Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style. But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of "rubbish talk". The topics on his show are as surprising as can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people's lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes the TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a "final word". He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main audience are middle-class Americans. Most of the people have the time, money and ability to deal with life's tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drug. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show's exploitation.
46. Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows are ______.
A. more interesting B. unusually poplar C. more detailed D. more formal
47. Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows ______.
A. show disbelief in them B. are ready to face up to them
C. remain cold to them D. are willing to get away from them
48. Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
A. A new type of robot. B. National hatred.
C. Family income planning. D. Street accident.
49. We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows ____.
A. have become the only ones of its kind B. exploit the weaknesses in human nature
C. appear at different times of the day D. attract different people
50. What is the advantage of the Jerry Springer show?
A. The show exposes the dark sides of society.
B. The show pours poisonous waste into society.
C. Jerry sums up the whole idea of the show.
D. Jerry talks abou the improvement of society.
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. "Houses" have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented（专利的）and have trade mark licenses（许可）. The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing（安装）the dirt drain（排水管）at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid（盖子）is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores（家务）and in a more useful manner.The first paragraph is intended to _____________.
| A．stress the importance of inventions |
| B．introduce the topic of the article |
| C．show the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| D．tell the differences between human beings and animals |
According to the passage, people make house inventions to _____________.
| A．earn more money and gain awards |
| B．accumulate their wealth |
| C．improve the present living conditions |
| D．meet the new demands of new science |
It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to ___________.
| A．prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
Common people can also make good inventions because ___________.
| A．wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| B．some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by them |
| C．common people have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
The passage mainly talks about _______________.
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．different ideas about household inventions |
| C．the history of household inventions |
| D．household inventions and their influence |
When you practice reading with passages shorter than book length, do not try to take in each word separately, one after the other. It is much more difficult to grasp the broad theme of the passage this way, and you will also get the stuck on individual words which may not be absolutely essential to a general understanding of the passage. It is a good idea to skim through the passage very quickly first to get the general idea of each paragraph. Titles, paragraph headings and emphasized words can be a great help in getting this skeleton outline of the passage. It is surprising how many people do not read titles, introductions or paragraph headings. Can you, without looking back, remember the title of this passage and the heading of this paragraph?
Most paragraphs of a passage or chapter have a 'topic sentence' which expresses the central idea. The remaining sentences expand or support that idea. It has been estimated that between 50% and 90% of all expositive（说明的）paragraphs in English have the topic sentence first. Always pay special attention to the first sentence of a paragraph, it is most likely to give you the main idea.
Sometimes, though, the first sentence in the paragraph does not have the feel of 'main idea' sentence. It does not seem to give us enough new information to justify a paragraph. The next most likely place to look for the topic sentence is the last sentence of the paragraph.
Remember that the opening and closing paragraphs of a passage or chapter are particularly important. The opening paragraph suggests the general direction and content of the piece, while the closing paragraph often summarizes the very essence（精髓）. It is a good idea to skim through a passage quickly first ____________.
| A．at about 315 w.p.m.（words per minute） |
| B．to get the general idea of each paragraph |
| C．so that you can take in each work separately |
| D．to make sure you get to the end at least once |
The topic sentence of an expository paragraph in English _____________.
| A．usually comes in the middle |
| B．is most likely to be found at the end |
| C．is most often at the beginning |
| D．is usually left out in expository writing |
Most expository paragraphs in English have a clearly defined topic sentence. In such paragraphs the topic sentence comes first _____________.
A. in about 5% of cases B in about 80% of cases
C. in about 20% cases D. very rarelySometimes we know the first sentence is not the topic sentence because ____________.
| A．it does not seem to give us enough new information |
| B．it is not long enough |
| C．it does not come at the beginning |
| D．it does not make a complete sentence |
The closing paragraph of a piece of writing ____________.
| A．is not really very important |
| B．is often unnecessary repetition |
| C．often comes at the end |
| D．often summarizes the essence of the passage |
John von Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of an banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tired to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he may lead a poor life being a mathematician, and so von Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematics provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, von Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics（Einstein was one of the others）
World War Ⅱ hugely changed von Neumann's areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematics theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in computing machines and made several fundamental contributions After the war, von Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of the American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died in 1957 of cancer.
Von Neumann made several great contributions and any one of them would have been enough to earn him a firm place in history. He will be remembered as one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
Von Neumann really was a legend in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of his legend. He reported one accident this Way: "I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path."According to the text, von Neumann's father believed that _____________.
| A．a mathematician couldn't earn a lot of money |
| B．a mathematician needed a good memory |
| C．von Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time |
| D．von Neumann had the gift for solving problems at a high speed. |
von Neumann published his first book at the age of _________________
| A．23 | B．26 | C．29 | D．32 |
How did World War Ⅱ affect John von Neumann?
| A．He realized the importance of engineering |
| B．He began to research how to put mathematics into practice. |
| C．He left college and served at the government department. |
| D．He lost interest in chemistry. |
Which of the following is true of Von Neumann?
| A．He had three children |
| B．He died from an accident. |
| C．He received many rewards in his life |
| D．He and Einstein were classmates in Princeton University. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer John von Neumann was _____________.
| A．calm | B．brave | C．intelligent | D．humorous |
Nowadays the problem of the generation gap is becoming more and more serious. Poor relationship between parents and their children are very common.
Whether we like it or not, our parents are responsible for us at least until we’re out of high school. So rather than get upset about that fact, maybe we should focus on some ways to make our relationship better. The best way, in my opinion, is to learn to really communicate with my parents.
When I find myself arguing with my mom and dad, I try to stop. If I can manage to stop myself from talking, I usually find that I can calm down quickly. I guess I’m usually acting out of emotion rather than logic(逻辑). But if I can stop arguing for a minute, it seems that my opinion changes and I start to realize that I’m a bit childish. Emotionally I may still be upset, but logically I understand that yelling(大叫大嚷) and fighting surely won’t make things better.
Once I’ve stopped arguing, I look at my parents in the eye. You’d be amazed at how much easier it is to communicate with your parents when you’ve actually looking at them. Looking away doesn’t do much of anything except for giving them the impression that I’m not listening or that I don’t care. It’s much easier to see things eye to eye when you’re physically seeing them eye to eye.
Finally, I listen to what they’re saying (or at least I try). Communication can’t happen unless both sides hear and listen to each other. There is nothing wrong with my hearing, but that doesn’t mean I always listen to the sounds that people are making. When I argue with my parents, I can physically hear what they’re saying without mentally listening to it.
Whether I admit it or not, my parents’ experience can actually help them give me some pretty sound advice at times. I don’t always agree with them, but I think it’s safe to say that it has truly helped our relationship in the long run.What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Listening is better than yelling and fighting. |
| B．It is impolite to see your parents eye to eye. |
| C．Be careful when you take your parents’ advice. |
| D．Parents are sometimes easy to get upset. |
Parents and children can communicate only when_______.
| A．both sides stop yelling and fighting |
| B．both sides start thinking what to say next |
| C．both sides agree with each other |
| D．both sides can listen to each other |
Which of the following advice is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Looking | B．Smiling warmly |
| C．Listening | D．Stopping arguing |
The author thinks we should first _______ when arguing with our parents.
| A．look at their eyes | B．fight for the truth |
| C．stop arguing | D．talk in a low voice |
March Break Leadership Camp
The aim of this FREE program is to develop an awareness of race relations, diversity, an equal issue for students in Grades 6-8.
Place: The Central Library Room
Time: March 16&17, 2009 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Pick up and hand in registration forms(报名表) at the Central Library. All forms must be handed in by March 6th. Space is limited.
Please send any questions related to the program to Becky George, the Public Library 905-831-6265 ext 6230 or email: pickering-younity@hotmail.com
Free Your Space……Free Your Mind
At the Central Library: Wednesday, May 13th from7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
This time management course will help you to create more balance and time in your life. In today’s increasingly stressful times, it is becoming more difficult to spend quality time with family and friends. This course will provide positive solutions and strategies (策略) to achieve peace.
Book Club for Teens
At the Central Library: Every 2nd Thursday at 7:00 pm
Do you enjoy reading? Part of the pleasure of reading comes from meeting with others to discuss characters, plots or style. Come to trade ideas and questions, and make new friends.
This program is currently full but for more information, please call 905-831-6265 ext 6232.
Computer Training
Group computer classes for teens will be provided at the Central Library in March, April, and May. Registration starts at 9:30 am on Friday, March 6th for the March session; Friday, March 27th for the April session; and Friday, April 24th for the May session.
A valid(有效的) Public Library card is required for all computer training sessions. Call the Central Library for more information or to register, 905-831-6265 ext 6243.
Limit 10 participants(参加者) per class. What do these four programs have in common?
| A．They are held in the same place. |
| B．They are held at the same month. |
| C．All of them are free of charge. |
| D．All of them limit the number of participants. |
John is always in a hurry and not good at arranging his time. He should attend_________.
| A．Computer Training |
| B．Free Your Space …..Free Your Mind |
| C．March Break Leadership Camp |
| D．Book Club for teens |
If you want to do computer studies, you need to ______.
| A．register for each session a month in advance |
| B．find other students to form a group |
| C．go to the library to register by yourself |
| D．own a valid Public Library card |