Selena Gomez and I are scheduled to meet at a low-key coffee shop in Encino. Not wanting to keep the superstar waiting, I arrived at nine, 20 minutes early. As I was catching up on e-mails, Selena quietly scooted into the seat next to me. No bodyguard. Not even a drop of makeup. She was ten minutes early and so inconspicuous that no one else in the restaurant looked up so much. Selena was wearing Bebe shorts. She had a baby face and ordered a hot chocolate.
After making small talk about what she wore for the shoot, she dived into the subject of her career. Selena declared 2012 the year of movies. She filmed three: Spring Breakers, a drama; The Getaway, an action flick; and Hotel Transylvania, a comedy. Each is a marked move away from the teen style that made her a household name.
Now that her Disney days are behind her, Selena is at that unstable point in a child star’s career where she is trying to grow up---both as a person(she turned 20 in July)and as an artist. “Being part of the Disney Channel was such a blessing, and I’m super happy with what my show accomplished, but acting is something I would like to take on more seriously.” She continued, “I don’t necessarily feel accomplished. I want to creat a whole different persona when it comes to acting.”
Selena has been working fulltime since she was seven years old and scored a role on Barney&Friends. In 2007, when she was offered the lead in Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena, her mother, and her stepfather uprooted from Grand Prairie, Texas, to LA, where they are settling now.When was it that Selena arrived at the low-key coffee shop?
| A．At ten. |
| B．At ten to nine. |
| C．At ten past nine. |
| D．At thirty past nine. |
Which of the following statements is ture according to the second paragraph?
| A．Selena went into her film career as soon as we met in the coffee shop. |
| B．Three famous films filmed in 2012 have shown her teen style. |
| C．The film Hotel Transylvania is an action flick filmed in 2012 |
| D．Each of the three films marks Selena’s move away from her teen style. |
How did Selena think of Disney days which were behind her?
| A．She thought of playing in Disney a blessing. |
| B．She didn’t feel very satisfied with her show in Disney. |
| C．She found her not accomplished in her performance in Disney. |
| D．She believed her being part in Disney Channel a blessing. |
The underlined word in the last paragraph probably means “ _______”.
| A．moved | B．picked | C．changed | D．informed |
With so many unique attractions, world-famous museums and skyscrapers, there is always plenty to do in New York. However, sightseeing in New York City might not be the easiest or the cheapest experience.
This is why our team of real, life-long New Yorkers have created the New York Pass. If you want to discover the best of what this amazing city offers as well as save time and money during your visit, the New York Pass is something you should be interested in. In 2012, New York Passes have been used over 2,500,000 times. Get your Pass today and join the big savings it offers:
The purpose of this passage is to _________.
| A．promote New York Pass |
| B．introduce New York Pass |
| C．introduce New York attractions |
| D．show New York attractions tickets fee |
What could be the lowest price for a Three-day adult pass and a Two-day child pass?
| A．$246.5. | B．$263. | C．$273.5. | D．$ 290. |
Which of the following is true about New York Pass?
| A．Its holders can save up to $1300 entrance fees. |
| B．Its holders needn’t pay for the attractions it covers. |
| C．Its holders needn’t queue to enter the attractions it covers. |
| D．It can be picked up at Times Square at any time after you order it. |
The underlined phrase “are entitled to” most probably means “are given________ of”.
| A．the name | B．the honor |
| C．the title | D．the privilege |
The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer’s ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss.
In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层). Brain scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you’ve ever dialed a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you dialed when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to anther thought or task, and then took that “moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time.
Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don’t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes.
We often don’t remember things as well when we’re trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people’s names—even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them.Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?
| A．To make them more productive. |
| B．To reduce their stress and anxiety. |
| C．To develop their communication skills. |
| D．To help them perform daily tasks more easily. |
According to Paragraph 2, why may a person suddenly forget who he has called?
| A．He is probably interrupted by another task. |
| B．He may need a rest between dialing and speaking. |
| C．He may leave his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged. |
| D．He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called. |
People tend to make mistakes when _______.
| A．the tasks require little thought |
| B．their relationships with others are affected |
| C．new messages are processed one after another |
| D．they perform several challenging tasks at a time |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Multitasking has become a way of life. |
| B．Multitasking exercises need to be improved. |
| C．Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline. |
| D．Multitasking enables people to remember things better. |
Oprah Winfrey, born in 1954, is an American talk show host, best known for her multi-award-winning talk show. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. It's no surprise that her endorsement(认可)can bring overnight sales fortune that defeats most, if not all, marketing campaigns. The star features about 20 products each year on her “Favorite Things” show. There’s even a term for it: the Oprah Effect.
Her television career began unexpectedly. When she was 16 year old, she had the idea of being a journalist to tell other people’s stories in a way that made a difference in their lives and the world. She was on television by the time she was 19 years old. And in 1986 she started her own television show with a continuous determination to succeed at first.
TIME magazine wrote, “People would have doubted Oprah Winfrey’s swift rise to host of the most popular talk show on TV. In a field dominated by white males, she is a black female of big size. As interviewers go, she is no match for Phil Donahue. What she lacks in journalistic toughness, she makes up for in plainspoken curiosity, rich humor and, above all understanding. Guests with sad stories to tell tend to bring out a tear in Oprah’s eye. They, in turn, often find themselves exposing things they would not imagine telling anyone, much less a national TV audience.”
“I was nervous about the competition and then I became my own competition raising the bar every year, pushing, pushing, pushing myself as hard as I knew. It doesn't matter how far you might rise. At some point you are bound to fall if you’re constantly doing what we do, raising the bar. If you're constantly pushing yourself higher, higher the law of averages, you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to know this, remember this: there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction” as Oprah addressed graduates at Harvard on May 30, 2013.The Oprah Effect refers to _______.
| A．the effect on a business |
| B．the power of Oprah’s opinions |
| C．the impact on talkshows |
| D．the assessment of Oprah’s talk show |
What can be inferred about Oprah’s television career?
| A．She once gave up on her choice |
| B．Her swift success has been expected. |
| C．It lives up to her parents’ expectation. |
| D．She must have been challenged by white males. |
The message from Oprah to graduates at Harvard is that _______.
| A．failure is nothing to fear |
| B．success comes after failure |
| C．there is no need to set goals too high |
| D．pushing physical limits makes no sense |
Which of the following best describes Oprah Winfrey?
| A．Dull and pushy. | B．Honest but tough. |
| C．Curious but weak. | D．Caring and determined. |
This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Daniel Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences(哀悼) on behalf of the nation, and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this horrible crime, care for the victims and their families.
The majority of those who died today were children—beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them—birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers—men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.
So our hearts are broken today—for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost. Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain.
As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago—these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.
This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight. And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans. And I will do everything in my power to help.
Because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need—to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories but also in ours.Who is the speaker likely to be?
| A．A victim parent. |
| B．The US president. |
| C．A US police officer. |
| D．The Connecticut governor. |
How many gun shootings has the speaker mentioned?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
What can we learn from this passage?
| A．The survivors may also suffer from the shooting tragedy. |
| B．Nothing has been done to prevent gun shooting in America. |
| C．The victims of this gun shooting are all kids aged from 5 to 10. |
| D．Gun shooting is more likely to happen in American school campus. |
The speaker wants the audience _______.
| A．to help those in need | B．to protect themselves |
| C．to investigate the crime | D．to trust the US government |
Columbus College , 241 Queen Elizabeth Drive ,Kowloon City
Memo
To: All Staff
From: Jakie Mok, Secretary; Sports Development Committee
Date: May 20, 2010
A week ago, “Sports for Life” programme was sent to the parents, requiring them to select a sport they wanted their child to play. Since then, our staff have received lots of calls from parents asking for more information about it. Here is a memo (备忘录) for your reference when you answer the phones.
Sports 1: Basketball.
We expect that this will be the most popular of the four sports. Therefore, students should be advised to sign up as soon as possible. Students will take a private bus to and from Kwun Tong Sports Park .To cover the cost of hiring a bus , each student will have to pay ＄10 each time. There will be four basketball courts available for our use with one teacher watching over each game.
Sports 2: Gym
We will be using St. Peter’s Memorial Park. There are two reasons for choosing this park. First, it is not very busy and crowded before 6:00 pm. Second, it has lot of trees with plenty of shade. Students must bring along two bottles of water to prevent thirst. Three activities, skipping , jogging , outdoor aerobics (有氧运动),all of which are free of charge, will be arranged. And there will be a teacher on duty for each of the activities.
Sports 3: Hiking
Hiking(远足)will take place at Kowloon Peak. The activity will start at 2:30 pm and finish 90 minutes later. Three teachers will accompany the students, and a hiking instructor will accompany each group of 15 hikers . Each instructor will cost ＄75/hr. Students are advised to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
Sports 4: Swimming
The Kowloon City Aquatic Centre is a 10-minute walk from our school. Four teachers will go to the pool and conduct the goings-on from the poolside. We will only be able to reserve the pool for one hour (i.e. 2:45pm to 3:45pm).Only students skilful at swimming can take up this activity. The pool will have two lifeguards present. Girls must wear a swimming suit. The cost is ＄10 per visit. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Students selecting basketball had better register early. |
| B．Students participating in gym should arrive at 6:00 pm. |
| C．Hiking usually begins at 2:30 pm and lasts 2 hours. |
| D．Students having swimming suits can take up swimming. |
It can be inferred from the passage that.
| A．students taking part in basket ball will walk to the courts |
| B．every student can gain admission to one of the four sports |
| C．hiking students can have a regular rest in the shade of trees |
| D．students taking up the four sports should bring bottles of water |
The purpose of the memo is to .
| A．attract students’ interest in the programme |
| B．require the parents to select a sport for their child |
| C．help the staff explain the programme to the parents |
| D．remind teachers and lifeguards to be present on time |