Yesterday I started the Year of Giving, my first day of a year-long journey into exploring the act of giving and the meaning of charity. I chose December 15 as the starting date, which marked three years since my mother died from heart disease. She was one of the most generous people that I have ever known. She always thought of others first and certainly serves as an inspiration to me.
I had a rather busy day yesterday, ironic (具有讽刺意义的) for someone who is unemployed right now. In the morning I went to the gym, and unsuccessfully got the phone call from the unemployment office for some job searching. Before I knew it, it was noon. I grabbed a quick lunch and rushed down to a meeting. On my way to Connecticut, I wondered if I would see someone that I would feel forced to give my first $ 10 to. I was running late and decided to do it afterwards.
After the meeting I had about half an hour to find the first person of my Year of Giving! I decided to check out DuPont Circle. I had met a guy there named Jerry once and thought he would willing accept my $ 10. He wasn’t there, but I did see a man sitting by himself who looked really lonely, so I approached him. Now I had to figure out what I was going to say, I think I said something like, “Hi, can I sit down here?” “I would like to know if I could give you $ 10?” He asked me to repeat what I had said, I did, then he looked at me funny, got up and left.
I then started walking south where I spotted a man standing by the bus stop on Connecticut Ave. He appeared to be in his 60s. I don’t know what drew me to him, but I thought I would make my second attempt. I was a bit nervous and asked him which bus came by that stop. Then I explained that I was starting a year-long project to give $ 10 to someone every day and that I wanted to give my $ 10 for today to him. The gentleman, I later found out that his name was Ed, responded without hesitation that he could not accept my offer and that there were many people more deserving the money than him. This was exactly one of the things that I hoped would happen. People would think of others before themselves. The author set the starting date on December 15 to ____.
| A．help the charity |
| B．remember his mother |
| C．make an explosion |
| D．fulfill a wish if his mum |
In the author’s first attempt to give away the money, ____.
| A．he was considered ridiculous |
| B．he hesitated for a long time |
| C．he was forced to donate the money |
| D．he had no time to take action |
In the author’s second attempt, the gentleman refused his offer because ____.
| A．he didn’t need other’s help |
| B．he thought more for others |
| C．he didn’t care about money |
| D．he wanted to get more money |
We can refer that the author was inspired by ____.
| A．true friendship | B．his own kindness |
| C．generous donations | D．human’s good nature |
HOLLYWOOD history has been made now that Kathryn Bigelow has become the first female to win a Best Director Oscar. “There’s no other way to describe it, it’s the moment of a lifetime,” said 58-year-old Bigelow excitedly, at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
Bigelow’s film, The Hurt Locker (《拆弹部队》), swept the awards with six trophies, including Best Director and Best Picture. The movie about a bomb removal unit in the Iraq War beat Avatar, the highest grossing (票房收入) film of all time, to the major awards. This was sweetened by the fact that Avatar’s director, James Cameron, is her ex-husband.
Bigelow played down (淡化) her success, telling CBS, “There’s really no difference between what I do and what a male filmmaker might do. I mean we all try to make our days, we all try to give the best performances we can, we try to make our budget, we try to make the best movie we possibly can. So in that sense it’s very similar.”
However, Bigelow’s cinematic journey is quite different from the path of female directors before her. Her movies are low on female characters and high on guns and steel. They focus on men: their fears, relationships and rites of passage (成长历程).
Point Break was her breakout film in 1991. The action film tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover (卧底) to investigate a gang of bank robbers. It was popular because of its strong but flawed (有缺点的) male characters. The Hurt Locker is in the same style. The war film is about an anti-hero, William James, leading a crew of competing men in removing roadside bombs around Iraq. James is addicted to risk taking and enjoys putting his fellow soldiers in constant danger. Many scenes are full of clashing (冲突的) male personalities.
Focusing on these male relationships, critics praised The Hurt Locker for avoiding obvious political statements (something Avatar was heavily criticized for), and instead painting a truthful picture of modern war. And is there an entertaining end to the story of Bigelow’s victory? She won on International Women’s Day. It is, after all, Hollywood.
52. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the article?
A. Avatar is the most profitable film in history.
B. Bigelow is the first female director to win the Best Director Oscar.
C. Bigelow and James Cameron were once married.
D. The film The Hurt Locker tries to make strong political statements about the Iraq war.
53. What does the first sentence in Paragraph 6 mean?
A. Bigelow has a similar style to other female directors.
B. Bigelow usually wants to work with other females.
C. Unlike other female directors, Bigelow focuses on male topics.
D. Unlike other female directors, Bigelow has made other mistakes.
54. The text tells us that ________.
A. The Hurt Locker aims to show how men love danger and war
B. The Hurt Locker presents the clashes between male characters well
C. Bigelow was given the award because it was Women’s Day
D. Bigelow was proud of defeating a male director
55. The article is about _________.
A. the unique (独特的) style of the first woman to win the Oscar for best direction
B. what makes Bigelow different from other female director
C. the award-winning film Bigelow made
D. the Hurt Locker beating Avatar at the Oscar
How to Make the Most of Your Time
Time management is important in our daily life. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish all you need to do. Here are some tips that might be of some help to you.
1. Set up a plan. Go for a week at a time, and prioritize the most important ones. Include things you want to accomplish. Focus (关注) mostly on the things that are important to you.
2. Control your stress. No matter what kind of pressure mounts on you, try to keep cool. Stressing-out can lead to an early breakdown , which is definitely counter-productive (事与愿违) when you have a list of things to do. It’s easier to take a 10-minute break and cool off than work all week with built up stress.
3. Shut your door. When working under a schedule, perform your important tasks with your door shut to get them done. This will ensure a better quality time to get what needs to be done.
4. Focus on one thing at a time. Forget trying to multi-task! You will lose concentration and it will take you longer to accomplish what you set out to do.
5. Just say “no”. If you are constantly interrupted, and you really don’t have the time to help out, just say “no”. You’re only one person, and you can’t save the world by yourself!
6. Stop wasting time on the phone. While talking on the phone, keep your conversations short, and to the point and you’ll waste much less time.
7. Be realistic. You can only do what you can do. Don’t set out to accomplish the impossible. Do your best, but keep realistic expectations of yourself.
8. Relax. The most important thing is remember to take time to relax, and regroup. You need a break every now and then to keep working efficiently. Even if it’s a 10-minute walk, get away from your list and get refreshed.
As families today get busier and busier, it’s important to your own mental health to keep things on track. Don’t delay; get your life on order now.
48. What does the underlined word “prioritize” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. choose something by thinking carefully.
B. recognize the difference between things.
C. put many things in order of importance
D. get rid of something that is unwanted
We should avoid stressing out because ________________.
A. it may cause us to fail to work efficiently
B. it may limit the speed to get things done
C. we don’t have enough energy to keep working
D. we are supposed to have a break while working
50. Which statement would the author agree to?
A. Try multi-tasks, and we can get more done.
B. It is impolite to refuse to help others at work.
C. Having breaks regularly may delay our tasks.
D. It is wise to be aware of what we can achieve.
51. By writing the text, the author would like to _______________.
A. ask readers to share their time management skills.
B. offer some advice on how to make full use of time
C. invite readers to discuss how to improve life quality
D. persuade readers to spend less time on daily routine
Women Can’t Keep a Secret
The average woman cannot keep a secret for longer than 47 hours, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that women are overcome by a burning desire to share gossip as soon as they hear it. They will typically spill the beans to at least one other person in 47 hours and 15 minutes.
Depending on who the gossip is about, their boyfriend, husband, best friend or mother are most likely to be the initial recipients (接收者) of the information.
The study of 3,000 women aged between 18 and 65 also found that four out of ten admitted they were unable to keep a secret—no matter how personal or confidential the news was.
The study found the nation’s ladies hear three pieces of gossip a week, but end up passing it on to at least one other person.
Three in 10 admitted having the urge to reveal someone’s secret. However, two thirds end up feeling guilty after passing on secrets.
Three quarters say they are capable of keeping quiet about a secret, and 83 per cent consider themselves 100 per cent trustworthy within each group of friends. Yet, four in ten admit to gossiping to a close friend from another friendship group.
More than four in ten think it is acceptable to share a friend’s secret with someone who does not know them, with over 40 per cent saying their husband is their final one they share secrets with.
Fortunately for some though, over a quarter (27 per cent) said they forgot what they were told the following day.
44. How long can women keep a secret?
A. At least two days B. Longer than two days. C. Two days. D. 47 hours and 15 minutes
45. Women will share gossip with all the following except________.
A. their boyfriend or husband B. their best friend
C. their brother or sister D. their mother
46. According to the study, ________ women were unable to keep a secret.
A. 1,200 B.1,800 C. 2, 400 D. 3,000
47. Which of the following is true?
A. Most women are not trustworthy
B. More than forty per cent tell secrets to their husband.
C. Few women feel guilty after passing on secrets.
D. Over a quarter think it is acceptable to share gossip.
WE NEED OFFICE CLEANERS!
Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area. Working hours from 5:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. About five hours per shift (轮班). A good record is necessary. Experience preferred. Phone 6345-7843 now.
INTERESTED IN CHILDCARE?
Qualified person or preschool teacher needed for busy childcare centre, south of the river. Full-time work guaranteed. Immediate start necessary. The candidate must be able to work as a cooperative team member. Phone 6345-2345 for an interview and fax resume to 6345-2345.
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 Schemas. You must be able to get along well with children because the 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(花匠) 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!
40. You may most probably find the above advertisements ________.
A. in a store window B. in a school magazine
C. in a newspaper D. on a company notice-board
41. The position of a(n)_______is a part-time job.
A. florist B. artist C. preschool teacher D. dental nurse
42. 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 members.
43. The office cleaners will be required to work about ______hours a week.
A. 5 B. 10C. 15 D.20
第二部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
Vingo sat in front of three men and three women. One of the women sat beside him and introduced herself. “We’re going to Florida,” she said brightly. “What some wine?” He smiled and thanked her.
“Are you married”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” She said.
“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said. “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, or if it hurt her too much, well, she could forget me. Get a new guy, I said—she’s a wonderful woman. I told her she didn’t have to write to me. And she didn’t. Not for three and a half years.”
“And you’re going home now?”
“Yeah,” he said shyly. “Well, last week, I wrote to her again. We used to live in Brunswick, and there’s an oak tree(橡树) just as you come into town. I told her that if she didn’t have a new guy and if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I ‘d get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it ---no handkerchief, and I’d go on through.”
Now Brunswick was 20 miles, 10 miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances of joy—they saw the oak tree covered with yellow handkerchiefs—20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a flag of welcome billowing (飘扬) in the wind.
36. Where did the conservation between Vingo and the woman probably happen?
A. On a bus B. In a coffee shop. C. On a plane. D. In a prison.
37. How long hadn’t Vingo and his wife live together?
A. Only one year. B. About ten years. C. About seven years D. Nearly four years
38. When Vingo was in prison, his wife ___________.
A. often wrote to him B. married another man
C. still loved him as before D. taught the kids at home
39. According to the young people, the handkerchiefs on the oak tree were ______.
A. flags of honesty B. flags of happiness C. a sign of freedom D. a sign of wisdom