Open Letter to an Editor
I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently --- one who works for you. In fact, he’s one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.
Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume(简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues(问题), approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I’m sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you’ve given him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.
So why is he looking for a way out?
He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.
The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.
He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he’s doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That’s what you want for him, too, isn’t it?
So your reporter has set me thinking.
Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists --- everyone --- is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can’t do it, they’ll find someone who can.What does the writer think of the reporter?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Imaginative. | C．Ambitious. | D．Proud. |
What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?
| A．Finding the news value of his stories. | B．Giving him financial support. |
| C．Helping him to find issues. | D．Improving his good ideas. |
Who probably wrote the letter?
| A．An editor. | B．An artist. | C．A reporter. | D．A reader. |
The letter aims to remind editors that they should ______.
| A．keep their best reporters at all costs |
| B．give more freedom to their reporters |
| C．be aware of their reporters’ professional development |
| D．appreciate their reporters’ working styles and attitudes |
What’s On Stage
An acrobatic show: To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe (剧团) will present “The Soul of China”, where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills will run down your spine(脊柱) as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30 p.m., September 13-19
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint Show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9:00 a. m.-5:00 p.m. until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng DistrictOil paintings: The Wanfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil painting by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District (Shaoyaoju area)
ConcertsBeijing rocks: “The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock” is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium orchestra：La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orehestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world in memory of the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death.
Time: 7:30 p.m. September 11-14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of NationalitiesWhat do you think of the acrobatic show mentioned above?
| A．When you watch it, you will certainly feel cold. |
| B．Unexpected things will make you excited and surprised. |
| C．Something strange will puzzle everyone, including scientists. |
| D．Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching. |
The most characteristic about the Fashion Night of Chinese Rock is that ______.
| A．it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China |
| B．it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes |
| C．it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians |
| D．it will let the audience choose the performers and the music |
Suppose it is September 14 today, how many activities can people choose to attend?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
On the whole, we can conclude ______.
| A．we can enjoy a large variety of cultural activities in Beijing |
| B．people in Beijing prefer modern culture to something traditional |
| C．most of the cultural activities in Beijing are for foreign visitors only |
| D．there are usually more cultural activities in September than in any other month |
People are different. Some are extrovert. These people are outgoing, confident, and know the “gift of the gab”. They also feel very comfortable when in groups of people.
Unfortunately we have the other extreme. This is the introvert. The introvert feels sick in crowds, and does not like them. These people feel awkward in the crowds, when placed in this type of situation. Many introverts are shy and lack confidence. They need to get used to people, and want to run away when questioned by people.
The introvert feels very lonely in a crowd, but this could happen to the outgoing as well.
I think that I fall into the middle of the two kinds. Sometimes if I am comfortable about the type of people in the crowds, I feel welcome. If for some reason the crowd consists of different types of people, then I do not feel very comfortable in the crowd.
So what do I do when I suddenly feel lost and alone in the crowd? I try to calm my mind by taking deep breath and telling myself that even this will pass. I then try, and get away from the crowd by making excuses or even trying to get to my car and go home. This, of course, is a poor excuse and doesn’t often work well. These are excuses that are employed. The ones that I am not so proud of are acting like I have an emergency to go to. This is a very good lie, but I feel really bad afterwards.
I have tried this one, and have succeeded. I try and find someone who feels just like I do. I then try and make a new friend. Sometimes this works and sometimes it does not. This is quite a noble way of staying in the crowd.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．What is the character of the introvert? |
| B．Why do people feel lonely in a crowd? |
| C．How can we make ourselves calm down in a crowd? |
| D．What do you do when you suddenly feel lonely in a crowd? |
The word “extrovert” is most likely to mean ______.
| A．serious | B．excited | C．outgoing | D．nervous |
From the fourth paragraph we can infer that _____.
| A．the writer is good at getting along with others |
| B．the writer does not like to deal with people from other regions |
| C．the writer sometimes does not feel very comfortable in the crowd |
| D．the writer has double personality when faced with different types of people |
When the writer feels lonely, he prefers to calm down by _____.
| A．making a call | B．making excuses |
| C．holding his breath | D．deep breathing |
From my first day, I was attending press conferences and other media events all over town. I got to attend events at places I had never thought I’d get to: the White House, the Senate and House of Representative buildings at the Capitol (国会大厦), the Department of Health and Human Services, just to name a few. And I was sent to cover these events as if I were a reporter, not just an intern (实习生) .
In fact, I never really felt like an intern. I was given the opportunity to do the work that everyone else at the paper was doing. I covered stories on my own and wrote the articles myself. I was included in discussions for story ideas. I helped to edit the articles that went into the paper. I was able to take part in every aspect of the newspaper that I wanted to experience.
The best part of working at the Nation’s Health was the staff. They were supportive in letting me go out and do things on my own, while I always knew that they would be more than happy to answer any questions or help me with any problems I might have. Best of all, they treated me as their equal, not just an intern whom they could get to do all the work they didn’t want to do.
After interning at the Nation’s Health for nearly seven months and having more than 30 articles published, I had to move on. My experience there gave me insight into how the media work, which helps me when I’m trying to choose stories. In addition, it showed me that work really can be fun.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How good reporting begins with journalism interns. |
| B．The author’s opportunity to work at the Nation’s Health. |
| C．The author’s experience working as an intern |
| D．The author’s first day as a professional reporter. |
What impressed the author most when working at the Nation’s Health?
| A．The employees treated her as one of them equally. |
| B．The opportunity to work alone. |
| C．Covering stories and writing articles |
| D．Coming up with story ideas for the newspaper. |
We can infer that the author had thought an intern would be made to ____.
| A．go to as many places as possible |
| B．do the boring things that others didn’t want to do |
| C．treat people equally, no matter who they were. |
| D．get help from a professional reporter |
What did the author think of her experience of working at the Notion’s Health?
| A．Meaningful | B．Disappointing | C．Tiring | D． Surprising |
Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
----- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road？ To get to the other side. Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road. Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads， the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact， only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason？ Road kill. "Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts, " said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society. But do animals actually use the ecopassages？The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage. Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses. The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass！The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.
| A．wild animals have become more dangerous |
| B．the driving conditions have improved greatly |
| C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work |
| D．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents |
When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”， he means_________.
| A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road |
| B．animals begin to learn to use ecopassages |
| C．animals are crossing the road in groups |
| D．animals are increasing in number |
The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.
| A．wild animals may attack cars |
| B．wild animals may jam the road |
| C．they may see wild animals in the park |
| D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages |
In 1859，during the Gold Rush，a twenty- year-old immigrant（移民）from Bavaria named Levi Strauss stepped off the boat in San Francisco. He had with him a special cloth called Serge de Nimes that was later called denim in America. Levi Strauss hoped to sell the denim as material to make tents and covers for wagons to the men who were going to the goldfields to look for gold.
“You should have brought trousers to sell. In the goldfields we need strong trousers that don‘t wear out，”one young miner advised Strauss. So Levi Strauss took some of his denim to the nearest tailor and had him make the miner a pair of trousers. The miner was so pleased that he told other miners about the wonderful newcomer，Levi，and soon Levi Strauss had to open a shop，producing enough trousers for the miners. The miners wanted trousers that were comfortable to ride in and were low cut so that they could bend over easily to pick up the gold from under their feet. Besides they wanted the trousers to have big useful pockets. One miner complained that the gold in his pockets kept tearing them. So Levi put metal corners in the pockets to make them stronger. Very soon，miners and cowboys from all over came to get fitted up with Levi‘s trousers. Today more than a hundred years later， Levi’s trousers walk the world a Levi‘s blue jeans（牛仔裤）。The denim cloth was originally（起初）meant for____.
| A．making tent covers and wagons |
| B．making tents for wagons |
| C．making trousers for the miners |
| D．making wagon covers and tents |
What kind of material do you think is denim？
| A．A strong type of cloth that is not torn by strong wears. |
| B．A special type of cloth that cannot be washed away by rain. |
| C．A smooth type of cloth that is for underwear. |
| D．A wonderful type of cloth that is as good as metal. |
A miner advised Strauss to sell trousers because ____.
| A．the miners didn‘t have enough trousers |
| B．the miner‘s trousers had not been strong enough |
| C．the miner‘s trousers did not wear out easily |
| D．the tailor on the goldfield could not make trousers |
Why did the miners need strong pockets in the trousers？
| A．Their pockets kept tearing the gold. |
| B．Their pockets were not made of metal. |
| C．The gold they found was too sharp and heavy to tear their pockets. |
| D．The gold they collected easily tore their pockets. |