Many famous painters worked in Antwerp during the city’s period of greatest power but Peter Paul Rubens is undoubtedly the most famous one of them. Known as Rubens House, the palace-like residence(大宅) and studio where Rubens worked and lived from 1616 until his death in 1640 is now one of Antwerp’s most visited museums.
Almost all of the works Rubens and his students created in the Rubens House have been dispersed (分散) over major museums across the whole world, but there is still an impressive collection well worth the visit. Besides paintings form the master himself you will find other works of art and furniture of the 17th century as well as paintings from his students, including works by Jacob Jordaens and Anthony Van Dyck.
The Rubens House was not only a studio but also a meeting place for the rich and famous. His clients(委托人) included wealthy merchants, diplomats, and there were also many noblemen who often visited his studio to see how work progressed. The Rubens House even had a special viewing area which allowed visitors to see the artists at work.
Ruben bought the house at the beginning of the 17th century after his eight-year-long stay in Italy. Influenced by Italian architecture, he rebuilt the building into an Italian-styled palace with a beautiful garden and moved in the house in1616.
After his death the building was sold. New owners modified the building greatly and by 1937, when the building was purchased by the city of Antwerp, it hardly resembled the original structure.
The impressive entrance hall, which connected the studio and the residence, is one of the few parts that survived. Other parts have been carefully restored and reconstructed after original plans and paintings of the house.As a museum, the Rubens House is popular because _______.
| A．it lies in the famous city of Antwerp |
| B．it holds all the works by Rubens and his students |
| C．there are many people who enjoy visiting it |
| D．Rubens, a great artist, lived and worked there |
We can learn from the third paragraph that _______.
| A．the Rubens House was popular with upper-class people |
| B．the Rubens House was the best studio in its time |
| C．Rubens’s students included noblemen and diplomats |
| D．people were not allowed to view the artists working |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Thanks to its great painters, Antwerp became a rich city. |
| B．Ruben possibly showed strong interest in Italian buildings. |
| C．Antwerp must be a historical city in Italy. |
| D．The Rubens House was completely rebuilt before 1937. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?
| A．Rubens created his works by working with his students. |
| B．A beautiful garden was added to the Rubens House by new owners. |
| C．The Rubens House is decorated with furniture of the 17th century. |
| D．Today’s Rubens House looks like its original structure. |
Children’s Storybooks and Tales: This site is dedicated to Children’s Story Books and how to tell Children’s Stories. If you enjoy a child’s story or have kids of your own then please browse (浏览) this site to find some great stories and how to read them.
The Cat in the Hat---Dr. Seuss
In the first book featuring the character (The Cat in the Hat, 1957), the Cat brings chaos (混乱) to a household of two young children on one rainy day while their mother is out. Bringing with him two creatures appropriately named Thing One and Thing Two, the Cat performs all sorts of tricks to amuse the children, with mixed results. The Cat’s tricks are vainly opposed by the family pet, who is a conscious goldfish. The children (Sally and her older brother) finally prove good ones, capturing the Things and bringing the Cat under control. He cleans up the house on his way out, disappearing seconds before the mother comes back.
The Famous Fire---Enid Blyton
The Famous Fire is Enid Blyton’s most popular and celebrated series of children’s books. The sequence (顺序) began life in 1942, when the first book, Fire on a Treasure Island was published and it has won great praise from both fans and critics. The series has gone on to become amongst the best-loved stories ever to have been written for children.
Tom and Pippo in the Garden---Helen Oxenbury
In 1988 Helen Oxenbury created a series of books featuring Tom, a naughty young boy, and his beloved stuffed monkey, Pippo. Ms. Oxenbury remarked that Tom was very much like her son “when he was a little boy”. Like Tom, her son would often blame his misdeeds on his trusted buddy, the friendly family dog.
The BFG---Roald Dahl
The story is about an orphan girl named Sophie. One night when Sophie cannot sleep during the “witching hour” and sees a giant blowing something into bedroom windows down the street. The giant sees her, and although she tries to hide in the bed, he reaches through the window and carries her away to his home.It can be inferred from the The Cat in the Hat that ________.
| A．the goldfish likes to keep company with the cat |
| B．all tricks performed by the cat are not amusing |
| C．Sally has to clean up the house before her mother comes back |
| D．the cat finally takes control of the Things |
From the book Tom and Pippo in the Garden, we know ________.
| A．Pippo is a naughty dog causing trouble in the family |
| B．Tom likes to keep a pet dog at home |
| C．Ms. Oxenbury complained about her son’s dishonesty |
| D．Pippo always gets the blame for everything that goes wrong |
According to the book The BFG, “the witching hour” may refer to a time ________.
| A．when magic things can happen | B．when a girl can’t fall asleep |
| C．when a person dreams a nightmare | D．when a child can be taken away |
For whom is the passage most likely intended?
| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Teachers. | D．Writers. |
As the Internet’s influence grows, the potential for danger also escalates (逐步上升). One of these dangers is from cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying (网络欺凌) is repeatedly hurting someone else through the use of technology. It consists of sending or posting cruel messages, photos, or videos on the Internet or other electronic media with the intent of damaging the reputation of the target. Imagine being a 13-year-old girl discovering a cell phone picture of her changing clothes for gym class has been sent to all her classmates. Or imagine being an 11-year-old boy who is scared to go to school because an unknown bully sent him an instant message saying that he is so fat that he should kill himself. Cases such as these are happening every day, leading kids to be depressed and unable to concentrate.
Worse yet, parents are oblivious (忽视的) to what is happening. Only 15 percent of parents even know what cyber-bullying is. And anyone who thinks that their child is not a victim or a bully is probably wrong. 90 percent of middle school students have had their feelings hurt online and 75 percent have admitted to visiting a website attacking another student.
Unlike traditional schoolyard bullying, where a bully has a name and a face, cyber-bullying gets much of its power from anonymity (匿名). A cyber bully might design a website posting cruel remarks about a classmate and never tell anyone that he or she was the creator. The cyber-bullying also gets its power from the scope (范围) of its audience. Within seconds, a cyber bully can send an e-mail to everyone he or she knows, inviting them to take part in an online poll (民意测验) of who is the ugliest kid in their class. Victims can be picked on day and night from any place.
The good news is that you can help stop cyber-bullying. By making parents and educators aware of what is going on and encouraging them to take quick and strong action when cyber-bullying cases happen, you can help make technology constructive, not destructive, for young people.What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．Not many students have known of cyber-bullying. |
| B．Parents may not know their child is a victim of cyber-bullying. |
| C．Parents know a lot of cyber-bullying. |
| D．Most of the students have not been hurt by cyber-bullying. |
What does the author think of the cyber-bullying?
| A．It is not as harmful as people think. |
| B．It is too complex a problem to settle. |
| C．It will not affect the relationship between classmates. |
| D．It can be stopped through our efforts. |
What will probably be discussed in the following passage?
| A．How to prevent cyber-bullying. |
| B．What parents and educators think of cyber-bullying. |
| C．How to make parents aware of cyber-bullying. |
| D．How to make good use of technology. |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中由两项为多余选项。
Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness?The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.
lMake a plan for achieving goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.
lSurround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively(消极地) when you are surrounded by people who think that way.
lWhen something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow setbacks(挫折) to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the things back to their favor.
lThese few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.
lWhether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously(下意识地) putting yourself in a better mood.
lFinding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.
lKeeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness.
| A．What makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy. |
| B．On the contrary, if you are around people who are happy， their emotional state will be easily passed to you. |
| C．Being overweight or not eating foods containing nutrition have a negative effect on your mood. |
| D．These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves. |
E.Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy.
F.There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.
G.It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.
A2 and AS Level Revision at Easter 2012
Course Dates
Courses run from Monday to Friday each week.
◆One Week Courses
Monday 6 April—Friday 10 April
Monday 13 April— Friday 17 April
◆Two Week Courses
Monday 6 April—Friday 17 April
Students may arrive a day earlier （Sunday） and/or depart a day later （Saturday） at extra cost.
Number of Students per Class
The average number of students is usually between 1 and 4 per class. As the numbers increase in a class, the number of “contact hours” is suitably increased to allow extra time. Many students will find themselves in privately tutored（指导） classes giving them ultimate flexibility（灵活性） and attention of the Revision Tutor.
Fees
One Week Boarding Fees: 1,495 GB Sterling （5 days/4 nights）
Two Week Boarding Fees: 2,895 GB Sterling （12 days/11 nights）
One Week Day Fees: 1,095 GB Sterling （5 days）
Two Week Day Fees: 2,165 GB Sterling （10 days）
Optional Extra Elements
Extra Night’s Accommodation（住宿）: 70 GB Sterling （including meals）
Additional Private Tutoring: 60 GB Sterling per hour
How to Apply
We provide you the majority of A2 and AS subjects. Before you apply, please contact us to tell us which subject areas you would like to cover. We will then be able to check whether a space is available. Once a space has been confirmed as available, you will need to apply online or via the PDF, and also compete the Additional Information PDF. After you apply, we will require you to fill in a detailed form explaining your requirements. If you have any question, don’t hesitate to ask us.Before you apply for the course, you must _______.
| A．explain your requirements in a form in detail |
| B．make sure that they have the area you want |
| C．go to the school to get the application form |
| D．complete the Additional Information PDF |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．If you need the tutor’s extra help, you need to pay more money to them |
| B．If you apply for the 2-week courses, you will have classes on the weekend in between |
| C．Tutoring hours are fixed no matter how many students there are in a class. |
| D．You can take the course on weekdays all the year around in 2012. |
This passage most probably is a （an） _______.
| A．arrangement for the Easter 2012 | B．timetable for a new school |
| C．advertisement for vacation courses | D．instruction on how to apply |
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sister. And day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy’s tummy(肚子).
Everything was normal for Karen. But she had difficulty giving birth to the baby. Finally, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in serious condition and was sent to hospital at once. The days went by. The little girl got worse. The doctor told the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.”
Karen and her husband had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby—now they planned a funeral. Michael, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister, “I want to sing to her,” he said.
Karen knew if he didn’t see his sister now, he would never see her alive. She led Michael to his sister’s bedside. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine; you make me happy when skies are gray…”
Immediately the baby girl responded. Her breath became calm. “Keep on singing, Michael!” ‘You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away…” Tears ran down Karen’s face.
Funeral plans were cancelled(取消). The next day, the little girl was well enough to go home! The doctors just called it a miracle(奇迹). Karen called it a miracle of God’s love!Before his sister’s birth, Michael _____ .
| A．often whisper to her | B．often sang songs to her |
| C．helped with the housework | D．decorated her room beautifully |
The new baby was in serious condition because ______ .
| A．the doctors were not skillful |
| B．she was not taken good care of |
| C．her mother Karen was in poor health |
| D．Karen had trouble in giving birth to the baby |
We can know from the text that ____ .
| A．singing often has magical power |
| B．Michael saved his sister by singing |
| C．doctors often use songs to help treat patients |
| D．the song Michael sang was made by himself |
The passage is mainly written to _____ .
| A．show sometimes songs can cure disease |
| B．introduce a funny way of saving life |
| C．show readers that God’s love is powerful |
| D．tell people a moving and interesting story |