Liu Xiang, a 21-year-old Chinese athlete, got the gold medal of the fascinating men’s 110m hurdles before a crowd of 70,000 at the Olympic Stadium in the 28th Olympics in Athens late Friday local time. He clocked an excellent 12.91 seconds to equal the world record set by Britain’s Collin Jackson in 1993.
It is the first gold Chinese men’s athlete has ever won from the track and field in the Olympics history. China has won over 100 gold medals from the summer Olympic Games since 1984 but its male athletes only got one medal from Olympics’ most popular sport, the track and field.
The Shanghai native, with his father a truck driver and mother an out-of-work housewife, loved sports when he was very little. Liu was selected to the Junior Sports School of Putuo District of Shanghai to practice jumping as a fourth grader in the primary school. But after a bone test showing that he will not be able to become a tall man, Liu was asked to give up sports one year later, although he had won the national champion at that level.
In 1998 when he attracted coach Sun Haiping’s attention as a 15-year-old jumper, Sun was a well-known hurdle coach and he believed a star was born at the first sight of Liu. He visited Liu’s parents several times and finally persuaded them to let Liu transfer to the 110m hurdles.
After only three years, Liu launched his career in style in the IAAF Grand Prix in Lausanne in 2001 by breaking the world youth and Asian record with a time of 13.12.
But the first warning he sent to the world was his bronze-winning feat（战绩）at the world indoor championships in Birmingham, England, last year.
In 2004, Liu won the silver in the world indoor championships in Budapest in March. Two months later, he proved the winner in a race against American great Allen Johnson in the IAAF Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan, where he clocked a new Asian record and world’s season best time of 13.06 seconds.
He went on to win two Johnson-absent races in Lille, France, on June 26 and Zagreb, Croatia, three days later. He put up an exciting show at the Golden Gala meet in Rome on July 3, when he and Johnson clocked an identical time of 13.11. Race officials had to examine a photo finish to declare Johnson the winner. Liu did a better job of clearing the hurdles than Johnson, but Johnson’s stronger start ended up making the difference. The race boosted（提高） Liu’s optimism(乐观) for the Olympics, although Johnson bettered his season best time by 0.01 second in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 6.
The world has put the Olympics a Johnson-Liu duel but surprisingly Johnson crashed out of the Games after falling at the ninth hurdle at round 2. Johnson’s early exit paved the way for Liu’s win. He finally took the gold medal and put a Chinese man’s name on the record book.
(chinadaily.com.cn /Xinhua) Updated:2004-08-28 02:57According to Paragraph One, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Liu Xiang is the fastest of the mentioned athletes. |
| B．Liu Xiang has set a new world record in the event of the men’s 110m hurdles. |
| C．Both Liu Xiang and Jackson got a gold medal at the Athens Olympics. |
| D．In the Olympics history, Liu Xiang is the fastest in this event. |
Before the 28th Olympics in Athens, .
| A．no Chinese athlete got a gold medal from the track and field at the Olympics |
| B．there was already a Chinese male medal winner in the track and field at the Olympics |
| C．Terrence Trammell got a gold medal from the men’s hurdles at the Sydney Olympics |
| D．Zhu Jianhua got a bronze medal from the men’s hurdles in the 1984 Los Angeles Games |
In the last paragraph, the underlined word “duel” most probably means “ ”.
| A．competition | B．friendship | C．partner | D．company |
From the passage, we can conclude that .
| A．Liu Xiang had no gift for jumping when he was a little boy |
| B．Liu Xiang set a new world youth record when he was 17 years old |
| C．Liu Xiang has succeeded because of his coach Sun |
| D．Johnson might have won the gold medal if he had not dropped out |
One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of : a warm bottle, songs gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him down. Guessing that I would have a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable (便携式)TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours till dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right now, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then walked out of the room, leaving him to watch the actors celebrate John Bellushi's forty-fifth birthday.
My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself. I found in my baby's a metaphor（启示）for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don't read , that they look down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watching TV.
After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: “Let them watch it!” If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want! Father brought a TV set into his son's room____.
| A．to stop his son crying | B．to let him learn something |
| C．to make him frightened | D．to let his son spend a good night |
To the couple’s surprise the boy ___after they brought a TV set into his room.
| A．soon fell asleep | B．cried all that night |
| C．became quiet and silent | D．slept quite well that night |
Form the last paragraph we know that the writer thinks it____.
| A．terrible for children to watch so many TV programmes |
| B．useless for parents to blame their children |
| C．necessary for TV stations to improve their TV programmes |
| D．favorable for children to watch the programmes they like |
There are many commonly held beliefs about eyeglasses and eyesight that are not proved facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weaken the eyes. But there is nothing to show that the structure (结构) of eyes is changed by wearing galsses at a young age. Wearing the wrong galsses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that only children can develop loss of sihgt if they have the wrong glasses. We have all heard some of the common myths(荒诞的说法)about how eyesight get bad. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained (过劳). Eyestrain also resulsts from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. But, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not harm eyesight all the time. Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced from one person to another . It is quite difficult to connect aneyeball to a new brain.And it is impossible to replace a whole eyeball to a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced now. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, some day it may be possible to replace a full eyeball.One cause of eyestrain mentioned in the passage is ____. .
| A．wearing eyeglasses too long | B．going to the cinemas |
| C．reading a lot | D．not visiting your eye doctor |
From this passage one can conclude that ____. .
| A．doctors are still learning things about eyesight | B．headcaches are usually caused by eyestain |
| C．people should wear glasses as soon as possible | D．people only believe things that are proved facts |
"Commonly held beliefs" are ____. .
| A．ideas that only low class people believe | B．ideas that moet people believe |
| C．beliefs that have something in common | D．foolish beliefs |
This passage mainly tells us that ____.
| A．people have many wrong beliefs about eyes and sight. |
| B．there are many things about the body that are not completely understood |
| C．there are several cuases of eyestrain |
| D．eyes are very important to people |
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers (青少年). But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. "The door to his room is always shut," Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. "She used to cuddle up (蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk," said Mark. "Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which."
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds. "In fact, parents are first on the list," said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. "This completely changes during the teen years," Riera explained. "They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last."
Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.. "The door to his room is always shut" suggests that the son ____.
| A．is always busy with his studies | B．doesn't want to be disturbed |
| C．keeps himself away from his parents | D．begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that .
| A．their daughter isn't as lovely as before |
| B．they can't read their daughter's mind exactly |
| C．they don't know what to say to their daughter |
| D．their daughter talks with them only when she needs help |
Which of the following best explains "the wall of silence" in the last paragraph?
| A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. |
| B．Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
| C．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
| D．Teenagers talk little about their own lives. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
| B．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers. |
| C．Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. |
| D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |
475 Riverside Drive
New York N.Y. 10027
Jan.15, 2011
Dear John,
I'm sorry you didn't get the part you tried out for in that play. I know how much you wanted to be in the play. Now you feel that maybe acting isn't the right future for you. I think you're wrong. You're a good actor. Do you remember when you played Caesar in your summer theatre group's play? You were excellent . People clapped(鼓掌)every time you walked on stage（舞台). Even the other actors loved you.
All actors have to get used to being turned down for a job. It's part of an actor's life. Even famouse actors don't get every part they want. I think you should give acting another chance. You love it so much, and you're good at it. Don't be discouraged because you lose one part in the play. Wait a bit, and try for another one. After all , you can always give up some other time.
Love,
JaneJane wrote this letter because____.
| A．she wanted John to get a part in the play he was trying out for |
| B．she wanted to tell John that he shouldn't give up acting. |
| C．she wanted to tell John how to become an actor. |
| D．she was unhappy with John. |
Jane talks about other actors to show Jon that ____.
| A．they are as bad as he is | B．acting is a hard life |
| C．they sometimes get turned down for parts they want | D．they are lucky enough |
What does Jane think of John?
| A．He is a good actor, and some day he will be successful. |
| B．He is too easily dicouraged to become a good actor. |
| C．He is a better actor than the person who has got the part. |
| D．He is as unlucky as the other actors. |
The person who wrote this letter probably ____.
| A．is an actress. | B．cares about John |
| C．wants to be an actress some day | D．envies at John's success. |
To be a good teacher, you need some of the gifts of a good actor; you must be able to hold the attention and interest of your audience; you must be a clear speaker, with a good, strong, pleasing voice which is fully under your control; and you must be able to act what you are teaching, in order to make its meaning clear.
Watch a good teacher, and you will see that he does not sit still before his class:he stands the whole time he is teaching; he walks about, using his arms, hands and fingers to help him in his explanations, and his face to express feelings. Listen to him, and you will hear the loudness, the quality and the musical note of his voice always changing according to what he is talking about.
The fact that a good teacher has some of the gifts of a good actor doesn’t mean that he will indeed be able to act well on the stage, for there are very important differences between the teacher’s work and the actor’s. The actor has to speak words which he has learnt by heart; he has to repeat exactly the same words each time he plays a certain part, even his movements and the ways in which he uses his voice are usually fixed beforehand. What he has to do is to make all these carefully learnt words and actions seem natural on the stage.
A good teacher works in quite a different way. His audience takes an active part in his play：they ask and answer questions, they obey orders, and if they don’t understand something, they say so. The teacher therefore has to meet the needs of his audience, which is his class. He cannot learn his part by heart, but must invent it as he goes along.
I have known many teachers who were fine actors in class but were unable to take part in a stage-play because they could not keep strictly to what another had written.What is the text about?
| A．How to become a good teacher. |
| B．What a good teacher should do outside the classroom. |
| C．What teachers and actors could learn from each other? |
| D．The similarities (相似处) and differences between a teacher’s work and an actor’s. |
The word “audience” in the fourth paragraph means ____.
| A．students | B．people who watch a play |
| C．people who not on the stage | D．people who listen to something |
A good teacher ____.
| A．knows how to hold the interest of his students | B．must have a good voice |
| C．knows how to act on the stage | D．stands or sits still while teaching |
In what way is a teacher’s work different from an actor’s?
| A．The teacher must learn everything by heart. |
| B．He knows how to control his voice better than an actor. |
| C．He has to deal with unexpected situations. |
| D．He has to use more facial expressions. |
The main difference between students in class and a theatre audience is that ____.
| A．students can move around in the classroom |
| B．students must keep silent while theatre audience needn’t |
| C．no memory work is needed for the students |
| D．the students must take part in their teachers’ plays |