When I was young I wanted to be a model，so when a national contest was staged，I convinced my parents to take me for an audition (试演)．I was selected and told I had potential. They said that for only $900 I could attend a weekend event which dozens of the most prestigious (有声望的) modeling agencies from around the world would attend. At 13，my hopes of fame and fortune clouded all judgment and I begged my parents to let me go. We have never been rich，but they saw my enthusiasm and agreed.
I imagined being signed by some famous model companies. For months，any boredom or disappointment I faced was pushed aside because I knew I would soon have the chance to be real model. I thought I would grace the covers of famous magazines!
Of course，I wasn't signed，but what hurt the most was being told that if I grew to 5′9″(about 1.75 metres) I could be a success. I prayed for a growth spurt (冲刺) because I could not imagine giving up my dream. I made an appointment with a local modeling agency and the agent demanded $500 for classes. $500 for a photo shoot，and $300 for other expenses. My parents only agreed after hours and hours of my begging.
The agency sent me out on a few auditions，but with every day I didn't receive a call，I grew more depressed. The_ finalstraw came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial modeling. There was an open call in New York City. We spent hours driving and another few hours waiting，only to be told that I was too short. I was devastated (极度不安的)．
Years later，I realized that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn't actually love modeling，just the idea of it. I wanted to be special and I was innocently determined to reach an impossible goal. The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future.What's the author's parents' attitude toward her dream?
| A．Encouraging. | B．Worried. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Enthusiastic. |
What was it that made the author end her attempt to become a model?
| A．Her parents were strongly against it. |
| B．She realized that it was impossible for her. |
| C．Even a local modeling agency turned her down. |
| D．She realized that she didn't actually love the idea of modeling. |
The underlined phrase “The final straw” probably means ________.
| A．the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset，angry，etc... |
| B．the final result that she was admitted by the model company. |
| C．the final audition given by the agency. |
| D．the decision that she made at last not to be a model any more. |
What did the author learn from her experience of struggling to be a model?
| A．Where there's a will there's way. |
| B．Being a model is not that easy. |
| C．We should have our own judgment and should not just follow others. |
| D．We might set unpractical goals but the experience can help us grow. |
Mary Buendia once spent a day in an airplane, looking for a cat. She didn't find it that day. The plane flew around all over the world for three weeks with the cat on board. She finally found it in the cargo hold and sent it home first-class. Another time ,she found two suitcases full of birds from Turkey. But her strangest experience was when she pulled a snake out of a man's pants.
Mary Buendia is an animal health inspector at JFK Airport in New York. She takes care of all the animals that pass through the airport and checks that they are healthy. In the Animal Health Center, there are areas for dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and fish. There is also an area for very big animals. The biggest they ever had was a black rhino. "It was no problem." she says.
At the center, they receive all types of animals monkeys, wild cats, poisonous spiders. It's impossible for one person to know about all of these, but there are 20 people working with Mary. Among them, they understand how to take care of the animals. She recently had to feed a group of toucans, which are rare birds. "luckily," she says, "there is a supermarket nearby which is open 24 hours. I had to go at 2 a.m to buy bananas.
Mary often works at night. "It's quiet between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m." she says, "because we don't have night flights. We try to give the animals a quiet night." Mary clearly loves her job. "You never know what the day will bring,"she says, and goes off to feed the birds.The best title of the passage will probably be _____.
| A．JKF Airport in New York | B．Airport Health Inspector |
| C．Mary Buendia | D．Animal Health Center |
Form the first paragraph, we can know that _____.
| A．working as an Airport Health Inspector, Mary Buendea has various experiences |
| B．after the cat was found, it was sent home to New York |
| C．Mary got frightened when she pulled a snake out of a man's pants |
| D．Mary was tired of dealing with animals at the airport |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．Mary often works at night during flights |
| B．it took Mary a whole day to find a lost cat in an airplane |
| C．only healthy animals can be permitted to go aboard the airplane |
| D．Mary knows everything about the animals by working with 20 other people |
Elite Lessons
Experienced music performer is offering one-on-one drum lesson. As the winner of the Drummer Contest, the largest drummer contest in Canada, I can teach you secret techniques that only an elite group knows, but the group doesn't share them with the public. The result is instant improvement in your speed and ability to play the drum. Lessons are taught in French or English, $25 an hour. Call at 514-585-5054 if you want to know more information.
Private Tutoring
Professional French tutor is offering French tutoring, $15 an hour. I possess a BA in translation from Concordia University and have over 5 years' teaching experience. The course consists of conversational French, grammar, reading comprehension ,etc. Courses are given in the downtown area. For more information please call at 514-835-1834.
Customized Tutoring
Hello, my name is Christopher Marion. I am a graduate students at Concordia University, 21 years of age. I was born and lived in France for 17 years. I will be happy to provide customized help in French writing or speaking. The lesson's style can be whatever suits your needs. I am charging $19 an hour. I live in downtown Montreal. Feel free to contact me at 514-785-5654.
Basic Lessons for Beginners
Always wanted to learn the guitar? This is your chance and it only costs $14 an hour. I can teach you to play any style of music you like in a fun and relaxed way. I start from the basics, showing you how to play the songs you love, and improving your technique as we go along. If you don't already have a guitar, that's not a problem. Please call at 514-880-8872 or email to tarungeo@gmail.com if interested. Thanks!.From "Elite Lessons" you can learn _____.
| A．how to teach lessons in French or English |
| B．what the largest guitar contest in Canada is |
| C．more information about the Drummer Contest |
| D．skill in drumming that only a few people possess |
Since James is weak in French reading comprehension he may choose _____.
| A．elite Lessons | B．private Tutoring |
| C．customized Tutoring | D．basic Lessons for Beginners |
How much shall you pay for a basic guitar lesson?
| A．$14 an hour | B．$15 an hour | C．$19 an hour | D．$25 an hour |
The article can be found in _____.
| A．daily news | B．education reports |
| C．telephone directories | D．classified advertisements |
An exercise method (Gyrotonics) designed to stretch muscles and improve strength and balance is becoming popular in the United States. Here's more about Gyrotonics and the man who invented this special form of exercise.
Gyrotonics is a kind of exercise that combines the movements of dancing and swimming with the mental and physical practice called yoga. It helps lengthen muscles, improve balance, and exercise the joints, the parts of the body where bones are joined.
A Hungarian dancer named Juliu Horvath developed this special form of exercise. After he was injured in dancing, Mr. Horvath studied yoga intensely. In the 1980s, he developed a new exercise method as a special kind of yoga to strengthen dancers.
According to Mr. Horvath, his method was based on the octopus(章鱼)，monkey and cat. He says these animals have no restrictions. They can move in any direction the Gyrotonic movements to help the human body move more freely.
A special machine made of wood and weights(砝码) helps guide the body through the Gyrotonics exercises. You sit or lie on a flat board. You put your legs or hands through special cloth handles attached to a line with weights. With the tension created by the weights, you must try to move through the exercises.
Seven kinds of backbone movements form the base of Gyrotonics. For example, you can stretch your back to the left and right or forward and backward. While moving your back, you can also work on arm or leg motions. These movements must be done in a smooth way. Often the motions are circular(圆形的)。
When Juliu Horvath first developed Gyrotonics, he was the only teacher. Since then, he has taught almost 70 trainers. Now, there are more then 800 official schools in the world where you can learn Gyrotonics.This passage mainly focuses on _____.
| A．A successful life of Horvath | B．A popular kind of exercise |
| C．Some advice on health care | D．Some uses of a special machine |
According to the passage, what made it possible for Horvath to develop Gyrotonics?
| A．His dancing-related injury. | B．His failure in practicing yoga. |
| C．His good skills of dancing | D．His wish to be a Gyrotonics trainer. |
What do you think inspired Horvath in developing Gyrotonics?
| A．His experience in dancing. | B．His use of a special machine. |
| C． The movements of some animals. | D．The ideas from many trainers. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Many Americans have improved their health through Gyrotonics. |
| B．In a way, Gyrotonics is an exercise that comes from yoga. |
| C．You only have to move your backbone when doing the exercise. |
| D．Gyrotonics courses can be found in most countries worldwide. |
There is a wide and deep choice of a career. Whether he's a hand in construction or sitting behind the desk working on a computer, everyone has some ideas of what is an attractive career. However, making a career choice is not simply a matter of following a dream; for most people it means a lot of research and soul searching. Choosing the right career becomes one of the most important decisions of an individual's life.
It used to be that one followed in the footsteps of their father or grandfather or took over the family business when it came to making a career choice. These days, a career path can start anywhere and then veer off into something totally different.
Career choices must be realistic and well thought out. It is not uncommon for persons to start a career path and realize they have made a terrible mistake, feeling as if it may be too late to turn around. Not only does a career choice concern your strongest skills and interest, it is also something that you will be doing continuously to bring in income. This is why a career choice can be such a personal decision. Formerly it used to be unusual for someone to change occupations or careers more than once or twice in a lifetime; it is now even more unusual to keep the same career during someone's working life.
There are a great many measures in helping one choose the right profession. A number of websites offering tools such as career tests and information, educational resources, resume services and the kind can be found. It is important for one to research one's career in this changing economy situation, and choose the best from several related career choices.According to the author choosing the right career ______.
| A．is not difficult at all | B．needs a lot of dreams |
| C．is an interesting thing | D．needs a lot of thoughts |
The underlined phrase "veer off" in the second paragraph probably means "______".
| A．set out to do the same job | B．change the former course |
| C．compare two different things | D．dream of getting an easy job |
Nowadays it is common for one to _____.
| A．change his job often | B．do the same job all his life |
| C．find a few good jobs at a time | D．live without a job for many years |
All of the following are the tools on profession offered by websites EXCEPT _____.
| A．tests and information | B．training courses |
| C．employers' phone numbers | D．instructions on resume |
For many people – especially those juggling (兼顾) family and work at the same time --- it can be difficult to stick with a college degree. Kathy Bitzthum thought many times about dropping out of her accounting program at Iowa State University: She had two children and a job at Electronic Technology Corp. She’d only enrolled in the first place because her boss would offer her a promotion if she took a few accounting courses.
Because she only had enough time to take one class at a time, it took her seven years to complete the courses her boss asked her to take on. She received the promotion as her boss promised and wasn’t planning to continue a degree. But a request from her father, who was dying of cancer, made her think twice. He said to her, “Kathy, why don’t you just keep going and get your degree?”
Before he passed away, he made her promise that she would finish it. And he made her a promise in turn. Vitzthum’s parents had agreed to give each of their children a valuable gift when they graduated from college, and Vitzthum was obsessed with an antique she’d come across and knew that she couldn’t afford. After she promised to graduate from college, her parents bought her the antique. Her father told her, “I’m not going to be around when you graduate, so I’ll give this to you now. But it doesn’t _________ until you graduate from college.”
Since then, Vitzthum has looked at that antique every day and remembered the promise she had made to her father. Despite a hectic life as a wife, mother and full-time employee, she’s taken one course every semester for the last 19 years. And finally, at the age of 48, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting --- and she was excited to accept full ownership (所有权) of the antique that she’d borrowed for more than a decade.What had contributed to Kathy’s studying the accounting program at Iowa State University?
___________________________________________________________________Why did it take Kathy seven years to finish the accounting program?(no more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________What did Kathy’s father make her promise to do before he died?(no more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words.(no more than 3 words)
___________________________________________________________________What does the passage mainly talk about?(no more than 12 words)
___________________________________________________________________