“I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said 'yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana -- she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audience (观众) that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete (比赛). "She's always been my role model. I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens (青少年) about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Shelley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself."What do the words "on cloud nine" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.frightened | B.troubled | C.very happy | D.very angry |
Shelley takes her dance teacher as a role model mainly because she is ________.
A.determined | B.friendly | C.strict | D.experienced |
How many children did the Hennigs have according to the text?
A.1. | B.2. | C.3. | D.4. |
What did Shelley often do after she became Miss Louisiana Teen?
A.She visited drunken drivers. |
B.She gave dance performance. |
C.She made speeches on safe driving. |
D.She helped other teens with their studies. |
What suggestion does Shelley give to the teens?
A.Be yourself with the support of friends. |
B.Meet friends whenever possible. |
C.Go easy on yourself and others. |
D.Have a good role model |
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence-other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top player of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island or Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem—their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately$433, 600, 000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
A.Rich and powerful] |
B.Modern and open |
C.Peaceful and attractive |
D.Greedy and aggressive |
The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from .
A.soil pollution |
B.phosphate overmining |
C.farming activity |
D.whale hunting |
Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?
A.Its leaders misused the money |
B.It spent too much repairing the island |
C.Its phosphate mining cost much money |
D.It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
A.The leaders will take the experts' words seriously |
B.The phosphate mines were destroyed |
C.The island was abandoned by the Nauruans |
D.The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism (新陈代谢) becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.
A.foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit |
B.we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods |
C.it is essential for people to protect their vital organs |
D.giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle |
Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.
A.destroy body’s cells |
B.stop body’s metabolism |
C.may lead to obesity |
D.are difficult to digest |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
A.To warn people of the problem of obesity |
B.To advocate eating more raw and whole foods. |
C.To inform people of the harm of processed foods. |
D.To tell the differences between raw and processed foods. |
The underline word “vicious” in the last paragraph probably means ____________.
A.violent |
B.progressive |
C.positive |
D.harmful |
A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. “last week,” said he, “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back. ”
“How did you write your advertisement?” asked one of the listeners, a merchant.
“Here it is, said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper.
The other man took it and read, “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. ”
“Now, “Said the merchant, “I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one. ”
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: “If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. ”
This appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colours that had been thrown, and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.The result of the first advertisement was that ______________.
A.the umbrella was found somewhere near the church |
B.the man got his umbrella back |
C.nobody found the missing umbrella |
D.the man wasted some money advertising |
The merchant suggested that the man should _______________.
A.buy a new umbrella |
B.report the police |
C.go on looking for his umbrella |
D.write another and better advertisement |
“If it fails, I’ll buy you a new one,” suggested that the merchant ______________.
A.wanted to buy him a new umbrella |
B.didn’t know what to do |
C.was rich enough to buy one |
D.was quite sure of success |
The story is mainly about _________________.
A.a useless advertisement |
B.how to make an effective advertisement |
C.what the merchant did for the umbrella owner |
D.how the man lost and found his umbrella |
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tel: 682-1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789-6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789-4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-members 70p. Tel: 688-4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio?
A.At the Bull’s Head on Sunday. |
B.At the Derby Arms on Sunday. |
C.At the Bull on Saturday. |
D.At the Black Horse on Saturday. |
You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
A.789-4536. |
B.682-1158. |
C.688-4626. |
D.789-6749. |
You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
A.Jazz at The Bull’s Head. |
B.Disco at The Lord Napier. |
C.The sing-along at The Black Horse. |
D.The electric accordion at The Derby Arms. |
The thing is,my luck’s always been ruineD. Just look at my name: Jean.Not Jean Marie,or Jeanine,or Jeanette,or even Jeanne.Just Jean.Did you know in France,they name boys Jean? It’s French for John.And okay,I don’t live in France.But still,I’m basically a girl named John.If I lived in France,anyway.
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate.So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase.I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me,and then got no answer to my many phone calls,asking where my aunt and uncle were.Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver,instead of getting out and helping me with my bags,just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches,it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me.It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.
According to my mom,most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s.But now they’ve been divided up into apartments,so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone,though.Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone.That’s practically one floor per person,since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids,my cousins Tory,Teddy,and Alice.
Back home,we just have two floors,but there are seven people living on them.And only one bathroom.Not that I’m complaining.Still,ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs,it’s been pretty frightful at home.
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was,it was really narrow—just three windows across.Still,it was a very pretty townhouse,painted gray.The door was a bright,cheerful yellow.There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window,flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted,since it was only the middle of April,and not quite warm enough for them.
It was nice to know that,even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York,people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be.The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little.
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today,and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.
Like everything was going to be all right,after all.
Yeah.With my luck,probably not.
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street,then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin.Leaving one bag on the sidewalk,I dragged the other up the steps with me.Maybe I took the steps a little too fast,since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk.I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…Why did the author go to New York?
A.She intended to go sightseeing there. |
B.She meant to stay with her aunt’s family. |
C.She was homeless and adopted by her aunt. |
D.She wanted to try her luck and find a job there. |
According to the author,some facts account for her bad luck EXCEPT that ________.
A.she was given a boy’s name in French |
B.the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags |
C.her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs |
D.nobody had come to meet her at the airport |
The underlined phrase “rub off on” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.
A.have an effect on |
B.play tricks on |
C.put pressure on |
D.throw doubt on |
From the passage,we can know that _________.
A.the author left home without informing her mother |
B.the author arrived in New York in a very warm season |
C.her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own |
D.her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival |