Bobby Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen, a tough working-class neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. But Hell's Kitchen lies right next door to Broadway, and the bright lights attracted Bobby from the time he was a teen. Being stage-struck was hardly what a street kid could admit to his partners. Fearing their ridicule, he told no one, not even his girlfriend, when he started taking acting lessons at age 17. If you were a kid from the neighborhood, you became a cop, construction worker, longshoreman or criminal. Not an actor.
Moresco struggled to make that long walk a few blocks east. He studied acting, turned out for all the cattle calls -- and during the decade of the 1970s made a total of $2,000. "I wasn't a good actor, but I had a driving need to do something different with my life," he says.
He moved to Hollywood, where he drove a cab and worked as a bartender. "My father said, 'Stop this 
craziness and get a job; you have a wife and daughter.' “But Moresco kept working at his chosen craft.
Then in 1983 his younger brother Thomas was murdered in a mob-linked killing. Moresco moved back to his old neighborhood and started writing as a way to explore the pain and the patrimony of Hell's Kitchen. Half-Deserted Streets, based on his brother's killing, opened at a small Off-Broadway theater in 1988. A Hollywood producer saw it and asked him to work on a screenplay.
His reputation grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. By 2003, he was again out of work and out of cash when he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. Haggis wanted help writing a film about the country after September 11. The two worked on the writing, but every studio in town turned it down. They kept pitching it. Studio executives, however, thought no one wanted to see a severe, honest vision of race and fear and lives in collision in modern America.
Moresco believed so strongly in the script that he borrowed money, sold his house. He and Haggis kept pushing. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance, but the upfront money was too little, Moresco delayed his salary.
Crash slipped into the theaters in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit and a critical success. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three -- Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing (Original Screenplay) by Paul Haggis and the kid from Hell's Kitchen.
At age 54, Bobby Moresco became an overnight success. "If you have something you want to do in life, don't think about the problems," he says, "think about other ways to get it done." Rearrange the following statements in term of time order:
a. His work Half-Deserted Streets drew attention as it opened at a small Off-Broadway theater
b. Unexpectedly Crash became both a hit and a huge success.
c. He moved to Hollywood to be a taxi driver and a waiter.
d. He started learn acting in spite of hardness with the belief of doing something diiferent.
e. His younger brother Thomas was killed in conflict among bullies.
| A．d; c; e; a; b | B．d; e; c; b; a | C．c; d; e; a; b | D．c; e; d; b; a |
Why Bobby Moresco did not tell anyone that he started taking lessons at age 17?
| A．He wnted to give his girlfriend a surprise. |
| B．His girlfriend did not allow him to do this. |
C．He was afraid of being lau ghed at. |
| D．He had no talent for acting. |
Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
| A．His father did not support his work as a bartender. |
| B．Before he became an overnight success, his life experienced ups and downs. |
| C．His brother’s death inspired his writing Half-Deserted Streets. |
| D．Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen which is a few blocks east of Broadway. |
The Studio executives turned the script Crash down because ______________.
| A．they thought the script would not be popular. |
| B．the script was not well written. |
| C．they had no money to make the film based on the script. |
| D．they thought Moresco was not famous. |
What’s the best title of the article?
| A．The Road to Success | B．Try It a Different Way |
| C．A Talented man—Moresco | D．Moresco’s Perseverance |
Which of the following can best describe Bobby Moresco?
| A．initiative and persistent | B．shy but hardworking |
| C．caring and brave | D．aggressive and modest |
DNA left at a crime scene could be used in the future to build up a picture of an offender’s face, it was revealed tonight.
A first step towards genetic mugshots has been taken by researchers in the US who link specific DNA markers with face shape. To identify the genes, they focused on known mutations(突变) that cause changes of the face and head. Normal versions of these genes were found to influence individual features.For instance, one gene affected the lips, another the shape and configuration of bones around the eyes, and a third the appearance of the mid-face and skull. In total, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
Lead scientist Professor Mark Shriver, from Pennsylvania State University, said: “We use DNA to match to an individual or identify an individual, but you can get so much more from DNA. Currently we can’t go from DNA to a face, or from a face to DNA, but it should be possible.” The implications are far reaching, raising the possibility of creating a data bank of facial types based on genetic markers. DNA from a crime scene could then be used to produce a rough image of the face of an offender or victim. Such genetic mugshots may be more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” based on witnesses’ recollections. Other uses of the technique might include proving the identity of fathers in paternity cases, or visualising our remote ancestors from fossil DNA.
The scientists wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics: “Such predictive modelling could be forensically useful; for example, DNA left at crime scenes could be tested and faces predicted in order to help to narrow the pool of potential suspects. Further, our methods could be used to predict the facial features of descendants, deceased ancestors, and even extinct human species. In addition, these methods could prove to be useful diagnostic tools.” The team developed a model which first established a range of physical face shapes from people of mixed West African and European ancestry from the US, Brazil and Cape Verde. Measurements were taken of thousands of point co-ordinates on grids placed over 3D images of the faces.
Statistical methods were then used to determine the relationship between facial differences and the effects of gender, ethnic ancestry and individual gene variants.The underlined word “mugshots” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.
| A．different faces | B．characteristics | C．pictures of faces | D．genders |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A. DNA has been used to build up a picture of an offender’s face.
B. It may be much easier to catch criminals with the help of DNA.
C. In all, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
D. One gene can affect more than one part of your face.According to Professor Mark Shriver, we know_________.
| A．they can merely match to an individual or identify an individual |
| B．there is a possibility of going from DNA to a face |
| C．DNA could be used to produce a rough image of an offender’s face |
| D．this technology is more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” |
What is the most possible title of the passage?
| A．Creating a data bank of DNA |
| B．Recognizing the DNA of criminals |
| C．Predicting the location of offence using DNA |
| D．Building image of offender’s face from DNA |
| The following are the sculptures in the Underwater Museum, which are accessible in person by glass boat, orscuba diving. |
|
 |
The Archive of Lost Dreams The Visual:It describes an underwater archive of messages in bottles. The Meaning:The bottles contain messages of dreams for future generations. The Hope:The statue is placed with the purpose of helping draw visitors away from the healthy parts of the reef. The Location:The Archive of Lost Dreams was placed 8 meters deep at Manchones Reef, close to Isla Mujeres. Behind the Scenes:The collection of bottled messages were provided by various communities who wrote about today’s values and their dreams for the future generations. |
 |
The Gardener of Hope The Visual:Here a young Mexican girl lies in a garden surrounded by pots which will be grown with live coral. The Meaning:The young girl in the sculpture represents a model for hopeful future generations. The Hope:The base of the Gardener of Hope was built to attract various marine creatures. The coral in the pots is also expected to grow. The Location:The Gardener of Hope was placed 4 meters deep at Punta Nizuc near the coast of Cancun. Behind the Scenes:The pots here are filled with live coral cuttings that were saved from areas of the local reef system. |
 |
Man on Fire The Visual:Man on Fire describes a lone male figure covered in live fire coral to resemble fire. The Meaning:The sculpture symbolizes the unawareness of the “fire” our generation has started with the over use of limited natural resources. The Hope:Man on Fire has 75 holes planted with small live cuttings of fire coral which are expected to grow like fire. The Location:Man on Fire was installed 8 meters deep at the Manchones Reef nearby to Isla Mujeres. Behind the Scenes:The sculpture was cast from a local Mexican fisherman and it weighs over 1 ton. |
 |
The Silent Evolution The Visual:Here more than 400 sculptures depict the timeline of human nature. The Meaning:It is a documentation of how society and people have changed over time. It is also to remind us of how we are connected to nature. The Hope:The installation is designed for forming a complex reef structure that marine life will claim as its own and inhabit. The Location:The Silent Evolution will be installed 8 meters deep behind the Manchones Reef. Behind the Scenes:The total installation will expand over 150 square meters and will weigh over 120 tons. |
| Attention:Guided tours are a must. You can catch a tour fromAquaworld, which leaves every hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．You can tour individually without a tourist guide by glass boat. |
| B．The Gardener of Hope will remind us of the relationship with nature. |
| C．Bottled messages are filled with live coral cuttings for future generations. |
| D．Man on Fire can educate us to protect the limited natural resources. |
Which sculptures are installed in the same area?
| A．Man on Fire & The Silent Evolution |
| B．The Archive of Lost Dreams & Man on Fire |
| C．The Gardener of Hope & The Silent Evolution |
| D．The Archive of Lost Dreams & The Gardener of Hope |
The writer introduces the sculptures to _______.
| A．defend Mexican Tourism Industry |
| B．call on us to go on a tour to Aquaworld |
| C．appeal to readers to protect Marine Life |
| D．attract tourists to the Underwater Museum |
The slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” won the Academy Award for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first movie from a black director to win the film industry’s highest honor in 86 years of the Oscars. British director Steve McQueen’s brave portrayal of pre-Civil War American slavery won two other Oscars, including best supporting actress for newcomer Lupita Nyong’o and best adapted screenplay based on the memoir of Solomon Northup, a free man tricked and sold into slavery in Louisiana. “Everyone deserves not just to survive but to live. This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup,” said McQueen in his acceptance speech.
“12 Years a Slave” was better over space thriller “Gravity” from Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, which nevertheless got the most Oscars of the night with seven, including the best director honor for Cuaron, a first for a Latin American director.The film starring Sandra Bullock as an astronaut lost in space swept the technical awards like visual effects and cinematography, a reward for its groundbreaking work on conveying space and weightlessness. Referring to the “transformative” experience he and others undertook in the four-plus years spent making “Gravity”, Cuaron, whose hair is graying, said, “For a lot of these people, that transformation was wisdom. For me, it was just the color of my hair.”
In one of the strongest years for film in recent memory, the 6,000-plus voters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered golden Oscar statuettes among the many acclaimed movies in contention.
It was a good night for the scrappy, low-budget film “Dallas Buyers Club”, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, a biopic of an early AIDS activist two decades in the making that won three Oscars, including the two male acting awards.
Matthew McConaughey, in a validation of a remarkable career turnaround, won best actor for his portrayal of the homophobe who turned AIDS victim and then turned treatment crusader Ron Woodroof, a role for which he lost 50 pounds (23 kg). His co-star, Jared Leto, won best supporting actor for his role as Woodroof’s unlikely business partner, the transgender woman Rayon, for which he also slimmed down drastically.
Australia’s Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for her acclaimed role as the socialite unhinged by her husband’s financial crimes in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” “As random and subjective as this award is, it means a great deal in a year of, yet again, extraordinary performances by women,” said Blanchett, who beat out previous Oscar winners Bullock, Amy Adams, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep.The film which won the largest number of Oscar awards this year is ______.
| A．12 Years a Slave | B．Gravity |
| C．Dallas Buyers Club | D．Blue Jasmine |
Which director spent the least money in making the film?
| A．Steve McQueen. | B．Alfonso Cuaron. |
| C．Jean-Marc Vallee. | D．Woody Allen. |
How many Oscar best actresses are mentioned in this passage?
| A．One. | B．Three. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．“12 Years a Slave” won two Oscar awards altogether. |
| B．The director of “Gravity” is from Latin America. |
| C．The character Rayon is played by Jared Leto. |
| D．The woman film star Cate Blanchett comes from Oceania. |
British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners.” His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers (教友派), and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook.” As a stout Puritan(清教徒), he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation (拯救) through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan’s style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan’s works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most successful religious allegory (寓言) in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor — life as a journey — is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
“The Vanity Fair,” is an excerpt from The Pilgrim’s Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they got away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed.According to the passage, Bunyan hated the rich people mainly because ______.
| A．his father was making and mending pots and kettles |
| B．Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings |
| C．the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways |
| D．Bunyan studied the Bible to save the human souls |
What are the main characteristics of Bunyan’s works?
① The languages are concrete and living.
② The stories are carefully and vividly described.
③ The plots are romantic and twisting.
④ The works are easy to understand.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②④ |
John Bunyan wrote the book The Pilgrim’s Progress in order to ______.
| A．advise people to obey religious principles for salvation |
| B．tell people that life is a simple and familiar journey |
| C．add spiritual significance to the commonplace details |
| D．to combine the strange things with the familiar things |
What moral does the story of the last paragraph convey to us?
| A．Any imaginable things might happen in a pilgrim’s dream. |
| B．Christian the Pilgrim likes reading the Bible with a burden. |
| C．People can struggle against weaknesses and evils for salvation |
| D．People can enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed. |
DNA left at a crime scene could be used in the future to build up a picture of an offender’s face, it was revealed tonight.
A first step towards genetic mugshots has been taken by researchers in the US who link specific DNA markers with face shape. To identify the genes, they focused on known mutations(突变) that cause changes of the face and head. Normal versions of these genes were found to influence individual features.For instance, one gene affected the lips, another the shape and configuration of bones around the eyes, and a third the appearance of the mid-face and skull. In total, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
Lead scientist Professor Mark Shriver, from Pennsylvania State University, said: “We use DNA to match to an individual or identify an individual, but you can get so much more from DNA. Currently we can’t go from DNA to a face, or from a face to DNA, but it should be possible.” The implications are far reaching, raising the possibility of creating a data bank of facial types based on genetic markers. DNA from a crime scene could then be used to produce a rough image of the face of an offender or victim. Such genetic mugshots may be more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” based on witnesses’ recollections. Other uses of the technique might include proving the identity of fathers in paternity cases, or visualising our remote ancestors from fossil DNA.
The scientists wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics: “Such predictive modelling could be forensically useful; for example, DNA left at crime scenes could be tested and faces predicted in order to help to narrow the pool of potential suspects. Further, our methods could be used to predict the facial features of descendants, deceased ancestors, and even extinct human species. In addition, these methods could prove to be useful diagnostic tools.” The team developed a model which first established a range of physical face shapes from people of mixed West African and European ancestry from the US, Brazil and Cape Verde. Measurements were taken of thousands of point co-ordinates on grids placed over 3D images of the faces.
Statistical methods were then used to determine the relationship between facial differences and the effects of gender, ethnic ancestry and individual gene variants.The underlined word “mugshots” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.
| A．different faces | B．characteristics | C．pictures of faces | D．genders |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A. DNA has been used to build up a picture of an offender’s face.
B. It may be much easier to catch criminals with the help of DNA.
C. In all, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
D. One gene can affect more than one part of your face.According to Professor Mark Shriver, we know_________.
| A．they can merely match to an individual or identify an individual |
| B．there is a possibility of going from DNA to a face |
| C．DNA could be used to produce a rough image of an offender’s face |
| D．this technology is more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” |
What is the most possible title of the passage?
| A．Creating a data bank of DNA |
| B．Recognizing the DNA of criminals |
| C．Predicting the location of offence using DNA |
| D．Building image of offender’s face from DNA |