More and more American parents, students, educators, political and business leaders have come to see the importance of Chinese on the world stage. As a result, Americans hoping to learn Chinese are growing in number though they face a lot of difficulties.
Liu Chuansheng, chairperson of the University Council at Beijing Normal University, talked about this situation. “There have been 300 million Chinese learning English, and I know that there are more and more Americans beginning to learn Chinese. I remember when I came to the U. S. there were only 250 schools offering Chinese classes; when I left in 2005, there were already 2,400 schools hoping to offer Chinese classes. Today more than 700 schools are offering Chinese classes, and 4,500 are planning to do so.”
“This is an important time in America. We have suffered from an economic crisis; there is swine flu(猪流感) ---- all part of our lives. We need to be competitive to deal with the world and make an effort to understand each other,” said Shuhan Wang, head of Chinese Language Initiatives at Asia Society. “The number of Chinese language teachers remains the key bottleneck,” she said. “And the need for specialized teachers becomes greater, as there is increasing popularity of early language learning ---- kindergarten through 8th grades.”
Jon M. Huntsman Jr., governor(州长) of Utah, has led his state to the front in teaching Chinese. “While math and science remain main studies,” he said, “language is going to be an important drive in education. Next year 82 schools will offer Chinese to 6,000 students.”
64. It is implied in the passage that the number of Americans learning Chinese is growing mainly because _______.
A. more and more Americans face a lot of difficulties
B. the number of Chinese learning English is growing
C. Chinese is widely used by actors all over the world
D. China is playing a more important role in the world
65. Liu Chuansheng’s talk mainly shows us _______.
A. how Americans are learning Chinese B. why Americans are learning Chinese
C. that Chinese becomes popular in America D. that China offers more Chinese classes there
66. The biggest problem with Americans learning Chinese is that _____.
A. the Chinese language is too difficult for them to learn
B. they don’t have enough teachers of Chinese in the USA
C. American children are not good at learning languages
D. teachers won’t work in kindergartens or primary schools
67. The proper title for the passage is _______.
A. Americans show great interest in learning Chinese
B. Americans show less interest in math and science
C. Chinese teachers get new chance to work in America
D. Chinese is widely used in some states of America
By 1938, Europe had been experiencing an increased number of attacks on Jews. With no end in sight, Jewish refugee(难民) agencies requested the British government to allow them to bring in only Jewish children under17 years of age. This was to be only temporary, until the situation in their home countries was improved.
Kindertransport, meaning “children transport” in German, was then born. Children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other Nazi-occupied regions were transported to the United Kingdom. There they were either placed with other families or in hostels. Later, it was found that many of these children were the only survivors of their families. Nicholas Winton was among those people who helped to save Jewish children. He managed to rescue 669 children from Czechoslovakia and bring them safely to England. In 1938 around Christmas, 29-year-old Nicky was about to leave for a skiing holiday. Suddenly, Martin Blake, one of his good friends, contacted(联络) him from Czechoslovakia, asking him to travel there to help political refugees on the run from the Nazis. And Nicholas agreed.
Nicky spent his entire holiday of 3 weeks in the capital city of Prague where he saw the situation first-hand. Once back in England, he immediately started organizing the evacuation(撤离) of children from the Czech region. From advertising for the necessary permits, Nicky worked tirelessly. By August 1939, 669 children had been helped by Nicky and his friends. Haplessly, the last group of children due to leave Prague in the beginning of September could not do so— World War Ⅱ broke out, and swallowed them up.
Nicky did not discuss his particular task with his wife, Grete. It was only when she found a scrapbook in 1988, with names of the rescued children, their (lost) parents and the foster families that had taken them in, that his heroism came to light. Nicky has received several awards in Britain and the Czech Republic.Kindertransport aimed to_____.
A.help the homeless |
B.transfer the affected |
C.stop German attacks |
D.save Jewish children |
We can learn from the text that Nicholas Winton_____.
A.knew nothing about what happened in Prague |
B.did a lot to help Jewish children out of danger |
C.always told his wife what he was doing |
D.saved 669 children and their parents |
The underlined word “Haplessly” in Paragraph 4 can best be replaced by “___”.
A.Unfortunately | B.Hopefully |
C.Strangely | D.Importantly |
Which of the following can best describe Nicholas Winton?
A.Strict but caring |
B.Proud but patient |
C.Warm-hearted and cautious |
D.Hard-working and humorous |
The Kinema, Lincolnshire
It’s a wooden building on the outside and a two-screen cinema on the inside, all nesting among pine trees in a tiny village. The Kinema showed its first film in 1922 and the first six rows were deckchair (折叠帆布躺椅). Today, it’s more richly decorated.
“People come here because it’s a fantastic experience,” says manager Philip Jones. “Many rooms in the Kinema are simple and not attractive, but we try to remain everything that makes it special.”
The Cube, Bristol
It’s not really a cinema. It is a not-for-profit cooperative run by volunteers, which has been operating for the last 15 years.
They are “unique for what we do, which is to operate seven nights a week and with no funding.” They make many things themselves, such as cola and yogurt.
The Broadway, Nottingham
A cinema has been here since the 1960s, when local fashion designer Paul Smith would come to see arty foreign films, which heavily influenced his career choice. Later, he designed the stripy(条纹的) sofas.
The Broadway was previously used as a church, but locals love it for its independent, art house, and DIY spirit. The Broadway also has a right-on restaurant, with locally sourced vegetables and salads, and even serves its own beer.
The Rex, Hertfordshire
It opened to the public in 1938 and has been named the most beautiful cinema in the UK. There’s a varied program with different films every night. Hot dogs and popcorn are banned. And a real person answers the phone when you call.
People speak very highly of the Rex. So do go, if only once, to see just how a cinema should be run.In Philip Jones’ opinion, the Kinema may attract people who_____.
A.live in the nearby villages |
B.are fond of rich decorations |
C.are interested in wooden structures |
D.want to experience something special |
We know from the text that the Broadway_____.
A.was built in 1960 |
B.owns a restaurant |
C.is next to a church |
D.was designed by Paul Smith |
The Cube and the Broadway are similar in the way that both_____.
A.are non-profit cooperatives |
B.show arty foreign films |
C.offer homemade drinks |
D.use stripy sofas |
Which of the following has the longest history?
A.The Kinema. | B.The Cube. |
C.The Broadway. | D.The Rex. |
It was raining as I ran out of the church, eager to get home and play with the gifts Father Christmas sent me. Across the street was a gas station, which was closed for Christmas, but I noticed a family standing under the narrow overhang to keep dry. I wondered briefly why they were there but then forgot about them as I couldn’t wait to see my gifts.
Once I got home, there was hardly any time to enjoy my gifts. My grandparents were still waiting for us to have Christmas dinner together at their house. As we drove down the highway, I noticed that the family was still there.
The closer we got to my grandparents’ house, the slower the car went. Suddenly, my father U-turned and said, “I can’t stand it!” “What?” asked my mother. “It’s those people back there at the gas station, standing in the rain.”
When my father pulled into the station, I saw there were five of them: the parents and three children—two girls and a small boy. Then we learned that the family was waiting for the bus to Birmingham, where the man planned to find a job.
“Well, that bus won’t come along for several hours. Winborn’s just a few miles away, and there is a shed(棚) with a cover there,” my father advised. “I will run you up there.”
Then they climbed into our car,. My father looked back and asked the children if Father Christmas had found them. Three sad faces gave him his answer.
“Well, Father Christmas said he was having trouble finding you, so he just left your toys at my house this morning. Let’s go to get them first,” my father said. All at once, the three children’s faces lit up.
When we arrived at our house, one girl spied a lovely doll, that little boy took a ball, and the other girl picked up something else. That was the Christmas when I learned the joy of making others happy.At the gas station the family might feel______.
A.anxious | B.disappointed |
C.frightened | D.ashamed |
The three children received Christmas gifts thanks to_______.
A.the author | B.the author’s father |
C.their parents | D.their grandparents |
We can learn from the text that the author’s father_____.
A.knew that family very well |
B.got lost on the way to Winborn |
C.sent that family to Birmingham |
D.was happy to help those in trouble |
What would be the best title for the text?
A.Father Christmas saved us |
B.My father never gives up. |
C.Special Christmas gifts |
D.A hard-working family |
Before we start a voyage, we usually try to find out more or less definitely where we are bound and how we are supposed to get there.
I happen to have the “Concise Oxford dictionary” on my desk and that will do as well as any other. The word I am looking for appears at the bottom of Page 344. edition 1912.
“Geography: the science of the earth's surface, form, physical features, natural and political divisions, climate, productions and population.”
I could not possibly hope to do better, but I still stress some of the aspects of the case at the expenses of others, because I intend to place man in the centre of the stage. This book of mine will not merely discuss the surface of the earth and its physical features, together with its political and natural boundaries. I would rather call it a study of man in search of food and shelter and leisure for himself and for his family and an attempt to his background or has reshaped his physical surroundings in order to be comfortable and well nourished and happy with his limited strength.
Among the two million human beings in the world, there is of course the widest possible range for all sorts of experiments of an economic and social and cultural nature. It seems that those experiments deserve our attention before anything else. For a mountain is after all merely a mountain until it has been seen by human eyes and has been walked on by human feet and until its slopes and valleys have been occupied and fought over and planted by a dozen generation of hungry settlers.
The Atlantic Ocean was just as wide and deep and as wet and salty before the beginning of the 13th century as after, but it took the human touch to make it what it is today—a bridge between the New World and the Old, the highway for the commerce between East and West.
For thousands of years the endless Russian plains lay ready to offer their abundant harvest to whoever should take the trouble to sow the first grain. But the aspect of that country today would he a very different one if the hand of a German or a Frank, rather than that of a Slav, had guided the iron-pointed stick that plowed the first furrows (犁沟).
The island of Nippon would shake and quake just as continually, whether they happened to be settled by Japanese or by the Tasmanian race, but in the latter case they would hardly be able to feed 60,000,000 people.
Generally speaking, I have paid more attention to the purely “human” side of geography than to the commercial problems which are so important in a day and age devoted to mass production. In the first four paragraphs, the author wants to share with the readers ______.
A.his approach to planning a voyage |
B.his emphasis on using a dictionary |
C.his definition of the word “geography” |
D.his altitude to the earth's physical features |
Which of the following will the author NOT consider to be on experiment according to Paragraph 5?
A.Exploring a mountain. |
B.Climbing a mountain. |
C.Planting on slopes and valleys. |
D.Becoming hungry. |
The author mentioned the Russian plains and the island of Nippon to show that _____.
A.they both feed a lot of people |
B.they enjoy very good natural conditions |
C.different people may make the same place different |
D.their natural conditions haven't changed for many years |
【原创】How is the passage organized?
A.Topic ---Argument --- Explanation |
B.Introduction --- Supporting examples --- Conclusion |
C.Opinion --- Discussion --- Description |
D.Main idea --- Comparison --- Supporting examples |
My Left Foot (1989)
Imagine being a prisoner of your own body, unable to make any movements except to move your left foot. The main character in My Left Foot, based on the real story of cerebral palsy (大脑性麻痹) sufferer Christy Brown, can barely move his mouth to speak, but by controlling his left foot, he’s able to express himself as an artist and poet. For his moving performance of Brown, Daniel Lewis won his first Academy Award for best actor.
Shine (1996)
Do you have a talent you’re afraid to share with the world? David Helfgott seemed meant from childhood to be “one of the truly great pianists,” but the pressures of performing (and pleasing his father) resulted in a complete breakdown. Ten years in a mental institution didn’t weaken Helfgott’s musical gift: When he was rediscovered, he was playing concertos in a bar. Shine received seven Oscar nominations (提名), and Geoffrey Rush won best actor for his performance of Helfgott.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Nothing’s more powerful than the love between a parent and a child. In this heartbreaking Italian film, a father (Roberto Benigni) makes an unbelievable sacrifice for his 4-year-old son: trapped in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, the Jewish man convinces his boy that they are playing a complicated game. He manages to spare him the horror of the terrible war, and even in his final moments of life, keeps his son smiling and hopeful. Benigni won the best actor Oscar.
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Few people can inspire us more than a good teacher. Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos got Oscar nomination for best actor) is a great one. Employed at a high school where kids are expected to fail, Escalante challenges his math students to struggle for better things, like getting good grades in the AP exam. Despite the obstacles in their lives, the classmates accomplish their goals, thanks to Mr. Escalante’s support. The real Jaime Escalante, the Best Teacher in America, says that Stand and Deliver is “ 90% truth, 10% drama.” The underlined part in the passage means _________.
A.The main character in My Left Foot is a prisoner |
B.The main character in My Left Foot is a disabled person |
C.The main character in My Left Foot is trapped by others |
D.The main character in My Left Foot can’t control his whole body |
【改编】Which film received seven Oscar nominations?
A.Life Is Beautiful. | B. My Left Foot. |
C.Stand and Deliver. | D.Shine. |
Jaime Escalante has a talent for _________.
A.teaching | B.drawing and writing |
C.making stories | D.playing the piano |
What do the four movies have in common?
A.They are all based on real stories. |
B.The main characters all won Academy Award for Best Actor. |
C.They are all inspiring stories that make a difference. |
D.The main characters are all sick to some degree but succeed. |