Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of first directors to do this. Between the middle 1930sand the 1980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards. His movies have been seen by people around the world.
In 1944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity. Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life, yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.
In 1950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard. This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies though facing many problems. In 1954, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was The Seven Year Itch. In this movie, a married mail wants to cheat on his wife with some of hisfriends.In1959,
Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. It was Some Like It Hot. It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.
Wilder died in March,2002. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said: “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”The text is mainly about_______.
A.the background of American movies |
B.the development of American movies |
C.Wilder’s attitude to American movies |
D.Wilder’s achievements in American movies |
What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2?
A.His unique style of making movies. |
B.Sharp remarks on society in his movies. |
C.More than twenty awards he received. |
D.Almost fifty movies he produced himself. |
Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors?
A.Double Indemnity | B.Sunset Boulevard |
C.The Lost weekend | D.Some Like It Hot |
When was The Seven Year Itch made?
A.In 1944 | B.In 1945 | C.In 1954 | D.In 1955 |
The text is developed mainly______.
A.by following time order | B.by making comparison |
C.by analyzing exact data | D.by giving instructions |
Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine.“Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting creatures,”William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word“habit”carries a negative meaning.
So it seems contradictory to talk about habits in the same context as innovation (创新). But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.
Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try, the more creative we become.
But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.
“The first thing needed for innovation is attraction to wonder,”says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind.“But we are taught instead to‘decide’, just as our president calls himself‘the Decider’.”She adds, however, that“to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities.”
“All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware,”she says. Researchers in the late 1960s discovered that humans are born with the ability to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, collaboratively (合作地) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that ability, preserving only those ways of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.
The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us use our innovative and collaborative ways of thought.“This breaks the major rule in the American belief system—that anyone can do anything,”explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will…and Ms. Markova’s business partner.“That’s a lie that we have preserved, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.”This is where developing new habits comes in.Brain researchers have discovered that.
A.the forming of new habits can be guided |
B.the development of habits can be predicted |
C.the regulation of old habits can be transformed |
D.the track of new habits can be created unconsciously |
The underlined word “ruts”in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to.
A.zones | B.connections | C.situations | D.tracks |
Which of the following statements most probably agrees with Dawna Markova’s view?
A.Decision makes no sense in choices. |
B.Curiosity makes creative minds active. |
C.Creative ideas are born of a relaxing mind. |
D.Formation of innovation comes from fantastic ideas. |
he purpose of the author writing this article is to persuade us.
A.to give up our traditional habits deliberately |
B.to create and develop new habits consciously |
C.to resist the application of standardized testing |
D.to believe that old habits conflict with new habits |
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’is the museum’s main attraction this summer.Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday,and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun:Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities,or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club,Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road.Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm.PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01 353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th.August.Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play.Gates open 5:30pro,performance 6:30pm—8:30pm.Tea room will be open until end of the interval.Adult £10.Child£7.Family £20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines:From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches,come and join the Farmland Team.Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner!No need to book,just turn up between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above,each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost£7 per child.
For further information,call 01223 810080.If you are interested in cooking, you can go to.
A.Peterborough Museum | B.Houghton Mill |
C.Saxon Youth Club | D.Farmland Museum |
You want to watch the new play with your parents,so it will cost you.
A.£7 | B.£17 | C.£27 | D.£20 |
Which of the following ac
tivities needs parents’company?
A.Playing farmland games | B.Watching a new play. |
C.Competing in spots activities. | D.Visiting the dinosaur exhibition. |
If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19,he will have ____ activities to choose from for himself.
A.one activity | B.two activities |
C.three activities | D.four activities |
My HouseMy mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.
This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.Why did the author’s mother decide to move?
A.Because she hated the countryside. |
B.Because Grandpa was on constant move. |
C.Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind. |
D.Because she thought a city flat more fit for them. |
What impressed the author when she first moved into the house?
A.The tree house. | B.The big trees. | C.The cold floors. | D.The green grass. |
How did the author let us feel that the house was special to her?
A.![]() |
B.By explaining why the house suited their needs. k.&s~5*u |
C.By describing the small things related to her house. |
D.By comparing the differences between country and city life. |
My mother moved a lot when she
was growing up because of ________.
A.Grandpa being in the army. | B.their family’s liking moving |
C.the life’s need | D.Mother’s work |
In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Bad events like "serious illness of a family member" were high on the list, but so were some helpful life-changing events like marriage.
When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not show how you deal with stress -it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you deal with these events dramatically (戏剧性的) affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women's magazines ran titles like "Stress causes illness".
If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy the articles said avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous , many — like the death of a loved one — are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription (处方) for staying away from chances as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. The idea that all stress makes you sick also takes no notice of a lot of what we know about people. It supposes we' re all vulnerable and not active in the face of the difficult situation. But what about human ability and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom and physical and mental pressure.
41. The result of Holmes-Rahe’s medical research tells us _________________.
A. the way you deal with major events may cause stress
B. what should be done to avoid stress
C. what kind of event would cause stress
D. how to deal with sudden changes in life
42. The studies on stress in the early 1970s led to ___________________.
A. popular avoidance of stressful jobs
B. great fear over the mental disorder
C. a careful research into stress-related illnesses
D. widespread worry about its harmful effects
43. The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows ________________.
A. how you can deal with life-changing events
B. how helpful events can change your life
C. how stressful a major event can be
D. how much pressure you are under
44. Why is “such simplistic advice” (Line 1, Paragraph 3) impossible to follow?
A. No one can stay on the same job for long.
B. No prescription is effective in reducing stress.
C. People have to get married someday.
D. You could be missing chances as well.
45. According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become _______.
A. nervous when faced with difficulties B. physically and mentally tired
C. more able to deal with difficulties D. cold toward what happens to them
In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (学会) of each new skill m the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe (严格的) over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.
36. Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills, _________________.
A. should be avoided
B. is universal among parents
C. sets up dangerous states of worry in the child
D. will make the child lose interest in learning new things
37. In the process of children’s learning new skills, parents _________________.
A. should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read
B. should expect a lot of the children
C. should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own
D. should create as many learning opportunities as possible
38. The second paragraph mainly tells us that _________________.
A. parents should be strict with their children
B. parental controls reflect only the values of the community
C. parental restrictions vary, and are not always for the benefit of the children alone
D. it’s parents’ and society’s duty to control the children
39. The word “precept” in Paragraph 3 probably means “_________________”.
A. opinion B. punishment C. behavior D. instruction
40. In terms of moral matters, parents should _____________________.
A. follow the rules themselves
B. be aware of the huge difference between adults and children
C. forbid their children to follow hook teachings
D. always ensure the security of their children