If you can see the magic in a fairytale, you can face the future.” —Danielle Steel
Who have not read fairytales? We all have had the experience of reveling in the beauty and innocence of fairytales. May it be Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty... fairytale is a word which cannot be new to us. But have you ever traveled ages back to the earliest of times and uncovered the fascinating facts about these stories? Well, if not, then here are some mystical finds I discovered when I undertook this journey.
A fairytale or fairy story is a fictional tale that usually features folkloric characters (such as fairies, talking animals). A fairytale often stars transformed princes, princesses, animals, as in “fairytale ending” where the humble but heroic princes defeat the wicked enemies or as in “fairytale romance” where after much ado the beautiful princesses marry their Prince Charming.
One distinct feature of fairytales is that, they take place “once upon a time”. The history of the fairytale is particularly difficult to trace. The oral tradition of the fairytale came long before the written page. The oldest known fairytales stem from ancient Egypt around 1,300 B.C and now, after traveling through various periods of time, they have grown and matured in various aspects and have become the most popular genre of stories for young children.
The most famous authors of fairytales are the Grimm Brothers whose works include Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and many more; The Grimm Brothers collected their tales from farmers and edited them to suit their audience.
But whatever may the form be, fairytales are after all fairytales! G. K. Chesterton said, “Fairytales do not tell children the dragons exist; they tell the dragons can be killed.” This quote has great weight. Every child believes in fairies, dragons, etc. They do not need fairytales to tell them that. Instead fairytales tell that good always succeed over evil. So fairytales are necessary for young minds.
Fairytales are narrated to children when they are young. This is very essential indeed, for if in the beginning of our lives our minds are touched by the beauty, innocence and the morals in these tales, we will be able to trace the optimistic side of happenings. The fairies are like our wildest dreams, which seem unreachable but we can make them plausible(真实的).What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us?
A.The definition of fairytale. |
B.The characters in the fairytale. |
C.The brief introduction of fairytale. |
D.The plot of the fairytale. |
What implies in the passage?
A.The fairytale first appeared as a written form. |
B.The spoken form of fairytale came earlier than the written form. |
C.The fairytale came from ancient Egypt and hasn’t changed much since then |
D.The fairytale always begins with “once upon a time”. |
By saying “Fairytales do not tell children the dragons exist; they tell the dragons can be killed.”, G. K. Chesterton meant________.
A.the dragons are evil things |
B.good always win over evil |
C.every child believes the existence of the dragon |
D.every child can know how to kill a dragon from the fairytale |
What does the writer think about the fairytale?
A.He believes that we can make fairytale come ture. |
B.He thinks the fairytale makes no difference to our lives. |
C.He feels doubtful of the fairytale. |
D.He thinks the fairytale is unreachable. |
As a teen, you’re going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are expanding. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.
Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are out in that world. These conflicts can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm houses. Sometimes conflicts can’t be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.
For instance, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted, or hungry. A good time to talk is when you’re all relaxed . Timing is everything. If the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you’d better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation for now. You can pick it up again when everyone’s more relaxed. Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you’re listening. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you’re not on the same page.
Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each others’ feelings can disagree without things getting ugly.
You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence(独立) if your parents believe in you. How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you’re going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-makers---they’re interesting people who like to watch movies, and go shopping ---just like their teenagers!
What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky(冷酷的)? You may consider seeking outside help. You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lend an ear.
Remember you can only change your own behavior; your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.What does the underlined part “lend an ear” in the passage mean?
A.care about | B.listen | C.solve | D.serve |
What’s NOT the proper way to improve relationship between you and your parents?
A.Listen to your parents. | B.Work for your family. |
C.Build their trust. | D.Change your parents’ behaviors. |
Why are there conflicts between children and parents?
A.Parents are sometimes rule makers. |
B.Children don’t respect their parents as before. |
C.Children don’t want to stay together with their parents. |
D.Children are grown up. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Change Your Own Behaviors. | B.Learn to Respect Your Parents. |
C.Make Peace with Your Parents | D.Accept What Your Parents Say. |
TOKYO - Japan is considering plans to calm tensions(紧张)with China by acknowledging(承认) Chinese claims to the disputed islands in the East China Sea, while maintaining its own position, Kyodo News cited sources as saying on Tuesday.
The report said that the plans would allow Japan, without changing its long-held position, to compromise a little with China, which has called on Tokyo to acknowledge the existence(存在) of a dispute(冲突)over the Chinese Diaoyu Islands, referred to as Senkaku Islands in Japan.
Japan has refused to rescind its recent purchase(购买) in mid-September of three of the five Diaoyu islands from a so-called private Japanese owner, which the government says was meant to maintain(继续)the uninhabited islands in a stable manner, despite China's strong protest.
It remains uncertain, however, whether China would be encouraged by the Japanese step to improve the tensioned ties, said Kyodo.The passage may come from___________.
A.a magazine | B.a newspaper | C.a textbook | D.a map |
From the passage we can know________.
A.Japan will give in. |
B.China is against Japan’s purchase of Diaoyu islands. |
C.The problem between China and Japan has been settled. |
D.China is the owner of Diaoyu islands. |
What does the underlined word mean?
A.agree | B.give up | C.compete | D.change |
What is the writer’s attitude?
A.He supports China. | B.He supports Japan. |
C.He doesn’t have his own attitude. | D.He dare not show his attitude. |
Mo Yan, the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature, said he is not sure about whether he is happy after winning the prize.
In an interview with China Central Television broadcast on Sunday night, Mo said “I don't know,” when a reporter asked if he was happy.“Happiness means a healthy body and a total absence of mental burdens, but now I’m under high pressure and bothered by worries. Can I say that I'm happy?” he said. “But if I say I'm not happy, people will consider that I'm striking a pose. How could you be unhappy after winning the Nobel Prize?”
Mo, born into a farmer’s family in East China’s Shandong province, As a 12-year-old during the Cultural Revolution he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the People’s Liberation Army and during this time began to study literature and write. His first short story was published in a literary journal in 1981.
“In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth. This is apparent in his novel Hong gaoliang jiazu (1987, in English Red Sorghum 1993),” said the academy in a statement of Mo’s biography. Red Sorghum was successfully filmed in 1987, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Mo won the Nobel Prize for Literature, which is worth $1.2 million, on Oct 11 for his “hallucinatory realism” which merges “folk tales, history and the contemporary”. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French and Japanese and many other languages.
He is the first Chinese citizen to win the prize.The award sparked strong interest about contemporary Chinese literature among the public, and his books have been flying off the shelves in many bookstores across the country.The followings are TRUE except_____________.
A.He has won about 8 million yuan. |
B.His works are all about farmers. |
C.He has a big influence on Chinese contemporary literature. |
D.Reporters have interviewed him about his winning. |
From the passage we can know__________.
A.He won the prize because of his story Red Sorghum. |
B.He wanted to become a writer when he was very young. |
C.Mo Yan’s works have been translated into Russian. |
D.Mo Yan was born in a farmer family. |
What is Paragraph Three mainly about ?
A.His different work. | B.His early life. |
C.He switched over to literature. | D.His family and hometown. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Mo Yan is very happy to win the Nobel Prize. |
B.More and more readers are buying Mo’s books to read in China. |
C.Winning the Nobel Prize is not easy. |
D.Mo Yan won the prize with the help of Zhang Yimou. |
Random ramblings from a guy who is too busy to have a Web site. On the bright side, you won't find any ads, pop-ups, hype, or any attempts to sell you anything at all. Furthermore, you won't find any pages divided into a hundred little boxes. And the text is so large, you don't need an electron microscope to read it. A refreshing break from reality. Anyway, here's what I have so far as I gradually resurrect my poor neglected Web site.
PC Survival Camp
Being new to computers, or even just being a “casual user”, isn’t always fun. It's as though everybody on the planet assumes you already know all the buzzwords, and already possess all the skills necessary to use a computer. Which is a really big assumption, when you consider that nobody was ever born knowing how to use a computer. The links below provide some quick mini-tutorials on all the skills and buzzwords that everyone else seems to assume you already know. Click on any link (underlined text) for a quick mini-lesson. Use the Back button at the bottom of any
page to work your way back to this page.
TechFear Camp |
Jargon Camp |
Internet Camp |
Windows XP Camp |
Wrong button! |
Hardware |
What is the Net? |
Desktop |
Crash the Internet! |
Ports |
What's Bandwidth? |
Start menu |
Erase everything! |
KB, megabytes, etc. |
What's Download? |
Taskbar |
Run out of space! |
Software |
What Web browser? |
Quick Launch |
Email privacy! |
Toolbars |
Getting around |
Notifications |
Viruses! |
What e-Mail client? |
Moving and Sizing |
|
Hackers! |
Death to pop-ups |
Control Panel |
|
More... |
If you're looking for Microsoft Access stuff, click here.
lI'm gradually bringing back some of my old HTML stuff here.
lIf you have a question, Ask Alan Who is the passage written for?
A.Everyone | B.College students. |
C.Anyone who wants to use a computer. | D.An expert on computers. |
What’s the advantage of this web site?
A.It’s cheap. | B.There are no ads. |
C.It’s modern. | D.It provides an electron microscope. |
You can learn computer skills except_____.
A.Erase everything! | B.Software. | C.Flash . | D.Taskbar. |
If you have problems, ask____ for help.
A.Coolnerds.com | B.PC survival Camp |
C.Alan | D.HTML Stuff |
This recently-released documentary(纪录片)had some fantastic footage(镜头) in it, and a very personal look at many of the astronauts who went to the moon. Overall, that is a very exclusive(独特的) club; only about a dozen men ever did it in the history of the world and just eight or nine ever stepped foot on it. Most of them are still alive and they discuss their adventures, insights and personal feelings here.
One gets the feeling that the rest of us will never know exactly how beautiful the moon is except to take the astronauts’s words about it, because even the pictures on this DVD can’t convey that.
Since this documentary is about 100 minutes long, you get a lot of information. You also get reminded how close two of the three men who went up on that historic first walk on the moon almost didn’t get home alive.
An absence in this documentary is the most famous astronaut of them all: Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the moon! Apparently, he did not want to be part of this film. One of the astronauts mentions something briefly about Armstrong being somewhat of a “recluse(隐居者)” now and it “being understandable with what he’s gone through”. From what I’ve read, a lot of people have tried to make money off him in shady ways and so now he’s withdrawn(退出) from the public spotlight.
This film, a legacy to the Apollo program and the brave men who ran it, should be in every schoolroom. It would make history more interesting to students.What can we know from the passage?
A.One of the astronauts talks about how beautiful the moon is. |
B.Two of the three men who went to the moon lost their lives. |
C.The documentary would make more students interested in history. |
D.The astronauts talk about their adventures, insights and excitement. |
How many astronauts first flew to the moon?
A.1 | B.2 | C.3. | D.4 |
Why was Armstrong absent from the film?
A.Because he didn’t like to show in public. |
B.Because he has been tired of astronaut’s life. |
C.Because someone wanted to make money off him. |
D.Because he thought what he did was nothing to mention. |
What made Armstrong famous around the world?
A.That he came back safely to the earth alive. |
B.That he became an astronaut. |
C.That he first stepped on the moon. |
D.That he walked on the moon for 100 minutes. |