C

On my first job as a sports editor for the Montpelier Leader Enterprise, I didn’t get a lot of fan mail, so I was intrigued by a letter plopped on my desk one morning. The envelope bore the logo of the closest big-city paper, the Toledo Blade.

When I opened it, I read:

“Sweet piece of writing on the Tigers. Keep up the good work.”

It was signed by Don Wolfe, the sports editor. Because I was a teenager (being paid the grand total of 15 cents a column inch), his words could not have been more exciting. I kept the letter in my desk drawer until it got rag-eared. Whenever I doubted I had the right stuff to be a writer, I would reread Don’s note and walk on air again.

Later, when I got to know him, I learned that Don made a habit of writing a quick, encouraging word to people in all walks of life. “When I make others feel good about themselves,” he told me, “I feel good, too.”

Why are upbeat note writers in such short supply? My guess is that many who shy away from the practice are too self-conscious. They are afraid they will be misunderstood, sound old-fashioned or flattering. Also, writing takes time and it is far easier to pick up the phone. The drawback with phone calls, of course, is that they do not last. A note attaches more importance to our well-wishing. It is a matter of record, and our words can be read more than once, appreciated, and treasured.

What does it take to write notes that lift spirits and warm hearts? Perhaps just a desire and a willingness to express our appreciation. The most successful people write notes that are short on words and long on feeling, sincere, short, specific, and usually spontaneous in nature.

It is difficult to be spontaneous, however, when you have to hunt for letter writing materials; so, keep paper, envelopes, and stamps close at hand, even when you travel. Fancy stationery is not necessary; it’s the thought that counts.

So, who around you deserves a note of thanks or approval? A neighbor, your librarian, a relative, your mate, a teacher, or your doctor? You do not need to be poetic. If you need a reason, look for a milestone, the anniversary of a special event you shared, a birthday, or holiday, and do not hold back your praise. Such words as: “greatest,” “smartest,” “prettiest” make us all feel good. Even if your praises run a little ahead of reality, remember that expectations are often the parents of dreams fulfilled.

63. On seeing the letter on the desk, the author felt _____.

A. annoyed B. curious C. doubtful D. shocked

64. According to the author, many people don’t write upbeat notes mainly because they are _____.

A. afraid of being out of date B. too shy to flatter others

C. prepared to make phone calls D. too concerned about what others think

65. It can be learned from the last paragraph that ______.

A. praises often run ahead of reality

B. praises help in pursuing a dream

C. parents often write upbeat notes

D. parents expect children’s success

66. What might be the suitable title for the passage?

A. The Power of a Positive Note B. Notes Help to Fulfill Dreams

C. The Necessity of Writing Notes D. Note or Phone, Your Own Choice

D

Homeownership has let us down. For generations, Americans believed that owning a home was undoubtedly good. Our political leaders hammered home the point. Franklin Roosevelt held that a country of homeowners was “unconquerable.” Homeownership could even save babies, save children, save families and save America. A house with a lawn and a fence wasn’t just a nice place to live in or a risk-free investment; it was a way to transform a nation. No wonder leaders of all political types wanted to spend more than $100 billion a year on subsidies and tax breaks to encourage people to buy.

But the dark side of homeownership is now all too apparent: Indeed, easy lending stimulated by the cult of homeownership may have triggered the financial crisis. Housing remains a drag on the economy. Existing-home sales in April dropped 27% from the prior month, worsening fears of a double-dip. And all that is just the obvious tale of a housing bubble and what happened when it popped. The real story is deeper and darker still.

For the better part of a century, politics, industry and culture lined up to create a fetish of the idea of buying a house. Homeownership has done plenty of good over the decades; it has provided stability to tens of millions of families. Yet by idealizing the act of buying a home, we have ignored the downsides. In the bubble years, lending standards slipped dramatically, allowing many Americans to put far too much of their income into paying for their housing. And we ignored longer-term phenomena too. Homeownership contributed to the hollowing out of cities and kept renters out of the best neighborhoods. It fed America’s overuse of energy and oil. It made it more difficult for those who had lost a job to find another. Perhaps worst of all, it helped us become casually self-deceiving: By telling ourselves that homeownership was a pathway to wealth and stable communities and better test scores, we avoided dealing with these frightening issues head-on.

Now, as the U.S. recovers from the biggest housing bust(破产)since the Great Depression, it is time to rethink how realistic our expectations of homeownership are—and how much money we want to spend chasing them. Many argue that homeownership should not be a goal pursued at all costs.

67. Political leaders wanted to spend money encouraging people to buy houses because ______.

A. owning a home was undoubtedly good

B. homeownership was unconquerable

C. houses could save families and America

D. homeownership could shape a country