Have you seen a historical film recently? Do you think it was accurate? Some say that there is no such thing as a historical film. In many cases, Hollywood film-makers simply change the facts. Just look at these supposedly “historical” films.
1. The Patriot
The film was released in 2000 and was directed by Ronald Emmerish and starred Mel Gibson. It is set near Charleston, South Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War(1775—1783) and follows the story of Benjamin Martin and his fight for American freedom against the British. The film was criticized for inventing and exaggerating British cruelty. The most criticized scene was one showing the burning of a church containing people of the town, of which there is no historical record. Another historical inaccuracy was the description of American-owned slaves being freed to serve with the American forces. In reality, many slaves ran away from their American owners and fought with the British against the Americans.
2. Brave Heart
The film(1995) starred Mel Gibson was directed by Toby Reisz. It is based on the life of Scottish national hero William Wallace and his fight against English rule in Scotland during the 13th century. The film includes an affair between William Wallace and Princess Isabella (based on Isabella of France). The film implies she is a mother-to-be when William Wallace will be killed. However, historically, the real Isabella was a child of nine still living in France at this time, never having met Wallace. The film also caused controversy because of its anti-English nature. Apparently, when the film was shown in Glasgow, there was a loud noise made by happy American audience.
3. U-571
This 2000 film was directed by Jonathan Mostow and starred Mathew MacConaughey, Havey Keitel and Jon Bon Jovi. It took place during the Second World War(1939—1945). In the film, a German submarine(warship underwater) is boarded in 1942 by American soldiers who made themselves up as Germans. They took away the German submarine’s code-language machine, which, in the film, helps the Americans get many secret messages from Germany. However, the film was heavily criticized because it was actually the British who got the machine in May 1941 when they boarded U-110. The movie was also criticized for showing a scene where the U-boat sailors killed American sailors in the water after their ship sunk, which is, in 99% cases, impossible to happen.
4. The 300 Spartans
The latest controversy surrounds the film The 300 Spartans. The film (directed by Zack Synder) tells the story of the battle between the Greeks and Persians in 480 BC. It is regarded as a key event in the birth of western democracy(民主) by some historians. In the film, 300 Spartans under the king fight against the enemies, 120,000 Persians led by Emperor Xerxes. The tiny Spartan forces repeatedly gain advantage over the invaders. These actions delays the Persians’ attack and gives the Greek armies enough time to prepare for the defense of Athens. But the Iranians (modern-day Persians) aren’t happy with the film. They say the film describes them as savage, killing-loving, and war-loving.This article mainly _____.
| A．praises four “historical” films |
| B．shares with us four great movies |
| C．tells the readers about the inaccuracy of four “historical” films |
| D．expresses the writer’s positive attitude towards the “historical” films |
As far as time is concerned, the war in _____ broke out earliest.
| A．The 300 Spartans | B．U-571 |
| C．The Patriot | D．Brave Heart |
Mel Gibson, a great American actor, starred in _____.
| A．The Brave Heart and U-571 |
| B．The Patriot and Brave Heart |
| C．The 300 Spartans and Brave Heart |
| D．The Patriot and The 300 Spartans |
The passage probably comes from a(n)_____.
| A．film poster | B．fashion magazine |
| C．film review | D．tour guide |
I remember a day when I was a little kid. I was making a sandwich in the kitchen when I noticed the date on one of the wine bottles.
“ Dad, dad!” I cried. “This wine is too old to drink.”
“ Son, hold on,” he said.
“ No, you can’t drink this tonight! This bottle of wine was made 10 years ago.”
“ Wait, let me tell you…”
“ Would you like me to throw it away fro you?” I asked.
“ Son, wait a second,” he said. “Son, some wines get better over time. The longer you wait to drink it, the better it will be. Although this may seem strange, it is true.”
When I was young, I didn’t have any understanding of what this meant, but now, this would have been very helpful to remember as I went through my teenage years.
In our society, we forget this simple rule: The longer you want for certain things, the better they will be. But we want the best job as quickly as possible; we want to graduate from college in as few years as possible; we even speed through our homework just to chat with friends. When we do this, we lose something of great importance.
We all want to get to the next step so quickly that perhaps we don’t get ready enough to get there. This has a negative effect on our society. When trying to go to the right college, we will do anything to get in and when we rush through our class-work, we may not study enough for the test, and end up failing. We need to be ready for whatever comes, ready for the unexpected. Wine gets better over time, so do the things in our paths of life.Why did the author tell his father not to drink the bottle of wine?
| A．Because it smelt terrible. |
| B．Because it had been kept for years. |
| C．Because it was mixed with something else. |
| D．Because his father drank too much that night. |
What the author’s father said __________.
| A．made the author puzzled when he was a little child. |
| B．was too simple a rule to be meaningful to the author. |
| C．threw the author into deep thought then. |
| D．was an excuse to drink the wine. |
In the author’s opinion, if we do things too quickly, we will __________.
| A．do it better |
| B．save much time |
| C．graduate from college more quickly |
| D．miss something useful to us in life |
Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the passage?
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．More haste, less speed. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
It’s not easy being a teenager---nor is it easy being the parent of a teenager. You can make your child feel angry, hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself. It is important to give your child the space he needs to grow while gently letting him know that you’ll still be there for him when he needs you.
Expect a lot from your child, just not everything. Except for health and safety problems, such as drug use or careless driving; consider everything else open to discussion. If your child is unwilling to discuss something, don’t insist he tell you what’s on his mind. The more you insist, the more likely that he’ll refuse to talk. Instead, let him attempt to solve things by himself. At the same time, remind him that you’re always there for him should he seek advice or help. Show respect for your teenager’s privacy(隐私). Never read him his mail or listen in on personal conversions.
Teach your teenager that the family phone is for the whole family. If your child talks on the family’s telephone for too long, tell him he can talk for 15 minutes, but then he must stay off the phone for at least an equal period of time. This not only frees up the line so that other family members can make and receive calls, but teaches your teenager moderation (节制). Or if you are open to the idea, allow your teenager his own phone that he pays for with his own pocket money or a part-time job.Why is it not easy being a teenager or a parent of a teenager?
| A．Because the teenager is very naughty. |
| B．Because the parent always expects a lot from the child. |
| C．Because you can make your child feel hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself. |
| D．Because the teenager wants his or her own space. |
The main purpose of the text is to tell parents .
| A．how to get along with a teenager | B．how to respect a teenager |
| C．how to understand a teenager | D．how to help a teenager grow up |
The last paragraph is about how to teach a teenager .
| A．to use the phone in a sensible way | B．to pay for his own telephone |
| C．to share the phone quickly | D．to answer the phone quickly |
What should parents do in raising a teenager according to the text?
| A．Not allow him to learn driving or take drugs. |
| B．Give him advice only when necessary. |
| C．Let him have his own telephone. |
| D．Not talk about personal things with him. |
As you are students of English, it’s very possible that you’ll be interested in England. That’s where the language was first spoken. But England is often called by other names. This often confuses people and I wonder if you know what these names mean. So, now I would like to tell you about this matter of names. I believe that you have heard people use the names—England, Britain or Great Britain. Let’s see what each of these names means.
If you look at a map of Europe, you’ll see a group of islands--one larger island off the northwest coast, one smaller and many tiny ones. These make up what is called the British Isles. The largest island of the British Isles is Britain. It is also called Great Britain. The smaller island is Ireland.
Britain is divided into three parts: Scotland, Wales and England. But sometimes the word “England” is used instead of “Britain”. Why so?
In ancient times, what is Britain now used to be three different countries. People in these different countries spoke different languages. Over many years the three countries became one. England is the largest and richest of the three and it has the most people. So the English people take it for granted that their own name stands for the whole island.
There’s another thing that confuses people: sometimes you may hear people say “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. That is the official name of the country. Northern Ireland is only one sixth of the island of Ireland. The rest of the island is an independent state, called the Republic of Ireland. So we have the names of “England”, “Britain”, “Great Britain”, and “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. Now do you know what each of them means?English was first spoken in ____.
| A．Britain | B．England | C．Great Britain | D．Ireland |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Wales is the richest of the three. |
| B．Scotland is the largest of the three. |
| C．Sometimes England is used instead of Britain. |
| D．Britain is the only name of the largest island of British Isles. |
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is _____.
| A．part of Britain |
| B．part of British Isles |
| C．the official name of the whole country |
| D．the largest country of all mentioned in the passage |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．Students of English |
| B．Different Names of England |
| C．Different Languages Spoken in England |
| D．The Republic of Ireland |
Read the advertisements carefully. Then answer the questions that follow.
INTERESTED IN CHILDCARE?
Qualified person or preschool teacher needed for busy childcare center, south of the river. Full-time work guaranteed. Immediate start necessary. The candidate must be able to work as a co-operative team member, Phone 6345 2345 for an interview and fax （传真传输）resume (简历） to 6345 2346.
WE NEED OFFICE CLEANERS!
Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area. Working hours from 5:00 p. m. on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Approximately five hours per shift. A good record is necessary. Experience preferred. Phone 6345 7843 now.
WANT TO WORK AS A DENTAL NURSE?
This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified dental nurse with a confident and cheerful personality to work in the School Dental health Scheme. You must be able to get along well with children because work involves talking to groups about dental health practices. For further information, visit our website: schooldentalservices@gov. sg. And fax your resume to 6234 4567.
FLORIST WANTED!
Are you a creative and trained florist with at least two years of experience? Then this may be just what you are seeking. The city’s leading Florist Artist Studio needs another part-time member on their wedding team. Please phone 6098 7888 now!You many find the above advertisements .
| A．in a store window | B．in a school magazine |
| C．in a newspaper | D．on a company notice-board |
The position of a(n) is a part-time job.
| A．florist | B．artist | C．preschool teacher | D．dental nurse |
Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job?
| A．Cooking skills. |
| B．Childcare experience. |
| C．The ability to start work in two weeks. |
| D．The ability to work well with other people. |
The office cleaners will be required to work about hours a week.
| A．5 | B．10 | C．15 | D．20 |
The air hostess (空姐) was in a small kitchen at the back of the plane, preparing the plates for lunch, when a little old lady came and spoke to her, “Could you please tell me,” she asked, “where is the ladies’ lavatory (厕所) in the plane?”
“Yes, madam,” said the air hostess and smiled. “It is right at the other end of the plane---at the front.”
The little lady went too far. She walked all the way to the front of the plane, opened the door in front of her, and saw the captain of the plane and the other officers. They were all busy with their work and did not see her. She went out again, shut the door and returned to the air hostess.
“Oh, didn’t you find it, madam?” the girl asked her. “Yes, I did,” said the little lady. “But there are four men in the ladies’ lavatory watching television.”The story happened .
| A．in the evening | B．in the afternoon |
| C．in the morning | D．at midnight |
What were the four men doing when the little old lady opened the door?
| A．They were busy working in the control room. |
| B．They were working while watching television. |
| C．They were watching television in the ladies’ lavatory. |
| D．They were enjoying themselves by watching television. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The air hostess was humorous (幽默的). |
| B．The old lady didn’t find the ladies’ lavatory. |
| C．The old lady was fooled by the air hostess. |
| D．There was no ladies’ lavatory in the plane. |