The US government has started a website, Admongo, to help children think critically about the advertising aimed at them. It claims to provide visitors with an “aducation” through games and other entertainment.
A cartoon man dressed in old time pilot clothing greets visitors to Admongo. "Call me Haiz", he says upon arrival in a rocket ship that opens up with a crazy world inside it. Spacey dance music plays in the background as Haiz tells visitors that they need to learn about advertising.
Its inventors say eight to twelve years old is the age kids develop their critical thinking abilities. Kids that age are also a big market for advertisers.
The idea behind Admongo is to teach children three things: To identify the advertiser. To know what the advertiser is really saying. And to know what the advertisement is trying to get the child to do.
Children learn these things through a video game. They create their own game character. They can choose different skin colors, hair styles, eye and mouth shapes. Then they begin a trip through ad-land, where there are ads on buses and billboards. The players have to find all the marketing in the neighborhood before they can move on to the next level.
The Admongo game takes players inside a home, to the advertising studio and everywhere else ads can be found. It is a complete exploration of the world of marketing.
One such area is food marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it is a big business. The FTC estimates that food, drink and fast-food restaurants spent more than one and a half billion dollars on advertising to young people in 2009.
The FTC says children are important for three reasons. They buy products. They influence parents and caregivers to buy. And they are the future adult buyers of the products.
A recent study says most advertising aimed at children is for foods of the lowest nutritional value. First Lady Michelle Obama has said she would like to see advertisers marketing healthy foods for children.What is the best title of the text?
| A．A website aimed at children’s food | B．The cartoon guide named “Haiz” |
| C．An “aducation” website for children | D．A popular online video game |
Why did the government start the website?
| A．To advertise the video game for children. | B．To help children know about advertising. |
| C．To attract the biggest market of buyers. | D．To sell the products of its company. |
What can players do in the website game?
| A．Play video games during the trip. | B．Travel to a supermarket. |
| C．Eat in a fast-food restaurant. | D．Choose appearance for their character. |
Children are important for advertising because they are ______.
| A．important for the society | B．the most potential buyers |
| C．easily influenced by ads | D．easily affected by poor products |
According to Michelle Obama, lots of foods advertised for children are ________.
| A．of low quality | B．yummy | C．of high nutrition | D．healthy |
John Russell, aged 83, got on a Chicago bus and saw a sign saying that senior citizens(老年公民) could ride (or take buses) for half fare(费用). When he dropped his three quarters in the box, the driver demanded (or asked for) identification(身份证明). John took out an ID card. “You need a special CTA card,” said the driver. John did not have the Chicago Transit Authority(交通管理署) card because he lives in New York and was in Chicago visiting his two sons.
“Put in another three quarters,” said the driver, “or get off the bus.”
One privilege(专利;特权) of old age is being stubborn (固执). John said, “ Give me back my quarters, and I'll get off.”
“I can’t — it’s in the box. If you don’t get off, I’ll call the police,” said he, which he did. Two police cars pulled up.
“I’m the criminal(罪犯),” said John Russell. Then he and the driver told their stories.
“That’s what you called me for?” one policeman asked the driver. Another police¬man then said to John, “I'll give you three quarters.”
John shook his head, “Why should you give me the quarters? He has to give me my quarters.”
“Where are you going?” asked the policemen.
“Downtown to have lunch with friends,” John said.
“Come on,” the policemen said. “We’ll get you your card.” So they took him down¬town to the CTA office. But the people there wouldn’t give him a CTA card --- he needed a picture.
“What about his quarters?” one policeman asked. The officials discussed, and the decision was made to give John’s quarters back.
When John got downstairs, the policemen asked where he was going.
“To see my friends,” John said.
“How are you going to get there?”
“On the bus. And all I’m going to pay is 75 cents.”
“Good luck,” the policemen said.
John got on a bus, dropped three quarters in the box, and said, “I’m a senior citizen...” The driver looked at John and nodded. He didn’t know how lucky he was to be a sensible(通情达理的)man.With a Chicago Transit Authority card _____.
| A．men of authority(权威) can ride on a bus for half fare |
| B．senior citizens can pay only half fare for a bus ride |
| C．men of authority can ride on a bus paying only three quarters |
| D．senior citizens can pay only three quarters for a bus ride |
John Russell needs a special CTA card most probably because ______.
| A．he is not a senior citizen |
| B．he is not a citizen of Chicago |
| C．he is only visiting his two sons |
| D．he has lost his ID card |
The decision made by the CTA office was ______.
| A．to give John a CTA card then and there |
| B．to refuse to give John's quarters back |
| C．to return the three quarters to John |
| D．to declare that John was a criminal |
The second driver let John ride on his bus because ______.
| A．now John produced his CTA card |
| B．he knew John was a very difficult man |
| C．he was kind enough to help the aged |
| D．the policemen were with John |
The suitable title for the above passage is ______.
| A．Giving No Quarters |
| B．Giving No More Quarters |
| C．A Sensible Driver |
| D．A Senior Citizen |
If you're in charge of (负责)a project, the key to success is getting everyone to want to help you. As a director, I point, I suggest, I gently push the actors in the direction(方向) I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie Nothing in Common, Jackie Gleason's character, Max Basner, gets fired (or unemployed) from his job as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot (拍) on a boat, shows Max's despair(绝望) about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that would allow Max to show his feelings.
Jackie had far more experience(经验) at everything than I did, and at first I was frightened (very much afraid). What could I possibly tell “The Great One” about acting? Out of fear I decided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. “So Max is sad, right?” I said.
Gleason nodded.
“And he’s probably still carrying his pens with his name on them --- the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?”
Gleason nodded.
“ So what would you want to do with the pens after you were fired?” He was silent for a moment. “Why don’t I throw them overboard (or all over the boat)?” I stood up and turned toward the crew. “ Hey, everybody, Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let’s shoot it.”
After filming the scene, Gleason called me over and said with a smile, “Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?”
You and your team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or gold stars for who gets the solution (or the way to work out a problem) first, you'll all benefit (or get something of use or value) when everything turns out right.The author tells us that to succeed in a project you are in charge of, you should __________.
| A．make everyone work for you | B．get everyone willing to help you |
| C．let people know you have the final say | D．keep sending out orders to them |
It can be inferred (推断) that __________.
| A．Jackie Gleason is the director of the film Nothing in common |
| B．Jackie Gleason is very angry when he is fired from his job |
| C．Max, a character in a film, is in very low spirits(情绪) when he loses his job |
| D．Jackie Gleason is the writer of the film Nothing in common |
“The Great One” in paragraph 3 refers to _________.
| A．Gleason | B．the director himself | C．Max | D．Max's boss |
Why did Gleason call the director over and smile at him? That’s because Gleason __________.
| A．thought his wonderful idea was accepted by the latter (后者) |
| B．succeeded in hitting upon (or think of) a wonderful idea |
| C．was confident (certain) about his work the next day |
| D．appreciated(赞赏) the latter's way of directing films |
The most suitable (or proper) title for the passage is ________.
| A．Directing a Film | B．The Key to Success |
| C．A Wonderful Experience | D．Working with Film Stars |
“You don’t say!”
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized(强调) the importance(重要性) again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience(经历).
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished (or greatly surprised). Gently (轻轻) shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders(耸肩), he said, “You don’t say!” “You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic(适当的话题). “Well, I’d better change the topic.” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?” “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent (or great and beautiful).” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it” Soon I was interrupted (or stopped suddenly) again by his words：“You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking, “Why do you ask me not to talk about it?” “Well, I didn’t request (or ask in a polite way) you to do so,” he answered, greatly surprised. I said, “Didn’t you say ‘you don’t say’?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘really?’ It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.
Remember: what the English teachers said is always right to us students.A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because _______ .
| A．English idioms were not important |
| B．I was not careful with English idioms |
| C．My teacher didn’t emphasize the importance of them |
| D．I had no interest in them |
At first, on hearing “You don’t say,” I thought the foreigner meant ___ .
| A．he was not interested in the topic |
| B．he was only interested in the Great Wall |
| C．I had talked too much |
| D．I had to stop talking |
The underlined word in the first paragraph probably means ____ .
| A．interesting | B．important | C．terrible | D．unlucky |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The Englishman left China without seeing the Great Wall. |
| B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it. |
| C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide. |
| D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting. |
After the Englishman explained the idiom, __________ .
| A．I thought the Englishman had made me a fool |
| B．the Englishman became a real fool |
| C．I felt very silly |
| D．I became more careful in everything |
My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six
falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. "Please God, I can't do any thing more for nay son. I'm at the end of nay rope. I'm giving the whole thing up to you."
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences." Before he could say another word,I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. "I love my son but I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It's out of nay hands. "For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, "Thank you for your time", and hung up.
Karl's next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he
said, "Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?" I nodded. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That's when I knew I had to make you proud. 'There was silence on the other end of the line because
| A．the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
| B．the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
| C．the speaker didn't want the mother to recognize his voice |
| D．the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
The sentence "... he even made the honor roll" means that “ _______”.
| A．he was even on the list to be praised at the parent- teacher meeting |
| B．he was even on the list of students who made progress in grades |
| C．he was even on the list of students who had turned themselves around |
| D．he was even on the list of the best students at school |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Children in single-parent families often have mental problems. |
| B．School education doesn't work without full support from parents. |
| C．Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers. |
| D．Mother's love plays an important role in teenagers' life. |
Say you are a 17th century construction worker who's worked long and hard to build a splendid tower for the dead wife of your emperor.
Now say that the emperor orders your fingertips cut off so you can never build another one. Yes, that is the Taj Mahal,one of the most famous buildings in the world. And the tale behind the construction is just as impressive as the building itself.
First, there's the emperor of northern India, Shah Jehan,also called the King of the World. In 1612,Shah Jehan married Mumtaz Mahal. Madly in love, they had 14 children over the next 20 years. But then sadness came. As Mumtaz was about to give birth to child'number 14, she said she had heard her unborn baby cry out. It was a sign of death. And as Mumtaz lay dying, she asked Jehan to build a lasting memorial to celebrate their love.
When the heartbroken Jehan appeared eight days after his wife's death, his people were shocked to see that his coal-black hair had turned snow-white.
Putting away his sadness, Jehan ordered his wife's dying wish carried out. More than 20,000 workers labored nearly 22 years to complete the construction. In 1653,Jehan placed Mumtaz's remains in the center under the building.
And then, son number five, Aurangzeb, murdered his brothers and took over the power from his aging father. Hehan lived the rest of his days-eight years, to be exact-imprisoned not far from the Taj Mahal. Jehan was only allowed to climb onto the top of his prison to see the timeless
treasure from a distance. But never again would he be allowed to visit it--until he was buried next to his wife.
Today 25,000 people visit the Taj Mahal each day. Though the reason for building the tower was a strange, sad story, those who see its breath-taking beauty are reminded of the happiness that inspired its construction.The first two paragraphs were written to show that
| A．the Taj Mahal is all unusual historic building |
| B．ancient Indian emperors were cruel |
| C．construction workers led a hard life in ancient India |
| D．India has some of the most famous buildings in the world |
The Taj Mahal was first built as ____________ .
| A．a prison | B．a gift to Mumtaz |
| C．a memorial building | D．a tourist attraction |
We learn from the text that Mumtaz probably died in ________ .
| A．1626 | B．1632 | C．1634 | D．1653 |