The BBC was founded in 1922, including radio and television services. It is based at Broadcasting House in London.
The BBC is controlled by some governors chosen by the government, but these people have complete freedom and the government can’t interfere. That is to say, the BBC is not the voice of the government. It has to be as fair as possible in giving radio and television time to, for example, political parties and religious groups.
There is a kind of interesting services in Britain--- rental services. Many people prefer to rent their television sets instead of buying them.
The rent for a black-white set is about 80 pence a week (in 1980). The rent of a color set is more than twice that of a black-white set. If the sets go wrong, people can have them mended free of charge or replaced at once.
Everyone who owns or rents a television set has to pay a yearly license. There is no advertising on BBC radio or television. It is from the sale of license that the BBC gets most of its money. A license for a black-white set cost 8 pounds, and for a color set 18 pounds a year.
There are four specialized radio channels, which broadcast different kinds of programs. Radio 1 is mainly pop music. Radio 2 is about light music, sports and other programs. Radio 3 broadcasts serious music, talks on serious subjects, etc. news broadcasts are mainly given by radio 4.
There are special programs for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and certain parts of England. It also broadcasts programs about Britain--- in many different languages as well as in English to all parts of the world. The officials in charge of the BBC _________________.
| A．must stay what the government wants to say |
| B．should give more time to political parties than to religious groups |
| C．are elected by the citizens from all over the country |
| D．can decide things without the permission for the government |
How does the BBC get most of its money?
| A．It gets money from all kinds of advertisements |
| B．The BBC depends on the rent of TV sets |
| C．The BBC gets money by mending TV sets that have gone wrong |
| D．It gets its money mainly by selling license |
If he wants to watch TV at home, everyone____________.
| A．has to buy a television set of his own |
| B．must rent a TV set |
| C．has to buy a license once a year |
| D．can change his broken TV set for a new one without pay |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The BBC radio services includes 4 radio channels. |
| B．The BBC broadcasts to foreign countries only in English. |
| C．The programs of the four radio channels are not the same. |
| D．The BBC special programs are not only for foreign countries but also for different areas in its own country. |
More than anything else in the world, Lion liked being King of the jungle. He walked around, showing off his power and pride.
Each day Lion took a long lazy sleep under the shade of his favourite tree. He always dreamed of weaker animals bowing(鞠躬) before him.
One day Mouse ran through the jungle and tripped over Lion’s huge paws. Lion woke up with a start.“How dare you wake me up!”he shouted angrily. Lion grabbed(抓住) Mouse with one paw.“On the second thought, I’m in the mood for the snack, and you’ll make a delicious meal.”he said.
Mouse cried out,“King Lion, please spare（饶恕） me! If you let me live, I’ll always remember your kindness. And, some day, I might be able to help you.”
“How could such a powerless little mouse ever help me?”That thought made Lion laugh so much that he decided to let Mouse go. A week later, Lion was walking through the jungle on the way to his favourite tree when he stepped onto a hunter’s net. The net scooped him up. No matter how he twisted (扭动) and turned, he couldn’t escape.
When Mouse heard Lion’s frightened shouts, he raced to help. Mouse quickly chewed（咬）through the ropes to make a hole in the net. Soon, Lion moved out and was free. Lion looked down at the little mouse.“Thank you for saving my life,”said Lion, smiling his widest smile. “I was mistaken. You are not a powerless little mouse. You are a great friend!”What did Lion do each day?
| A．He stepped onto a hunter’s net. |
| B．He bowed before weaker animals. |
| C．He showed kindness to animals in the jungle. |
| D．He had a good sleep under his favourite tree. |
. How did Mouse wake up Lion?
| A．He made a hole in the net. |
| B．He shouted at Lion angrily. |
| C．He tripped over Lion’s paws. |
| D．He prepared a delicious meal for Lion. |
Why did Lion let Mouse go?
| A．Because he was trapped in the net. |
| B．Because he took Mouse as his good friend. |
| C．Because he believed Mouse could save him. |
| D．Because he doubted if Mouse could be of any help. |
What do you think of Mouse?
| A．Clever and honest. | B．Silly and lazy |
| C．Humorous and stubborn | D．Proud and selfish. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Pride makes you lose what you have. |
| B．Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. |
| C．Even the small can show great strength. |
| D．When the cat’s away, the mice will play. |
阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容，注意：每个空格只填1个单词
Hey! Mother's Day is coming. Have you planned something good for your mom? If not, try one of these tips.
What's Her Favorite?
Most teens don't know what their mom's favorite is. You do? Then, what are you waiting for? Buy her something she likes and wrap it carefully. The best time to give her that is while she is sleeping at night. Put it on the drawer next to her so that when she wakes up she'll be surprised to see it.
Treat a Queen
Your house is a palace with a king and queen (it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor). Our mother is the real queen in our life and in our family though her duties make her look like she is not. Give the lady a day off and you can do the housework.
Because of stress and the problems that she is facing right now, she doesn't look good any more. Perhaps you could take some of your savings to treat her in a salon or the department store. Then, choose nice clothes that would make her look beautiful!
Have Some of Your Time
Our mothers have special memories in mind. It is the time that they gave birth to their healthy baby. How about you? What's your best moment with her? Have you ever had a good time with your mother not talking about your problems and arguments? Have you ever told her how much you thank her for the life she gave to you, the time she cared for you? Maybe you can tell her how happy you are when she was there looking after you during your painful days in your life.
Tell the magic words
Life is short. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Those three words can make her heart jump for joy, you know? Just tell her “I love you!” and it would make her smile so sweetly. Just try! We don't want to miss a thing, right?
| Tips on |
|
| Buy a |
Buy her something that she Put it on a drawer next to her to give her a |
| Treat your mother as a queen |
Do the housework instead of her to make her Buy her nice clothes to make her |
| Have some of your time |
Remind her of your best moment with her. Don’t Tell her you were so happy when she |
| Tell the magic words |
Tell her “I love you!” to make her heart jump for Just have a |
British people are famous for drinking tea. But brother and sister, Sarah and Bobby Green, became young millionaires when they opened a chain of American-style coffee shops in the UK.
Having the idea: It started when Sarah took a weekend trip to New York to visit her brother Bobby. One evening, in a Thai restaurant, Sarah told Bobby how much she wished she could buy American-style coffee in London. Bobby suggested they started their own coffee shop. Sarah fell in love with the idea.
Doing the Research: Back in London, she spent a whole day on the London subway, getting off the train at different stations to taste the coffee. “It was terrible, and I knew there was a gap (空缺) in the market.” In 1995, they opened their first Coffee Republic shop in central London.
Making it work: The first year was very difficult. British people were not used to the names of American coffees, like latte and macchiato. But being successful was their dream and they were not going to give up. Today, there are over 100 Coffee Republic shops all over the country and the company has ￡30 million a year.
Advice for others: Sarah has now written a best-selling book about their experience, called Anyone Can Do It! She hopes it will help other young people to start their own businesses. She says, “If you think you have the energy, then get out and follow your dream.”What kind of company do they run?
| A．A fast-food restaurant. | B．A tea shop. |
| C．A coffee shop. | D．A big hotel. |
Where are their Coffee Republic shops?
| A．All over the UK. | B．All over the US. |
| C．In central London. | D．In New York. |
Which of the following information is mentioned(提到) in the passage?
| A．Sarah was not interested in Bobby’s idea. |
| B．British people never drank coffee before 1995. |
| C．Sarah’s best-selling book is about how to make coffee. |
| D．Sarah found a business chance while doing the research. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Sarah’s life. |
| B．Sarah’s weekend trip. |
| C．The American-style coffee. |
| D．The success of a family business. |
Where may this passage come from?
| A．In a film. |
| B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a sports magazine. |
| D．In a novel. |
Now the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
( MUSIC)
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. When they are red-hot, they are very angry about something. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say such music is red-hot.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The blues music in the United States is the opposite of red-hot music. Blues is slow and sad. Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in the stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back of the paper money.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day.
(MUSIC)
I’m Warren Scheer. Listen again next week for another Words and Their Stories program in Special English on the Voice of America.We say you are in the pink when you are _______________.
| A．very sad | B．very happy |
| C．in good health | D．feeling well |
What does the word “ upset” mean ?
| A．happy | B．sad |
| C．satisfied | D．active |
We describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a __________ day.
| A．red | B．green |
| C．pink | D．black |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People in the USA use black to express heat. |
| B．If you are blue, you are very happy. |
| C．Green is a natural color for humans. |
| D．If you have a sick feeling in the stomach, you feel a little green. |
What is this passage probably written for?
| A．A radio program. | B．A news report. |
| C．A telephone call. | D．A TV play. |
My favourite great book is The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain．Tom lives with his aunt Polly in a quiet street of St. Petersburg, Missouri．He’s a lively and clever young boy，and he finds himself in many exciting adventures(冒险)．He runs away with his two friends，Huck Finn and Joe，to an island in the middle of the Mississippi River for several days．With Huck he goes looking for treasure, with Becky he gets lost in a cave．and finally，they find a box of gold．
My favourite scene in the book is when everyone thinks Tom is dead．He decides to go to his own funeral．He hides and watches for a time, and then suddenly he appears. Everyone is surprised to see him but they’re also pleased to see him alive．
Tom is the hero of the story，but there are other important characters．Huck is an outsider and everyone is afraid of him．Becky is pretty with fair hair，Joe is Tom’s best friend．and Injun Joe is the bad man of the story.
The theme of the story is about children growing up．It describes how strangers are seen in small towns of America. Finally, it talks about freedom，social rules and how people are punished(惩罚)for bad behaviour.
Why do I think The Adventure of Tom Sawyer is a great book? Mark Twain wrote the story in 1876，but it's still read and loved by people all over the world today．And although it’s only a story. Twain wrote it in the everyday English of the southern states of America in the 19th century，so it sounds very real. Today it’s thought to be one of the greatest books in American literature. Go on--- read it! I know you’ll enjoy it，too.Who is the bad man in the story?
| A．Huck Finn． | B．Injun Joe． |
| C．Becky． | D．Polly． |
How did people feel when Tom appeared at his own funeral ?
| A．They were surprised and pleased． |
| B．They were surprised and sad |
| C．They were worried and excited． |
| D．They were frightened and happy． |
The whole book is mainly about _______ ．
| A．freedom and social rules |
| B．children’s bad behaviour |
| C．the growth of young children |
| D．strangers in American small towns |