Archaeologists believe they are on the turning point of throwing light on the life of William Shakespeare — by excavating (发掘) what may have been the playwright’s dust hole.
Experts have begun excavating the ruins of New Place, Shakespeare’s former home in Stratford-upon-Avon, which was destroyed 250 years ago. Although little remains of the property, the team, led by Birmingham Archaeology, believes it has identified a dust hole used by the 16th century poet.
Small pieces of pottery (陶瓷) and broken clay pipe have already been found from a muddy hole on the site, which they claim could yield some of the most significant discoveries about Shakespeare in decades. The dig focuses on three areas of the property, which Shakespeare bought in 1597 when he returned to his home town from London having achieved fame — including the so-called knot garden at the back of the building.
Dr Diana Owen, Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which owns the site, said, “We do not know if the knot garden was an area used by Shakespeare — it may have been a yard simply used by his servants. But this could actually yield some fantastic results, especially if it was an area where rubbish was thrown or the dust hole was located.”
Kevin Colls, from Birmingham Archaeology,added, “Through documentary evidence we know Shakespeare lived at New Place but we have very little information regarding the layout (布局) of the house and gardens at this time. Through archaeological fieldwork, in particular the dig of structural remains and the recovery of artifacts, we hope to fill in the blanks.”
Until October, visitors will be able to watch archaeologists and volunteers at work as they excavate the remains of the house, which was knocked down in 1759. Experts hope to unearth evidence to support theories that Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous works at the property. This excavation intends to ______.
| A．know something about the playwright’s dust hole |
| B．search for some treasure in the dust hole |
| C．explore the life of William Shakespeare |
| D．find something that Shakespeare lost |
New Place was destroyed in the ______ century.
| A．15th | B．16th | C．17th | D．18th |
Small pieces of pottery and broken clay pipe on the site ______.
| A．could show Shakespeare’s luxurious life |
| B．could lead to important discoveries about Shakespeare |
| C．could show us that Shakespeare lived at New Place |
| D．could prove when New Place was knocked down |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Shakespeare used to live at New Place. |
| B．Shakespeare became famous after 1597. |
| C．Only his servants used the knot garden. |
| D．Dr Diana Owen owns Shakespeare’s property. |
Two students started quarreling at school. One student shouted dirty words at the other, and a fight began. What can be done to stop fights like this at school? In some school, the disputants sit down with peer mediators(同龄调解者). Peer mediators are students with special training in this kind of problems.
Peer mediators help the disputants to talk in a friendly way. Here are some of the ways they use:
1）Put what you think clearly but don’t say anything to hurt the other. Begin with “I feel…” instead of “You always…”
2）Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Don’t stop the other person’s words.
3）Keep looking at the other person’s eyes when he or she talks.
4）Try to see the other person’s side of the problem.
5）Never put anyone down. Saying things like “You are foolish” makes the talk difficult.
6）Try to find a result that makes both people happy.
Peer mediators never decide the result or the winner. They don’t decide who is right and who is wrong. Instead, they help the two students to find their own “win-win” result. The underlined word “disputants” refers to the students ________.
| A．who are lazy | B．who give in |
| C．who make peace | D．who quarrel |
When there is a fight at school， ________.
| A．the students who quarrel decide who the winner is |
| B．the peer mediators and the disputants talk together |
| C．the peer mediators decide who the winner is |
| D．the two students sit down and listen to the peer mediators |
Peer mediators’ work is ________.
| A．to give students some special training |
| B．to find out who starts a quarrel |
| C．to give lessons to disputants |
| D．to help find a way to make both sides happy |
During the talk, if you say “You are lazy” or “I feel angry”, ________.
| A．the other person will understand you better |
| B．it’s hard for you to get a “win-win” result |
| C．it’s easy for you to decide who is right |
| D．the other person will know he or she is wrong |
A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you. Eating the right kind of food is very important. It can help your body grow strong to take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all these food together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eatinghabits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time. Or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may seem easy to finish your supper with fish and chips all the time. But you will find yourself tired in these days and you can not think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help your body remain healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health.Which of the following diets do you think is the best one?
| A．Milk, bread, cabbages and beef. |
| B．Eggs, tomatoes and chicken. |
| C．Corn, fish, cream and pork. |
| D．Rice, beancurd, apples, fish and chicken. |
Which of the following is a good eating habit?
| A．Eating fish and chips for supper all the time. |
| B．Finishing your lunch in a very short time. |
| C．Going to school without any breakfast. |
| D．Having at least one food from all four groups in each meal. |
In this passage the writer mainly tells us that ________.
| A．every person needs food to grow well |
| B．taking exercise can keep your body strong |
| C．the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy |
| D．enough energy helps people think more quickly |
The underlined word “dairy” in the second paragraph means ________.
| A．a farm where cows are kept |
| B．the food made out of cows such as milk and butter |
| C．the shop that sells milk and butter |
| D．a place where milk products are made |
Vanessa Brown, a senior lecturer of art at Nottingham University, explores the cultural and psychological relation between sunglasses and our modern idea of “cool.” Her research has uncovered about why most of us look better in shades.
Because they really make your misshapen face look better. Put on a pair of sunglasses, and an instant beauty as a result of balance! The dark lenses cover up any unbalanced oddities(奇异) around your eyes, and research on facial attractiveness shows a clear link between balance and our sense of beauty.
Because of mystery. Many of the quick judgments we form about people come from looking in the eyes; shade yours, and you’re instantly a more attractive presence. Eye contact helps us form judgments about someone’s intelligence, confidence, and sincerity and sunglasses keep us literally in the dark about forming those perceptions. And it works both ways, because the wearer of the sunglasses feels more mysterious, too.
Because of their historical link with sharpness and attraction. We take their existence for granted today, but sunglasses are relatively modern, Brown said. Sales started to pick up in the 1920s, but they didn’t become commonplace until about two decades after that. The way sunglasses were most used prior to their commercialization helps explain their inside coolness, Brown said, because in their early days sunglasses were primarily used during risky water and snow sports, which made them seem “daring and totally modern.”
Soon after that, Hollywood stars of the 1950s and 1960s started wearing sunglasses to defend themselves from being recognized by the public or bothered by paparazzi(狗仔队), whose flashbulbs would often explode violently, Brown said. Anyhow, movie stars’ adoption of them strengthened a sense of romance. Also—and this is more from my own personal research than Brown’s—hang-overs. They’re really great for hiding hang-overs. Which of the following would Vanessa Brown agree with?
| A．Sunglasses deliver mystery to the observers as well as the wearers. |
| B．Sunglasses were mainly used in risky sports after their commercialization. |
| C．Sunglasses are relatively modern and they became commonplace in the 1920s. |
| D．Sunglasses cover up unbalanced oddities on the face to give people a sense of mystery. |
The writer believes that Hollywood stars prefer to wear sunglasses ________.
| A．to hide their hang-overs |
| B．not to be recognized in the public |
| C．to be more attractive and romantic |
| D．to escape the flashbulbs of paparazzi |
Which of the following best shows the structure of this passage?
(①="Paragraph" 1 ②="Paragraph" 2 ③="Paragraph" 3 ④="Paragraph" 4 ⑤="Paragraph" 5)
More than four decades ago British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab. Since that ground-breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine.
The prize for Dr. Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a £900,000 check. The Nobel Assembly described IVF as a “milestone in modern medicine”.
With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester-born physiologist developed IVF - leading to the birth of the world’s first test tube baby. Dr. Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility treatment and given hope to millions of couples.
It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed the lives of millions of couples. They said: “His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes human unable to have a baby. This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10% of all couples worldwide.”
Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, made international headlines when she was born in Oldham, Gtr Manchester, in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969.
Ivf-in-vitro fertilization is the process whereby egg cells are fertilized outside the body before being implanted in the womb. After a cycle of IVF, the probability of a couple with infertility problems having a baby is one in five—the same as healthy couples who conceive naturally.
Professor Edwards, who has five daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955. He once said: “The most important thing in life is having a child. Nothing is more special than a child.” With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof. Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridge shire, which now treats more than 900 women a year. Each year, more than 30,000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment.
But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was “unethical and immoral”.
Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was “long overdue”. He said: “We couldn’t understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted - this is the cherry on the cake for him.”
Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was “thrilled and delighted”.What is Robert Edwards’ contribution to science?
| A．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life. |
| B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing |
| C．Helping couples with infertility to have tube babies. |
| D．Challenging a disease which stops human having a baby. |
What does the underlined word “afflicting”(Paragraph 4)most probably refer to?
| A．Troubling | B．Developing |
| C．Improving | D．Confusing |
Why did Professor Edwards begin his research on tube baby?
| A．Because he thought it of great significance to have a child in life. |
| B．Because the birthrate around the world was unexpectedly low then. |
| C．Because a special child did make a difference to an ordinary family. |
| D．Because his fellow scientist wanted to give hope to the unlucky couples. |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 9 that ___________.
| A．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough. |
| B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards’ finding. |
| C．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded. |
| D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards |
| B．Preparations for Having a Baby |
| C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards |
| D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab |
Larry was on another of his underwater adventures but this time, it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his adventures. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first adventure, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, his was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first adventure without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them .Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater adventure.What can be inferred from Paragraph2?
| A．Larry had some privileges. |
| B．Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
| C．Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
| D．Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes?
| A．To dive into the deep water. |
| B．To protect himself from danger. |
| C．To admire the underwater view. |
| D．To take photo more conveniently. |
What can be learned from the underlined sentence?
| A．Larry didn’t wear a watch. | B．Larry had a poor memory. |
| C．Larry was not good at math. | D．Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
What did Larry expect his daughter to do?
| A．Become a successful diver. |
| B．Make a good diving guide. |
| C．Take a lot of photos underwater. |
| D．Have longer hours of training. |