A letter of reply is sometimes a most valuable thing. Here is a story telling about this common and natural human sentiment.
The busiest woman in Labrador during one bitter cold Christmas not very long ago, was an Australian nurse by the name of Kate Austen. But Nurse Austen was not too busy to acknowledge with a long, friendly letter every gift of food or clothing received for distribution to the natives in that cold and poor district of the north. Among the gifts was a box of knittings for children, knitted(编织)and sent by a woman in Toronto.
Nurse Austen was busy, exhausted and not feeling too well that winter.She could have written just ordinary routine notes of acknowledgement. But that was not her way. She sat down and wrote the woman in Toronto a real letter telling all about the village, and the names of the children who were wearing the knitted gloves and caps, and what they said, when they got them, and how they looked when they wore them.She wanted the woman who had knitted and sent all those lovely knittings "to see how much happiness and warmth she had created." Not long after, she received the following answer from Canada.
Dear Miss Austen:
Your letter made me happy. I did not expect such a full return. I am eighty years old, and I am blind. There is little I can do except knit, and that is why I knit so many caps and sweaters and scarves.Of course I cannot write this, so my daughter-in-law is doing it for me.She also sewed the seams and made the button holes for the knitted things.
I know something of the work you are doing. At the age of nineteen I married a man who was going to China to be a missionary(传教士). For forty years, with an occasional year at home in America, we Worked in China, and during that time our two sons and a daughter were born to us, of whom only one son survives.After forty years, my husband's health began to fail. We returned to the States where he took charge of a settlement house in Brooklyn, New York. A surprising number of the problems we faced there were similar to the problems we had met in China.When my husband died, I came to Toronto to live with my son and daughter-in-law. They are very good to me, and I pride myself that I am little trouble to them, though it is hard for a blind old lady to be sure of anything.
What I most want to say, my dear, is this. For sixty years I have been making up missionary packages of such clothing or food or medicine or books as I could collect. In various parts of the world and to various parts of the world I have sent them.Sometimes I have received a printed note of acknowledgement from the headquarters depot or mission board, sometimes nothing.Occasionally I have been informed that my contribution was planned for Syria or Armenia or the upper Yangtze.But never before in all that time have l had a personal letter picturing the village and telling me who is wearing the clothing and what they said.I did not suppose that ever in my lifetime I should receive a letter like that.
May God bless you.
Sincerely yours,
What did Nurse Austen do after receiving the gift?
| A.She wrote a letter telling all about her life. |
| B.She was too busy to write a note of acknowledgement. |
| C.She was not busy, exhausted or feeling too well that time. |
| D.She not only wrote a letter of thanks but told Laura more details. |
Which of the following is true_______________.
| A.Laura wrote the letter. |
| B.Laura made the button holes for the knitted things |
| C.Laura’s daughter-in-law sewed the seams and made the button holes for the knitted things. |
| D.Laura’s daughter-in-law knitted many caps and sweaters and scarves. |
We can learn from the passage EXCEPT that_____.
| A.For decades, Laura has been to many places of the world. |
| B.Laura sent contributions to people all over the world. |
| C.Laura was blind and brought trouble to her children. |
| D.Laura had never received such a personal letter as Miss Austen’s before. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A.Contributions make a big difference. |
| B.The Power of a sincere reply |
| C.The story of two women |
| D.Be grateful to others’ help |
Animation means making things which are lifeless come alive and move.
Since earliest times, people have always been astonished by movement. But not until last century had we managed to take control of movement, to record it, and in the case of animation, to retranslate it and recreate it. To do all this, we use a movie camera and a projector (放映机).
In the world of cartoon animation, nothing is impossible. You can make the characters do exactly what you want them to do.
A famous early cartoon character was Felix the Cat, created by Pat Sullivan in America in the early nineteen twenties. Felix was a wonderful cat. He could do all sorts of things no natural cat could do like taking off his tail, using it as a handle and then putting it back.
Most of the great early animators lived and worked in America, the home of the moving picture industry. The famous Walt Disney cartoon characters came to life after 1928. Popeye the Sailor and his girl friend Olive Oyo were born at Max Flcischer in 1933.
But to be an animator, you don’t have to be a professional. It is possible for anyone to make a simple animated film without using a camera at all. All you have to do is to draw directly onto an empty film and then run the film through a projector. What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A.Animal world | B.Movie camera | C.Cartoon making | D.Movement |
Which of the following statements is True?
| A.People were unable to recreate the movement or record it in the nineteenth century. |
| B.Pat Sullivan was a famous early cartoon character. |
| C.It is impossible to make cartoon characters to do what they are designed to do. |
| D.Only professional animators can make animated films. |
According to the passage, Felix the Cat _________.
| A.was created by the American cartoonist Felix. |
| B.was designed by Pat Sullivan in the early twentieth century. |
| C.was unable to do what natural cats could not do. |
| D.was created in the United States in the nineteenth century. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A.Walt Disney’s cartoon characters were born earlier than Pat Sullivan’s. |
| B.only professionals can create cartoon character |
| C.Popeye the Sailor and Olive Oyo were famous cartoonists. |
| D.the cartoon industry started in the United States. |
Western New Bridge Library Announcement
| Shortened Library Hours for Spring Break |
| Library Hours have been shortened to 7 hours a day (9:00 a.m. – 4:00p.m.) for Spring Break from March 24 to March 30. |
| Coming Events |
| On Monday, March 24, at 10:30 a.m., Scott Sutton, a children’s writer, will tell stories to kid over seven. Sutton’s attractive style will surely inspire everyone present! At 1:00 p.m., on March 26, the Geogetown Musicians will present an Irish Folk Concert, which will be entertaining for the entire family. Come for the music and stay to check out some relevant books for the rest of the week! On Thursday, March 27, at 2:00 p.m., the annual Children’s Gathering will take place in Room 201, the second-floor. Pick up an invitation in the Children’s Room and return your RSVP(回复) to reserve your seat at the table by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25. Only children are allowed in the Gathering. At 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 28, Enzo Monfre of the hit kid’s science show, Enzoology, will bring Fossils Live! Surely Enzo will take the audience back in time, deep beneath the surface of the earth, to uncover the mysteries of killer dinosaurs, and more. Enzo recently appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show—come and see him at the library! |
| Please note:In case of emergency, please call the Help Desk at 926-3736 and follow the procedures outlined on the voice message. The call-down service is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies. The Help Desk supplies service to you all the year around! For questions about all these, please contacthld@wnbl.corg. |
| Come for the great Fun; Stay for the relevant Books! |
To attend the annual Children’s Gathering, one has to _____.
| A.buy a ticket | B.apply in advance |
| C.make a reservation | D.contact the call-down service |
According to the passage, Enzo Monfre will ______.
| A.show the children around a zoo |
| B.tell stories to children over seven |
| C.be present at the science show in person |
| D.lead the children to the Ellen DeGeneres Show |
We can learn from the passage that children can ______.
| A.attend all the activities with their parents |
| B.borrow some relevant books for the activities. |
| C.participate in the activities form 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| D.choose only one of the activities according to their interest |
Despite the fact that it has never been seen almost everyone is familiar with the legendary unicorn(独角兽). Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times. The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn--- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope. Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign. Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn.
According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely careful as it was very fierce and dangerous. A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this amazing animal without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn dashed angrily. Hopefully, the creature could then be caught when its horn was stuck in the tree.
When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the power to offer protection against person. It was believed that nobody could be harmed-by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn. Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king. In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold. What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino(犀牛) was confused with this legendary creature. A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino.Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?
| A.It was not historically recorded |
| B.Its horn was first used in France |
| C.It was similar to the Indian Ass and the Oryx |
| D.It could be the symbol of a university |
To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT ____.
| A.attracting the unicorn to attack |
| B.making use of the tree as a defense |
| C.hiding quickly behind the unicorn |
| D.having the unicorn horn stuck in the tree |
The last paragraph is mainly about ____.
| A.the functions of the unicorn horn |
| B.the users of the unicorn horn |
| C.the price of the unicorn horn |
| D.the comparison between the unicorn horn and the rhino horn |
The 16-year-old girl Jessica Watson is said to be the youngest person to sail non-stop alone around the world. But her record has been questioned because someone thought that she has not sailed far enough. She will also not be recognized by the World Speed Sailing Record Council, as it was too dangerous for someone under 18 years old.
Ms Watson sailed into Sydney port on Saturday, seven months after leaving on a hard voyage. Family, friends and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have gathered to greet her. Thousands of well-wishers waited at the port and watched from boats as Ms Watson sailed her pink, 10m boat over the finishing line. Many more Australians watched the event broadcast live on television. Watson said she was just an “ordinary girl who believed in her dream”.
Ms Watson left Sydney on 18 October, despite that some people disagreed her plan. Watson traveled northeast through the South Pacific and across the equator (赤道), south to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, through the Indian Ocean and around southern Australia. The route took her through some of the world’s most changeful waters, and she battled through huge storms and suffered seven accidents of her boat.
People around the world have followed Ms Watson’s adventures on her blog, which she has daily updated (更新). On her blog, she wrote down beautiful sunrise over seas, the excitement of meeting a blue whale and the bright, terrible sight of a shooting star flying across the night sky above her boat. Ms Watson has reportedly sold her story to a news company for $700,000. She is planning to write a book on her experience. Which of the following oceans didn’t Ms Watson cross through in her voyage?
| A.The Pacific Ocean | B.The Atlantic Ocean |
| C.The Indian Ocean | D.The Arctic Ocean. |
Ms Watson’s voyage will NOT be considered an official world record mainly because ____.
| A.no one can prove that her route was dangerous enough |
| B.she hasn’t applied for the record |
| C.girls are not allowed to take part in the dangerous sports |
| D.teenagers re not encouraged to take such a dangerous adventure |
We can make a conclusion from this passage that Watson ____.
| A.would make another voyage for money |
| B.made the world round voyage for money |
| C.had no way to communicate with others during the voyage. |
| D.is so confident and brave that she could overcome troubles on her own |
All the following can be inferred from this passage EXCEPT that ____.
| A.her book about her voyage is a best seller |
| B.people in Australia had much interest in her voyage |
| C.she spent more than 200 days alone at sea |
| D.people have different attitudes towards her voyage |
Friendship Day in India falls on the first Sunday of August every year. It is celebrated with many activities.
Young people in India spend the day with their closest friends and have fun together. Most youngsters in India plan a movie or have a meal with their friends. Many friends may go on a drive to tourist places or make a plan for camping. Some friends go to the supermarket to do some shopping. On Friendship Day, most stores offer discounted prices for customers and it is the perfect day to buy something for friends.
Some friends go to parties that are organized by many restaurants in order to attract youngsters. Such parties are very enjoyable. You can get food at a discounted price. Some friends just decide to meet up (碰头,相聚) at someone’s home and talk about their happy time. The time good friends spend sitting together and talking over a cup of coffee is precious and unforgettable.
Long-distance friends call up each other on this day and wish each other with warm feelings. Some of them even plan to meet up on this particular day. Yet some others plan a surprising visit just to see their friend gasp (喘息) in shock!
In 2009, Friendship Day in India falls on August 2nd.So don’t forget to celebrate it with your friends. When is Friendship Day celebrated in India?
| A.On August 2nd every year. | B.On the third weekend of August every year. |
| C.On August 1st every year. | D.On the first weekend of August every year. |
According to the text, which of the following is the most popular way that youngsters in India celebrate Friendship Day?
| A.Traveling with friends | B.Seeing a film with friends |
| C.Dancing with friends | D.Going shopping with friends. |
How many ways are discussed in Paragraph 3 that friends spend Friendship Day together?
| A.Two | B.Three | C.Four | D.Five |
The underlined phrase “a surprising visit” in Paragraph 4 refers to “____”.
| A.a visit to a friend who hasn’t expected it |
| B.a visit to a friend who has dreamed of it for a long time |
| C.a visit to a friend who tries to avoid it |
| D.a visit to a friend who lives in a faraway place |