Betty is not traditional American beauty. She is unfashionable, has thick red glasses, untidy hair and large metal braces (牙套) on her teeth. But this hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of American’s favorite TV characters. So how did she manage to do it?
The answer is that charm can be more attractive than beauty. Betty is the main character in a TV show Ugly Betty. The show is about her life as an office worker at a fashion magazine in New York.
The TV show has just started. Betty has many exciting experiences and romantic stories. Betty is often looked down on and laughed at by the people around. But she manages to do better than others with her hard work, charm and wisdom. The show tells us about how a girl goes from an ugly young duck into a beautiful swan.
Though you may know the ending of the show from the beginning and the story is familiar to many of us, it has still been a big success in the USA. It has attracted a large number of viewers and won two Golden Globes awards, one of the highest honors for a television program in the USA.“ I think you can see a bit of Betty in all of us, and I mean men as well, because it’s about the underdog (弱者)”，says Ashley Jensen, who plays one of the characters on the show.
The program is so popular because of the performance of the 23-year-old actress America Ferrera who plays the role of Betty. She brings the character alive on the screen.
1.Betty is popular because of ____.
A. her clothes B. her appearance
C. her personality D. her charm
2.Which is the reason for the success of the show?
A. A large number of viewers.
B. Her life as an office worker.
C. The wonderful performance.
D. Two Golden Globes awards.
3.Which of the following is NOT true according of the show?
A. Betty is a girl of wisdom.
B. Betty acts as a beautiful swan on the show.
C. Betty is an American favorite TV character.
D. Betty is often looked down on by the people around.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Beauty from within. B. A romantic story.
C. An ugly girl. D. An exciting experience.
These people are studying English. However, they are now facing some problems.
I am Pablo. I work 50 hours a week as a taxi driver, so I talk to people all day. They understand me, but I know I make a lot of mistakes. No one corrects me. My vocabulary is strong. Grammar is my problem. I'm trying to change little by little. For example, I don't use the past tense (时态). I always say, “I drive him to the office this morning” instead of “I drove him to the office this morning”. |
My name is Maria Luisa. I'm teaching myself English, and I'm good at grammar. However, it's really difficult to find ways to practice English. I live in an area where everyone speaks my language. My neighbors and friends speak Spanish. I can speak Spanish in the supermarket and at the post office. |
I am Li Ping. I understand the grammar and the readings in my class and I think my writing is good, but I'm very nervous when I speak English. I don't want to make any mistakes because I'm afraid people will think that I'm stupid. Also, my pronunciation isn't good. When I speak, people often say, “What? Say that again”. |
I am Yoshi. I have been in the United States for one year. I'm studying hard and I know grammar well, but the vocabulary is very difficult. When I listen, I don't understand many of the words. When I try to read, there are three or four new words in every sentence. I feel discouraged. |
1.Who may say, “I go to bed late last night”?
A. Pablo. B. Maria Luisa.
C. Li Ping. D. Yoshi.
2.What would be the best advice for Maria Luisa?
A. Try to have a wide vocabulary.
B. Develop a good knowledge of grammar.
C. Read as many English books as possible.
D. Make friends with English-speaking people.
3.Why do people find it hard to understand Li Ping's English?
A. She can't pronounce words in English correctly.
B. She speaks at a very fast speed.
C. Her grammar is terrible.
D. Her voice is very low.
4.What can we learn about Yoshi?
A. He was born in the United States.
B. He has a very small vocabulary.
C. He has learned English for years.
D. He is very good at listening.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When did the boy’s mother find that he had a good memory?
A. At the age of 2 B. At the age of 3 C. At the age of 4
2.What grade did the boy directly go to in primary school?
A. Grade 6 B. Grade 5 C. Grade 4
3.When did the boy go to middle school?
A. In 2007 B. In 2008 C. In 2013
4.What does the boy’s mother think of him?
A. He is different from others
B. He is very intelligent
C. He is hard-working
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where did the man probably get the news?
A. On a newspaper B. On the radio C. On TV
2.What happened according to the report?
A. Some people died
B. A big fire broke out
C. Thirty people were lost
3.What did the woman want the man to do?
A. Make supper
B. Talk about the news
C. Help Mom make supper
4.When will Mom come back?
A. At 7:00 B. At 6:30 C. At 6:00
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What do we know about Lucy and Lily?
A. They are studying in the same class
B. Lucy is older than Lily
C. They look like each other a lot
2.What’s the relationship between Lily and the man?
A. Old friends B. Classmates C. Brother and sister
3.Why is the man Probably here ?
A. To pick a friend up B. To wait for a friend C. To see a friend off
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why does the woman call the man?
A. To ask the man to see a movie
B. To invite the man for a walk
C. To ask the man to go to a museum
2.When is the movie over？
A. At 5:00pm B. At 5:30 pm C. At 6:00pm
