Jane Austen was born in the English countryside more than 200 years ago. She lived a simple life. She seldom travelled. She never married and she died from illness when she was only 41.
However, people all over the world remember her. Why? It is because Jane Austen is the author of some of the best-loved novels in the English language. These novels include Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion.
Jane completed her last novel Persuasion in 1816, but it was not published until after her death. Persuasion is partly based on Jane’s naval brother.
Anne, the daughter of Sir Walter Elliot, falls in love with Captain Wentworth, a person of a lower social position. But she breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. Eight years later, Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain. He finds Anne’s family on the edge of financial ruin. Anne and the captain rediscover their love and get married.
Jane Austen once compared her writing to painting on a little bit of ivory（象牙）, two inches square. Readers of Persuasion will see that neither her skill of delicate, ironic(讽刺的) observations on social custom, love, and marriage nor her ability to apply a sharp focus to English manners and morals has abandoned her in her final finished work.
Persuasion has produced three film adaptations: a 1995 version starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, a 2007 TV miniseries with Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones, and a 1971 miniseries with Ann Firbank and Bryan Marshall.
People who are interested in Jane Austen can still visit many of the places she visited and lived. These places include the village of Steventon, although her family house is now gone. Many of the places Jane visited in Bath are still there. You can visit Jane Austen’s home in Chawton, where she did her best writing, and Winchester, where she died.What is the theme of Persuasion?
| A．Never regret what you’ve chosen. |
| B．True love lasts forever. |
| C．Be matched for marriage. |
| D．Love waits for no man. |
Which of the following CANNOT describe Jane’s writing style?
| A．Her application of symbolism. |
| B．Her delicate observations. |
| C．Her focus on manners and morals. |
| D．Her use of irony. |
Which of the following about Jane Austen is TRUE?
| A．Her family house is now in the village of Steventon. |
| B．Many of the places she visited in Bath are still available. |
| C．The latest film adaptation of Persuasion was produced in 1995. |
| D．Her last novel Persuasion is considered her most successful one. |
The article mainly talks about _______.
| A．Jane Austen’s unique writing style |
| B．the original residence of Jane Austen |
| C．Jane Austen’s last novel: Persuasion |
| D．the popularity of Jane Austen’s novels |
Today, in many high schools, teaching is now a technical miracle of computer labs, digital cameras, DVD players and laptops. Teachers can e-mail parents, post messages for students on online bulletin(公告，告示) boards, and take attendance with a quick movement of a mouse.
Even though we are now living in the digital age, the basic and most important element of education has not changed. Most students still need that one-on-one, teacher-student relationship to learn and to succeed. Teenagers need instruction in English, math or history, but they also want personal advice and encouragement. Kids talk with me about their families, their weekend plans, their favorite TV shows and their relationship problems. In my English and journalism classes, we talk about Shakespeare and persuasive(富有哲理的) essays, but we also discuss college basketball, the war in Iraq and career choices. Students show me pictures of their rebuilt cars, their family vacations, and their newborn baby brothers. This personal connection is the necessary link between teachers and students that no amount of technology can improve upon or replace.
A few years ago I had a student in sophomore English who was struggling with my class and with school in general. Although he was a humorous young man who liked to joke around, I knew his family life was far from ideal. Whenever I approached him about missing homework or low test grades, he always had the same reply, “It doesn't matter because I'm quitting school anyway.” Even though he always said this in a half-teasing way, I knew he needed to hear my different opinion and my “value of a high school education” lecture. He needed to hear this speech from me. After he left my class, he struggled through the next two years of school. But, he did finally graduate because we kept telling him to hang in there. We’d cared about him finishing school.
Recently, I saw this former student working at a local Italian restaurant. I told him again how proud I was of him. He said that he was hoping to go back to school to become a certified electrician. I encouraged him to get that training.
Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process—the human one.The first paragraph mainly talks about _____________.
| A．the variety of modern teaching methods. |
| B．the wide use of modern technology in education |
| C．the importance of teacher-parent relationship. |
| D．the importance of using modern technology. |
The underlined word “ compassionate” in Para 5 means ____________.
| A．ambitious | B．knowledgeable |
| C．sympathetic | D．selfish |
According to the text, the most important element in education is _________.
| A．teachers’ good instruction |
| B．advanced technology |
| C．teachers’ encouragement |
| D．personal connection |
The author states his view of education by __________.
| A．example | B．description | C．figure | D．comparison |
Marjorie Baer used to joke about her retirement plans. She wasn't married and had no kids, but she didn't intend to be alone—she and all her single friends would move into a fictional home she called Casa de Biddies. Instead, Baer developed terminal brain cancer when she was 52. But just as she'd hoped, her friends and family provided her with love and care to the end.
Ballance was only the first of Baer's friends who became her unofficial caregivers. With her brother Phil Baer from Los Angeles, they worked out a system to watch over their friend and allow her to keep some of the privacy and independence she cherished.
Baer's good friend Ruth Henrich took Baer to doctors' appointments and helped her deal with all the aspects of life —answering machines, TV controls, and even phone numbers. After Henrich sent out an e-mail request, a group of volunteers signed up to ferry Baer back and forth to radiation therapy（放疗）. Others in Baer's circle offered up particular talents: A nurse friend helped Baer figure out how to get what she was due from Social Security and her disability insurance; a lawyer pal helped Baer with her will; a partner who was an accountant took over her bills when she could no longer manage them. "There was this odd sense that the right person always showed up," says Ballance. Their arrangement worked remarkably well.
Unmarried women are one of the fastest-growing groups in America; experts are concerned about how care-giving will be managed for them as they age. If the experience of Baer's friends is a guide, the Internet will play a role. It's already making it possible to create communities of caregivers who may have only one thing in common: the person who needs their help. On personal "care pages" set up through services such as Lotsa Helping Hands, friends and family members can post a list of tasks that need to be done, volunteer to do them, and keep updated on the person's condition. As Baer's cancer progressed, for example, her friends set up a page on Yahoo! where people could sign up to deliver meals or do errands（差事）.
Catherine Fox, one of the friends who were present when Baer died, was deeply affected. "It was so comforting to know that if you're willing to ask for help, the generosity of family and friends can be phenomenal（显著的）. It makes me feel secure and hopeful to know that help is there when you need it. "The most appropriate title of this passage should be ______.
| A．On her own, but not alone |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
| C．A new practice of American government |
| D．An impressive advantage of the Internet |
The underlined part in paragraph four suggests that the Internet will ______.
| A．play a role in American future pension system |
| B．provide online medical care for aged unmarried women |
| C．help manage care-giving for unmarried women as they age |
| D．help those aged unmarried women to kill their spare time |
The writer tells us the story of Marjorie Baer for the purpose of ______.
| A．reminding us to be kind and make as many friends as we can |
| B．informing that there will be a new trend of care-giving for the single elderly |
| C．persuading us that we can enjoy our retirement even if we don’t have a child |
| D．introducing the convenience that will be brought by the Internet after we retire |
My mother is the only living person who has never communicated via email or text. She has never turned on a computer, registered an email account, used data storage media or searched the Internet. Since 1955, she has settled in Silicon Valley, married to an extremely technical specialist in applied physics and engineering, designing photometric systems for NASA. Only when Dad suffered from cancer could we convince her she needed a cell phone. Mom’s being separated from the information age is voluntary and deliberate.
Mom is still that farm girl, and she takes the most pride in it. She sees her neighbor and her community “real”. She shows no interest in the digital and virtual life. My mother saw Depression, World War II and the beginning of the Cold War before reaching voting age. She enjoyed country music on “The Sons of the Pioneers”, a Canadian broadcast. The battery was so precious a resource that radio was limited to the barn because Grandma thought it helped cows produce milk. In the age when Churchill moved millions for the first time with radio broadcasts, she only experienced live media monthly, if at all.
In her early twenties, Mom completed nurses’ training and worked in that field before marriage, family and church became her life’s concerns. She never really warmed up to television, though I think she appreciated a few of the series we watched, comedies like All in the Family. Computers, the Internet and mobile apps are simply not part of her experience.
Mom disagrees with the opinion that technology simplifies life. In her life, she sees online records, email and paperless systems as mysteries in which no written reference can assist her.
However, I can partly understand: I like such kind of experience and relationship one has with physical books. I am a child of television who only recently switched to online viewing. I’ve written down my awkward, love-hate relationship with my devices. Mom’s technophobia surely played a role here, but it works for her. She’s happiest as she is.The author’s mother began to use mobile phone when.
| A．she found it hard to contact with her husband |
| B．she settled in Silicon Valley for fifty years |
| C．she got marred to a technical specialist |
| D．her husband suffered from cancer |
What is the author’s mother most proud of according to the passage?
| A．Having so many close neighbors. |
| B．Experiencing too much all her life. |
| C．Living simply and in her own style. |
| D．Being involved in modern technology. |
What is the author’s attitude towards his mother’s such kind of experience?
| A．Critical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Negative. |
It is implied in the underlined sentence that.
| A．the author should make efforts to learn from his mother |
| B．the author prefers watching movies online to watching TV |
| C．Mom’s attitude towards technology has an effect on the author |
| D．Mom should also set down the relationship with physical books |
Many Americans concerned about pollution are demanding cleaner supplies of energy. The demand has resulted in increased research about ethanol fuel. Ethanol is an alcohol that can be mixed with gas. It burns up most of the pollutants in gas. It replaces some of the chemicals that are known to cause cancer, and it can be produced in the United States.
Some experts say that in the future ethanol will replace some of the oil imported into America. Today ethanol is less than one percent of total American fuel supply. The head of the National Corn Growers Association, Kieve Hard, says ethanol will provide twenty-five percent of the fuel supply by 2030. The organization is involved in the production of ethanol because it can be made from corn.
One company in the American Midwest says it is starting to produce ethanol because of demands from people and from the government. The Congress approved the Clean Air Act in 1990. The company says this means the market for ethanol will expand. The company is a major producer of corn starch that can be used to make ethanol.
At Texas A and M University Professor Mark Holzapple produces ethanol from materials found in solid waste. He has developed a way to turn materials like paper into simple sugar. He then uses yeast to turn the sugar into ethanol. Professor Holzapple says two hundred liters of ethanol fuel can be produced from one ton of solid waste.
A professor at the University of Arkansas, John Geddie, is exploring another way to make ethanol. He is using acids on paper material. He says a large factory could produce ethanol from waste paper at a cost about the same as the cost of producing gasoline.
Environmentalists support the use of ethanol because it turns solid waste into a useful product. Professor Holzapple says law makers in industrial nations need to support the development of this clean, less expensive fuel of the future.Why does the interest in ethanol fuel increase in the United States according to the passage?
| A．Ethanol products are known to cause cancer. |
| B．Ethanol can remove some harmful pollutants from gas. |
| C．The production of ethanol is protected by law. |
| D．Ethanol-fueled automobiles are cheaper than gas-fueled ones. |
In this passage, what is the significance of the Clean Air Act passed by American Congress in 1990?
| A．It will increase the consumers’ demand for ethanol as a fuel. |
| B．It may increase the cost of producing gas. |
| C．It reflects the view of the government on automobiles production. |
| D．It limits the ethanol production of one company in the American Midwest. |
The author mentions all of the following resources for making ethanol except____.
| A．corn starch | B．natural gas |
| C．waste paper | D．solid waste |
What does Professor Mark Holzapple think of the development of ethanol in countries?
| A．It needs the cooperation of many chemists. |
| B．It associates with the use of advanced equipment. |
| C．It will improve the use of heat from exhaust gases. |
| D．It requires the support of the government. |
How can you help kids cope with stress? Proper rest and good nutrition can improve coping skills, so can good parenting. Make time for your kids each day. Whether they need to talk with you or just be in the same room with you, make yourself available.
Even as kids get older, quality time is important. It’s really hard for some people to come home after a tiring day of work, get down on the floor, and play with their kids or just talk to them about their day -- especially if they’ve had a stressful day themselves. But expressing interest in your kids shows that they’ re important to you.
Help your child deal with stress by talking about what may be causing it. Together, you can come up with a few solutions. For example, he should cut back on after-school activities, spending more time talking with his parents or teachers, developing an exercise plan or keeping a journal.
You can also help by predicting potentially stressful situations and preparing kids for them. For example, let a child know ahead of time, but not too far ahead of time, that a doctor’s appointment is coming up and talk about what will happen there. Keep in mind, though, that younger kids probably won’t need too much advance preparation. Too much information can cause more stress.
Remember that some level of stress is normal. Let kids know that it’s OK to feel angry, scared, lonely, or anxious and that other people share those feelings, too.
When kids can’t or won’t discuss these problems, try talking about your own concerns. This shows that you’re willing to handle tough topics and are available to talk with when they’re ready. If a child shows symptoms that concern you and is unwilling to talk, consult a counselor or other mental health experts.
Most parents have the skills to cope with their children’s stress. The time to seek professional attention is when any change in behavior continues to exist, when stress is causing serious anxiety, or when the behavior is causing significant problems in functioning at school or at home.What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To share the author’s ideas on proper parenting. |
| B．To persuade parents to spend more time with their kids. |
| C．To advise parents how to help their kids deal with stress. |
| D．To seek different ways to help solve kids’ problems. |
Why do some parents feel it difficult to spare quality time for their kids?
| A．Their kids are growing so fast. |
| B．They have too much housework. |
| C．Their kids are losing interest in them. |
| D．They are tired out after work. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Normal people share the same feelings. |
| B．It is normal for kids to have some stress. |
| C．Kids should get rid of the negative feelings. |
| D．Everybody feels angry, scared, lonely or anxious. |