The Writers' Strike：Making the Best of the Worst
By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers’ strike---the decision of television writers to stop working. With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period.
Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV. With a most perfect cast(全体演员), the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to still put family first.
For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock. Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a 
glimpse into the making of a sketch show (幽默短剧),similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to the boss.
If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking. If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you. If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you .
If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement? The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV. Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing. If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch .
| A．Friday Night Lights | B．30 Rock |
| C．the Amazing Race | D．Saturday Night Live |
The author writes the passage to tell us that .
| A．the effects of the TV writers’ strike are great |
| B．the strike puts TV shows in the worst situation |
| C．watching DVD is a good choice during the strike |
| D．we should choose DVD shows according to our tastes |
The passage is most probably taken from .
| A．a book review | B．a newspaper | C．a film poster | D．a DVD menu |
B
| Evening Workshops |
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| Optional evening workshops will be held at small restaurants or other meeting places near the conference hotel. Meals and other costs are not included but are also optional. Locations will be announced at the conference site. Workshops are very loosely organized and most represent discussions that have been held at Society for Economic Botany (SEB) meetings over a series of years. |
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| Workshop 1: Student Network |
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| Date |
Wednesday evening, Feb. 5th |
| Chairs |
Hugo de Boer and Arika Virapongse |
| Sponsor |
Society for Economic Botany |
| Description |
Student members of the SEB hold a networking mixer each year in order to meet each other and to become familiar with a variety of educational programs and faculty advisors(大学指导老师). Faculty members who are part of training programs are encouraged to join the mixer to meet and talk with students. |
| Workshop 2: Botanical Film Making |
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| Date |
Wednesday evening, Feb. 5th |
| Chair |
David Strauch |
| Sponsor |
University of Hawaii |
| Description |
Digital film making is a particularly useful tool of linking cultural information to recognizable plants. This workshop is aimed towards increasing the quality of material recorded by giving participants greater control over the medium. We will cover technical aspects (e.g. camera settings, audio), technical aspects (framing, lighting, focus), and some ways of presenting the material. Experienced filmmakers are encouraged to attend, and participants are welcome to bring their own camera equipment. |
| Workshop 3: Collections for Botany — Collections Development and Management |
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| Date |
Friday evening, Feb. 7th |
| Chair |
Jan Salick |
| Sponsor |
Society for Economic Botany |
| Description |
SEB is a network of researchers who have been developing standards for the development of collections of artifacts, plant samples and related materials. Participants discuss successes, problems, and funding sources for solving management issues. |
One of the purposes of a networking mixer held each year is to ________.
| A．provide students with greater control over the media |
| B．link cultural information to recognizable plants |
| C．help the students to deal with most of the environment issues |
| D．help the students to be familiar with educational programs |
Which of the following is true according to the poster?
| A．Evening workshops will be held at small restaurants with meals included. |
| B．Participants have more than one option on Feb.5th than another night. |
| C．Workshops have nothing to do with the discussions held at SEB meetings. |
| D．Faculty advisers can join the mixer without training experience. |
You are a college student, interested in plants and good at taking TV pictures. Which of the Evening Workshops is most suitable for you?
| A．Botanical Film Making. | B．Collections for Botany. |
| C．Student Network. | D．Society for Economic Botany. |
The Great Barn Adventure
One morning when I was 11, I explored the town’s abandoned round grain barn（谷仓）. I found a chained sliding door that was wide enough for me to pass through.
Inside, there was a heavy smell of dead mice in the dark. After my eyes adjusted, I noticed a shaft (升降机井) that rose all the way to the top of the barn. On one side was a one-man elevator with a long rope and roller.
I stepped onto the platform and gave the rope a drag and the elevator began sliding up the shaft, but stopped halfway. After a brief panic attack, I noticed holes in the wall at regular intervals, forming a ladder. For reasons known only to an 11-year-old, I decided it would be better to go up than down. So, with shaking hands, I began climbing the wall.
After what seemed like forever, I reached the top of the shaft. I stood up, dusted myself off and found absolutely nothing of interest. It was just an empty room with a ladder leading up to the roof. I climbed all the way up here for this? Then I noticed a fire extinguisher（灭火器）,which I’d always wanted to shoot off. So this was the chance of a lifetime. I tried it, and, much to my surprise, the thing worked! It shot out a thick cloud of powder that instantly filled the room. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to choke to death, and they’d probably never even find my body.
Luckily, I remembered the ladder to the roof. I climbed up, popped the straw roof and saw a bright blue sky.
I suddenly realized the dust and powder pouring out of the top could draw attention. So when the dust had settled, I climbed down and slipped out of the chained door. I’m not sure if I was more excited about being alive or about not being caught, but I ran all the way back home. When the author got inside the barn, he _______.
| A．noticed a man on the elevator |
| B．opened the chained sliding door |
| C．saw many dead mice in the dark |
| D．found a shaft leading to the top |
Which of the following is the right order of the author’s adventure?
a. The elevator stopped halfway.
b. He entered the round grain barn.
c. He climbed to the top of the shaft.
d. He found a fire extinguisher and shot it off.
| A．b-a-c-d | B．a-c-b-d | C．c-a-d-b | D．b-c-a-d |
After getting out of the chained door, the author might feel _______.
| A．inspired | B．relieved | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
From the passage, we can learn that the author was probably a boy full of _______.
| A．passions | B．dreams | C．curiosity | D．imagination |
·The Hotel Portixol，a hotel that oozes(渗透) style and has thoughtful extras in Palma Majorca.
·Location
In the bay of Portixol，a 30-minute walk or 10-minute cycle east of the old town，overlooking Portixol port.
·Character
The square white building，with its blue shutters(百叶窗) and dark wooden balconies，stands out as you approach Portixol. Inside as well as out，Hotel Portixol oozes style － wicker(柳条) sofas in a shade deck. Thoughtful extras include free bicycle hire and telescopes in each room.
·Rooms
Thirteen of the 26 rooms have balconies，overlooking the sea. All have large showers and king-size beds. Our corner room had double glass doors on two sides which created a much-needed breeze.
·Food
Breakfast is a feast，with a huge selection of fresh fruit，yogurts，cereals，meats，cheeses and breads. The lunch and dinner menus mix traditional Mediterranean food with eastern and European classics.
·Why Palma?
Parts of Majorca have a certain reputation，but calm，sweet Palma is a far shout from the island's busy and sometimes tacky(俗气的) beach resorts so popular with hen and buck parties.
The Majorcan capital is also one of the easiest short-break destinations in Europe. The old town is a 10-minute taxi ride from Palma airport，while the tangled(乱蓬蓬的)streets inside the old city wall combine the best restaurants，shopping and culture Majorca has to offer.
While very hot in summer，temperatures remain pleasant during the rest of the year.
·Getting there
Easy Jet flies to Palma from most airports in the UK，from ￡29.99 one way. A taxi from Palma airport to the city centre costs about ￡8; or you can catch a bus which costs a few euros.If you'd like to buy what you like，you had better go to________.
| A．the old city of Majorca | B．Palma beach resorts |
| C．the city centre of Majorca | D．the east of the old town |
How much will be spent if a family of three goes to the city centre of Palma for a round-trip?
| A．Over ￡114. | B．Less than ￡228. |
| C．More than ￡180. | D．Only ￡76. |
The passage is mainly written to those________.
| A．want to travel to Majorcan capital |
| B．enjoy traveling out freely |
| C．will stay in a hotel in Palma |
| D．like to go shopping in the city centre of Majorca |
What's the best title of this passage?
| A．Hotel Portixol，Palma，Majorca |
| B．City Portixol，Palma，Majorca |
| C．The transport in Majorca |
| D．The view in Palma |
Anyone who cares about what schools and colleges teach and how their students learn will be interested in the memoir（回忆录）of Ralph W. Tyler, who is one of the most famous men in American education.
Born in Chicago in 1902, brought up and schooled in Nebraska, the 19-year-old college graduate Ralph Tyler became hooked on teaching while teaching as a science teacher in South Dakota and changed his major from medicine to education.
Graduate work at the University of Chicago found him connected with honorable educators Charles Judd and W. W. Charters, whose ideas of teaching and testing had an effect on his later work. In 1927, he became a teacher of Ohio State University where he further developed a new method of testing.
Tyler became well-known nationality in 1938, when he carried his work with the Eight-Year Study from Ohio State University to the University of Chicago at the invitation of Robert Hutchins.
Tyler was the first director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, a position he held for fourteen years. There, he firmly believed that researchers should be free to seek an independent spirit in their work.
Although Tyler officially retired in 1967, he never actually retired. He served on a long list of educational organizations in the United States and abroad. Even in his 80s he traveled across the country to advise teachers and management people on how to set objectives（目标）that develop the best teaching and learning within their schools. Who are most probably interested in Ralph W. Tyler’s memoir?
| A．Top managers. | B．Language learners. |
| C．Serious educators. | D．Science organizations. |
The words “hooked on teaching” underlined in Paragraph 2 probably mean ________.
| A．attracted to teaching | B．tired of teaching |
| C．satisfied with teaching | D．unhappy about teaching |
Where did Tyler work as the leader of a research center for over 10 years?
| A．The University of Chicago. | B．Stanford University. |
| C．Ohio State University. | D．Nebraska University. |
Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories.
Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change.
Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine’s pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children.
Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture.
As historical and artistic documents，photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish them in books and on the Internet.The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to.
| A．beauties | B．photos | C．goods | D．events |
The photos of the small children by Hine show us that photos.
| A．are also works of art |
| B．are popular ways of reporting news |
| C．often shock the public |
| D．can serve as a force for social change |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．News with pictures is encouraging. |
| B．Photos help people improve their life |
| C．News photos mean history in a sense. |
| D．People prefer reading news with pictures. |
The text is mainly about.
| A．telling the story through pictures |
| B．decorating the walls of homes |
| C．publishing historical papers |
| D．expressing feeling through pictures |