A victor is, by definition, someone who wins a struggle or contest. However, that doesn’t mean he or she will live a proud and happy life ever after, as Katniss Everdeen is about to discover in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
Catching Fire, out in Chinese theaters on Nov 21, is set in a futuristic society called Panem. Every year its government holds a televised fight to the death. Two teenagers from each of the 12 districts of Panem are chosen to compete.
In the new film, last year’s victors Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and her partner Peeta are back home after winning the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss just wants to live a normal life. However, that never seems to happen. She has nightmares, which remind her that she is a killer.
Her worst nightmare comes true when the annual Hunger Games arrive again. The teenager finds herself back in the competition along with Peeta. Since Katniss brings hope to Panem through her courage, President Snow plans to use this year’s Games to kill off Katniss and Peeta and in turn dampen the fires of rebellion.
“This is the next step of Katniss’ heroism and the next part of her journey to finding out who she is really going to be,” Lawrence told Reuters.
Fast-paced and full of action, Catching Fire looks to outdo the success that the first film had in 2012. With a 97 percent rating on the movie review website Rotten Tomatoes, it is enjoying positive reviews. Critics have praised it for being faithful to the book written by American author Suzanne Collins. The Hollywood Reporter said that Catching Fire outshines the first movie a lot.
Jennifer Lawrence, who won a best actress Oscar this year for her 2012 movie Silver Linings Playbook, has helped Catching Fire find success, Forbes pointed out. The 23-year-old actress does well playing a young lady who hates what she was forced to do to stay alive yet is determined not to give up.
“Lawrence’s down-to-earth personality in real life won the hearts of the public. So given a wildly popular first film that blew everyone away, a rising fan base and a lead performer beloved by the mainstream press and viewers, the sequel(续集) was always going to be big,” Forbes noted.The underlined word “dampen” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “_______”.
| A．hold | B．light | C．reduce | D．support |
Which of the following is TRUE about the film’s story according to the article?
| A．Every year 12 teenagers in total are chosen to join in the televised fight. |
| B．Despite having won the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss doesn’t feel much joy. |
| C．Katniss and Peeta are chosen once again to make the TV show more appealing. |
| D．Jennifer Lawrence won a best actress Oscar this year for the first Hunger Games movie. |
What are some reasons why Catching Fire will probably be successful?
a. The previous film was successful.
b. It is true to the original book’s story.
c. Most of the reviews of the movie are positive.
d. It has many famous stars in addition to Jennifer Lawrence.
| A．abc | B．abd | C．acd | D．bcd |
After reading the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．President Snow thinks highly of Katniss and Peeta’s victory |
| B．Katniss decides to fight in the 75th Hunger Games because she loves it |
| C．Critics hold a negative attitude to the first movie of Hunger Games |
| D．The personality of the leading actress contributes to the success of Catching Fire |
Packaging is an important form of advertising. A package can sometimes motivate someone to buy a product. For example, a small child might ask for a breakfast food that comes in a box with a picture of a TV character. The child is more interested in the picture than in the breakfast food. Pictures for children to color or cut out, games printed on a package, or small gifts inside a box also motivate many children to buy products—or to ask their parents for them.
Some packages suggest that a buyer will get something for nothing. Food products sold in reusable containers are examples of this. Although a similar product in a plain container might cost less, people often prefer to buy the product in a reusable glass or dish, because they believe the container is free. However, the cost of the container is added to the cost of the product.
The size of a package also motivates a buyer. Maybe the package has “Economy Size” or “Family Size” printed on it. This suggests that the large size has the most products for the least money. But that is not always true. A buyer has to know how the product is sold and the price of the basic unit.
The information on the package should provide some answers. But the important thing for any buyer to remember is that a package is often an advertisement. The words and pictures do not tell the whole story. Only the product inside can do that. The underlined words “a buyer will get something for nothing” (Paragraph 2) most probably mean that _________.
| A．a buyer will not get what he wants | B．a buyer will gain more than he loses |
| C．a buyer will get what he pays for | D．a buyer will get something useful free of charge |
Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．On seeing a well-designed container, a buyer often neglects（忽略）what is inside it. |
| B．A buyer is also attracted by the size of the container. |
| C．Children are often made to buy a product by its package with attractive pictures. |
| D．Packaging is often a successful advertisement. |
What suggestion does the author give in the passage?
| A．The best choice for a buyer is to get a product in a plain package. |
| B．A buyer should get what he needs most. |
| C．Do not buy the product which is sold in a glass or dish. |
| D．A buyer should know that the quality of a container has little to do with the quality of the product. |
Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores (杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering, I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition（过渡）, that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough. But something was missing. 
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students were going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my new found “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all. My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment (责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war. Most importantly, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
| A．To stay away from busy schedules. | B．To write some great books. |
| C．To do some voluntary work. | D．To plan for his future. |
Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
| A．He missed his students in that country. | B．He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor. |
| C．He was concerned about the people there. | D．He was not satisfied with his retired life. |
Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Retired Life. | B．Being the Head of a High School. |
| C．My Attitudes towards Life. | D．An Experience of Being a Volunteer. |
What does the writer think of his retired life now?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Troublesome. | C．Promising. | D．Meaningful. |
The U.S. government has repeatedly made it clear that it would welcome China’s entrance into the world arena as a power. However, a series of issues since the beginning of this year, particularly Washington's stance on the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises and the South China Sea issue, have made the world think: Is the United States ready to recognize China as a power on the world stage?
It is easier said than done for the United States to adapt itself to China's development. Lip service is far from enough to boost the development of Sino
-U.S. relations. If Washington cannot find a way to recognize and accept China's peaceful rise onto the world stage, bilateral（双边的） ties will be like a roller coaster full of ups and downs. However, no one would like to see the negative effects rocky relations would bring to China, the United States and possibly to the world as a whole.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to play a greater role in solving the world's economic, environmental and political problems. She said global issues could not be solved by the United States or China alone, but without participation of the two countries, no problems would likely be solved. Washington has realized that the United States' global interest can be maintained only through changing the way it deals with China.
The Obama administration released positive signals in its relations with China, which have been interpreted as the United States showing its intention to change the traditional strategy of engagement and containment（遏制）. As a matter of fact, the general direction of Sino-U.S. relations provides a foundation on which the United States can base its foreign policies and is more complicated than an adjustment in real conditions. Issues such as arms sales to Taiwan, Google censorship, RMB exchange rates as well as finger-pointing about economic responsibility show Washington still seems confused and inpatient about relations with China.
The relationship between China and the United States is the most important and complicated bilateral relationship in the world this century. The development of Sino-U.S. relations will affect
world peace and stability, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Ian Bremmer, an American political scientist specializing in U.S. foreign policy, said, "America and China will have more than ever to gain from closer political and commercial 
ties, and must take steps to avoid a Cold War, or worse
."
In that circumstance, the United States needs both wisdom and determination to recognize and accept China, a country that is totally different from its own, as a power on the world stage.The underlined word stance in the first paragraph probably means.
| A．information | B．opinion | C．ignorance | D．criticism |
Why does the US have to change the way it deals with China?
| A．The US welcomes Chin’s entrance into the world arena. |
| B．The US hopes that China will get more powerful. |
| C．Only in this way can China meet all of its demands. |
| D．Only in this way can its global interest be maintained. |
Ian Bremmer thinks both America and China will benefit more from.
| A．a cold war. | B．keeping patient | C．better cooperation | D．developing economy |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Is it Clear that China has become world power? |
| B．Is US ready to recognize China as world power? |
C．Is US still the most powerful cou ntry in the world? |
| D．Is Sino-U.S. relationship the most important and complicated in the world. |
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| A．The “Save target as…” link doesn’t work any longer. |
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How could the user of Internet Explorer 8 solve the problem for the time being?
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If you want to read the file “Ex Thai PM loses appeal: Text (31 K)”, you may need to download and install.
| A．the free Adobe Reader software | B．Windows Media Player, Quick Time or Tunes |
| C．Windows Media Player or QuickTime | D．Windows Media Player or Tunes |
This webpage is intended for those.
| A．who are interested in music and dance |
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| D．who’d like to download files |
China launched its fifth Beidou orbiter into space on Sunday morning, moving it one step closer to its goal of building a navigation(导航) and positioning satellite netw
ork.
The Beidou, or Compass, system is being built to rival the US-developed GPS, the European Union's Galileo and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System. It can allow travelers, drivers and military officials to kn
ow their locations.
The fifth orbiter was launched on top of a Long March 3A carrier rocket at 5:30 am on Sunday from Xichang of Southwest China's Sichuan province.
It is the third Compass satellite launched this year, following launches on Jan 17 and June 2.
The short interval of less than two months since the last launch demonstrated that "the country is stepping into a busy period of launching the Compass satellites", an unnamed official in charge of the project s
aid last month.
The first two orbiters were launched in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
Sun Jiadong, the Beidou program's chief designer, said on June 21 in a TV interview that China would launch 13 to 15 Beidou navigation satellites into orbit by 2012 to form a network that provides regional service covering the neighboring areas.
And in about 10 years, the network would be expanded to include more than 30 satellites covering the globe, he said.
The system is a crucial part of the country's space infrastructure for providing nav
igation and positioning services in transportation, meteorology, pe
troleum prospecting, forest fire monitoring, disaster forecasting, telecommunications and public security.
In addition, a global positioning system is crucial to any country's national security and defense, said Ran Chengqi, an official in charge of the program, referring to the fact that the US initially built its GPS system for military purposes.
It is unimaginable for China to go without such a system, he said.
Earlier reports cited（引用） Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based military expert, as saying that 90 percent of the world's current weapons systems need a global positioning system.This news report was probably released.
| A．in January, 2010 | B．in June, 2010 | C．in July, 2010 | D．in August, 2010 |
The Compass System is expected to finally coverin the future.
| A．China | B．China and its neigh boring areas |
| C．Asia, Europe and Oceania | D．the earth |
At the very beginning, the GPS system was built to help.
| A．military officers to judge their locations | B．travelers to know their locations |
| C．drivers to reach their destinations easily | D．hunters to find wild animals smoothly |