Beatrix Potter was a great English writer and artist, best known for her children’s books featuring animal characters such as in the children’s classic -- The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Beatrix was born into a rich London-based family where she was tutored by very strict private teachers and so spent her youth isolated from other youngsters.
During her youth she had a lot of pets and spent vacations in Scotland and also the Lake District. It was at the Lake District that she developed a love of wildlife. She studied the area’s natural wonders carefully and painted them continuously. But her old-fashioned, Manchester-born parents discouraged her intellectual improvement, thinking it inappropriate for a young lady. However, her study and watercolour paintings of wild mushrooms made her widely respected within the field of biology.
In her 30’s, Beatrix Potter wrote the remarkably successful kid’s book, The Tale of Pew Rabbit. Close to that time she became secretly engaged to her publisher Norman Warne. This caused a great disagreement with her parents, who did not approve of Beatrix getting married to somebody of lower social status. Sadly, Warne died before the marriage ceremony.
Ultimately Beatrix Potter began writing and also illustrating (绘图) kid’s books full-time. Using profits from her books, Beatrix grew to become economically independent of her parents and was eventually in a position to buy Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. She extended the property with additional purchases of neighbouring land over time. In her 40’s, Bestrix married William Heelis, a local lawyer. She ended up becoming a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to publish as well as illustrate books for children. In all she authored 23 publications.
Beatrix died on December 22, 1943, and left the majority of her property to the National Trust. Her books carry on selling well globally, in many different languages. Her stories have been retold in numerous formats including a ballet, movies, and cartoons.
Such is her reputation, and that of the characters from her publications, that many Beatrix Potter statues have been created. These tiny Beatrix Potter statues which include pretty much all the actual characters in her publications have become highly valued by art collects and fans of her literature throughout the world. What can we learn about Beatrix Potter’s early life?
| A．She learned drawing skills from her tutors. |
| B．She was very sociable and outgoing. |
| C．She was greatly inspired by the beauty of nature. |
| D．She was encouraged to think creatively and independently. |
Why did Beatrix Potter’s parents oppose the idea of her marriage to Norman Warne?
| A．They did not believe she was mature enough to get married. |
| B．They thought Warne was only interested in Beatrix Potter’s wealth. |
| C．They believed that the couple’s characters were mismatched. |
| D．They considered Warne to be too common for their daughter. |
According to the passage, which part of the UK did Beatrix Potter love most?
| A．Manchester. | B．Scotland. | C．The Lake District. | D．London. |
In which of the following areas did Beatrix Potter show an interest during her life?
| A．Writing, biology, farming. |
| B．Drawing, nature, ballet. |
| C．Movies, farming, drawing. |
| D．Writing, mushrooms, travel. |
What is the function of the last two paragraphs of the passage?
| A．To describe the consequences of Beatrix Potter’s death. |
| B．To present the lasting cultural influence of Beatrix Potter and her works.. |
| C．To show the changes in attitude towards Beatrix Potter’s works over the past years. |
| D．To criticize the commercialization of Beatrix Potter’s characters since her death. |
An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same tome.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits,study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong kong.
In Chicago, the mayor(市长）appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighbourhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York ,where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns,where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Ultinatel, as Nancy points out,the level of sucicess is not meastured by how many people read a book,but by how many people are enriched by the process.or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.
| 1． |
What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?
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| 2． |
Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the projict?
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| 3． |
According to the passage,where would the project be more easily carried out?
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| 4． |
The underlined words"shared a word"in Paragraph 5 probably mean
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| 5． |
According to Nacy,the degree of students of the project is judged by
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In the fall of 1985. I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college an the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic---and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 81. Our home was a complete zoo---a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant talking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, But I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree！
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember；little steps add up to big dreams.When the author went to Howard University, her dream was tobe
| A．a writer |
| B．a teacher |
| C．a judge |
| D．a doctor |
Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?
| A．She wanted to study by herself. |
| B．She fell in love and got married. |
| C．She suffered from a serious illness. |
| D．She decided to look after her grandma. |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 4 and 5?
She was buy yet happy with her family life.
She ignored her guilty feeling for her sons.
She wanted to remain a full-time housewife.
She was too confused to make a correct choice.What dose the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?
Failure is the mother of success.
Little by little ,one goes far.
Every coin has two sides.
Well begun ,half done.Which of the following can best describe the author ?
Caring and determine.
Honest and responsible.
Ambitious and sensitive .
Innocent and single-minded.
Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2,3 and of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的). Zones3 and 4often offer larger accommodation in a less crowned area. It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground.
Meal Plans Available
♢ Continental Breakfast
♢ Breakfast and Dinner
♢ Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal（谷物类食品），bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally
part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit.you must first ask your host’s permission.You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room.This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestule and is more suitable for the long-stay student.However,it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much.The passage is probably written for
| A．host willing to receive foreign students |
| B．loreigners hoping to build British culture |
| C．travellers planning to vist famlies in London |
| D．English learners applying to like in English homes |
Which of the following will the host provide?
Room cleaning.
Medical care.
Free transport.
Physical trainning.What can be inferred from Paragraph3?
A.Zone 4 is more crowded than Zone 2.
B.The business centre of London is in Zone.
C.Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre.According to the passage. What does continental Breakfast include?
| A．Dessert and coffee |
| B．Fruit and vegetables. |
| C．bread and fruit juice |
| D．Centre and cold meat. |
Why do some people choose self-catering accommodation?
| A．To experience a warmer famliy atmosphere. |
| B．To enrich their knowledge of English\ |
| C．To entertain friends as they like. |
| D．To enjoy much more freedom. |
Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, gentically mondified (GM, 转基因) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the word,mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would ,is it the best solutiorr?
Despite what it promiises,GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any corp. In fact
Studies show that the most crown GM croo.
GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report than analysed nearly two decades of research on mojor GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production.
Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM companics tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides（杀虫剂）. On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops. " The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production. But nether is true," said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.
At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.
As a matter of fact ,scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which "green" farming is supposed to be the first choice.
| 1． |
The author develops the second paragraph mainly.
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| 2． |
What does the underlined word "boost " in the third paragraph probably mean?
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| 3． |
GM companies promise farmers that they will benefit from.
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| 4． |
Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology?
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In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.
“You can’t say it’s not a great university,just because Papa went there.”
“That’s not it at all.And it is a top university.”She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren’t that bad,are they?”
“No,”she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”
Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment (投资) could show returns.What’s more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ；otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.
I was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship（奖学金）.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because
his father grduated from the university
his mother did not thinks it a great university
his parents needed him to help support the family
his parents did not have enough money for himThe father srarted his small shop with the money from
| A．a local league | B．his university |
| C．his relatives | D．his college friends |
Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?
| A．To help with her husband’s business | B．To raise money for her son |
| C．To meet her long-forgotten friends | D．To better manage her life |
According to the text,what was the author determined to do in that autumn? To get a well-paid job for himself
To improve relations with his mother
To go to his dream university
To carry on with his father’s business