No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the USA. There are almost 2,000 of them, as compared with 180 in Japan, 164 in Argentina and 111 in Britain. The quality of some American papers is extremely high and their views are quoted all over the world. Famous dailies like the Washington Post or the New York Times have a powerful influence all over the country. However, they are not national newspapers in the sense that The Times is in Britain or Le Monde is in France, since each American city has its own daily newspaper. The best of these present detailed description of national and international news, but many tend to limit themselves to state or city news.
Like the press in most other countries, American newspapers range from the “sensational” which feature crime and gossip(闲谈), to the “serious”, which focus on factual news and the analysis of world events. But with few exceptions, American newspapers try to entertain as well as give information, for they have to compete with the attraction of television.
Just as American newspapers satisfy all tastes, so do they also try to attract readers of all political parties. A few newspapers support extremist(极端主义的) groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers try to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are moderate(中立的). Many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of different political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture.
As in other countries, American newspapers can be either responsible or irresponsible, but it is generally accepted that the American press serves its country well and that it has more than once courageously exposed political scandals(丑闻) or crimes, for instance, the Watergate Affair(水门事件). The Newspapers drew the attention of the public to the horrors of the Vietnam War.There are fewer national newspapers in .
A. Britain than in the USA. B. France than in Britain
C. the USA than in Britain or France
D. France than in the USA or BritainMost American newspapers try hard to entertain their readers because
.
A.they have to keep up a good relation with them |
B.they have to compete with television |
C.they have to write about crime and gossip |
D.they have to give factual news in an interesting way |
Many American newspapers attract readers of different political preference by .
A.supporting extremist groups from time to time |
B.inviting middle-of-the-road Americans to write articles for them |
C.avoiding carrying articles about extremists |
D.printing articles representing different political viewpoints |
The passage is mainly about .
A.the characteristics of American newspapers |
B.the development of American newspapers |
C.the functions of American newspapers |
D.the advantages and disadvantages of American newspapers |
阅读理解
When an NBA player is young he thinks he can win the championship by himself.It is only later when he has aged and been through many battles that he learns an important lesson:there_is_no_“I”_in_“team”.
There is no better example of the value of teamwork than the Boston Celtics.Paul Pierce,Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were all superstars on three different teams.Yet,none of them had any titles to show for it.Then,last season,they decided to sacrifice money and individual statistics to play together.Garnett and Allen joined Pierce on the Celtics and changed the NBA in the process.
It started in simple ways.Garnett and Allen are two of the most intense athletes in the world.They treat every second of every practice like it is the NBA championship.If you want to play alongside them then you will have to do the same.So,the young guys on the Celtics started giving their full effort too.
Pierce had been the star of the Celtics for many years.He used to shoot the ball many times in a game.But with the addition of Allen and Garnett he shot less and focused on defense.
His selflessness showed the young players that doing what made the team better was the only thing that mattered.
When the Celtics were winning and the game was almost over,Garnett,Pierce and Allen would come out of the game.But they wouldn’t just sit on the bench.Instead,they stood and cheered and screamed for their teammates.They wanted to support their friends and teammates.
Now,the guys who don’t play know they can still affect the game by cheering so they scream and cheer when Garnett,Allen and Pierce are playing.The Celtics have developed a strong relationship.They are more than just teammates.They are brothers.
The result: the Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA championship and are considered the favorites to win the Eastern Conference championship again this year.
There is a saying that goes,“A successful team beats with one heart.”If that is the case,the Celtics may have the biggest heart in the NBA.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.The stories of three famous basketball superstars. |
B.The importance of teamwork among teammates. |
C.A famous basketball team named the Boston Celtics. |
D.Matches between the Boston Celtics and other teams. |
From the passage,we can see that________.
A.most mature NBA players believe they can win the championship by themselves |
B.Pierce,Garnett and Allen had to give up personal glory for team success |
C.Allen,Pierce,together with Garnett had been the stars of the Celtics for many years |
D.Paul Pierce,Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett had won NBA championships before they joined hands |
What does the underlined sentence “there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’” mean in Paragraph 1?
A.“I” will be missing once “I” am on the court. |
B.“I” work so hard in a team that “I” will forget who “I” am. |
C.The members of the team are more important than the individual. |
D.Surrounded by other players,“I” don’t seem to exist. |
Which of the following is NOT true about Pierce’s recent performance?
A.He became an even better shooter with others’ help. |
B.He focused much more attention on defense. |
C.He created more chances for teammates. |
D.He stood and cheered for his teammates. |
Which of the following didn’t contribute to the success of the Boston Celtics?
A.The whole team has become devoted to each and every stage of the game. |
B.The cooperation and teamwork among the teammates in the match. |
C.The influence of Garnett,Allen,Pierce and other teammates’ cheering. |
D.The increasing frequency of team players on the bench. |
After the birth of my second child,I got a job at a restaurant.Having worked with an experienced ____ for a few days,I was ____ to wait tables on my own.All went ____ that first week.When Saturday night came,I was luckily ____ the tables not far from the kitchen.____,I still felt it a little hard to carry the heavy trays (托盘).
Before I knew it,the ____ was full of people.I moved slowly,____ every step.I remember how ____ I was when I saw the tray stand near the tables;it looked different from the one I was ____ on.It had nice handles (手柄),which made it ____ to move around.I was pleased with everything and began to ____ I was a natural at this job.
Then,an old man came to me and said,“Excuse me,dear,my wife and I loved ____ you work.It seems your tray stand has been very ____ to you,but we are getting ready to ____ now,and my wife needs her ____ back.”
At first his ____ did not get across.“What was he talking about?”Then,I got it.I had set my trays on his wife’s orthopedic walker (助步器).I stood frozen as ice,but my face was ____.I wanted to get into a hole and ____.
Since then,I have learned from many mistakes such as the one I just ____.I have learned to be more ____ and not to be too sure of myself.
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Since 1989 Dave Thomas,who died at age 69,was one of the most recognizable faces on TV.He appeared in more than 800 commercials (商业广告) for the hamburger chain named for his daughter.“As long as it works,”he said in 1991,“I’ll continue to do those commercials.”
Even though he was successful,Thomas remained troubled by his childhood.“He still won’t let anyone see his feet,which are out of shape because he never had proper fitting shoes,”Wendy said in 1993.Born to a single mother,he was adopted (收养) as a baby by Rex and Auleva Thomas of Kalamazoo in Michigan.After Auleva died when he was 5,Thomas spent years on the road as Rex traveled around seeking construction work.“He fed me,”Thomas said,“and if I got out of line,he’d beat me.”
Moving out on his own at the age of 15,Thomas worked,first as a waiter,in many restaurants.But he had something much better in mind.“I thought if I owned a restaurant,”he said,“I could eat for free.”A 1956 meeting with Harland Sanders led Thomas to a career as the manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant that made him a millionaire in 1968.
In 1969,after breaking with Sanders,Thomas started the first Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers,in Columbus,Ohio,which set itself apart by serving madetoorder burgers.With 6,000 restaurants worldwide,the chain now makes $6 billion a year in sales.
Although troubled by his own experience with adoption,Thomas,married since 1954 to Lorraine,66,and with four grown kids besides Wendy,felt it could offer a future for other children.He started the Dave Thomas Foundation(基金会) for Adoption in 1992.
In 1993,Thomas,who had left school at the age of 15,graduated from Coconut Creek High School in Florida.He even took Lorraine to the graduation dance party.The kids voted him Most Likely to Succeed.
“The Dave you saw on TV was the real Dave,”says friend Pat Williams.“He wasn’t a great actor or a great speaker.He_was_just_Joe_Everybody.”What is the article mainly about?
A.The life of Dave Thomas. |
B.The dream of Dave Thomas. |
C.The schooling of Dave Thomas. |
D.The growth of Dave Thomas’s business. |
What do we know about his childhood?
A.He lived a poor life. |
B.He had caring parents. |
C.He stayed in one place. |
D.He didn’t go to school. |
Choose the right time order of the following events in Thomas’s life.
a.graduated from high school
b.started his own business
c.became a millionaire
d.started a foundation
e.met Harland Sanders
A.e,b,c,d,a |
B.a,e,c,b,d |
C.e,c,b,d,a |
D.a,e,b,c,d |
“He was just Joe Everybody.”(in the last paragraph) means________.
A.Dave was famous |
B.Dave was ordinary |
C.Dave was showy |
D.Dave was shy |
What is the name of Dave Thomas’s business?
A.Thomas’s. | B.Wendy’s. |
C.Lorraine’s. | D.Rex’s. |
阅读理解
The Pow Wow(印第安人的帕瓦仪式)is held annually at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in Hopkinsville,Kentucky.The Pow Wow provides an opportunity for participants to celebrate the great heritage of the American Indian through dance,drumming and singing,traditional foods,crafts and storytelling.For the visitors,it provides an exceptional educational experience.
The idea for hosting a Pow Wow in Hopkinsville was developed by the Trail of Tears Commission in 1988 as a way to commemorate(纪念)the 150th anniversary of the cruel Cherokee removal from their ancestral homelands in the southeast,across the Mississippi to Indian Territory,which is now Oklahoma.Known as the“trail of tears”,this forced removal affected Hopkinsville,which was along the trail,and served as a major stopping point for the Cherokees during the freezing winter of 1838 and 1839.
The president and founder of the Trail of Tears Commission,Beverly Baker,began work in late 1985 to gain support for his idea for a commemorative park,and to encourage interest in acknowledging this event in local history.Volunteers joined Baker in pursuing support of the park and designation(指定)of the Trail of Tears as a National Historic Trail.City and county governments,and a church offered$1,000 in seed money to the group.And then other help came.
A proclamation(宣言)by the governor set 1988 as the Year of the Trail of Tears.In 1992,the Pow Wow celebrated the Year of the American Indian.The state provided money to help develop the Pow Wow grounds as the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park,which opened in 1993.In 1996,the National Park Service designated the park as a site on the National Historic Trail of Tears—the first nonfederal property to receive this designation.Since 1989,Pow Wow’s own income has supported development,operation,and maintenance of the park and its heritage center.School and scout groups,local clubs,and tourists regularly visit the park and center.The Pow Wow is held each year to________.
A.honor Beverly Baker |
B.offer all kinds of entertainment to visitors |
C.provide visitors with an educational experience |
D.honor the cruel Cherokee removal |
The Pow Wow was first held in the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in________.
A.1988 |
B.1838 |
C.1989 |
D.1993 |
Which of the following shows the correct order for the development of Trail of Tears Pow Wow?
a.The idea for hosting a Pow Wow was developed.
b.The Trail of Tears Commemorative Park was designated as a site on the National Historic Trail of Tears.
c.The Pow Wow celebrated the Year of the American Indian.
d.The idea for a commemorative park was put forward.
A.a,b,c,d |
B.d,a,c,b |
C.c,a,d,b |
D.d,b,c,a |
It can be inferred that when the idea for a commemorative park was put forward,________.
A.it won many people’s support |
B.Beverly Baker grew more and more famous |
C.it was refused by the government |
D.it only received$1,000 in seed money in all |
How many of the following pieces of information can be gathered from the passage?
a.It was in 1838 that the cruel Cherokee removal took place.
b.Hopkinsville sheltered the Cherokees from freezing cold of winters throughout their trail.
c.Conventionally federal property has the honor to be designated as the site on the National Historic Trail of Tears.
d.The park relies on Pow Wow in terms of monetary support.
A.4 |
B.3 |
C.2 |
D.1 |
There are a number of special days of the year that are celebrated in different countries.The origins of most of the days are unknown.They were certainly not created by individual people.Other days,however,especially those celebrated in western countries often owe their origins to a particular person.One of the most popular of these,even though it is fairly recent,is Mother’s Day.Mothers have always been highly regarded in all cultures.The ancient Romans had a festival known as Hilaria,during which children took presents to the temple of the “Mother of the Gods”.The Christian Church adopted this idea and called it Mothering Sunday.However,over the years this custom was gradually forgotten,and almost disappeared by the end of the 19th century.
Born in 1864 in Virginia,USA,Anna Jarvis was a school teacher and believed children should show gratitude to their mothers for all their love and care.Encouraged by a friend,she wrote to thousands of important people—politicians,churchmen,doctors,city officials and asked them to support her idea:a special day of the year for thanking mothers.
In 1910 the Governor of West Virginia introduced Mother’s Day into the state.The date chosen was May 10—the second Sunday in May,which is still observed in America today.This date was chosen because May 10 was the date on which in 1908 Anna Jarvis’s mother died.In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made May 10 the official date for Mother’s Day throughout the United States.
Soon there was a Mother’s Day International Association and the custom began to be adopted in many countries of the world.
Anna Jarvis,a sad and disillusioned woman died in 1948.The custom she had worked hard to establish and which had become almost universal had lost its original purpose.It had been taken over by business.As with Christmas,the giving of presents and the sending of cards had become a multimillion dollar industry.The story is about ________.
A.Mothering Sunday for Christmas |
B.the origin of a special day for mothers |
C.President Wilson and Anna Jarvis |
D.how people celebrate Mother’s Day |
Hilaria was a festival in ________.
A.ancient Rome |
B.America |
C.China |
D.the Christian Church |
Anna Jarvis wanted to ________.
A.thank her mother for her care |
B.introduce a celebration for mothers |
C.meet thousands of important people |
D.make her pupils celebrate her on Mother’s Day |
May 10 became the date for Mother’s Day because ________.
A.May is in the American spring |
B.it was the second Sunday in May in 1910 |
C.President Wilson liked the date |
D.this was the date on which Anna Jarvis’s mother died |
Unfortunately,Anna Jarvis was not happy with Mother’s Day when she died because ________.
A.her mother was not there to see it |
B.she had never been a mother herself |
C.people were too interested in making it a business |
D.no one gave any presents or cards to their mothers |