It seems recently that more and more of my friends are facing some seemingly (似乎) unbeatable challenges in their lives. A few have lost their jobs and some have failed marriages. All too many have health problems.
I don't know if it is desperation (绝望) that causes them to turn to me for advice or whether they have come to value our friendship. But it is difficult to offer words of hope when all they feel is hopeless. They expect answers to get them back on their feet again.
I have often struggled with what to say, mostly because I have faced many of the same challenges in my own life. I remember how empty I felt after someone cheerfully offered words like "Things will get better!" "Hang in there!(坚持到底)" etc.
Now, being thought of as a source (源泉)of hope or a good example of what to do through printed words, I have even more people contacting me.
So what do I say? "Begin again."
It almost sounds too simple. But it is indeed the answer. All life challenges bring about an ending and the chance for beginning.
A job loss presents an opportunity to start over somewhere else and maybe even in another career.
A failed marriage doesn't mean you have no chance to love or to be loved. It means there are others just like you needing to be loved. Find them.
A life-threatening disease doesn't mean giving up. It means starting a new path to recovery and discovering within yourself the ability to fight back and win.
And if you are a person of faith, even death doesn't mean it's over. It means "to begin again".What did the author think of the advice offered when he was in trouble?
| A．Positive enough to encourage him to go on. |
| B．Some was effective but some was useless. |
| C．Not as effective as he had expected. |
| D．It was not worth listening to at all. |
Life challenges, in the opinion of the author, _______.
can beat a person's fighting spirits
B. can test how strong friendship is
C. can be avoided if people are careful enough.
D. mean the chance of a new beginning What does the author mean when he says "begin again"?
Stay positive no matter what difficulties you may face.
B. Turn to your friends for help when you are in trouble.
C. Success only comes after failure.
D. Only by trying many times can you find out your real strengths. What does the author probably do?
He is a famous actor.
B. He is an inspiration writer.
C. He is a physical expert.
D. He is a famous speaker.
A twisted sense of humor and a strong voice cast（演出人员） make "Open Season" fun for kids and adults. It's a great start for Sony's animation studio.
Boog is a full-grown grizzly（灰熊）bear that has been raised among humans by park ranger Beth. He has a warm place to live, all the food he wants, and is safe from hunters.
However, when he crosses paths with the spastic(大脑性麻痹的) mule deer Elliot, all that changes. Thanks to a series of misunderstandings, everyone believes Boog is dangerous and out of control. Beth is forced to release(释放) him back into the wild.
Once Boog finds himself in the great outdoors, he has no idea what to do. He gets lost, can't find food, and is attacked by unfriendly forest cutters. Boog is forced to rely on the idiotic Elliot to help him find his way back to civilization(文明). But can they make it before open season begins for hunting?
The movie also has a really strong voice cast. Martin Lawrence voices Boog, and his attitude and persona（人格面具）perfectly fit the bear. The same goes for Aston Kutcher as Elliot. Even if you can't stand him in the real world, you'll be surprised how well he brings the annoying deer to life in the movie.
The animation in "Open Season" is also excellent. The characters are quite cartoonish, but the hair is realistic looking and the movements are fantastic. The body language adds a lot to the performances of the characters.What’s the key factor(因素) that the Boog need to survive himself in the wild?
| A．He wants to seek a comfortable settlement. |
| B．It’s thought that the Boog is beyond control. |
| C．The Boog is required to find enough food. |
| D．The Boog is eager to make new friends. |
Who is the enemy of the Boog?
| A．Elliot | B．Beth | C．hunter | D．Martin |
How can you understand the underlined word “make it” in the fourth paragraph?
| A．come to | B．succeed in | C．turn out | D．hold out |
The text in general is about _________.
| A．“ Open Season ” to bring fun for kids and adults. |
| B．The funny bear Boog and the annoying deer Elliot. |
| C．The grizzly beer Boog and the park ranger Beth. |
| D．A really strong voice cast of the “ Open Season ” |
The Banquet has been described as a loose adaptation(节选)of "Hamlet", featuring royal conflicts(冲突) and revenge（复仇）which is set in 10th century China. The new Emperor (Ge You) has usurped(篡夺) the throne（帝位）by murdering the previous Emperor. He marries the Empress (Zhang Ziyi), wife of the previous Emperor and stepmother to the Crown Prince (Daniel Wu).
At first, the Empress seeks only to protect herself, but as the new Emperor grows suspicious(疑心) of all those around him, she realizes that only by helping the Crown Prince kill him can she hope to survive. Together with the Chief Minister (Ma Jingwu)，she tries to carry out this plot, but when the Prince is destroyed by hesitation, she thinks out a new plan and seeks the throne for herself. As the plot move towards its climax(高潮), the Emperor calls for a plentiful royal banquet, where each will seek the end of their enemies.
The Banquet differs from Hamlet in that it does not focus on the prince, but examines the feelings of each character. According to director Feng Xiaogang: "If Hamlet is about a prince who must make a choice involving life and death, then The Banquet is about how each character must face a choice of life or death... All are motivated by desire, but as soon as they have begun their plans must grow more extreme, and they move step-by-step towards the abyss(深渊)... They do not intend evil, but turn to it out of self-preservation and ever-growing ambition（野心）."
1. As far as we can tell from the text, the Empress ________.
A. She is just the wife of the new Emperor.
B. She is the later mother of the Crown Prince.
C. She helps her own son to kill the Emperor.
D. She takes the place of the Emperor finally.
2. The author wants to tell us the following EXCEPT that _______.
A. The new Emperor feels doubt about the affairs around him.
B. The Empress does all she could to survive herself.
C. The Crown Prince shows uncertainty in action.
D. The new Emperor owns the authority all the way.
3. Feng Xiaogang’s words imply（暗示）that ___________.
A. The Banquet is about royal conflicts.
B. The Banquet’s characters are full of desire.
C. The Banquet involves life and death.
D. The Banquet is different from the Hamlet.
4. Which of the following is the best title for this text?
A. The Banquet differs from the Hamlet.
B. The main characters in the play.
C. The plot（情节）of the Banquet.
D. The ambition of each character.
Children are getting smarter by the generation. I am very amazed by how kids these days know exactly what they want, and know how to communicate with several different languages when they are with different persons. It’s very common in HK that kids are being looked after by overseas domestic helpers. Their helpers do speak with them in English. Some do even speak with the kids in their own countries languages. Surprisingly, the kids do know how to response to their helpers regardless what languages they are in communication. This is what I observed a helper with a one-year-old kid on bus last week. My cousin has a Pilipino helper at home for more than ten years. He can response to his helper well regardless she speaks with him in English or Pilipino. Some kids’ grandparents do speak with their grand children in their hometown dialect. The kids also pick up fast with whatever dialect it is. Kids’ parents usually speak with them in Cantonese; naturally, this also becomes their first language.
I have really noticed among urban HK children, is that they know exactly which human behavior to switch on when facing with parents, grandparents and helpers. Their expression is different when they ask their helpers to help compared with their parents. They are usually much more direct with their helpers instead of their parents and grandparents when they want to ask for something. (eg. when they ask for ice-cream or chocolate) I think there must be related to phenomenon（现象）, whether it is learnt or not. It’s really amazing how children automatically（自动地）know all at such a young age, which mode of behavior, and at what tone and manner to use them, who to use them on, and when.
1. The example of my cousin’s story shows that __________.
A. The kids know exactly what they are in need of.
B. The kids know how to communicate well with others.
C. The kids know how to response to their helpers.
D. The kids know all the above at so young an age.
2. Who will the kids turn to for help in the first place?
A. Kids’ parents B. Kids’ grand parents
C. Relatives D. overseas domestic helpers
3. What does the underlined phrase “pick up” most probably mean?
A. succeed in seeing or hearing B. gain or acquire it by purpose
C. learn it without taking lessons D. take hold of and lift it
4. Which of the following expresses the main idea of the text?
A. Kids have an amazing childhood. B. Kids are getting smarter in HK.
C. Kids are truly amazing and smart.D. Kids get along well with the helpers.
The care given to pupils at an infants school has been rated （评定）as outstanding in a recent Ofsted report. Inspectors （视察员）visited Avondale Infants School in Kettering in June and were pleased with what they found.
Schools are graded between one and four, with one being outstanding, and staffs（全体职员）at Avondale were delighted to be to be given an overall（总的）grade of two.
The reports states that the school, which has an above average number of children who are entitled to free school meals, is improving.
It also focuses on the good progress made by children who enter the school with below or well below average standards – the standards at the end of Year 2 are now the best since 2004.
The report states: "Pupils' behavior and personal development are good, being enhanced（增强）considerably by the vibrant（活跃的）atmosphere within the school."
Headteacher Jean Wilkins is also praised as "the driving force behind developments and the vision of the future. Under her exceptional guidance, a conscientious team is intent（专注）upon raising standards."
Mrs. Wilkins said that staff at the school, which has 163 children aged from four to seven, pride themselves on the support and guidance they offer the children.
She said: "We're extremely pleased with these results. We put a lot of emphasis（强调）on the well-being of the pupils to raise their self esteem（尊重）and make sure they enjoy being at school.
"We have focused carefully on where we needed to make improvements."
Inspectors said that the school could improve further through closer working with the parents of some pupils who do not attend regularly.
1. The main idea of the text is that _________.
A. The pupils at an infants school.B. Happy school wins inspector’s praise.
C. The pupils have made much progress. D. The Avondale Infants School is improving.
2. What else will the school need to do with?
A. Make the meals betterB. Focus on the pupils
C. Hire a great many staffsD. Work with the parents.
3. From the passage, we can learn that what “ infant school” is ?
A. Children attend school with little intelligence.
B. Children attend school with good understanding.
C. Children attend school in the first few years of their life.
D. Children attend school with outstanding performance.
4. The writer wants to tell us the following EXCEPT that _______.
A. Inspectors paid a visit to Avondale Infants School in June, 2004.
B. More than 50% of the children in the school have meals for free.
C. The staffs at the school provide the pupils with much guidance.
D. The infant school has made large quantities of improvement.
B
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星) now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn't be cheap.
Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500，000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world. “If we don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us，”says one scientist. “It's that simple.”
The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.
1. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
[ A ]. They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
[ B ].They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
[ C ].There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
[ D ].Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
2. We can conclude from the passage that_____ .
[ A ].while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world
[ B ].asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future
[ C ].the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime
[ D ].workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.
3. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this pass age?
[ A ]. Optimistic. [ B ]. Critical. [ C ]. Objective. [ D ]. Arbitrary.