When people think of Hollywood, they think of the city where dreams come true. This did not apply to F. Scott Fitzgerald, a screenwriter who had his share of ups and downs in this land. Fitzgerald was not a successful Hollywood writer because he was not good at the career path he chose. He was an amazing novelist, but his efforts of turning them into screenplays ended in disappointment and confusion. It was because of a lack of potential for screenwriting as well as his addiction and desire to be famous.
Growing up as a boy, Fitzgerald went to movies a lot. He wanted to write stories that would eventually turn into movies. The problem was: just because Fitzgerald wanted to do something didn’t necessarily mean that he was good at it. He made his attempts, but most of these efforts ended in disappointment because he thought about the change from script（剧本）to screen too much. His plot was too detailed and complicated; his tone was too serious or his dialogue too sentimental（感伤的）.
Fitzgerald’s quick rise to fame also led to his fall. In life, things are not meant to happen all at once, all that the same time but it did for Fitzgerald. At his best time, three of his early stories were made into short films, including The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited. As the twenties approached, he was gradually forgotten by the reading public. He became drunk and constantly took pills both to sleep and wake up. His marriage was destroyed and his wife broke down mentally. He seemed unsure about his life.
Fitzgerald had another chance at success when many opportunities came his way, including revisions of Emlyn William’s play The Light of Heart and production of one of his own scripts, Cosmopolitan. However, these were all put aside and he was right back where he started, left behind and called a “ruined man”. Fitzgerald simply wanted too much in his life. He wanted “to be both a great novelist and a Hollywood success, to write songs like Cole Porter and poetry like John Keats”. His addiction to fame held him back and led to his failure as a Hollywood writer.Which is a reason that Fitzgerald failed in screenwriting?
| A．He was not talented in screenwriting. |
| B．He had a miserable family life. |
| C．He spent too much time watching movies. |
| D．He was greedy for money in his life. |
Fitzgerald’s screenwriting was _____.
| A．disappointing in ending |
| B．complex in plot |
| C．playful in tone |
| D．simple in dialogue |
Which of the following was NOT written by Fitzgerald?
| A．The Great Gatsby | B．Babylon Revisited |
| C．The Light of Heart | D．Cosmopolitan |
When Fitzgerald had another chance at success, he ______.
| A．took full advantage of it |
| B．went back home to start business |
| C．refused to make changes |
| D．started to write songs and poems |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Fallen for Fame Addiction: F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| B．An Inch into Fame: F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| C．F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Great Novelist |
| D．F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Great Screenwriter |
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I found out one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.
Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students were dismissed(解散). As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.
Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated in the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued to believe that I had cheated in the test.
44. The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ____ .
A. she had not brought a pen with her B. she had lost her own on her way to school
C. there was something wrong with her pen D. her own had been taken away by someone
45. The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy ____ .
A. to go on writing his paper B. to stop whispering
C. to leave the room immediately D. to stay behind after the exam
46. The thing(s) emphasized in her talk was(were) ____ .
A. honesty B. sense of duty C. seriousness D. all of the above
47. The boy knew everything ____ .
A. the moment he was asked to stay behind B.when the teacher started talking about honesty
C. only some time later D. when he was walking out of the room
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It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?
Viti Levu---Great Fiji---is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded. And with a climate that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances to religious songs. From market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?
72. Where is the international airport of Fiji?
A. In Suva. B. In Sydney.
C. On the island of Vatoa.D. On the island of Viti Levu.
73. What does the text tell us about Fijian people?
A. They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.
B. They stick to a traditional way of life.
C. They like to travel from place to place.
D. They love taking adventures abroad.
74. One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is __ .
A. its comfortable hotels
B. its good weather all year round
C. its exciting football matches
D. its religious beliefs
75. Where can we most probably read this text?
A. In a personal diary.
B. In a science report.
C. In a travel magazine.
D. In a geography textbook.
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Thirteen-year-old Shanna Wilkinson saved the life of Holly, a sheepdog, who was very young. Holly was a tiny and very weak dog. According to the vet, there was little chance that Holly could survive. But with Shanna’s love and care, Holly grew into a strong, healthy adult dog with a special skill that would save Shanna’s life more than once.
At seventeen, Shanna got a kind of illness. She began having seizures(疾病发作) repeatedly, often as many as nine times a day. Because she couldn’t predict when the seizures would occur, every moment was dangerous for her. Every day she was in danger--- it was risky for her to simply cross the street, much less drive a car.
Just when it seemed as if Shanna would have to live indoors forever, her mother noticed something strange happened. Several times a day, the dog would begin whimpering(呜咽) and pulling Shanna’s leg. At first, no one was sure what was wrong with her. But they soon realized that Holly’s strange behavior always occurred before one of Shanna’s seizures began. Amazingly, Holly is able to predict exactly when the seizures will occur, even though Shanna herself never sees them coming.
Luckily, no matter how mysterious the dog’s talent is, Holly’s help has made life a billion times better for her owner.
“I feel comfortable and safe going out in public, and I can know when my seizures will come because of Holly, ” Shanna says. “Holly has really given me back my independence and I can live a normal life.”
68. What do we learn about the dog Holly?
A. She can get recovered herself.
B. She is larger than most dogs.
C. She would have died without Shanna’s care.
D. She was fed well when Shanna saved her.
69. It was impossible for Shanna to driver a car because ___ .
A. she was too young to drive
B. she had no sense of direction
C. her seizures would come suddenly
D. she didn’t know the traffic rules
70. According to the passage, how does Holly help Shanna?
A. She can make Shanna know when the seizures come.
B. She can help Shanna by sending for a doctor.
C. She can stop Shanna from going out in public.
D. She can help Shanna when she gets injured.
71. The underlined word “them” in the third paragraph probably refers to ___ .
A. Shanna’s family B. Holly’s behaviors
C. Shanna’s actions D. Shanna’s seizures
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The computer is fast, and never makes a mistake, while people are too slow, and full of mistakes sometimes. That’s what people often say when they talk about computers. For over a quarter of a century, scientists have been making better and better computers. Now a computer can do a lot of everyday jobs wonderfully. It is widely used in factories, hospitals, post offices and airports. A computer can report, decide and control in almost every field. Many computer scientists are now thinking of making the computer “think” like a man. With the help of a person, a computer can draw pictures, write music, talk with people, play chess, recognize voices, translate languages and so on. Perhaps computers will one day really think and feel. Do you think the people will be afraid when they find that the computer is too clever to listen to and serve the people?
64. The best title for this passage is ___ .
A. Computer B. Computer scientists
C. The Future World D. Talk with Computers
65. Which of the following can computers not do now?
A. Draw pictures. B. Talk.
C. Invent new things. D. Serve the people.
66. What will happen in the future?
A. Most jobs will be done by the computer.
B. People will no longer use computers.
C. Computers will be used only to talk with people.
D. All computers will be put into prison.
67. The passage is written to ___ .
A. warn people of the danger of the computer
B. tell people about the computer
C. tell people about computer scientists
D. show how to use the computer
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It was Christmas, and there was a big party in the house. Guests came and went, but the party went on. Then the bell rang. Several people shouted, “come in!” A small man opened the front door and came in. Nobody knew him but the host went to meet him and took him to have a drink. The man sat there happily for an hour and drank. Then suddenly he stopped and looked at the host. “Do you know me?” he said. “Nobody asked me to this party. I don’t know you. I don’t know your wife and I don’t know any of your guests. My wife and I wanted to go out in our car, but one of your guests’ car was in front of our gate, So I came here to find him and my wife is waiting in our car for me to come back.”
60. When the bell rang, the guests ___ .
A. were shouting B. were singing and dancing
C. were enjoying themselves D. were waiting for the small man
61. The host __ after the small man came in.
A. was glad to see himB. asked him to have a drink
C. didn’t find him D. knew who he was
62. The small man went to the house ___ .
A. to find a man B. to have a drink
C. to have a party D. to see what was happening
63. Perhaps the small man’s wife got ___ because ___ .
A. hungry; he drank too much
B. surprised; he couldn’t find the man
C. lonely; he didn’t take her to the party
D. angry; he kept her waiting for a long time