The thing is，my luck’s always been ruined. Just look at my name: Jean.Not Jean Marie，or Jeanine，or Jeanette，or even Jeanne.Just Jean.Did you know in France，they name boys Jean? It’s French for John.And okay，I don’t live in France.But still，I’m basically a girl named John.If I lived in France，anyway.
This is the kind of luck I’ve had since before Mom even filled out my birth certificate.So it wasn’t any big surprise to me when the cab driver didn’t help me with my suitcase.I’d already had to tolerate arriving at the airport to find no one there to greet me，and then got no answer to my many phone calls，asking where my aunt and uncle were.Did they not want me after all? Had they changed their minds? Had they heard about my bad luck—all the way from Iowa—and decided they didn’t want any of it to rub off on them?
So when the cab driver，instead of getting out and helping me with my bags，just pushed a little button so that the trunk (汽车后备箱) popped open a few inches，it wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to me.It wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened to me that day.
According to my mom，most brownstones in New York City were originally single-family homes when they were built way back in the 1800s.But now they’ve been divided up into apartments，so that there’s one—or sometimes even two or more families—per floor.
Not Mom’s sister Evelyn’s brownstone，though.Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted Gardiner own all four floors of their brownstone.That’s practically one floor per person，since Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted only have three kids，my cousins Tory，Teddy，and Alice.
Back home，we just have two floors，but there are seven people living on them.And only one bathroom.Not that I’m complaining.Still，ever since my sister Courtney discovered blow-outs，it’s been pretty frightful at home.
But as tall as my aunt and uncle’s house was，it was really narrow—just three windows across.Still，it was a very pretty townhouse，painted gray.The door was a bright，cheerful yellow.There were yellow flower boxes along the base of each window，flower boxes from which bright red—and obviously newly planted，since it was only the middle of April，and not quite warm enough for them.
It was nice to know that，even in a sophisticated (世故的) city like New York，people still realized how homey and welcoming a box of flowers could be.The sight of those flowers cheered me up a little.
Like maybe Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Ted just forgot I was arriving today，and hadn’t deliberately failed to meet me at the airport because they’d changed their minds about letting me come to stay.
Like everything was going to be all right，after all.
Yeah.With my luck，probably not.
I started up the steps to the front door of 326 East Sixty-Ninth Street，then realized I couldn’t make it with both bags and my violin.Leaving one bag on the sidewalk，I dragged the other up the steps with me.Maybe I took the steps a little too fast，since I nearly tripped and fell flat on my face on the sidewalk.I managed to catch myself at the last moment by grabbing some of the fence the gardeners had put up…Why did the author go to New York?
| A．She intended to go sightseeing there. |
| B．She meant to stay with her aunt’s family. |
| C．She was homeless and adopted by her aunt. |
| D．She wanted to try her luck and find a job there. |
According to the author，some facts account for her bad luck EXCEPT that ________.
| A．she was given a boy’s name in French |
| B．the cab driver didn’t help her with her bags |
| C．her sister Courtney discovered blow-outs |
| D．nobody had come to meet her at the airport |
The underlined phrase “rub off on” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.
| A．have an effect on |
| B．play tricks on |
| C．put pressure on |
| D．throw doubt on |
From the passage，we can know that _________.
| A．the author left home without informing her mother |
| B．the author arrived in New York in a very warm season |
| C．her aunt’s family lived a much better life than her own |
| D．her aunt and uncle were likely to forget about her arrival |
C
Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, is more than once described as having “fat little hands.’’ Nor does he “sit well or firmly on the horse.’’ He is said to be “undersized.’’ with“short legs’’ and a “round stomach”. The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy’s description--it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts：other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy’s Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose—and that is the point.
It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three of War and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812,Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar(沙皇), who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry：doesn’t he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. “That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!” he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon “walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly.’’
Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. “He raised his hand to the Russian’s…face,” Tolstoy writes, and “taking him by the ear pulled it gently….” To have one’s ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. “Well, well, why don’t you say anything?’’ said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.
Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own.Tolstoy’s description of Napoleon in War and Peace is _________.
| A．far from the historical facts | B．based on the Russian history |
| C．based on his selection of facts | D．not related to historical details |
Napoleon was angry when receiving the Russian representative because _________.
| A．he thought he should be the one to make the peace terms |
| B．the Tsar's peace terms were hard to accept |
| C．the Russians stopped his military movement |
| D．he didn’t have any more army to fight with |
What did Napoleon expect the Russian representative to do?
| A．To walk out of the room in anger. | B．To show agreement with him. |
| C．To say something about the Tsar. | D．To express his admiration. |
Tolstoy intended to present Napoleon as a man who is _________.
| A．ill-mannered in dealing with foreign guests | B．fond of showing off his iron will |
| C．determined in destroying all of Europe | D．crazy for power and respect |
What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
| A．A writer doesn’t have to be faithful to his findings. |
| B．A writer may write about a hero in his own way. |
| C．A writer may not be responsible for what he writes. |
| D．A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings. |
Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you'll hear people say that you can't expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you've got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we're the apple of our parents' eyes, and that our Grandmas think we're great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. but sometimes it's a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind's picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don't allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can't move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you're silly because you aren't good at math, find a tutor. If you think you're weak because you can't run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you're dull because you don't wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn't mean it's true.
The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍) yourself on the back, you'll know you're well on your way. Good luck!
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You need to build a positive self-image when you
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| 2． |
According to the passage, our serf-images
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| 3． |
How should you change your serf-image according to the passage?
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| 4． |
What is the passage mainly about?
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| 5． |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
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Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent—child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue int0 adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means _________.
| A．interest | B．distance | C．difference | D．separation |
Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
| A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities. |
| B．Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities. |
| C．Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs. |
| D．Parents share more interests with their children. |
The change in today’s parent-child relationship is _________.
| A．more confusion among parents | B．new equality between parents and children |
| C．1ess respect for parents from children | |
| D．more strictness and authority on the part of parents |
By saying “today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side.” the author means that today’s parents _________.
| A．follow the trend of the change | B．can set a limit to the change |
| C．fail to take the change seriously | D．have little difficulty adjusting to the change |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with |
| B．discuss the development of the parent—child relationship |
| C．suggest the ways to handle the parent—child relationship |
| D．compare today’s parent—child relationship with that in the past |
James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9. There, a school teacher asked the youth his name.
“J. C.” , he replied.
She thought he had said “Jesse”, and he had a new name.
Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As a second-year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.
A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.
The stage was set for Owens’ victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic (体育的) but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African-American winners.
“It was all right with me,” he said years later. “I didn’t go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway.”
Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone call from the president of his own country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.
Owens’ Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles, and dogs.
“Sure, it bothered (烦扰) me,” he said later. “But at least it was an honest living had to eat.”
In time, however, his gold medals (奖牌) changed his life. “They have kept me alive over the years,” he once said. “Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies hard.”Owens got his other name “Jesse” when _______.
A. he went to Ohio State University
B. his teacher made fun of him
C. his teacher took “J. C.” for “Jesse”
D. he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet In the Big Ten meet, Owens _______.
| A．hurt himself in the back | B．succeeded in setting many records |
| C．tried every sports event but failed | D．had to give up some events |
We can infer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the U.S. at that time because _______.
| A．he was not of the right race | B．he was the son of a poor farmer |
| C．he didn’t shake hands with Hitler | D．he didn’t talk to the US president on the phone |
When Owens says “They have kept me alive over the years”, he means that the medals ________.
| A．have been changed for money to help him live on |
| B．have made him famous in the U.S. |
| C．have encouraged him to overcome difficulties in life |
| D．have kept him busy with all kinds of jobs |
Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
| A．Jesse Owens, a Great American Athlete |
| B．Golden Moment—a Life-time Struggle |
| C．Making a Living as a Sportsman |
| D．How to Be a Successful Athlete |
Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. After her parents divorced, Audrey went to London with her mother where she went to a private girls school. While vacationing with her mother in Holland, Hitler’s army suddenly took over the town. It was here that she fell on hard times during the Nazi occupation. After the liberation, Audrey went to a ballet school in London on a scholarship and later began a modeling career. As a model, she was graceful and, it seemed, she had found her position in life—until the film producers came calling. After being spotted modeling by a producer, she was signed up for a bit part in the European film Nederlands in 7 Lessons in 1984. Later, she headed to America to try her luck there.
Audrey gained immediate prominence (成功) in the U.S. with her role in Roman Holiday in 1953. This film turned out to be a big success as she won an Oscar as Best Actress. This gained her enormous popularity and many more roles. Roman Holiday was followed by another similarly wonderful performance in the 1957 classic Funny Face (1957). In 1959, she received yet another nomination（提名） for her role in Nun’s Story. Audrey reached the top of her career when she played Holly Golightly in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. For this she received another nomination. One of Audrey’s most radiant（辉煌的） roles was in the fine production of My Fair Lady in 1964. Her co-star Rex Harrison once was asked to choose his favorite leading lady. Without hesitation, he replied, “Audrey Hepburn in My Fair lady”.
By the end of the sixties, after her divorce from actor Mel Ferrer, Audrey decided to retire while she was on top. Later she married Dr. Andrea Dotti. In 1988, Audrey became a special ambassador（大使） to the United Nations UNECEF fund helping children in Latin, American and Africa, a position she retained until 1993. Audrey Hepburn died on January 20, 1993 in Switzerland. She had made a total of 31 high quality movies.Where did Audrey Hepburn become famous?
| A．England. | B．America. | C．Switzerland. | D．Belgium. |
We can infer that Audrey Hepburn was ______.
| A．a learned woman | B．satisfied with her marriage |
| C．a woman with sympathy | D．very popular as a model |
Choose the right order about the life of Audrey Hepburn.
a. Audrey began a modeling career.
b. Audrey went to London with her mother.
c. Audrey became popular in the film Roman Holiday.
d. Audrey became a special ambassador to the United Nations UNICEF fund
e. Hitler’s army suddenly took over the town.
f. Audrey married Dr. Audrey Dotti.
| A．a, b, c, d, e, f | B．b, e, a, c, f, d |
| C．c, a, b, f, e, d, | D．b, e, f, c, a, d |
The underlined word “spotted” in the first paragraph can be replaced by ______.
| A．seen | B．shot | C．recognized | D．dropped |