Events in New Jersey （From April 11th-23rd）
Bloomfield Public Library, 90 Broad Street．（973）566-6200．
“Catch Me if You Can”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio．Monday, April 11th
“The Invention of Lying”, comedy．Thursday, April 14th, 8 p．m．
“Sideways”, starring Paul Giamatti．April 18
“Phone Call From a Stranger”, with Bette Davis．April 21
All are Free．
Studio Montclair, 33 Plymouth Street．（973）744-1818．
“Sustainability and the Artistic Vision”, group show featuring artists who use sustainable materials．
Through April 23．
Mondays through Saturdays, 9 a．m．to 5 p．m．, or by appointment．
The Community Theater, 100 South Street．（973）539-8008．
Russian National Ballet Theatre presents “Chopiniana” and “Romeo and Juliet”．
April 15, at 8 p．m．
$27 to $57．
Essex County Environmental Center, 621 Eagle Rock Avenue．（973）228-8776．
“New Jersey Wood-turners”, adults learn to create art from pieces of wood found in nature．
April 18 at 7 p．m．
$8; members, free．
Monmouth Museum, 765 Newman Springs Road．（732）747-2266．
“Give Peace a Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-in for Peace Exhibition”, featuring more than 40 large-format images by the photojournalist Gerry Deiter．
Through April 22．
$7; children under 2, free．
Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a．m．to 4:30 p．m．
William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road．（877）978-3923．
“The African Impact on the American Experience: Between Race and Culture”, panel discussion moderated by Prof．Lawrence Mbogoni．
Tuesday, April 12 at 12:30 p．m．
American Labor Museum, 83 Norwood Street．（973）595-7953．
“The Line That Divides: NAFTA Trade Corridor”, exhibition of photographs, paintings and video by Pamela Calore．
Through April 23．
Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4 p．m．, or by appointment．
$3 to $5; members and children under 12, free．Which of the following number can offer you more information if you show interest in John Lennon and his wife?
| A．（973）595-7953 | B．（877）978-3923 |
| C．（732）747-2266 | D．（973）566-6200 |
How many events can you choose to enjoy yourself on Saturdays during April 11-23?
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
What can we know about “The Line That Divides: NAFTA Trade Corridor” according to the text?
| A．Free admission is offered to certain groups of people． |
| B．The photos exhibited are about Pamela Calore． |
| C．It is accessible all day till April 23． |
| D．Arrangements in advance are required． |
Who is the most likely one to satisfy a student majoring in African history?
| A．Bette Davis | B．Lawrence Mbogoni |
| C．Gerry Deiter | D．Yoko Ono |
Oscars organizers promised a new progress to this month’s Academy Awards to greet this year’s nominees (被提名人)．
After years of falling view that ended in last year’s 80th Oscars recording low view rate，the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has to make a fresh start for Hollywood’s yearly show.
The coproducers of the February 22 show，Bill Condon and Laurence Mark，have so far kept full details of their planned changes to the Oscars’ triedandtested method secret.
Oscars organizers have already made sure of one change by announcing Australian actor Hugh Jackman as the host of the show.
Among the changes reported to be considered are the decision to leave out the ceremony’s opening monologue(独白)．
The names of the invited on the awards night have also been kept secret while in earlier years the Academy made presenters to the ceremony public before weeks.
The NewYorkTimes reported on Monday that the producers are trying to improve the show by asking studios to provide scenes from films.
At the same time Ganis also advised nominees to give some thought to make their acceptance speeches memorable－and short.
“As for the acceptance speeches－you know what’s required，” Ganis said.“Be brief，be personal and be heartfelt.You_have_an_impressive_speech_total_of_45_seconds.”
This year’s Oscars are expected to be a great event. Many films will touch you，“Slumdog Millionaire”has 10 nominations，and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with 13.In the past the film with the most Oscar nominations is the one that has succeeded in box office.Oscars organizers want to improve the ceremony of Academy Awards because ________.
| A．the view rate of it is falling |
| B．the nominees don’t like to attend |
| C．people in Hollywood are against it |
| D．the 80th Oscars was best organized |
The Oscars’ triedandtested method ________.
| A．has been known by most of the actors |
| B．is kept a secret by now |
| C．is known only by hosts |
| D．hasn’t been decided at all |
From the underlined sentence we can learn ________.
| A．the winners must speak for 45 minutes |
| B．the speech of winners must be moving |
| C．the speech must be brief，impressive and moving |
| D．the speech of winners must be easily understood |
The main idea of the passage should be ________.
| A．Oscars leaders announce new film |
| B．films with most nominations |
| C．Oscars organizers are waiting for actors |
| D．Oscars leaders promise “brave，fresh”show |
For the people living in the Nile Basin，the river is their life. This 6,825 km waterway，whose watershed (流域) covers three million square kilometers，flows through mountains，woodlands，lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing，tourism and shipping is great－but so are its challenges.
Water shortage，already serious in Egypt and Sudan，will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today，about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 years，the district’s population is expected to double，adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases remain unchecked. In areas where it’s hot and damp，hyacinths grow so fast that they choke off lakes，dams and other sections of the river，making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course，and their only source of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.
But a new program，the Nile Basin Initiative(NBI)，is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems，calling for united solutions (解决办法)．Half the Nile Basin’s countries are among the world’s poorest nations; yet，somehow，they must find the resources，skills and political will to overcome these challenges.What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces?
| A．The development of shipping industry and over-fishing of native people. |
| B．Overfishing of native people and increasing population. |
| C．Water shortage and water quality. |
| D．Increasing population and tourism. |
The underlined word “hyacinths” in Paragraph 3 most probably refers to ________.
| A．plants | B．fish |
| C．rocks | D．salts |
The program NBI is mainly aimed at ________.
| A．preventing water pollution |
| B．changing the river course |
| C．improving living conditions of the poor |
| D．preventing land from becoming desert |
What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．People’s life in Egypt and Sudan |
| B．Frequent drought in Egypt and Sudan |
| C．The poorest countries in the Nile Basin |
| D．The ecosystem problems in the Nile Basin |
It looks like a scene from the thriller movie Jaws，but these photos of a huge shark swimming with swimmers were in fact taken in Britain. The amazing pictures，which showed that the basking shark (姥鲨) was swimming friendly with swimmers，were taken at Porthcurno beach，Cornwall，where the basking shark was swimming just yards off shore.
The single 14foot giant was feeding in the shallow waters off the scenic area，and quickly became curious about the swimmers and surfers sharing the water. Though it came within touching distance，the swimmers and surfers were in no danger. The large sharks are plankton (浮游生物) feeders－unlike the man－eating Great White from Jaws.
Beach-goer Rachel Hosken，who took the pictures，said that several basking sharks had been seen in the area.“It is one of the few I have ever seen around this year and it was great to see，” she said excitedly.“There are usually more of them by now，but for some reason there are fewer around than normal at this time of year. I think more have been spotted in deeper waters，but the particular one in the pictures seems to have taken a liking to this spot. I have seen it a few times.”
Known as the gentle giant of the sea，the basking shark is the second largest fish in the sea，only weighing lighter than the whale shark. They can grow to over 36 feet (11 meters) and weigh up to seven tons (7,000 kilograms) and feed on a diet of plankton and small fish. Basking sharks normally begin to appear in May and June.In the pictures taken by Rachel Hosken，we can infer that ________.
| A．swimmers and surfers were escaping |
| B．surfers were trying to frighten the basking shark |
| C．the basking shark was swimming far from swimmers |
| D．swimmers were not frightened by the basking shark |
Why didn’t the basking shark attack the swimmers or surfers?
| A．Because it was not hungry. |
| B．Because it was too far from them. |
| C．Because it isn’t a man-eating shark. |
| D．Because it enjoyed swimming with them. |
From what Rachel Hosken said we know that ________.
| A．most basking sharks swim deep in the sea |
| B．this basking shark has often appeared in that area |
| C．many basking sharks have been killed in that area |
| D．the basking shark doesn’t like being with other basking sharks |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A giant basking shark appeared in Cornwall，Britain. |
| B．A giant basking shark tried to please the British people. |
| C．Swimmers and surfers were frightened by a giant basking shark. |
| D．Brave swimmers swam together with a giant basking shark. |
Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.
By putting thoughts into words，you are telling yourself the logic(逻辑)behind what you think，feel，or only partly understand. Often，explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words，you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power”．
Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power，even if you have no idea how right now. Just start with anything，and create an explanation. For example，start with “I’ll learn chess，” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan，and if you actually do this，you’ll have a better understanding of your brain twenty minutes from now.
Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many，if not most，highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head，but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project，you’ll probably have more success.
Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example，but if you are learning something new，write a letter to a friend about it，and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem，why you want to solve it，and why it is worth solving，and you’re half-way there.
Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often，they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．A Way on How to Write |
| B．Increase Your Brain Power Through Writing |
| C．Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing |
| D．How to Start Your Writing |
According to the text，writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ________.
| A．the increase of your brain power |
| B．the ability to remember |
| C．the development of your interest in study |
| D．the better understanding of a topic |
The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in Paragraph 5 implies that ________.
| A．you are already successful |
| B．you still need to work hard |
| C．writing can help you walk half way |
| D．writing is important to solve problems |
What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?
| A．To advise readers to start their writing. |
| B．To explain the importance of writing. |
| C．To persuade readers to become writers. |
| D．To increase readers’ brain power. |
I had been rather proud of myself when my friends and family got the ticket，whether it was for speeding，parking or stop sign violations (违反)．It was something that happened to others. But last Friday I joined the club.
I was asked to do a new project last week. On Friday morning on my way to work，I suddenly remembered that I had spent the past six weeks without considering that I had a week’s vacation planned during that time. I was very disappointed with myself for not remembering it.
The truth is that I was not paying enough attention to my driving and I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign in front of a school. I was so distracted (思想不集中的)that I didn’t even notice I had a policeman on my tail with his lights flashing. Finally I looked in my mirror and caught on.
The policeman was rude and took my papers. Fortunately，I had everything up to date and since I had never had a ticket before，there was nothing for him to do but write me a ticket. While I was sitting there in the seat of “shame”，I felt bad. If I had been that distracted and a child had run onto the road，perhaps I would have not reacted as well as I could have. It was a wake-up call.
People at work asked me if I tried to talk my way out of it. Frankly，it never occurred to me. I felt guilty. Now I no longer have a clean driving record. Please be careful out there，as a moment’s distraction can lead to tragedy.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．The writer’s most unforgettable experience. |
| B．How the writer got her first ticket. |
| C．An accident caused by the writer. |
| D．Why the writer is always so careful. |
。We can infer that the underlined part “the club” in Paragraph 1 here refers to ________.
| A．people who are crazy about driving cars |
| B．a club for drivers without much experience |
| C．people who get tickets for breaking traffic rules |
| D．a club for people to talk about their driving stories |
What made the writer unable to focus on her driving?
| A．Planning how to spend the vacation. |
| B．Thinking of the forgotten vacation. |
| C．Thinking about her work. |
| D．Missing her children. |
From the experience，the writer has probably learnt ________.
| A．what is really important to her |
| B．how to deal with policemen |
| C．to enjoy the small things in life |
| D．to be much more careful |