April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the United States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls' horizons(视野)and raise their self-confidence.
For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive(主管).”says the chairman of the Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work."
Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers Green High School for girls in north of London, has made the day a necessary part of careers education.
Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers Green, went with her mother Gwen to her Lawyer's office this year's Take Our Daughters to Work Day. "I learned how to fill in a legal aid form and I read details of a case. Then I went to see the actual trial." she said.
Zarina found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It's really strange seeing Mum at work--running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.
Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.The writer’s purpose in writing this text is to ______.
A.tell how the special day for girls came into be. |
B.show us the girls can do as well as boys. |
C.introduce a special day for girls to us. |
D.broaden girls’ view and raise their confidence. |
According to the chairman of the Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, ______.
A.girls can do as well as boys in any field. |
B.girls need more opportunities in society compared to boys. |
C.girls will follow their parents’ jobs after watching them work. |
D.girls will be more confident than boys due to the special day. |
A particular mention of Zarina’s story ______.
A.tells what a woman lawyer’s daily work is like |
B.serves as an example of how the Day works. |
C.shows a successful mother’s effect on the daughter. |
D.explains why a girl should go to see mum's office rather than dad. |
In the text the writer especially suggests the importance of ______.
A.parents’ job. |
B.support from society. |
C.understanding of the parents. |
D.girls’ self-confidence. |
For those of you who were born in the year of the pig, good luck and much success! This is your year.
When talking to a Westerner, however, you’ve got to be a little careful when you talk about pigs. Chinese people view the pig as a smart and prospe
rous (rich, lucky) animal. Western ideas tend to be a little more negative(否定的).
A pig in the West is seen as a dirty, lazy, and fat animal. If anyone ever called you a pig, you wouldn’t be smiling. When a person doesn’t like someone, sometimes he will call that person a pig.
If you ever meet a Westerner who was born in the year of the pig, don’t say, “ Oh, you’re a pig!” Most Westerners will be understanding. They will be sure that you made some kind of mistake. However, don’t take any chances. You might just offend (触怒)someone who does not share your positive ideas about pigs.
According to the passage we can see that Chinese people think of the pig as a ________ animal.
A.clever | B.rich | C.good | D.all the above |
A Westerner will call someone a pig if he ______ that man.
A.dislikes | B.is afraid of | C.looks up to | D.makes fun of |
When you call a Westerner a pig, who was born in the year of the pig, most of them _______.
A.will be angry | B.will be very surprised |
C.can forgive | D.may quarrel with you |
From the passage we can conclude that ________.
A.it’s impolite to talk about pigs |
B.Westerners do not like pigs as much as the Chinese |
C.in general, Westerners and the Chinese don’t like pigs |
D.all of the Chinese like pigs better than Westerners |
On the first day of class, a graduate student from Xi’an Jiaotong University reminded me that, especially in China, “There are always two sides of a coin.” Experiencing China’s May 12 earthquake while living in Xi’an, Shanxi Province just north of the earthquake’s epicenter (地震的震中) in Sichuan with our two daughters, we have indeed seen both sides of what is beginning to be called China’s 5·12 disaster coin.
On television, in newspapers and through the Internet, we learned about the extent (巨大,重要性) of the destruction, and the statistics were horrific – over 69,000 confirmed (确认) dead, some 18,000 missing and more than 374,000 injured.
When we turn off the television and discuss what we as a family have learned from the events of the last several weeks, we find ourselves marveling (觉得惊奇) at how the Chinese are confidently but quietly dealing with this unprecedented tragedy – a disaster that continues with every aftershocks, mudslide and potential flood.
It seems like every school, organization and business is raising money for Sichuan, and young people all over the country are out in the streets looking for donations or giving blood at the many mobile blood vans that are out in full force.
Those who cannot give, like the 75-year-old woman from Sichuan, are volunteering or giving in other ways. An impressive example is the Sichuan policewoman with a newborn child who was nursing many infants whose mothers were killed in the quake.
The national concern over the fate of affected children has been moving. On May 22, there were 1697 orphans, but on June 24, the number dropped to 558; and rest assured, there are more people willing to adopt than there are orphans from Sichuan.
So, while no country or person ever welcomes tragedy, especially something of this magnitude (程度), the earthquake has taught us a great deal about China’s true character and its people’s resilience (韧性). It has also reminded us that the other side of even a dark coin may hold the promise of a brighter future,
(The author is an American Professor of International Relations at Xi’an Jiaotong University.)
When the 5·12 earthquake happened, the author and his family were ________.
A.in Sichuan province | B.near the earthquake epicenter |
C.in Xi’an Jiaotong University | D.in their own country |
How many orphans had been adopted from Sichuan by June 24, 2008?
A.1139 | B.1697 | C.558 | D.We don’t know. |
The author quoted “ There are always two sides of a coin.” In the passage. Here “ two sides” refers to ________.
A.a dark side and a bright one of a coin |
B.the unprecedented tragedy and China’s true character |
C.the dead and the victims in the earthquake |
D.the destruction and the donations |
Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage?
A.The whole world has seen all about China’s 5·12 disaster in the news media. |
B.A policewoman fed her breast milk to many babies who lost their mothers. |
C.Even a 75-year-old woman gave blood at the mobile blood vans. |
D.The earthquake brought other natural disasters at the same time. |
BUY A JOINT TICKET AND VISIT THE HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
THE TOWER OF LONDON
Royal Palace and fortress for over 900 years, scene of mystery, murder and home to the Crown Jewels.
KENSINGTON PALACE
Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this royal retreat is home to magnificent State Apartments and the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.
HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Hampton Court Palace is part of Historic Royal Palaces, a registered charity ( No: 1068852 ) that receives no public funding. We rely on the income from admission tickets to the palaces to pay for vital protection work, necessary for the preservation of these national monuments and collections for future generations. Please ask at the ticket office for more information or visit www.hrp.org.uk.
VISITOR INFORMATION
CARRIAGE RIDES
Take a trip around Home Park in a horse-drawn carriage. Rides begin and end in Home Park at the entrance by the East Front Gardens. Available all day. 20 minutes duration. £10.00 per carriage. Subject to weather and ground conditions.
ENQUIRIES
For details of admission charges, group rates, the Friends of Hampton Court Palace and facilities for disabled visitors, call 0870-752-7777 or visit www. Hampton-court-palace.org.uk.
RESTAURANTS & SHOPS
Choose from the Tiltyard Tearooms or the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop. There are also a number of ice-cream kiosks open in the summer. The palace shops offer a wide range of gifts and souvenirs.
AUDIO GUIDES
Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.
If you want to take a look at the dresses worn by some royal members, you go to __________.
A.Kensington Palace | B.the Tower of London |
C.Hampton Court Palace | D.Historic Royal Palaces |
You have to pay extra money if you want to __________.
A.have an audio guide | B.visit the royal palace and fortress |
C.take a horse-drawn carriage | D.visit Hampton Court Palace |
Which of the following information is NOT given in the passage?
A.The protection of the national monuments. |
B.Admission charges for group visitors. |
C.Free gifts and souvenirs. |
D.Conditions in which to take a horse-drawn carriage |
If you want to take your disabled sister for a visit, you can __________.
A.get a free ticket for it |
B.get help from Hampton Court Palace |
C.visit www.hrp.org.uk |
D.log on www.Hampton-court-palace.org.uk for information |
Many people think that the BBC news programs are better than those on other channels because the BBC is not a commercial company. It pays for its programs from the television license money which everyone must pay if they have a television.
The BBC, which is often known as "Auntie", is the biggest news collecting operation in the world. It has the world’s largest network of foreign correspondents (通讯员;记者). Ten percent of the BBC’s annual budget is spent on news collecting, reporting and presenting. More than 1,700 people work for the BBC news service.
The BBC produces more than 214 hours of news and current affairs programs for radio and television each week. Each television news program costs about £78,000 per hour and each radio news program costs approximately £4,800 per hour. In the UK, about 19 million people ― almost 35% of the total population, watch the BBC television news progams every day.
Developments in technology are improving news collection and presentation every year. The BBC now uses special cameras in the TV news studios to film the news presenters, and captions― the words and sentences at the bottom of the screen, are now produced automatically by computer.
According to the first paragraph, we can learn that __________.
A.many people are more content with the BBC than with other channels |
B.the BBC news programs are better thought of than the news programs on other channels |
C.the BBC news programs are better than other programs |
D.if we have a television, we must pay the television license money. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.The number of the people working for the BBC news service is the largest in the world |
B.The percentage of the BBC’s budget spent on news collecting is the largest in the world |
C.The BBC has the largest network of foreign correspondents in the world |
D.The BBC now uses special cameras to film the news presenters and captions |
We can infer from the passage that the UK has a population of about __________.
A.54 million | B.19 million | C.5.4 million | D.6.6 million |
What’s the best title for the passage?
A.The BBC News Service |
B.The BBC Is Not Commercial |
C.Developments in Technology Are Improving News Collection |
D.The Biggest Operation in The World |
The first outstanding deaf teacher in America was a Frenchman Laurent Clerc. He and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet founded America’s first school for the deaf.
When Laurent Clerc was one year old, he fell into a fire. As a result, he lost both his hearing and his sense of smell. At the age of 12, Laurent entered the Royal Institution for the Deaf in Paris. After he graduated, the school asked him to stay on as an assistant teacher.
Meanwhile, in America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was studying to be a minister when he met a young deaf girl, Alice Cogswell. He was upset to learn that there were no schools for the deaf in America. Therefore, in 1815, Gallaudet sailed to London to seek ideas on how to teach deaf people. However, he was unable to get help. He met a French educator of the deaf who invited him to Paris to learn at the Royal Institution for the Deaf.
Gallaudet went to the Royal Institution for the Deaf, where Clerc became his Sign Language teacher. The two worked and studied well together. When the time came for Gallaudet to return to America, he asked Clerc to come with him.
The two men set sail on June 18, 1816. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took 52 days; however, Clerc and Gallaudet put the time to good use. They discussed the school for the deaf which they planned to open. On the long trip, they had many conversations about education and deafness. The year after they arrived, they founded a school for the deaf in Harford, Connecticut.
America’s first school for the deaf was founded __________.
A.in 1816 | B.in 1817 | C.by a Fenchman | D.by an American |
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet sailed to London because __________.
A.he wanted to study the system of deaf education |
B.he needed to finish his studies to become a minister |
C.he wanted to get help from Clerc |
D.he wanted to find schools for the deaf |
." After he graduated, the school asked him to stay on as an assistant teacher." From this
sentence we can infer that __________.
A.the school wanted to help Clerc to get a job |
B.the school wanted Clerc to be prepared to teach Americans |
C.the school was impressed with Clerc, and thought he would do a good job |
D.the school wanted other deaf students to model after Clerc |
The main idea of this passage could best be stated as __________.
A.Clerc was an intelligent man |
B.Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was grateful to Clerc for all that he taught him |
C.Clerc would teach the deaf in America rather than in Paris |
D.Clerc, an educated Frenchman, made a difference to American Deaf Education |