A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is unusual for what it contains: the news from local crime to international politics, from sports to business to fashion to science, and the comments and special features(特写)as well, from editorial page to feature articles, from interviews to criticism of books, art, theatre, and music. A newspaper is even more unusual for the way one reads it never completely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and out, glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraphs of the next.
A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers, but far more than any one reader is interested in. What brings this variety together in one place is its topicality, that is, its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But this immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it also mean that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than temporary value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together, out of the pages of that day’s paper, his own selection and order, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness(意识) as you change and apply the techniques of reading.What does the underlined word in the second paragraph mean ?
A.wide coverage | B.speed in reporting news |
C.various style | D.popularity among readers |
According to the passage, the reason why no two people really read the same newspaper is that ___________.
A.people are interested in the same kind of news |
B.different people prefer different newspapers |
C.people scan for the news they are interested in |
D.people have different views about what a good newspaper is |
A good newspaper offers “a variety” to readers because ___________.
A.readers like to read different newspapers |
B.it has to cover things that happen in a certain locality |
C.readers are difficult to please |
D.it tries to serve different readers |
The best title for this passage would be ___________.
A.The Characteristics of a Good Newspaper |
B.The Importance of a good Newspaper |
C.Good Newspapers and Bad Newspapers |
D.Some Advice on How to Read a Newspaper |
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD)for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, Versed.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win, ”said Armantrout.“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University.She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Versed.
“This book has gotten more attention, ” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”The first half of Versed focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not.“Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry, ” said Seth Lerer,head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
Versed, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2, 700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.According to Rae Armantrout, ____.
A.her 10th book is much better |
B.her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected |
C.the media is surprised at her works |
D.she likes being recognized by her readers |
Which of the following is TRUE about Rae Armantrout?
A.She published a poetry textbook. |
B.She used to teach Denise Levertov. |
C.She started a poets’ group with others. |
D.She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley. |
What can we learn about Versed?
A.It consists of three parts. |
B.It is mainly about the American army. |
C.It is a book published two decades ago. |
D.It partly concerns the poet’s own life. |
Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____.
A.should write more |
B.has a sweet voice |
C.deserves the prize |
D.is a strange professor |
What can we learn from the passage?
A. About 2, 700 copies of Versed will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. Versed has been awarded twice.
The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day.
The bad weather caused severe disruption. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren’t too unhappy about it though as they headed out to play the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, sledging and some even snowboarding and skiing.
In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around &1 billion (10 billion yuan) to businesses and the economy.
Anyone who wanted to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports because of the amount of snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving some passengers stranded at airports.
So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren’t enough snow –ploughs(铲雪机)and gritters(撒沙机)and it doesn’t make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently.
The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues.
More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to venture out! Which of the following facts is FALSE according to the passage?
A.More than 3000 schools had to close for the heavy snow. |
B.Major motorways in the country had to close for the bad weather. |
C.Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports for the amount of snow. |
D.The government organized to clear the snow away with snow-ploughs and gritters. |
What does the underlined phrase venture out probably mean in last paragraph?
A.go out | B.search out |
C.take no risks | D.stay indoors |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.School children seemed happy to head out to play in the snow though schools had to close. |
B.The cost of the lost labor reached around 10 billion yuan to businesses and the economy. |
C.Hundreds of flights couldn’t land because the runways were closed at major British airports. |
D.Tubes and trains in London were cancelled, but drivers were still driving in main motorways. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.The heavy snow is what the British have been expecting for 18 years. |
B.The heavy snow has been a very rare heavy one in the UK for 18 years. |
C.The heavy snow doesn't please school children at all. |
D.The government isn’t ill-prepared for snow. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Harsh Winters Visit Britain |
B.Heavy Snow Hits the UK |
C.Bad Weather Causes Chaos Just in London |
D.Heavy Snow Causes Disruption Only in Motorways |
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person's health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙).They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc.In general the person feels excited and ready to act.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger ferociously may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. They said that laughter is much healthier than anger.The underlined word “ferociously” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
A.mildly | B.fiercely | C.frequently | D.hardly |
Which statement is right?
A.Were you angry, you would get cancer. |
B.Once you are angry, you will get cancer. |
C.Angry as you are often, you can't get cancer. |
D.Anger may cause you a cancer. |
Expressing anger ferociously _________ repressing it according to some scientists.
A.is just the same as | B.is more harmful than |
C.is no better than | D.is much better than |
According to the author, you'd better _________.
A.never be angry |
B.cool it down before you express your anger. |
C.laugh and laugh when you get angry |
D.admit you are wrong when you are angry |
The main purpose of the text is to ______.
A.describe people’s behavior at anger. |
B.present doctors’ different attitudes towards anger. |
C.stress the harm of anger |
D.instruct people how to deal with anger. |
I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The announcement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theater box office in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00. Since I work from 9 o’clock to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theater was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unfortunately, the theater is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for fifteen minutes waiting for a bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip—so I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday. On Thursday, my luck changed, I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly twenty minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and headed back across the town. By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth hearing the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.The writer is probably ______.
A.worker | B.a college teacher |
C.manager of a company | D.a clerk |
He learned ______ that there would be a concert last Friday.
A.from his friends |
B.from one of his colleagues |
C.over the radio |
D.from the newspaper |
He could go and buy the ticket ______.
A.any day before work hours |
B.both before and after work hours |
C.only during lunch time |
D.on Saturday and Sunday |
The word “relieved” in the last two sentences may best be replaced by “______”.
A.surprised | B.pleased | C.puzzled | D.sorry |
The story is about ______.
A.a good concert |
B.someone enjoying a good concert |
C.someone trying to buy concert tickets for his friends |
D.someone’s disappointment at not being able to go to the concert |
February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin.
Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player. But when you watch him on the court, there is no doubt that he belongs there. He moves with speed and grace that demonstrate years of faithful practice, which is fueled by a love for basketball.
Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.
In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team.
During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.
When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
At first,playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitement wore off and was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up.
But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012,on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory.
The Associated Press called Lin "the most surprising story in the NBA". Knicks fans developed the nickname for him "Linsanity" (林发疯). Time magazine released its 2012 list of the 100 "Most Influential People in the World", Jeremy Lin included.
No doubt, Lin fever is continuing to spread if you haven't already caught "Linsanity", get ready.Which of the following elements is of little help in Lin's success?
A.his father's influence |
B.his devotion to basketball |
C.his years of hard work |
D.his graduation from Harvard University |
What does the phrases "wore off" in seventh paragraph probably mean?
A.arose | B.disappeared | C.grew | D.remained |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Before Lin there was no Chinese-American NBA players.
B. Lin learned to play basketball when he was eight.
C. Lin was excited for professional games and did a good job at the beginning.
D. Lin is the most outstanding player in NBA.Which is the right order for Lin's life?
a He made an excellent performance on Feb,4.
b He was fired by the Golden State Warriors.
c He was invited to play in the NBA Summer League.
d He graduated from Harvard University.
e He became famous overnight.
A.a, d, c, b, e | B.d, b, c, e, a | C.d, c, b, a, e | D.a, e, d, c, b |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. NBA prefers graduates from Harvard University.
B. Lin got an easy entry into NBA.
C. Lin didn't show his basketball talents in Harvard University.
D. Lin didn't have a smooth road in NBA.