The other day, I received a most unexpected message in response to one of my essays: I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. I shared your opinion …
It was signed Margaret Leibfried, who was my English teacher — a teacher who appeared at a vital (关键) point in my life and helped me believe that I could become a writer.
Thirty years ago, I entered high school as an introvert (性格内向的人) made all the more shy because I was the school’s only nonwhite student. I always felt in danger of being swept away by a sea of tall white athletes. I spent a lot of time alone, reading and writing stories, hoping to escape being teased.
Ms. Leibfried taught American literature and composition grammar, which involved the usual memorizing vocabulary, but also, thrillingly, reading novels.
Thrilling to me, that is. Many of my classmates expressed dislike for novels because they were “not real.” For once, I didn’t care what they thought. Ms. Leibfried seemed to notice my interest in both reading and writing, and she took the time to make me feel less shy; she even offered me reading suggestions, like one of her favorite novels, “The Bell Jar.”
That year’s big project was a book report, to be read aloud to the class. However, Ms. Leibfried suggested I do something “a little different.” Instead of a report, I chose a passage from “The Bell Jar” that I considered as the best to recite.
The morning of the presentations, I remember my hands sweating so badly as I walked to the front of the class that I kept my hands crossed, so I wouldn’t wipe them on my blouse.
When I finished, to my surprise, the class applauded. “Marie has picked out a particularly sensitive piece of writing and delivered it beautifully,” Ms. Leibfried said, smiling. I felt, maybe for the first time, confident.What was the author’s high school life like before she met Ms. Leibfried?
A.Lonely. | B.Exciting. | C.Wild. | D.Busy |
In Paragraph 5, the author mainly tells us .
A.how she cared what her classmates thought |
B.when she became interested in “The Bell Jar” |
C.why many of her classmates disliked novels |
D.how Ms. Leibfried helped and encouraged her |
Why did Ms. Leibfried ask the author to recite a passage in front of the class?
A.To test whether she had a good memory. |
B.To make her earn the respect of her classmates. |
C.To help deepen her understanding of “The Bell Jar.” |
D.To guide her to build a good relationship with others. |
How did the author feel when she made the presentation?
A.Comfortable. | B.sad. | C.Nervous. | D.Confident. |
What was the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To express her thanks to her teacher. |
B.To discuss the issue of racial prejudice (偏见). |
C.To introduce one of her favorite books. |
D.To suggest the ways to gain confidence. |
Haisong Jiang, who slipped (偷偷溜进) past a security checkpoint(安全关卡) on Jan. 3, causing a shutdown of Newark Airport, tried to apologize for his mistake.
" I feel guilty about this serious mistake. At that moment, I was very excited with my girlfriend, and I didn't think too much," Mr. Jiang, 28, said Tuesday in his first interview since causing the six-hour shutdown at the airport.
On Tuesday, Newark Municipal Court judged that besides the community service, he must pay a $500 fine (罚金) and $158 in court fees. In an agreement between the court and Mr. Jiang's lawyer, Mr. Jiang will pay off his money punishment all by community service instead.
Haisong Jiang, a native of China, about a year ago moved to the United States in 2004 to study and met his girlfriend, also Chinese and 26. She has since moved to California.
The lovebirds did the town over the Christmas holidays: shopping in SoHo, visiting the tree at Rockefeller Center, celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square - the works. On Jan. 3, he watched her pass through security, but he wanted to spend more time with her. When he noticed the officer leave his post, he saw his chance, he said. He slipped under the rope and kissed her and, arm in arm, walked her to her Continental Airlines gate and saw her onto the jetway. "And immediately I left," he said.
Three days passed. "Friday, the police found me," the future scientist said. He was at the gym when his roommate called to say two police officers were at their home. "It's not right to enter the airport. Immediately I know the police want to ask me this thing."
He expects to serve half of his community service in a soup kitchen - "I like to cook" - and the other half in a hospital. He plans on moving to California to be with her and work in a laboratory after completing his degree in May or June.
He never types his name into search engines on the Net: the number of hits is shocking.
What’s the best title of the passage?
A. A moving love story B. An escape from security check
C. A kiss causing great trouble D. When a man loves a woman
How much did Mr. Jiang finally pay for his mistake?
A. nothing B. $ 500 C. $158 D. $ 658
Which of the following sentences is true?
A. Mr. Jiang was sent to the police station right after he went out of the airport.
B. The lovebirds spent their Christmas holidays in California.
C. Mr. Jiang caused so much trouble on purpose.
D. On Friday, the police didn’t find Mr. Jiang at his home at first.
What can you infer from the passage?
A. Mr. Jiang is an American-Chinese.
B. Mr. Jiang and his girlfriend’s love story has finally ended.
C. Many people have known about Mr. Jiang on the net.
D. Mr. Jiang will become a scientist with certainty.
If you’ve ever seen a James Bond movie you’ll know that the hero gets around in a smart Aston Martin car. Even if you know full well that you could never afford such an expensive vehicle, you don’t forget the name, or the car. Why? You have been subjected to product placement.
Companies pay for a film to place their products in the movie. Product placement took off in the West in the 1980s and is now catching on in China. Two Hunan Satellite TV series are recent examples:Ugly Wudi and Let’s Go Watch the Meteror Shower(《一起去看流星雨》). Shampoo, mobile phones, cars— anything can be product-placed. Advertisers value the great appeal (吸引力) of the movies, knowing that a successful film can showcase their goods to hundreds of thousands of viewers. But when product placement takes over, artistic value can take a back seat.
Cai Zhiyong has been product-placing for years. The Beijing-based advertiser admits there is a conflict between art and business. He explains cash-strapped filmmakers often have to sacrifice (牺牲) the quality of their work because they need money from advertisers. In the original story for Meteor Shower, the heroine’s mother owned an ice cream shop. But no ice cream company wanted to give away money to the film. For this reason, the story was changed. In the film the man drinks 20 cups of milk tea where it was originally intended that he would eat ice cream.
Even here incredible, you may see the power of business over the movies, since the flim was perhaps written so that a product could be placed— whether it was ice cream or milk tea.
James Bond movies are mentioned in the first paragraph to show _________.
A. how popular James Bond is B. how great the Aston Martin car is
C. how to make a movie more artistic D. how well product placement works
Product placement can have a bad effect on the _________ of a movie.
A. sound effect B. appeal
C. commercial success D. artistic value
What does the underlined word “cash-strapped” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A. Short of money. B. Self-moneymaking
C. With a lot of cash. D. Intending to earn money
We can learn from the example of Meteor Shower that __________.
A. business has a big say in the movie
B. the original story was not good for a movie
C. filmmakers care more about making money.
D. milk tea companies are more successful than ice cream companies.
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile ( 简介 ) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on. A photograph is not necessary, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many In
ternet dating sites will charge some for using their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in traditional dating and love, there are some traps to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Therefore, following some tips should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
The purpose of writing the passage is to _________.
A. persuade readers to go dating on the Internet
B. inform us how to date on the Internet
C. warn readers against web love
D. introduce Internet dating to us
Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
A. A photo. B. A profile.
C. Money. D. Business experience.
One advantage of Internet dating is that _________.
A. you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning
B. you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests
C. you’ll find absolutely dependable information of others
D. you’ll gain fame and money overnight
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
A. Traditional dating. B. Hidden advantages.
C. practical advice D. Romantic love.
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers. People have been said to climb on roofs, solve maths problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Masachusctts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three—quarters of a mile to the lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims(声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty—five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers.”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes looks quite fantastic(奇特的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.
Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who __________.
A. climb on roofs B. walk through windows
C. do fantastic things during their sleep D. walk in a half—awake state
It was reported that a boy ________.
A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there
B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room
C. lost his way five hours after he left home
D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way
There was a college student who got into the habit of ___________.
A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river
B. walking three—quarters of a mile every day
C. swimming in the lowa River before going to bed
D. walking about before he went to bed
Why do people think sleepwalking is a fantastic thing which has no explanation?
A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.
B. Scientists take no interest in it.
C. Most sleepwalkers do not ask for help for their problem.
D. No records about it have been made.
E
Cafe Hub
Near the Castle is The Hub, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and one of the most talked about spots in town. Our café is open every day for mouth-watering lunches, snacks and fine dining. Come in and enjoy the atmosphere of The Hub or watch the world go by from our beautiful house.
The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.
Open every day from 9:30 a.m. till late.
Tel:0131173 2067 www.thehub-edinburgh.com
Farm World
Enjoy being“A Farmer for a Day”. Join in delivering and feeding our spring babies—bottle feeding sessions twice daily. Fun for all family. Horse Rides, BMX Bikes Cross Country Course. Tractor Ride through 600 acres, New Adventure Playground, Nature Trails. Full details on website.
Open: May—Oct Wednesdays to Saturdays and daily during school holidays 11 a.m.—5 p.m.
Tel:01797 260256/260321 www.farmworldrye.co.uk
Enter the Europe-wide student competition!
Are you curious, creative and energetic? Are you interested in the new media? Are you between 12 and 9 years of age? Then Join Multimedia 2006 is for you!
Your challenge will be to build a team and develop a multimedia presentation in English-based on one of three different topics. You can register (报名) between May 1 and June 15, 2006 and will have to turn in your entry before September 15, 2006.
The rewards are wonderful: £ 150,000 in prize for schools and teams and the chance to attend a European student camp—plus new experiences, an opportunity to make friends throughout Europe!
For further information and registration forms go to: www.siemens.com/join. multimedia.
72.You’ll have to register first if you want .
A. to enjoy delicious food
B. to try Tractor Ride through 600 acres
C. to enter the Europe-wide student competition
D. to watch the world go by from the beautiful house
73.According to the passage, there will be rewards for the Europe-wide student competition.
A. only one B. two C. three D. four
74.You can visit Farm World .
A. on Monday in May B. any day in October
C. at 2 p.m. at Christmas D. at 10:30 a.m. during school holidays
75.From the advertisements above, we can learn that .
A. Cafe Hub is a popular place in the local area
B. families can enjoy Horse Rides on New Adventure Playground
C. Farm World provides lunches, snacks and fine dining
D. the Europe-wide student competition will be held on June 15,2006