The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ ”
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump ” .
Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.The book Gone with the Wind was _________.
| A．first published on a newspaper |
| B．awarded ten Academy Awards |
| C．written in “The Dump” |
| D．adapted from a movie |
The underlined phrase “tower over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________.
| A．be very pleased with |
| B．show great respect for |
| C．be much taller than |
| D．show little interest in |
Why did Ms. Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?
| A．Because she was rich enough. |
| B．Because she was injured then. |
| C．Because her husband didn’t like it. |
| D．Because she wanted to write books. |
We can know about Margaret Mitchell from the passage that _________.
| A．her height made her marriage unhappy |
| B．her interest in writing continued as an adult |
| C．writing stopped her working as a reporter |
| D．her life was full of hardship and sadness |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell. |
| B． Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success. |
| C．An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House. |
| D．Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer. |
Mary went out at night. She never forgot the night when she met a robber many years ago.
That evening, she was invited to a birthday party which lasted until two o’clock i n the morning. Without company Mary walked along the quiet street.
Suddenly from the shadow of a dark building a tall man with a sharp knife in his right hand ran out at her. “Good evening, lady,” the man said in a low voice, “I don’t think you wish to die here.”
“What do you want?” Mary asked.
“Your earrings （耳环）.Take them off!” Slowly Mary’s eyes looked down. She tried to cover her necklace with the collar（领子）of her overcoat while she used the other hand to take off both of her earrings, and then she quickly threw them on the ground.
“Take them and let me go.” she said. The robber looked at her only feeling uncertain. He saw the girl didn’t care for the earrings at all, only trying to protect the necklace. He realized the necklace would cost more. So he said, “Give me your necklace.”
“Oh, sir. It’s not worth much. Please let me keep it.”
“Stop rubbish. Quick!”
With shaky hands, Mary took off her necklace. As soon as the robber disappeared, she picked up her earrings and ran as fast as she could to one of her friends.
The earrings cost 480 pounds and the necklace the robber had taken away cost only six pounds ten shillings.
1. Mary never forgot that night because ___________.
A. she was robbed of her necklace B. she was robbed, but she fooled the robber
C. she had a good time at the party D. she lost her earrings
2. The party ___________.
A. didn’t end at two B. ended before two C. lasted two hours D. was over at two
3. She tried to protect the necklace because ___________.
A. she didn’t want to lose it B. it was more important
C. she liked it better than earringsD. she would rather have the necklace lost
4. The story tells us that she was a ___________girl.
A. clever and braveB. clever and beautifulC. brave and carefulD. clever and careful
三、阅读理解
Everyone should learn to apologize. Apology language do work. Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering partial apology in a “language” that was foreign to your listener. The five languages of apology include:
Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”
List the hurtful effects of your action. NOT “I am sorry if…”, but “I am sorry that…”. You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.
Apology Language 2: “I was wrong.”
Name your mistake and accept fault. Note that it is easier to say “You are right ” than “ I am wrong”, but the latter carries more weight.
Apology Language 3: “What can I do to make it right ?”
How are you now? How shall I make amends to you? How can I RESTORE YOUR CONFIDENC that I love you even I was so hurtful to you?
Apology Language 4: “I WILL TRY NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN.”
Engage in problem-solving. Do not make excuses for yourself such as: “Well my day just so …” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself putting them in the same bad situation again.
Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”
Be patient in seeking forgiveness. They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.
Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace.
1. When offerring an apology, which of the following dose the author prefer?
A. “You are right .” B. “I am sorry if …”
C. “I am wrong.” D. “Well , my day was just so…”
2. In the last paragraph ,the author tells us even if your apology may not be accepted , at least __________ .
A .It is not your fault any more. B. Your mind will be at peace.
C. your friend will make peace with you.D. your apology is true to your heart.
3 .What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Five tips for apology that work.B. Five ways of refusing apology.
C. The function (功能) of apology language.D. The importance of apology language
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted -- although scientists are working on it!
Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs.
The intensity of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Northridge Earthquake, which hit Southern California in 1994, was magnitude 6.7.
Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking.
1. Which statement about earthquakes is not correct?
A. Earthquakes are the result of the sudden shock of the earth’s surface.
B. Earthquakes usually can be felt because they can last for a long time.
C. There are usually some signs for people to notice an earthquake.
D. People can feel an earthquake over 6.0 because it is very strong.
2. According to the passage, when the earthquake happened, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco_______.
A. was riding a bicycleB. was just climbing the stairs
C. heard a low rumbling noiseD. felt like riding a bicycle
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Most of the time, people can not feel or predict the earthquakes.
B. Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes shakers or seismic activity.
C. The Northridge Earthquake in Southern California in 1994 caused severe damage.
D. When an earthquake happens, it is important to drop on the floor immediately.
An 18-year-old student has won a local election to become mayor of his hometown
in the US state of Michigan. Michael Sessions won by the slenderest of margins - just two votes put him ahead of his only rival, the incumbent 51-year-old mayor. Mr. Sessions attributed his electoral success to the votes cast by his parents. He will now have to juggle schedules between attending school and fulfilling his civic duties. He will attend his school classes between 8am to 3pm and carry out his new job as the elected mayor of Hillsdale before dinner at 6pm. He aims to deliver on his campaign pledges of increasing the contingent (小分队) of full-time fire-fighters from three to four, revitalizing (使恢复元气) the local economy and enabling townsfolk to air their views and grievances on town life.
Mr. Sessions was too young to enter the election when it was first announced – he turned 18 only in September, which meant he had just four weeks of campaigning. Although he is the youngest elected official in America, he cannot celebrate his success with champagne because he would be arrested for underage drinking. He ran for office with a budget of $700, which he made from his summer job of selling toffee apples. His position is largely ceremonial and he will not get his own office. Instead, he will receive an annual stipend of $3,600 to cover basic expenses. He starts his four-year position on November 21. Mr. Sessions has become an overnight celebrity since his victory and has already done the circuit of television chat show interviews.
1. When did the election probably take place?
A. August. B. September. C. October. D. December.
2. How long will Mr. Sessions be the mayor of Michigan State?
A. One year.B. Two years.C. Four years. D. Not mentioned.
3. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Mr. Sessions won the election by two votes.
B. Mr. Sessions had many competitors during the election.
C. The new mayor will get an office after the election.
D. The new mayor doesn’t have to attend the school any more.
Years ago, a cigarette commercial asked if you were smoking more, but enjoying it less. That describes the way many of us live today. We are doing more, but enjoying it less. And when that doesn’t work, we compound the problem. In our frantic search for satisfaction, we try stuffing still more into our days, never realizing that we are taking the wrong approach.
The truth is simple; so simple it is hard to believe. Satisfaction lies with less, not with more. Yet, we pursue the myth that this thing, or that activity, will somehow provide the satisfaction we so desperately seek.
Arthur Lindman, in his devastating book, “The Harried Leisure Class,” described the futility of pursuing more. His research focused on what people did with their leisure time. He found that as income rose, people bought more things to occupy their leisure time. But, ironically, the more things they bought, the less they valued any one of them. Carried to an extreme, he predicted massive boredom in the midst of tremendous variety. That was more than twenty years ago, and his prediction seems more accurate every year.
Lindman, of course, is not the first to discover this. The writer of Ecclesiastes expressed the same thought thousands of years ago. It is better, he wrote, to have less, but enjoy it more.
If you would like to enjoy life more, I challenge you to experiment with me. How could you simplify your life? What could you drop? What could you do without? What could you stop pursuing? What few things could you concentrate on?
The more I learn, the more I realize that fullness of life does not depend on things. The more I give up, the more I seem to gain. But words will never convince you. You must try it for yourself.
1．Arthur Lindman predicted twenty years ago that ______.
A. more things brought more valueB. the more people had, the less they valued them
C. people didn’t like to pursue moreD. massive boredom came from less variety
2．What does the article suggest to make our life happier?
A. To enjoy more things. B. To buy more things.
C. To sell things we do not need.D. To get rid of useless things.
3．The passage is probably written to ___________.
A. introduce Arthur Lindman and his bookB. tell the readers what is satisfaction
C. introduce how to simplify people’s lifeD. persuade people to simplify their life