When asked to list typical English gentlemen,for many,Colin Firth immediately comes to mind.
In his recent film,Kingsman:The Secret Service,the 54-year-old actor appears as elegant and violent super spy Harry Hart.One minute he’s calm and polite,and then in the next he’s skillfully violent and aggressive.For example,in one scene he says,“Manners maketh a man”,before severely beating up a group of villains(坏人).Firth brings out the perfect mix of typical British style and humor through this performance.
Firth began appearing on English TV in the early 1990s,but it wasn’t until he played Mr Darcy,a charming upper class character from Jane Austen’s famous novel“Pride and Prejudice”,that Firth’s career really took off.His portrayal(形象)of the perfect fictional gentleman conquered millions of hearts,especially females’.
In many fans and critics’eyes,Firth has British good looks,British charm,and a gift for characters with a British sense of being reserved(矜持).Movie reviewer Jason O’Bryan described Firth as“always befitting the calm and stiff-upper-lip British gentlemen character”.
However Firth doesn’t consider himself the authority on gentlemen.“I don’t necessarily approach every challenge like a perfect English gentleman spy.There are many aspects in my personality that are not consistent with someone like Harry Hart,”he said to Dialogue,an English—language show on CCTV News.
But let’s just take his words as another gentlemanly quality-modesty.After all,who might expect an Oscar-winning actor over 50 years old to learn to fight for his first action movie?
To prepare for Kingsman,Firth trained for three hours every day over six months.He broke a tooth and got bruised everywhere,but took the damage as a symbol of his accomplishments.
In Dialogue,Firth said he had many other sides-he’s passionate about literature and literary research.However,to many of his movie fans, he is indeed a gentleman and excellent actor above a11 else. The example given in Paragraph 2 is _____________.
A.to describe the character of Harry Hart |
B.to introduce one scene of Kingsman |
C.to prove Colin Firth a gentleman |
D.to compare Colin Firth with Harry Hart |
When did Firth come to be famous?
A.In the early 1990s. |
B.After he played Mr Darcy. |
C.When he was 54 years old. |
D.During his childhood. |
From the text we can infer ______________.
A.Colin Firth is violent and aggressive |
B.Colin Firth has many sides in personality |
C.Colin Firth has similar character to Harry Hart |
D.Colin Firth has more male fans than females |
Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.An authority on English gentlemen |
B.A famous actor |
C.A charming upper class character |
D.A super spy |
Modern man has cleared the forests for farmland and for wood, and has also carelessly burned them. More than that, though, he has also interfered (干涉) with the invisible bonds between the living things in
the forests. There are many examples of this kind of destruction. The harmfulness of man's interference can be seen in what happened many years ago in the forest of the Kaibab plateau (凯亚巴布高原) of northern Arizona. Man tried to improve on the natural web of forest life and destroyed it instead.
The Kaibab had a storybook forest of large sized pine, Douglas fir, white fir, blue and Engelmann spruce. In 1882 a visitor noted," We, who... have wandered through its forests and parks, have come to regard it as
the most enchanting region it has ever been our privilege (特权) to visit." This was also the living place of the Rocky Mountain mule deer. Indians hunted there every autumn to gather meat and skins. The forest also had
mountain lions, timber wolves and bobcats that kept the deer from multiplying too rapidly.
Then, in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt made the Kaibab a national game preserve. Deer hunting was forbidden. Government hunters started killing off the deer's enemies. In 25 years' time, 6,250 mountain lions, wolves and bobcats were killed. Before the program, there were about 4,000 deer in the Kaibab, by 1924, there were about 100,000.
The deer ate every leaf and twig they could reach. But there was not nearly enough food. Hunting of deer was permitted again. This caused a slight decrease in the deer herd (鹿群),but a far greater loss resulted from starvation (饥饿) and disease. Some 60 percent of the deer herd died in two winters. By 1930 the herd had dropped to 20,000 animals. By 1942 it was down to 8,000. The destruction of the environment of the Kaibab resulted from _____.
A.turning the forest into cultivated land |
B.interfering with natural cycle of forest life |
C.forest fires caused by man's carelessness |
D.cutting the trees for building materials |
"Engelmann spruce"(Para. 2) is most likely the name of _____.
A.a tree |
B.an animal |
C.a mountain |
D.a game |
The number of the deer in the Kaibab had increased enormously in _____ years' time.
A.25 |
B.6 |
C.18 |
D.12 |
Years later, large numbers of deer in the Kaibab died mainly because of _____.
A.the cold |
B.the organized kill |
C.the shortage of food |
D.the poor management |
Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include.
" I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open," said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.
The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.
" As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs," said Sam Biddle, who writes for Gizmodo.com. " We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things," he added, "and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars. "
9to5Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones.
"It's just like smartphones 10 years ago," Weintraub said. "A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural," he said. " There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there. " One of the possible functions of the smartphone-like glasses is to ____.
A.program the opening hours of a bar |
B.supply you with a picture of the future |
C.provide information about your surroundings |
D.update the maps and GPS in your smartphones |
The underlined phrase "pop up" in the third paragraph probably means " ____".
A.develop rapidly |
B.get round quickly |
C.appear immediately |
D.go over automatically |
According to Sam Biddle, the smartphone-like glasses are ____.
A.necessary for teenagers |
B.attractive to New Yorkers |
C.available to people worldwide |
D.expensive for average consumers |
We can learn from the last two paragraphs that the smartphone-like glasses ____.
A.may have a potential market |
B.are as common as smartphones |
C.are popular among young adults |
D.will be improved by a new technology |
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, I 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, I 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. |
Why did the author suddenly smile?
A.Because the dentist came at last. |
B.Because she saw a picture on the ceiling. |
C.Because she could relax in the chair. |
D.Because the assistant kept comforting her. |
What did the author learn from her experience most probably?
A.Strike while the iron is hot. |
B.Have a good word for one’s friend. |
C.Put oneself in other’s shoes. |
D.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
The Healthy Habits Survey(调查)shows that only about one third of American seniors have correct habits. Here are some findings and expert advice.
1.How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?
·Finding:A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day.
·Step:Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery-operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day.
2.How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday?
·Finding:Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30%wash their hands only 4 times a day-half of the number doctors recommend.
·Step:We touch our faces around 3,000 times a day-often inviting germs(病菌)to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds.
3. How often do you think about fighting germs?
·Finding:Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should.
·Step:Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge(海绵)that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds. What is found out American seniors?
A.Most of them have good habits. |
B.Nearly 30%of then bathe three days a week. |
C.All of them are fighting germs better than expected . |
D.About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day |
Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands.
A.twice a day |
B.three times a day |
C.four times a day |
D.eight times a day |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.We should keep from touching our faces. |
B.There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth. |
C.A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet. |
D.We should wash our hands before touching a door handle. |
The text probably comes from .
A.a guide book |
B.a popular magazine |
C.a book review |
D.an official document |
Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can
Put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways.
You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less useable fresh water . A major
Part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Driver climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall ,but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live ,but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number .
You can take steps to save water in your home .To start with ,use the same glass for your drinking water all day .Wash it only once a day .Run your dishwasher (洗碗机)only when it is full。Help your parents fix any leaks in your home . You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater ?
A.Using river water . |
B.Throwing batteries away . |
C.paving parking lots . |
D.Throwing rubbish into lakes . |
What can be inferred from the text ?
A.All water shortages are due to human behavior . |
B.It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs . |
C.There is much we can do to reduce family size . |
D.The average family in America makes proper use of water . |
The last paragraph is intended to .
A.show us how to fix leaks at home |
B.tell us how to run a dishwasher |
C.prove what drinking glass is best for us |
D.suggest what we do to save water at home |
The text is mainly about .
A.Why paving roads reduces our water |
B.how much we depend on water to live |
C.why droughts occur more in dry climates |
D.how human activity affects our water supply |