A young man returns to his hometown of Aractataca, Colombia. He visits the house where he lived as a child. Here, he remembers the most important memories of his childhood. Standing in front of his old house, the young man makes an important decision. He says to himself, “I will start my life over again. I will become a writer.”
This man is the world famous writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928. During his early life, Garcia Marquez’s grandmother and grandfather told him many stories. His grandmother would tell him legends as if they were real. Garcia Marquez says that his grandmother’s way of storytelling later influenced his own methods.
When Garcia Marquez was about 20 years old, he left Aractataca and attended university in Bogota. He began studying law because this was what his father wanted him to study. However, Garcia Marquez was not happy.
During this time Garcia Marquez returned to Aractataca. It was on this visit that he realized he must stop studying law. And he recognized that he must return to the dream of his childhood-writing. For the next few years, Garcia Marquez wrote for many different newspapers. And in 1955, he published his first book called “Leaf Storm”.
For many years, Garcia Marquez knew he wanted to write about his grandfather’s house in Aractataca. To write this book, Garcia Marquez and his wife had to sell almost all of their possessions to survive. But their act was worth it. The book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was immediately successful. And this book created a path for Garcia Marquez’s future success.
In 1982, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, making him the first Colombian and the fourth Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
Who influenced Garcia Marquez’s writing style?
| A．His grandfather. | B．His father. |
| C．His grandmother. | D．His wife. |
Garcia decided to take up writing_________.
| A．when he worked for a newspaper |
| B．under the influence of his family |
| C．when he graduated from college |
| D．after a visit to his hometown |
Garcia’s book “One Hundred Years of Solitude” .
| A．was written in the 1950s |
| B．enjoyed a quick success |
| C．helped Garcia lead a better life |
| D．was about Garcia’s grandfather |
What do we know from the text about Garcia Marquez?
| A．He is the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| B．He wrote for newspapers before publishing his own books. |
| C．His book “Leaf Storm” marked his great success in literature. |
| D．He followed his father’s wish to become a writer. |
3D cinema has been around since the early 20th century, but Hollywood brought the technology back In 2007. Many thought it was just a trick to make more money. But then came Avatar, the first must-see movie in 3D.
But since Avatar, 3D cinema has struggled. In 2010, several 3D movies bombed at the box office. And by late 2010, Some people said the technology was dead. Of course, this isn’t the first time Hollywood has struggled with new technology. Although sound was added to movies in the late 1920s, it took audiences time to get used to the new technology. But in the end, sound and color became the standard. James Cameron, director of Avatar, thinks we’re going through the same process with 3D.
Some say cinemas are charging too much for 3D movies. In the US, seeing a 3D movie can cost up to $7.5 more than seeing it in 2D. Also, a recent study at California State University found audiences don’t actually enjoy movies in 3D any more than in 2D. Walter Murch , a famous movie editor, wrote in 2011 that human beings have no ability to process 3D images. Watching a 3D movie confuses our brain and this is why some people get headaches.
But James Cameron disagrees. In fact, he recently predicted that in five years all movies will be in 3D. And there are signs that 3D is fighting back. More 3D movies were put on the market in 2012 than ever before. The Lion King 3D recently made over US $150 million at the box office, and Cameron’s Titanic 3D made even more.
Who knows what the future holds for 3D? Steven Spielberg recently said, ‘Tm hoping 3D gets to a point where people dorft notice it. Because then it just becomes another tool and helps tell a story.”The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 probably means that in 2010, 3D movies______
| A．were not successful | B．became popular |
| C．developed quickly | D．were of poor quality |
The example of sound and color is used mainly to show that______.
| A．Hollywood tends to absorb what is new |
| B．3D technology takes time to be accepted |
| C．Hollywood struggles with new technology |
| D．high technology helps to make better movies |
In Walter Murch7S opinion, 3D movies______.
| A．bring moviemakers great profits |
| B．are more expensive than 2D movies |
| C．do great harm to people’s health |
| D．are unsuitable for people to watch |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Avatar was the first 3D movie. |
| B．3D cinema has existed for years. |
| C．Titanic 3D has made the most money. |
| D．2012 witnessed the coming of 3D’s time. |
Recently, a student used his Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to film a female teacher scolding and tearing the work of a classmate. The public discussion that the incident caused started on the Internet. However, when it came to the media’s attention, it quickly became a major topic in the education circles. The reactions so far suggest that the focus of the debate has been on one question: whom to blame?
Teachers who are anxious to defend their professional dignity have tried to put the blame on the students. They mentioned their right to privacy 隐私）and for this reason they requested the Ministry of Education (MOE) to prohibit PDAs in schools. On the other hand, some parents and students have taken a different position. They feel that the teacher is also at fault. Caught up in the war of words between both sides, people are no longer interested in the “truth” of the matter which seems now unimportant. It was left to newspapers to discover the central point of the controversial issue, by stressing the problems that are not always easily noticed in our educational system.
For those responsible for educating the young, this PDA incident conveys the message that “Times have changed”，a reality that must have been felt even more strongly by the female teacher when reflecting on this unpleasant experience. Different times call for different professional approaches in education. The ability to understand the students they are teaching has always been the quality of successful teachers. Despite some factors, the incident shows that the teacher lacks good qualities on her part. Besides, the rules under current system to deal with recalcitrant students need to be improved. Also, it is an example which shows the issue we are familiar with: what to do with new technology? With PDA, the new technology, the interaction (交流）between the teacher and students in classroom has been changed.The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to______.
| A．improve the teachers’ way of teaching |
| B．stress the using of PDA in the classroom |
| C．change the students’ behavior in the classroom |
| D．discuss the potential problems of educational system |
The underlined word “recalcitrant” in paragraph 3 probably means______?
| A．difficult to control | B．interested in nothing |
| C．unwilling to learn | D．ready to obey rules |
The writer’s attitude toward the PDA incident is______.
| A．optimistic | B．critical |
| C．uncertain | D．approval |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Whom to blame? |
| B．The PDA incident |
| C．Times have changed |
| D．What to do with new technology? |
NSE Summer School is suitable for those who are at, or are about to start university. It will begin accepting applications in January 2013.
Courses: Accounting and Finance; Economics; Management; Law; International Relations; Government and Society Dates: Session I: 7 July~25 July Session2: 28 July~15 August
Rate: Standard Rate: One session: $1,400; Both session: $2,400
Reduced Student Rate: One session: $1,100; Both session: $1,875
The reduced student rate applies to full-time students registered at a university or college anywhere in the world. Accommodation is not included, and fees range from $500~~$1,000 for 20 nights. Applicant requirements:
If you have studied in the USA then you do not need any additional English qualifications. Students from other countries will generally not require a visa to study at the Summer School； however, you will enter the USA as a “Student Visitor”. You are permitted to change courses before the start of the program and within the first three days of the session.
Contact hours and teaching methods:
Summer School courses are full-time and normally consist of 48 contact hours over the three-week period, taking the form of 36 hours of lectures and 12 hours of classes. Lectures, attended by all students, take place in either the morning or afternoon supplemented by small one-hour classes, of approximately 15 students.
Assessment and examinations:
Assessment for Summer School is based upon the results of either two written examinations, or a final written examination and assessment work. Everyone is required to take the examinations and no exception can be made for any reason.
Summer School lecture series:
Famous economists一Tony Giddens and David Held—have agreed to give lectures to Summer School participants in July in 2013.
If any questions, please click here to see our Frequently Asked Questions/ Contact Us Page.During the course, ______
| A．students can learn about everything from culture to science |
| B．students can choose not to attend the lectures they don’t like |
| C．world-famous economists will give students lessons every day |
| D．all the students must take part in the exams without any excuse |
From the passage, we can learn that______.
| A．the program is specially designed for foreign students |
| B．NSE Summer School 2013 is a university-level program |
| C．students can change their courses whenever they want to |
| D．a visa is required to study at the NSE Summer School 2013 |
The purpose of the advertisement is to______.
| A．attract students to NSE Summer School |
| B．introduce famous economists to students |
| C．help students to pass the final exams |
| D．advertise for new staff for university |
You will most probably find this passage______.
| A．in a newspaper | B．in a guidebook | C．on a webpage | D．in a magazine |
When his book Little Princes began, Conor Grennan was planning a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month volunteer service at the Little Princess Children’s Home, an orphanage (孤儿院）in Nepal.
Arriving there, Conor was immediately welcomed by all the children even though he had no previous experience in working with children. He quickly grew to love the job. But it wasn’t long before Conor came to learn that the children were not orphans at all—they were actually children who had been separated from their parents by a child trafficker (贩子).
This realization turned Conor’s global journey into a strong desire to try to find a way to reunite these children with their families. As a part of his efforts, Conor did a great amount of work when he was back in America. He started up a nonprofit organization called Next Generation Nepal (NGN), raising funds in order to buy a house in Nepal for another children’s home. Then, back in Nepal, he began a life-changing trip into remote villages.
It is really amazing to read about Conor communicating with the children and to read his descriptions of each of them. He made me truly care about the kids. I wanted them to be able to reunite with their families, too! Unfortunately, this was simply not possible for some of the children. But there were some lucky ones. Jagrit, for example, had thought for years that both his parents were dead. So, Conor was surprised when he visited Jagrifs village and was introduced to the boy’s father!
Conor successfully found many of the families of the children and also found his future wife while in Nepal.What do we know about Little Princess Children’s Home?
| A．Many children ended there due to illegal trade. |
| B．The children in it are all orphans. |
| C．It is a worldwide profitable organization. |
| D．It has many branches all over Nepal. |
In order to help the children, Conor ______.
a. decided to remain single
b. set up the organization NGN
c. visited some remote villages
d. fought against child traffickers
e. gave up his plan to travel worldwide
| A．a, b, d | B．b, c, d | C．b，c，e | D．c，d，e |
It can be learned from the text that Conor Grennan______.
| A．is a friend of the author | B．likes teaching very much |
| C．has already settled in Nepal | D．is the author of Little Princes |
Most people have heard the sound of bees among flowers. Bees live almost everywhere in the world except in the Arctic areas.
Many kinds of agriculture depend on these small, social insects. Without bees, fruit and nut growers as well as many other farmers would not have a crop.
There are more than 20,000 kinds of bees. But only honey bees make enough honey for people to use. Honeybees are highly-organized social insects. They work together in a group, called a colony（群体）. Each colony lives in a hive（蜂房）. It contains one queen bee -- she lays all the eggs from which the members of the colony come. Each colony has only a few hundred males, called drones. The majority of all bees in a colony are workers, which are all females.
Bees even have a special stomach, called a honey stomach, which is used to store sweet fluid that the bees gather from flowers. Bees also have long hairs on their body and legs. These hairs capture pollen（花粉） as bees go from flower to flower. Some of the pollen is taken back to the hive. Some, however, is passed to the next flower. This is how many plants are fertilized. Pollen is the reproductive material of plants. Many important agricultural crops depend on bees for fertilization.
Inside their hives, bees store sweet liquid from flowers and pollen as well. They may even gather sweet liquid from some other kinds of insects. These kinds of sweet liquid are also stored in the hive.
Bees make honey through a process. They add liquid from their own mouths to sweet liquid into simple sugar. As the honey is stored, it dries. It becomes thicker and darker.
Although bees are often thought of as honey makers, they provide a surprising number of products. Also, their greatest economic value is in fertilizing crops-not in making honey.The passage is mainly about.
| A．bees and their colony |
| B．the way for bees to pass pollen |
| C．bees and agriculture |
| D．the process for bees to make honey |
Honeybees are social insects because.
| A．they work in groups | B．there is queen bee in every colony |
| C．they live in a hive | D．each of them does the same job |
The most valuable thing honeybees do for people is in .
| A．making honey | B．fertilizing crops |
| C．making flowers grow better | D．producing pollen |
The word “fertilize” in the sentence “This is how many plants are fertilized” probably means “”.
| A．to make plants strong and productive |
| B．to make soil rich for plants |
| C．to start the development of young flowers |
| D．to introduce pollen into plants |