For most people, graduation is an exciting day – the culmination (顶点) of years of hard work. My graduation day... was not.

I remember that weekend two years ago, Family and friends had traveled far to watch our class walk across the stage. But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy go from bad to worse during my senior year. We graduates had degrees, but very limited prospects (前景). I hadn’t secured a job, and I knew that the next day, when my lease (租约) ended, I would no longer have a place to call home.

The weeks ahead weren’t easy. I gathered up everything I couldn’t carry and put it into storage. Then, because I had no opportunities in my small university town, I packed up my car and drove to California to find work. But what I thought would take a week dragged into two, then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself still jobless. The due date to begin paying back my student loans was creeping even closer.

Have you ever felt utter dread? That feeling became a constant in my life. The most frustrating part was no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t seem to make any progress.

So what did I do to maintain my sanity? I wrote. Something about putting my words on a page made everything clearer. Something about writing gave me hope.

I channeled my frustration into a children’s book. Beyond the river was the story of an unlikely hero, a little fish who refused to give up.

And then one day, with no writing degree or contacts in the writing world – just hard work and perseverance – I was offered a publishing contract for my first book. After that, things were in place, I was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with the Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.

The moral of this story is… don’t give up, even if things look bleak now.  Two years ago I was drinking cold soup right out the can. Things change. All we need is the courage to push beyond the river.

1.When it was time to graduate, the author felt _____.

A．Bored            B．Relieved          C．depressed         D．hopeful

2.After the author’s graduation, _____.

A．he went on a short trip with his family to California

B．things turned even worse than he had expected

C．he focused on writing instead of applying for jobs

D．he found his salary was hardly enough to pay back his student loans

3.When did the author’s career life begin to run smoothly according to the article?

A．After he got his first publishing contract.

B．After he began to write his book Beyond the river.

C．After he finished his book Beyond the river.

D．After he got hired by the Walt Disney Company.

4.What is the main message the story intends to convey?

A．Opportunity lies everywhere.

B．Perseverance is essential to success.

C．It’s important to adapt yourself to society.

D．We should devote ourselves to whatever we do.

 

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the City of Melbourne's tourism program.
If you would like to receive an email advising you of the next recruitment(招募) intake, please email tourism@melbourne.vic.gov.au. 
Information about volunteering with Tourism Melbourne
Volunteers play a vital role in the City of Melbourne’s tourism services. They provide information on Melbourne to around two million visitors each year. Their love and knowledge of the city and regional Victoria adds to Melbourne's reputation as a friendly, welcoming and culturally vibrant (有活力的) city.
The City of Melbourne’s tourism branch generally conducts two volunteer recruitment intakes each year for the following tourism programs:

• City Ambassadors
• Melbourne Visitor Booth at Bourke Street Mall
• Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square 
• Melbourne Greeter Service

   Places are limited and prospective volunteers must participate in a selection process based around the following criteria. Volunteers must be:
第一节   passionate about Melbourne
第二节   customer service focused
第三节   familiar with computer
第四节   available for one four-hour shift (either morning or afternoon) each week for a minimum of one year
第五节   team players who love meeting with people
第六节   able to demonstrate a commitment to the City of Melbourne’s values(as outlined in the online application)
More information
To find out more about becoming a tourism volunteer, contact us online or phone 03 9658 9658.
For other volunteering opportunities, see national volunteer recruitment website Go Volunteer.
【小题1】Where will you most probably read the above passage?

A．In classified tourism advertisements.

B．In a radio report of a tourism program.

C．In a book review about volunteering.

D．On a local government website.

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements for a volunteer?

A．Owning a driver’s license.

B．Enjoying meeting people.

C．Having computer skills.

D．A four-hour shift each week.

【小题3】 It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．the program’s recruitment takes place every two years

B． Go Volunteer offers more information about Melbourne’s volunteer program

C．if you know Melbourne well, you are sure to be admitted as a tourism volunteer

D．even though you are interested in the program, you can’t be its member right now

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Does Volunteering Pay Back?

B．Welcome to the City of Melbourne!

C．Tourism Volunteer Program.

D．Interest and Tourism Volunteering.

—What do you think of our plan?

—It will certainly ______; it is a great idea.

A. turn into           B. pay back           C. pay for             D. pay off

We have designed all our bank cards to make your life easier.

How to use your NatWest Servicecard .

As a Switch card, it lets you pay for all sorts of goods and services, wherever you see the Switch logo. The money comes straight out of your account, so you can spend as much as you like as long as you have enough money ( or an agreed overdraft (透支) to cover it. It is also a cheque guarantee for up to the amount shown on the card. And it gives you free access to your money from over 31,000 cash machines across the UK.

How to use your NatWest Cashcard

You can use your Cashcard as a Solo card to pay for goods and services wherever you see the Solo logo. It can also give you access to your account and your cash from over 31,000 cash machines nationwide. You can spend or withdraw what you have in your account, or as much as your agreed overdraft limit.

Using your cards abroad

You can also use your Servicecard and Cashcard when you’re abroad. You can withdraw cash at cash machines and pay for goods and services wherever you see the Cirrus or Maestro logo displayed.

We take a commission charge (手续费) of 2.25% of each cash withdrawal you make. . We also apply a foreign-exchange transaction fee of 2.65%.

How to use your Nat West Credit Card

With your credit card you can do the following：

* Pay for goods and services and enjoy up to 56 days interest-free credit.

* Pay in over 24 million shops worldwide that display the Mastercard or Visa logos.

* Collect one AIR MILE for every￡20 of spending that appears on your statement（结算单）.

（This does not include foreign currency or traveller’s cheques bought，interest and other charges.）

1.If you carry the Servicecard or the Cashcard , ________.

A．you can use it to guarantee things as you wish

B．you can draw your money from cash machines conveniently

C．you can spend as much money as you like without a limit

D．you have to pay some extra money when you pay for services in the UK

2.If you withdraw￡200 from a cash machine abroad, you will be charged ________.

A．￡4.90           B．￡4.5             C．￡5.25            D．￡5.3

3.Which of the following is TRUE about using your NatWest Credit Card?

A．You have to pay back with interest within 56 days.

B．You will be charged some interest beyond 56 days.

C．You can use the card in any shop across the world.

D．You will gain one air mile if you spend ￡20 on traveller’s cheques.

4.The purpose of the passage is to show you how to ________.

A．play your cards right

B．use your cards abroad

C．draw cash with your cards

D．pay for goods with your cards