So far as he could, John had always tried to _____ the example he saw in Lincoln.

A. live up to   B. set forth    C. call for    D. cut out

 To Whom It May Concern:

On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.

Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried grapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce . I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes.

When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the “Perfect Muffins” as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly “perfect” muffins.

I would appreciate a full refund( money to be returned) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely，

Michelle Bauer

1.This letter is most likely addressed to _______.

2. The tone(语气 ) of the author can best be described as ________.

3.The author was unhappy with the product because________.

4.The author’s main purpose in writing this letter is to ________.

Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge(剧增)of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse(反面)of this concern is that the prospects of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to putting off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible(似是而非的). Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
Also, a major part of women’s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.

1. 1.

   The word “portend” (Line 2, Para.1) is closest in meaning to“_____”.

   1. A.
      defy
   2. B.
      signal
   3. C.
      suffer from
   4. D.
      result from
2. 2.

   It is said in the passage that when the economy slides_____.

   1. A.
      men would choose working women as their marriage partners
   2. B.
      more women would get married to seek financial security
   3. C.
      even working women would worry about their marriages
   4. D.
      more people would prefer to remain single for the time being
3. 3.

   If women find fulfillment through work outside the home,_____.

   1. A.
      they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners
   2. B.
      their husbands are expected to do more housework
   3. C.
      their marriage ties can be strengthened
   4. D.
      they tend to put their career before marriage
4. 4.

   One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that_____.

   1. A.
      they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom
   2. B.
      they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands
   3. C.
      they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations
   4. D.
      they tend to suspect their husbands? loyalty to their marriage
5. 5.

   Which of the following statements can best summarize the authors view in the passage?

   1. A.
      The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country.
   2. B.
      Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage.
   3. C.
      In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent
   4. D.
      The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.

A great many people are disappointed because of unrealistic expectations.

Walking up to a department store’s  1   counter, an attractive young woman said, “I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?”

“Only one  2   per yard,” replied the smirking (自鸣得意的) male clerk.

Not to be taken back by the funny words, the woman said, “That’s fine! I’ll take ten yards.”

With  3  written all over his face, the clerk hurriedly  4  out and wrapped the cloth, and then held it out teasingly, leaning forward to receive his “   5   ”.

The woman got the package quickly from the clerk and pointed to a little old  6  standing beside her. “Grandpa will pay the bill instead of me,” she  7 .

He was no doubt disappointed. But in the course of living, many people are  8 when others do not  9  their expectations. In order to be happy, some expectations must be dropped. These three particular  10  and unhealthy expectations are some of the main causes:

       1. Expect too much  11 .When others say, “Thank you,” or in any way to show their gratitude, be happy. It is a gift!

       2. Expect others to make you happy. They simply cannot do that. Make yourself happy and  12   your joy with others.

       3. Expect not to be  13 . At times, people will simply not come through for you in the way you need.  14   them and move on.

Get rid of these three unrealistic expectations and you can begin to expect more  15   right away!

Attitude is one of the most important factors in determining success for all people．Successful people have one thing in common—an expectant （期待的） attitude of success．Most people begin each morning in neutral and react to events of the day．You can be one of the successful people in life by starting each day with a positive attitude, a gratitude for the opportunities you have, and an expectancy （期待） of the best for yourself．

       People tend to live up to expectations．We get out of life just about what we put into it．Our environment becomes a mirror of our spirit, our attitude, and expectations．If we set a great goal, we get great results．If we have a fair goal, we accomplish fair results, and if we have a poor goal, we accomplish poor results．The world will give you back what you expect, so expect the very best．Don't be defensive or doubtful．Nothing changes unless you do．Before you can do something, you've got to be something．Know that you have worth and value．Show that to the world．

       Treat everyone you come in contact with as the most important person in life．It will build self-esteem （自尊心）．Smile! You'll be rewarded with a returned smile．Don't react to others rudely．Forgive everyone who ever hurt you．Then, forgive yourself．Keep yourself healthy．Exercise．Eat a proper diet．Display an attitude of confidence．

       Develop these good habits and your expectancy will be rewarded by successes．This attitude will put you into that group of people who are truly successful, because you will know and understand how an expectant attitude enhances （提高） every aspect of your life．

1.According to the author, we are likely to achieve success if we____．

       A．take a positive attitude

       B．hold on to our dreams

       C．have a good opportunity

       D．show gratitude every day

2.We learn from Paragraph 2 that____．

       A．success mainly depends on your efforts

       B．our environment reflects what we think

       C．the greater our goal, the better results we will get

       D．it is our determination that decides our future

3.Paragraph 3 tells us that____．

       A．building self-esteem is important

       B．we should treat everyone else fairly

       C．if treated kindly, others are friendly

       D．it makes good sense to forgive others

4.The author's purpose of writing the text is to____．

       A．share his view point about life

       B．offer advice on confidence building

       C．suggest some ways to acquire success

       D．stress the importance of positive attitude