Even people who don’t understand English can enjoy Chaplin’s films because they are mostly silent. It isn’t what he says that makes us laugh. It depends upon actions which mean the same thing to people all over the world. He is master of the art – a kind of world language.
As a young man, he and his brother traveled to America in a small company of actors. Chaplin was then invited to join a new company that was making film comedies. Very soon he had made dozens of short films for this company. And it was in his second film that he wore the clothes which made his reputation – black hat, tight coat, baggy trousers, huge shoes, moustache and walking stick. He intended simply to make people laugh. But the odd make-up made him look both comic and sad.
By the time he was thirty, Chaplin was the greatest, best known and best loved comedian in the world. He received thousands of dollars for each film he made. He had formed his own manner of acting. He was welcomed by excited crowds wherever he went. But he worked very hard and had few close friends. Perhaps that is why the sad side of the little tramp began to show more clearly in the films he made. The little man began to want more than food and a roof over his head. He began to want love.
In one of his most famous films “The Gold Rush” a girl plays tricks on the little man. Then she begins to feel sorry for him and treats him kindly. He mistakes her pity for love. The girl in “City Lights” is blind. She thinks he is the most wonderful man she has ever met. But then she recovers her sight and sees what a foolish figure he is. This sadness gives Chaplin’s films a depth of human experience which few comedians can equal.
After living in America for forty years he moved to Switzerland. There he died on Christmas Day 1977. He once described himself as a citizen of famous pictures that were made during the 1920s and 1930s, the time of the silent films. But, to many people all over the world Chaplin will always be the king of comedy.What’s the meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?
| A．A man in control of people, animals or things. |
| B．A man who is head of a house or a family. |
| C．A man of great skill in art or work. |
| D．A skilled workman with his own business. |
Charlie Chaplin had few friends because he _____.
| A．was famous |
| B．didn’t want to have friends |
| C．was not good at making friends |
| D．spent most of his time in working and had no time to make friends |
In all Chaplin’s films, the main character is _____.
| A．a girl | B．a girl and little man |
| C．a little man | D．a wonderful man |
We may infer that films with sound probably came into being _____.
| A．after the 1920s and 1930s | B．in the 1930s |
| C．in the 1970s | D．after the 1930s |
Which one is wrong according to the passage?
| A．The little man didn’t want love. | B．Chaplin made a lot of money. |
| C．He didn’t live in the same country. | D．He became famous in a short time |
How can you build more word-of-mouth advertising (口碑广告)? In other words, why would your customers want to talk to their friends about their experience of doing business with you?
When you perform your service or deliver your product competently (出色地), you are just doing what the customer expects. In order to increase the number of the customers who want to share their good experience with their friends, you must make your service impressive, going beyond what is expected.
Recently my daughter Dawn and I had lunch with my team members at the Campbell House. The food and service were truly excellent. My daughter asked for her leftovers (剩菜) to be packed. They were returned to her in aluminum foil (铝箔) shaped like a swan(天鹅). Guess what she talked about when she got home? How much more do you think it cost the Campbell House to produce that “Wow!” experience? Answer —not a cent!
Disneyland should be an inspiration to us all in providing a “Wow!” experience. What do people talk to their friends about when they come home? “You should have seen how clean that park was! With all of the people there, it’s unbelievable! There’s not even a gum wrapper on the ground!” Walt Disney understood that cleanliness is marketing.According to the passage, customers would like to share their good experience with their friends if ______.
| A．what they need is provided on time |
| B．the price of the service is low enough |
| C．the service is better than they expected |
| D．the after-sale service is good enough |
How did Dawn feel the moment she saw her packed leftovers?
| A．Disappointed and angry. | B．Excited and crazy. |
| C．Worried and unhappy. | D．Surprised and pleased. |
By saying “Answer — not a cent!” the author seems to believe that ______.
| A．it is always possible to satisfy all of the customers |
| B．sometimes it is easy to provide a good experience |
| C．most customers are easy to do business with |
| D．the service should be as cheap as possible |
If Confucius(孔子）were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be many candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy（哲学）. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in ___________.
| A．a biography(自传) | B．a history paper | C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts ,it came without wrap（包装）. On September 11, 1958, mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap（大腿）, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is .” What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard mum and dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”，and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
“Christmas was coming, don’t expect any presents this year ”Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say.” What? he’s all right?” he hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we could bring Richard home! ”
“Thank god!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty: they were filled with love!What happened to the author on September 11, 1958 ?
| A．He got a baby brother. | B．He got a Christmas gift |
| C．He became four years old. | D．He received a doll |
What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring | C．Difficult | D．Fearful |
Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. | C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
What is the passage mainly about ?
| A．A sad Christmas day | B．Life with a lovely baby |
| C．A special Christmas gift. | D．Memories of a happy family |
Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you’re cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet’s water. Sometimes owners don’t realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can’t get anything to drink. Animals that don’t have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?
| A．They are often forgotten by their owners. |
| B．They are used to living outdoors. |
| C．They build their own shelters. |
| D．They like to stay in warm places. |
Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?
| A．To know when to bring them inside. |
| B．To keep them from eating bad food. |
| C．To help them find shelters. |
| D．To keep them company. |
If pets are left on their own outdoors in cold weather, they may ___.
| A．run short of clean water | B．dig deep holes for fun |
| C．dirty the snow nearby | D．get lost in the wild |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To solve a problem. |
| B．To give practical advice. |
| C．To tell an interesting story. |
| D．To present a research result. |
Today, there are many chances for those who wish to continue their education. However, nearly all require some break in one’s career in order to attend school full time.
Part-time education, that is, attending school at night or for one weekend a month, tends to drag the process out over time and puts the completion of a degree program out of reach of many people. Additionally, such programs require a fixed time commitment which can also impact negatively on one’s career and family time.
Of the many approaches to teaching and learning, however, perhaps the most flexible (灵活的) is that called distance learning. Distance learning is an educational method which allows the students the flexibility to study at his or her own pace to achieve the academic goals which are so necessary in today’s world. The time required to study may be set aside at the student’s convenience. Additionally, the student may enroll in distance learning courses from actually any place in the world, while continuing to pursue their chosen career. Individual assistance may be available via regular airmail, telephone, fax machine, teleconferencing and over the Internet.
Good distance learning programs are characterized by the inclusion of a subject evaluation tool with every subject, so a student doesn’t need to travel away from home to take a test. Another characteristic of a good distance learning program is the equivalence (等同) of the distance learning course with the same subject materials as those students taking the course on the home campus. The resultant diploma or degree should also be the same whether distance learning or on-campus study is employed. The individuality of the professor/student relationship is another characteristic of a good distance learning program. In the final analysis, a good distance learning program has a place not only for the individual student but also the company or business that wants to work in partnership with their employees for the educational benefit, professional development, and business growth of the organization. Supporting distance learning programs for their employees gives the business the advantage of retaining (留住) career-minded people while contributing to their personal and professional growth through education. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of part time education?
| A．It requires some break in one’s career. |
| B．It tends to last too long for many people to complete a degree program. |
| C．It affects one’s career. |
| D．It gives the student less time to share with the family. |
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of distance learning?
| A．The student may choose his or her own pace. |
| B．The student may study at his or her convenience. |
| C．They can pursue their chosen career while studying. |
| D．Individual assistance comes through regular airmail, telephone and fax machine. |
What benefit will distance learning program bring to a business?
| A．Attracting more talented people. |
| B．Good image of the business. |
| C．Better cooperation with universities. |
| D．Further training of employees and business growth. |
Good distance learning program have the following characteristics EXCEPT _______.
| A．distance learning course is the same as students taking courses on campus |
| B．the diploma or degree should be the same as on campus study |
| C．professor-student relationship is strictly one to one all through the course |
| D．includes subject evaluation tool |
What benefit will distance learning bring to an employee of a business?
| A．Higher salary. |
| B．Professional growth. |
| C．Good impression on the employer. |
| D．Good relationship with the employer. |