Afterayearofpreparingherself,L-优题课

When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad’s office.
“What are you doing home already?” I asked casually.
“Andrew, I was laid off today.” he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. “No, you weren’t. Why are you really home?”
Then I noticed his seriousness and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. Providing for our family has been his joy, and I guess I had taken his work for granted.
My father’s unemployment created many changes in our lives. For starters, he was home all the time, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be optimistic. For the first time, I saw my dad as vulnerable. He asked my brother and me to spend less. I gave up my allowance, which even though it wasn’t much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he expended.
One evening I asked if he needed help.
“Only if it doesn't interfere with school,” he said.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really impacted me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plan B, ask for help, and take risks. What I have learned from my dad’s understanding of business and his work ethic are two of the most important lessons I will ever learn, and will be my foundations for success.
1. The author’s father stayed at home because ________.
A. he had to help with the author’s lesson
B. he had been unemployed by his company
C. heavy housework was waiting for him to do
D. he wanted the author know the truth?
2. What made the author know the truth?
A. The box from his dad’s office B. His father’s words
C. His father’s expression D. Being informed by his family
3. The author’s attitude toward his father’s former job was ________.
A. unconcerned B. sympathy C. doubt D. tolerance
4. By saying “Only if it doesn't interfere with school”, the author’s father seemed ________.
A. to refuse the author’s advice on the new business
B. to show his discontent with the author’s schoolwork
C. to have said yes to the author’s offer of help
D. to be looking forward to the author’s good behavior at school
5. It can be inferred from the text that ________.
A. the author’s father was more optimistic to stay at home
B. the author couldn’t put up with his dad’s own business
C. the author’s father offered little allowance to the author
D. the author benefited from his father on how to deal with adversity

Ⅲ阅读（共两节。满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Do you have any idea what you would like to be and do after graduation? A lot of people don't begin thinking about career until they reach junior or senior year, which, in my opinion, is too late.
When people are trying to decide what they want to do, it helps to know something they love. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been doing someone’s hair, make-up or nails, starting with Barbie dolls and progressing to humans. Over the years my family has really inspired me to do this and now I fix friends’ and family members’ hair for weddings, dances and other big events.
I have been thinking about what I would like to do for a career since middle school. I did some research and discovered that I might really enjoy being a cosmetologist so, I went to my hair stylist and asked her lots of questions about what it takes to reach her level and what she would recommend I do. I considered her advice and then did more research.
I used Aveda’s website to get information on the Aveda Institute and what type of credits(贷款) I would need from high school to apply. I found their institute has three parts: theatrical knowledge, practical experience, and professional business-building skills. For the past few years, I have been looking at Aveda in more and more detail. This school not only offers cosmetology, but also massage therapy(疗法). I grew up in Minnesota(美国北部的一个州), so I plan to apply to the institute in Minneapolis that several people have highly recommended. It helps students become “future industry leaders in hair care, skin care, makeup and total body wellness”. It is affordable and everyone there is friendly and understanding.
Having done the groundwork and thinking about what I’d like to do after high school, I know that I will definitely pursue my dream of becoming a cosmetologist.
1. After reading the text, we can infer the author is interested in ________.
A. traveling abroad B. service business C. social activities D. acting on the stage
2. Why does the author think it’s too late for people to start thinking about careers in junior or senior year?
A. Because he/she began to think about them when very young.
B. Because many people are too old to learn.
C. Because a lot of people can’t grasp the opportunity.
D. Because many people have little they love.
3. We know from the text that a cosmetologist is ________.
A. a chemist working at college B. a person who works in the institute
C. a doctor in a hospital D. a person doing all types of body care for people
4. The author plans to apply to the institute in Minnepolis NOT because ________.
A. the people there are good to others B. some people advise him/her to do so
C. the institute is free of charge D. the institute is helpful to his/her future
5. The author of the text may be a ________.
A. married person B. middle school student
C. college student D. a teacher in an institute

At 227 billion yuan ($33 billion) for 2008, Guangdong's cultural industries accounted for 6.4 percent of its GDP and experienced a growth rate of 13.8 percent. But Lai admits that size does not equal weight. "Our businesses are mostly small, financing difficult and brands few."
One local brand that has made it big is Pleasant Goat and Big, Big Wolf, also translated as Happy Sheep and Gray Wolf, China's most popular cartoon series currently being aired. But Liu Manyi, general manager of Creative Power Entertaining Inc, the firm behind the hit show, is not laughing to the bank. Instead she is bitter: "Pirate discs were all over the streets before our first movie hit the screen. Their images appear on all kinds of products. All this has no proper licensing."
In case you don't know, China produces the largest amount of animated(动画的) programming in the world. But quantity is not quality. Behind every Pleasant Goat there are tens of thousands of flops. The best way for the government to promote the country's creative industries is to crack down on piracy (盗版). Hollywood often raises its voice about being victimized (受害) in China. Truth be told, Hollywood is probably the least affected since there is a quota system for China's importation of Hollywood films.
Many Chinese producers are taking baby steps and the domestic market is all they have. If their rights in the home market are not protected, they will never see the day their products find a foreign audience.
The sudden closure(关闭) of BT websites where copyrighted materials used to flow freely suggests a determination on the part of the government to take intellectual property rights seriously. This kind of websites is bad for us, so we should ban them.
Much of the news coming out of the 2009 International Cultural Industries Forum was encouraging. China's film industry is expected to get 6 billion yuan ($879 million) in box office receipts this year. A decade from now, this number may go up to 30 billion, according to some forecasts.
If the government takes serious action against online and offline pirates, China's creative industries may well have a bright future.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 1 mean?
A. Fast as the development of Guangdong's cultural industries is, they don’t have a big challenge in the world.
B. Guangdong's cultural industries can make a big profit although they are just the small companies.
C. Guangdong's cultural industries make a big contribution to its GDP because of their strong economic power.
D. The development of Guangdong's cultural industries cannot catch up with any other industries.
2. What does Liu Manyi think about Pleasant Goat and Big, Big Wolf?
A. It is a failure since it is a local brand.
B. It is a success but cannot get the expected profit.
C. Its profit from the images has been shared legally.
D. Pirate discs make it more popular among the children.
3. Hollywood films are mentioned to tell us that __________.
A. Hollywood films make our creative industries have less space to survive
B. it is piracy that makes it possible for Hollywood films to get less influenced
C. our creative industries need enough protection to have a bright future
D. foreign films have taken up more market in China than the local ones
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Chinese creative industries are more advanced than foreign ones.
B. The domestic market is of little significance to the survival of Chinese creative industries.
C. BT websites stand in the way of the development of Chinese creative industries.
D. The growth of China's film industry is always slow and needs more support.
5. In which column of a newspaper will you probably read this passage?
A. Regional B. Economic C. Sports D. Cartoon

Getting to the top is hard enough but staying there is an even greater challenge. And so it could be argued that the 10th World Championship 400m victory by Tonique Williams Darling is even more remarkable than when she struck Olympic gold in 2004.
Coming off the final turn the 27-year-old from the Bahamas held off the attack of both Sanya Richards (USA) and the former World champion Ana Guevara of Mexico displaying a hunger that permanent champions must have.
"I would say that being able to pull off the Olympic title and then come back a year later and pull off the World Championship title has just been a miler coaster (过山车) experience for me," she revealed. "It's really an historical moment for me and for the Bahamas, just to be able to do something like this. And so I feel really humbled and grateful and just overjoyed right now."
"It is not an easy experience. I will tell you, definitely, that in the off-season it was just a struggle to go out there every day and practice because coming off the top races and after the Olympics experience you are just kind of worn out mentally. It's not even physical. So you just go with the season, and work through it, and by the time, like two weeks away from this competition, I was hungry again and ready to be competitive."
Williams Darling credits a support group of friends and family, her husband, Bahamian 400m runner Denis Darling, with keeping her grounded when the natural tendency would be to celebrate and then rest on one's laurels (桂冠，荣誉), Most importantly she credits her Christian faith.
"My life has changed a little bit (since winning the Olympics) but as far as the competition and training it hasn't changed that much,' she declares. "One thing I have tried to do is to train like I have never won anything before. And I think that it was achieved because I could have been lackadaisical (无精打采的) and blown off the season or whatever. I just stayed in there and knew that everybody else was coming after me. That really helped me to stay motivated this season."
1. The underlined words "credit' in paragraph 5 probably means
A. believe somebody
B. add money to the bank
C. attributes her success to those who have supported her
D. record, payment of money
2. Who won the gold medal of the 400m at the 9th World Championship?
A. Denis Darling. B. Sanya Richards.
C. Tonique Williams Darling. D. Ana Guevara.
3. According to the passage we can infer that _________.
A. the 10th World Championship was held in 2005.
B. Tonique Williams Darling's husband was her coach.
C. Denis Darling used to be a winner of the 400m of the Olympics
D. Sanya Richards only won at the .10~ World Championship
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Tonique Williams Darling was retired after the 10' World Championship.
B. Tonique Williams Darling believed that SomeOne would catch up with her if she' did not stay motivated and train hard enough.
C. Tonique Williams Darling got to the top because she Was hungry before a competition.
D. According to Tonique Williams Darling, the Olympic title was less important than the World Championship title.
5. Which is the most probable title of the passage?
A. The harder you work, the more you'll get.
B. An athlete's successful story.
C. The higher top you get, the greater challenge you'll meet.
D. Do your best, and you are sure to be the top.

III. 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of 30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast, efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the “Bullet Train”. Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went “on line” in 1964. The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of 132 mph.
The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the “TGV” (Train à Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974, the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands.
There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991, Japan’s Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country.
China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic energy into electricity, so that it can ensure its electricity supply even when it is cut off from the power grids. In all, 89 such trains are expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2010.
1. It was ___________ that helped promote rapid economic growth in 30 years in Japan.
A. manufacturers B. ordinary trains
C. Internet D. convenient transportation means
2. France introduced high speed trains to _____________.
A. increase the number of passengers B. fight against Opec
C. develop the finance of France D. connect other cities
3. Which of the following advantage(s) belongs to bullet train?
A. Speedy and energy-wasting. B. Slow but secure.
C. Fast and safe. D. Crowded and expensive.
4. What is the feature of the China’s currently fastest train?
A. It is the most advanced train in the world.
B. It can run faster than any other trains throughout the world.
C. It can produce electricity by energy transformation.
D. It can go into commercial operation.
5. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Bullet trains are the most convenient means of transportation compared with others.
B. Bullet trains are the only key to developing the economy of a country.
C. Bullet trains can save time and energy for people.
D. Bullet trains have many advantages and are accepted by more and more countries.