As more and more books become movie adaptations (改编), I can’t help but think how this will affect English classes in America. Thinking back to my years in middle and high school — ten years ago, I would be rewarded if I had read a number of classics. Today, a majority of those books are now also movies Life of Pi, The Great Gatsby, Much Ado About Nothing and Anna Karenina, to name a few.
Even modern books such as The Hunger Games and Harry Potter have been adapted for the big screen. In discussion with my students, I often hear them say they are not going to read books because movies will come out soon, which makes me wonder what effect movie adaptations have on modern-day students. Will the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) encourage them to read books more carefully or to use movies to improve their understanding of the text?
The CCSS requires students to provide text-based evidence when reading and discussing a book. By focusing on such evidence, teachers can pull specific details from a book that may have not made the final cut when the book was adapted for the big screen. For instance, after reading and watching The Hunger Games, there were a number of details from the book that were missing from the film — many people were disappointed with Rue’s meek (温顺的) movie role. A student who failed to read The Hunger Games would not quite understand Rue’s impact on the games in the same way as someone who had read the book and remembered all the details that went into her death.
I am not saying the CCSS will stop students from cutting corners, but I believe if teachers use the support the CCSS provides, it can be a great roadway to ensure all students are digging deep into texts and not just hitting the play button.Ten years ago, students in America were .
| A．fond of reading all kinds of novels |
| B．forbidden to discuss movies in class |
| C．not allowed to watch movies in the cinema |
| D．encouraged to read many literature works |
Which of the following might be the effect that movie adaptations have on modern-day students?
| A．They spend less time in studying. |
| B．They can’t understand English texts. |
| C．They discuss movies more frequently. |
| D．They spend less time in reading. |
What can we learn from the third paragraph?
| A．The Hunger Games is the worst movie adaptation. |
| B．It is a waste of time reading and discussing a book in class. |
| C． Rue’s impact on the games is perfectly presented in the movie. |
| D．Movie adaptations may bring trouble in understanding the books. |
According to the text, it seems that the CCSS .
| A．prevents students watching movies |
| B．provides students with well-known movies |
| C．encourages students to write novels |
| D．provides guidance on teaching and learning |
TV talk shows dominate daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style. But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of “rubbish talk”. The contents on his show are as surprising as possible. For example, the show takes the forever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people’s lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its top, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and the quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared with Oprah, the Jerry Springer looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech about the main idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clear as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show’s main viewers are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and ability to deal with life’s tougher problems. The Jerry Springer show, on the other hand, has more of connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to-21-year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drugs. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show’s exploitation (开发，挖掘).Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows are _____.
| A．more popular | B．less interesting | C．more uninviting | D．more informal |
What is the audience’s reaction to the social problems that Jerry Springer talks about?
| A．They are interested in them. | B．They are not ready to face them. |
| C．They are cold to them. | D．They want to get away from them. |
Which of the following topics is the most suitable one for the Oprah show?
| A．Cheating. | B．A love story. | C．Mental health. | D．Sex. |
From the passage we can learn that the two talk shows _____.
| A．are the only ones of their kind | B．exploit weaknesses in human nature |
| C．appear at different times of the day | D．have their own specific viewers |
Builders have known for many years that white roofs reflect(反射) sunlight and lower the cost of air conditioning (空调设备). But now scientists say they have found a new advantage: slowing global warming.
Hashem Akbari believes that whitening 100 of the world’s largest cities could make the influence of the expected emissions (排放物) smaller over the next ten years.
White buildings and surfaces reflect far more sunlight than dark ones. Reflected sunlight does not increase the greenhouse effect (温室效应), unlike the heat energy sent out by dark surfaces heated by the sun.
Dr Akbari, of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California, also argues that If built-up areas were made white, less heat would stay within them, allowing people to use their air conditioners less, which use a lot of power.
Dr Akbari has found out that making 100 of the largest cities white would increase the sunlight reflected by Earth by 0.03%. He believes it would cancel out (抵消) the warming caused by 44 billion tons of carbon (碳) emissions.
“Roofs are going to have to be changed one by one and to make that effort at a very local level, we need to have an organization to make it happen,”says Dr Akbari.
He argues that while the action would not solve the problem of climate change. it would slow it.
“We can give the environment time to breathe,” he says. “I just don’t see a disadvantage of this idea. It gives everybody advantages and you don’t have to make hard efforts to make it happen. ”
Akbari and his partners say they will try to persuade the United Nations to organize big cities to change the materials of their roofs.How do white roofs slow down global warming?
| A．They reflect sunlight, which makes people use no air conditioner. |
| B．They reflect sunlight, which doesn’t increase the greenhouse effect. |
| C．They keep the heat energy within them. |
| D．They send out no carbon emissions. |
We know from Dr Akbari that he .
| A．has changed some roofs into white ones |
| B．doesn’t use air conditioners himself |
| C．has built an organization to make cities white |
| D．believes his idea will help slow the climate change |
What do Akbari and his partners want to do?
A. They hope the UN will put their idea into action.
B. They want to become members of the UN.
C They want to change the materials of their own roofs.
D. They want to teach people how to change roofsThe passags is written mainly to .
| A．persuade people to paint their roofs white |
| B．introduce environment friendly paint |
| C．show white roofs do good to the environment |
| D．discuss how to slow down global warming |
Manage your time well for each module(单元), but also make sure you get a good balance(平衡) between work and social life. That is vital for life in general.
Set aside time specifically for each subject. Try to study one subject a day. You need to balance time. If you are bad at balancing things, make a personal timetable. Even if you do not stick to it, you will have an idea what you should be doing each day. This is better than trying to do everything each day and, at the end of the week, not achieve anything. Also, try to keep your weekends free of studying. Only study at the weekend if you really have to.
I had to learn to balance work, study and family when I was at college. I was a retail assistant working part-time and had at least four modules to complete at the same time at college. I also had to help around the house doing household cleaning and shopping at times. I managed to finish my college work on time, which was very difficult and hard, and still hold down a job.
Why was it possible? Because I only thought about my part-time work when I was at work on the weekends and my college work had to be done from Mondays to Fridays before the weekends. This was hard—but you need to set a timetable for yourself. It was an achievement when I finally realized that things have to be done in order, and need to be organized as well.
Balancing study and other aspects(方面) of your life can be a problem if you have a job or a family, but planning in advance is helpful. Use the time you have well. Do not leave anything until the last minute, as this will only cause problems.The underlined word“vital”(in Paragraph 1) means_____________.
| A．common | B．necessary | C．easy | D．difficult |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the advice the writer gives?
| A．Try to study many subjects in a day. | B．Try not to study on the weekends. |
| C．Plan in advance. | D．Try to set a timetable. |
It could be inferred from the passage that__________.
| A．the writer has a part-time job as an assistant when he was at college |
| B．you need to set a timetable for yourself |
| C．you should make a personal timetable if you are bad at balancing your time |
| D．the writer can arrange（安排） his time well when he was at college |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．I had a good time during my college. | B．How to study well at college. |
| C．Balance time between study and other aspects of your life. | D．How to plan your things in advance. |
When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of attractions can seem overwhelming. If you’re short on time, or just want to make sure to hit the highlights, these are the top must-see sights in St. Petersburg.
The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St. Petersburg. There you can see lots of different paintings of old masters inside the Hermitage. Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists.
The Russian Museum
The Russian Museum holds one of the largest collections of Russian art in the world. View Russian art creations through the ages, from Byzantine (拜占庭)-style icons to the Socialist Realism of Stalin’s times.
Kizhi Island
Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden buildings from the Karelia Region of Russia. These impressive structures are made without any nails (钉子) — the wood fits together with joints and grooves (沟槽).
Peterhof
Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun. You’ll be charged for admission (门票), but go to Peterhof when the fountains (喷泉) are working — during
the day in the summer. They are shut off in winter as well as in the evenings.
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
Love it or hate it, the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood is an attractive must-see sight. The beautiful look may make your eyes brighten, and the paintings inside the church will make you say “Wow!”
The Bronze Horseman Statue
The Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian Culture and a symbol(象征) of St. Petersburg. Made famous by Alexander Pushkin (普希金), this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great’s influence on the Russian idea of greatness.If you’re interested in paintings, you’d better go to _____.
| A．the Hermitage Museum and Peterhof |
| B．the Hermitage Museum and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
| C．Kizhi Island and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
| D．the Russian Museum and Kizhi Island |
The man on the Bronze Horse refers to _____.
| A．Peter the Great | B．Alexander Pushkin | C．Byzantine | D．Stalin |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．The fountains in Peterhof can be seen all year round. |
| B．The largest collection of Russian art is in the Hermitage Museum. |
| C．The buildings on Kizhi Island are made of wood. |
| D．You can visit Peterhof free of charge. |
The main purpose of this passage is to _____.
| A．show the wonderful history of Russia |
| B．introduce the famous buildings in Russia |
| C．persuade artists to study St. Petersburg |
| D．attract tourists to visit St. Petersburg |
It was several years since Adolf Hitler came into power in Germany. And now his army was marching into some parts of Europe. He must be in the prime of his career.
One day Hitler went to an exhibition where the works of school children were on show. He seemed to have great interest in the exhibits—inventions as well as carvings, drawings. After having walked around the hall and examined everything, he said he was ready to meet the young artists. And soon a group of children came into the room to salute(向-----敬礼) him.
“Well, well. You did very good work.” nodded Hitler in satisfaction. “I promise on my honor I’d satisfy you with whatever you want. What’d you wish to be if I were your father?”
“A sailor sailing the sea.” one of the boys answered.
“Good. I’ll have you join my navy and some day you will rule the oceans.”
“Ask for anything? What’d you wish to be if I were your father?” he asked a second boy.
“A painter as great as Rembruant.”
“Good. You are to be sent to the Fine Art School and surely you will make an even greater painter.”
When Hitler caught sight of a sad-looking boy he frowned(皱眉), then quickly forced a smile, “There my boy, in spite of my point of view towards the Jews, I’d do you a favor and your dream will come true. What’d you wish to be if I were your father?”
The boy looked straight at the man.
“An orphan(the child who has no parents).” he murmured.Hitler promised to satisfy the children with whatever they want because.
| A．he wanted all the children to live a happy life |
| B．he wanted to make a good impression on the children |
| C．he liked paintings very much |
| D．he liked all the children |
Hitler frowned when he saw the sad-looking boy because.
| A．the boy was recognized to be a Jew |
| B．the boy didn’t come to the front to salute him |
| C．the boy didn’t want to ask for anything |
| D．the boy was sad-looking |
Judging by what the boy said we can see that.
| A．the boy’s parents had died | B．the boy had no brothers or sisters |
| C．the boy hated Hitler very much | D．the boy wanted himself to be an orphan |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Hitler wanted to be the father of the children. |
| B．The boy was both clever and courageous (勇敢的). |
| C．Rembruant was a great painter. |
| D．Hitler did not like Jews. |