Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. He had little school education. In spite of this, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his penname.
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother’s care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play jokes on all his friends and neighbors. He didn’t like to go to school, and he often ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi(密西西比河). He was nearly drowned nine times.
After his father’s death, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a printer, a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner. During this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full time writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including Tom Sawyer in 1876, and Huckleberry Finn in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him great fortune.
Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments(投资) and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died, and then three of his children passed away.
At the age of 70, his hair was completely white. He bought many white suits and neckties. He wore nothing but white from head to foot until his death on April 21, 1910.In his childhood, Mark Twain, ________.
| A．learned a lot at school |
| B．he often went swimming with other boys |
| C．his mother often worried about his safety |
| D．he often played games with other boys |
Which of the following shows the right order about Mark Twain?
a. He became a miner. b. He worked as a printer.
c. He got into debts. d. His father died.
e. He became a full-time writer. f. He joined the army.
| A．a—d—b—c—e—f | B．d—b—f—a—e—c |
| C．d—a—f—e—b—c | D．c—b—d—f—e—a |
In order to make a living, Mark Twain _______.
| A．first worked as a printer |
| B．did many kinds of work |
| C．wrote stories in the beginning |
| D．joined the army after he worked in a mine |
Before his death, Mark Twain _______.
| A．became a white man | B．was in low spirits |
| C．liked to buy all kinds of clothes | D．had nothing on |
Hobbs was an orphan（孤儿）. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.
One day a lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will（遗嘱）,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that,” said the young man.Hobbs wanted to borrow money to _______.
| A．study abroad | B．work abroad |
| C．pay off the debts | D．learn to paint pictures |
What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” （in Paragraph 2） probably mean?
| A．Surprised. | B．Frightened. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
With the money he got, at first Hobbs _______.
| A．planned to have a happy life for a few days |
| B．decided to give up his work in the factory |
| C．was to give a dinner to his friends |
| D．had no idea what to do |
Hobbs was asked to _______.
| A．tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it |
| B．read his uncle’s will |
| C．tell the lawyer what was to be done with the money |
| D．buy some pictures |
Li Denghai, with his muddy boots and tanned(晒黑的) face, may not look like he is one of China’s famous agricultural pioneers. But the 61-year-old man from Shandong Province has made scientific breakthroughs(突破), which made great contributions to China’s food security(安全). His main work has been in achieving the higher output of corn production.
Li, who holds the world record for the highest output of summer corn, once says, “Corn has a life; it sings and dances. If you listen clearly, it can speak to you.” He started his research in 1969 when he was 20 and just dropped out of a high school. He then read an article which pointed that corn output per mu in the USA was six times higher than that in China. He was shocked and set out to work on just a small piece of land round the clock to see if he could increase the output. He often went to the field with a flashlight late at night, if he had been away during the day. By careful nurturing (照料) he managed to double the output.
Li Denghai was awarded the “China Award for Significant Contribution to the Maize (玉米) Industry” in 2005, and the same year the company named after his own name came into the market on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Li, however, is never happier than when he is in the middle of his cornfields. “I can forget my tiredness when talking to my corns,” he says.When Li Denghai began the study of corn, .
| A．he just graduated from an ordinary high school |
| B．he was shocked that the corn output in China was so low |
| C．he was only in his thirties |
| D．he wasn’t really fond of his work |
The underlined phrase “round the clock” means .
| A．day and night | B．sooner or later | C．face to face | D．now and then |
From Mr. Li’s words in this passage, we can learn that .
| A．he is not good at communicating with people |
| B．he is too tired to go to the corn fields |
| C．he talks to his corn when feeling lonely |
| D．he loves his career deeply |
When I was six, Dad brought home a dog one day, who was called “Brownie”. My brothers and I all loved Brownie and did different things with her. One of us would walk her, another would feed her, then there were baths, playing catch and many other games. Brownie, in return. loved each and every one of us. One thing that most touched my heart was that she would go to whoever was sick and just be with them. We always felt better when she was around.
One day, as I was getting her food, she chewed up (咬破) one of Dad’s shoes, which had to be thrown away in the end. I knew Dad would be mad and I had to let her know what she did was wrong. When I looked at her and said, “Bad girl,” she looked down at the ground and then went and hid. I saw a tear in her eyes.
Brownie turned out to be more than just our family pet, she went everywhere with us. People would stop and ask if they could pet her. Of course she’d let anyone pet her. She was just the most lovable dog. There were many times when we’d be out walking and a small child would come over and pull on her hair. she never barked (吠) or tried to get away. Funny thing is she would smile. This frightened people because they thought she was showing her teeth. Far from the truth, she loved everyone.
Now many years have passed since Brownie died of old age. I still miss days when she was with us.What would Brownie do when someone was ill in the family?
| A．Look at them sadly. | B．Keep them company. |
| C．Play games with them. | D．Touch them gently. |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Brownie________.
| A．world eat anything when hungry | B．felt sorry for her mistake |
| C．loved playing hide-and-seek | D．disliked the author’s dad |
Why does the author say that Brownie was more than just a family pet?
| A．She was treated as a member of the family. |
| B．She played games with anyone she liked. |
| C．She was loved by everybody she met. |
| D．She went everywhere with the family. |
Some people got frightened by Brownie when she________.
| A．tried to be funny | B．barked | C．rushed to them | D．smiled |
Which of the following best describes Brownie?
| A．Caring | B．Polite | C．Brave | D．Shy |
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday．The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its history．Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared"．
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan－a pen name for Guan Moye，grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing．
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by a famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific（多产的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages．
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10．The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $l million．How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?
| A．Excited and proud． | B． Happy and surprised |
| C．Worried and cautious | D． Uncertain and shocked |
Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was ．
| A．on a farm | B．in a factory | C．in a school | D．in the army |
One of Mo Yan's characteristics of writing is that he .
| A．writes about topics he is familiar with |
| B．focuses on social problems in the country |
| C．describes his characters in a unique way |
| D．explains difficult matters in simple words |
Which of the statements is true?
| A．Mo Yan published his first book when he was 20 years old. |
| B．The movie Hong Gaoliang was made in 1987. |
| C．Mo Yan only writes novels. |
| D．Mo Yan’s works are mostly about city life. |
What's the best title for this passage?
| A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize | B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize |
| C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature | D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan |
Thirty years ago, the Earnshaw family lived at Wuthering Heights, with two teenaged children Hindley and Catherine. Mr. Earnshaw travels to Liverpool, where he adopts a homeless Gypsy boy, naming him "Heathcliff". Hindley finds himself robbed of his father's love and care and becomes bitterly jealous of the newcomer. However, Catherine grows very attached to him. Soon, the two children spend hours on the moors (荒原) together and hate every moment apart.
Because of the conflict(冲突), Hindley is eventually sent to college. However, he marries a woman named Frances and returns three years later, after Mr. Earnshaw dies. He becomes master of Wuthering Heights, making Heathcliff their servant instead of a family member.
Months after Hindley’s return, Heathcliff and Catherine travel to Thrushcross Grange to spy on the Linton family. However, they are found and try to escape. Catherine is caught by a dog, and then brought inside the Grange to have injuries tended to while Heathcliff is sent home. Catherine eventually returns to Wuthering Heights as a changed woman, looking and acting as a lady. She laughs at HeathcIiff’s dirty appearance. When the Lintons visit the next day, Heathcliff dresses up to impress her. It fails, however, when Edgar, one of the Lintons' children, argues with him. Heathcliff is locked in the attic, where Catherine later tries to comfort him. He swears revenge(报复) on Hindley.
In the summer of the next year, Frances gives birth to a son, Hareton, but she dies before the year is out. This leads Hindley to fall into a life of drunkenness and waste. Two years pass and Catherine has become close friends with Edgar, growing more distant from Heathcliff.
One day in August, while Hindley is absent, Edgar comes to visit Catherine. Before long, they declare themselves lovers. Catherine explains to Nelly, her servant, that she does not really love Edgar but Heathcliff. Unfortunately, she could never marry Heathcliff because of his lack of status and education. She therefore plans to marry Edgar and use that position to help raise Heathcliff’s status. Unfortunately, Heathcliff has overheard the first part and runs away, disappearing without a trace. After three years, Edgar and Catherine are married.
Six months after their marriage, Heathcliff returns as a gentleman, having grown stronger and richer. Catherine is delighted to see him although Edgar is not so keen. Edgar's sister, Isabella, now eighteen, falls in love with Heathcliff. He looks down upon her but encourages the adolescent love, seeing it as a chance for revenge on Edgar. When he embraces Isabella one day at the Grange, there is an argument with Edgar, which causes Catherine to lock herself in her room and fall ill.
Heathcliff has been staying at the Heights, gambling with Hindley and teaching Hareton bad habits. Hindley is gradually losing his wealth, mortgaging （抵押) the farmhouse to Heathcliff to repay his debts.
While Catherine is ill, Heathcliff leaves with Isabella, causing Edgar to disown （与……断绝关系) his sister. The two marry and return two months later to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff hears that Catherine is ill and arranges to visit her in secret. In the early hours of the day after their meeting, Catherine gives birth to her daughter, Cathy, and then dies. Hindley dies six months after Catherine. Heathcliff finds himself the master of Wuthering Heights and the guardian of Hareton.From the first paragraph, we can know ______ .
| A．Hindley hates the fact that his parents give all their love and care to Catherine |
| B．Mrs. Earnshaw adopts Heathcliff in Liverpool |
| C．Hindley is the oldest of all three children |
| D．Catherine likes Heathcliff so much that she enjoys staying with him for long |
After Frances dies, Hindley________.
| A．lives a disordered life | B．locks Heathcliff in the attic |
| C．argues with Heathcliff very often | D．returns to Wuthering Heights as a changed man . |
The underlined part "the first part" in Paragraph 5 most probably refers to ________ .
| A．Catherine says that Edgar has asked her to marry him and she has agreed |
| B．Catherine loves Heathcliff but can't marry him because of his lack of status and education |
| C．Catherine decides to marry Edgar, with whose help she can help raise Heathcliff’s status |
| D．Catherine and Edgar declare themselves lovers to the family |
At the end of the story________.
| A．Isabella dies after his brother disowns her |
| B．Catherine becomes the master of Wuthering Heights |
| C．Wuthering Heights falls into the hands of Heathcliff |
| D．Hindley dies and leaves Wuthering Heights to Cathy |
I got your letter and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and that you wanted me to come back and live with you again in Tennessee, promising to do better for me than anybody else can.
Although you shot at me twice before I left you, I did not want to hear of your being hurt. It would do me good to go back to the dear old home again and see Allen, Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my love to them all, and tell them I hope we will meet in the better world, if not in this.
I want to know particularly what the good chance is you propose to give me. I am doing tolerably well here in Ohio. I get twenty-five dollars a month, with food and clothing; have a comfortable home for Mandy, the folks call her Mrs. Anderson; and the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go to school and are learning well. The teacher says Grundy has a head for a preacher. We are kindly treated.
Now, if you will write and say what wages you will give me, I will be better able to decide whether it would be to my advantage to move back again. We have concluded to test your sincerity by asking you to send us our wages for the time we served you. This will make us forget and forgive old scores and rely on your justice and friendship in the future. I served you faithfully for thirty-two years, and Mandy twenty years. At twenty-five dollars a month for me, and two dollars a week for Mandy, our earnings would amount to eleven thousand six hundred and eighty dollars. Add to this the interest for the time our wages have been kept back, and deduct（扣除）what you paid for our clothing, and three doctor’s visits to me, and pulling a tooth for Mandy. If you fail to pay us for faithful labors in the past, we can have little faith in your promises in the future.
In answering this letter, please state if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane, who are now grown up, and both good-looking girls. I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it should come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young Masters. You will also please state if there has been any schools opened for the colored children in your neighborhood. The great desire of my life now is to give my children an education and have them form virtuous habits.
Say howdy to George Carter, and thank him for taking the pistol from you when you were shooting at me.According to the passage, the letter was written by Jourdon to his former _______.
| A．friend | B．master | C．neighbor | D．relative |
Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage?
| A．The family name of this letter writer is Anderson. |
| B．The writer is paid the same as he was in Tennessee. |
| C．The writer will certainly get at least 11,680 dollars. |
| D．Safety rather than education weighs a lot to the writer. |
The writer’s description of his present situation implies that _______.
| A．he shows his intention of going back in Tennessee |
| B．he is somewhat richer and does not need to go back |
| C．his life is relatively good but still needs improvement |
| D．he is not a little satisfied with his present life in Ohio |
The purpose of the writer’s asking for his pay back is _______.
| A．to show he needs that amount of money urgently |
| B．to show he is determined to get what he deserved |
| C．to test whether the letter receiver is worthy of trust |
| D．to tell the letter receiver he still has faith in him |
From the passage, we can see the writer is very _______.
| A．wise | B．stupid | C．greedy | D．generous |
We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it,” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack (车顶行李架). I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir,” he said.“Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer,” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well,” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “ Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.”I drove home as fast as I could. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
| A．would like very much to buy | B．badly wanted |
| C．would rather not buy | D．was glad to have bought |
Other drivers thought they were _______.
| A．carrying a cupboard to the church |
| B．sending flowers to the church |
| C．carrying nothing but a piece of furniture |
| D．going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church |
The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
| A．in great sadness | B．driving in gathering darkness |
| C．driving with wild flowers in the car | D．carrying furniture |
What did the husband think of this matter?
| A．It was very strange. | B．He felt ashamed of it. |
| C．He took great pride in it. | D．He was puzzled at it. |
Getting paid to talk about the World Cup is a great job. I’m not a football commentator(评论员), though-just an English teacher in Japan.
I come to Japan two years ago, and didn’t think I would stay, but Japan has that effect on you. People often end up living here longer than they planned. I think it’s best to teach in a bigger city where there are other foreigners to mix with, rather than a small town where English teachers often complain of feeling like a goldfish in a bowl. Many people choose to live in Tokyo, of course, which is good for the nightlife factor. But I’d say that for general quality of living, cities of neither too large nor too small, like Sapporo where I live, are better choices.
I teach English privately, which means I’m my own boss. If you want to devote yourself to private teaching, it’s well worth doing a TEFL course first, because your lessons will be much better for it. The problem with private teaching is finding students; it took me a year to build up a full schedule(日程表) of private lessons, so I started out teaching in schools part-time.
Most of my foreign friends here work full-time for big English conversation schools. The salary is fine to live on, but whether you can save money depends on how much going out and traveling you do here.
The schools are unwilling to take time off –even teachers with tickets for the England-Argentina game had trouble getting the day off. From the passage we know in Japan the writer likes to live in ________.
| A．Tokyo | B．a small town |
| C．a city of middle size | D．a big city |
According to the writer, one had better _______ first to do private teaching better.
| A．give a TEFL course | B．decide his or her own lessons |
| C．find students | D．build up a full schedule |
The underlined sentence in the second paragraph implies that _______.
| A．there are many foreigners in Japan |
| B．Japan is good for nightlife |
| C．they can teach English privately in Japan |
| D．Japan has something more attractive than expected |
After reading the passage, we can see _________.
| A．the writer travelled a lot and saved much money in Japan. |
| B．the writer teaches English in more than one school as a part-time job. |
| C．the writer enjoys watching football games |
| D．the writer spent one year in finding students for his private teaching. |
My husband had just bought a new washing machine for me . I decided to use it the very day and I washed a lot of things .
Everything worked well , but I found one of my husband’s socks(短袜) missing . I looked everywhere for it , but I couldn’t find it anywhere .
The next morning , I got ready for school as usual . When the bell rang , the students came in . I greeted them and told them what we were going to do that day .
When I turned around to write on the blackboard , the class burst into a roar (大笑声)! They laughed and laughed . They laughed so much , in fact ,that I was afraid the headmaster would come in to see all this .
I asked the class to stop , but the more I talked , the more they laughed . I decided to pay no attention to them and I continued to write on the blackboard . when I did this , they roared even more .
Finally , the teacher who had the room next to mine came in to see what all the laughter was about .
“Good heavens ,” I said , “Will someone please tell me what is so funny?”
“Oh , God,” said the teacher , “You have a brown sock to the back of your skirt !”
So that’s how I found my husband’s missing sock .
“Oh , well ,” I said to the class , “Let’s just say you have had an unforgettable lesson on static electricity(静电)。”What was the writer ?
| A．A washer | B．A student | C． A headmaster | D． A teacher |
What happened when the writer turned around to write on the blackboard ?
| A．The class roared with anger . |
| B．The class began to laugh loudly . |
| C．Another teacher came in |
| D．There was a loud noise outside the room |
Why couldn’t she find one of her husband’s socks?
| A．Because some students had hidden it . |
| B．Because her husband had taken it away . |
| C．Because she had left it in the classroom . |
| D．Because she never expected that it would stick to her skirt . |
What did the writer do when she got to know why her students laughed?
| A．She did nothing but laugh. |
| B．She got angry with the class . |
| C．She did nothing |
| D．She explained the matter in a clever way . |
A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking(搭便车) on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road. The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop. The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel(方向盘)!
The car started to move very slowly. The man looked at the road and saw a curve(拐弯处) coming his way. Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life. He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel. The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve. Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky(怪异的) car. Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town. In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky.
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car. Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other,“Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man .
| A．felt very curious | B．was extremely frightened |
| C．cried for help | D．remained as calm as possible |
According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?
| A．His reasonable behavior. | B．His vivid description. |
| C．His simple appearance. | D．His honest attitude. |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride |
| B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners |
| C．the car probably broke down on the way |
| D．the two young men were familiar with the man |
My parents were in a huge argument, and I was really upset about it. I didn’t know who I should talk with about how I was feeling. So I asked Mom to allow me to stay the night at my best friend’s house. Though I knew I wouldn’t tell her about my parents’ situation, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. I was in the middle of packing up my things when suddenly the power went out in the neighborhood. Mom came to tell me that I should stay with my grandpa until the power came back on.
I was really disappointed because I felt that we did not have much to talk about. But I knew he would be frightened alone in the dark. I went to his room and told him that I’d stay with him until the power was restored. He was quite happy and said, “Great opportunity(机会)”
“ What is ?” I asked.
“ To talk, you and I,” he said. “To hold a private little meeting about what we’re going to do with your mom and dad, and what we’re going to do with ourselves now that we’re in the situation we are in.”
“But we can’t do anything about it, Grandpa,” I said, surprised that here was someone with whom I could share my feelings and someone who was in the same “boat” as I was.
And that’s how the most unbelievable friendship between my grandfather and me started. Sitting there in the dark, we talked about our feelings and fears of life—from how fast things change, to how they sometimes don’t change fast enough. That night, because the power went out, I found a new friend, with whom I could safely talk about all my fears and pains, whatever they may be.
Suddenly, the lights all came back on. “Well,” he said, “ I guess that means you’ll want to go now. I really like our talk. I hope the power will go out every few nights!” I wished to get out of the house because ______________
| A．I was angry about my parents’ quarrel（争吵） |
| B．I found nobody to share my feelings with |
| C．I wanted to escape from the dark house |
| D．I planned to tell my friend about my trouble |
Grandpa was happy to see me because _____________
| A．he could discuss the problem with me |
| B．he had not seen me for a long time |
| C．he was afraid of darkness |
| D．he felt quite lonely |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The grandchild was eager to leave. |
| B．They would have more chats. |
| C．The lights would go out again. |
| D．It would no longer be dark. |
About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio（影棚）to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.
We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.
The next scene was a complete contrast (对比).The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen. An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!
Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film “Stars”!Who is the author?
| A．A cameraman. | B．A film director. |
| C．A workman for scene setting | D．A crowd-scene actor |
What made the author feel cold?
| A．The heavy snowfall. | B．The film being shown. |
| C．The low temperature. | D．The man-made scene. |
What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned, in the last paragraph?
| A．A new scene would be filmed. |
| B．More stars would act in the film. |
| C．The author would leave the studio. |
| D．The next scene would be prepared. |
It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls saying. “Buck said, ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’ ”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners, and they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront(店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We persuaded ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful; we are opening a second store.’ ” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers(供应商). “It probably took my two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out.” DeLuca says.
And having a goal was also important, “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.DeLuca opened the first sandwich shop in order to__________.
| A．support his family |
| B．pay for his college education |
| C．help his partner expand business |
| D．do some research |
Which of the following is true of Buck?
| A．He put money into the sandwich business. |
| B．He was a professor of business administration. |
| C．He was studying at University of Bridgeport. |
| D．He rented a storefront for DeLuca. |
What can we learn about their first shop?
| A．It stood at an unfavorable place. |
| B．It lowered the price to promote the sales. |
| C．It made no profits. |
| D．It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches. |
They decided to open a second store because they_______.
| A．had enough money to do it |
| B．had succeeded in their business |
| C．wished to meet the increasing demand of customers |
| D．wanted to make believe that they were successful |
Before she appeared on the reality show (真人秀) Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle was just an ordinary middleaged British woman.Now all this is going to change.
She lives in a house with her cat Pebbles in a tiny Scottish town.Because of learning difficulties, she doesn't have much education.But what she does have is a very good voice.As a kid, she sang in church and choirs and school plays.For a living, she sang at local pubs.
When she took the stage on April 10th her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just_one_step_up_from rags.The audience laughed at her.
But then she opened her mouth.A few bars into the song and the laughing audience went silent.A beautiful voice was singing I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables.Everyone was amazed.At the end of her song, the audience jumped to their feet and applauded wildly.
Almost overnight, Susan became a household name.She won fans and millions of admirers.Her online videos have drawn over 85.2 million hits.
Susan's story proved the truth of an old saying: “Never judge the book by its cover.” Susan may look ordinary, and doesn't have much dress sense, but she can certainly sing.
Susan's fans admire her courage, as much as they do her voice.She has experienced mockery and many disappointments, but her love for music has kept her going, which is worth anyone's respect.According to the passage, Susan Boyle ________.
| A．is a famous young actress | B．became famous after a show |
| C．used to be a good student | D．is good at dancing and has millions of admirers |
The underlined phrase “just one step up from” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
| A．far from | B．close to | C．different from | D．the same as |
The audience jumped and applauded wildly because ________.
| A．her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags |
| B．she looked very funny |
| C．she sang so well that everyone was amazed |
| D．she made a foolish mistake in the end |
Susan Boyle has many fans now because of ________.
| A．her beautiful face | B．her knowing how to dress |
| C．her good education | D．her beautiful voice and courage |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．how to win fans | B．how to sing well |
| C．a woman's sudden success | D．a woman's simple life |
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