The adolescent girl from Tennessee was standing on the stage of a drama summer camp in New York.But the girl didn’t feel joyful.She was not the leggy,attractive Hollywood type.In fact,she described herself as stupid.
This girl was Reese Witherspoon,who had wanted to be a country singer and admired and respected Dolly Patton very much.
That day at the end of the camp her coaches told her to forget about singing.They suggested she think about another career.She took their words to heart.After all,why shouldn’t she believe the professionals?
But back at home in Nashville,her mother—a funny,happy,optimistic woman—wouldn’t let her feel depressed.Her father,a physician,encouraged her to achieve in schoo1.So she worked hard at everything and was accepted at Stanford University.
And at 1 9,she got a part in a low-budget movie called Freeway, which prepared for her role in the movie Pleasantville.But her big break came with Legally Blonde.
“If you can’t sing and you aren’t charming,play to your strengths.If you’re going to make it in this business,better focus on what you’re good at,”she told the interviewer later.
And then came the offer that took her back to her Nashville—playing the wife of a country star Johnny Cash,a singing role.
All of a sudden the old fears learned on that summer stage were back.She was so nervous on the stage.But she didn’t give up on the movie or herself.She spent 6 months taking singing lessons again.She learned to play the Autoharp.And the hard work built up her confidence.
Last March,Reese Witherspoon walked up on another stage,the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood,and accepted the Oscar as Best Actress for her heartbreaking,heartwarming singing role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line.Why was Reese Witherspoon sad that day?
A.The experts advised her to give up singing. |
B.Dolly Parton told her to leave the stage. |
C.The coaches described her as foolish. |
D.The professionals considered her ignorant. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A.Reese was an optimistic girl. |
B.Her parents supported her a lot. |
C.Her parents were disappointed with her. |
D.Reese blamed herself all day long. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Reese’s mother was a physician. |
B.Freeway was Reese’s big break. |
C.Reese won the Oscar for Walk the Line. |
D.New York was Reese’s home town. |
How did Reese succeed in playing the singing role?
A.She did her best to make herself leggy and attractive. |
B.She tried hard to forget about that summer stage. |
C.She practised Autoharp lessons for more than 6 months. |
D.She regained her confidence through hard work. |
What can we learn from Reese’s experience?
A.Two heads are better than one. |
B.When in Rome,do as the Romans do. |
C.Where there is a will,there is a way. |
D.Hope for the best,and prepare for the worst. |
Isthereanythingmoreimportantthanhealth?Idon’tthinkso.“Healthisthegreatestwealth.”wisepeoplesay.Youcan’tbegoodatyourstudiesorworkwellwhenyouareill.Ifyouhaveaheadache,toothache,backache,earacheorbadpaininthestomach,ifyoucomplainofabadcough,ifyourunahightemperatureandhaveabadcold,orifyousufferfromhighorlowbloodpressure,Ithinkyoushouldgotothedoctor. Thedoctorwillexamineyourthroat,feelyourpulse,testyourbloodpressure,takeyourtemperature,soundyourheartandlungs,testyoureyes,checkyourteethorhaveyourchestX-rayed.Afterthathewilladvisesometreatment,orsomemedicine.Theonlythingyouhavetodoistofollowhisadvice.Speakingaboutdoctor’sadvice,Ican’thelptellingyouafunnystory. Anoldgentlemancametoseethedoctor.Themanwasveryill.Hetoldthedoctorabouthisweakness,memorylossandseriousproblemswithhisheartandlungs.Thedoctorexaminedhimandsaidtherewasnomedicineforhis
disease. Hetoldhispatienttogotoaquietplaceforamonthandhaveagood
rest.Healsoadvisedhimtoeatalotofmeat,drinktwoglassesofredwine everydayandtakelongwalks.Inotherwords,thedoctoradvisedhimto
followtherule:“Eatatpleasure,drinkwithmeasureandenjoylifeasitis.”Thedoctoralsosaidthatifthemanwantedtobewellagain,heshouldn’tsmokemorethanonecigaretteaday.Amonthlaterthegentlemancameintothedoctor’soffice.Helookedcheerfulandhappy.Hethankedthedoctor
andsaidthathehadneverfeltahealthierman.“ Butyouknow,doctor,”hesaid,“it’snoteasytobeginsmokingatmyage.”Thewriterthinksthat_____.
A.healthismoreimportantthanwealth |
B.workisasimportantasstudies |
C.medicineismoreimportantthanpleasure |
D.nothingismoreimportantthanmoney |
Thedoctorusuallytellshispatientwhattodo______.
A.withoutexaminingthepatient |
B.afterhehasexaminedthepatient |
C.ifthepatientdoesn’ttakemedicine |
D.unlessthepatientfeelspain |
Fromthelastsentenceofthepassage,welearntheman_______beforethedoctortoldhimnottosmokemorethanonecigaretteaday.
A.wasaheavysmoker | B.didn’tsmokesomuch |
C.didn’tsmoke | D.begantolearntosmoke |
WhichofthefollowingisNOTtrue?
A.Thedoctorusuallytestshis/herbloodpressurewhenapersonisill. |
B.Themantoldthedoctorhecouldn’trememberthings. |
C.Themanthankedthedoctor. |
D.Themandidn’tfollowthedoctor’sadvice. |
Dear Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul,
Most people don’t really know what pressures a typical teenager has to go through. Sure, our parents and grandparents were once teens, but things are so different now. It has never been to tougher (严格)to a teenager.
It had never been more important to be in the “right group” or to have the “right brand” of shoes. And those are the easy things to deal with. We also face problems with family, friends, relationships and school pressures.
When it gets to be too much, I turn to my friends. One friend I could not live without is Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Your books have been so inspiring to me and have helped me to deal with and understand the problems I go through.
For example, I went through a confusing time with my friends when we got to junior high. I had known these friends since kindergarten, and when we began junior high it seemed like some of them began to change. We started hanging out with different groups, and we slowly grew so far apart that it seemed as if we had never been friends. I felt confused and hurt.
Sometime during this period I read the story Friends Forever in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Ⅱ.I felt so much better after reading it. It was like a weight had been lifted from me when I realized that many friendships went through changes and that we weren’t the only friends to experience them.
People change, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose the friendships we once shared. My friends and I still spend time together when we can and care about each other a lot. That things are different doesn’t mean I have to forget about all the good times we had. I will always keep the memories in a safe place in my heart.
Sincerely,
PeterAccording to the author, parents and grandparents
A.didn’t have to overcome difficulties when in their teens. |
B.don’t fully understand the pressures of being a teenager now |
C.can easily deal with things such as choosing friends and shoes. |
D.don’t need to give help to teenagers with pressures and problems |
Why did the author feel confused and hurt when he got to junior high?
A.Because he was afraid that he had lost his friends. |
B.Because he and his friends weren’t in the same school. |
C.Because he was too busy to be with his friends. |
D.Because his friends refused to hang out with him. |
What does the underlined word “them” in Para.5 refer to?
A.Friendships. | B.Changes. | C.Friends. | D.Pressures |
In the letter the author mainly tells us that
A.people change but friendships always last. |
B.changes sometimes cause hurt and confusion |
C.people will go through many changes in life |
D.friendships should be kept with skills |
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 even cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Some burst with anger and scream and yell. But others 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 violently 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."Damaging emotion" means that _____________.
A.the emotion is harmless | B.the emotion is harmful |
C.the feeling is very strong | D.the feeling is hard |
According to the author, you'd better __________
A.never be angry |
B.cool down your anger before you express it |
C.laugh and laugh when you get angry |
D.admit you are wrong when you are angry |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.The types of anger. | B.How to release anger. |
C.Causes of anger. | D.The damage to health caused by being angry. |
Everyone has got two personalities (个性) —the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behaviour, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their position. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to upset people, so you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive (不坦率的) person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You're very stubborn (顽固的), but you aren't very ambitious. You usually live for today not for tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up (卷曲), you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive (戒备的). You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You're usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get depressed. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.According to the writer, you naturally show your secret and real personality _______.
A.only in a normal night |
B.only when you go to sleep |
C.only when you refuse to show yourself to the world |
D.only when you change sleeping position |
Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person's personality?
A.He or she is always open with others. |
B.He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others. |
C.He or she is always easily upset. |
D.He or she tends to believe in others. |
You may not want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up and the reason is that __________.
A.he or she would rather be alone than communicate with you |
B.he or she is rarely ready to help you |
C.he or she prefers staying at home to going out |
D.he or she wouldn't like to get help from you |
It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because __________.
A.he or she always shows sympathy for people |
B.he or she is confident, but not stubborn |
C.he or she has more strengths than weaknesses |
D.he or she often considers annoying people |
On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle. The hotel workers received him and teleponed the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel hall before though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles”.
Robert Friedlander, an American, arrived in Xi’an on his bicycle trip across Asia which started last December in New Delhi, India. When he was 11, he read the book Marco Polo and made up his mind to visit the Silk Road. Now, after 44 years, he was on the Silk Road in Xi’an and his early dreams were coming true.
Robert Friedlander’s next destinations (目的地) were Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, etc. He will complete his trip in Pakistan. The best headline (标题) for this newspaper article would be.
A.The Kingdom of Bicycles | B.A Beautiful Hotel in Xi’an |
C.Marco Polo and the Silk Road | D.An American Achieving His Aims |
The hotel workers told the manager about Friedlander coming to the hotel because______.
A.he asked to see the manager |
B.he entered the hall with a bike |
C.the manager had to know about all foreign guests |
D.the manager knew about his trip and was expecting him |
What made Friedlander want to come to China?
A.The stories about Marco Polo. | B.The famous sights in Xi’an. |
C.His interest in Chinese silk. | D.His childhood dreams about bicycles. |
Friedlander can be said to be.
A.clever | B.friendly | C.hardworking | D.strong-minded |