My Left Foot (1989)
Imagine being a prisoner of your own body, unable to make any movements except to move your left foot. The main character in My Left Foot, based on the real story of cerebral palsy (大脑性麻痹) sufferer Christy Brown, can barely move his mouth to speak, but by controlling his left foot, he’s able to express himself as an artist and poet. For his moving performance of Brown, Daniel Lewis won his first Academy Award for best actor.
Shine (1996)
Do you have a talent you’re afraid to share with the world? David Helfgott seemed meant from childhood to be “one of the truly great pianists,” but the pressures of performing (and pleasing his father) resulted in a complete breakdown. Ten years in a mental institution didn’t weaken Helfgott’s musical gift: When he was rediscovered, he was playing concertos in a bar. Shine received seven Oscar nominations (提名), and Geoffrey Rush won best actor for his performance of Helfgott.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Nothing’s more powerful than the love between a parent and a child. In this heartbreaking Italian film, a father (Roberto Benigni) makes an unbelievable sacrifice for his 4-year-old son: trapped in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, the Jewish man convinces his boy that they are playing a complicated game. He manages to spare him the horror of the terrible war, and even in his final moments of life, keeps his son smiling and hopeful. Benigni won the best actor Oscar.
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Few people can inspire us more than a good teacher. Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos got Oscar nomination for best actor) is a great one. Employed at a high school where kids are expected to fail, Escalante challenges his math students to struggle for better things, like getting good grades in the AP exam. Despite the obstacles in their lives, the classmates accomplish their goals, thanks to Mr. Escalante’s support. The real Jaime Escalante, the Best Teacher in America, says that Stand and Deliver is “ 90% truth, 10% drama.” The underlined part in the passage means _________.
| A．The main character in My Left Foot is a prisoner |
| B．The main character in My Left Foot is a disabled person |
| C．The main character in My Left Foot is trapped by others |
| D．The main character in My Left Foot can’t control his whole body |
【改编】Which film received seven Oscar nominations?
| A．Life Is Beautiful. | B． My Left Foot. |
| C．Stand and Deliver. | D．Shine. |
Jaime Escalante has a talent for _________.
| A．teaching | B．drawing and writing |
| C．making stories | D．playing the piano |
What do the four movies have in common?
| A．They are all based on real stories. |
| B．The main characters all won Academy Award for Best Actor. |
| C．They are all inspiring stories that make a difference. |
| D．The main characters are all sick to some degree but succeed. |
The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.
This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert （抛弃）cats or dogs.
“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor behind the new law.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals that deserve over respect and pity every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, director of the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
Last year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tail to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks.The new law passed in Rome will _________.
| A．guarantee（保证）better conditions for goldfish |
| B．help improve fishing environment |
| C．stop people from catching goldfish |
| D．prevent keeping goldfish at home |
People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by _________.
| A．exchanges with other cities |
| B．Protection of ancient ruins |
| C．recognition of animal lovers |
| D．people’s awareness of animal protection |
People may break the law in Turin if they _____________.
| A．keep their dogs or cats in cars |
| B．shut their dogs home all day long |
| C．raise their cats near ancient ruins |
| D．feed homeless animals in car parks |
Seventy years ago I was quite a small little girl, the baby of the family, with an older brother and sister. My father was very ill at the time, and my mother took in sewing(缝纫) of any kind so we could live. She would sew far into the night with an old sewing machine. She never complained even when the food would be very scarce. She would sew until the early hours of morning.
Things were very bad that particular winter. Then a letter came from where her sewing machine was bought, saying that they would have to pick up her machine the next day unless payments were brought up to date. I remember when she read the letter I became frightened; I could picture us starving to death and all sorts of things that could come to a child‘s mind. My mother did not appear to be worried, however, and seemed to be quite calm about the matter. I, on the other hand, cried myself to sleep, wondering what would become of our family. Mother said God would not disappoint her, that he never had. I couldn‘t see how God was going to help us keep this old sewing machine.
The day when the men came for our machine arrived. There was a knock at the kitchen door. I was frightened as a child would be, for I was sure it was those men who would take away our sewing machine. Instead, a nicely dressed man stood at our door with a darling baby in his arms.
He asked my mother if she was Mrs. Hill. When she said she was, he said, "I‘m in trouble this morning and you have been recommended by the druggist and grocer down the street as an honest and wonderful woman. My wife was rushed to the hospital this morning, and since we have no relatives here, and I must open my dentist office, I have nowhere to leave my baby. Could you possibly take care of her for a few days?" He continued, "I will pay you in advance." With this he took out ten dollars and gave it to my mother.
Mother said, "Yes, yes, I will be glad to do so," and took the baby from his arms. When the man left, my mother turned to me with tears streaming down a face that looked as though a light was shining on it. She said, "I knew God would never let them take away my machine."The turning point in the story may refer to ______.
| A．a letter to the family |
| B．the man’s coming for help |
| C．the man’s wife being rushed to the hospital |
| D．the nicely dressed man’s trouble |
Why did the man turn to the writer’s mother for help?
| A．The people around him recommended the mother to him. |
| B．He was familiar with the mother. |
| C．The mother had sewn for him. |
| D．The mother was hired by the man. |
According to the text all the following are true to the man EXCEPT _____.
| A．his wife stayed in hospital |
| B．he was confused when in trouble |
| C．he had few men to turn to for help |
| D．he was a dentist |
What does mother mean by saying “I knew God would never let them take away my machine?”
| A．God can solve all the problem. |
| B．The sewing machine is my only support. |
| C．Never give up when in trouble. |
| D．Everybody should believe in God. |
A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the candy they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment.
By the time the children reach high school, something amazing has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation (诱惑) early were more likely to be lonely, easily upset in time of difficulties and inflexible (固守己见的).
Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn’t show up on an IQ test.
The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists’ concerns. But brain theory can’t explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain upbeat in the face of troubles that would defeat a less resistant (有抵抗力的) person.
Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people’s success, brain ability as measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as “character”.
EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one’s ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the ingredients (要素) for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck.
While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse.Why does the author mention the experiment at the beginning of the text?
| A．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| B．To prove the scientist’s wisdom. |
| C．To amuse both the children and readers. |
| D．To show us how to do an IQ test. |
The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that .
| A．the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment |
| B．emotional intelligence won’t show up until adolescence |
| C．the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success |
| D．candy can be used to measure a person’s emotional intelligence |
The underlined word “upbeat” in Paragraph 4 probably means .
| A．kind | B．positive |
| C．floating | D．negative |
Which of the following is TRUE of EQ and IQ according to the text?
| A．There is no link between EQ and IQ. |
| B．The higher a person’s IQ is, the higher his or her EQ is. |
| C．Some people can be blessed with lots of both, but some with little of either. |
| D．Scientists are trying to discover the way in which EQ and IQ work together. |
The morning had been a disaster．My tooth was aching, and I’d been in an argument with a friend．Her words still hurt, “The trouble with you is that you won’t put yourself in my place．Can’t you see things from my point of view?” I shook my head stubbornly---and felt the ache in my tooth．I’d thought I could hold out till my dentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable．I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one could see me immediately．Finally, at about lunchtime, l got lucky．
“If you come by right now,” the receptionist said, “the dentist will fit you in．”
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car．But suddenly I began to doubt about the dentist．What kind of dentist would be so eager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn’t he as busy as the others?
In the dentist’s office, I sat down and looked around．I saw nothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried．The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over my ice-cold one．
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, “Don’t worry．The dentist is very good．”
“How long do I have to wait for him?” I asked impatiently．
“Come on, he is coming．Just lie down and relax．And enjoy the artwork,” the assistant said，“The artwork?” I was puzzled．
The chair went back．Suddenly I smiled．There was a beautiful picture, right where I could enjoy it: on the ceiling．How considerate the dentist was! At that moment, l began to understand what my friend meant by her words．
What a relief!Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling that morning?
| A．Cheerful. | B．Nervous. | C．Satisfied. | D．Upset. |
What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?
| A．The dentist’s agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| B．The dentist’s being as busy as the other dentists. |
| C．The surroundings of the dentist’s office. |
| D．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
What does the author want to tell us in the text?
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| B．Have a good word for one’s friend. |
| C．Put yourself in others’ shoes. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
General Airport Tips
Plan to get to the airport at least an hour early, or two during holidays and other busy times; this will reduce the stress of the flight．If all goes well, you will have time to relax, shop for last-minute items, or have a meal before the flight．
Flight Delays
Find out why your flight is delayed．Call the free call numbers．Find out if other airlines are experiencing similar delays．If you believe the delay is due to something other than weather or air traffic problems, then mention your suspicion （怀疑） and ask the airline agent to book you on the next available flight, either on the same air-line or a competing one．This is called "Rule 240", and all airlines are required to do it．Use the lingo （行话）; ask, "Can you 240 me?" when speaking with an agent．They will know what you mean．
Flight Cancellations（取消）
If your flight is canceled, then make a reservation on the next flight to your destination．Usually, air-line officials will try to book everyone on their next flight out．Often they will put you on a competitor's next flight only if you request it．
Getting bumped（不能登机）
To avoid getting bumped, you must be at the loading gate at least 10 minutes ahead of scheduled departure for a U.S. Flight, 20 minutes to /from Bahamas, Canada, and Mexico and 30 to/ from all other international points．You must be at the loading gate, not the airport entrance．By arriving at the airport earlier, one can _______．
| A．get on the airplane immediately |
| B．reduce the pressure of the flight |
| C．have a good rest in the airplane |
| D．buy what he wants in the airport |
If a person calls "Rule 240", he wants to _______．
| A．make sure the time for the next plane |
| B．get a ticket for the next flight |
| C．know if other flights are also delayed |
| D．ask about the cause of the plane delay |
People heading for Germany must be at the loading gate at least__________．
| A．40 minutes ahead of time |
| B．20 minutes ahead of time |
| C．30 minutes ahead of time |
| D．10 minutes ahead of time |
The purpose in writing this text is to________．
| A．show us how to get on a plane |
| B．tell us what to do before and after a flight |
| C．put forward suggestions for a flight |
| D．give us advice on dealing with airlines |