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A year after graduation, I was offered a position teaching a writing class. Teaching was a profession I had never seriously considered, though several of my stories had been published. I accepted the job without hesitation, as it would allow me to wear a tie and go by the name of Mr. Davis. My father went by the same name, and I liked to imagine people getting the two of us confused. “Wait a minute” someone might say, “are you talking about Mr. Davis the retired man, or Mr. Davis the respectable scholar?”
The position was offered at the last minute, and I was given two weeks to prepare, a period I spent searching for briefcase (公文包) and standing before my full-length mirror, repeating the words, “Hello, class. I’m Mr. Davis.” Sometimes I would give myself an aggressive voice. Sometimes I would sound experienced. But when the day eventually came, my nerves kicked in and the true Mr. Davis was there. I sounded not like a thoughtful professor, but rather a 12-year-old boy.
I arrived in the classroom with paper cards designed in the shape of maple leaves. I had cut them myself out of orange construction paper. I saw nine students along a long table. I handed out the cards, and the students wrote down their names and fastened them to their breast pockets as I required.
“All right then,” I said. “Okey, here we go.” Then I opened my briefcase and realized that I had never thought beyond this moment. I had been thinking that the students would be the first to talk, offering their thoughts and opinions on the events of the day. I had imagined that I would sit at the edge of the desk, overlooking a forest of hands. Every student would yell. “Calm down, you’ll all get your turn. Once at a time, once at a time!”
A terrible silence ruled the room, and seeing no other opinions, I inspected the students to pull out their notebooks and write a brief essay related to the theme of deep disappointment.The author took the job to teach writing because ______.
| A．he had written some stories | B．he wanted to be expected |
| C．he wanted to please his father | D．he had dreamed of being a teacher |
Before he started his class, the author asked the students to ______.
| A．write down their suggestions on the paper cards |
| B．cut maple leaves out of the construction paper |
| C．cut some cards out of the construction paper |
| D．write down their names on the paper cards |
What did the students do when the author started his class?
| A．They began to talk. | B．They stayed silent. |
| C．They raised their hands. | D．They shouted to be heard. |
The author chose the composition topic probably because ______.
| A．he got disappointed with his first class | B．he had prepared the topic before class |
| C．he wanted to calm down the students | D．he thought it was an easy topic |
Sometimes people call each other "freaked-cat", but have you ever thought about this expression? When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in the chemicals in its bloodstream. Although the cat doesn't realize this, its body is getting ready for action. If the danger continues, the animal will do one of two things. It will defend itself, or it will run away as fast as it can.
Something like this also happens to people. When we are excited, angry, scared, or aroused by other emotions , our bodies go through many physical changes. Our hearts beat faster, and our muscles get tense. All of these changes make us more alert and ready to react. We, too, get ready to defend ourselves or run.
Human beings, however, have a problem that animals never face. If we give way to our feelings and let them take over, we can get into trouble. Have you ever said something in anger —or hit somebody—and regretted it later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher, told somebody you were lonely, or said you were in love, and then wished later you had kept your mouth shut?It isn't always clever to express your feelings freely.
Does this mean that it's smarter always to hide our feelings? No! If you keep feelings of anger, sadness, and bitterness hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense. Physical illness can develop. It can actually be bad for your health. It isn't good to keep pleasant feelings inside either; all feelings need to be expressed.
Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don't just go away. It's as if you bought some bananas and stuck them in a cupboard. You might not be able to see them. but before long you' d smell them. And if you opened the cupboard, chances are that you'd see little fruit flies flying all over them. They'd be rotten.
You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard. You can hide them and you can pretend they don't exist, but they'll still be around. And at last you'll have to deal with them. just like those bananas. The best title for this article is_____.
| A．Emotions Affect Our Bodies |
| B．What Happens to A Frightened Cat |
| C．What Happens to An Excited Person |
| D．Feelings That People Have |
What does the word "freaked" mean in the first sentence?
| A．excite | B．scared | C．angry | D．shocked |
According to the passage, we may conclude that we human beings_____.
| A．have fewer problems than animals |
| B．have the same problems as animals |
| C．have more problems than animals |
| D．have cleverer problems than animals |
The author wrote this article in order to_____.
| A．give us some advice on how to express our feelings |
| B．make us face the problem that we have to deal with feelings |
| C．make us know that it isn't always wise to express our feelings freely |
| D．tell us that it isn't good to keep feelings inside |
“The Boxtrolls”
From Laika Entertainment, the animation house behind “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” comes, “The Boxtrolls,” adapted from the children’s book “Here Be Monsters!” by Alan Snow. The movie, about a boy who is raised by unusual creatures, features the voices of Ben Kingsley, Simon Pegg and Elle Fanning. Opens Sept. 26. Area theatres.
“Awake and Sing!”
Olney presents the 1935 comic drama by Clifford Odets about a Brooklyn family struggling through the Great Depression. Step. 24 through Oct. 19. Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd., Olney. 301-924-3400.www.olneytheatre.org. $38.50-63.50.
Fiesta DC
Celebrate the city’s Latino culture with a parade, dance, music and more. Sept. 21. Parade: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Constitution Avenue from Seventh Street NW to 14th Street NW. Festival: Noon to 7 p.m. Pennsylvania Avenue, between Ninth and 14th streets NW. 202-489-7141.www.fiestadc. org.
“On Paper: Alternate Realities”
The 26 pieces by American artists, including Raymond Pettibon and lona Rozeal Brown, take inspiration from popular culture, using art to explore dark themes. Through April 12. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr., Baltimore. 443-573-17000. www. artma. org.
“Untitled: The Art of James Castle”
A self-taught artist from rural Idaho, Castle used whatever was available-newspaper, coal, sticks-to create buildings, landscapes, people and more. Sept.26 through Feb.1. American Art Museum, Eighth and F streets NW. 202-633-1000. www. americanart. si. edu.
Neo-impressionism at the Phillips
“Neo-impressionism and the Dream of Realities: Painting, Poetry, Music” displays works by artists such as Georges Seurat, who presented stylized landscapes and people. Sept. 27 through Jan. 11. Phillips Collection, 1600 21st St. NW. 202-387-2151. www. phillipscollection. org. $ 12; $ 10 for students and senitors; free for age 18 and younger.
“Driving Miss Daisy”
Ford’s Theatre starts its season with the Pulitzer Prize winner about the decades-long relationship between an aging woman and her black driver in Atlanta. Washington stage actors Nancy Robinette and Craig Wallace perform in this beloved classic. Sept. 26 through Oct. 26. Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW. 202-347-4833. www. fordstheatre. org. $20-$62.Which of the following may attract kids most?
| A．“The Boxtrolls.” |
| B．“Awake and Sing!” |
| C．“Driving Miss Daisy.” |
| D．“On Paper: Alternate Realities.” |
If you want to observe a cultural festival, you can go to ______.
| A．Area theatres on Sept. 26 |
| B．Ford’s Theatre on Sept. 26 |
| C．Constitution Avenue before 10 p.m. on Sept. 21 |
| D．Pennsylvania Avenue on the afternoon of Sept. 21 |
We can infer that the text is ________.
| A．a research report |
| B．a going out guide |
| C．a review of different arts |
| D．an introduction to famous works |
As you are probably aware, the latest job markets news isn’t good: Unemployment is still more than 9 percent, and new job growth has fallen close to zero. That’s bad for the economy, of course. And it may be especially discouraging if you happen to be looking for a job or hoping to change careers right now. But it actually shouldn’t matter to you nearly as much as you think. That’s because job growth numbers don’t matter to job hunters as much as job staff-turnover(人员流动)data. After all, existing jobs open up every day due to promotions, resignations(辞职), and retirements. (Yes, people are retiring even in this economy.)In both good times and bad, staff-turnover creates more openings than economic growth does. Even in June of 2014, when the economy was still booming along, job growth was only 132，000, while staff-turn over was 4.7 million!
And as it turns out, even today—with job growth near zero—over 4 million job hunters are being hired every month.
I don’t mean to imply that overall job growth doesn’t have an impact on one’s ability to land a job. It’s true that if total employment were higher. It would mean more jobs for all of us to choose from(and compete for). And it's true that there are currently more people applying for each available job opening, regardless of whether it’s a new one or not.
But what often distinguishes those who land jobs from those who don’t is their ability to stay motivated. They’re willing to do the hard work of identifying their valuable skills; be creative about where and how to look；learn how to present themselves to potential employers; and keep going, even after repeated rejections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that 2.7 million people who wanted and were available for work hadn’t hunted for it within the last four weeks and were no longer even classified as unemployed.
So don’t let the headlines fool you into giving up．Four million people get hired every month in the U.S. You can be one of them.The author tends to believe that high unemployment rate____.
| A．takes job opportunities from people |
| B．prevents many people from changing careers |
| C．does not mean the U.S. economy is worsening |
| D．should not stop people from looking for a job |
What does the author say about overall job growth?
| A．It increases people’s confidence in the economy. |
| B．It doesn’t have much effect on individual job seekers. |
| C．It gives a ray of hope to the unemployed. |
| D．It doesn’t mean greater job security for the employed. |
What is the key to finding a job according to the author?
| A．Education | B．Intelligence |
| C．Experience | D．Persistence |
What do we learn about The Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data?
| A．They clearly indicate how healthy the economy is. |
| B．They don’t include those who have stopped looking for a job. |
| C．They provide the public with the latest information. |
| D．They warn of the structural problems in the economy. |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed—no examination is perfect—but to have tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in school or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher.
Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them －a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defending of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation(声誉), unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have evensuggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computers.The word “favoritism” is used to describe the phenomenon that _____.
| A．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs |
| B．bright children also need certificates go get satisfying jobs. |
| C．poor children with certificates are favored in job markets |
| D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success |
What would happen if exams were taken away according to the author?
| A．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation. |
| B．There would be more opportunities and excellence. |
| C．Children’s job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation. |
| D．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools. |
The opponents of the examination system will agree that _____.
| A．computers should be selected to take over many jobs |
| B．jobs should not be assigned（分配）by systematic selection |
| C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards |
| D．schools with academic subjects should be done away with |
The passage mainly focuses on _____.
| A．examination and equality | B．schools and certificates |
| C．opportunity and employment | D．standards and reputation |
A tender woman, or an independent one, which one would you prefer? Arecent research shows that most people would choose the latter.
This type of woman is called a nühanzi (“tough woman”). Experts believe these characteristics have social and psychological roots among young femalesin China. Su Hao’s friends all call her a tough woman, because she can finish tough tasks usually carried out by men. For example, she carries 10-litre water to her dormitory on the 5th floor. “I depend on no one but myself,” she says.
According to a recent survey by China Youth Daily, tough women have become rather common in society. Of the 21,265 respondents, 78.5 percent said they are familiar with a tough woman. About 50 percent said they like women with tough characteristics, while less than 29 percent expressed the opposite view.
Why are tough women gaining popularity? Shen Meng, a psychological consultant, believes the fierce competition in society is contributing to this trend. “Women are often in a disadvantaged position compared to men,” Shen says. “In order to survive, they have to be independent, strong and tough.” Liu
Xiao lin, professor of psychology at Wuhan Mental Health Center, believes tough women are brought up this way. They are often on close relationship with their fathers, who teach their daughters to be brave and decisive,” he says. As a result, these women are more likely to be psychologically healthy and more tolerant to stress, according to Liu.
Though Liu believes that this is a good trend, Hu Shenzhi, a psychologist at the Guangdong Sunflower Counseling Center, says the popularity of tough woman indicates an unclear line between gender identities, which can lead to relationship problems. “Some women with characteristics that differ from the traditional female image may have a difficult time finding Mr Right,” he says.“Even if they get married, their manly characteristics might cause family conflicts.Which of the followings does NOT belong to the characteristics of a tough woman?
| A．She is soft and tender to others. |
| B．She is independent of others in daily life. |
| C．She is more tolerant to stress. |
| D．She can solve problems usually for men. |
How many respondents like tough women?
| A．about 16,700. | B．21,265. |
| C．about 6,200 | D．about 10,600. |
Why are there more tough women nowadays?
| A．Because tough women are more lovely. |
| B．Because of the fierce competition in society. |
| C．Because more women want to be independent. |
| D．Because girls often love fathers more. |
What problems may tough women have in their life?
| A．It’s difficult for them to be friends. |
| B．They often suffer gender confusion. |
| C．They may have difficulty with marriage. |
| D．They have different characteristics form traditional female images. |