I am not just a successful architect(建筑师). I also like to play the piano. In my spare time I often turn some dry musical symbols into beautiful music.
Many years ago, while I was in a university studying architecture, I worked in a workshop. During the break I found an old piano in the corner of the room. With the allowance of the boss I sat down to have a try. Following my fingers the keys danced brilliantly and at the same time beautiful music flew out and then to every part of the room. All my workmates suddenly stopped talking and made their ears ready for my music.
After graduation, I began to devote myself to my profession. All my musical talent was wasted into zero. Then one evening we went to a concert at which Mr. Stevenson, one of the ordinary workers in my company, sang us some beautiful songs. His musical talents made us all surprised. We all enjoyed ourselves with his beautiful voice so much that we even thought him a professional singer. I was also reminded of my musical talent.
I began to train in a training center. My teacher was strict with me. He encouraged me to train every weekend and each time he asked me to play better than the last. Now I can proudly say I am also a successful pianist because every time I played on the stage fresh flowers and warm clapping would come from my audience. So I say, my friends, don’t busy yourself with your work too much. Find some time to develop your potential talent(潜能) and your life will become more wonderful. What did the author do in his spare time?
A.He played music. |
B.He worked here and there. |
C.He stayed at home practicing his lessons. |
D.He read for his profession. |
After graduation, why did the author waste his music talent?
A.He realized that his music talent was nothing at all. |
B.His workmates did not like him to play music. |
C.He went on with his further study. |
D.He was too busy with his work. |
According to the passage, the author is not only a successful architect but also a good ___.
A.worker | B.pianist | C.singer | D.basketball player |
What is the author’s aim in writing this passage?
A.He wanted to tell us that he is successful both in work and life. |
B.He wanted to tell us to develop our potential talent instead of busying ourselves with our work only. |
C.He wanted to tell us that the concert is very important to his life. |
D.He wanted to tell us that he was very welcome in his company. |
Why did the author have himself trained on piano?
A.Because he lost his job. |
B.Because his salary was too low. |
C.Because he wanted to became a famous artist. |
D.Because he was inspired by his workmate. |
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If Michelle, ten, wants some books to read, she may choose the work by _________.
A.Elm Hill Books | B.Kliment, Felicia Drury |
C.McLellan, Diana | D.Tommy Nelson |
If John wants to build up his body, the book number he may choose is __________.
A.1404185526 | B.0071460152 |
C.0312283202 | D.140039404X |
The Girls is probably meant for those who are interested in _________.
A.fiction | B.pop songs | C.acting arts | D.health |
Which will save the most money for you?
A.I Love You, Sweetheart | B.The Girls |
C.Eat Right for Your Metabolism | D.The Twelve Dogs of Christmas Gift Set |
HOLLYWOOD(UPI)—Loni Anderson decided last year it was time to change her career around to play moms and comedy instead of pretty young girls.
So far, most people remember her as Jennifer Marlowe, the role she played in her first film in 1982.
This summer people will see Anderson in A Night as Roxbury, a film produced and directed by Amy Heckerlin.
“In the film I have two sons. One is 26, and the other is 30. Isn’t that interesting? I know I don’t look that old, but that’s what’s so fun about it.”
“My character dresses in clothes too short, too tight. Dan Hedaya plays my husband. We’re a couple with a lot of money and no taste. Our sons are complete idiots(白痴). Their purpose in life is to get into the Rich Young Man Club where everybody is proud of his wealth.”
“As you can tell, I’m doing things I’d never have done at the beginning of my career.”
“But I am who I am. I’ve worked as an actress a long time and now I can be anything I want. It’s a great time for me. I don’t have anything to prove.”
“I hadn’t done comedy in a long time. It’s what I do best and what I like best. At this point in my life I want to look a little bit foolish. I think that would be something new for me.”What had Loni Anderson probably played most in her past film career?
A.Pretty young girls. | B.Old mothers. |
C.Foolish persons. | D.Rich women. |
When did she begin to be an actress?
A.Last year. | B.This year. | C.1972. | D.1982. |
What was she going to change?
A.Her clothes. | B.Her husband. |
C.Her role type. | D.Her living place. |
Where does this article most likely appear?
A.Newspaper. | B.Science magazine. |
C.Tourist guide book. | D.Historical record. |
A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you. Eating the right kind of food is very important. It can help your body grow strong to take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all these food together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time. Or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may seem easy to finish your supper with fish and chips all the time. But you will find yourself tired in these days and you can not think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health.Which of the following diets do you think is the best one?
A.Eggs, tomatoes and chicken. |
B.Milk, bread, cabbages and beef. |
C.Corn, fish, cream and pork. |
D.Rice, bean curd(豆腐), apples, fish and chicken. |
Which of the following is a good eating-habit?
A.Going to school without any breakfast |
B.Eating fish and chips for supper all the time. |
C.Eating your lunch in a very short time. |
D.Having at least one food from all four groups in each meal. |
The underlined word “dairy” in the second passage means _____________.
A.the food made out of cows such as milk and butter |
B.the shop that sells milk and butter |
C.a farm where cows are kept |
D.a place where milk products are made. |
In this passage the writer mainly tells us that _____________.
A.enough energy helps people think more quickly |
B.taking exercise can keep your body strong |
C.every person needs food to grow well |
D.right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy |
One day a mime(哑剧演员) is visiting the zoo and wants to make some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zookeeper drags him into his office. The zookeeper explains that the zoo’s most popular attraction, a gorilla(大猩猩), has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla. The mime accepts.
The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He soon discovers he can sleep all as he likes, play and make fun of the people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime — the job he likes but loses.
However, with days going by, he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience(观众), he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition(隔墙), and dangles(悬挂) from the top to the lion’s cage. The lion gets angry at this. The scene is afuel to the crowd.
At the end of the day he is given a pay raise for being such a good attraction. Well, this continues for some time. The crowds grow larger, and the mime’s pay keeps going up.
Then one day when he is dangling over the lion he slips and falls. The mime is terrified(吓坏). He starts screaming, “Help me!”, but the lion is quick. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, “Shut up you fool! Do you want to get us both fired?”How does the mime find the job dressing up as the gorilla?
A.Hard and tiring. | B.Dangerous. | C.Easy and fun. | D.Boring. |
The mime’s first contact with the lion is to __________.
A.find pleasure for himself | B.get the lion’s attention |
C.get his pay raised | D.win back his audience |
The underlined works “a fuel” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by __________.
A.frightening | B.common | C.exciting | D.familiar |
From the last paragraph we can know that ___________.
A.the lion will eat the poor mime |
B.the lion is also played by a person |
C.the animals in the zoo are all played by people |
D.animals played by people can attract more visitors |
Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators(捕食性动物) don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
To learn more about how captivity(监禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos.
The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts(同类事物) who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years——more than three times as long.
Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity(肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups.
Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants. The text tells us that zoo elephants are different from other zoo animals because they________
A.develop health problems. |
B.1ive to a ripe old age. |
C.are not afraid of predators. |
D.have difficulty eating food. |
What do the scientists find in their research?
A.Female elephants live longer than male elephants. |
B.Female zoo elephants die earlier than their wild counterparts. |
C.Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts. |
D.Both elephants in zoos and those in the wild live in large herds. |
Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph?
A.Zoo-born elephants should be attended more carefully |
B.Elephants are no longer an endangered species. |
C.It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo. |
D.Zoos should keep more animals except elephants. |
Which of the following can be the best title?
A.Comparison between two species of elephants |
B.Longer lives for wild elephants |
C.Female elephants suffer from poor health. |
D.Longer lives for zoo animals. |