"Men get all the breaks!" the veteran teacher announced to me. A cold greeting. Her stare stabbed like an icicle . "Hello," I countered, extending my hand. "I guess we'll be teaching together this year." "I swear, all you have to do is wear pants and walk into an elementary school and they hire you! It makes me sick!" I would have responded, but she turned her back to me and stomped off down the hall. Who would have imagined that the biggest challenge I would face during my first year on the job would not be students, but fellow teachers? "You can't put that there!" Another teacher burst into my classroom. "You can't put the teacher's desk at the back of the room!" "Pardon?" "If you put your desk way back there, you won't be able to see them cheating!" Next I was told I must not arrange student desks into abutting clusters because "the students might talk too much." At home my wife kept assuring me, "You're there for the kids. When you meet your students, things will be different." And she was right. One day the bell rang and there were thirty-five wonderful sixth graders sitting at their desks (still arranged in clusters) and it was different. I was happy. "Welcome to sixth grade." I began the year as I'd rehearsed for months. "You'll notice," I continued, "my desk is at the back of the room." They chuckled. "I don't want that desk between us. I want to be involved in your learning and involved in your lives." In the days that followed, I ate with my students at lunch (" _ "); I played with my students at recess (" _ "); I read with my students in the library (" _ "); I even stayed after school with some boys who got in trouble with the principal (" _ "). I went home to my wife. "Don't worry," she said. "They're just threatened by you because you're new and you're good. Let the other teachers know you're not a threat. Just keep being nice to them." Obediently, I pulled out the Golden Rule, dusted it off, and vowed to start again. As I did with the children, I started looking for specific, positive things... The writer's wife thought that his colleagues felt threatened because _ . A) he hung around with students B) he was a competitive newcomer C) he ignored their advice D) he was an impolite coworker
B
Mother Teresa, whose name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was born on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She always wrote her birthday as 27th of August because it was the day of her baptism , which was always more important to her than her birthday. For her work with the poor around the world, she received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. In 1928, she accepted a religious order and took the name Teresa. The order immediately sent her to India. A few years later, she began teaching in Calcutta. In 1948 the Catholic Church agreed her request and let her enter the convent and she began to work for the poor people. She became an Indian citizen in the following year. In 1950, she set up a religious organization in Calcutta. The organization provided food for the poor people and then she set up hospitals, schools, youth centers, and homes for the sick and the dying poor. It now has branches in 50 Indian cities and 30 other countries. Besides the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa has received other awards for her work with the poor people. On September 5th, 1997, Mother Teresa passed away, but she will continue to inspire people all over the world through her lasting present of love and faith. Mother Teresa often reminded the world that she was a nun , not a social worker, and that prayer and communication with God were at the deepest heart of her every action. The author writes this text mainly to_. A) Encourage us to learn from Mother Teresa B) tell us Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize C) give us some information about Mother Teresa D) prove that a woman can also do great work for the poor
C
(Q).
Honesty, my mum always used to tell me, is the best policy. Of course, this didin't include her when she told me that if I didn't eat all my vegetables Father Christmas would find out and wouldn't give me any presents. But when it comes to medicine, I had assumed it was important to always be honest with my patients. After all, the doctor patient relationship is based on trust, and therefore honesty is essential, Or so I thought. I had just started working in geriatrics . Mr. McMahon was brought in when his baby was faound very swollen. I took a medical history from his daughter would accompanied him in the ambulance. She'd been his main carer for years. I stood looking at him as she gave a detailed history. "Has he lost any weight recently?" I asked, "Well, it's funny you should mention that, but yes." She said slowly. There was silence for a few moments. "Why? What are you worried about?" she asked, I hesitated. She was obviously very involved in his care and it was only fair that I told her the truth. "Well, we need to prove it's not cancer." I said and talked briefly about some of the tests I was going to order. Half an hour later, a nurse called me: "Mr. McMahon's daughter broke down-she said you told her he had cancer." My heart sank. By the time I arrived at the ward, my consultant was already there, explaining that we still had to run lots of tests and that it was by no means confirmed that he had cancer. I stood silently at the end of the bed. My consultant was obviously angry with me and as we left Mr. McMahon, she turned to me. "Why on carch did you do that?" she asked to disbelief. I looked at her andbit my hp. "She asked me what I was worried about and I told her." I said, hanging my head. "And give her more to worry about?" replied my consultant. "You don't say the word 'cancer' until it's confirmed. Even if you suspect it, think very carefully before you tell people." As it turned out, it wasn't cancer. But I did learn that when somecone is stressed and worried about their loved one they're... .What lesson has the author learnt from his experience? A) Learning form parents is necessary. B) Jumping to a conclusion is dangerous. C) Telling the truth may not always be the best solution. D) Selecting pleasant words may not be the perfect policy.
(A).
C