D
I don’t like getting up too early unless I have to. When you’re filming, you’ve got make-up on, which doesn’t happen often. As I’m not filming at present I’ll get up at 8.30.
Work normally means Matt coming over to my house about 10 am. We’re writing at the moment. We’ll chat for a bit before going to my study. One of us will have an idea for a sketch (梗概), we’ll talk about the characters and when we feel we have enough we’ll start writing.
Matt and I met at the National Youth Theatre in 1990 and started doing shows together in ’95, at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. We know we’re onto something if we’ve made each other laugh, and that’s a really special moment. It’s not always like that, but we’re comfortable enough with each other that we can be honest and go. Some days you’re not in the mood to be funny—like writing when my dad was dying of cancer, or when Matt was separating from his partner.
We stop for lunch and sometimes go to Wagamama in Camden, but the last time we were followed by paparazzi (狗仔队), which gets you down—who wants to be pictured eating noodles?
When I’m not writing with Matt I work on other projects. My second children’s book comes out later in the year. It’s called Mr. Stink. The first one I dedicated to my three-year-old nephew, Eddie. Both books have been illustrated by Quentin Blake; it’s been a thrill to work with him—like 20 years ago reading a Roald Dahl book and looking at those drawings, then one day that person illustrates your work… magical.
At 5 I go swimming in Soho. My trainer makes me do horrible exercises, but I always feel better after.
Being in all day, I like to go out in the evening and look smart, but not like I’ve come out of the City. I’m a tall, broad guy and well-dressed.
For dinner I’ll meet friends. When you’re a single guy it’s great to have some good female friends. Or I might take my mum to the theatre, as I know she really appreciates it. I like watching TV comedy shows to see what everyone’s doing. When you see something impressive it makes you work harder. I also love Larkin’s poems: they don’t try to transcend (超越) the commonplace; they’re much more straightforward.
Poetry is great to dip into before going to bed, rather than falling asleep reading a novel and being confused over what you’ve read or not. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in seven years; unfortunately, I rely on pills. I’ve tried everything. If I could wish anything for myself, I’d wish I could sleep better.
67. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. the author spends much time with his friends
B. the author and Matt are both famous in the district
C. the author doesn’t care much about what to wear
D. the author works at home and seldom goes out every day
68. Where does the passage most likely appear?
A. In a travel diary. B. In a news column.
C. In an online diary. D. In a research paper.
69. Why does the author read some poetry before going to bed?
A. Because poetry can often bring him some funny ideas.
B. Because poetry is much easier to understand than novels.
C. Because poetry is very abstract and reflects unusual things.
D. Because poetry can be of some help for him to kill time.
70. What might be the best title for the passage?
A. A day’s work with Matt B. A new life-style
C. A life in the day D. A good way to write
When did you last visit a shopping mall? In many places, the answer would be “last weekend.” Some people go even more often. Why? For one thing, malls offer goods and services that people need all in one place: food, clothing, things for their houses, entertainment, even medical services. So, are malls one of the highlights of modern civilization? Environmental activists would say No! They would go even further and say that consumer behavior is causing a huge environmental disaster. They cause consumers of ignorance of the side effect of their shopping—urban sprawl (扩大) .
Social scientists agree that patterns of development have changed the landscape a great deal in the last half century. Before 1950, most people lived in towns or cities and either walked to work or took public transportation. Only very wealthy people had automobiles. Farmers lived in rural areas or isolated villages and came into town only when they needed things they couldn’t produce themselves. If you gazed at the landscape you would see towns surrounded by countryside. Then a massive change occurred.
Automobiles became affordable and people were quick to adopt them. Now ambitious workers could live in the suburbs, the areas just outside cities, which started to grow rapidly. As long as there was lots of cheap land in the suburbs, no one paid much attention to the usage of that land. Malls, fast food restaurants, cinemas, and car dealerships spread out in large, flat buildings. These one–storey buildings and their parking lot took up a great deal space. Well– meaning farmers thought they were better off selling their land than growing crops. In ignorance, no one realized that once the land was built up in urban sprawl, the good farming land would be ruined forever. There was no way to preserve it.
Only in recent years have people come to mourn the old way of life as they have developed insight into the problems. Now people realize that urban sprawl has come with serious environmental problems. The negative aspects of sprawl include air and water pollution, loss of agricultural land, traffic jams, and the death of businesses in the old town centers. Many scholars think the time has come to analyze the problems better so we can develop appropriate policies to control further sprawl. Some think the best way to do is to educate citizens about their priceless environment.What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A.Weekend Fun | B.Urban Sprawl | C.New Automobiles | D.Isolated Villages |
What does the underlined word “They” refer to in the first paragraph?
A.Scientists | B.Activists. | C.Farmers. | D.Malls |
Who do environmental activists blame for environmental problems?
A.Endangered animals. | B.Shopping mall owners. |
C.Unthinking shoppers. | D.Ambitious farmers. |
What do scholars think should be done about urban sprawl?
A.Understand the situations better. | B.Follow customary policies. |
C.Start school in shopping malls. | D.Charge polluters a lot of money. |
What is the scholars’ attitude toward urban sprawl?
A.Respectful. | B.Negative. | C.Positive. | D.Doubtful. |
Falling temperatures are no excuse to avoid outdoor exercise with your dog. Along with making sure you are appropriately dressed, your dog should also be properly protected from the elements. Some large breed dogs such as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Huskies can tolerate the colder weather better than others. These dogs may also develop a thicker coat over time as they are exposed to colder weather.
Smaller breeds, however, like Chihuahuas and Miniature Pinschers, breeds with short coats and puppies should wear some type of protection, i.e, a coat or sweater, if the temperature drops too low. Look for coats or sweaters with high collars or a turtleneck that covers your dog from the base of the tail on top to the belly underneath.
Dog booties (毛线鞋) provide good protection from chemicals or salts on the pavement as well as mud. If you don’t use the booties, be sure to wipe your dog’s paw pads with room temperature water after taking it outside.
Other tips
When you bathe your dog, dry him completely before taking him out in the cold weather for a walk or exercise. It is especially important to keep your dog well groomed (打扮) during the winter months to protect him from the elements.
If your dog frequently participates in outdoor activities during the colder months, increase his food intake, especially protein, to help keep his coat grow thick and healthy. Dogs that are not as active during the winter months may need to have their food consumption reduced.
The amount of time you spend outside with your dog will depend on his size, breed type and age. Remember that ill or elderly dogs are more sensitive to cold weather. Dogs whom cold weather agrees with can spend hours outside without getting cold but some of the smaller and younger dogs’ exercise sessions should be kept shorter. Dogs should not be left outside unattended.
Another activity to consider is doggie daycare, which is an excellent alternative during cold weather months. It’s a great place for your dog to get plenty of physical and mental stimulation while being with other dogs.
Banfield Pet HospitalThe underlined word “elements” in the first paragraph probably means ______.
A.extreme weather | B.potential enemies | C.serious diseases | D.terrible accidents |
Dog owners are advised to ______ in the text.
A.bathe their dogs less during the winter months |
B.avoid outdoor exercise with their dogs in cold weather |
C.make their dogs wear booties for a walk outside every time |
D.feed their dogs more food if they’re frequently taking them out in winter |
The author thinks dog owners should_________ in the cold weather.
A.not walk the dog | B.protect their dog pets from being hurt |
C.stop walking the dog | D.avoid walking the dog |
What can we conclude from the text?
A.Small breed dogs are usually more tolerant of cold weather than larger ones. |
B.Smaller and younger dogs tend to become less active in cold weather. |
C.Dogs’ paw pads should be thoroughly cleaned after outdoor activities in winter. |
D.A trip to doggie daycare can get dogs better prepared for outdoor activities. |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.How to make your dog exercise in cold weather | B.Walk dogs in the cold weather |
C.Dogs like to take exercise in winter | D.Take good care of dogs |
Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I’m sure lots of children of your age will say “Yes”. Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United
States also have heavy school bags.
Doctors are starting to worry that younger and younger students are having back and neck problems as a result of school bags being too heavy for them.
“It’s hard for me to go upstairs with my bag because it’s so heavy,” said Rick Hammond, an 11-year-old student in the US.
Rick is among students who have common school bags with two straps (带子) to carry them, but many other students choose rolling bags.
But even with rolling bags, getting up stairs and buses is still a problem for children. Many of them have hurt their backs and necks because of the heavy school bags.
But how much is too much? Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight.
Scott Bautch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should stay with 10%. But it is also important that older children don’t stay with over 15%, because their bodies are still growing. “Children are losing their balance and falling down with their school bags,” he said.
Parents and teachers are starting to tell children to only take home library books they will be reading that night. Some teachers are using pieces of paper or thin workbooks for students to take home.
One of the best answers is, as some children said, to have no homework at all!From the passage we can know that .
A.only children in China carry too heavy school bags |
B.both children in China and the US carry too heavy school bags |
C.children in other countries don’t carry too heavy bags |
D.only children in the US carry too heavy school bags |
Children feel it hard for them to go upstairs because ________.
A.they are too young |
B.they don’t know how to go upstairs |
C.their school bags are too heavy |
D.their parents don’t always go upstairs with them together |
If a child carries a heavy school bag, .
A.his back and neck will be hurt | B.his head and arms will be hurt |
C.his hands will be hurt | D.his feet will be hurt |
According to the doctor, Scott Bautch, if a child in Grade 5 weighs about 30 kilos, the school bag he carries should not be over ________.
A.5 kilos | B.3 kilos | C.5.5 kilos | D.4.5 kilos |
Some students think the best answer to his problems is that .
A.they should have a little homework to do after they get home |
B.their teachers had better not ask them to do any homework |
C.they should only take home library books they will read that night |
D.they should use thin workbooks instead of thick ones |
The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
"I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio .They cannot every understand rhythm(韵律)"
"Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I'm sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you."
One younger musician said, "There are several clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month and I'm trying to find other places to play .I'm also planning to join in several summer festivals this year."
I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him.
Attitudes are important. Whether they're positive or negative(消极) they're all rubbing off on you,If you're around people who are always complaining or blaming others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don't support your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call " friends".
There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop , spending time with the negative ones on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream.The musicians' conversation at the beginning is there to show that
A.musicians' living conditions are not good |
B.people in that town have poor taste in music |
C.young people are more likely to succeed |
D.different musicians have different attitudes |
The underlined part in Para. 6 means________.
A.they'll have an influence on you | B.they'll help you realize your dreams |
C.they'll keep you from moving on | D.they'll push you ahead very hard |
Why did the author want to make friends with the younger musician?
A.He is more active than the others. |
B.He can earn more than the others. |
C.His attitude is more positive than the others. |
D.He has more things to do than the others. |
By doing the exercise mentioned in Para. 7, you can________.
A.improve your ability to make friends |
B.make the right kind of friends for sure |
C.develop a better relationship with your friends |
D.make some new friends with similar interests |
We can get the following information from the passage EXCEPT________.
A.the younger musician is a positive person and would be a good friend |
B.one should avoid making friends with people having lots of difficulties |
C.the exercise can help you keep close to really helpful friends |
D.one will start complaining if one spends too much time with negative people |
"If there is one thing I'm sure about, it is that m a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change .What basically makes news is what affects our lives - the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though .It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因的) engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do - as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It's quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(传送)electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact ,I'm pretty sure how it will happen m the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read - sports and international news, etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media(媒体).They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet. it's never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.What is the best title for the passage?
A.The Best Way to Get News | B.The Changes of Media |
C.Make Your Own Newspaper | D.The Future of Newspaper |
In the writer's opinion, in the future, _______.
A.more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news |
B.newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer |
C.newspapers will cover more scientific research |
D.more and more people will watch TV |
What will probably be on in the newspaper made by yourself?
A.Sports and international news. | B.A menu of important news. |
C.The most Important news. | D.what you are interested in. |
From the passage, we can infer ________.
A.newspapers will win the competition among the different meclia |
B.newspapers will stay with us together with other media |
C.television will take the place of newspaper |
D.the writer believe some media will die out |
The phrase "feed off" in the last paragraph means ________ .
A.depend on | B.compete with | C.fight with | D.kill off |