In a recent class I was asked “What is a short story?” My first answer was that it was something that could be read in one sitting and brought an illumination（启示）to the reader, sudden and golden like sunlight cracking(破裂, 砸开) through a heavy cloud. I went on to say that in my opinion a “real” short story was closer to poetry than to a novel.
Here are some definitions of the short story. My favorite is Benet’s: “something that can be read in an hour and remembered for a lifetime”. One writer said, “The theme of a novel won’t fit into the framework of a short story; It’s like trying to squeeze a large painting done on a wall into the frame of a miniature （微型画）。 And as in a miniature painting, the details need to be sharp. ”
The short story is an example of one aspect of human nature. Often a character undergoes some event, something that offers him or her change. This is why it’s said that short stories usually “say something ”， often a small something, but sometimes delivered with such accuracy that the effect is strongly felt, even a life-moment for some readers, something similar to a religious experience or to witnessing a never-to-be-repeated scene in nature.
Ok, let’s form a definition here: A short story is an account, rarely over 10, 000 words or below 500 words-more commonly 1, 500 to 5, 000 words-a single-sitting read, but with enough time and weight to move the reader. It is narrow and focused to produce an effect through the story, most commonly through events affecting some change in an individual.
Writer Isabelle Allende once wrote: “Novels are, for me, adding up details, just work, work, work, then you’re done. Short stories are more difficult-they have to be perfect, complete in themselves. ”The writer of the passage is probably a ______.
| A．poet | B．painter | C．teacher | D．student |
What should the ideal short story be in length?
| A．at most 10, 000 words | B．below 500 words | C．over 5, 000words | D．around 2, 000 words |
The underlined word “undergoes ” in the third paragraph probably means “________ ”。
| A．experiences | B．discovers | C．discusses | D．appreciates |
What’s the difference between novels and short stories?
| A．Novels are too long for us to read. |
| B．Short stories are too short for us to read. |
| C．Short stories have more details than novels. |
| D．Short stories are more perfect and difficult than novels. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How Do You Write a Short Story? | B．What Exactly Is a Short Story? |
| C．Is a Short Story Similar to Poetry? | D．Are Short Stories Perfect and Complete? |
The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13thcentury religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th to 15thcentury paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 16th century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titian and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17thcentury paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velázquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th to early 20thcentury paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross(2minute walk), Leicester Square (3minute walk), Embankment (7minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8minute walk).
| A．The 13th. | B．The 17th. |
| C．The 18th. | D．The 20th. |
| A．In the East Wing. |
| B．In the main West Wing. |
| C．In the Sainsbury Wing. |
| D．In the North Wing. |
| A．Piccadilly Circus. | B．Leicester Square. |
| C．Embankment. | D．Charing Cross. |
We all long for friendship, but how to make a friend? “The best time to make a friend is before you need one.” Joy Steven said. The following are some tips for you.
People equal friends
Friends usually begin with strangers. Getting in touch with other people is the first step to make a friend. Friends can’t be made in empty air. Best friends take time to make.
Friends understand friends
Friends understand each other when talking. Many unpleasant personal quarrels can be avoided if you will take the time to understand others’ feelings and points of view.
Friends touch friends
Touching is a warm from of communication between friends. When you see best friends communicating, you will notice them stand close together, touch each other comfortably and listen to each other. Sometimes a friendly touch is more powerful than words.
Friends praise friends
Praise is a powerful tool to make a friend. Honest praise can affect (影响) your friends’ lives. So try to praise your friends, including your general ones.
Friends can loyal (忠诚的) and trustworthy
Trust and loyalty go hand in hand for friends. Friends can share secrets with you, because good friends never break confidence (信心) and are loyal forever.From Joy Steven’s words, we can conclude that ________
| A．a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| B．it is never too late to make a friend |
| C．it is late to make a friend when you need one |
| D．everyone needs a friend in his life |
To make and keep many friends, you need to do the following EXCEPT ___________.
| A．get in touch with people |
| B．understand your friends |
| C．praise your friends |
| D．quarrel with your friends |
The passage mainly tells us ______________.
| A．how to communicate with a friend |
| B．how to develop friendship |
| C．when to make a friend |
| D．how to praise a friend |
Mr. Eckerd at the end of the street was a different fellow with a different kind of house. He let kids from the neighborhood come to see his house, but only if they had written permission from their parents, and if he’d already spoken to the parents before.
What made it so different? He shared his home with rescued animals that the county couldn’t keep. He had the permission to have things like monkeys, large cats, and other strange creatures. His house had the ivy(常春藤)-covered brick wall and the iron gate across the driveway. Once you went inside, the hedges(树藤)lining the driveway were carved into the shapes of animals. There were other pretty plants on the grounds, too.
The old brick house held a lot of surprises. The double doors with the lion’s head door knockers opened into a large flat entryway. In the wooden board walls all around, there were fish tanks with colorful fishes. The ceilings were painted with scenes of plants and rare animals. Room opened off from there. Continuing down the hall, you came to a large courtyard, which had been caged in, partly open to the sky .A large group of tiny monkeys shook up and down trees. You had to walk through a caged tunnel into other parts of the house. They called out to whoever walked in, hoping for treats of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Behind that, the hall continued to a room full of snakes and lizards. It felt like a desert in that room, so dry and hot. It was not everyone’s favorite room, but it certainly was interesting. The final room was actually out back, and definitely not something to miss. It was much like a large glass bird cage or a greenhouse. It was there that you would usually find Mr Eckerd on a bench next to some carvings of jungle animals. He was watching the Bengal tiger that wandered back and forth inside the cage.
Mr. Eckerd’s house was the strangest and most unique place in town, a place very well worth seeing.What was different about Mr. Eckerd’s house?
| A．It was big and frightening. |
| B．It was full of flowers and gardens. |
| C．It had wild animals inside and outside. |
| D．It was an amusement park. |
What kind of live animals was NOT at Mr. Eckerd’s house?
| A．Fish | B．Snakes and lizards. |
| C．Monkeys. | D．Elephants. |
What exhibit or animal room seemed to be the least popular for most people?
| A．The tiger. | B．The monkeys. |
| C．The birds. | D．The snakes and lizards. |
According to the story, ______seemed to be Mr. Eckerd’s favorite animal at his house.
| A．The tiger. | B．The monkeys. |
| C．The birds. | D．The fish and reptiles |
All over the world people enjoy sports, Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.
Many people like to watch others play games. They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when "their" player or team wins.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for(参加) them. Football, for example, has spread(展开)around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy! And think of people in cold countries. Think how many love to skate or ski (滑雪) in Japan, Norway or Canada.
Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time. Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends. Sports help to train(培养,训练) a person’s character(性格,品格). One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(胜不骄，败不馁).Why do people all over the world enjoy sports?
| A．Because they are healthy. |
| B．Because they are happy. |
| C．Because they want to live longer. |
| D．All the above. |
Why do some people get excited when they watch a game? Because
| A．their favourite team wing |
| B．they win the game |
| C．they get the good news |
| D．they can’t help themselves |
Which of the sports has a long history?
| A．Water-skiing. | B．Basketball. |
| C．Volleyball. | D．Long jump. |
Why do people from different countries often become friends after a game together?
Because
| A．they train their character in the game |
| B．they understand each other |
| C．they are friendly to each other |
| D．they help each other |
The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent his camera crew (摄影组) out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry, “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we are on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise?” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew were out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay(海湾)。 Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir.” They said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio(摄影棚)。 “ All right,” the director explained, “ now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of minute, the director suddenly put his face in the hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out ______________.
| A．to watch a beautiful sunset |
| B．to find an actor and an actress |
| C．to film a scene on the sea |
| D．to meet the audience |
Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset
Because he was angry with his crew
Because it was his secretary’s suggestion
Because he wanted to get a scene of sunsetThe director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because___________.
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset |
After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands __________.
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D． because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine. |