry |
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| 小题14: | | A．did | B．had | C．made | D．considered |
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| 小题15: | | A．began | B．stopped | C．started | D．con tinued |
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| 小题16: | | A．at the top of | B．on top of | C．at the foot of | D．in front of |
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| 小题17: | | A．luckily | B．successfully | C．hard | D．easily |
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| 小题18: | | A．life | B．world | C．time | D．work |
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Once my friend Peterson bought a pack of chicken, the brand of which was very famous at that time. But when he got home he found that the chicken had gone bad. He took the chicken back to the shop and he was paid twice of the price. We may say now he should have been satisfied but my friend would not like to stop. He decided to write a letter to Frank, president of the company, who was also the founder of the chicken brand.
About a week later he received a letter written by the president himself. In the letter he apologized to my friend for it whole –heartedly .There was also a card in the envelope ,with which my friend could get another pack of chicken in any of the shops. In the end my friend was asked to answer some questions.
1. When and where did you buy the chicken?
2. What was the real problem of the chicken?
3. What did the shop ass istant say when you took the chicken back to the shop?
4. W hat do you think is the reason for the chicken to go bad?
5. What do you suggest we should do to get away from such problems?
Two days later, my friend also received a telephone call from the president’s office, asking whether he had received the letter as well as the card and then some other questions. Since then, my friend has always bought chicken of this brand whenever he wants to.
小题1:What did the friend get when he took the bad chicken back to the shop?| A．Another pack of chicken. | | B．Two packs of chicken. | | C．Double the price. | | D．A whole-hearted apology. |
小题2:What did the author’s friend do when he came back from the shop after he was paid back?| A．He felt satisfied with the result. | | B．He wrote a letter to the President of the US. | | C．He became very angry with the shop assistant. | | D．He wrote a letter to the president of the company. |
小题3:What is the author’s friend’s attitude towards the chicken brand?| A．He still believes in it. | | B．He doesn’t believe it at all. | | C．He will never buy it again. | | D．He has never been satisfied with it. |
小题4:What can we infer from the passage?| A．The company may still be a top brand now. | | B．The president of the company is a responsible person. | | C．The company must have closed down. | | D．The author may also believe in the chicken brand. |
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阅读下面短文，从短文后各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出合适填入对应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
I had been playing hockey (冰球)for about 10 years, I was always the one sitting at the end of the bench, and 26 got into a game.I went to all the 27 and showed up even when itwas so 28 that your ‘breath froze’ and whenplayers had decided to stay home. I feltI had 29 enough and thought of quitting”
I finally decided to 30 the news to my mom that I was leaving the team. My mom may have looked like a tiny and quiet lady but on 31 my words, she said, “Remember, ‘A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.’ Your mother didn’t raise 32 , so think about yourself in a 33 way and see yourself as a winner!” So I worked harder than ever at getting in better shape, 34 my shot accuracy and changing my 35 .
Once in a match, we 36 our first game badly. What’s worse, one of our best players got hurt. I was sitting at my 37 place, at the end of the bench, when the coach came over and told me I was going 38 . I was nervous, excited and terrified all at the same time.
The opposing team was fast and I had to admit I was a little 39 . But my mom’s words 40 out in my head like a church bell. Instead of being afraid, I was “pumped” and I very quickly found that all my 41 work was paying off. I was as fast a skater as anyone else on the ice, and I seemed to get the 42 to score. The crowd went quiet. All the time I spent on the ice when everyone had gone home had 43 me for this moment.
Won! I won!
The lesson I learned from my mom’s 44 has stayed with me over the years. I hear them whenever I am faced with a challenge, or whenever I 45 myself.
| 小题1: | | A．once | B．seldom | C．usually | D．even |
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| 小题2: | | A．meetings | B．shows | C．matches | D．practices |
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| 小题3: | | A．cloudy | B．wet | C．cold | D．windy |
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| 小题4: | | A．suffered | B．explained | C．planned | D．escaped |
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| 小题5: | | A．write | B．break | C．read | D．report |
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| 小题6: | | A．noticing | B．gathering | C．hearing | D．analyzing |
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| 小题7: | | A．talkers | B．dreamers | C．attackers | D．losers |
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| 小题8: | | A．positive | B．familiar | C．brief | D．convenient |
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| 小题9: | | A．testing | B．improving | C．questioning | D．affecting |
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| 小题10: | | A．aim | B．taste | C．habit | D．attitude |
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| 小题11: | | A．lost | B．controlled | C．practiced | D．continued |
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| 小题12: | | A．usual | B．safe | C．secret | D．private |
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| 小题14: | | A．annoyed | B．awkward | C．scared | D．bitter |
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| 小题15: | | A．ran | B．gave | C．stood | D．rang |
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| 小题16: | | A．delicate | B．extra | C．creative | D．casual |
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| 小题17: | | A．chance | B．message | C．order | D．note |
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| 小题18: | | A．spared | B．requested | C．prepared | D．sent |
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| 小题19: | | A．actions | B．reasons | C．words | D．promises |
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| 小题20: | | A．judge | B．express | C．comfort | D．doubt |
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Once again, I was in a new school. So was a girl in my class named Paris. That"s where the similarities ended.
I was tall and she was small. My thick, black hair had been recently cut short. Her natural blonde hair flowed to her waist and looked great. I was awkward and shy. She wasn"t. I couldn"t stand her. I considered her my enemy. She liked me. She wanted to be friends.
One day, she invited me over and I said yes — I was too shocked to answer any other way. No one had invited me over to play. But this girl who wore the latest fashions wanted me to go home with her after school.
I got very surprised when she led me into an apartment building. She lived on the fourth floor in a two-room place with her mother, her stepfather, her two brothers and her sister.
When we got to the room she shared with her sister, she took out a big case of Barbies — which was my next surprise. I would have thought she"d outgrown them. I had never played with them. But we sat on the floor of a walk-in closet, laughing as we made up crazy stories about the Barbies. That"s when we found out that we both wanted to be writers when we were older and we both had wild imaginations.
We had a great day that afternoon. Our jaws ached from smiling so much. She showed me her wardrobe, which had mostly come from a designer clothing store down the block. The woman who owned it used her as a model sometimes for her newspaper ads and gave her clothes in exchange.
Paris had the whole neighborhood charmed. The bookstore owners lent her fashion magazines, the movie theater gave her free passes and the pizza place let her have free slices. Soon I was included in her magic world. We slept over at each other"s houses, spent every free moment together. My dark hair grew out and I learned to love being tall.
Paris, my first real friend since childhood, taught me an amazing and very surprising thing about making friends: that your worst enemy can turn out to be your best friend.
小题1:The writer and Paris were similar in that .| A．they were both new students | | B．both of them were friendly | | C．both of them were tall | | D．they were both the youngest in class |
小题2:In the article the writer described Paris as a girl who was .| A．awkward and shy | B．fashionable and proud | | C．quiet and lonely | D．friendly and lovely |
小题3:What did the writer learn from Paris?| A．How to make best use of her neighborhood. | | B．How to dress and look fashionable. | | C．How to become a good writer | | D．How to make friends. |
小题4:From the article, we can see that through her friendship with Paris, the writer .| A．found she and Paris had more similarities than differences | | B．was able to fit in at her new school with Paris’ help | | C．was not so awkward or shy as before | | D．learned more about fashion herself |
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My husband and I insisted that our children were old enough to clean their rooms and make their beds. But they thought 11 . My complaints, even self-justified（自有道理） 12 , were always landing on 13 ears. Very often a whole hour’s scolding would end up with their 14 into tears. I felt very frustrated. I realized I needed to 15 my method of “mothering”.
One day when they were at school, I spent some time tidying their rooms. On their desks, in plain 16 , I left the cards: “Dear Bill(the other card was 17 to Sarah), your room was messy this morning and I’m sure you like it clean. Love, the Room Fairy.” 18 arriving back, the children were 19 excited to receive the little note from the Room Fairy. The next day, their rooms were fairly tidy. Sure enough, there was another note from the Room Fairy 20
for them, thanking them for their nice “gift” of a clean room and 21 asking them to play a certain violin 22 . Each day, thank-you notes would be written differently to keep the ideas 23 ．
Sometimes the Room Fairy would propose a little 24 : “If you can finish your homework and go over your lessons before dinner, I’d like to watch a particular television program with you tonight.” Sometimes some colored markers or other little items would be left in 25 of well-done jobs the day 26 .
27 I can’t remember how long “the Room Fairy” continued leaving her love notes. When they were age appropriate, we used various versions of Post-Its （贴条）. The bathroom mirror became the 28 centre of our home. Appointments, notices about visiting relatives, lesson schedules, and changes in plans could be 29 .
We all benefited from and 30 the idea of sharing reminders and daily details of life through notes. I believe the true advantage of the Room Fairy notes survives in our frequent and enjoyable communication．
| 小题1: | | A．differently | B．positive | C．negative | D．same |
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| 小题2: | | A．shouting | B．crying | C．persuading | D．beating |
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| 小题3: | | A．side | B．neither | C．deaf | D．either |
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| 小题4: | | A．crying | B．bringing | C．droping | D．bursting |
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| 小题5: | | A．addict | B．adopt | C．access | D．adjust |
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| 小题6: | | A．sentence | B．words | C．speech | D．sight |
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| 小题7: | | A．sent | B．addressed | C．delivered | D．read |
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| 小题9: | | A．more than | B．rather than | C．less than | D．other than |
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| 小题10: | | A．asking | B．praying | C．waiting | D．expecting |
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| 小题11: | | A．gently | B．friendly | C．politely | D．toughly |
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| 小题12: | | A．music | B．piece | C．song | D．tone |
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| 小题13: | | A．respectable | B．uninteresting | C．incredible | D．fresh |
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| 小题14: | | A．suggestion | B．question | C．challenge | D．advice |
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| 小题15: | | A．response | B．answer | C．praise | D．honor |
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| 小题16: | | A．ahead | B．before | C．over | D．ago |
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| 小题17: | | A．though | B．Even so | C．Even if | D．Actually |
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| 小题18: | | A．memory | B．main | C．life | D．reminder |
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| 小题19: | | A．sent | B．posted | C．struck | D．hanged |
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| 小题20: | | A．appreciated | B．learned | C．shared | D．thanked |
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