“ON a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?”
Baymax, the plus-sized white robot, asks the question each time he detects (探测到) his patient’s pain. Considering that he is hardly like a typical Marvel superhero, how could this robotic caregiver from Big Hero 6 have stolen viewers’ hearts and taken home this year’s best animation Oscar?
Set in fictional San Fransokyo, the film follows Hiro, a 14-year-old robotics genius (天才). After his brother dies, he goes on a journey to save his city from an evil masked man with his brother’s invention, Baymax.
Baymax was named “Disney’s most straightforwardly adorable (萌的) character” in years by The Telegraph. He has a pure white pear-shaped body and stumpy elephant legs. And his eyes –just two black dots with a line through them – can blink (眨眼) quickly or slowly. Baymax’s physical appearance “works with his personality because he’s purely good and naive (天真的),” co-director Don Hall told The Hollywood Reporter.
Sometimes Baymax is awkward. Moving in tight spaces gets challenging with his potbelly (大肚子). And when his batteries run low, he behaves like an amusing drunk. “This means that he is not at all intimidating (令人生畏的) and is easy to like,” commented The Straits Times in Singapore.
Baymax is a comforting friend, the kind that perhaps everyone needs.
After he diagnoses (诊断) Hiro with feeling sorrow, he says: “Physical comfort helps too,” and pulls Hiro into a hug. He pats his head, saying: “There, there.”
The team’s car crashes into the water at one point, and they have to walk shivering (颤抖) back home. Baymax notices that everyone’s body temperatures are low, so he turns on his internal heaters. Everyone cuddles (依偎) up with him. “This is like spooning (拥抱) with a warm marshmallow (棉花糖),” says Fred, one of the characters.
One minute, he is used as a bouncy castle (充气城堡), and the next he transforms into a superhero.
To fight against the villain, Hiro upgrades Baymax so that the robot can attack and fly. The robot has a hard time figuring out these new skills, but after he realizes that Hiro is happy with his improvement, he immediately becomes an expert. “The treatment is working,” he says.
Tencent Entertainment calls the amazing Baymax a “perfect companion”. “He is quiet, clumsy, and adorable. But at important times, he steps up and stops at nothing to protect his friends from harm, even if it means that he has to sacrifice his life. This is an idealized (理想化的) relationship in harsh reality,” the site commented.What does Baymax do when he discovers Hiro is sad?
| A．He tries to amuse him by behaving awkwardly. |
| B．He leaves him alone. |
| C．He comforts him with a hug. |
| D．He advises him to go for a walk. |
Which of the following adjectives best describe Baymax?
| A．Considerate and selfless. |
| B．Adorable and humorous. |
| C．Clumsy and cautious. |
| D．Brave and proud. |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．The plot and background of the movie Big Hero 6. |
| B．The friendship between Hiro and Baymax in Big Hero 6. |
| C．The reasons for the popularity of Baymax from Big Hero 6. |
| D．What sets Big Hero 6 apart from other animation movies. |
Which of the following is TRUE about Baymax?
| A．Baymax’s awkwardness actually makes him more adorable and popular. |
| B．Baymax was invented by Hiro, a robotics genius. |
| C．Baymax’s physical appearance doesn’t quite match his personality. |
| D．Baymax looks like a typical Marvel superhero. |
Hee-haw! Scores of farms across the country are opening up to overnight guests. The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn ----- plus here a moo, there a moo.
Sure, you and your kids plan to conquer the theme parks. In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation.
LIBERTY HILL FARM
Rochester, Vt.; 802/767-3926; www.libertyhillfarm.com. Adults$75, teens $50,kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths.
Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook. You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough（生面团） for a pie. Bob’s busy with other work. Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs. Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 a.m. to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season.
HULL-O FARM
Durham, N.Y.; 518/239-6950; www.hull-o.com; Adults $110, kids 10—14 $60, 5—9 $50, 2—4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths.
It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices. But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it. As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch（入口处）of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar. Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride（乘坐装满干草的牛车出游）.
MERAMEC FARM CABINS
Bourbon, Mo.; 573/732-4765; http://www.wine-mo.com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person. Trail and riding fees extra.
Climb onto the back of the Ford pickup and catch up with the herd. One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back. At the barn（牲口棚）, Carol will introduce you to the horses ---15 Missouri Fox Trotters --- and lead you on a trail ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims. Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river. When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants or wineries（酿酒厂）, within 20 miles of the farm.The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that ___________.
| A．you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant |
| B．some farm provide country experiences as well as good accommodations |
| C．farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals |
| D．if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm |
We can learn from the three ads that _____________.
| A．Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors |
| B．Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook |
| C．kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm |
| D．you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm |
The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?
| A．$175. | B．$220. | C．$235. | D．$250. |
Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?
| A．Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks. |
| B．People who expect to be employed on the farm. |
| C．Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms. |
| D．Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms. |
Justin’s bedroom was so full of flat bicycle tires, bent tennis rackets, deflated（瘪掉的）basketballs, and games with missing pieces that you could barely get in the door. His parents pleaded with him to clean out his room.
“What use is a fish tank with a hole in the bottom?” his father asked. But Justin simply smiled and repeated his motto, “Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy.”
When Justin was away from home, he always carried his blue backpack--a smaller version of his bedroom--a place to store the many objects that he collected. It was so worn and stretched that it hardly resembled a backpack anymore.
Justin had earned a reputation for figuring things out and getting people out of otherwise hopeless situations. Many of his classmates and neighbors sought him out when they needed help with a problem. On the first day of school, his friend Kenny, came looking for Justin.
“Do you think you have something in your bag that could help me remember my locker combination?” he asked. “I lost the piece of paper it was written on. I have a science class in two minutes and if I'm late on the first day it’ll make me look bad for the rest of the year.” Kenny looked really worried.
“Relax,” Justin said, taking his backpack off and unzipping the top. “Remember how you borrowed my notebook in homeroom to write the combination down? Well, I know how we can recover what you wrote.”
He took the notebook and a soft lead pencil out of his bag. The page that Kenny had written on had left faint marks on another page in the notebook. Justin held the pencil on its side and rubbed it lightly over the marks. Slowly but surely the numbers of the locker combination appeared in white, set off by the gray pencil rubbings.
“That's amazing!” Kenny said. “I owe you one.” And he dashed off to open his locker.
It was just another day in the life of the boy whose motto was “Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy.”Why is Justin's room such a mess? WWW.K**S*858$$U.COM
| A．He always forgets to clean it. | B．He shares the room with his brother. |
| C．He has no time to clean it. | D．He never throws anything away. |
In what way is Justin’s backpack a smaller version of his bedroom?
| A．He uses it as a place to store objects. |
| B．He uses it to carry his books and sports equipment. |
| C．His parents tell him to clean it all the time. |
| D．He's had it for as long as he can remember. |
The underlined phrase "pleaded with" means
| A．ignored | B．asked | C．pushed | D．Ordered |
How does Kenny feel toward Justin?
| A．Annoyed. | B．Disinterested. | C．Grateful. | D．Angry. |
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (愤慨地说出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.
| A．his father had a terrible accident |
| B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
| C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
| D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
| A．Because he didn’t go along with his father. |
| B．Because he was rude to his father that morning. |
| C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident. |
| D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital. |
The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.
| A．he had a poor memory |
| B．he didn’t want to forgive his son |
| C．he just wanted to comfort his son |
| D．he lost his memory after the accident |
What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
| A．Don’t treat your parents badly. |
| B．Don’t hurt others with rude words. |
| C．Don’t move the injured in an accident. |
| D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things. |
Books for Children
| Fleabag and the Ring's EndBeth Webb More stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back07459 44116, ￡3.99 |
The little White HouseElizabeth GoudgeA fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal.Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back07459 45783, ￡4.99 |
| My Very First Christmas BookLois Rock and Alec AyliffeA big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children.Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board07459 40560, ￡4.99 |
First Festival: ChristmasLois RockAn all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs.Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback07459 39074, ￡8.99 |
| Star of WonderPat AlexanderA wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy.Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback07459 39323, ￡4.99 |
The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem（伯利恒）and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback.07459 38922, ￡8.99 |
If you want to make a Christmas plan together with your children, which book do you prefer？
| A．Star of Wonder | B．The Not-So-Wise Man |
| C．First Festival: Christmas | D．My Very First Christmas Book |
Which number would you dial if you want to order a book for your 2-year-old child?
| A．07459 40560. | B．07459 38922. |
C．07459 45783. | D．07459 44116. |
If your child wants to read stories of animals, whose book will be your choice?
| A．Pat Alexander. | B．Beth Webb. |
| C．Lois Rock. | D．Elizabeth Goudge. |
In Britain today, is it possible to tell a person’s class just by looking at him? Physical details alone tell us about health, diet and the type of work a person does. A hundred years ago the working class often looked unhealthy, small and they were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often tall, sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy. Today living and working conditions have improved, and such descriptions are no longer true. People are taller now than a hundred years ago. Everyone in Britain today is able to have free medicine, a good diet, acceptable working conditions and enough rest and leisure. WWW.K**S*858$$U.COM
The clothes people choose to wear, however, do provide information about their backgrounds. Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer is rich. Clothes can provide other clues as well. The upper classes appear to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colours, made of natural material like wool, leather and cotton. Lower working-class people often choose clothes in bright colours, made of man-made materials. A sociological explanation for this would be that colour and interest are missing from their lives, and therefore any opportunity to produce this is taken.
Clothes are available at a price within most people’s reach. New clothes make the wearer feel good and show some degree of wealth to the outside world. Today it is the younger people who spend most money on clothes. Fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. Young people from all social classes spend a lot of money on clothes. Some new fashions are started by working-class people who want to look different and feel important. They want people WWW.K**S*858$$U.COMto look at them. In the past, a person’s appearance could not tell other people about his ________.
| A．health | B．diet | C．occupation (职业) | D．habits |
The clothes people choose to wear tell us about their ________.
| A．education | B．richness | C．backgrounds | D．hobby |
A working-class person may start a new fashion because ________.
| A．she wants to draw the attention of other people |
| B．she wants to look different and healthy |
| C．she wants to show their wealth |
| D．she wants to show their taste |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Expensive clothes look expensive and show the wearer is rich. |
| B．Working-class people prefer clothes in bright colours because they lack colour in their lives. |
| C．Today, it is still the upper class people who spend most money on clothes. |
| D．Today, fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. |