Robert Frost was one of America’s best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came late in his life.
He was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. He lived in California during his early childhood. He was named after the chief Southern general in America’s Civil War. The general’s name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to honor the general.
Someone once asked another American writer, Ernest Hemingway, how to become a writer. The best thing, he said, was to have an unhappy childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost’s childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very good writer. Robert Frost’s father was a reporter who wanted to be a politician. He often drank too much wine and became angry. Robert was the victim (受害者) of his anger.
Robert Frost finished high school in 1891. After high school, Robert’s grandfather offered to pay his costs at Dartmouth College. But Robert left the school after a few months. He did not like it. He spent the next few years working at different jobs. At one time, he worked in a factory. Later, he repaired shoes. He was a teacher. He was a reporter. Always, he wrote poetry.
Robert Frost attended Harvard University for two years. After that, he returned to the many jobs he held before. For a while, Frost tried to take care of a farm in the state of New Hampshire. He was not a successful farmer. And he continued to write poetry. He said that until 1930, he earned only about ten dollars a year from writing.
In 1912, he decided to try to make a new start. He took his family to Britain. The cost of living was low. In Britain, Frost found a publisher for his first book of poems. The book was called A Boy’s Will. When it appeared in 1913. Frost received high praise from British readers. Praise was something he had not received in his own country.
Ezra Pound, another American poet living in Britain, read the poems and liked them very much. He wrote a magazine article about Frost. He also helped get Frost’s second book of poems published in America. That book was called North of Boston.The followings are writers EXCEPT ________.
A.Robert Edward Lee | B.Robert Lee Frost |
C.Ernest Hemingway | D.Ezra Pound |
The passage wrote about Hemingway in order to show that
A.he had great influence on Frost’s poetry and life |
B.Frost’ s poetry style was the same as Hemingway’s |
C.Frost was unhappy because he was the victim of his father |
D.Frost spent his childhood unhappily |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Once Frost’s first book was published he gained great praise in his country. |
B.After leaving Harvard University, he began to learn to write poetry. |
C.Frost was found lo have a gift in poetry while he studied in high school. |
D.Robert Frost’s father was angry and drank a lot because he didn’t realize his dream. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Robert Frost’s unhappy childhood. | B.Robert Frost’s first and second book. |
C.Robert Frost’s family and jobs. | D.Robert Frost’s life and poetry. |
A few common misconceptions. Beauty is only skin-deep. One' s physical assets and liabilities don' t count all that much in a managerial career. A woman should always try to look her best.
Over the last 30 years, social scientists have conducted more than 1,000 studies of how we react to beautiful and not- so-beautiful people. The virtually unanimous conclusion: Looks do matter, more than most of us realize. The data suggest, for example, the physically attractive individuals are more likely to be treated well by their parents, sought out as friends, and pursued romantically. With the possible exception of women seeking managerial jobs they are also more likely to be hired, paid well, and promoted.
Un-American, you say, unfair and extremely unbelievable? Once again, the scientists have caught us mouthing pieties (虔诚) while acting just the contrary. Their typical experiment works something like this. They give each member of a group--college students, perhaps, or teachers or corporate personnel managers a piece of paper relating an individual' s accomplishments. Attached to the paper is a photograph. While the papers all say exactly the same thing the pictures are different. Some show a strikingly attractive person, some an average-looking character, and some an unusually unattractive human being. Group members are asked to rate the individual on certain attributes, anything from personal warmth to the likelihood that he or she will be promoted.
Almost invariably, the better looking the person in the picture, the higher the person is rated. In the phrase, borrowed from Sappho, that the social scientists use to sum up the common perception, what is beautiful is good.
In business, however, good looks cut both ways for women, and deeper than for men. A Utah State University professor, who is an authority on the subject, explains: In terms of their careers, the impact of physical attractiveness on males is only modest. But its potential impact on females can be tremendous, making it easier, for example, for the more attractive to get jobs where they are in the public eye. on another note, though, there is enough literature now for us to conclude that attractive women who aspire (追求) to managerial positions do not get on as well as who may be less attractive. In "Beauty is only skin-deep", "skin-deep" can be replaced by______.
A.decorating | B.superficial | C.expressive | D.demanding |
"One's physical assets and liabilities don' t count all that much in a managerial career."(paral) can be interpretated as______.
A.whether or not one looks good or bad, it doesn' t affect much one' s managerial career |
B.in one' s managerial career, he may deal with cases like assets and liabilities |
C.in one' s managerial career, he may rarely deal with cases like assets and liabilities |
D.whether or not one looks good or bad, it may affect much one' s managerial career |
The result of research carried out by social scientists show that______.
A.people do not realize the importance of looking one' s best |
B.women in pursuit of managerial jobs are not likely to be paid well |
C.good -looking women aspire to managerial positions |
D.attractive people generally have an advantage over those who are not |
"Good looks cut both ways for women" (Para.5) means that______.
A.attractive women have tremendous potential impact on public job |
B.good-looking women always get the best of everything |
C.being attractive is not always an advantage for women |
D.attractive women do not do as well as unattractive women in managerial positions |
It can be inferred from the passage that in the business world______.
A.handsome men are not affected as much by their looks as attractive women are |
B.physically attractive women who are in the public eye usually do quite well |
C.physically attractive men and women who are in the public eye usually get along quite well |
D.good looks are important for women as they are for men |
Home stay 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
Home stays 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 Breakfast21世纪教育网
♢ 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 lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary home stay 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.foreigners hoping to build British culture |
C.travellers planning to visit families 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 training..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. |
D.Zone 2 is more crowded than Zone 4. |
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 family atmosphere. |
B.To enrich their knowledge of English. |
C.To entertain friends as they like. |
D.To enjoy much more freedom. |
Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands. Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn't forget that Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired (启发) his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin's footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands. The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be. The most well-known animal of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise(巨型海龟), which can be seen moving slowly around the highlands of Sanra Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago(群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been seen in their youth by Darwin himself. Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures: diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and, most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air. Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time. What do we know about Darwin's visit to the islands?
A.He studied different creatures on the islands |
B.He completed his famous book on the islands |
C.He was touched by the geography of the islands |
D.He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands |
Which of the following plays a role in making the islands "a paradise for wildlife"?
A.Animals on the islands feed on grass. |
B.Local government forbids killing wildlife. |
C.People cannot visit the islands as they wish. |
D.Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals. |
Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of_________.
A.The beautiful sea views |
B.Darwin's inspiring trip |
C.a closer view of animals |
D.various daring activities |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.A Unique Attraction for Wildlife Lovers |
B.Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventures |
C.Charles Darwin as a Symbol of Galapagos |
D.A Successful Example of Wildlife Protection |
It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (嫁妆). Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife’s right to receive a tenth of all her husband’s property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband’s personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro’s personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, “for the sake of peace.” Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position. Originally, the purpose of a dowry is to_________.
A give a woman the right to receive all her husband’s property
B help a woman to enjoy a higher position in the family
C protect a woman against the risk of desertion
D both A and C According to the passage, the legal status of the wife in marriage was__________.
A higher than that of a single woman
B higher than that of her husband
C lower than that of her husband
D the same as that of her husband Why does the author give us the example of Maria Vivas?
A To show that the wife shared in the management of her husbands personal property.
B To show that the wife can defend her own inheritance.
C To prove that women have powerful position.
D To illustrate how women win her property. The compensation Maria Vivas got for the field is____________.
A some of the land Miro had inherited
B a tenth of Miro’s land
C money for household expenses
D money form Miro’s inheritanceThe author’s attitude towards Maria Vivas is_____________.
A sympathetic B disapproval C indifferent D objective
It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers(生产商) follow certain uniform standards for various features(特征) of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men's clothes tend to button from the right, and women's from the left. Considering most of the world's population----men and women----are right-handed, the men's standard would appear to make more sense for women. So why do women's clothes button from the left? History really seems to matter here. Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women's shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men's shirts button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt. Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change. At a time when all women's shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women's shirts that buttoned from the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men's shirts. What is surprising about the standard of the clothing industry?
A.It has been followed by the industry for over 400 years. |
B.It is different for men's clothing and women's. |
C.It woks better with men than with women. |
D.It fails to consider right-handed people. |
What do we know about the rich men in the 17th century?
A.They tended to wear clothes without buttons. |
B.They were interested in the historical matters. |
C.They were mostly dressed by servants. |
D.They drew their swords from the left. |
Women's clothes still button from the left today because.
A.adopting men's style is improper for women |
B.manufacturers should follow standards |
C.modern women dress themselves |
D.customs are hard to change |
The passage is mainly developed by.
A.analyzing causes |
B.making comparisons |
C.examining differences |
D.following the time order |