Florence Nightingale was born in a rich family. When she was young she took lessons in music and drawing, and read great books. She also traveled a great deal with her mother and father.
As a child she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure. She enjoyed helping them.
At last mind was made up. “I’m going to be a nurse,” she decided.
“Nursing isn’t the right work for a lady,” her father told her.
“Then I will make it so,” she smiled. And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France. When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home for home. During the Crimean War in 1854 she went with a group of thirty eight nurses to the front hospitals. What they saw there was terrible. Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen — and smelled. The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital, either. But the brave nurse went to work.
Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes, beds, medicine and food for the men. Her only pay was in smiles from the lips of dying soldiers. But they were more than enough for this kind woman.
After she returned to England, she was honored for her services by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun. She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London. She also wrote a book on public health, which was printed in several countries.
Florence Nightingale died at the age of ninety, still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse. Indeed, it is because of her that we honor nurses today. When she was a child, Florence ____ .
| A．loved to travel very much |
| B．knew what her duty in life was |
| C．loved to help the sick people |
| D．was most interested in music and drawing |
What made Florence make up her mind to become a nurse？
| A．Her father’s support. |
| B．Her desire to help the sick. |
| C．Her education in Germany and France. |
| D．Her knowledge from reading great books. |
During the Crimean War in 1854, Florence served in the front hospital where ____ .
| A．she earned a little money |
| B．work was very difficult |
| C．few soldiers died because of her work |
| D．she didn’t have enough food or clothes |
The passage can best be described as ____ .
| A．the life story of a famous woman |
| B．a description of the nursing work |
| C．an example of successful education |
| D．the history of nursing in England |
Argentina in the late nineteenth century was an exciting place．Around 1870, it was experiencing an economic boom, and the capital, Buenos Aires, attracted many people．Farmers, as well as a flood of foreigners from Spain and Italy, came to Buenos Aires seeking jobs．These jobs didn’t pay well, and the people felt lonely and disappointed with their new life in the city．As the unhappy newcomers mixed together in the poor parts of the city, the dance known as the tango （探戈舞） came into being
At the beginning the tango was a dance of the lower classes．It was danced in the bars and streets．At that time there were many fewer women than men, so if a man didn’t want to be left out, his only choice was to dance with another man so that he could attract the attention of the few available women．Gradually, the dance spread into the upper classes of Argentinean society and became more respectable．
In Europe at this time, strong interest in dance from around the world was beginning．The interest in international dance was especially evident in Paris．Every kind of dance from ballet to belly dancing could be found on the stages of the Paris theaters．After tango dances from Argentina arrive in Europe, they began to draw the interest of the public as they performed their exiting dance in cafes．Though not everyone approved of the new dance, saying it was a little too shocking, the dance did find enough supporters to make it popular．
The popularity of the tango continued to grow in many other parts of the world．Soldiers who returned to the United States from World War I brought the tango to North America．It reached Japan in 1926, and in 2003 the Argentinean embassy in Seoul hired a local tango dancer to act as a kind of dance ambassador, and promote tango dancing throughout South Korea．The origin of the tango is associated with _________．
| A．Belly dances | B．American soldiers |
| C．the capital of Argentina | D．Spanish city |
Which of the following is true about the tango?
| A．It was created by foreigners from Spain and Italy． |
| B．People of the upper classes loved the tango most |
| C．A dancer in Seoul became the Argentinean ambassador． |
| D．It was often danced by two male in the beginning |
Before World War I, the tango spread to __________．
| A．America | B．Japan | C．France | D．South Korea |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．How to Dance the Tango | B．The History of the Tango |
| C．How to Promote the Tango | D．The Modern Tango Boom |
B
| Café en Seine The wildly luxury （奢华） new art style of this huge bar has been a huge hit since it first opened in 1995, and while it may not be the “in” place it once was, it is still very popular with the after-work crowd and out-of-towners．Maybe it’s the glass frames, or the real 12m-high trees; but most likely it’s the beautiful people supporting the wood-and-marble bar． Good for: decoration, cocktails, amazing food and service Address: 40 Dawson St Transport: all city centre Phone: 01 677 4369 |
| Gravediggers （aka Kavanagh’s） The gravediggers from the neighboring Glasnevin Cemetery had a secret serving hatch （舱口） so that they could drink on the job – therefore the pub’s nickname．Founded in 1833 by one John Kavanagh and still in the family, this pub is one of the best in Ireland, almost unchanged in 150 years．In summer time the green of the square is full of drinkers bathing in the sun, while inside the hardened locals ensure that never a hint of sunshine disturbs some of the best Guinness in town．An absolute classic． Good for: Guinness, traditional pub, pub food Address: 1 Prospect Sq Glasnevin Transport: 13 from city centre Phone: 830 7978 |
| Davy Byrne’s James Joyce, an Irish author and a poet （1882-1941）, would hardly recognize the bar that Leopold Bloom rushed into for a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of wine in Ulysses．It doesn’t stop Davy Byrne’s from making the most of its Joyce’s connections, even though today's version is strictly for out-of-towners and the rugby crowd． Good for: socializing with the locals, tasty Irish food, watching TV Address: 21 Duke St Transport: all city centre Website: www．davybyrnes．com Phone: 01 677 5217 |
People choose Café en Seine most probably because they enjoy _____as well as its cocktails and service．
| A．its location | B．its decoration |
| C．its history | D．its environment |
“Guinness” in Gravediggers probably refers to ________．
| A．a kind of tea | B．the name of the boss |
| C．a kind of beer | D．the name of the town |
We can infer that Davy Byrne’s is ________．
| A．a newly-opened bar |
| B．an old-fashioned bar |
| C．a bar with a long history |
| D．a bar popular with foreigners |
What do Café en Seine and Davy Byrne’s have in common?
| A．Their represent the same architecture style． |
| B．They give the same description about transport． |
| C．They both serve cocktails and tasty Irish food |
| D．They are both popular with the rugby crowd． |
Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord．She did it her way．
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly．Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven．I hated going there every weekend．There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception．
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land．The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat．We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me．
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen．I sang the melody and Mom harmonized．Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over．Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk．
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit them every week or two．The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad．Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm．While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home．But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced．
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio．Music always comforted me．
My heart skipped a beat．"Moon River" was playing on the radio．I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note．From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________．
| A．left the small farm with Lord |
| B．passed away four years ago |
| C．left for Lord to live her own way |
| D．preferred to be with Lord |
The underlined word reminisced in the fifth paragraph probably means ________．
| A．shouted | B．comforted |
| C．recalled | D．sighed |
The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons except that ________．
| A．she could only sing one song in the small farm |
| B．it was too cold and quiet |
| C．there was nothing more that could make her excited |
| D．the place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______
| A．Cherish（珍惜） life | B．My happy childhood |
| C．Our small farmhouse | D．Mom’s music |
Just 25 years ago，the top three career hopes for young people in Britain were teacher，banker and doctor. Now，they want to be sports star，pop star and actor，according to a survey by the Guardian newspaper.
Rachel，a character in the popular TV show Glee，may be said to speak for British teenagers. “Nowadays being nobody is worse than being poor，” he said.
Emma Brockes，a reporter from Guardian，believes it is “the bad influence of celebrity(名人) culture” that is to blame. “When children wanted to be doctor，it wasn't because they were really more interested in the functions of human organs than they are now；you go where the respect is，”she wrote.
It could explain why there has been such an increase in levels of anxiety and depression. Dr. Carlo Strenger，of Tel Aviv University，studied the sense of self for his new book The Fear of Insignificance：Searching for Meaning in the 21st Century. He told Daily Mail that young people now are affected by the close connection to the global entertainment network，which has turned ranking and rating people according to wealth and celebrity into an obsession(痴迷)．
“As humans，we naturally measure ourselves against those around us，but now we live in a global village. We are comparing ourselves with the most ‘important’ people in the world and finding ourselves wanting，” he said. Today，even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media.
The way out？Simply stop measuring your achievements through a fantasy of wealth and celebrity. Dr. Strenger said that it is a process called “active self-acceptance through a constant search for self-knowledge through life”．
“The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievements，” he said.Nowadays，young people in Britain want to ________.
| A．choose jobs based on interests |
| B．become famous |
| C．be teacher，banker or doctor |
| D．earn more money |
According to Emma Brockes，what causes the increasing level of anxiety?
| A．The choice of future career. |
| B．The access to the global network. |
| C．The bad influence of celebrities. |
| D．The endless comparison with others. |
Which of the following is true of Dr. Carlo Strenger?
| A．He is a newspaper reporter. |
| B．He is a spokesman of teenagers. |
| C．He tells success stories on TV. |
| D．He is against ranking people by wealth. |
Dr. Carlo Strenger suggests that young people should ______.
| A．seek active self-acceptance |
| B．stick to their own dreams |
| C．make great achievements |
| D．search for the secret of wealth |
The text is mainly written to ________.
| A．talk about job choices |
| B．analyze a social phenomenon |
| C．encourage celebrity culture |
| D．introduce three famous people |
Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3,000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local，state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
Governments strongly support charter schools as a way to reorganize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study，which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse in math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand more student progress.If a private company wants to operate a charter school，it must ________.
| A．try new methods of teaching |
| B．prove its management ability |
| C．obey all local and state laws |
| D．get the government's permission |
Charter schools are independent because ________.
| A．they make greater progress |
| B．their class size is smaller |
| C．they enjoy more freedom |
| D．they oppose traditional ways |
What's the governments' attitude toward charter schools?
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Supportive. |
| C．Subjective. |
| D．Optimistic. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．More students choose to attend charter schools. |
| B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools. |
| C．Students in charter schools are well educated. |
| D．People have different opinions about charter schools. |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．charter schools are part of the public education system |
| B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students |
| C．the number of charter schools will be limited |
| D．charter schools are all privately financed |