Steven Spielberg was not a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than read, the kid really preferred running around with an 8mm camera, shooting homemade movies, which he showed to friends for a small fee.
In his first year of high school, he dropped out. But when his parents persuaded him to return, he was mistakenly placed in a learningdisabled class, which lasted one month. Only when the family moved to another town did he land up in a more suitable high school, where he eventually graduated.
After being denied entrance into a traditional filmmaking school, Steven Spielherg enrolled in English at California State University at Long Beach. Then in 1965, he recalls, in one of those serendipitous moments, his life took a complete turn. Visiting Universal Studios, he met Chuck Silvers, an executive in the editorial department. Silvers liked the kid who made 8mm films and invited him back sometime to visit.
He appeared the next day. Spielberg, dressed in a dark suit, carrying his father's briefcase with nothing inside but a sandwich and candy bars walked confidently up to the guard at the gate of Universal and gave him a casual wave. The guard waved back. He was in.
“For the entire summer，” Spielberg remembers, “I dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and writers, including Silvers, who knew the kid wasn't a studio employee, but winked at him. I even found an office that wasn't being used, and became a squatter (擅自占用他人房子的人). I bought some plastic tiles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C.”
It paid off for everyone. Ten years later, the 28yearold Spielberg directed Jaws, which took in $470 million, then the biggest grossing movie of all time. Dozens of films and awards have followed because Steven Spielberg knew what his teachers didn't—talent is in the eyes of the filmmaker.Why was Steven Spielberg laughed at by his classmates?
| A．He was the youngest boy. |
| B．He was too short for his age. |
| C．He liked to fight with other boys. |
| D．He didn't care much about his lessons. |
Why did Steven's friends pay him some money?
| A．To see his movies. |
| B．To use his camera. |
| C．To look at his photos. |
| D．To include them in the movie. |
What did Steven Spielberg intend to do after graduating from high school?
| A．Study English at a college. |
| B．Become a newspaper editor. |
| C．Work for Universal Studios. |
| D．Go to a traditional filmmaking school. |
What could have changed Steven Spielberg's life?
| A．Being dressed in a suit. |
| B．Meeting Chuck Silvers. |
| C．Missing a filmmaking school. |
| D．Working for Universal Studios. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Always follow our dream and we can make it. |
| B．We need someone to help us realize our dreams. |
| C．Anyone can become a film director if he wants to. |
| D．We should grasp the opportunity that comes our way. |
The Peales were a famous family of American artists. Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution. He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington. His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.
Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum, which he founded in Philadelphia. The world’s first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings. Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike. The museum’s most popular display was the skeleton (骷髅) of a huge, extinct elephant, which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801.
Three of Peale’s seventeen children were also famous artists. Raphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers, fruit, and cheese. His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people, including one of George Washington. Another brother, Rubens Peale, painted mostly landscapes and portraits.
James Peale, the brother of Charles Willson Peale, specialized in miniatures (小画像). His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America.What is the main topic of the passage?
| A．The life of Charles Willson Peale. |
| B．Portraits in the 18th century. |
| C．The Peale Museum. |
| D．A family of artists. |
The author mentions in Paragraph 1 that Washington tipped his hat to the figures in the painting to show that _______.
| A．Charles Willson Peale’s painting was very lifelike |
| B．Washington respected Charles Willson Peale’s work |
| C．Washington was friendly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale |
| D．the painting of the two brothers was very large |
Which of the following is NOT the child of Charles Willson Peale?
| A．Titian Peale. | B．Rubens Peale. |
| C．Raphaelle Peale. | D．Sarah Miriam Peale. |
The author’s attitude toward the Peales is in general _______.
| A．puzzled | B．excited | C．admiring | D．disappointed |
A girl became a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, which meant visiting and taking care of a patient suffering from an incurable disease with days numbered.
The girl was assigned to look after an old man suffering from cancer whose children lived abroad. Their living conditions were not satisfactory while the old man had a lot of savings. She was expected to comfort him and keep up his spirits.
Every Saturday the girl came on time to keep him company, telling him stories. When he was having an intravenous drip (静脉滴注), she would help massage his arms. The doctor found the patient much improved mentally. The old man began to involve himself actively in the medical treatment and he seldom shouted at others.
But something that happened made the doctor uneasy and puzzled. Each time the girl left, the old man would give her some money. The doctor did nothing to interfere (干涉), unwilling to offend the old man. A month later the old man showed evident signs of decline after suffering coma (昏迷) a few times.
When rescued from the latest coma, the old man told the doctor his last wish, “I have deep sympathy for the girl. Will you be kind enough to help her finish her studies？”
But the doctor knew that her family was well-off and she had no difficulty pursuing her studies. Sometimes she even came to the hospital in her father’s car.
When the girl came at the weekend after the death of the old man, the doctor told her the bad news. She was very sad and burst into tears. Then she handed $ 500 to the doctor, saying, “The old man had all along thought I came to do the job because of poverty. He gave me money so that I could continue my schooling.” Now he got the answer to the puzzle. In the last period of his life, the old man found it a real pleasure to be able to help a girl badly in need.If you’re a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, what kind of people do you have to attend to?
| A．Patients with a lot of money. |
| B．Patients suffering from cancer. |
| C．Patients without many days left. |
| D．Patients living alone. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The doctor told the old man the truth. |
| B．The old man’s children were wealthy. |
| C．The girl’s father encouraged her to accept the money. |
| D．The girl didn’t accompany the old man when he died. |
What is the real reason resulting in the old man’s mental improvement?
| A．The girl’s love and great care. |
| B．The pleasure of helping people in need. |
| C．The doctor’s medical treatment. |
| D．His children’s progress in life. |
Even after centuries of exploration(探险), the ocean still holds its mysteries. Although we know more today about the world’s oceans and creatures living in them than ever before, every once in a while the sea brings up something so strange, so unexpected, that makes the world wonder what it could be.
Such was the case when the currents (水流) of the Mediterranean Ocean recently washed a 13-foot-long, smelly body onto the shores of the village of Villaricos in Andalusia, Spain. An early report in the Spanish publication Lavante described the strange, horned (带角的) body as what might seem like a big fish, but it was already in pieces. Locals joked that it was some kind of Loch Ness Monster.
The media jumped right on the creature, of course. Some sites called it a horned sea monster. The popular newspaper Boing Boing called it a dragon. Some people guessed that it might be an oarfish(皇带鱼), which is actually a rarely seen kind of big fish that can grow up to 55 feet long.
But now the experts have weighed in and we’re sorry to report that it’s not a dragon, a Loch Ness Monster, or even an oarfish. “That is actually a shark skeleton (骨架),” Professor Grubbs from Florida State University told NBC News. “The parts toward the back were confusing me, but those are the lower caudal fin (尾鳍) supports. The “horns” are the scapulocoracoids which support the pectoral fins(胸鳍).” Scapulocoracoids are backbones common to many animals.
So there we go, another mystery solved. Well, the ancient maps that once described areas of the ocean as places of dragons have yet to be proven true. But it’s good to know that the ocean still has a few surprises for us, even in cases where they’re just dead, smelly bodies.The creature mentioned in the text _____.
| A．was about 15 feet long with a horn |
| B．could probably grow up to 55 feet long |
| C．was already in pieces but it was still alive |
| D．was found on the shores of a village in Spain |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 really refer to?
| A．A dragon. | B．A shark skeleton. |
| C．An oarfish. | D．A horned sea monster. |
The third paragraph is mainly about _____.
| A．how the creature was found |
| B．the characteristics of an oarfish |
| C．people’s guesses about the creature |
| D．Boing Boing’s opinion of the creature |
The main purpose of the text is to _____.
| A．show the mystery of the ocean |
| B．ask people to protect sea animals |
| C．introduce a rarely seen kind of fish |
| D．show how to find surprises in the sea |
Teachers Wanted for Nexus English Language Learning Centre
Posted By: Nexus English Language Learning Centre (nexus.english.dos@gmail.com)
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for starting teachers that have just finished their qualification (资格) to work and to get professional experience. The position will suit enthusiastic and hardworking career-minded people who want to show how good they are or can become.
Of course, you need to have excellent subject knowledge. And you must be prepared to do front and back end work including developing guidebooks and co-writing workbooks. High rewards await top performers who also want to be leaders. You will also need to be a team player and a skilled organizer.
Application Requirements
* You must have the legal right to work in the UK.
* You must hold a UK recognized teaching qualification.
The Benefits
Nexus English Language Learning Centre (NELLC) offers competitive rates of pay, additional bonuses (奖金), a chance to work in top London schools, and continuous professional development. We pride ourselves on our personal service and support. If you work hard with a strong teaching skill including a high self-motivation, then we certainly want you.
● Location: Talbot Avenue, Leeds LS17 6SF
● Salary (薪水): £110 — £150 per day
● Hours: Full Time
● Telephone: 0113 3368585
● Published: 8, February 2014
● Closing Date: 5, April 2014
Due to the large number of applications, it is not always possible to respond to each candidate. If you are interested in this position, send us a personalized cover letter and tell us more about yourself right now.To work in NELLC, you need to _____.
| A．be prepared to work full-time |
| B．have plenty of teaching experience |
| C．be allowed by the law to live in the US |
| D．be able to write workbooks independently |
What benefits can candidates expect from NELLC?
| A．Additional language skills. |
| B．More earnings and holidays. |
| C．More professional experience. |
| D．Chances of working in a college. |
Which of the following dates is suitable for you to send a cover letter to NELLC?
| A．5, January 2014. | B．6, February 2014. |
| C．8, March 2014. | D．10, April 2014. |
When someone told 85-year-old Johnny Long that he was called a living legend, he replied, “I don’t know about that, but I’m living, and that’s important.”
Starting in 1949 as a high school band director and later as director of the Troy University band, Johnny Long became known as one of the most inspirational band directors in America. More than three hundred of his students went on to become band directors them-selves. “I have been a band director for more than 60 years and all I know about the word band is that you spell it F-U-N,” Long said. “And if you change that, it’s over.”
Long retired 14 years ago to spend more time with his wife Mary Lynn. But his passion (热情) for bands never went away. He dreamed of forming a top-notch (拔尖的) community band in Troy. But Troy is a small town — with not a ton of top-notch talent. “I didn’t think it would work, I really didn’t,” Long said.
Fortunately, there was one thing Johnny hadn’t considered: the devotion of his former students. Now, once a week during the concert season, they drive in from all over the south and across the decades.
65-year-old Bobby Johnson was in Long’s first college class. He lives in Atlanta and drives 3 hours to practice. Johnson said he does it because Long’s “such a unique character and I just admire him so much.”
Many people do it for the same reason. “He’s the single biggest influence on my career.” “He was a father figure to me. He’s just a genuine person.”
Long said he wanted to be remembered as a teacher. “I think ‘teacher’ is the greatest word in the English language, next to ‘mother’.”What Long got most from bands was ______.
| A．pleasure | B．health | C．wealth | D．honor |
Why did Long retire 14 years ago?
| A．Because he found no band talent in Troy. |
| B．Because he was tired of working as a director. |
| C．Because he hoped to spend more time with his wife. |
| D．Because he found his students were not devoted to music. |
The words of Long’s students show that ______.
| A．Long treated his students like a father |
| B．Long was born to be a good teacher |
| C．Long influenced his students greatly |
| D．Long was very special as a teacher |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Johnny Long still teaches at the age of 85. |
| B．A band director had more than 300 students. |
| C．A band lover organized a band in a small town. |
| D．85-year-old band director still inspires others. |