There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into(打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.
And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on—the soap opera． British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.
The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world． There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience—but with some drama added． This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.
Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.
The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?
| A．American dramas are longer. |
| B．British soap operas are longer. |
| C．American dramas deal with dangerous things. |
| D．British soap operas deal with real people. |
Why do British people like to watch such operas?
| A．They can find their own life from the operas. |
| B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time. |
| C．They can watch the operas for many years. |
| D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas. |
The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.
| A．plays |
| B．pages |
| C．issues |
| D．parts |
One characteristic of British operas is that ______.
| A．the characters play the same role for a long time. |
| B．the characters in the play often change |
| C．people don’t know what will happen next |
| D．there is only one or two characters in them |
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was badly crippled (跛脚), and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare, I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If ever noticed or bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to walk together—and because of that, we didn’t say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to follow you.”
Our usual walk was to or from the subway, which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and even in bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not. It was a matter of pride for him.
When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk, even with help... Such times my sister or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., on a child’s sleigh to the subway entrance. Once there, he would try to grasp handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home.
When I think of it now, I am surprised at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to suffer from shame and disability. And I am also surprised at how he did it—without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, not did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart”, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know exactly what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been away for many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about my troubles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”.How did the man treat his father when he was young?
| A．He helped his father happily. | B．He never helped his father. |
| C．He helped his father, but not very happily. | D．He only helped his father take a walk after supper. |
As a disabled man, his father____.
| A．didn’t work very hard | B．didn’t go to work from time to time |
| C．hated those who had good fortune | D．was happy and satisfied, and never lost hope |
What does the underlined word “reluctance” mean in the article? It means ____.
| A．anger | B．sadness | C．happiness | D．unwillingness |
How did the father get to work usually?
| A．By subway. | B．By bus. | C．By wheelchair. | D．By bike |
The income gap between China's rural and urban residents(居民) has continued to widen during the past few years in spite of rapidly rising rural incomes, Agricultural Minister Sun Zhengcai said here on Wednesday.
The income ratio(比率) between urban and rural residents was 3.28:1 in 2006, against 3.23:1 in 2003, said Sun in his report on the promotion of building a new countryside in 2007. Sun also said the net income of rural residents in different regions also varied widely. The income gap is only one of several problems in rural areas, according to Sun's report. While listing the achievements in rural areas in recent years, Sun believed that rural development still followed behind urban development.
"We have bigger pressure to ensure the supply of major agricultural products such as grain," he said. "China's urbanization(都市化) has been speeded up and more rural residents have gone to urban areas," he said.
"In this case, more agricultural producers become farm produce consumers, which created more pressure for supply," he said.
Another problem facing China's agricultural development is inadequate application of science and technology.
"Only 30 percent of scientific and technological achievements have been applied to agricultural production, which is 40 percentage points lower than developed countries," he said.
Despite increased government spending in rural areas, the infrastructure(基础下部组织) is still poor and easily hit by disasters.
According to Sun, the government spent 431.8 billion yuan ($59.15 billion) on agriculture, rural areas and farmers this year, an increase of 80.1 billion yuan over the previous year.
China set aside 11.38 billion yuan to promote a new rural cooperative medical care system and 27.98 billion yuan to support the new compulsory education mechanism in rural area to ensure that all citizens shared the fruits of China's reform and opening-up, Sun said.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Because of the rapidly rising rural incomes, the income gap between China's rural and urban residents will disappear this year. |
| B．The net income of rural residents in different regions is the same. |
| C．The government has taken measures to develop the economy in the rural areas. |
| D．Because of the rapidly rising rural incomes, the supply of major agricultural products is enough. |
Can you infer the meaning of the underlined words in paragraph 5?
| A．be made full use of | B．be made little use of | C．be not made full use of | D．be made good use of |
How much is spent on agriculture, rural areas and farmers the previous year?
| A．431.8 billion yuan | B．511.9 billion yuan | C．351.7 billion yuan | D．80.1 billion yuan |
Which is NOT the problem in rural areas?
| A．The income gap | B．The inadequate application of science and technology |
| C．The supply of major agricultural products | D．China's urbanization |
A common misconception (误解) -about scholarships is that they are only available for the smartest students with the highest GPAs. However, this just isn't even close to true. There are scholarships out there for every type of student seeking a college education. Let's take a look at each type a bit more in depth.
Academic Scholarships
Academic scholarships are also often referred to as merit (优点) scholarships, though a merit scholarship can mean anything that has some level of contest to it. These are fox; the students with the 4.0 GPAs, the years as a part of several extracurricular (课外的) activities and the well- rounded applications. They typically have the highest payouts and are considered very well- known as they are often national awards.
Athletic Scholarships
For students with strong academics (学业的) and physical skills, athletic scholarships are the way to go. There is practically a scholarship for every single sport, from volleyball to football; gymnastics to cheerleading. So, if you are good at anything physical, you should definitely pursue an athletic scholarship.
Scholarships for Minorities
There are also many scholarships for minorities available. Some of these are general and for "all minorities as a collective whole, while others are intended for individual ethnic (种族的) groups. It is also a good idea to apply for a minority scholarship if you are part of fully of a certain ethnicity. You will get to represent your culture and possibly win money -- what more could you ask for?
Scholarships for Women
As with the scholarships for minorities above, there are also scholarships specifically for women. Since colleges were dominated (主宰) by men for many years, scholarships have been created for strong, career-minded women that need assistance paying for college expenses. If you are female, it is strongly recommended you pursue a scholarship for women. Moreover, scholarships for women are typically available in just about any field. Be specific! In the author's opinion, ______.
| A．most people are well - informed about scholarships |
| B．most people think scholarships should go to the smartest students |
| C．most people have some misunderstanding about scholarships |
| D．most people deserve scholarships though not having applied for them |
Tom does well in his lessons and is especially good at sports. The best scholarship he can apply for ______.
| A．Academic Scholarships | B．Athletic Scholarships |
| C．Scholarships for Minorities | D．Scholarships for Women |
Alice is an Indian -American. She prefers to study her own culture and something about ethnology (民族学). Then she'd better apply for ______.
| A．Academic Scholarships | B．Athletic Scholarships |
| C．Scholarships for Minorities | D．Scholarships for Women |
How many scholarships are intended for all ethnic students?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Dr. Julie Coulton, a British psychologist, focuses her research on the extraordinary function of the play in the physical and spiritual development of children and Martti Bergson from the University of Helsinki shows that playing outside, in the open air, contributes to a better development of the brain.
Thus parents must encourage their children to spend as much time as possible in the open air, and at the same time, to ask schools and kindergartens to assure the small a playground outside. Recent statistics (数据) and studies show an alarming increase of the number of hours spent by children in front of the TV and the computer and a decrease of the time spent outside.
As a consequence more and more children suffer from eye problems and have to wear glasses. Also the problem of fatness among children concerns many parents who don't know what to do anymore to make their children eat healthy and balanced.
Children need a space where to develop their creativity mid parents should encourage them all the time. Too many rules hold back the child's personality and creativity and prevent them to develop the desire to know, to find out, to learn.
If you tell your child so many times: "Don't do that, don't mess the room, don't go there ...", he will lose the desire to do something, anything. Parents must watch their children without suffocating (窒息) them. Should you consider they mustn't do that or this, you have to logically explain them your reasons and they will understand.
Through playing a child learns how to communicate, how to take decisions. Playing is connected to the intellectual, emotional and social progress of the child. Playing lets your children learn how to express his feelings.What is worrying the scientists is that ______.
| A．most parents pay no attention to their children's playing |
| B．most schools and kindergartens have no playgrounds |
| C．most parents encourage their children to watch TV or go surfing |
| D．most children spend more time on TV or tile Internet than on playing outside |
Children who watch TV or surf the Internet too much may suffer all the following EXCEPT .
| A．eye problems | B．weight problems |
| C．lack of creativity | D．lack of interest in their lessons |
The author advises us ______.
| A．to allow children to do whatever we want them to do |
| B．never to forbid children to do anything they want to do |
| C．to explain why when you don't let children do something |
| D．to watch children playing anytime to ensure their safety |
Which would be a best title for this passage?
| A．How to develop the brain of your children better |
| B．Playing is good for your children in many aspects |
| C．Teaching your children what and how to play |
| D．Don't forbid your children to do anything |
Shanghai-More Shanghai people are renting cars to travel over the coming National Day holiday, Tom reported today.
Most cars in large local car-rental companies such as Yongda, Anji and Dazhong are leased（出租）so far with the Buick Sport Utility Vehichle (SUV) in high demand.
Santana and Jetta were previously the most popular car models rented by Shanghai people for travel, while the high-end Buick models have generated great interest among locals renting cars these years. However, the rent on a Buick GL or GS model is between 650 yuan and 750 yuan a day, nearly double those of the Santana and Jetta cars.
Compared with Santana, Buick looks better, has greater capabilities and is safer and more comfortable, said a car leaser. “I don’t mind paying a higher cost for a Buick to enjoy the holiday,” he said.
SUV cars are very popular in the car renting market, according to some car rental firms.
“All the 31 Buick GL8SUV cars were leased out several days ago,” said an employee with the Shanghai Yongda Car Rental Co.
Local people are more inclined (倾向于) to go travel with groups of friends, so SUV cars are a better choice, said an industry analyst (分析家). Moreover, SUV car are safer on rugged and rough roads, the analyst said.
According to the data, most people rented cars for seven days; a less number rented them for two or three days.What’s the best title for the passage ?
| A．How Shanghai People Spend Their Holidays |
| B．Why So Many Shanghai People Rented Cars for Holidays |
| C．More Shanghai Rent Cars for Holidays |
| D．Shanghai Rent SUV Instead of Santana and Jetta |
According to the passage we can see SUV is ________.
| A．the name of a car-rental company | B． the name of an expensive car |
| C．the name of an ordinary car | D． the place for the holiday |
At present for how much money can you rent a Santana or Jetta for a day ?
| A．Between 650 yuan and 750 yuan. | B． Between 350 yuan and 380 yuan. |
| C． About 450 yuan. | D． Less than 300 yuan. |
Why do many people choose SUV cars for their holidays ?
| A．Because they are cheaper. |
| B．Because they are convenient on rugged and rough roads. |
| C．Only because they can run on bugged and tough roads. |
| D．Because no Santana and Jetta can be rented now. |