The writing of Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain. His young readership is limited to those who choose to study literature at university.
Shakespeare’s work, together with most other classics, is seen as remote, and written in a 400-year-old version of English that is about as inviting as toothache．
Still，in British schools，it is compulsory to study the bard（诗人），and when something is made compulsory，usually the result is boredom，resentment（憎恨）or both．
This was my experience of the classics at school．But when I reached my late teenage years，I had a change of heart．Like every other young person since the dawn of time，the world confused me．I wanted answers，So I turned to books to find them．
I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught it in Britain and China．I have never regretted it．There is something in literature that people want，even if they don’t read books．You see this in the popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works，the recent film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice being a case in point．These popular adaptations may help increase people’s interest in the classics．
Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare’s actual play．If that is the case，then I welcome the trend．But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing．Shakespeare is a poet．His greatness is in his language．Reading someone else’s rewriting of his work is like peeling a banana，throwing away the fruit，and eating the skin．Take on the original．It really is worth the effort．
56．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The language used in classics is no longer in use today．
B．British students usually find compulsory reading dull．
C．Only those studying literature read Shakespeare’s works．
D．For British people，Shakespeare’s works are no longer classics．
57．According to the passage，the writer .
A．has liked literary classics since an early age
B．was forced to read the classics for a PhD
C．turned to literature to seek answers in his teens
D．thinks only people who read books like literature
58．The popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works may help people .
A．1earn more about tradition
B．get a PhD in literature
C．seek their answers about the world
D．become more interested in the classics
59．The underlined phrase “a case in point” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A．a great hit B．a good example
C．a movie adaptation D．a popular phenomenon
60．What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
A．The fruit of a banana is more useful than its skin．
B．The rewriting trend does more harm than good．
C．Readers should try to read the original works．
D．Readers need to learn the language in the classics．
However important we may regard school life to be, there is always the fact that children spend more time at home than in the classroom. Therefore, the teacher should realize that parents have a great influence on their children. Parents can become strong allies (助手) of the school or they can get in the way of the school education.
Experts have realized the need to keep parents informed of the newer methods used in schools. Many headmasters have conducted workshops explaining such matters as the reading readiness, program writing and mathematics to parents.
Moreover, the classroom teacher, with the permission of the supervisors(管理者), can also play an important part in giving more knowledge to reporting pupils progress, teachers can help parents a lot in educating their children and parents can give much help to teachers.
Suppose that a father has been drilling Junior arithmetic lessons night after night. In a friendly talk between the teacher and the father, the teacher can help the parent to make Junior interested in it. He might be persuaded to let Junior join in discussing the family budget, buying the food, using a ruler or measuring cup at home, setting the clock, calculating the distance of a trip and engaging in scores of other activities that have a mathematical basis.
If the father follows the advice, it is reasonable to say that he will soon realize that his son is making satisfactory progress in mathematics, and at the same time, enjoying the work.
Too often, however, teachers’ talks with parents are devoted to small accounts of children’s misdemeanors(不良行为). They talk about the laziness and poor work habits of the children.
What is needed is a more creative way in which the teacher, as an adviser, plants ideas in parents’ minds to make sure that the child spends the many hours out of the classroom learning something useful.
In this way the school and the home join forces in educating children.The main idea of the passage is that ____.
| A．home training is more important than school training |
| B．parents should help their children to do their homework |
| C．there’re many ways in which the mathematics program can be carried out at home |
| D．teachers can and should help parents to use better ways to teach their children |
From this passage we can know that the writer ____.
| A．is satisfied with the relationship between school and home |
| B．feels that parent-teacher talks can be made much more constructive |
| C．believes that schools can’t teach pupils well |
| D．calls on parents to teach their children mathematics at home |
What way that the writer doesn’t talk about can improve the present situation?
| A．Classes for parents. | B．New type of report card. |
| C．Parent-teacher talk. | D．Dinner or party. |
The writer implies that ____.
| A．interesting activities can improve one’s achievement |
| B．too many children are lazy and have poor work habits |
| C．teachers should often make home visits to parents |
| D．headmasters do more than teachers in this area |
We can infer from the passage that the writer does not favor ____.
| A．father’s helping his son with his study |
| B．written reports to the parents from the teachers |
| C．talking about children’s shortcomings |
| D．having the parents help their children with their lessons |
A professor I have worked pretty closely with has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It has been devastating(悲惨的) for his family and heartbreaking for his students.
What made him extraordinary was not only that he was a rising star. He had only recently collected the highest honors for young researchers at the White House. We truly admire him—as someone put it, ‘He always has a smile and a kind word for everyone.” It is very hard to find someone who is extremely intelligent should be so nice a human being.
I decided that we needed him to know our attitude and also how we are all praying for his recovery. I bought him a simple card which read, ‘Healing thoughts and wishes coming your way.” I met all the students he worked closely with and got them to sign on it. Each student in his laboratory signed and also added a message. ‘We love you so much”, ‘We miss you! We need you back here—recover soon”… These were some of the messages that were written. Most of the students were really glad we were doing this and said it was a very good idea to give it to him.
He is still undergoing intense treatment, and along with his family is trying his best to stay optimistic and hopeful. I didn’t see a trace of self-pity or sadness when I met him last week. Instead, he paid attention to every word of my presentation and asked me several questions related to my work. I was amazed at how much he gave his 100% on that day in spite of being in pain because of chemotherapy( 化疗)，he did not know if he even had another month to live. “I am trying to focus on staying positive, hoping to be back this summer,” he said.
Needless to say, I saw an expression of joy and hope on his face as he opened the card. He said he was truly touched to see the messages from the students he worked closely with.
There is one thing I learnt from last week: It is so important to tell people how much they mean to us and what an inspiration they are before it becomes too late. My professor, in spite of being too sick to teach classes, has managed to continue being a great teacher, introducing his last valuable message to us.The professor was admired because _______.
| A．he was very intelligent | B．he had won many honors |
| C．he had noble personalities | D．he was very determined |
What do the underlined words “our attitude” in paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Our worry about his health. | B．Our pray for his health. |
| C．Our admiration for him. | D．Our pity for him. |
When the writer visited the professor at hospital, what surprised him was that the professor ________.
| A．was suffering form great pain | B．was still very confident |
| C．didn’t know he would die soon | D．still cared for others |
Of the following statements, the writer may agree that _________.
| A．the professor loves his job very much |
| B．few students supported the writer’s decision at first |
| C．the professor will go back to teach this summer |
| D．the professor often feels sorry for himself |
According to the last paragraph, what did the author learn?
| A．One should remain optimistic all the time. |
| B．It is important to let people know about their importance. |
| C．Teachers should have a positive influence on their students. |
| D．It is never too late to make a right decision. |
The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.
This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert cats or dogs.
“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor behind the new law.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals that deserve over respect and pity every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
Lat year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tail to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks.The new law passed in Rome will _________.
| A．help improve fishing environment |
| B．guarantee better conditions for goldfish |
| C．stop people from catching goldfish |
| D．discourage keeping goldfish at home |
People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by _________.
| A．exchanges with other cities |
| B．Protection of ancient ruins |
| C．awareness of animal protection |
| D．recognition of animal lovers |
People may break the law in Turin if they _____________.
| A．keep their dogs or cats in cars | B．feed homeless animals in car parks |
| C．raise their cats near ancient ruins | D．shut their dogs home all day long |
If a person forgets names , places or facts —and has trouble with everyday things like reading or shopping —it may not mean you are getting old . It could be Alzheimer’s disease . So it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you can .
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s . But a drug called ARICEPT has been used by millions of people to help their symptoms (症状).
In studies , ARICEPT has been proved to work for Alzheimer’s . It has helped people improve their memory over time . It has also helped them to keep doing everyday things on their own .
Ask your doctor if ARICEPT is right for you or your loved one . It is the Number One drug for Alzheimer’s in the world . The sooner you know it’s Alzheimer’s , the better ARICEPT can help .
ARICEPT is good for many but may not be good for everyone . Some people may experience not sleeping well , feeling very tired , or not wanting to eat . In studies , these side effects weren’t serious at all and went away over time . Some people taking ARICEPT may feel light-headed . In this case you should tell your doctors because your condition may get worse . If one suffers from Alzheimer’s , .
| A．he can’t do everyday things on his own |
| B．he has trouble with his memory |
| C．he often forgets things because he is old |
| D．he can’t move about |
What is ARICEPT ?
| A．A medicine to cure Alzheimer’s |
| B．A medicine to delay signs of aging . |
| C．A medicine to cure brain damage . |
| D．A medicine to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s . |
One who is taking ARICEPT should go to see a doctor if he .
| A．feels like a drunken man | B．feels tired out |
| C．has no desire to eat | D．can’t fall asleep |
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton（骨骼）in the closet（衣橱）?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank in a faint（晕倒）, waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ______.
| A．a family honor | B．a family secret |
| C．a family story | D．a family treasure |
What can we learn about some Australians’ ancestors form Paragraph 2?
| A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners. |
| B．They were the earliest people living in Australia. |
| C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia. |
| D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days. |
Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
| A．She was curious about it. | B．She planned to keep it for fun. |
| C．She needed it for her school task. | D．She intended to scare her parents. |
Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ______.
| A．they were crazy |
| B．they were over excited |
| C．they realized their misunderstanding |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel |