Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.It can be learned from the passage that stars today .
A.are often misunderstood by the public |
B.can no longer have their privacy protected |
C.spend too much on their public appearance |
D.care little about how they have come into fame |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
B.The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
C.Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
D.Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A.Availability of modern media. |
B.Inadequate social recognition. |
C.Lack of favorable chances. |
D.Huge population of fans. |
What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
A.Sincere. | B.Sceptical. |
C.Disapproving. | D.Sympathetic. |
Ⅲ.阅读理解 (40分)
New York was very proud of its electric trolleys(无轨电车) at the turn of the century. They were the latest way to get around. But Mary Anderson, who visited New York from her native Birmingham, Alabama, 1902, did not like them at all. She thought they were not safe.
It was not that the drivers were bad. It was the windshields (挡风玻璃). In those days, drivers rubbed their windshields with damp tobacco. This was supposed to help off rain and snow. But it did not work too well. Anderson watched as the trolley drivers struggled to see out of their windshields, and came up with an idea.
Back in Alabama, Anderson made the first windshield wiper by fixing handle (把手)to a rubber blade (片). This, in turn, was fixed to the windshield. The drivers had to turn the handle back and forth by hand to make the blade wipe off the rain. But it worked. And travel in bad weather was made a little safer for everyone.
36.Which of the following best gives the main idea of this passage?
A.How Mary Anderson visited New York?
B.How drivers cleaned their windshields?
C.How the first windshield wiper came into being?
D.How windshield wiper was made?
37.Though New Yorkers had great pride in electric trolleys, Mary disliked them because she thought ______________.
A. they were dangerous B.they kept off rain and snow
C.their windshields were not good D.their drivers were inexperienced
38.To stop rain and snow coming on the windshields, a trolley driver had to _______.
A. work hardB.see out of them clearly
C.struggle in the trolleys D.use damp tobacco to clean them
39.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
The windshield wiper helped keep off the rain.
The windshield wiper was turned by the driver.
The rubber blade was fixed to the windshield.
The windshield wiper was made in Alabama.
A 10-year-old boy fatally shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a SUV to pick up the boy from his mother’s home for a weekend visit.
The incident happened about 3:45 p.m. on a cul-de-sac (死胡同)in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department.
An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back seat of the man’s Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. The shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh’s ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a 7-year-old brother.
“We’re not certain of anything until we finish our investigation,” Williams said. “The information we have at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon.”
The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams.
Williams said the gun belonged to the boy’s mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy exited(退出) the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car.
The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital. Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The man and woman shared custody(监护)of the children. Williams said the mother and the boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night.
Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves.
Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. “We’ve had a suicide(自杀)in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this,” Gray said. The best title for the news should be .
A.A Boy Shot His Father | B.Shooting Kill a Father |
C.An Unbelievable Tragedy | D.A Ten-Year-Old Boy’s Cruelty |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the news?
A.The father is not responsible for the boy. |
B.The family don’t like associating with their neighbours. |
C.The boy lives with Rick James Lohstroh. |
D.The boy has no brothers or sisters. |
What can we infer from the report?
A.The tragedy happened because the boy had seen too many films showing violence. |
B.The boy killed his father after he quarreled with his father. |
C.Such things often occurred in this neighbourhood. |
D.The boy’s parents got divorced (离婚). |
The reason why the boy shot his father.
A.is clear | B.can’t be made out | C.is not known | D.is quite simple |
LINDA MAYNARD
11 Windrift Circle
Methuen, MA
978 – 555 – 4539
JOB OBJECTIVE
Seek special education, primary school, or middle school math teaching position.
EDUCATION
Rivier College, Nashua, NH
Bachelor of Arts in Education – May, 2006
Major: Elementary Education
Have successfully completed PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II. Meet highly qualified testing requirements for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
November, 2005 – January, 2006
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
Student Teacher
· Developed and completed student – centered lessons in all subject areas for various groups of fifth grade special and regular education students.
·Adapted lessons to meet students’ needs by reviewing their backgrounds and learning needs through IEPs.
·Communicated with parents on a regular basis via newsletters, daily or weekly progress reports, phone calls, and email, resulting in increased parental participation at home.
September, 2005 – November, 2005
Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH
Student Teacher
·Taught reading and writing through Language Experience Approach methods.
·Introduced a Writer’s Workshop appropriate for first grade students to help them to develop their writing skills.
·Developed learning stations in reading and science, enabling students to be more independent learners.
Spring, 2005
Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH
Designed and taught a unit on Insects and Spiders, based on New Hampshire Standards to 23 self -contained, third and fourth grade students with disabilities.
Fall, 2004
Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH
Taught a class of 24 third grade students with a wide range of abilities.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
·After-School Aid, Amherst School District, Amherst, NH (2004 – 2005)
·Summer Camp advisor, YMCA, Nashua, NH (Summers, 2002 and 2003)
·Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer, Nashua, NH (2002 – 2005)What kind of job does Linda want to get?
A.A Big Brother / Big Sister Volunteer. | B.A middle school math teacher. |
C.A special education advisor. | D.A summer camp advisor. |
Linda has worked for the following schools EXCEPT ________.
A.Rivier College, Nashua, NH |
B.Wilkins Elementary School, Amherst, NH |
C.Charlotte Avenue Elementary School, Nashua, NH |
D.Amherst Street Elementary School, Nashua, NH |
What can we know about Linda according to the passage?
A.She was merely interested in developing student’s math abilities. |
B.She was not active in participating in after – school activities. |
C.She is permitted to teach in any high school of New York. |
D.She has plenty of experience in teaching. |
Which of the following is NOT included in the ways Linda used to communicate with the students’ parents?
A.Newsletters. | B.Phone calls. |
C.Face-to-face talks. | D.Daily or weekly progress reports. |
Do people in your country hug in the street? In some countries, it is common for people to show affection(亲密) in public places. In the United States, for example, we often see couples hold hands, hug and kiss on the street, in the park, in the restaurant and even on trains and buses. But in some other countries, people never show affection in public places because their customs don’t permit this, for example, in Korea and China. So, when Korean and Chinese people visit the United States, they sometimes feel very surprised when they see Americans hug and kiss on the street.
In some countries, friends show physical affection to each other. In some South American countries, female friends walk arm in arm when they walk along the street together. In Italy and Russia, male friends often kiss each other on both cheeks when they greet. In most countries, men don’t kiss or hug when they greet each other. They usually shake hands or pat each other on the back. People around the world are different in the amount, manner and situation in which they touch each other.
67. The main idea of this passage is ____.
A. the custom in Korea and China are exactly the same.
B. Koreans and Americans can never understand each other.
C. South Americans are more friendly than North Americans
D. Different countries permit different amounts of touching in public
68. Chinese and Korean feel surprised to see Americans hug and kiss on the street because ____.
A. they never hug or kiss
B. they themselves are polite
C. their own customs don’t permit such conduct
D. kissing each other is not allowed on the street
69. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Chinese people often kiss on the street.
B. In all countries public affection is permitted.
C. In many countries, men shake hands when they greet each other.
D. The Americans are not as polite as people in other countries.
70. From the passage we can guess____.
A. Korean people often kiss and hug on American streets
B. People all over the world like to kiss their friends
C. Americans like to kiss and hug Korean people on the street
D. It may be strange to Americans to see two men kiss on both cheeks.
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B
59. You will pay _______ if you want to stay in the English club for half a year.
A. 300 yuan B. 600 yuan C. 1200 yuan D. 2400 yuan
60. You can visit Ocean Museum _______ .
A. on Saturday B. on Wednesday C. on Monday D. anytime
61. One can get free examinations in Health Centre if he is _______ .
A. 9 B. 17 C. 67 D. 73
62. If you are interested in the life of fish, you should go to ______ .
A. Health Centre B. Ocean Museum
C. Sunny English Club D. 16 Yong Le Street