Sailing Through History
A group of 1,309 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral on Sunday, in Southampton, England, on a voyage to retrace the path of the Titanic. The Titanic was the biggest ship in the world when it sailed on its ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912. Of the 2,227 passengers and crew aboard, more than 1,500 died. The ship, which was headed to New York City, carried the rich and famous on its first voyage. It also carried immigrants, who were seeking a better life in America.
Relatives of people who sailed on the Titanic, historians, authors and people fascinated by the story of the unsinkable ship, are on the Balmoral. They want to remember the doomed ship and those who died on her first and last voyage. The historic liner had set sail on April 10, 1912, from Southampton. Late at night on April 14, she hit an iceberg. In the early morning hours of April 15, the Titanic sank.
The Balmoral is following Titanic’s original route from Southampton. First, the modern-day cruise liner docked in the port of Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic had picked up more passengers. On Monday afternoon, the Balmoral stops in Cobh, Ireland, the Titanic’s last port of call before sailing to New York.
Balmoral will then cruise the North Atlantic Ocean to the location where Titanic hit an iceberg that ripped the ship’s hull(外壳). On Sunday, April 15, at 2:20 a.m.—the time the Titanic went down—passengers and crew will hold a memorial service. The next two days will be spent in Halifax, Canada, where many victims of the sinking are buried. Then, the Balmoral will reach its final destination in New York City, where Titanic was supposed to dock—but never did.
Until today, several teams of divers have explored the site. They have recovered some items such as dishes and silverware and put them on public display. And more trips are planned to the wreckage in the future. The Titanic and its passengers and crew have been remembered in books, movies and TV programs. But there’s a much more important contribution that Titanic gave us. After she sank, lawmakers and shipbuilders made ships safer. It took a terrible tragedy to make ship travel safer for all.How many passengers in Titanic survived at last?
A.More than 1500. | B.About 1309. | C.About 1000. | D.Less than 750. |
How many countries does the Balmoral reach before sailing to New York?
A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. | D.five. |
The Balmoral will stay in Canada just __________.
A.in memory of the dead passengers in the Balmoral |
B.in memory of the survivors in Titanic |
C.in memory of the dead passengers in Titanic |
D.in memory of the survivors in the Balmoral |
What might be the most important contribution of sunken Titanic?
A.Its site attracts more exploring teams. |
B.It makes the later ships more secure. |
C.Some of its items are on public display. |
D.More trips are planned to its wreckage. |
Growing up in Philadelphia, Lieberman started cooking with his stay-at-home dad when he was seven. His food-loving family had two kitchens, and he quickly learned what was the best way to bake his cakes. Lieberman improved his kitchen skills during a year abroad beforo college, learning from a cook in Italy and study local specialties in Gerrnany, Spain and France. At Yale,he was known for throwing dinner parties, single-handedly frying and baking while mixing drinks for dozens offriends. Just for fun, he and some friends decided to tape a show named Campus Cuisine about his cooking. Lieberman was a real college student showing his classmate how to do things like making drinks out of dining-hall fruit. That helped the show become very popular among the students. They would stop Lieberman after classes to ask for his advice on cooking. Tapes of the show were passed around,with which his name went beyond the school and finally to the Food Network.
Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the
network television. He says Lieberman’s charisma is key."Food T-V isn’t about
food anymore." says Flay, " It’s about your personality and finding a way to keep
people’s eyeballs on your show."
But Lieberman isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. After taping the first season of the new show, Lieberman was back in his own small kitchen preparing
sandwiches. An airline company was looking for someone to come up with a tasteful,
inexpensive and easy-to-make menu to serve on its flight. Lieberman got the job.We can learn from the text that Lieberman’s family______.
A.have relatives in Europe | B.love cooking at home |
C.often hold parties | D.own a restaurant |
The Food Network got to know Lieberman________.
A.at one of his parties | B.from his teacher |
C.through his taped show | D.on a television program |
What does the word"charisma" underline in the text refer to ?
A.A natural ability to attract others. | B.A way to show one’s achievement. |
C.Lieberman’s after-class interest | D.Lieberman’s fine cooking skill |
Why did the airline company give Lieberman the job?
A.He could prepare meals in a small kitchen. |
B.He was famous for his shows on Food TV. |
C.He was good at using eggs to make sandwiches. |
D.He could cook cheap, delicious and simple meals. |
What can we learn about Lieberman from the text?
A.He is clever but lonely. | B.He is friendly and active. |
C.He enioys traveling around. | D.He often changes his menus. |
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A.15 minutes. | B.30 minutes. | C.1.5 hours. | D.3 hours. |
What is special about the battery?
A.It is built in an iPhone. | B.It is the smallest of its kind. |
C.It can also be used as a charger. | D.It keeps power for about 30 days. |
If you are not satisfied with the product, you ______.
A.may get your pre-paid money back with any reason |
B.can demand an apology and the money back within 30 days |
C.have the privilege of one-month return without any reason |
D.are probably unable to have the return privilege with a return label |
Who mentions the transporting of the battery?
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A.quality | B.service | C.function | D.shopping |
Riding was the favourite activity of Thomas Jefferson, who was the third President of the United States. He usually rode good horses.
One day, he was riding outside Washington, when a jockey (赛马师) came near. He did not know the President, but his professional eye was attracted by Mr. Jefferson’s horse. He stopped and said that he wanted to buy the horse, but Mr. Jefferson politely refused his offer.
The jockey offered more money for the horse, because the closer he looked at the horse, the more he liked it. All of his offers were refused, which made him angry. He then became rude, but his rudeness left as little an impression as his money, for Jefferson had a very good temper. At last, he hit Mr. Jefferson’s horse with his whip, getting it to run suddenly. This would have thrown a less skillful rider to the ground, but Jefferson stayed on his seat, and controlled his horse well.
The jockey then gave up. He rode with Mr. Jefferson side by side and began to talk with him about politics. Jefferson joined in the conversation. When they got into the city and came close to the gate of the presidential mansion (总统府), Mr. Jefferson stopped, and politely invited the man to enter.
The jockey was surprised and asked, “Why? Do you live here?”
“Yes” was the simple reply.
“Why, stranger, what’s your name?”
“My name is Thomas Jefferson.”
Embarrassed, the man quickly left, while the President looked at him with a smile and then rode through the gate. Which is the best title for the passage?
A.Jefferson and the Jockey | B.Jefferson’s Interest |
C.Be Polite to Everyone | D.No Pain, No Gain |
Which word can best describe the jockey?
A.Professional. | B.Skillful. | C.Impatient. | D.Impolite. |
The underlined word “embarrassed” can be replaced by “__________”.
A.worried | B.pleased | C.hurried | D.ashamed |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
A.the jockey had once bought a horse from another stranger |
B.Mr. Jefferson was very good at riding a horse |
C.Mr. Jefferson would invite the jockey to his own house later |
D.the jockey would not talk about this experience to others |
According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?
A.The President of the US is fond of riding. |
B.The jockey managed to buy the horse from Mr. Jefferson. |
C.Mr. Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was a man of good manners. |
D.All the presidents of the US have expensive horses. |
In America, when people say “man’s best friend”, they don’t mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal:A dog! These words show the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can give happiness to people’s lives. Some people regard their pets as their children. A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!
Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the “eyes” for a blind person or “ears” for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.
Americans hold “Be---Kind-to-Animals Week” in the first week of May. Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.
f you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don’t kick it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or better yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to stop them. As people, we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves. “A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!” means that__________
A.pets have the right to inherit (继承) money. |
B.money can give pets happiness. |
C.it’s the best way to spend money. |
D.some pets are treated as children. |
Why are dogs brought to hospitals?
A.Because they are ill and need to see doctors. |
B.Because they can make the patients happier. |
C.Because they can find out the problems of the patients. |
D.Because doctors can do experiments on them. |
What’s the most popular activity in the “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week”?
A.Holding a pet show in the week. |
B.Playing with pets the whole week. |
C.Cooking delicious food for pets. |
D.Making friends with other people’s pets. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
A.A lot of people are interested in dogs. |
B.Dogs can help people do many things. |
C.Pets are lovely and need care and protection. |
D.We have done a lot of things for pets. |
The words“man’s best friends”shows____________.
A.the friendship between people. |
B.the friendship between people and animals. |
C.the friendship between animals. |
D.the friendship between men and women |
The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony(交响乐) that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5,I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe(辣妹三人舞) Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”The first paragraph tells us that _____.
A.Brightman is very popular around the world except in America |
B.Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz |
C.the British people don’t like her for her style of music |
D.Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber |
Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.
A.she could adopt one |
B.her life and career were unbelievably rich without children |
C.she felt it normal not to have children |
D.she was too busy |
The following statements are true except ______.
A.Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5 |
B.Brightman disliked life on the campus |
C.Brightman was very gifted when she was young |
D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous |
The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.
A.located | B.admired | C.followed | D.found |
What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?
A.Brightman has to accept the fact that she is not liked in Britain |
B.Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country |
C.The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland |
D.Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain |