A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan.His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising.The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years.Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift—$7,000,a legacy (遗产) form their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident .“It really made a difference when we were going under financially.” says Dave.
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches.Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity.In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in other, it was more than $100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million—they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm .
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving.They thrived on(喜欢)comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase .
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it.“Ish and Arlene never asked whether you needed anything,” says their friend Sand Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them.
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed.It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents —should enrich the whole community and Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.
Neighbors helping neighbors ——that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.According go the text, the Fusses_______________.
A.were employed by a truck company |
B.were in financial difficulty |
C.worked in a school cafeteria |
D.lost their home |
Which of the following is true of the Hatches?
A.They had their children during the Great Depression. |
B.They left the family farm to live in an old house. |
C.They gave away their possessions to their neighbors. |
D.They helped their neighbors to find jobs. |
Why would the Hatches routinely go from store?
A.They decided to open a store. |
B.They wanted to save money. |
C.They couldn’t afford expensive things. |
D.They wanted to buy gifts for local kids. |
According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were_________.
A.understanding | B.optimistic | C.childlike | D.curious |
What can we learn from the text?
A.The community of Alto was poor. |
B.The summer camp was attractive to the parents. |
C.Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches. |
D.The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example. |
According to legend, the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy, which connects the Palazzo Ducale to an ancient prison, got its name because the walk across it gave prisoners on their way to jail a final chance to appreciate the beauty of the city.
The view from the bridge today, however, is more likely to be of a giant billboard selling Bulgari or Coca – cola. Beyond the billboards, monuments are being restored. The money comes from advertising profits.
But when the Coke billboards went up this summer on buildings near the Piazza San Marco, which is at the historic heart of Venice, there was a public debate.
“We can’t commercialize everything,” said Alessandra Mottola Molfino, a Venetian. “The lesson that goes out is that a price is for everything.”
“We couldn’t stay quiet,” said Maria Camilla Bianchini d’Alberigo, president of a heritage protection association. “Too much is too much.”
There needed to be rules, she added, rules that prevent the advertising billboards clashing (冲突) with the monuments of the city.
City of officials, however, argue that without these ads, the city could not afford to maintain its heritage. Many have been damaged by centuries of wear and are even a threat to public safety.
“I can’t turn down the image of bottle when there are pieces of the Palazzo Ducale falling to the ground,” said Renata Codello, a Cultrue Ministry official.
The Culture Minister has a budget of about $ 47 million (315 million yuan) for restoration of monuments, but Italy has a rich architectural heritage, and funds are always tight.Of that amount,
$ 1.8 million was given to the entire Vector region, which includes Venice.
Two years ago, the city signed an agreement with the Dotter Group, a company responsible for the restoration of the Bridge of Sighs and the Palazzo Ducale.It allows it to sell ad space.
But there is a condition in the agreement: The ads should not offend public taste,
In August, Venice banned US actress Julianne Moore's Bulgrari ad from a billboard in the Piazza San Marco.
The photo shows a naked Moore covered with lion cubs, handbags and jewelry, Mayor Giorgio Orsoni called the image too racy (猥亵) and unsuitable for the Piazza San Marco.
"I take account of the fact that Venice is part of the real world… but we cannot accept these Hollywood-style images.There arc intelligent sponsors, and we need to come up with advertising that suits Venice, not Times Square," he said in a speech.The article is mainly about in Venice
A.restoration of cultural heritage |
B.widespread commercialization |
C.the conflict between ads and cultural heritage |
D.the difficulty of restoring monuments |
In the first paragraph, the beautiful view from the Bridge of Sighs is mentioned to .
A.introduce other monuments of the ancient city |
B.show how much many ancient structures need restoring |
C.indicate that the view is blocked by huge ads |
D.create interest in the famous city |
From the article we can conclude that Rcnata Codello the advertising.
A.is in favor of | B.is worried about |
C.objects to | D.doesn't mind |
Why do many Venetians complain about the ads?
A.They are intolerant of commercialization. |
B.They feel the ads are damaging the city. |
C.The ads are usually racy and in an American style. |
D.The ads don't present a traditional view of Venice, |
It can be inferred from the passage that
A.Hollywood stars' ads cannot go up in Venice |
B.the mayor of Venice is expecting new advertising |
C.the Dotter Group may stop its restoration work for lack of funds |
D.people can buy Bulgaria or Coca-cola on the Bridge of Sighs |
The story of Madame Tussaud is as fascinating as that of the exhibition itself. From a housekeeper's daughter to a successful business woman, her life has all the marks of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Madam Tussaud was born in 1761 and named Marie Grosholtz. Her father was killed in battle only two months before Mane's birth. For the first five years of her life, Marie lived in Berne with her mother, who worked as housekeeper for Dr Philippe Curtius. A doctor, with a talent for wax modeling, Curtius became her teacher.
It was Curtius who opened the original wax exhibition in Paris in 1770 and introduced Marie to some famous people. At only 17, she modeled the famous writer Francois Voltaire, followed by a portrait of American statesman Benjamin Franklin when he was in Paris as US ambassador. Both figures are still on display at Madame Tussaud's, London today.
Her work at Curtius successful wax exhibition led to an invitation to the court of Louis XVI and his queen. For nine years she lived at the palace of Versailles guiding the artistic education of the king's sister. Meanwhile the French Revolution was about to erupt. Aware of the political nrest,Philippe Curtius called Marie back to Paris. Marie7 s connection with the royal family made her guilty. Both she and her mother were arrested. After she was set free, Marie was forced to make death masks (a death mask is a model of a dead person's face, made by coving their face with a soft substance and letting it become hard) of executed (被处决的) nobles. Many were former friends at court, including her former employers, the king and queen.
By 1800 Marie was married with two young children and a poor business inherited from Curtius. Madame Tussaud made the decision to take her exhibition on tour. In 1802, she left France. For the next 33 years, Madame Tussaud traveled the British Isles, exhibiting her growing collection of portraits. In those pre-television days, this was the only way most people had direct contact with the famous people of the time. The exhibition became permanently based in London in 1835, moving to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884. Her last work, a remarkable self – portrait that is still on show, was completed only eight years before her death aged 89.The underlined part in Para. 1 implies that Madame Tussaud’s life was .
A.complicated | B.successful | C.peaceful | D.lonely |
Marie got a job at that court of Louis XVI because of .
A.Curtius’ recommendation | B.her gift for wax modeling |
C.her mother’s help | D.her friendship with the king’s sister |
Marie was arrested during the French Revolution because .
A.she had worked for Dr Philippe Curtius |
B.she had modeled the French royal family |
C.she had worked at the place of Versailles |
D.she had refused to make death masks |
The last paragraph is mainly about .
A.how Marie’s was modeling business became successful |
B.how Marie balanced her family and work |
C.the establishment of Madame Tussaud’s, London |
D.the popularity of Madame Tussaud’s wax exhibition |
According toe the passage, how many of the following statements about Marie are TREU?
a. She hadn’t seen his father since she was born.
b. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.
c. She modeled the portrait of Francois Voltaire.
d. She guided the artistic education of the king’s daughter.
e. In 1842, she completed her last work.
A.2 | B.3 | C.4 | D.5 |
When you have a post-office box, the postman doesn’t bring letters to you, but you go to the post-office and get your letters and parcels from your box. The box is locked, only you have the key, so the letters and parcels are safe.
One day the headmaster of a school wrote to the post-office and asked for a post-office box for his school. He soon got an answer. It said, “We will give you a post-office box in one month.”
Three months later, the headmaster wrote to the post-office and said, “Why haven't we got a post-office box yet?”
This was the answer from the post-office:
“Dear sir,
We gave you a post-office box two months and wrote to you then to tell you. Here is the key to your box. You will find our letter to you in it.”When you have a post-office box, _____.
A.it is easier for you to write letters | B.you will have more letters than parcels |
C.you get your letters in front of your house | D.you got to the post-office to get your letters |
The word “key” in this passage means _____.
A.邮件 | B.密码 | C.编号 | D.钥匙 |
The headmaster _____.
A.wrote many letters to the post-office | B.didn’t like the postman |
C.didn’t know how a post-office box worked | D.forgot to pay for the post-office box |
When the post-office said that you could get a post-office, he meant _____.
A.you may go to the post-office to get your mails |
B.you must wait to get the post-office box |
C.you must write again to get the key |
D.you must pay for the box before you got it |
Which of the following might not be true?
A.If you want to get a post-office box, you must let the post-office know. |
B.When you get a post-office box, you have to do the work of a postman. |
C.You go to the post-office to get the key to your box. |
D.After you get a post-office box, the post man will not send mails to your house. |
My wife and I spent two weeks in London last year. We went there in the autumn. We think it is the best season to visit England. The weather is usually good and there aren’t too many tourists in October.
We stayed in a small hotel in the West End. It was convenient as we did most of our sightseeing on foot. Taxis were too expensive, we couldn’t understand the bus routes, and my wife didn’t like traveling under the ground. She said it made her feel sick.
We went to look at the places which all tourists visit. We saw Buckingham Palace. We went shopping in Oxford Street and spent too much money. What we liked most, though, was going to the theatre. We didn’t have the chance to see such wonderful plays at home. A lot of people say English food is bad. We didn’t think so. It is true that most of the restaurants are French or Italian or Chinese, but we had some very good meals.
In fact, we enjoyed our holiday so much that we have already booked again for this year. We are going to take our umbrellas, though. I’m sure we’ll need them sometimes.The couple chose a small hotel in the West End to stay in because _________.
A.taxis were too expensive | B.they could go sightseeing on foot |
C.the underground made the wife feel sick | D.all the above |
The couple had some difficulty in ________.
A.booking in the hotel | B.finding the bus routes |
C.going sightseeing on foot | D.having meals |
Generally speaking, the couple _________the trip to London.
A.were satisfied with | B.disliked |
C.were a bit unhappy about | D.regretted |
What did the couple think of English food?
A.terrible | B.not bad | C.great | D.comfort |
Which of the following is NOT true about the couple?
A.They thought English food was bad. | B.They will visit London again. |
C.They visited London last October. | D.They didn’t take their umbrella last year. |
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Good fellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00. Free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic(野餐)
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Take Me out to the Ballgame
It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold …, don’t forget to wear sweaters and jackets.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”?
“The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8 at Rose Hall, City College.If you get to the Museum Theatre at 3:30 on Saturday afternoon, you can .
A.enjoy the film: The Workers | B.enjoy the film: See Broken Window |
C.enjoy interesting stories | D.enjoy the concert |
You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arabic food ______.
A.at the front entrance of City Hall | B.at the ballgame |
C.at 5:00 p.m. | D.at Central Park on Saturday |
If you are going on the Walking Tour, don’t forget ______.
A.your worries | B.your beautiful dog |
C.your learning about local history | D.your comfortable shoes |
The Redbirds ballgame ______.
A.is in the afternoon | B.is outside | C.is at the gate | D.might be cold |
“The Zoo” is ______.
A.a park with lots of animals there | B.US concert |
C.a music group | D.going to give the concert at 8 a.m. tomorrow |