The Secret Behind a Great Person
A long time ago I watched a video of Josh Groban singing Vincent. It was a beautiful song and I loved it. I got interested in what the song is about.
The song is about a 19thcentury Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. Unfortunately, he didn’t enjoy all the fame and wealth that his paintings should have brought him. He died when he was only 37 years old.
At that time only a few people knew his work and even fewer appreciated it. For years he had mental illness. He only sold one painting in his lifetime and badly needed financial support.
Even so, he still managed to create lots of great paintings. What was it that made it possible? The answer is that he had a strong supporter, his younger brother Theo. Theo supported Vincent financially, but more importantly, he continued to believe in his brother no matter what happened. I think it’s safe to say that Vincent was able to become a great artist because of this unfailing support from his brother.
There is an important lesson here: never underestimate (低估) the value of a supporter. Having someone who believes in you through the difficulties makes a big difference. You might not realize it, but much of what you have achieved is most likely because of your supporters.
| A．If you have such a supporter, express thanks to him. |
| B．Moreover, he went through many difficulties in his life. |
| C．His letters to Vincent were full of praise and encouragement. |
| D．His paintings are among the most famous and expensive in the world. |
以下四人正在寻找一些网站，
阅读以下五段不同网站的介绍（A、B、C、D、和E），对应选出正确答案,并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。A、B、C、D、和E选项中有一项是多余选项。
1. Jasper enjoys listening to music. He is expecting to find a website where he could search for various songs with similar tunes that he prefers.
2. Luke is planning to buy a car. But right now he has not made up his mind. He prefers Mazda RX-8. He wants to find more information about this car to make sure that it is a good choice.
3. This Sunday is Valentine’s Day. Roderick is still deciding what kind of presents he should buy for his girlfriend. He prefers to have something traditional, like chocolate.
4. Fiona is retired. She begins to pay attention t
o her health. What interests her most now is how to remain healthy and young. She always surfs on the internet for such information.
A. Naturespath.com is an excellent health-food website. “Life enhancement expert” Allan Hunkin interviews such guests as nutrition expert Dr. David Katz and tri-athlete Melanie McQuaid. They talk up health food and weight management, including debates on the benefits of whole grain and organics.
B. Autoblog.com tops the category by covering “auto industry news from A to Z.” They discuss hundreds of car models and links to outside articles for more information. While the site provides no reliability reviews, its “royal and growing fan base” comments frequently on the entires.
C. Mrchocolate.com—The Consumer Reports “best buy” for “unusual” chocolates for the one you love. Jason’s choice is 50 pieces of small dark, milk, and white chocolate with offbeat (标新立异的) centers, including coffee, nut butter, and tropical fruit.
D. Carpet-rug.org— The Carpet and Rug Institute awards a “Green Label” to vacuums (真空吸尘器) that release fewer than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter of air. Find a list at this site.
E. Pandora.com takes one of your favorite tunes, then suggests songs that you might enjoy. Pandora offers 10 hours of free use, then charges $ 36 a year.
Makoto、Mr. Zheng、Mr. Zhu、Jack 和Xiao Wang 正在广州寻找合适的餐厅，第1--5题是对他们个人情况的介绍。阅读下列餐厅的信息(A、B、C、D、E、F)， 选出符合他们各人需要的最佳选择。选项中有一项是多余的。
1. Makoto is a Japanese tourist who has stayed in Guangzhou for a few days. He wants to make a tour of North China but unfortunately he has no time. So he would like to find a restaurant where he can taste northern food and experience the life in the north.
2. Mr. Zheng was born in Hunan but went to Japan at an early age. This time he came to Guangzhou to deal with some business affairs. Coming back to his homeland after being away for about 20 years, he hopes to find a restaurant serving food of his home town.
3. It is the first time for Mr. Zhu, who comes from the northeast of China, to visit Guangdong Province. He is interested in traditional Ca
ntonese food and Cantonese lifestyle.
4. Jack is a successful businessman. He is flying to Guangzhou to meet some people, who are likely to sign a contract with him. He wants to find a high quality restaurant. Of course, it is the quality rather than the price that he cares about.
5. Xiao Wang, a migrant worker in Guangzhou, plans to hold a party with his 10 friends. All of them are fond of the Sichuan cuisine. Xiao Wang hopes to spend less than 600 yuan for the dinner.
| A Nanhai Yucun Restaurant Founded in 1986, Nanhai Yucun Restaurant has always been one of the gourmets’ choices in Guangzhou. Prices are high, but so is the quality. Just look at the gust list; the King and Queen of Spain, South Korea’ s  Prime Minister and his wife have eaten here, along with lots of local famous people. |
| B Dongbeiren Dongbeiren is meant for northerners. The decoration is basically red—from the paper cuts and the curtains to the Kang (a bed with a table where people can sit comfortably without shoes and with their legs folded). It is perh  aps a way to remind the northerners of home or for other people to get in touch with the north. |
| C Taotaoju Restaurant Taotaoju Restaurant is one of Guangzhou’s most well-known traditional Cantonese restaurants, located in a historic building in the heart of the city’s Xiguan District. You can’t get any more traditional Guangzhou than this, which is a great place for dim sun and seafood. You haven’t lived in Guangzhou until you’ve eaten dim sum in a true local place like Taotaoju. It’s also a popular spot for parties. |
| D Chongqing Xiaodongtian Restaurant It’s one of the top Sichuan cuisine restaurants in Guangzhou, featuring Chongqing flavor. It is a group of chain restaurants in Guangzhou. The food is Sichuan style, but the decoration and surroundings are a bit old. Like most Sichuan restaurants, the pleasant smell of their traditional hot pot spreads throughout the whole place. Food here is medium-priced, around 50 RMB per person. |
| E Maojia Reastaurant Maojia Reastaurant is a local favorite for strong-flavored Hunan dishes. It has a strong cultural atmosphere related to Chairman Mao and also introduces Maojia dishes characteristic of tasty Hunan local flavors, which are a bit softer than the traditional Hunan flavor. |
| F Enmi Japanese Reastaurant The decoration here is beautiful and peaceful. A small “courtyard of bamboo” is refreshing while the space between tables is large and comfortable. The diverse sashimi (raw fish slices) is a must-try here. The food, however, is served slow and the regulated tow hours for ordering is strange. |
用下列方框中所给动词(组)的适当形式填空: (每小题1分，共7分)
Meat should ____________________ to make dumplings.
The man ___________ president of USA is named Barack Obama.
_____________ the chance, and you will get out of the difficult situation.
___________ to 2016, we are full of confidence, and believe that the future of the company will be brighter with our joining.
The difference in thickness and weight from the earlier version makes the iPad2 more comfortable ___________.
We’d better have the road signs __________________ clearly so that the tourists know in which direction to go.
The workers shall protect the underground and underwater cables when _________ construction.
Ms. Robson, Hilary, Rose and Tom each want to decide on a holiday for their students. Read the following descriptions and help them make proper choices.
_________1. Ms. Robson’s students are studying French and German. She would like them to speak both the languages while they’re away.
_________ 2. Hilary’s students are 14 years old. Some of them learn French, so she wants to find a holiday course which can offer individual language lessons for those who would like to improve their French.
_________ 3. Rose has a small group of students. They all want to sail but unfortunately some of them are unable to swim, although they’re eager to learn.
_________ 4. Tom’s class have just started to learn German and he wants a holiday which mixes studying the language with plenty of free time to explore the foreign country.
Summer in France
All our courses take place at the university in Marsellie. Morning classes are held in German, evening lectures are in French. We offer an exciting program of evening activities including music, dance, etc.
Greek Sailing Holidays
Arrive by air and then hire one of our boats with all the latest equipment to sail around the Greek islands. These boats sleep up to twenty students and teachers. Trained sailing staff are available but you must be able to swim.
Summer Courses in Finland
If you love water sports you’ll love our one-week sports holiday on the Finnish lakes. There are opportunities to swim, sail and water ski. Lessons are available if you need them. There is also a chance to learn Finnish at no extra cost! Everyone is welcome.
Holiday Programs in Germany
We offer morning classes in the German language at all levels from beginners upwards. In the afternoon you are free to join in our mountain walks or to go shopping in the nearby town. In the evening we organize a full program of entertainment. All ages are welcome!
Summer Schools in France
Opportunities to speak French. We offer summer schools for students between the ages of 12-16. Live with a French family and choose from a range of different activities including horse riding, indoor hockey, football, swimming and dry skiing. Private language lessons are arranged if requested.
Ms. Robson, Hilary, Rose and Tom each want to decide on a holiday for their students. Read the following descriptions and help them make proper choices.
_________1. Ms. Robson’s students are studying French and German. She would like them to speak both the languages while they’re away.
_________ 2. Hilary’s students are 14 years old. Some of them learn French, so she wants to find a holiday course which can offer individual language lessons for those who would like to improve their French.
_________ 3. Rose has a small group of students. They all want to sail but unfortunately some of them are unable to swim, although they’re eager to learn.
_________ 4. Tom’s class have just started to learn German and he wants a holiday which mixes studying the language with plenty of free time to explore the foreign country.
Summer in France
All our courses take place at the university in Marsellie. Morning classes are held in German, evening lectures are in French. We offer an exciting program of evening activities including music, dance, etc.
Greek Sailing Holidays
Arrive by air and then hire one of our boats with all the latest equipment to sail around the Greek islands. These boats sleep up to twenty students and teachers. Trained sailing staff are available but you must be able to swim.
Summer Courses in Finland
If you love water sports you’ll love our one-week sports holiday on the Finnish lakes. There are opportunities to swim, sail and water ski. Lessons are available if you need them. There is also a chance to learn Finnish at no extra cost! Everyone is welcome.
Holiday Programs in Germany
We offer morning classes in the German language at all levels from beginners upwards. In the afternoon you are free to join in our mountain walks or to go shopping in the nearby town. In the evening we organize a full program of entertainment. All ages are welcome!
Summer Schools in France
Opportunities to speak French. We offer summer schools for students between the ages of 12-16. Live with a French family and choose from a range of different activities including horse riding, indoor hockey, football, swimming and dry skiing. Private language lessons are arranged if requested.