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. |
Sometimes successful health campaigns can have quite unexpected reactions. The years of warnings about skin cancer mean that Britons are happy to cover themselves in sunscreen or stay out of the sun altogether, but it also means that most of us are not getting enough vitamin D.
Scientists announced yesterday that Britons need to increase to three times the amount of vitamin D they get per day. They called on food producers to fortify(强化)their products with more of the vitamin and suggested people should consider taking supplements(补充物) to keep levels up. They also suggested getting out in the sun for short periods more often, but they warned against “sun bingeing”.
The government does not publish official advice on the amount of vitamin D people should take due to a lack of research, says Dr Birgit Teucher of the Institute for Food Research. But in the US, the government recommends 5 micrograms a day. By that count, Dr Birgit Teucher said that around 90% of Britons between 19 and 64 would be lacking in the vitamin because they only took around 3 micrograms a day.
Vitamin D is important for absorption of calcium(钙)by the body, which is needed for healthy teeth and bones. A lack of it can lead to serious diseases in both children and adults. The vitamin can be found in some foods but it can also be obtained from chemicals in the skin reacting to sunlight. Dr Barbara Boucher said adults should get 5 to 25 micrograms a day. Shortage of vitamin D may be linked to diseases such as muscle weakness, high blood pressure and rickets(佝偻病).
Dr Birgit Teucher gave several reasons for the lack among Britons. Increasing numbers of office-based jobs mean a lack of exposure to the sun; and the rise of becoming overweight means that vitamin D—which is fat soluble(可溶解的)一is increasingly stored in body fat, where it cannot be accessed readily.
Professor Brian Wharton of the Institute of Child Health said that children in particular needed to have enough vitamin D to prevent rickets.
Professor Graham Bentham, an environmental scientist at the University of East Anglia, added that babies who were only breast-fed probably need to take supplements in case their mother was vitamin D lacking. Those drinking milk were likely to be OK, thanks to the fortification of the drink.
The scientists called on food producers to fortify milk, bread and breakfast nutrient to enable people to get their daily amount of the vitamin. Prof Graham Bentham added that 30 minutes of sun exposure to the face and forearms between April and October would be sufficient. Outside these months, the sun is not strong enough in Britain for the body to produce its own vitamin D.
But Prof Graham Bentham warned against spending too long in the sun. “Sun bingeing is well known to be dangerous,” he said. “In any case, vitamin D transformation in the skin switches off after a while so short frequent amounts are better for vitamin D formation.”From Paragraphs l&2 we can infer that_________.
| A．some health campaigns are very successful |
| B．people are lacking in various vitamins |
| C．Britons are advised not to get out in the sun |
| D．vitamin D can be obtained by staying in the sun |
The word “sufficient” (Paragraph 8) is the closest in meaning to _________.
| A．enough | B．proper |
| C．familiar | D．available |
From the passage, we can conclude_________.
| A．the babies who were only breast—fed certainly need to take vitamin D supplements |
| B．a large quantity of vitamin D stored in body fat is the primary reason for being overweight |
| C．the sunlight can produce adequate vitamin D that the body needs all year round |
| D．vitamin D is vital for the body to absorb calcium needed for healthy teeth and bones |
The government doesn’t give official advice on the amount of vitamin D because_________.
| A．they think it is harmful for health |
| B．they don’t want to be blamed |
| C．they aren’t confident of its function |
| D．they haven’t concrete proof |
Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?
| A．Humorous. | B．Objective. |
| C．Pessimistic. | D．One-sided. |
Did you know that the position you choose to sleep in says something about what kind of person you are?
A study of 1,000British people has been done by Chris,a British professor and director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service in the UK.It looked at the six most common sleeping positions and which personalities tend to match them.Have a look.
1. Fetus (胎儿) position – This is the most common sleeping position. About 41 percent of the participants said they sleep in this position. These sleepers may appear to be strong but they are usually sensitive (敏感的) and shy. The more they curl (蜷缩) up, the more worried they are.
2. Log position (树干睡姿) – This is the second most common position. People who sleep like a log are usually stubborn.
3. Yearner position (向往型睡姿) – This position says that you are open-minded and eager (急切的) to face challenges.
4. Soldier position – These sleepers lie on their backs with their arms down and close to the body. They are usually reserved and quiet.
5. Freefall position – People who sleep in this position are outgoing (外向的) but feel a lack of control in their lives. This is the least comfortable position.
6. Starfish position – People who sleep like this are good listeners, helpful, and uncomfortable being the center of attention.What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Sleeping position decides personality. |
| B．Sleeping position reflects personality. |
| C．What the six different sleeping positions are like. |
| D．Different people have different sleeping positions. |
Which of the following pictures shows “soldier position”?
According to the passage, which of the following statements is correct?
| A．Those sleeping in fetus position are always strong. |
| B．Those sleeping in log position changes their ideas easily. |
| C．Those sleeping in freefall position usually feel uncomfortable in their lives. |
| D．Those sleeping in starfish position may feel uneasy when focused on. |
What does the underlined word “participants” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?
| A．Fetus | B．British people |
| C．People surveyed | D．Sleepers |
If you see a group of kids hitting and abusing an animal, would you stop them? Would you at least call the police? Again people would walk away. Some people do not believe that animal abuse is a big issue.
Every day animals are abused in their homes or on the streets. It seems as if politicians do nothing to stop this issue. Everyone is worried about education and global warming. What about animals? We should not ignore them just because they cannot talk to us. Animals, like us humans, have rights. Every living being has the right to warm shelter and good food, but most importantly, they have the right to be wanted and loved. They have the right to be a special, much loved member of their own family.
There are many organizations that deal with abused animals or animals that have no home like ASPCA, PETA, the Humane Society and many more. There are organizations that deal with this issue, but that does not mean that we still shouldn’t help. The biggest saying that bothers me is, “I am only one person. I can’t make a difference.” If everyone thought like that, we wouldn’t have the organizations and loving people who help the world every day. By helping one animal, you are making a difference.
There are many things you can do right now to help animals around your neighborhood. You can volunteer at your local animal shelter, raise money for animal shelters, inform your community about animal abuse or you can write to your representatives and tell them that animal abuse needs to be taken seriously.
As you walk down the street, try to help any animals you see walking around. You can easily buy a cheap box of dry cat or dog food to feed the animals. If we do not help our animals now, we may never have animals again. Always remember that with every step you take, you help save an animal’s life and isn’t that worth fighting for?Some people won’t stop kids from abusing animals because ______.
| A．they are too busy to worry about the animals |
| B．they don’t take animal abuse seriously |
| C．they just leave it to the police |
| D．they are afraid of being laughed at |
We can learn from the text that ASPCA ______.
| A．is another name for the Humane Society |
| B．provides shelter for both animals and humans |
| C．deals with such issues as education and global warming |
| D．aims at protecting animals from being abused |
Which of the following statements will the author agree with?
| A．Dogs have the right to be treated kindly. |
| B．One person cannot possibly make a difference. |
| C．Cruelty to animals deserves more attention than global warming. |
| D．It is the politicians’ duty to stop animal abuse. |
The main purpose of the text is to ______.
| A．criticize those who abuse animals |
| B．advise people to stop animal abuse |
| C．show how animals are abused |
| D．explain why people abuse animals |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true，but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture．
For example，someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy's a winner，right? Maybe，maybe not．We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets，and only one was a winner．He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false，but he left out important information on purpose．That’s called a half-truth．Half truths are not technically lies，but they are just as dishonest．
Some politicians often use this trick．Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term，her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs．Then she seeks another term．One of her opponents(对手)says，“During Governor Smith’s term，the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true．However，an honest statement would have been，“During Governor Smith's term，the state had a net gain of two million jobs．’’
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths．It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth．An advertisement might say，“Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache．”It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company．
This kind of deception happens too often．It’s a sad fact of life：Lies are lies，and sometimes the truth can 1ie as well．We may infer that the author believes people should ________.
| A．buy lottery tickets if possible |
| B．make use of half-truths |
| C．be careful about what they are told |
| D．not trust the Yucky Company |
How many examples does the writer give to show how the truth is used to deceive?
| A．One． | B．Two． | C．Three． | D．Four． |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Using half truths is against the law． |
| B．Technically，half truths are in fact lies． |
| C．Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache． |
| D．Governor Smith did a good job during her last term． |
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
| A．He’s really a big loser! |
| B．Sometimes the truth can lie as well． |
| C．Advertisers will sometimes use half truths． |
| D．It’s against the law to make false statements． |
Swim Birthday Parties
Ages 3 and up.
Pool parties are during recreation swim in the 25-yard pool. Each party consists of an hour of celebration in a private room. Parties are for 1—5 children. All non-swimmers or children requiring floatation must be at arm’s length from the pool and accompanied by an adult or guardian.
Please contact Sarah Hagan 762—8384x210.
Fee: Members $ 175/Non-members $225
Youth Fitness Birthday Parties
Leave the party activities to us! Your party package includes:1/2 hour set-up,1 hour program time including equipment,props,etc.1 hour party time for cake,presents,etc.,1/2 hour clean-up time and 1 or 2 hours specialists. Parents supply decorations, food and paper goods. To schedule a Youth Fitness Birthday Party, call Mary Ann Genuario (x282).
Fee:$295 for up to 10 children,$10 each additional child—16 children maximum. Non-member price available upon request.
The Art Spot Birthday Parties
The Art Spot offers a variety of creative fine art parties for Ages 4—Adult! We supply the invitations, a balloon bouquet(花束), paper goods, project materials and a party host; all you need to bring is the cake!
Parties are one and a half hours, the first hour the group create their art project, and last 1/2 hour is for cake and presents! Parties are usually held on Friday nights and weekends but weekday parties are available.
Cost: $21 per child.
Rain or shine there’s no better place than the Art Spot for your child’s next party!
Nursery School Birthday Parties
If planning a party is not your thing, let us do the work for you! We offer a variety of pre-planned parties to choose from. You may also do a combination of 2 parties for boy/ girl parties. All parties are on Saturday afternoons between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and are one and a half hours in length. Parties include a craft or activity and paper goods. You may arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled time to set-up. To schedule a party please contact Kim Murphy(x214).
Fee(Up to 15 children):$200 Members/ $250 Non-member,$15 each additional child.The phrase “be at arm’s length” probably means“”.
| A．be as careful as possible |
| B．be as long as an arm |
| C．be as near as possible |
| D．be as faraway as possible |
If 12 children take part in Youth Fitness Birthday Parties, they will pay.
| A．$ 455 | B．$315 | C．$ 200 | D．$250 |
If your child joins in the Art Spot Birthday Parties, he will.
| A．swim in the 25-yard pool |
| B．spend half an hour to clean up |
| C．create his own art project |
| D．o activities with other kids |
What information can you get from the passage?
| A．You can schedule the party when it is convenient for you. |
| B．The number of people for these parties is limited. |
| C．ou need to bring nothing to join in the birthday parties. |
| D．All of these birthday parties center on a special theme. |