When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate(照亮)me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say, “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend, He was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist(心理学家),who will only fill up the healing(愈合的)silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
1. In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
A. become serious about her study
B. go to her friend’s house regularly
C. learn from her classmates at school
D. share poems and stories with her friend
2. In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
3. According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
A. call each other regularly
B. have similar personalities
C. enjoy writing to each other
D. dream of meeting each other
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experiences
B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship
D. Noble Companions
Until a few months ago, he was a butler(管家) in one of the more expensive residential buildings in Manhattan. But now, Nepal-born Indra Tamang is the owner of two multi-million dollar apartments in the same building.
The former owner - his former employer, Ruth Ford - died last year and left the apartments to Mr Tamang in her will.
Mr Tamang is happy but quickly points out that his good fortune did not come easily. "I am happy and have been touched by the generosity of the Ford family," he says. "I never expected that I will be given the ownership of these apartments. But I have been working for the family for the last 36 years, devotedly, with honesty and dedication(奉献). So my hard work has been rewarded."
Mr Tamang was 21 when he was brought from Nepal by Charles Ford, a writer and a photographer. Mr Ford died in 2002; his sister, actress Ruth Ford, then took charge and told Mr Tamang that he was like a brother to her after Charles's death.
Mrs Ford died aged 98. During the last five years of her life, she lost her eyesight and also developed speech problems. Mr Tamang looked after her most of the time and took care of her medicines and food.
He also worked with Charles Ford on various photography projects, which he now wants to keep as the photographer's legacy(遗产). He hopes to organize exhibitions of Mr Ford's photographs and edit a book of his works.
Mr Tamang plans to sell the bigger, three-bedroom apartment to pay the taxes he owes to the government on his legacy. He says: "The rules of the building might be a problem, as they require a minimum monthly income to qualify to live as owner of apartments. I have my small house here but I am happy with it,"
Mr Tamang has learnt his lesson from the life of his employers and plans to use his money with great caution. "I think one should save money for old age. That's when you need it the most to get care," he says.Mr Tamang treated the legacy as __________.
| A.a reward | B.a punishment | C.business | D.a gift |
What DIDN’T Mr Tamang do in the Ford family?
| A.Show Mr Ford's works in the exhibition. |
| B.Look after Ruth Ford when she was ill. |
| C.Work on kinds of photography projects |
| D.Experience deaths of Charles Ford and Ruth Ford |
Mr Tamang wants to sell one apartment to _______.
| A.buy the small house |
| B.pay the government the tax of the apartments |
| C.edit a book of Charles Ford's photographs |
| D.move into the expensive apartments as soon as possible |
What lesson does Mr Tamang learn from the Ford family?
| A.To find a good butler. |
| B.To spend money thoughtfully. |
| C.To save money for children. |
| D.To get good care when people get old. |
What can we know from the passage?
| A.Charles Ford gave the apartments to Mr Tamang. |
| B.Charles Ford couldn't see or speak before his death. |
| C.Mr Tamang treated Ruth Ford much better than her brother. |
| D.Mr Tamang will still live in his small house in the near future. |
I wasn’t surprised when I read that actress Helen Hunt recently stated that she would never allow her young daughter to become a child star. Ms Hunt is the daughter of a Hollywood technical director, and grew up in Hollywood. Now in her late 40s, she started acting and modeling when she was eight and has probably seen a lot over those years in show business.
She has had a successful career. She earned four Golden Globes and four Emmys. She also attained the top honor of her profession when she won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in the 1992 movie, As Good As It Gets. Given those accolades, Ms Hunt is successful. There is no doubt that her early experiences as a child star prepared her for what has been an outstanding adult career. Given those achievements, why would this star declare she’ll never allow her daughter, now at the age of six, to follow in her footsteps?
Everyone familiar with the entertainment scene is aware of the reasons for her attitude. Recent tabloid (小报) news headlines featuring the troubles of former child stars, among them Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and the late Gary Coleman, may answer the question. Although Ms Hunt managed to become a successful grown-up star, she apparently believes she’s an exception.
What Ms Hunt may be suggesting is that many very young stars go through unnatural childhoods on movie and TV sets. While they’re earning big incomes, they’re so pampered (纵容) by directors and praised by fans; they may get false impressions that their lives will always be that way. Then, within a few years, when faced with reality, they’re hurt and confused. After all the overwhelming affection, they find they can’t deal with the problems. That’s often when drugs and alcohol take over their lives.
Helen Hunt has some other reasons why she doesn’t want her daughter to be in the entertainment business. Many child stars can never make a successful transition to meaningful adulthood. However, as with many Hollywood movies, I believe there are both good and bad scenes about how it can be played out in real life.According to the passage, Ms Hunt _________.
| A.started acting and modeling when she was a little girl |
| B.has been acting for about 30 years |
| C.is the daughter of a famous actor |
| D.started singing when she was eight |
The underlined word “accolades” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_________”.
| A.difficulties | B.awards | C.salaries | D.opinions |
The author thinks Helen Hunt’s success is mainly due to _________.
| A.her hard work | B.the help of a technicaldirector |
| C.her experiences as a child star | D.her talent and good luck |
Helen Hunt wouldn’t allow her daughter to become a child star because she thinks _________.
| A.child stars often take drugs and alcohol |
| B.being a child star may ruin her future |
| C.child stars aren’t able to solve their problems |
| D.it is difficult to succeed as a child actor |
From the passage we can conclude that _________.
| A.few child stars will succeed in the future |
| B.there is no way to save the entertainment business |
| C.the author has a different opinion about child stars |
| D.meaningful adulthood only belongs to non-child stars |
Below is a discussion on a website.
| http://www.TalkingPoints.com/ |
|
| Stuck on a desert island? |
|
| Started on 23rd April by Steve Posts 1 – 7 of 42 |
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| Post 1 Steve USA |
Hi, everyone. What would you miss most and least if you were stuck on a desert island? For me, it would be the changing seasons in New England. I guess this will sound stupid but I’d probably miss the rain, too. I wouldn’t miss getting up at six every day to go to work, though! What about you? |
| Post 2 Tomas Germany |
Good question. Steve, I think I’d miss different types of bread, and shopping at the supermarket. I’d miss the food most. What would I miss least? My mobile phone---I’d like to be completely quiet --- at least for a little while |
| Post 3 Paola Italy |
I would miss the company of people because I know I’d like to have someone to share experiences with. I’d go mad on my own. And I sure wouldn’t miss junk mail(垃圾邮件) --- I hate coming home every evening and a pile of junk mail in my post box. |
| Post 4 Miko Japan |
Hi, I would miss Manga cartoon, the Internet and Japanese food, like sushi. I’d also miss TV shows and shopping for clothes… |
| Post 5 Roger UK |
I would miss my daily newspaper and listening to the news on TV and radio. I’d feel very cut off if I didn’t know what was happening in the world. What I’d miss least would be traffic jams in the city, particularly my journey to work. |
| Past 6 Jayne |
Why hasn’t anyone mentioned their family? I’d be lost without my husband and two kids. They’re the most important for me. And I can’t get started in the morning without a cup of black coffee. I wouldn’t miss doing the housework! |
| Post 7 Jaime Mexico |
It would have to be music. I couldn’t live without my music. I wouldn’t miss going to school at all or doing homework! |
Who would miss his or her family most?
| A.Jaime | B.Jayne | C.Miko | D.Paola. |
Which of the following people would feel most uncomfortable without the news media?
| A.Steve. | B.Jaime | C.Roger. | D.Tomas |
How many of them mentioned that they would miss food or drink?
| A.One | B.Two | C.Three | D.Four |
Kong Zi, also called Confucius (551—479B.C.), and Socrates(苏格拉底) (469—399 B.C.) lived only a hundred years apart, and during their lifetimes there was no contact between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers came from shaped their ideas, and how these ideas in turn, shaped their societies.
Neither philosopher lived in times of peace, though there were more wars in Greece than in China. The Chinese states were very large and feudal, while the Greek city-states were small and urban. The urban environment in which Socrates lived allowed him to be more radical (激进的) than Confucius. Unlike Confucius, Socrates was not asked by rulers how to govern effectively. Thus, Socrates was able to be more idealistic, focusing on issues like freedom, and knowledge for its own sake. Confucius, on the other hand, advised those in government service, and many of his students went out to government service.
Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life: "Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you." He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some had more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that the superior class should rule the inferior (下层的) classes.
For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of the society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.
Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes. Which of the following is TURE according to the first paragraph?
| A.Socrates and Confucius had much in common |
| B.Confucius had much influence on Socrates’ ideas. |
| C.The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas. |
| D.There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece. |
Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that ________.
A. all men were equal when they were born
B. the lower classed should be ruled by the upper class
C. the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdomWhat made some people different from others according to Confucius?
| A.Family. | B.Potential. | C.Knowledge. | D.Community. |
This passage is organized in the pattern of ________.
| A.time and events | B.comparison and contrast |
| C.cause and effect | D.definition and classification |
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression . The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression -- eating or mood changes -- and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity (成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
| A.Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness. |
| B.Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions. |
| C.Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior. |
| D.Careless parents whose children are deep in love. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A.The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance. |
| B.Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly. |
| C.Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents. |
| D.Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?
| A.Confused. | B.Disinterested. |
| C.Scared. | D.Disapproving. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A.Puppy love may bring young people depression. |
| B.Parents should forbid their children’s love. |
| C.Romance is a two edged sword for adults. |
| D.Romance is good for young people |