How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
A. From her relatives. | B. From her mother. |
C. From books and pictures. | D. From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.
A.confused | B.excited |
C.worried | D. amazed |
For the first two years in New York, the author _________.
A.often lost her way | B.did not think about her future |
C.studied in three different schools | D.got on well with her stepfather |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A.She worked as a translator. |
B.She attended a lot of job interviews. |
C.She paid telephone bills for her family. |
D.She helped her family with her English. |
The author believes that______.
A.her future will be free from troubles |
B.it is difficult to learn to become patient |
C.there are more good things than bad things |
D.good things will happen if one keeps trying |
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有……罪)shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops .
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth £9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting(起诉),said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms(防盗警报装置).
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that .
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this ,” Miss Duff said . “She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it . She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”
Judge David Azan fined Luz £ 50, and warned : “You’ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have.”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK..
.What is Ana Luz’s nationality?
A.American. | B.British. | C.Spanish. | D.German. |
.
What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
A.In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things . |
B.She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops . |
C.She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops. |
D.Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions. |
.
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?
A.Carrying goods in a lift for a shop. | B.Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet . |
C.Selecting some goods from a display. | D.Taking goods from a shop without paying. |
.
.From the passage we can learn that .
A.Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK |
B.Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
C.the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
D.Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer |
.
What would be the best title for the passage ?
A.Shoplifting Shame of a PhD ![]() |
B.Apologizing for the Actions in Shops |
C.Seeking Professional Help from Experts | |
D.Controlling the Desire to Steal from Shops |
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If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply (申请) now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
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The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July..
. What is the purpose of the text?
A.To introduce a language school in Japan. |
B.To hire language teachers to work in![]() |
C.To describe working conditions in Japan. |
D.To make cl![]() |
.
We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will _______.
A.teach English only in Osaka | B.receive a degree from a university |
C.have free accommodation | D.get trained for the job |
.
Before going to Japan, you need _______.
A.to see the manager of NOVA France | B.to take some computer courses |
C.to write a letter to Japan | D.to find a place to live |
.
If you want to work in Japan you should _______.
A.have some working experience | B.know how to use computers |
C.present good teaching plans | D.speak several languages |
A teacher of English as a second language is the 2004 Teacher of the Year in the United States .Kathy Mellor of Rhode Island will spend the next year as an international spokeswoman for education. President Bush and his wife, Laura ,honored her during a ceremony(仪式)at the White House last week.
For the past nineteen years ,Kathy Mellor has taught English as a second language at Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island ,in the northeastern United States .She redesigned the program for E.S.L students at her school to provide each student with one to three periods per day in classes for English learners .How much instruction the students get depends on their level of skill in listening ,speaking ,reading and writing. The amount of time they spend in these classes in reduced as their level of English increases.
A teacher describes this as the most successful E.S.L. program in North Kingstown. She also praises Kathy Mellor for providing help to students and their families by forming a local parents group for speakers of other languages .This improved their ability to help their children.
Kathy Mellor earned a master’s degree in education from Rhode Island College. She studied teaching English as a second language.
She was chosen for the national honor of Teacher of the Year from among top teachers in each of the fifty states .As Teacher of the Year ,Kathy Mellor will travel around the United States and to other countries .She will talk about the importance of education and the work of teachers.
.This passage is mainly about________.
A.Teacher of the Year 2004 in the United States |
B.Ms Mellor’s English teaching instruction |
C.Ms Mellor’s teaching skills of learning English |
D.praises to Ms Mellor from other teachers |
.What does “E.S.L.” in the passage stand for?
A.English study learners. | B.English speaking and listening. |
C.English special learners. | D.English as a second language. |
.From this passage we can learn that ________.
A.middle school teachers from each state are honored Teachers of the Year |
B.middle school teachers in the USA have to get master’s degrees |
C.Ms Mellor’s students have no problems in learning English |
D.the American government pays much attention to education |
Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast fortune, largely to the cause of global health, during the course of his lifetime. With an estimated (估计) worth of more than $40 billion, according to Forbes, the project will be no small feat (功绩) for Gates. Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $24 billion to address global health issues, Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids”.
So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the population, he says, has proven to be an essential (实质的) method in helping poor countries to be financially successful. “National borders allow inequalities,” said Gates: “We all need to take a more global view, rather than just saying my country is doing well. We have to step up these health issues, knowing how few resources are going into them.”
Gates said that both his parents set an example for him as a child. His father, William H. Gates, was the head of the local Planned Parenthood, and his mother, Mary, volunteered for the United Way. As he gathered his fortune, Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well, but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.
However, Gates, 47, began to question his ability to wait that long. “It seemed there was a real time urgency (紧迫),” Gates said. “I started to think, how many lives could I save before then?”.. Bill Gates will give away his vast fortune to ___.
A.improve the health of population in America alone |
B.improve the health of population all over the world |
C.avoid leaving his children too much money |
D.spare the American government the burden of health care |
.. Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is ___.
A.to set up more foundations for them | B.to aid them with natural resources |
C.to put more effort into the health issues in them | D.to help them take a more global view |
.It can be learned from the text that Bill Gates thinks ___.
A.Americans should care about people in other countries |
B.Americans should treat fellow citizens well |
C.Americans should devote themselves to certain projects |
D.![]() |
.. Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of ___.
A.his weakening health condition | B.his parents’ suggestions |
C.his great s![]() |
D.his concern for suffering people |
.The underlined word “channel” probably has a similar meaning as it is used in sentence “___”.
A.Try to channel your abilities into something useful | |
B.We ought to channel this street so that water can flow away easily | |
C.Ships must follow the channel into the port | D.Which cha![]() |
The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone. Enter the Red Hat Society—a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun.
“My grandmother didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody. They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society.
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age. But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers (生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old.
If you take into consideration feminism (女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable (必然的). In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple (紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing.
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple. With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998. When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention.
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper said. “Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves.” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful. “We’re a ladies’ play group. It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood.
.The unlined word “chapter” in Paragraph 2 means ___.
A.one branch of an organization | B.a written agreement of a club |
C.one part of a collection of poems | D.a period in a society’s history |
.From the text, we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who ___.
A.have gradually become more noticeable | B.are worried about getting old![]() |
C.are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend | |
D.tried living a different life from their parents when they were young |
. It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are ___.
A.interested in raising money for social work | B.programmers who can plan well for their future |
C.believers in equality between men and women | D.good at cooking big meals and taking care of others |
.. Who set up the Red Hat Society?
A.Emily Cornette | B.Ellen Cooper | C.Jenny Joseph | D.Joe Heywood |
.. Women join the Red Hat Society because ___.
A.they want to stay young | B.they would like to appear more attractive |
C.they would like to have fun and live for themselves | D.they want to be more like their parents |