One of the most well-known directors of our time is Stephen Spielberg. He was born in Cincinnati on 18 December 1946. His father was an electric engineer and his mother was a performing pianist. His sister, Anne Spielberg, became a screenwriter who wrote the stories for many famous films.
Stephen had always wanted to be a director ever since he was a young boy. When he was just 13 years old, he made a 40-minute film. It won a local competition. Three years later, he produced a film called Firelight, which made one hundred dollars’ profit at the cinema in his hometown. Many of the ideas from this film were later used for one of his most famous films called Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
When he was 18 years old, he wanted to go to film school so that he could improve his skills and become an even better director. Unluckily, he was unsuccessful in getting a place at this school so he went to a university in California to study English. Even though he had failed to get into the school he wanted to go to, he didn’t let this stop him following his dream to become a great director.
Stephen Spielberg has directed many films since his first major film in 1976. He now owns many different businesses, most of which are involved in the film industry.
| Year |
What happened |
| 1946 |
Stephen Spielberg |
| 1959 |
Stephen Spielberg made a |
| 1962 |
Stephen Spielberg produced a film called |
| Though he |
|
| 1976 |
Stephen Spielberg |
After a very busy afternoon，as I walked into my house，I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia，upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice，but this time，exhausted from chores，I simply sat down in a chair and listened to my friend’s frustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her，I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia’s depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. “I’m so grateful for the way you helped me through this，”she said.
At first I was surprised. After all，I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting (发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening，I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact，most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap；it’s listening that’s rare and valuable It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying，but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker，that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.
Unfortunately，listening isn’t as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work，multitasking has become a barrier (障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my email while Lydia talked that afternoon.
Another barrier to listening is our listening system：Most of us take in only about half of what’s being said during a conversation，according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute，yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore，because we think much more quickly than we speak，it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.
While it can be hard to focus at times，it’s a skill worth developing. With a little practice (employing some techniques)，you can become a better listener.Why didn’t the author give any advice to Lydia that afternoon?
| A．Because she thought her keeping silence was better for Lydia. |
| B．Because she didn’t know how to comfort Lydia. |
| C．Because she was too tired to talk to Lydia. |
| D．Because she couldn’t cut in while Lydia was talking. |
In Paragraph 2，the author mainly talks about________.
| A．the importance of listening |
| B．the importance of venting anger |
| C．her own listening experience |
| D．her own venting experience |
The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that________.
| A．we think much more quickly than we speak |
| B．we can only understand about half of what we hear |
| C．there is not much thinking time available while we are listening |
| D．we lose our concentration easily while we are listening |
What will be discussed following the passage?
| A．Why listening is valuable. |
| B．What we should do while listening. |
| C．How to become a good listener. |
| D．How to stop drifting off while listening. |
The first paragraph serves as a(n)________．
| A．explanation | B．introduction |
| C．comment | D．background |
My husband can plan wonderful surprise celebrations for me.Recently，however，I told him I didn’t want him to plan one for my upcoming birthday.
“Why？” he asked.
“I am embarrassed being the center of attention，” I quickly explained.
Later，I began to think more deeply about this reason. Then I remembered the surprise celebration I had planned for my friend Nancy on her 60th birthday. We were roommates on a threeweek tour following the Silk Road on those famous steppes (大草原)—and through the mountains—of central Asia.
That afternoon we had arrived at our hotel in Samarkand，Uzbekistan. The young man at the hotel desk told me about a bakery about 10 minutes away. After giving me detailed directions，he added，“Your nose will let you know when you arrive there.”
The temperature was 40 ℃.Soon，my_olfaction proved to be an unfailing guide. Outside the bakery，a delicious smell greeted me.
There were several kinds of breads，cookies，and cakes on display. There were also beautiful iced cakes. I chose a cake topped with powdered sugar.
Later at the Karim Bek Restaurant，Nancy didn’t see the young waiter walk up the steps with the cake.When I began singing“Happy Birthday，”everyone at our table—except Nancy—joined in.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. Then the grinning (咧嘴笑的) guest of honor thanked me，blew out the candles on the cake，and ate three pieces of it.
Today，after reliving this experience in my mind，I told my husband to ignore my request.I now understand what a surprise party is about：It is not about having a surprise party but rather the delight in giving it. That is what brings the satisfying joy.Why did the author go to the bakery?
| A．To get some bread for her journey. |
| B．To experience the local taste in Samarkand. |
| C．To buy a birthday cake for her friend. |
| D．To eat some iced cakes to cool herself down. |
The underlined words “my olfaction” in Paragraph 7 most probably refer to________.
| A．the waiter at the hotel |
| B．the author’s sense of smell |
| C．the author’s friend |
| D．the author’s map |
The party held at the Karim Bek Restaurant was________.
| A．very successful | B．a little simple |
| C．quite boring | D．too noisy |
From the last paragraph we learn that now the author________.
| A．becomes less interested in surprise parties |
| B．thinks surprise parties are embarrassing |
| C．enjoys giving others surprises |
| D．realizes the true meaning of surprise parties |
From the passage，we can NOT infer that________.
| A．the author’s birthday is coming |
| B．the author’s husband loves her very much |
| C．the author and Nancy have been roommates for three weeks |
| D．the author has already spent her 60th birthday |
Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can’t be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don’t clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans:
1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs.
2. Be willing to take the first step. Don’t wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can’t speak your language.
3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they’re from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on.
4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves!
5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific(明确的)time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like “Let’s go out for dinner sometime. ”Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation.
6. Don’t expect too much at first. Maybe they’re being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell. According to the text, Americans like to visit the following places except＿＿＿＿.
| A．shopping centers | B．parks |
| C．sports clubs | D．churches |
What should you say when meeting an American for the first time?
| A．What’s your age? |
| B．How much do you get in a month? |
| C．Nice to meet you! Are you from America? |
| D．Let’s get together sometime. I want to ask you some questions. |
What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．It’s very important to be a good friend of an American. |
| B．Some advice on how to make friends with Americans. |
| C．Something about the friendship in America. |
| D．Friendship is the most important in our life. |
Which is the best way to make friends with an American?
| A．To ask him if he is willing to make friends with you. |
| B．To spend a long time learning about him. |
| C．To wait until he tells you his thoughts. |
| D．To ask him to join you for dinner. |
A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspaper.
“Last week, ” he said, “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As
it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn’t get it back. ”
“How did you write your advertisement? ” asked one of the listeners, a merchant.
“Here it is, ” said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. ”
“Now, ” said the merchant, “I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I’ll buy you a new one. ”
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: “If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn’t wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. ”
This appeared in the newspaper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors, and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter. The result of the first advertisement was that＿＿＿＿ .
| A．the man got his umbrella back |
| B．the man wasted some money advertising |
| C．nobody found the missing umbrella |
| D．the umbrella was found somewhere near the church |
The merchant suggested that the man should＿＿＿ .
| A．buy a new umbrella |
| B．go on looking for his umbrella |
| C．write another and better advertisement |
| D．report the police |
“. . . if it fails, I’ll buy you a new one” suggested that the merchant＿＿＿＿ .
| A．was quite sure of success |
| B．wanted to buy him a new umbrella |
| C．didn’t know what to do |
| D．was rich enough to buy one |
The story is mainly about ＿＿＿＿＿.
| A．a useless advertisement |
| B．how to make an effective advertisement |
| C．how the man lost and found his umbrella |
| D．what the merchant did for the umbrella owner |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their
friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don’t
know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only turn to their friends for advice.
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.
However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends?
Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?
Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like? Many teenagers think their＿＿＿＿ know them better than their parents do.
| A．friends | B．teachers |
| C．brothers and sisters | D．classmates |
When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to＿＿＿.
| A．turn to their friends |
| B．talk with their parents |
| C．have a discussion with their family |
| D．talk with their friends on the phone |
The passage suggests (暗示) that＿＿＿ .
| A．parents cannot choose friends for their children successfully |
| B．perhaps some children’s friends are chosen by their parents |
| C．children won’t let their parents choose friends for them |
| D．parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them |
Which of the following do you think is RIGHT according to the passage?
| A．Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B．In all families, children can choose everything they like. |
| C．Parents should try their best to understand their children better. |
| D．Teenagers can only turn to their friends for help. |