Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live－ in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village the chances that you will be disturbed by jet planes , transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc, are almost everywhere. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums (耳鼓). The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(专心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration , what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example ) may even help people to concentrate.The best title for this passage is________.
| A．Noisy Life |
| B．Background Noise |
| C．Disturbed Concentration |
| D．Changeable Noise |
From this passage, the pollution of noise __________.
| A．doesn’t matter much |
| B．has become better in big cities |
| C．has become better in villages |
| D．has become worse everywhere |
Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is _________.
| A．any kind of noise |
| B．great changes in level of noise |
| C．background noise |
| D．various background music |
What is a lifestyle and how is that different from a life? A lifestyle is about brand names and buying identity or fame, lifestyle gives a false sense of peace and acceptability that comes from others recognizing what you’ve bought into (as well as bought). If your car, clothes and home are expensive, you are sophisticated (世故的) and stylish, if you have the right kind of job or go to the right social gatherings, then you receive the superficial approval of others. This means that your self-esteem (自尊) is always at the mercy of others, with no appreciation of you as an individual.
A life, on the other hand, is very different. A life is what you lead when you know what matters most to you. It is very simple and comes from being connected to what you know is important and being willing to put that first, no matter what others may think. When you create a life vs. a lifestyle, your self-esteem comes from what’s inside you, not what others think about you.
Lifestyle is expensive monetarily and personally, because it costs a great deal to keep up appearances and do what you think is socially acceptable. A life is not expensive. Rather than using up personal or financial resources, a life generates energy and staying power. It’s about liberating yourself from the mindless consumption that society expects. It is about making the choices that are in line with your values, instead of using up your bank account or energy for no heart-driven reason.
How can you make the change? Understand the difference between a life and a lifestyle. Analyze your current lifestyle to see what it is costing you in money, time, stress, and energy to maintain it, let go and make room for what is really important to you, what sustains (支撑) you and brings you joy, remember that who you are comes from within , not what you own！ Which of the following examples best illustrates” what is life about”?
| A．We work long hours in a job that we do not enjoy. |
| B．We focus on what we wear, or what kind of car we drive. |
| C．We find out what our true beliefs and values are and choose to live by these. |
| D．We think that how others see us is more important than what we think of ourselves. |
What method does the author use to explain his opinion in the third paragraph?
| A．Making comparison. | B．Giving an example. |
| C．Giving a definition. | D．Giving a reason. |
To make the change, we need to ________.
| A．be directed from within | B．be directed from outside |
| C．be driven by social values | D．be driven by others’ opinions |
What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To describe what life is. |
| B．To introduce what lifestyle is. |
| C．To promote life instead of lifestyle. |
| D．To tell the differences between life and lifestyle. |
When it comes to movies, we usually think of big actors, big budgets, big screens, and, if lucky, big profits. Unfortunately, that puts up some big barriers for aspiring (胸怀大志的) young filmmakers and their dreams. However, thanks to easy access to technology, that’s all changing.
All one really needs nowadays is a camera, a computer, an Internet connection, and, of course, a good idea. With that, you can enter the microfilm world. Shooting a movie using friends and family as the cast has become a common class project for high school students. After a little editing on a laptop, some even decide their creation is worth sharing online.
Microfilms are shot within a short period of time and last only a few minutes or even shorter. Most are completed on an extremely small budget and offer a cheap way for grassroots directors to realize their dreams.
With a range of film festivals, they have taken off due to being perfectly suited to new media platforms such as mobile phones and notebook computers. They are also easily shared across social networks and microblogs.
But microfilms are far different from the shorts commonly found on YouTube. A microfilm must have a solid and thoughtful plot. Most importantly, the movies are easily distributed and there can be no concern about long-term box office profits. Most people who upload a microfilm simply see it as an easy way to share their fun with a few friends and family. Others may be curious about what sort of reaction their production may receive from the general public. According to the passage, what helps promising microfilmmakers realize their dreams?
| A．The profits from microfilms. | B．Aids from friends and family. |
| C．Supports from the public. | D．Small costs for microfilms. |
What does the author mainly explain in Paragraph 4?
| A．The money spent on microfilms is small. |
| B．Microfilms are perfectly connected with new media platforms. |
| C．The difference between microfilms and the shorts is great. |
| D．The process to shoot microfilms is easy. |
In which ways are microfilms mainly different from the shorts?
| A．Technology and money. | B．Actors and screens |
| C．Thoughts and plots | D．Population and profits. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．A look at microfilms | B．The challenge of big films |
| C．A new class project | D．The secret of successful microfilms |
Elizabeth’s Second!
In 60 years, the Queen has never put a foot wrong in public. And for the last 24 of them, it turns out she’s had a secret weapon — the nice Ella Slack. The former BBC manager has, unknown to anyone except a handful of key advisers, spent the last quarter of a century acting as the Queen’s official stand-in at rehearsals (排练) for royal events. The 69-year-old has never accepted a penny for her royal service, considering it “a pleasure and an honour” to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the Queen. “How many people in the world have had a chance to sit in a royal landau (马车) or walk onto the dais (讲台) at Windsor Castle even before the Queen has done so?” she said.
While Miss Slack may not resemble the Queen facially, she has a similar figure to the Queen, standing just 5 foot. The Queen is 5 foot 2 inch. She began her remarkable role in 1988, when she was working as manager of the BBC’s sports and events department. A producer asked her if she could stand in for the Queen to check camera angles at a rehearsal — and her second career was born.
Since then, from the State Opening of Parliament (议会) to the 50th anniversary of Victory day, wherever the Queen is on duty Miss Slack is likely to have been there first. She has perfected her own version of the Queen’s clothes, including a black patent handbag she bought in a charity shop for ￡1, and even styles her hair like the Queen. What’s the Queen’s secret weapon?
| A．She often meets people in public. |
| B．She actively attends social activities. |
| C．She has a nice lady to act as herself. |
| D．She and Miss Slack have a lot in common. |
Miss Slack’s words in Paragraph 1 indicate that ___________.
| A．she thinks the job honorable and worthy |
| B．she thinks she can do the job better |
| C．she thinks frequently of her role |
| D．she is determined to carry the job on |
How did Miss Slack get the job?
| A．The Queen invited her to do so. |
| B．The BBC appointed her to finish the job. |
| C．She was invited to have an accidental try. |
| D．The advisers offered her the chance. |
In which section of a newspaper may you find the passage?
| A．Education. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Sports. | D．Health. |
Here’s the travel plan for some museums on our “Museums of the World” tour.
The Museum of Bad Art (Boston, USA) shows what it describes as “art too bad to be ignored”. The museum hopes to bring the worst of art to the widest possible audience and has even published a book of its most “important” works. As part of the visit, we’ll be shown some truly awful portraits, landscapes and sculptures.
The Washington Banana Museum (Auburn, Washington, USA) contains 4,000 objects related to the history of what the museum describes as “the world’s most perfect fruit”. We’ll be given a guided tour around the museum, during which we’ll learn all sorts of interesting things, such as the fact that bananas were introduced to the USA in 1878 in the same exhibition as Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, and that the banana is now the US’ number-one selling fruit.
The Hair Museum (Avanos, Turkey) is located in a cave in Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia. It contains 160,000 samples of people’s hair. You’ll be offered a chance to add your own hair to the collection. Later in the year, the museum curator selects 10 donors to attend a pottery workshop. If you’re one of them, you’ll be invited to stay in his guest house.
The museum du Slip (Brussels, Belgium) is devoted to underwear. The idea behind the museum is that everyone is equal in their underwear. You’ll be fascinated to know that it has collected samples from all sorts of people, including artists, politicians and pop stars.
The Museum de Carrosses Funebres (Barcelona, Spain) is a museum of funeral hearses (灵车). It takes a look at how local people have been transported to their funerals since the 19th century. During the tour, we’ll be provided with a fascinating insight into how the people of Barcelona viewed death. Among the 1,000 or so exhibits, pride of place goes to a “flap-coffin”, which is a reusable coffin from the 18th century. What is special about the Washington Banana Museum?
| A．You’ll see some examples of awful art. |
| B．This museum includes an exhibit from the 18th century. |
| C．You’ll learn something about the history of bananas. |
| D．It provides the customs of funerals about local people. |
According to the passage, to which museum can you donate your hair?
| A．The Museum of Bad Art. | B．The Hair Museum. |
| C．The Museum du Slip. | D．The Museum de Carrosses Funebres. |
Which of the following words can best describe the museums?
| A．Well-known | B．Traditional |
| C．Ancient | D．Unusual |
Next Thursday, November 27th（the fourth Thursday in November）, Americans will gather with family and friends to share a big meal to celebrate Thanksgiving. They might play games, tell stories or watch football on television together.
Angelo Rosa has more Thanksgiving memories than most people. From Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, the 100-year-old man lives in the same house where he celebrated a great number of Thanksgiving.
But he says it was different when he was a child. Mr. Rosa was just three when his family came to America. “When we were small children, Thanksgiving was never a very big holiday because at the time we actually didn’t pay too much attention to it.” But, also, he says, his parents faced a language difficulty. “They were from Italy and spoke very broken English, because they were the first generation that came over here.”
And the family had little money. There were six children. Mr. Rosa’s father was a coal miner in Pennsylvania. The family was not able to have big, costly dinners, especially during the hard time of the 1930’s. But Mr. Rosa says Thanksgiving dinners became a tradition in his own family after he married and had children.
This Thanksgiving, Angelo Rosa will go to the home of his daughter about twenty minutes away. He will celebrate the day with loved ones, including his great-grandchildren.
On the other side of the country, Cathie Dahlstrom is preparing dishes for a group of 35 to 40 people in Concord, California. We asked Ms Dahlstrom what she is thankful for this year; her first answer is “The election.” She said she is also deeply grateful for her very large family. Ms Dahlstrom has one daughter. She has five younger brothers and sisters. She also has eight stepbrothers and stepsisters. Many of them and their families will be at the Thanksgiving dinner. At Mr. Rosa’s childhood, Thanksgiving was not a big holiday for the following reasons EXCEPT ________.
| A．the family couldn’t afford expensive dinners |
| B．the family couldn’t communicate well with the local people |
| C．the family didn’t recognize it as an important holiday |
| D．during the 1930’s no one could afford expensive dinners |
From Ms Dahlstrom’s words, we can infer that ________.
| A．she is content with both her family, relatives and the society |
| B．she is thankful for her effort in the election and her family |
| C．she has always been celebrating Thanksgiving this way |
| D．her daughter has a large family with stepbrothers and stepsisters |
As a whole, Thanksgiving in America is________.
| A．a happy gathering with family members, relatives and friends |
| B．a grand family dinner party as well as a tourist holiday |
| C．a great social gathering of entertainment and achievement |
| D．a large gathering of people of different generations |
Who probably wrote the passage?
| A．A close friend of Mr. Rosa. |
| B．A journalist for a radio or TV station. |
| C．A university student who majors in history. |
| D．An actress who wants to experience real life. |