It’s no surprise why Kung Fu Hustle is the top-grossing①homegrown movie in Hong Kong. Hustle’s approach to a simple good-against-evil plot is extremely cheerful.
Humor bordering on slapstick combined with exciting choreography②by Yuen Wo Ping, who masterminded③the fight scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix, make Kung Fu Hustle a lively, visual treat.
There is plenty of violence, but it’s largely cartoonish. Stephen Chow wrote, directed, produced and stars in this non-stop action movie, which is in Cantonese with English subtitles④.
Chow plays Sing, an eager young man who longs to be a member of the powerful and cruel Axe Gang. When gang members appear on the scene, sometimes dancing with their frightening axes in hand, the sky breaks out with fireworks. The sets are shocking, with classic cars lining the neon-lighted streets and gambling casinos⑤serving as the backdrop to the underworld activities. All these give off the sensation of Old West shootouts.
One neighborhood is blessedly away from the disorder. Pig Sty Alley is so poverty-stricken it holds no interest for the Axe Gang. Then in wanders the unlucky Sing, who attempts to get money there. But folks are not what they seem: The town is full of kung fu masters.
Sing tries to single out someone he can fight, but it seems as if everyone, elderly and very young alike, has a body like Charles Atlas. During the time, Sing calls upon the Axe Gang, which faces off against the people of Pig Sty Alley, led by the town’ s landlords, the powerful lady in curlers and her husband. Fans of kung fu movies will have a rip-roaring time, but even moviegoers are sure to enjoy spirited action of Kung Fu Hustle.
Notes:
① top-grossing adj. 票房收入最高的
② choreography n. 舞蹈术
③ mastermind vt. 策划
④ subtitle n. 说明对白的字幕
⑤ gambling casino 赌博场Which of the following characters does the passage mainly describe?
| A．Stephen Chow | B．Yuen Wo Ping | C．Sing | D．Charles Atlas |
Kung Fu Hustle becomes the top-grossing homegrown movie in Hong Kong because _______.
A. it is full of humor and exciting action B. it is full of cartoonish characters
B. it is mainly made up of dance D. it is a non-stop action movie Which of the following about the Axe Gang is TRUE?
| A．The Axe Gang is popular with fans of kung fu movies. |
| B．The Axe Gang is always easy do good things. |
| C．The Axe Gang doesn’t know how to use guns. |
| D．The Axe Gang often fights against its enemy using the axes. |
In which part are you likely to find it if the passage appears in the web site?
| A．Entertainment. | B．Travel. | C．News. | D．Books. |
Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have
experienced an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm puter. A few forward-looking farmers are already using puters to help them run their farms more efficiently. The puters help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock(家畜) to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many puter panies have been developing special puter programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for pig producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase puter programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of puters on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take puter classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on puters even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on puter power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that puter-aided robots will make shocking changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will
find that many day-to-day t
asks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear（修剪） sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even plex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is pleted, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The plete change of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?
| A．The first sentence of the third paragraph. |
| B．The first sentence of the second paragraph. |
| C．The first sentence of the first paragraph. |
| D．The last sentence of the second paragraph. |
According to the passage, puters can not help farmers decide _______.
| A．how much money they can earn from their products |
| B．whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
| C．what livestock to raise |
| D．when to sell their products |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on puters. |
| B．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
| C．Both puters and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
| D．Students at agricultural colleges must take puter classes because they can do |
Nothing without the help of puters on today’s farms.What is the best title for the whole passage?
| A．puter, Farmers’ Best Friend | B．Farmers in The Future |
| C．The Agricultural Revolution | D．puters and Robots |
“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days th
is summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)
After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, pletely humbled（挫败的）,” admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”
Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work
as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it.
Although Peters had consulted(咨询) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “
I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising
and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暂时的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day. The couple signed the contract because _______.
| A．Pat plained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself |
| B．Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest |
| C．they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks |
| D．Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book |
It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.
| A．pay a certain amount of money |
| B．admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood |
| C．say sorry to his wife |
| D．do all the housework for years |
What can we learn about Pat Peters?
| A．She was hard-working and selfless. |
| B．She was pretty and kind-hearted. |
| C．She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks. |
| D．She did not love Bob any longer. |
Which of the following can best end the news story?
| A．“Wait till your mother gets home!” |
| B．“My experience of being a mother.” |
| C．“I’m proud of you all, my dear!” |
| D．“Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.” |
According to some talk, the younger generation in Smith
ville is the most antisocial in hist
ory. This seems far from the truth. Young people today as a whole are better, more informed, more ambitious, healthier, and more smart than ever before. Why then, it may be asked, do we see such restlessness and such antisocial behavior among our young people?
For the answer the citizens of this community must look at themselves. What have they done to the grounds that have been built in the last fifteen years? How many swimming pools are there? How many vocational training projects have been started? How many community – organized youth parties and picnics have been held?
The average citizen will answer that the responsibility for these activities belongs to the schools. But the schools cannot be held responsible for all the free – time activities of all the young people of this community. The job of the schools is formal education, not free – time recreation（娱乐）.
This community needs a youth center suitable for such activities as picnics, camping, sports, music, art and so on. There should be social and recreational activities to meet the needs and interests 
of every member of our school age youth.
Mayor Elmo D. Greely has proposed the formation of a Youth Club as the first step in the direction of a Youth Center. Mayor Greely has called a meeting at the City Hall on Friday, August 15, at noon.
Giving up a lunch hour is a very little sacrifice for a project that can be of great importance to this community.
This newspaper urges every adult and young person of Smithville to attend this important meeting. We believe our industrial, business, and professional leaders have an especially strong duty to be present.
This newspaper will be present and intends to support this project with vigor.The underlined word “antisocial” probably means “ ”.
| A．opposed to an orderly society or way of life | B．promising |
| C．suitable to present society | D．having a lot of social experience |
What does the writer think of the sentence “The younger generation in Smithville is the most
antisocial in history.”?
| A．He thinks it is true. | B．He thinks it is not true. |
| C．He thinks it is partially true. | D．He thinks it is nonsense. |
The main idea of Paragraphs 2 and 3 is .
| A．to give us lots of questions to show that problem is serious. |
B．that school should hold the responsibility for education rather than free – time recr eation. |
| C．to analyze the reasons why the youth are antisocial. |
| D．that we should take more activities or start many vocational projects. |
Not all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives tryi
ng to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional s
cars. Often they relive these experiences.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it. Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldier’ troubling memories after war.
They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories. “Some memories can ruin people’s lives. They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions,” said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry（精神病学）at Harvard Medical School. “This could relieve a lot of that suffering.”
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity（特性）. They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past. “All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are
. I’m not sure we’d want to wipe those memories out,” said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist（伦理学家）.
Some people fear that although the drug would first be used in only very serious cases, it would become more and more common. “People always have the ability to misuse science,” said Joseph Le Doux, a New York University memory researcher. “All we want to do is to help people have better control of memories.”What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．People often suffer from bad memories. |
| B．American researchers are trying to develop a pill. |
| C．Forget bad memories, and be happy. |
| D．The research has caused a heated argument. |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refers to “ ”.
| A．the new drug | B．the research into the drug |
| C．the bad memory | D．the chemical in the drug |
Which of the following is NOT the opinion of the supporters?
| A．The pill can erase all the memories in the past. |
| B．Some memories can ruin people’s lives. The pill can relieve emotional suffering. |
| C．The pill can also help many other types of people who suffer from terrible memories. |
| D．The pill can prevent or treat troubling memories in soldiers after war. |
Which of the following is NOT the opinion of the opponents（反对者）？
| A．Our memories give us our identity. |
B．The memories help human avoid mistakes of the past. |
| C．The drug should be used in only very serious cases. |
| D．People may not be sure whether they want to wipe the memories out. |
Bayfield Shopping Coupons（赠券）
| 1．Six Hours Free Parking If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $ 100 or  more, just take this coupon and your receipts to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking.Offer until November 14. |
| 2．Win a $ 1,000 CD Collection Win your choice of $ 1000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music. Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21. Check store for more information. |
| 3．Buy One, Get One Free Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free. Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost. Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer. |
| 4．10% Off Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy. We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas, we have plenty of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush. Offer here until November 14. |
| 5．Half – price Movie Tickets Buy any full – price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, showing in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center. Offer good through December 1, Limit one per customer. |
| 6．Free Soft Drink Buy any meal for at least $ 6 at Mike’s Cafe, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the be  st fast food in the Shopping Centre. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service.You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14. |
What are these ads for?
| A．Food you can order for delivery. | B．Places to go on vacation. |
| C．Special offers at a shopping center. | D．Things on sale in a big store. |
Which of the following is true according to the ads?
| A．Spending $ 50 means 3 hours of free parking. |
| B．One person can buy 4 tickets for the price of three. |
| C．After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free. |
| D．At Mike’s Cafe, people can get a free drink after spending $ 6. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
| A．Clothes store. | B．Music store. | C．Restaurant. | D．Toy store. |
We can know from this passage .
| A．there are more than one theatre in the center |
| B．if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price |
C．you may get a free one if you buy a  shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes |
| D．you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal |