Some people would go through anything just to achieve their dream. Kasia Siwosz is proof. For the final year student on the university women’s tennis team, the road to Berkeley, University of California was met with poor advice and misinformation from her home country and two unsuccessful stops along the way that fell short of expectations.
Born in Poland, Siwosz began playing tennis at seven years old and developed the skills that helped her earn a top-50 ranking among the ITF Junior division (国际网球联会青少年赛).. Siwosz wanted to do more with her life than just play tennis, which led her to seek chances that would also allow her to obtain a top education. While most who grow up in the U.S. are naturally accustomed to the American tradition of collegiate (大学的) sports, such a custom is not as familiar in a country like Poland. “There’s no collegiate sports in Poland and no culture of sports and academic (学术的) study there. You can only do one, not both,” Siwosz said.
Her desire to have a quality educat
ion led her to America to follow her dream. While Siwosz was talented enough to begin her collegiate tennis career, she could only attend community college because she missed the deadline to apply to four-year schools, mainly due to mi
sinformation provided in her home country of Poland.
When she had earned all her credits and was able to transfer (转学), Siwosz made the decision to attend Baylor in Texas. Her friends from Poland put in a good word for the university, saying that it was a good fit because there were many international players at Baylor. “I thought it would be a good idea, but it really wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Siwosz said. “I wasn’t happy at Baylor. The level of tennis was high, but the academic standards were no match and I just wanted more.”
After one year at Baylor, Siwosz’s luck finally began to change when she made the decision to transfer to Berkeley, which was due in large part to Lee, a former Berkeley student. Lee, who is a keen tennis player himself, met Siwosz four years ago in Texas. “I knew she was unhappy there,” he said. “I saw the opportunity for her to come here.” Siwosz visited Lee in Berkeley. “I ended up loving this place and this school,” Siwosz said. “I came here a lot over the summer, I gave it a shot and I ended up with a Berkeley education and a spot on one of the best college tennis teams in the country.”What does “two unsuccessful stops” (Paragraph 1) refer to?
| A．Poland and the U.S. |
| B．Baylor and Berkeley. |
| C．The community college and Baylor. |
| D．The ITF Junior division and the Berkeley tennis team. |
Why did Siwosz want to leave her homeland for America?
| A．Poland had no culture of sports. |
| B．Berkeley had always been her dream university. |
| C．She wanted to play tennis and have a good education. |
| D．She wanted to improve her tennis skills and get a higher ranking. |
Why did she leave Baylor?
| A．The level of tennis there was not high. |
| B．It was not suitable for international students. |
| C．She couldn’t get along with her friends there. |
| D．She was not satisfied with the education level there. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How Siwosz left Poland. |
| B．How Siwosz realized her dream. |
| C．How Siwosz became a top tennis player. |
| D．How Siwosz transferred from Baylor to Berkeley. |
There are many traditions around the holidays. “Holiday traditions” are things that people do every year during a holiday such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. At Christmas, for example, many people put up a Christmas tree or Christmas lights. These are Christmas traditions that have been going on for many years. But there is a “new” Christmas tradition that has become very popular: the TV firelog, a TV channel that shows nothing but a large log fire, blazing in a fireplace.
People put it on their TV and it makes them feel like they are watching and listening to a crackling fire. It makes them feel calm and comfortable. The origin(起源) dates back to 1986 in Canada. At that time, not very many people knew about it or watched the channel. Today, more than three million people watch the firelog channel during the winter holiday season. That year, the firelog channel was created(创造) to give the workers in the company that is now called Shaw Cable, a break at Christmas. By running the firelog during the holidays, everyone could go home for a few days and enjoy a bit of time off.
At that time, it was only broadcast to people in Edmonton but today it reaches people across Canada and beyond. This year, the Shaw firelog was updated. It is pretty high tech. Although it’s still really just a fire log that has been filmed, it has its own Twitter account (@ShawFireLog), its own Facebook page and it even has a computer App so you can see the burning log on a smartphone or a tablet. The Shaw firelog will burn until Jan. 5 on Shaw Cable, channel 222.What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．The origin and popularity of the TV firelog. |
| B．Famous holiday traditions. |
| C．What makes the TV firelog so popular. |
| D．The TV firelog today. |
What does the underlined words “the TV firelog” mean in Paragraph 1?
| A．It is an old Christmas tradition beginning a long time ago. |
| B．It is a TV channel that shows nothing but a fireplace. |
| C．It is a TV channel with all kinds of Christmas traditional programs. |
| D．It is a TV channel where people can watch a large log fire. |
For what purpose was the TV firelog created?
| A．To attract more people to watch their programs. |
| B．To make people feel calm and comfortable by watching a crackling fire. |
| C．To give the people working at the company a few days off at Christmas. |
| D．To create more new traditions for people to celebrate Christmas. |
What can we learn about the TV firelog from the passage?
| A．More than three million people watched the channel in 1986. |
| B．It was broadcast to people in Edmonton and across Canada when it first started. |
| C．It has its own Twitter account but no Facebook page now. |
| D．The burning of the firelog will last until Jan. 5 on Shaw Cable. |
A family in Guelph, Ontario is spending a year living “in 1982”. They’re doing it so their kids can see what life was like before technology like iPads, computers and even coffee machines was part of everyday life.
They have stopped using all technology from their home and are relying on the things people would have used back in the 80s. There is a box at the front door where people can put their cell phones in, while they’re visiting the family.
Blair McMillan and his wife Morgan want their kids—Trey, 5, and Denton, 2—to have a year without technology.
Instead of reading e-readers, they are reading books. Instead of using a GPS, they used paper maps. The home the family is living in was built in the 1980s. Even the way they dress and style their hair is from the 80s.
The whole idea started when young Trey was called to come outside. He didn’t because he was busy playing on the ipad. That’s why his dad thought of the idea of living “in 1982” for a year. The family plans to live like “it’s 1982” until April next year. To them, one of the hardest things was giving up their cell phone.What will the visitors do when they come to see the family?
| A．The way they dress and style their hair must be from the 80s. |
| B．They must leave their cell phone at home. |
| C．They will put their cell phone outside before entering the room. |
| D．They can use the phone prepared by the family. |
What is mainly talked about in the fourth paragraph?
| A．Dos and don’ts. |
| B．Reasons and results. |
| C．Advantages and disadvantages. |
| D．Advice and plans. |
Who made the family have the idea of living “in 1982”?
| A．The reporter. | B．Young Trey. |
| C．Blair McMillan. | D．Morgan. |
DCU·LS is the English Language Training Center of Dublin City University. Our courses are designed for adults (18+). We offer a lot of English language courses throughout the year in addition to special programmes in summer. Our school proudly has the same high standards which have gained Dublin City University a national and international reputation(名声) for the excellence of its courses. Recognized by Department of Education as an English language school for the teaching of English as a foreign language. DCU·LS offers you a friendly atmosphere in which you can improve your English skills. Because we are a university based company, we also offer our students ways to university facilities(设备).
For more information please contact(联系):
DCU Language Services, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 705552
Fax: +353 1 70511
Email: Is.elt @ dcu.ie
Web: www.dculs.dcu.ieWho can take part in the courses offered by DCU·LS ?
| A．Teenagers. | B．Adults over 18. |
| C．College students. | D．English teachers. |
What can we learn about DCU·LS according to the passage?
| A．They offer special programmes throughout the year. |
| B．We can contact it by writing letters as well as sending emails and fax. |
| C．The school is famous for its excellent courses both at home and abroad. |
| D．DCU·LS lies in Dublin City University, Dublin 9, England. |
What kind of writing is this passage?
| A．A traveling guide | B．A notice |
| C．An official report | D．An advertisement |
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, hurt many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people hurt many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.People who are unhappy _______.
| A．always consider things differently from others |
| B．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things |
| C．usually misunderstand what others think or say |
| D．usually are affected by the results of certain things |
The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “_______”.
| A．make others unhappy |
| B．have a good taste with social life |
| C．tend to scold others openly |
| D．enjoy the pleasure of life |
We can conclude from the passage that _______.
| A．we should pity all such unhappy people |
| B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life |
| C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness |
| D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons |
If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should _______.
| A．show no respect and politeness to them |
| B．prevent any communication with them |
| C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects |
| D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes |
As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse”, have negative meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel. There are many other examples of how “cat” is used differently as well.
The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used.“Every dog has its day” means “__________”.
| A．Everybody in the world is lucky. |
| B．Each person lives his own way of life. |
| C．If one works hard, he’s sure to succeed. |
| D．Everybody has a time in life to be lucky. |
Western people usually use “cat” to refer to “_____________”.
| A．a tired person | B．a brave man |
| C．a homeless person | D．an unkind woman |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Words show differences in culture. |
| B．Chinese people prefer dogs to cats. |
| C．Western people think cats to be good friends. |
| D．Rose is the national flower of all western countries. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Negative and Positive Words. |
| B．Different Countries Have Different Culture. |
| C．Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English. |
| D．What Dog and Cat Mean in English and Chinese. |