Breathe, wave and smile.Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement(graduation ceremony).
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(美国的爱国誓言).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core(the most important part) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
1. What’s the article mainly about?
A.An American high school’s graduation ceremony.
B.The opening ceremony of a sports meeting.
C.A presentation of college diplomas.
D.A US college’s farewell party.
2. Which of the following statements about the author is FALSE?
A. She was one of the graduates.
B. She was a foreign exchange student.
C. She was excited to receive her diploma.
D. She felt it great to be at the ceremony
3. The right order of the following events is______.
a.Diplomas were presented to graduates. b.Students gave farewell speeches.
c.The US national anthem was played. d.The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e.Seniors went into the stadium.
A. b,c,a,d,e B. c,d,b,e,a C. d,b,e,a,c D. e,d,c,b,a
4.From the text, we can conclude that_______.
A.a diploma ensures a good job
B.a diploma guarantees a bright future
C.the commencement symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life
D.everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma
5. According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?
A. Hollywood superstars went to attend the commencement.
B. Every single senior became a superstar on the commencement day.
C. All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives.
D. When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were loud cheers.
Beginning college is exciting: new ideas to explore, new challenges to be met and many decisions to be made; your future begins here.
However, you will find college life is different from your previous school environment. Many of us can be easily overwhelmed by the details of running a well-balanced life. While some of us may have the know-how, I guess there are more of us who can benefit from learning about the experiences of others who have walked the college halls before you.
The following you may find of use about life on campus:
·Plan well. There are so many new things to do at a new college or university. Give yourself time to make new friends and became familiar with the campus, but don’t forget why you are there. Give some time for social activities and manage your time wisely.
·If you don’t have a “system” for planning your time now (like a day timer a computer data book). get one. Most of all, don’t depend on your memory.
·Don’t miss the guidelines. The restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student’s handbook. Consider them well-balanced food for thought. What dates are important? What pieces of paper need to be handed in? What can / can’t you do in your student residence(住处)? Who has the right for what? What do you need to complete to graduate?
·Write the word “STUDY” on the walls of our bedroom and bathroom, and maybe it will help to to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on the telephone, TV and the kitchen table. Consider this — you are paying thousands of dollars for your course. You pay every time you have to repeat or replace a course.
·Build your identity. This is the time for you to decide what to do and what not to do. Take as much time as you need to explore new ideas. Do not be afraid of the beyond. This is learning to make good choices.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To offer advice on college life. |
B.To explain why college life is exciting. |
C.To describe the importance of college life. |
D.To persuade you to go to college. |
According to the passage, why is it exciting to begin college life?
A.Because you will have more freedom at college. |
B.Because you will no longer be afraid of the beyond |
C.Because you prepare for your future career and life there. |
D.Because professors there will provide you with many new ideas. |
The underlined word “know-how” refers to _____
A.An understanding of how things are going at college |
B.Practical knowledge about how to behave and what to do at college |
C.College halls where rules and regulations are presented |
D.An environment completely different from the one you’re used to |
According to the passage, college students _______.
A.needn’t learn from those who went to college before them |
B.spend as much time as possible on social activities |
C.should know what they have fight for on campus |
D.are supposed to repeat or replace at least one course |
A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly (神秘的) in the color and grandeur (壮观) of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star.” Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place.
After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still mysterious. Today visitors come by the thousands -- the great and simple of the earth -- all in a spirit of wonder. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia.
From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river, for all sounds are swallowed in this gulf of space. “It makes one want to murmur.” A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax (高潮) and stops.
Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon's floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge (吊桥) and walk to the North Rim. Though the two rims face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August.
But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense (香气) of smoke from an Indian hearth (香炉). No wonder an American writer and journalist said, “I came here an atheist (无神论者), and departed a devout (虔诚的)believer.”What is it that attracts so many travelers to the Canyon?
A.The unearthliness and the grandeur of its architecture. |
B.The presence of American super stars. |
C.The saying made by American writers and journalists. |
D.The roaring of the river in the Canyon. |
What does the underlined word “simple” refer to?
A.peaceful stream | B.land surface | C.common people | D.tamed animals |
If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, which of the following won’t be the way of traveling for you?
A.By train. | B.By animal. | C.By car. | D.On foot. |
The last sentence “I came here an atheist, and departed a devout believer.” implies that ______.
A.natural wonders such as the Canyon have some effect on human activities |
B.all visitors to the Grand Canyon are God believers |
C.atheist can’t see the magnificence of the Grand Canyon |
D.the Grand Canyon is an unearthly sight that only God could create |
Imagine being the only person in the Forbidden City. You could stay there all day without swarms of people crowding around. You'd be able to look at the ancient treasures without worrying about other visitors pushing you for a better view. Well, in two years time you'll be able to have such an experience, just like the former emperors used to. The only difference is that your Forbidden City fun will be online.
Thanks to new technology, a virtual tour of the Forbidden City will be available online by 2008. The project - jointly driven by the Palace Museum and computer company IBM - aims to help teenagers around the world become more interested in Chinese culture. The project will offer an interactive, three-dimensional view of the palace. The virtual tour will provide images from all over the 780,000-square-metre palace.
"The Palace Museum is a big book; there are always places you haven't read about," said Hu Chui from the museum. There are many rooms closed for protection. But the virtual platform breaks the boundaries of time and space, meaning visitors can see whatever they want. "The interaction and games content in the virtual tour will attract more young people to understand and love our cultural heritage," added Hu.
In the virtual tour, historical figures will actually talk to visitors and answer their questions. The stories behind the buildings and treasures will also be told. "The online environment, presented in both Chinese and English, enables visitors to experience the culture and stories of the museum," said James Yeh, an IBM official. If you visit the Forbidden City now, which of the following won’t be the case you’ll have?
A.It is crowed with a lot of visitors. | B.Visitors are pushing you for a better view. |
C.You are the only person in it. | D.You can see some ancient treasures in it. |
Which of the following is not the advantage of the virtual tour of the Forbidden City?
A.Visitors can see whatever they want. |
B.Visitor can ask and talk to historical figures. |
C.Visitors can get to know the cultural heritage by playing games. |
D.Visitors can walk around the Forbidden City with your family. |
The “project” underlined in paragraph 2 refers to ______.
A.a virtual tour of the Forbidden City |
B.a new “Forbidden City” to be built by the Palace Museum and IBM computer company |
C.an Internet cafe to be built in the Palace Museum |
D.a big book to be published to introduce Chinese culture |
What attracts teenagers most to the virtual tour is _____.
A.the visible pictures in the place |
B.the interaction and game playing |
C.the online environment presented in English |
D.the platform without the boundaries of time and space |
Women, Race & Class
Angela Y Davis
£7.99
Analysing the differences and similarities between the experiences of black and white women, Davis casts new light on the struggle for human rights.
The Words to Say it
(an autobiographical novel)
Marie Cardinal
translated by Pat Goodheart
£7.99
Marie Cardinal's groundbreaking book was the first and remains the complete book about the personal experience of psychoanalysis (精神分析学). It reveals her traumatic (创伤的)childhood and institutionalisation(收容), followed by her escape to the cul-de-sac(死路)where her analyst(精神分析医师)lived. There, for many years, she made the journey towards recovery through Freudian psychoanalysis. A worldwide bestseller, translated into eighteen languages, it remains one of the most highly-praised books of our age.
Jade
Millie Murray
£4.99
Jade Wilson is smart, young, black and ambitious. And she's just been given the chance of a lifetime - a try-out for the Commonwealth Games swimming team. Jade lives with her mum, Jojo, a successful business woman. Jojo is overprotective of Jade, but she has her reasons. As a young model with a wonderful career ahead of her, she fell pregnant(怀孕) with Jade, and, much as she loves her daughter, she's determined not to let anything get in the way of Jade's success. So when Jade starts dating Dicey, there is hell to pay. Will Jade survive her Mum's constant nagging (唠叨)? And what if she were to get pregnant - would she, could she, do the same as Jojo and give up her career? As things start hotting up with Dicey, Jade is faced with some very tough choices... .
The book is very popular with people all over the world.Which of the following can prove the book The Words to Say it is very successful ?
A.It is the first book about psychoanalysis. |
B.It has a successful beginning and ending. |
C.It has translated into 18 languages. |
D.It remains the complete book about personal experiences. |
From the third part we can learn that ________about Jade Wilson’s mother, Jojo.
A.She didn’t care about Jade. |
B.She gave it up because of lack of interest in her career. |
C.She wouldn’t like Jade to be what she was. |
D.She was willing to accept Jade’s boy friend first. |
The sentence “there is hell to pay” in the third part probably means _____.
A.there are a lot of ghosts |
B.there is a lot of trouble |
C.the price has to be paid |
D.it cost too much to do something |
Which book do you buy if you want to read about women’s rights?
A.Women, Race & Class | B.Jade |
C.The Words to Say it | D.Marie Cardinal |
What is it that makes the book The Words to Say it different from two other books in writing style?
A.It is an autobiographical novel |
B.Its contents and writer |
C.Its translations |
D.The leading character in the book |
For £12 you can equip an entire classroom in Burkina Faso, for £31 you can equip a school football team in Sierra Leone and for £68 you can support the whole education of a Haitian schoolgirl.
The educational presents are the latest way on the trend of charitable(慈善的)giving for Christmas. Plan UK, an international children's charity, has made its gift list focusing on helping the world's poorest countries to improve their education conditions.
"Every year we rack our brains for the perfect present and too often end up with yet another pair of socks or a useless ornament," said Marie Staunton, Plan UK's chief executive.
"This year we are offering people in the UK the chance to give twice. Buying an alternative gift for a loved one could likely save the life of some of the world's poorest children."
Plan UK is working on projects in specific countries, such as Burkina Faso, which is one of the poorest countries in the world and has a primary school enrolment rate(入学率)of just 36%. A present of £12 will help equip a classroom in Burkina Faso with chairs, desks, books and pencils.
The educational presents are the latest addition to a list of other charitable presents, including vaccinations(接种)and clean water systems.
Football strips for schoolchildren in Sierra Leone are designed to help the children have fun while continuing with the psychological healing process following the country's civil war. The £31 gift will supply the team strip, a football and a whistle to a school in Sierra Leone.
Oxfam offers similar gifts. Its Back to School kits for five pupils is a bestseller in a catalogue(目录)which includes the £24 Christmas goat, the £30 lavatory and £12 for school dinners for up to 200 children. The first paragraph is written to tell us________.
A.the great differences between the rich and the poor. |
B.the general conditions of education in poor countries. |
C.the difficulty in getting good education in poor countries. |
D.the great meaning of a little money to children in poor countries. |
The underlined phrase “rack our brains” means _____in the third paragraph.
A.cause physical or mental hurt |
B.think very hard |
C.improve our intelligence |
D.make full use of |
Which of the following is Right according to the passage?
A.Plan UK is working on educational projects all over the world. |
B.The sufferings brought by war still have side effects on the children in Sierra Leone. |
C.The educational Christmas presents have been given to the children for many years. |
D.Its Back to School kits for five pupils is a bestselling book. |
The title for the passage would probably be ______.
A.A new way of Christmas shopping |
B.Give a helping hand to poor children |
C.Buy a child an education this Christmas |
D.Plan UK, an international children's charity |