It’s summer movie time again. And heroes are ready to try their strength and magic on the silver screen. Check out our list of four films that look most promising to young audiences.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanRelease Date: June 4Story: It’s the summer before Harry Potter’s third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A shadow is hanging over Hogwarts. A dangerous murderer, Sirius Black, has escaped the Wizards’ Prison. And he broke out to fulfill one task to kill Harry Potter. |
Around the World in 80 DaysRelease Date: June 16Story: This version of the classic novel set in 1872 focuses on Passepartout (Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan), a Chinese thief who seeks refuge with a strange London adventurer, Phileas Fogg. Passepartout uses his martial arts skills to defend Fogg from danger as he travels around the world in 80 days to win a bet. |
Spider-Man 2Release Date: June 30Story: Peter Parker is still coming to terms with his dual identity as the crime superhero Spider-Man. He wants to reveal his secret identity to Mary Jane, meanwhile, his Aunt May has fallen on hard times. A new villain①, Dr Otto Octavius, has appeared to cause more troubles. |
King ArthurRelease Date: July 7,Story: King Arthur is presented as a clever ruler who manages to unite all the knights② in Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire. Under the guidance of Merlin and the beautiful, brave Guinevere, Arthur will struggle to realize his dreams. |
Notes:
①villain n. 坏人
②knight n. 骑士,武士According to the passage, if you want to see a film whose leading actor is Jackie Chan, you will see the film on ______.
A.June 4 | B.June 16 | C.June 30 | D.July 7 |
In Spider-Man 2, Aunt May’s trouble is caused by ______.
A.Peter Parker | B.Mary Jane | C.Dr Otto Octavius | D.Spider- Man |
Which of the following films is set in ancient Britain?
A.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban |
B.Around the World in 80 Days |
C.Spider-Man 2 |
D.King Arthur |
Computer programmer David Jones makes 35,000 pounds a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a b
ank prepared to let him have a credit card (信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18.
The 16-year-old boy works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David’s firm puts two new games on the home market each month.
But David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money. In spite of his salary, made by inventing new programs within a quite short period of time, the bonus payments and profit-sharing (奖金和分红), he cannot drive a car, get some money from a bank to buy a house, or get credit cards.
He lives with his parents in their house in Liverpool, where his father is a bus driver. His firm has to pay £150 a month in taxi fares to get him the five miles to work and back every day because David cannot drive.
David got his job with the firm a year after leaving school with six 0-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,” he said.
“I suppose 35,000 pounds sounds a lot but actually that’s not good enough. I hope it will come to more than that this year.” He spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 20 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school,” he said. “But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I know what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway.”
David added, “I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement (退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”
Why is David different from other young people of his age?
A.He earns a very hi![]() |
B.He has not a job. |
C.He does not go out much. | D.He lives at home with his parents. |
David’s greatest problem is ____________.
A.making the banks treat him as a grown-up | B.inventing computer games |
C.spending his salary | D.learning to drive |
He was hired by the firm because ____________.
A.he had worked in a computer shop | B.he had written some computer programs |
C.he worked very hard | D.![]() |
He left school after taking six 0-levels because ____________.
A.he did not enjoy school |
B.he wanted to work with computers and staying at school did not help him |
C.he was afraid of getting too old to start computing |
D.he wanted to earn a lot of money |
Why does David think he might retire early?
A.One has to be young to write computer programs. |
B.He wants to stop working when he is a millionaire. |
C.He thinks computer games might not always sell so well. |
D.He thinks his firm might go bad. |
Willy, a merchant, returned home to his own country from a faraway continent, where he had succeeded making a small fortune by hard work. He found on arriving at the port that all his relatives were having a large party.
He was in such a happy mood and in the joy of the moment, he did not even bother changing his grey flannel(法兰绒)suit which had become a little worn during the trip home.
When he entered the brilliantly lit room, his relatives and friends gave him a rather cold welcome because they had noticed his modest suit and immediately imagined that he had come back a poor man.
A young man who happened to be accompanying him was quite irritated at this and said to Willy, “What a wonderful reception you have received from these people. They have not even the intention of shaking your hand after all these years that you have been away from home.”
“Just wait and see!” whispered Willy, “They will soon change their looks!” Saying this he slipped a precious ring on his finger. All of a sudden the faces of all those present lit up and immediately Willy was surrounded by so many people that he didn’t know what to do. A man shook his hand, a cousin threw his arms around him, and he had so many invitations from the people present that he thought he would be unable to make any other appointments for several years.
“Has this beautiful, precious ring of yours the power of magic people?” asked the young man.
“Oh, no!” replied Willy, “They see in this glittering diamond ring something that makes them think I am rich, and, unfortunately, they place wealth above everything else.”
"What blind people!" exclaimed the young man. “It is not the ring that has drawn them to you but their desire for riches. Is it possible to appreciate more a piece of yellow metal surrounded by little stones than the goodness of my Lord? And indeed how foolish are people who place their trust in riches rather than in virtues(美德)!”
In what way did Willy go to attend the party held by his relatives and friends?
A.In such a modest mood. | B.In travel-soiled clothes. |
C.Wearing a precious jewel. | D.Without being accompanied. |
The word “irritated” in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to “______”.
A.excited | B.pleased | C.angry | D.envious |
According to the young man, people should ______.
A.give up all the physical wealth | B.appreciate more jewelry than goodness |
C.observe carefully when judging a person | D.avoid being blinded by the desire for wealth |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
A.The Diamond Ring | B.The Welcome Party |
C.The Modest Clothes | D.The Joyful Crowd |
Contrary to many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily certain to achieve academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people.
One common problem gifted kids face is that they, and those around them, place too much importance on being smart. Such an emphasis can encourage a belief that bright people do not have to work hard to do well. Although smart kids may not need to work hard in the lower grades, when the work is easy, they may struggle and perform poorly when the work gets harder because they do not make the effort to learn. If the academic achievement of highly intelligent children remains below average for an extended period, many teachers will fail to recognize their potential. As a result, such students may not get the e
ncouragement they need, further depressing their desire to learn. They may fall far behind in their schoolwork and even develop behavior problems.
IQ is just one element among many in the recipe for success—Children develop well or struggle in school for a host of reasons apart from IQ. These include motivation and persistence, social competence, and the support of family, educators and friends.
Because highly gifted children solve the most varied thought problems faster and more thoroughly than those with more average talents do, they need additional intellectual stimulation while they wait for the rest of the kids to learn the basics. Two central approaches are used to satisfy the educational needs of such children: acceleration and enrichment. Acceleration means studying material that is part of the standard subjects for older students. Enrichment involves learning information that falls outside the usual subjects.
A child might skip one or more grades as a way of accelerating in school. But being with older children for the entire school day—and perhaps for grade-based extracurricular activities such as sports—can make a child feel inferior in every filed outside of academics. One very bright fourth-grader who had skipped two grades remained far ahead of his classmates intellectually, but as his classmates reached adolescence, his social and other shortcomings became painfully apparent. While acceleration is not an option, or not a good one, enrichment can be. After all, school is not a race but an adventure in learning. As such, the goal is not finishing first but absorbing as much knowledge as possible in the time assigned. Thus, providing opportunities for a child to study topics outside the regular subjects can be at least as valuable as pushing him or her through the required material faster.
What is the basic reason for the low academic achievement of highly intelligent children?
A.Teachers’ failure to recognize their potential. |
B.Too much emphasis on being intelligent. |
C.Studying topics outside the regular subjects. |
D.Lack of encouragement from teachers. |
According to the passage, which of the following belongs to enrichment activities for talented children?
A.Skipping one of more grades and studying together with older children. |
B.Learning the same material in the standard subjects for older students. |
C.Learning information that is not included in the regula![]() |
D.Learning how to read with fluency even in their pre-school days. |
Which of the following statements do you think is true about the writer?
A.He is in favor of enrichment rather than acceleration. |
B.He is in favor of acceleration rather than enrichment. |
C.He speaks highly of both enrichment and ![]() |
D.He thinks neither enrichment nor acceleration is a good choice. |
In this article, the writer wants to ______.
A.point out the weaknesses of acceleration for gifted children |
B.compare acceleration with enrichment for gifted children |
C.stress the importance of enrichment for gifted children |
D.discuss how to bring out gifted children’s potential |
Each participating team will receive ______.
A.1 T-shirt and 1 souvenir | B.4 T-shirts and 1 souvenir |
C.1 T-shirt and 4 souvenirs | D.4 T-shirts and 4 souvenirs |
A family team which does not complete any task at the activity stations but has completed the hunt at 11.30 a.m. will ______.
A.not be entitled to any prize | B.be awarded a mystery gift |
C.be awarded the consolation prize | D.not receive the T![]() |
The main purpose of the hunt is to ______.
A.get people to spend time with family | B.attract people to win cash and prizes |
C.encourage people to appreciate nature | D.promote Wiedken & Kennedy Advertising |
The wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29 has focused the world’s camera lenses(镜头)on the UK.
In Britain, there is a constant debate about the relevance of the royal family to modern British society. However, Windsor (the family name of the British Royal Family) and Middleton have been seen to represent a more modern, forward-looking nation.
Nigel Baker, the British ambassador to Bolivia, believes that the royal wedding is “about modern Britain”. “The estimated 2 billion spectators across the world will see that Britain is one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations in the world, home to 270 nationalities speaking 300 different languages, founded on tolerance and respect for difference,” wrote Baker on his blog.
According to Baker, the wedding could help viewers to see “why Britain is one of the most dynamic and creative countries in the world”: The television on which most people watched the event was invented by John Logie Baird, a Briton, and the World Wide Web that broadcast the event to millions more was invented by another Briton, Tim Berners-Lee.
The guests who attended the wedding ceremony gave more than a few clues as to the nature of modern Britain. David and Victoria Beckham represent Britain’s obsession(着迷)with football and celebrity.
Leaders from different religious backgrounds supported Baker’s comments on the multicultural nature of modern British society.
Before the wedding, David Elliott, arts director of the British Council China, agreed that the wedding would be a showcase for modern Britain: “I think, and hope, that it (modern British influence) would be values like openness, multiculturalism, creativity, sense of humor and the traditional British sense of fair pl
ay,” he said.
Furthermore, events such as the Olympics in London in 2012 may also increase people’s sense of Britishness.
According to a poll published in Daily Telegraph, more than a third of people in the UK admitted they felt “very British” when watching the Olympics. What is the main point of the article?
A.To introduce Prince William’s wedding arrangements in detail. |
B.To comment on the significance of the royal wedding. |
C.To question the relevance of the royal family in modern British society. |
D.To explain why the royal wedding is linked with the 2012 Olympics. |
What can be concluded from the article?
A.Some say that the royal wedding is a reflection on modern Britain. |
B.Some think the royal wedding only shows Britain’s multiculturalism and sense of fair play. |
C.About 2 billion people across the world will see the wedding ceremony online. |
D.Britons are obsessed with football due to the influence of David Beckham. |
Why is the inventor of the World Wide Web mentioned?
A.To inform readers a![]() ![]() |
B.To point to the importance of the World Wide Web for the wedding. |
C.In support of the idea that Britain is a nation of creative and original people. |
D.To encourage people to watch the wedding on the Internet. |
According to the article, both the 2012 Olympics and the royal wedding .
A.have increased the British sense of national identity |
B.have promoted traditional British values |
C.represent a more modern Britain |
D.have encouraged the interest of Britons in Football |