The battle for the leadership of Britain’s Labour Party ended on September 25. Five candidates competed for the top job, but it turned out to be a tale of two brothers. Victory went to Ed Miliband, 40, with his elder brother David, 45, coming a close second. Ed’s Miliband’s job will now be to try to lead his party back into power and oppose Prime Minister David Cameron.
The two Milibands were both ministers in the Gordon Brown government. David Miliband, as Foreign Secretary, held the third most important post in UK politics. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described him as “vibrant and attractive”. Ed, who had a lesser role in government as Minister of Climate Change, was valued for his contribution to policy discussions and for his performance at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change last December.
The Miliband brothers were born to political parents. Their father, Ralph, was a Marxist scholar. He came to Britain from Belgium in 1940, fleeing the Nazis. Ralph Miliband was buried beside Karl Marx in London’s Highgate Cemetery. His wife Marion, the brothers’ mother, remains an active party member at 76.
The two brothers represent different wings of the Labour Party. David supported former Prime Minister Tony Blair; Ed was a follower of Blair’s great rival Gordon Brown, the last Labour PM.
“We’re determined to make sure that family comes before politics, and I don’t think there’s any chance that politics is going to get in the way,” David Miliband said before the vote.
After the result, the two embraced in front of the cameras.
In his acceptance speech, Ed Miliband said to his brother: “David, I love you so much as a brother. And I have such extraordinary respect for the campaign that you ran.”
But some feel their warm words were for the media and for the sake of party unity. There had been reports of anger on David’s part when his younger brother chose to stand against him. David may feel that the leadership was stolen from him-and by his own brother. Ed himself was reported to be concerned that he might have hurt David. According to the Guardian, after the result, Ed’s first reaction was: “what have I done to David?”
Ed suggested that he was prepared to make his brother shadow chancellor. But David has decided it is time to move on. He will not have a role in the Shadow Cabinet in the future.
In effect, he has fallen on his sword for the Party. David Miliband said the priority was to allow his brother to make a success of leading Labour: “I believe this will be harder if there is constant comparison with my comments and position as a member of the shadow cabinet.”. Ed Miliband became head of Britain’s Labour Party because ______.
| A．he played an important role in the previous British government. |
| B．his arguments at political discussions and his performance at an international conference |
| C．Hillary Clinton thought highly of him |
| D．his brother supported him both at home and politics. |
. According to the passage, which is NOT TRUE?
| A．Ed and David both worked in the government. |
| B．Ralph Miliband came to Britain because of the Nazis. |
| C．Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron are all Labour Party Prime Ministers. |
| D．David Miliband and Ed Miliband’s mother is still alive. |
.What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．David Miliband and Ed Miliband fought against each other both at home and politics. |
| B．Ed was concerned about David’s feelings after the election. |
| C．David and Ed were born into a political family. |
| D．David and Ed agreed with each other on most of the issues |
.What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．David accepted his brother’s invitation to be a shadow chancellor. |
| B．David was determined to fight against his brother. |
| C．David was so upset that he would end his life with a sword for the Party. |
| D．David refused his brother’s offer for him to be a shadow chancellor. |
.Which of the following can best describe the relationship between David and Ed?
| A．Brothers and political rivals | B．Partners in the political campaign |
| C．Partners in public and enemy in private | D．Representatives of different wings of Labour Party |
Answer the following questions by using the four job advertisements A—D from a newspaper.(You may read the questions first.)
| A Restaurant Supervisor Waiting Staff Telephonist The ideal candidates must have relevant experiences gained in a high quality hotel.Please call Personnel on 071 722 7722, or send your CV to:Regents Park Hilton,Lodge Road,London NW87 JT London REGENTS PARK Hilton |
B USE YOUR LANGUAGE AND EARN ￡450—￡1200 P.W. We are one of the largest business publishers in Europe and have limited positions for intelligent young people in our London advertisement sales office.Enquiries from German,Spanish and Eastern European speakers especially welcome. Phone on 071 753 4300 |
 CBABY SITTER WANTED For a 9 month old. Artistic/Prof household Notting Hill,3 days per week. Some hours flexibility required. Knowledge German/French advantage not essential 071 221 7375 |
 D Planet Hollywood London Join the Stars!Food Servers The biggest and busiest restaurant in London is seeking additional stars for its team of dedicated professionals.If you have experience in high volume restaurants and are looking for a challenge,then come on down for an audition. Interview day is on Friday 6th,May from 12 noon to 7 pm Planet Hollywood is located at 13 Coventry Street,London,Wl |
1.How many advertisements are for waiters?
A.One. B.Two. C.Three. D.Four.
2.According to advertisement B,we can learn that_________.
A.only German,Spanish and Eastern European speakers are needed
B.the job offers ￡450—￡1200 per month
C.the job is open to people of all ages
D.you may call to get more information about the job
3.In advertisement C,the baby sitter should_________.
A.have 9 months'working experience B.speak German or French
C.accept flexible working hours D.come form an artistic household
In July 19阅读理解upiter,the largest planet in our solar system,was struck by 21 pieces of a comet (彗星).When the fragments (碎片) landed in the southern part of the giant planet,the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth.But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?
The year is 2094.It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth.Most of it will miss our planet,but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth.The news has caused panic.
On 17July,a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a huge explosion.About half of the fragment is destroyed.But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound.The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads.The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometres an hour.Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned.The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.
Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth,but the north won't escape for long.Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions.As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust,temperatures around the world fall to almost zero.Crops are ruined.Wars break out as countries fight for food.A year later civilization has collapsed.No more than 10 million people have survived.
Could it really happen?In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth.The dinosaurs (恐龙) were on the Earth for over 160 million years.Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared.Many scientists believe
that the Earth was hit by a space fragment.The dinosaurs couldn't survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct.Will we meet the same end?
1.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author's description of the disaster in 2094?
A.The whole world becomes extremely cold.
B.All the coastal cities in Africa are destroyed.
C.The whole mankind becomes extinct.
D.The visit of the comet results in wars.
2.Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?
A.Because they could only live in the warm climate.
B.Because they once dominated the earth.
C.Because their extinction indicates future disasters.
D.Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age.
3.In writing the passage,the author intends to _______.
A.give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future
B.prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed
C.tell the historical development of the Earth
D.warn of a possible disaster in the future
4.It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n)________.
A.horror storyB.news reportC.research paperD.article of popular science
Many people imagine that Cover up means you don't _________get a tan. Nothing to show for your holiday. What a shame!
Not so. With Cover up, you can get brown if you want to. The point of Cover up is to protect your skin from the damaging rays of the sun—the ones which, according to the doctors, make your skin look older.
That's what Solex Cover up is all about—protection for your skin. It has a Sun Protection Factor of 8, which makes it suitable for anyone.
Find out how it works for you by referring to the Solex Sun Table. On sale wherever Solex is.
With SolexCover up, you can tan as slowly as you like. As gently as you like. And with much less chance of peeling(脱皮).
Your tan will look better. Your skin will stay young longer.
Solex Cover up
Gentle tan…Full protection
1. The phrase “get a tan” in the first paragraph means “_________”.
A. keep away from the sun on your holiday
B. become darker because of sunshine
C. look younger after your holiday
D. show you have been in the sun
2.Solex Cover up can be used to _________.
A. protect your skin from sunburn
B. cover yourself up on a windy beach
C. help you get a tan quickly
D. help your skin peel gently
3.What is the main purpose of the text?
A. To advise people on how to protect their skin.
B. To warn people of the danger of sun rays.
C. To help sell Solex Cover up.
D. To show how to get a tan.
Since 1989, Dave Thomas, who died at age 69, was one of the most recognizable faces on TV. He appeared in more than 800 commercials (商业广告) for the hamburger chain named for his daughter. “As long as it works," he said in 1991, “I'll continue to do those commercials."
Even though he was successful, Thomas remained troubled by his childhood. “He still won't let anyone see his feet, which are out of shape because he never had
properfitting shoes," Wendy said in 1993. Born to a single mother, he was adopted(收养) as a baby by Rex and Auleva Thomas of Kalamazoo in Michigan. After Auleva died when he was 5, Thomas spent years on the road as Rex traveled around seeking construction work. “He fed me," Thomas said, “and if I got out of line, he'd beat me."
Moving out on his own at 15, Thomas worked, first as a waiter, in many restauran
ts. But he had something much better in mind. “I thought if I owned a restaurant," he said, “I could eat for free." A 1956 meeting with Harland Sanders led Thomas to a career as the manager of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant that made him a millionaire in 1968.
In 1969, after breaking with Sanders, Thomas started the first Wendy's Old Fashi
oned Hamburgers, in Columbus, Ohio, which set itself apart by serving made to order burgers. With 6,000 restaurants worldwide, the chain now makes$ 6 billion a year in sales.
Although troubled by his own experience with adoption, Thomas, married since 1954 to Lorraine, 66, and with four grown kids besides Wendy, felt it could offer afuture for other children. He started the Dave Thomas Foundation (基金会) for Adoption in 1992.
In 1993, Thomas, who had left school at 15, graduated from Coconut Creek High School in Florida. He even took Lorraine to the graduation dance party. The kids voted him Most Likely to Succeed.
“The Dave you saw on TV was the real Dave,"says friend Pat Williams. “He wasn't a great actor or a great speaker. He was just Joe Everybody."
1.What is the article mainly about?
A. The life of Dave Thomas.B. The dream of Dave Thomas.
C. The schooling of Dave Thomas. D. The growth of Dave Thomas's business.
2. What do we know about his childhood?
A.He lived a poor life.B.He had caring parents.
C. He stayed in one place. D. He didn't go to school.
3.Choose the right time order of the following events in Thomas's life.
a.graduated from high schoolb.started his own business
c.became a millionaire d.started a foundation
e.met Harland Sanders
A. e，b，c，d，a， B. a，e，c，b，d， C. e，c，b，d，a， D. a，e，b，c，
4. “He was just Joe Everybody." (in the last paragraph) means _______.
A. Dave was famous B. Dave was ordinary
C. Dave was showy D. Dave was shy
5.What is the name of Dave Thomas's business?
A. Thomas's. B. Wendy's. C. Lorraine's. D. Rex's.
I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor—and go to court(法庭).
After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful
and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $ 200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I'd have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer. Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every time I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $ 115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $ 215.
My lawyer was at all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided
seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss(解雇) him. And he made mepay him $ 770.
Now I had to act as wn lawyer. Due to my inexperience,I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time,… and I left without getting a cent.
My experiences taught me two things about America:firstly,in a country like America money is everything. It is more important than friendship,honour or professional morality(职业道德). Secondly, foreigners are still being unfairly treated. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides.
1.The author's roommate offered to help him because
A. he felt sorry for the author.
B. he thought it was a chance to make some money.
C. he knew the doctor was a very good one.
D. he wanted the author to have a good lawyer.
2.A good doctor is essential for the author to ________.
A. be properly treated
B. talk with the person responsible for the accident
C. recover before he leaves America
D. eventually get the responsible party to pay for his injury
3.The word “charge” in this passage means________.
A. be responsible B. accuse C. ask as a price D. claim
4.Both the doctor and the lawyer in this passage are very ________.
A. friendly B. greedy C. professional D. busy
5. What conclusion can you draw from the story?
A. Going to court is something very common in America.
B. One must be very careful while driving a car.
C. There are more bad sides in America than good sides.
D. Money is more important than other things in the US.