Have you thought about what determines the way we are as we grow up? Remember the TV program Seven Up ? It started following the lives of a group of children in 1963. We first meet them as wide-eyed seven-year-olds and then catch up with them at seven-year intervals (间隔 ) : nervous 14-year-olds , serious 21-year-olds , then grown-ups.
Some of the stories are inspiring ,others sad ,but what is interesting in almost all the cases is the way in which the children's early hopes and dreams are shown in their future lives, for example ,at seven ,Tony is a lively child who says he wants to become a sportsman or a taxi driver. When he grows up, he goes on to do both. How about Nicki ,who says, "I'd like to find out about the moon. " and goes on to become a space scientist. As a child, soft - spoken Bruce says he wants to help "poor children" and ends up teaching in India.
But if the lives of all the children had followed this pattern, the program would be far less interesting than it actually was. It was the children whose childhood did not prepare them for what was to come that made the program so inspiring. Where did their ideas come from about what they wanted to do when they grew up? Are children influenced by what their parents do ,by what they see on television ,or by what their teachers say? How great is the effect of a single important event? Many film directors ,including Stephen Spielberg ,say that an early visit to the cinema was the turning point in their lives. Dr. Magaret Mc Allister ,who has done a lot of research in this area ,thinks that the major influences are parents , friends and the wider society.
What does the text mainly discuss?
A．New ways to make a TV program interesting. B．The importance of television programs to children. C．Different ways to make childhood dreams come true. D．The influence of childhood experience on future lives.
A．different groups of people at different periods of their lives B．different groups of people at the same period of their lives C．the same group of people at different periods of their lives D．the same group of people at the same period of their lives
A．Many people's childhood hopes are related to their future jobs. B．There are many poor children in India who need help. C．Children have different dreams about their future. D．A lot of people are very sad in their childhood.
A．going to a movie at an early age helps a child learn about society B．a single childhood event may decide what one does as a grown-up C．parents and friends can help a child grow up properly D．films have more influence on a child than teachers do
A．Interesting. B．Crazy. C．Dull. D．Serious.
(2012聊城期末)
Some plays are so successful that they run for years on end. In many ways, this is for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same
night after night. One would
them to know their parts by heart and
have cause to falter. Yet
is not always the case.
A famous actor in a successful play was once cast in the role of an aristocrat
had been imprisoned in the Bastille for twenty years. In the last act，a gaoler would always come on to the stage with a letter which he would hand to the prisoner.
the noble was expected to read the letter at each
, he always insisted that it should be written out in full.
One night, the gaoler decided to play a joke his colleague to find out if, after so many performances, he had managed to learn the
of the letter by heart. The curtain went up on the final act of the play and revealed the aristocrat sitting alone behind bars in his dark cell. Just then, the gaoler
with the precious letter in his hands. He entered the
and presented the letter to the aristocrat. But the copy he gave him had not been written out in
as usual. It was simply a blank sheet of paper. The gaoler looked on eagerly，
to see if his fellow actor had at last learnt his lines. The noble stared at the blank sheet of paper for a few seconds. Then, squinting his eyes, he said, "The light is
. Read the letter to me." And he promptly handed the sheet of paper to the gaoler.
that he could not remember a word of the letter either, the gaoler replied,” The light is indeed dim，sire. I must get my
." With this, he hurried off the stage. Much to the aristocrat's
, the gaoler returned a few moments later with a pair of glasses and the
copy of the letter which he proceeded to read to the prisoner.
A. fortunate B. unfortunate C. happy D. unhappy
A. lines B. words C. plays D. roles
A. want B. ask C. expect D. wish
A. always B. never C. sometimes D. often
A. such B. it C. one D. that
A. highly B. high C. poorly D. poor
A. where B. what C. which D. who
A. So that B. Even though C. As though D. As long as
A. play B. performance C. role D. case
A. with B. in C. on D. to
A. pages B. jokes C. words D. contents
A. appeared B. disappeared C. showed D. came
A. room B. cell C. stage D. office
A. time B. reality C. use D. full
A. serious B. eager C. anxious D. afraid
A. bright B. dim C. light D. dark
A. Seeing B. Looking C. Seeking D. Finding
A. glasses B, trousers C. jacket D. scissors
A. surprise B. satisfaction C. anger D. amusement
A. usual B. old C. ordinary D. common
Robert Frost was one of America's best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came in his life. He was forty
Americans began to read his poems and praise them. Once his
was set up，it grew stronger and stronger during the rest of his long life. His success came from
traditional forms of poetry with American words，
in a clearly American way.
Frost the same speaker for many poems，so the
poems formed a larger unity. He created this speaker carefully. He felt that his readers would believe his poems if he put the words into the mouth of a
person who lived in the country, not the
.
Many people thought the speaker was Frost himself. In fact，the speaker was person. Frost, the
，tried to become the imaginary person he
for his poetry.
Robert Frost is always linked to the land of cold winters in the northeastern United States, the area called New England. he came from the other side of the country，San Francisco, California. He was born there in 1874. He lived in California during his early
.
This man who was born in the and became linked with New England was named for the chief southern general in America's Civil War. The general's name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to
the general.
Someone once asked another American , Ernest Hemingway， how to become a writer. The
thing，he said，was to have an
childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost's childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very
writer.
A. soon B. late C. quickly D. early
A. since B. until C. before D. after
A. fame B. name C. poem D. family
A. working B. using C. putting D. uniting
A. spoken B. made C. built D. formed
A. thought of B. practice C. use D. met
A. old B. separate C. famous D. excellent
A. common B. young C. wise D. grown-up
A. city B. village C. state D. continent
A. a famous B. a real C. an imaginary D. a historic
A. artist B. man C. lady D. officer
A. loved B. respected C. admired D. created
A. In this way B. Yet C. Though D. Therefore
A. childhood B. writings C. work D. paintings
A. East B. North C. West D. South
A. learn from B. know C. study D. honor
A. teacher B. writerC. painter D. leader
A. quickest B. worstC. best D. hardest
A. exciting B. interesting C. unluckyD. unhappy
A. good B. poorC. young D. gifted
Tina and Thomas Sjogren were the fourth people to reach the earth's poles. Years ago, the couple were across the North Atlantic on their way to Europe. Tina looked out of her window and was
by the vast amount of space in Greenland. "The sky outside the window burst into different
and auroras(极光) flew all around us. I
what it would be like to step down there and start walking
，all alone in such a place," she thought， "If this is what Iceland and Greenland are like, how
then must the Arctic be?" She turned to her husband，
him awake and said， "Honey，let's go to the Poles!"
Tina's would not be their first adventure. They had already climbed Mount Qomolangma. The pair soon made a
to visit both the North and South Poles on skis, traveling
.
On February 2, 2002, they reached the South Pole. Their journey 2, 000 kilometers. After just 35 days of recovery and preparation, they
again. "You are so
after the long expedition to the South Pole, so you don't know if you could do
right away."
On May 29，after traveling for the whole morning, as the couple watched with weak the numbers on their GPS showed that their goal had
been achieved. They had made it.
Without the of dogs or supplies dropped from planes, it was only their strength and willpower that
them to ski and swim their way. They got valuable experience but that did not come without a
. If you go on an adventure, there's always the risk of something going wrong.
，you will learn from it.
A. flying B. exploring C. swimming D. sailing
A. frightened B. bored C. amazed D. amused
A. shapes B. colors C. sounds D. waves
A. remembered B. wondered C. enjoyed D. doubted
A. carefully B. quickly C. aimlessly D. freely
A. cold B. bright C. wonderful D. terrible
A. shook B. knocked C. kept D. beat
A. idea B. advice C. order D. offer
A. suggestion B. plan C. proposal D. change
A. non-stop B. unsupported C. unreturned D. unprepared
A. covered B. included C. lasted D. crossed
A. broke down B. settled down C. set out D. came back
A. excited B. disappointed C. confused D. tired
A. more B. another C. one D. others
A. torchlight B. sunlight C. breath D. eyesight
A. surprisingly B. luckily C. accidentally D. eventually
A. reward B. burden C. help D. company
A. attracted B. allowed C. taught D. forced
A. price B. success C. mistake D. change
A. Therefore B. Instead C. Otherwise D. However
The best time of my life
It was June 15，and in two days 1 would be turning thirty. I was about entering a new decade of ray life and feared that my best years were now
me.
My routine included going to the gym for a workout before going to work. Every morning I
see my friend Nicholas at the gym. He was seventy-nine years old and in terrific
. As I greeted Nicholas on this particular day， he noticed I wasn't full of my
vitality (生命力，生气)and asked if there was anything wrong. I told him I was feeling anxious about
thirty. I wondered how I would look
my life once I reached Nicholas's age， so I asked him， "What was the best time of your life?"
Without , Nicholas replied, "Well, Joe, this is my philosophical (哲学的)answer
your philosophical question ： When I was a child in Austria and
was taken care of for me and I was nurtured (养育，培养)by my
，that was the best time of my life.
When I was going to school and learning the things I know today，that was the time of my life.
When I got my first job and had responsibilities and got paid for my ，that was the best time of my life.
When I met my wife and in love， that was the best time of my life.
The Second World War , and my wife and I had to flee Austria to save our lives.
we were together and safe on a ship bound for North America, that was the best time of my life.
When I was a young father， my children grow up, that was the best time of my life.
And now, Joe, I am seventy-nine years old. I have my health，I feel good and I am in love with my wife I was when we first met.
is the best time of my life."
A. eager B. anxious C. happy D. satisfied
A. before B. beside C. besides D. behind
A. everyday B. every day's C. every day D. every day's
A. will B. would C. used to D. was used to
A. form B. type C. kind D. shape
A. common B. ordinary C. usual D. formal
A. turning B. becoming C. growing D. getting
A. forward to B. back on C. down upon D. out for
A. doubt B. question C. hesitation D. permission
A. for B. at C. in D. to
A. something B. anything C. everything D. nothing
A. teachers B. friends C. children D. parents
A. better B. best C. less D. least
A. efforts B. effects C. works D. gains
A. feel B. felt C. fell D. felled
A. broke in B. broke through C. broke up D. broke out
A. Whether B. When C. Although D. However
A. looking B. noticing C. watching D. realizing
A. just as B. just like C. just then D. just now
A. It B. This C. That D. Which
It was the night before the composition was due. As I looked at the list of topics(题目)， "The Art of Eating Spaghetti (意大利面条)"，caught my eye. The word "spaghetti" brought back the of an evening at Uncle Alien's in Belleville
all of us were seated around the table and Aunt Pat
spaghetti for supper. Spaghetti was an exotic (外来的)treat in
days. Never had I eaten spaghetti，and
of the grown-ups had enough experience to be
it. What laughing
we had about the
respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to mouth.
，I wanted to write about that， but I wanted to
it down simply for my own
，not for Mr. Fleagle, my composition teacher.
，I would write something else. When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no
left to write a proper composition for Mr. Fleagle. There was no choice next morning but to
my work. Two days passed before Mr. Fleagle returned the
papers. He said, "Now, class, I want to read you a composition， ‘The Art of Eating Spaghetti’." My words ！ He was reading my words out
to the whole class.
laughed, and then the whole class was laughing with open-hearted enjoyment. I did my best not to show
, but what I was feeling was pure happiness,
my words had the power to make people
.
A. memory B. thought C. knowledge D. experience
A. when B. where C. since D. after
A. cooked B. served C. got D. made
A. their B. past C. last D. those
A. none B. one C. either D. neither
A. careful about B. good at C. fond of D. interested in
A. speeches B. lessons C. sayings D. arguments
A. nearly B. naturally C. officially D. socially
A. Especially B. Probably C. Suddenly D. Fortunately
A. settle B. put C. bite D. let
A. work B. story C. luck D. joy
A. However B. Therefore C. As for him D. Except for that
A. time B. excuse C. way D. idea
A. give up B. continue C. hand in D. delay
A. written B. graded C. collected D. used
A. loud B. fast C. publicly D. calmly
A. People B. Nobody C. Somebody D. I
A. shock B. wonder C. worry D. pleasure
A. if B. for C. while D. although
A. excited B. satisfied C. think D. laugh