单选题 Here you are. Every morning, you reluctantly return to the same 6x6 cube. You grab a coffee, surf a news site, and chitchat with a peer. Then it's onto that attack of calls and e-malls coming your way. But the workload doesn't bother you. Staying busy saves you from something worse. And that something worse happens each month when the promotion announcements come out. You read what your peers have accomplished, here and elsewhere. Reflecting on what you did during that same time, you realize how far you've fallen behind. Sometimes you whisper, "That should've been me."
Years ago, you marched into this cube dreaming of being a big shot. You didn't plan to stay here long; it was a place to learn the ropes and build your reputation. Early on, the higher-ups raved about your natural talent and upside. But those qualities only take you so far. Now, you hold a ceremonial "'Senior" title. Your place is secure and you make a decent living. Still, you feel trapped and restless. You follow the same tired routines. And you wonder if you've settled, if this is all there is and all you'll ever be. You once lived like you had all the time in the world. Then you lost track of it as years passed. Now, you feel its weight and passing more intimately, knowing how much you've wasted.
We want to believe our careers will unfold logically. We see ourselves as special, possessing a manifest destiny to someday create, change, and lead. So we put our lives on hold and sacrifice for the greater good at work, certain our efforts will eventually be rewarded. We imagine climbing the proverbial ladder, not wandering through a maze.
So what happened? You'd like to believe it was one moment--a major oversight or missed opportunity-- that led you here. Deep inside, you know the truth. You wrote lists and plans, knowing you'd never put them into motion. You waited for something to happen to you...and got left behind. Despite the grueling hours, you went through the motions, subconsciously knowing your path was welcome scenery and exercise. But led nowhere.
In our personal narratives, we naturally make ourselves the heroes. We seek out villains and scapegoats to justify why our lives haven't panned out. Unfortunately, the truth is far less melodramatic. It is usually a series of evasions, bad habits, fears, compromises, and mentalities that have led us to this point. Sure, you can spend time reflecting on the past, questioning your path, and figuring out what's missing. But are you really being honest with yourself?.

单选题 What does "6x6 cube" refer to?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节理解题。根据题干定位到文章第1段首句。根据第1段所描述的场景,即根据“走进cube,处理电话和邮件、工作量”等内容,可知cube指的就是办公室,是一个立体空间,故选C项,同时排除A、B、D项。
单选题 According to Paragraph 2, when you get into this cube your initial plan is to
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】细节理解题。题干的关键字眼为initial plan(最初计划),根据第2段第2句可知,我们并没有想在公司久留,只是想积累经验和名声,故B项正确。既然我们并没有打算久留,A项的叙述则不成立;C项在文中并没有提及;D项所说是工作一段时间后的状态,并非我们一开始的计划。
单选题 The proverbial ladder in Paragraph 3 indicates that we believe
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】细节理解题。根据题干中的proverbial ladder定位到文章第3段末句。根据上文可知,我们确信努力终究会得到回报,就像关于成功的那些谚语所说的一样,故B项正确。A、C、D三项内容都是利用文中提到的个别单词胡乱组合而成的选项,与proverbial ladder并无关系,可排除。
单选题 According to the last paragraph, our attitude toward our failures is
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】观点态度题。根据题干定位到文章最后一段。由文章可知,我们总是寻找其他的罪人(villains)和替罪羔羊(scapegoats)为我们名不副实的生活开脱,及回避自己的失败,故选D“逃避的”。
单选题 It can be inferred from the text that the real reason for our failure is
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】推理判断题。文章最后一段第4句提到,使我们走到今天这种地步(to this point)的是我们一些错误的想法,如逃避、恶习等等,故D项正确。倒数第2段提到了A、B两项的内容,作者认为A只是自我安慰的一种借口,B的lists and plans是因为自己的懒惰而并非impractical,故排除A、B;作者建议我们反思自己失败的原因,并担心我们对自己不够真诚,但这并不是失败的原因,故C项错误。