The life of an actor appears attractive and many young people dream about becoming one. But the truth is, it is very hard work. If you’re successful, there are deadlines to be met, appointments to keep and the press to deal with. If you’re not successful, then life is extremely tough.
I remember when I started out, I had to search the advertisement board at my drama school every day to look for acting jobs. Drama school was expensive and I needed extra cash to help pay the fees. I welcomed every small job. I played extras in many crowd scenes and became a confident participant in a lot of TV commercials for hair shampoo, soap and washing powder.
I had been working for about two years before I got my lucky break. One day, as I was passing the drama school, I decided to go in to check the notice board. There was nothing on it and I was just leaving when the secretary came along the corridor with a piece of paper. She asked me how I was and I told her life was hard and work was difficult to find. The next moment, she put the paper in my hand and walked away. My hands were shaking as I unfolded the paper, full of expectation. To my surprise, it was an audition (试演) for a clown（小丑）for the Canadian circus. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. I had expected an audition with a famous director for a new film!
When I was at drama school, there had been a course in acrobatics and clown tricks. I had gained top marks in this course for originality and daring. Later I went to the audition feeling very strange. This was not what I’d had in mind when I enrolled in drama school. To my surprise, the job as a clown turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I loved every moment of getting dressed up and putting on the make-up. I had the opportunity to travel the world and I was more than an actor, I was an entertainer as well. I had visited over 32 different countries and entertained millions of people. The first paragraph is about how _______ it is to be an actor, whether you’re successful or not.
| A．easy | B．attractive | C．enjoyable | D．difficult |
According to paragraph 3, the writer went into the drama school __________.
| A．to look for a job |
| B．to see the secretary |
| C．to collect a piece of paper |
| D．to put a notice on the notice board |
Which of the following can best describe the author’s feeling when he unfolded the paper?
| A．Extremely frightened. | B．Feeling anxious and excited. |
| C．Very worried. | D．Trembling with fear. |
From the whole passage, we can tell that the writer is ___________.
| A．sad that he was not a famous actor |
| B．happy to travel the world |
| C．feeling very strange to be a clown |
| D．very content with his life |
Which of the following would be the best title?
| A．The Life of a TV Actor | B．Acrobatics and Clown Tricks |
| C．More than an Actor | D．Going to Drama School |
Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of first directors to do this. Between the middle 1930sand the 1980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards. His movies have been seen by people around the world.
In 1944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity. Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life, yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.
In 1950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard. This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies though facing many problems. In 1954, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was The Seven Year Itch. In this movie, a married mail wants to cheat on his wife with some of hisfriends.In1959,
Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. It was Some Like It Hot. It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.
Wilder died in March,2002. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said: “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”The text is mainly about_______.
| A．the background of American movies |
| B．the development of American movies |
| C．Wilder’s attitude to American movies |
| D．Wilder’s achievements in American movies |
What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2?
| A．His unique style of making movies. |
| B．Sharp remarks on society in his movies. |
| C．More than twenty awards he received. |
| D．Almost fifty movies he produced himself. |
Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors?
| A．Double Indemnity | B．Sunset Boulevard |
| C．The Lost weekend | D．Some Like It Hot |
When was The Seven Year Itch made?
| A．In 1944 | B．In 1945 | C．In 1954 | D．In 1955 |
The text is developed mainly______.
| A．by following time order | B．by making comparison |
| C．by analyzing exact data | D．by giving instructions |
Scientists from England’s Newcastle University have discovered that bacteria have the ability to detect smells, according to a study by the university on Sunday.
The team of scientists, led by Dr. Reindert Nijland, discovered that bacteria can detect certain types of smell- producing chemicals, including ammonia (氨) that is produced by other bacteria. Once they sense the smells from other kinds of bacteria, the bacteria will gather together to form a colony (集群) and form a layer of slime (粘液) in order to force the competitors out of their area. The response decreases as the distance between the two bacterial colonies increases.
That slime, also known as biofilm, is one of the primary causes of infection on many medical implants(移植物). Biofilms also slow down ships and are believed to cost the marine industry millions of dollars annually. However, they can also be used to clean up spilled oil floating on the sea, as they grow strong on it.
“This is the first evidence of a bacterial ‘nose’able to detect potential competitors,” Dr. Nijland said in the August 15 statement, which confirms that bacteria possess qualities similar to four of the five senses that humans enjoy (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), the others being touch, taste, and sight.
“The fact that bacteria formed slime when exposed to ammonia has important significance for understanding how biofilms are formed and how we might be able to use them to our advantage,” he added.
Their findings were published in Sunday’s edition of biotechnology journal, and could change the way scientists look at how each of the senses developed over time.
“It was thought for a long time that smell existed only in complex living creatures,” Dr. Nijland said. “Now we see that bacteria are able to do the same, so the indication is that the ability may have developed even earlier.”We learn from the text that biofilms _____.
| A．may cause oil to spill |
| B．can be used to benefit humans |
| C．are the major causes of infection |
| D．are more likely to be found on ships |
Which of the following describes bacteria correctly?
| A．They can talk. |
| B．They cannot see |
| C．They cannot hear. |
| D．They can imitate others. |
The findings may help scientists know more about ______.
| A．how bacteria reproduce |
| B．the development of the senses. |
| C．how to control bacterial infection. |
| D．the complex relation of living creatures |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Bacteria can produce ammonia |
| B．Bacteria have a sense of smell |
| C．Why are biofilms so annoying? |
| D．How do bacteria communicate? |
Four schoolchildren from Belgrave, England were out on their bikes on Wednesday evening. Unexpectedly, they saw an elderly man gasping for breath (喘息) in the street. They tried to call the police and ambulance service, but their phones were not working, due to network problems.
Before the polish man became unconscious, the children kept him calm while they flagged down (招停) a passing driver. The children used words they had picked up from their polish classmates to translate the injured man’s answer to the driver’s questions. Gary,10, and his six-year-old sister, Lily, stayed with the man while Thyus and Owen, both 11, led the ambulance to the spot where he lay. Soon the man was taken to hospital.
The fantastic four children who came to the aid of the elderly man deserve the highest respect for their quick-thinking and courage in an emergency situation. They are a credit not only to themselves, but to their families and their school. And it is great to be able to hear such a positive story about young people.
What is not so positive about this story is the fact that several adults apparently walked by without stopping to help. This seeming indifference (冷漠) to an emergency situation is a well- noted phenomenon which psychologists sometimes refer to as “the bystander effect”. Research suggests that when a group of people witness an emergency, people are likely to assume that somebody else will intervene and they feel that the burden of responsibility is lifted from their shoulders.
Perhaps the answer to this sort of thing is to introduce a “Good Samaritan” law. This already exists in France and places a legal responsibility on people who witness an emergency situation to help out as long as they can do so. This certainly seems to remove any doubt about who bears the burden of responsibility for offering assistance –everybody！What can we learn about the elderly man?
| A．He spoke Polish with the children. |
| B．He fell from his bike and got injured. |
| C．He was taken to hospital by the driver. |
| D．He recovered consciousness in the street. |
In paragraph 3, the author mainly _____.
| A．shows his great sympathy for the man |
| B．gives high praise to the four children. |
| C．offers his special thanks to the driver |
| D．expresses his anger at several adults |
The underlined word “intervene” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “_______”
| A．be curious | B．go on |
| C．give up | D．get involved |
In France, if an emergency happens to someone, _____.
| A．offering help to him is required by law |
| B．people have the right to leave the scene |
| C．others must get permission before helping him |
| D．the witnesses will be punished if the rescue fails. |
High school announcements
Do you have a high school announcement to make? Are you hosting a high school sports event or tournament? Are you looking for a coach? Let us know, and we’ll share it with “Tribune” readers.
August 21---- Sacred Heart is looking for two assistant baseball coaches immediately. Practices and games are held after school at 3:30 pm. Some experience in playing or coaching is preferred. If interested, e-mail Ron Schwartz at ramsad1@aol.com.
August 7 ----- Loyola Academy will host its 12th Rambler Baseball Winter Workshop for students in fourth through eighth grades on Aug. 26. the early registration(注册) fee is $70 and registration at the door is $85. contact(联系) Loyola coach Bill San Hamel at 847-920-2523 to register early.
July 17 ----- St. Patrick will host a Youth Holiday Baseball Camp for boys in grades three through eight Aug. 26 through Aug. 28 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm in St. Pat’s gym. The registration fee is $90. for more information, visit www. stpatrick.orgor contact Coach Kusinski at (773) 282-8844 ext. 242 or dkusinski@stpatrick.org.
June 12 ----- The Marist Girls’ basketball team is looking for a game for the new season. The team can play all levels. If interested, please contact Mary Pat Connolly at (773) 881-5318, or e-mail
connolly.marypat@marist.net.
June 1 ----- Bartlett is hosing a high school football camp June 13-30 and July 11-28 from 8-11 am. The registration fee is $180. to register go to www.athletic2000.com/bartlett. Contact coach Tom Meaney with questions at 630-372-4700 ext. 8105.
May 27 ----Hinsdale is hosting youth wrestling camps June 20-23 and June 27-30. There is no minimum age required. Even wrestlers in kindergarten are eligible to participate. The cost of registration is $80 per person. Contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes at 815-762-1568 or e-mail jhayes@hinsdale86.org for more information.If a fourth–grade girl wants to learn baseball, she may contact______.
| A．Ron Schwartz | B．Mary Pat Connolly |
| C．Kusinski | D．Bill San Hamel |
Which of the following high schools wants to have a match?
| A．Sacred Heart. | B．The Marist. |
| C．Bartlett. | D．hinsdale. |
If one wants to choose a relatively cheap sports camp, he may ______.
| A．phone 847-920-2523 to register early |
| B．e-mail connolly.marypat@marist.net |
| C．visit www.athletics2000.com/bartlett |
| D．contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes |
The underlined word “eligible” in the last paragraph probably means _____.
| A．prepared | B．supposed |
| C．determined | D．Allowed |
Kellyanne O’Niell had not even completed her first aid course when she was called upon to put her skills into action.
Just halfway through her course, which was offered by Kilcooley Women’s Education Group, Kellyanne was walking home when she found herself faced with an emergency.
A youngster on the street had fallen onto broken glass. Describing the situation, Kellyanne said：“I noticed she fell onto some glass, and when she got up, I spotted a big wound starting at the thumb(大拇指)and finishing at the ring finger. I started applying pressure to the bleeding wound at once and sent someone to bring my first-aid box from my house.”
She continued: “I phoned for an ambulance and gave the lady every last detail that she wanted to know. I got another person to keep an eye out for the ambulance. The young girl was in great pain so she couldn’t stay still. I was scared she was not going to respond to me. I held her hand above the heart so that the bleeding could at least stop a little bit.”
“Once the person came back with the bandage, the ambulance was there. The nurse got me to hold a flashlight for her while she bandaged the wound. Once the girl was all bandaged up, I helped her onto the seat in the ambulance and she was taken to hospital.”
Margaret Pridgen, the British Red Cross trainer who had been teaching Kellyanne, was full of praise for her swift action. She said：“I think this is quite an achievement for this young girl, I have really seen her confidence grow during the training and am delighted she had the poise(镇定)to be able to deal with the situation and put her new skills into practice.”We can learn from the text that __________.
| A．Kellyanne is a first-aid worker |
| B．Kellyanne felt proud of herself |
| C．Margaret is the boss of Kellyanne |
| D．Margaret was satisfied with Kellyanne. |
When Kellyanne dealt with the emergency, she was ________.
| A．calm | B．hesitant |
| C．hopeless | D．Frightened |
What’s the correct order of the things Kellyanne did to save the girl?
a. she called for an ambulance.
b. she took steps to help stop the bleeding.
c. she asked someone to fetch her first-aid box.
d. she helped the nurse put the girl into the ambulance.
e. She got someone to keep an eye out for the ambulance.
| A．b-a-c-e-d | B．b-c-a-e-d |
| C．c-a-e-b-d | D．c-a-b-e-d |