“If you have not played video games, your childhood should be called 'incomplete'.” That's from Zhan Zaozao, 29, the screenwriter（编剧）of Play to Grow Up, a 40-minute short movie.
It tells the story of two men growing up fans of video games and how they find happiness in games. While people think playing games makes one lazy and is a waste of time, Zhan tries to prove that one can make a living out of it. In the movie, the two heroes, Dunzi and Yanjing, who are in middle school, visit a video games room on the street each day after school.
But why make a short movie about video games, since there are lots to write about childhood, such as puppy love, sports and study? “Playing games is so important to everyone's childhood from little kids to teenagers, though it's a bittersweet experience,” said Zhan. According to him, his teachers and parents didn't allow video games, but they played games “under their noses ” anyway.
In the movie, the two playmates follow different paths after school. Dunzi opens a small store selling gaming products. Yanjing works as a manager in his father's company, After years of working and facing various problems in life, they get together again, build a video game machine and play on the street. Free, simple and happy. They rediscover the carefree childhood, which they have lost in the adult world.
Many consider playing games as a bad influence, but it isn't all true, according to Zhan. “It can change your attitude toward life,” said Zhan. “On the other hand, the movie also tells you that, although the world of video games is fun, you must face real life at the end of the day. ” What is the purpose of Zhan writing the short movie?
| A．To memorize his past. |
| B．To offer an exciting movie. |
| C．To prove that people can make life better with playing video games. |
| D．To prove that people can make a living out of playing video games. |
What's the fourth paragraph mainly about?
| A．The plot((情节）of the movie. |
| B．The end of playing video games. |
| C．The happy childhood. |
| D．The gathering of the two men. |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Playing games is forbidden by all parents. |
| B．People can learn something from the movie. |
| C．Playing games is longed by the two heroes. |
| D．People in their childhood couldn't afford the games. |
The writer writes the text to ______ .
| A．criticize some parents' attitude towards playing video games |
| B．attract people to see the movie Play to Grow Up |
| C．show the film focusing on video games |
| D．promote the film Play to Grow Up |
Vegetable gardening is the relaxing art and science of turning a love for growing plants into a worthwhile activity.
Vegetable gardeners agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their best are superior to those vegetables purchased from markets. From spring through late fall, a well-planned and well-kept garden can prove a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutrition of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to keep some of the vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date. Other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area.
Having vegetables in the backyard makes home gardening appealing(吸收人的) for many people. In addition, vegetable gardening provides exercise and fun for both urban and suburban families.
Although the money spent for a garden may be little, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires hard work and time. Many of the gardening tasks must be performed at times that are most inconvenient. Not doing jobs that should be done on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.
One should not plant a garden that is too large for him to care for. A small, well-kept garden is more enjoyable and profitable than a large neglected one. Vegetables do well in full sunlight and need at least five or six hours of sun during the middle of the day. Too much shading results in poor plants and few vegetables. If possible, the garden should be near the house so the gardener can work in it at odd moments.
Soils for vegetables should be easily broken up and porous(能渗透的) for quick water drainage and good aeration(透气). A deep, fine, sandy good quality soil is best.
Usually the hoe owner has little choice in the soil type he can choose. Fortunately, many vegetables can be grown on poor soils if the soils are properly prepared.Home-grown vegetables ___________.
| A．can remain standing for a long time and need not be picked immediately. |
| B．have to be eaten as soon as they are picked |
| C．sell well in the market because of their good quality |
| D．picked at the right moment are more nutritious than those bought from the market. |
Vegetables gardening is appealing for many people because ___________.
| A．it requires little money |
| B．it is enjoyable and profitable |
| C．they can work in the vegetable garden at odd moments |
| D．it provides vegetables for the family all the year round. |
The author suggests that an ideal vegetable garden ___________.
| A．should be sunny | B．should be within walking distance |
| C．should be large-sized | D．should consist of sandy soil |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Vegetable Gardening, an Escape from Boredom |
| B．An Ideal Vegetable Garden |
| C．Vegetable Gardening, a Worthwhile Activity |
| D．The Best Soil for Growing Vegetables |
The small unframed painting called “Fisherman” was signed by a little-known Italian artist, Maveleone (1669-1740). When it was sold recently in New York for $ 27000, the seller, Mr. Oliver Pitt, was asked to explain how the picture had come into his possession.
Pitt said, “I didn’t know it was so valuable. I’m not an art expert. Photography is my hobby. I bought ‘Fisherman’ in Italy in 1970 for $140．the picture was dirty, and I couldn’t see the artist’s signature. But anyway it wasn’t the picture that I like. I bought it because of the frame.”
“It’s most unusual frame, made of tiny, silvery sea-shells. They are set in such a way that they reflect perfect light onto the surface of a picture. I now have a photograph of my wife in that frame, and I’ll never part with it.”
“When I returned to New York I showed the painting in its frame to a customs officer. I told him that I had paid $140 for it but admitted I didn’t know its actual worth. The customs man valued it at $ 140, and I was asked to pay duty on that value. I did so, there and then.”
“Later, I took off the frame, and that uncovered Maveleone’s signature. My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale.”
As a result of his explanation, Oliver Pitt had to appear in court. He was accused of (指控) knowingly making a false statement of the value of a picture so as to cheat the Customs Department.
Pitt was not happy. “I told the truth as I knew it then,” he said, “What else could I say?”
And then the judge agreed with him. “The Customs Department is to be responsible (blame),” he said, “for making a true valuation of goods bought into the country, so that the correct amount of duty may be charged. Mr Pitt did not cause or try to cause the mistake that was made. He paid the duty that was demanded. If now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty.Pitt met the customs officer __________, where the officer was employed to ________.
| A．at the railway station or airport; examine people’s baggage |
| B．at the airport or port; examine people’s baggage |
| C．at the bus-stop; help people enter the USA |
| D．at the airport or port; help people enter the USA |
From the passage we can infer that if Maveleone had been a well-know artist _________.
| A．the painting would have cost much more than $ 140 |
| B．he wouldn’t have sold his painting at such a low price |
| C．the customs officer wouldn’t have valued the painting at $ 140 |
| D．Pitt wouldn’t have had the intention to buy any of his paintings |
Pitt took off the frame in order to ____________.
| A．clean the painting to put it up for sale |
| B．look for the artist’s signature |
| C．use if for his wife’s photograph |
| D．find the painting’s true value |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．Pitt knew the true value of the picture. |
| B．Pitt’s wife knew the true value of the picture. |
| C．When Pitt’s wife suggested keeping the picture, she was kind of joking. |
| D．Pitt didn’t pay any duty at all. |
Which of the following statements is true to the story? In the end __________.
| A．Pitt was asked to pay the correct amount of duty. |
| B．Pitt sold the frame of the painting at an even higher price. |
| C．The Customs Department had no right to revalue the painting. |
| D．Pitt’s wife was regarded as an expert because of her wise suggestion. |
This is the age of the quick action. We have instant satisfaction, fast food, speed reading, mobile phones; even the stress management books have titles like “Stress Management in 60 Seconds”.
Canadian Classics Professor Margaret Visser points out that the perception that we have “no time” is one of the most strict concepts of Western culture. Visser says that “no time” is used as an excuse and also as a spur(刺激); it both stimulates us and forces us, just as a concept such as ‘honour’ did for the ancient Greeks. According to Visser, the feeling that Westerners have “no time” is abstract, quantitative, amoral(非道德性的), unarguable, bringing pressure on each person as an individual. At the same time, the “no time” excuse escapes censure by claiming to be a condition created entirely out of our good fortune.
Life offers “so many pleasures, so many choices”.
The fact that women now work outside the home has contributed to the “no time” trend. But more important, Visser says, is the fact that feeling rushed has become an important component(成分) of our economy. Marketing of “time-saving” products causes people to buy more and work longer. So we eat out or buy prepared food to save time. The fax-it-to-my-car technology only contributes to the constant hurry. In our rushed and exhausted state, even the obligation(义务) to sit down to casual meal with family seems like a pressure. In comparison with the decision to act on a sudden whimz (一时的兴致) to consume a microwave mug of soup， the act of eating together and not getting up from the table until everyone else has finished seems an incredibly time-consuming event. Being in one’s own personal hurry in the West is somehow “free and preferable”The word “censure” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to “”
| A．examination | B．force | C．blame | D．pressure |
Which of the following doesn’t contribute to feeling rushed?
| A．Marketing of time-saving products. |
| B．The fax-it-to-me-car technology. |
| C．Eating together and not getting up until everybody has finished |
| D．Longer working hours. |
We can learn from the passage that “no time” trend ___________.
| A．brings pressure on the individual |
| B．is very desirable to the individual |
| C．is not harmful if you have no control of events |
| D．has caused heart diseases and psychological problems |
“Dad! He took a book without paying!” I yelled (大叫). My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. “Is it true? You stole? Tell me!” Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded (点头) his head. He pulled out the comic book (漫画书) from under his shirt. “Oh, Mr Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!” Mrs Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn’t let go. “It’s OK. He can keep it,” my father said with a smile. “Oh, no,” Mrs Diaz said. “Let me pay right now…” She dug in her purse. “How much?” “Three seventy-five.”
Mrs Diaz’s eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. “Three seventy-five?” she asked.
“It’s OK. You can pay later,” my father said. “No,” Mrs Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. “I have money here.” I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn’t have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought. I had an idea. “What if he worked with me?” I asked. They turned to me. I said, “He can work with me to pay for the comic book.” “Good,” my father said smiling at me. Mrs Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, “You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!” “ Yes, Mama,” Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out (伸出) tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now. Where did the story most probably take place?
| A．In a classroom. | B．In a supermarket. |
| C．At a bookstore. | D．At a library. |
By saying “but Ted wouldn’t let go”(the underlined part), the author means __________.
| A．Ted took the book by mistake | B．Ted wanted to keep the book |
| C．Ted didn’t want to go home | D．Ted didn’t think he was wrong |
From the second paragraph, we may infer (推断) that Mrs Diaz __________.
| A．didn’t think her son stole the book |
| B．had been out of work for a long time |
| C．forgot to take money with her that day |
| D．couldn’t afford to pay for the book |
In the last paragraph, what does the author mainly tell?
| A．His idea was successful. |
| B．Ted didn’t like the job. |
| C．He liked Ted very much. |
| D．Ted was a naughty boy. |
A youth lay in a bath of tomato juice during the “Tomatina” Tomato Fight in the town of Bunol, near Valencia, eastern Spain.
Tens of thousands of people took off their shorts and threw tons of juicy tomatoes at each other in the Tomatina food fight, creating knee-deep rivers of tomato sauce (酱) on the streets of this Spanish town.
Five trucks carried 130 tons of the fruit for the hour-long fight which attracted foreign tourists. Among them are British, French, Argentineans and Japanese, as well as locals.
On the bell of noon the signal was given and for the next 60 minutes participants (参加人) hurled tomatoes at each other until a gunshot signalled the end of the festival.
The clean-up followed, with fighters washing the signs of battle away in the local river or under hundreds of temporary (临时的) showers. While the front of buildings were watered, they seemed brighter than ever after their bath.
The Tomatina, held on the last Wednesday in August, is said to be the world’s largest tomato fight. In the past people have been hurt during the tomato fight but no one was killed or injured this year.
The origin (起源) of the festival is unknown, but everyone in Bunol seems to have a favorite story. However, most agree it started around 1940.The passage shows that the tomato fight this year is __________.
| A．frightening | B．boring |
| C．popular | D．harmful |
The underlined word “hurled” means “__________”.
| A．presented (赠送) | B．threw |
| C．gave | D．picked |
According to the passage, we can learn that __________.
| A．participants can have a good rest after the fight ends |
| B．the festival came from a favorite story |
| C．only adults are permitted to attend the festival |
| D．no one was hurt in this year’s tomato fight |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Youth Lay in a Bath of Tomato Juice |
| B．Tomato-hurling Festival in Spain |
| C．The History of “Tomatina” Tomato Fight |
| D．Festivals in Spain |