A young woman turns around and around quickly, and jumps high. In the background, a young girl reads a rejection (拒绝) letter from a ballet school. 'You have the wrong body for ballet, 'it says,' and at thirteen, you are too old.' This was one of the most popular advertisements (广告) of 2014 and it describes American Ballet Theatre's principal (主要的) dancer Misty Copeland.
This was not a real letter. But Copeland says it is very similar to letters from her childhood. While many dancers start at the age of three, Copeland only began to study ballet in 1995 as a thirteen﹣year﹣old. People often told her that she was too old, or that she didn't have the perfect body type (She is only 157 cm tall). Her family moved a lot, and it was sometimes difficult for her to attend ballet classes. But Copeland loved dancing and did not want to give up. She stayed with her ballet teacher during the week and spent time with her family only at the weekend. This was a difficult life, but she worked hard and won her first national competition when she was fourteen years old. Copeland joined the American Ballet Theatre in 2000 and performed in many ballets over the next few years. In 2007, she became a solo (单独的) performer, and in 2015 she became its principal dancer.
Copeland is now a dancer, author and Broadway performer. She also stars in the 2015 film A Ballerina's Tale. So what's next? According to Copeland, anything is possible: "My career (职业) really is just now beginning."
(1)How old was Copeland when she became the principal dancer?
A. |
13. |
B. |
14. |
C. |
25. |
D. |
33. |
(2)Why was it difficult for Copeland to attend ballet classes?
A. |
Because her family moved a lot. |
B. |
Because she was not a good dancer. |
C. |
Because she had no invitation letter. |
D. |
Because she had the wrong body type. |
(3)Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. |
Copeland became successful because of the advertisement. |
B. |
Copeland had to spend a lot of time away from her parents. |
C. |
Copeland won her first national competition as a solo performer. |
D. |
Copeland has ended up her career as an actress on Broadway. |
(4)What's the writer's opinion of Copeland?
A. |
Copeland sets an example who never gives up. |
B. |
Copeland was too old to start ballet at thirteen. |
C. |
Copeland has made her achievements by accident. |
D. |
Copeland was lucky to get support from the ballet school. |
Martin Strel is a swimmer,best known for swimming the world's big rivers.He was born in 1954.He taught himself to swim when he was six and became a professional (职业的) swimmer in 1978.Martin holds Guinness World Records for swimming the Danube River,the Mississippi River,the Yangtze River and the Amazon River.
Of all his achievements,the greatest is his Amazon River swim.The Amazon is known as the largest and most dangerous river in the world.Several swimmers had tried to swim it,but all failed.Martin decided to go all out and make history.He wanted to show the world that people could achieve their dreams with hard work and perseverance(毅力).
On April 7th,2007,Martin Strel completed his Amazon River all the way from Atalaya (Peru) to the Atlantic Ocean at Belem (Brazil).He struggled(奋战) with the river for 66 days and swam 3,274 miles in total.He became a worldwide hero.
Many people still cannot believe what he has done so far,so that is why they sometimes describe him as "Fishman","Human Fish" or even "the Craziest Man in the World".
In 2009,American filmmakers produced a documentary(纪录片)called Big River Man.And the book,The Man Who Swam the Amazon,has been sold in many countries.It tells us an inspirational story of perseverance and hard work,which has encouraged many people.
Martin doesn't swim for money.Instead,he swims to teach people about the importance of keeping water clean.
Martin has always bee looking for the challenges (挑战)of the impossible.What is his next?
(1)How did Martin learn to swim when he was little?
A.By watching his partners.
B.By learning from a coach.
C.By teaching himself.
(2)What is Martin's greatest achievement so far?
A.Swimming the Yangtze River.
B.Swimming the Amazon River.
C.Swimming the Mississippi River.
(3)What does the underlined word "inspirational "mean in Paragraph Five?
A.鼓舞人心的.
B.心灰意冷的.
C.栩栩如生的.
(4)According to the text,which is the purpose of Martin swimming the big rivers?
A.To make a lot of money for a good living.
B.To teach people the importance of keeping water clean.
C.To produce exciting documentaries and best﹣selling books.
(5)What can be the best title (标题)of the text?
A.Swim for Fun
B.Challenge the Impossible
C.Fight for Jobs
From an early age,we were taught that if we wanted to be successful,we had to study hard and get good results at school.In fact,good students may just end up doing jobs they don't like,and some even lead an unhappy life.Why is it like that?
In some parents' eyes,school grades matter most for their kids.In reality,there are many things to consider besides the school subjects,for example,how to be a happy person,what to do to keep healthy,and how to get along well with others.That is to say,school is not just enough if you want to have a great life.
Doing well in school is different from doing well in life.Studies show that people who failed at school may not end up failing in life.You may have already known that some famous people,like Thomas Edison and Steve Jobs,didn't do very well at school or even failed to finish school.In fact,there are a lot more than just the big shots who are successful in life without finishing school.They seize (抓住)every chance to learn and finally make it to the top.
Life is really a long lesson,so long that you can't define(界定)a person's success by just one section (部分)of it.If you have already finished school,keep learning because what you have learned at school will never be enough to live a satisfying life.If you are still studying,whether you are good or bad at school,don't take your school results too seriously as long as you have put your heart into it.Keep learning to make the most of your talents(天赋).That's how you can live a happy and successful life.
(1)What's the writer's main purpose of writing Paragraph(段落)One?
A.To introduce a topic.
B.To give examples.
C.To provide a solution.
(2)In some parents' eyes,what's the most important for their kids based on Paragraph Two?
A.Being happy.
B.Staying healthy.
C.Getting good grades.
(3)What does the underlined expression "big shots" in the third paragraph mean?
A.好学生.
B.神枪手.
C.大人物.
(4)According to the passage,which sentence may agree with the writer's idea?
A.It takes money to be successful.
B.School grades aren't everything.
C.Successful people never finish school.
(5)What can we infer (推断) from the text?
A.Old habits die hard.
B.Leaning is a lifelong journey.
C.Good grades always promise a successful life.
When we talk about the UK,what will you think of?Big Ben,Downing Street and Tower Bridge are always our hot topics(话题).But there are many other facts about the UK.Come and see!
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The most popular museum is the British Museum in London. Over six million people visit it every year.It is open from 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.But on Friday,the closing time is 8:30 p.m. |
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The River Severn starts in Wales and flows (流) through western England.It's well known for the Severn Bore一a tall wave (波浪)of water that regularly (定期地) flows up the river from the sea. |
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Hungry?Beef and chicken are tasty,fruit and vegetables are healthy,and sandwiches are simple.Short of money?The cheapest food is fish and chips (炸鱼薯条).And it's delicious. |
(1)When can we visit the British Museum?
A.At 9:00 a.m,Monday.
B.At 10:30 a.m,Tuesday.
C.At 9:30 p.m,Friday.
(2)What is the River Severn famous for?
A.Its tall wave of water.
B.Its beautiful riverbank.
C.Its deep river bed.
(3)The reading material(材料) above is most probably .
A.a business plan
B.a travel guide
C.a science report
Hotel Workers Wanted Isabella Hotel is a top hotel in the center of Queensland.We're looking for experienced waiters and waitresses.You are expected to work from 7 a.m.to 3 p.m. You should ➢be healthy ➢be well﹣dressed ➢be reliable(值得信赖的) If you join us,you will get ➢$ 400 every week ➢all meals for free ➢a separate room ➢one free day every week If you are interested in this job,you can write to jobhunt @scottoday.com. |
(1)How long should the workers at Isabella Hotel work in a day?
A.For three hours.
B.For seven hours.
C.For eight hours.
(2)What will Isabella Hotel provide for the workers?
A.400 dollars a month.
B.Two free days a week.
C.All meals for free.
My name is Alice Black.I am thirteen years old,and I come from Mount Elm Sheep Station in South Australia.I have got two sisters﹣Jenifer is eleven and Lisa is seven.We are all pupils at the School of the Air.
The School of the Air is a school for children who live far from the cities,and who are in a place which does not have a local school.So we have "air" lessons over the radio or on the computer.Our teachers are at Port Augusta,a city which is about 160 kilometers away.
In the morning,we go to our school at 8:45. △ When we get there,we turn on the radio or computer and listen to what we should do.From then until twelve,we just do our usual lessons.In the afternoon,our mum makes us do some homework﹣﹣well,not homework,but more work around the house.
We send our exercise "books" to our teachers by email on Friday night.They mark them on Monday and Tuesday,and then send them back.We get them on Wednesday.
The Internet and the telephone help us get in touch with our teachers quickly and easily.We talk to our teachers once a week for about ten minutes.They tell us if we are making progress.Next year I will start at a new school in Port Augusta.I will spend the weekdays there and come home at weekends.It will be good to be with teenagers of my age,but I will miss my family.I hope I will be happy there.
(1)From the passage we know that .
A.the Black family is very poor
B.the Blacks lives far from Port Augusta
C there is a small local school near the Black family
(2)Which sentence can best replace"△"in the passage?
A.It is really just a small building.
B.What fun it is to go to school
C.It is really an early time.
(3)In the 4th paragraph,the underlined word "them" means in Chinese.
A.课本
B.作业
C.课程
(4)What do the teachers probably say to their pupils on the phone?
A.Do you have any suggestions about our lessons?
B.Will you come to our school in Port Augusta?
C.How are you doing with your lessons?