Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic(全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.
Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn’t want to mess with that.
Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway. And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow coms to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.
This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who “ruined” it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured(捕捉) and frozen on some stranger’s bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don’t even know has been immortalized(使……永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.
Perhaps we all live in each others’ space. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.
That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.
1.What happened when the author was about to take a photo?
A.Her camera stopped working.
B.A woman blocked her view.
C.Someone asked her to leave
D.A friend approached from behind.
2.According to the author, the woman was probably_______.
A.enjoying herself
B.losing her patience
C.waiting for the sunset
D.thinking about her past
3.In the author’s opinion, what makes the photo so alive?
A.The rich color of the landscape.
B.The perfect positioning of the camera.
C.The woman’s existence in the photo.
D.The soft sunlight that summer day.
4.The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ________.
A.the need to be close to nature
B.the importance of private space
C.the joy of the vacation in Italy
D.the shared passion for beauty
5.The passage can be seen as the author’s reflections upon _______.
A.a particular life experience
B.the pleasure of traveling
C.the art of photography
D.a lost friendship
I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn’t want me for the film - it wanted somebody as well known as Paul — he stood up for me. I don’t know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.
The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft(技艺) and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other — but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core(核心) of our relationship off the screen.
We shared the brief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back — he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn’t see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.
I last saw him a few months ago. He’d been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn’t talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn’t need a lot of words.
1.Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to author at first?
A.Paul Newman wanted it.
B.The studio powers didn’t like his agent.
C.He wasn’t famous enough.
D.The director recommended someone else.
2.Why did Paul and the author have a lasting friendship?
A.They were of the same age.
B.They worked in the same theater.
C.They were both good actors.
D.They han similar charactertics.
3.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Their belief.
B.Their care for children.
C.Their success.
D.Their support for each other.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the test?
A.To show his love of films.
B.To remember a friend.
C.To introduce a new movie.
D.To share his acting experience.
I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.
I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.
1.What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?
A. Efforts made in vain.
B. Getting injured in his work.
C. Feeling uncertain about his future.
D. Creatures forced out of their homes.
2.Why was the author called to Muttontown?
A. To rescue a woman.
B. To take care of a woman.
C. To look at a baby owl.
D. To cure a young owl.
3.What made the chick calm down?
A. A new nest.
B. Some food.
C. A recording.
D. Its parents.
4.How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?
A. It’s unexpected.
B. It’s beautiful.
C. It’s humorous.
D. It’s discouraging.
It was a cold March day in High Point, North Carolina. The girls on the Wesleyan Academy softball team were waiting for their next turns at bat during practice, stamping their feet to stay warm. Eighth-grader Taylor Bisbee shivered (发抖) a little as she watched her teammate Paris White play. The two didn’t know each other well — Taylor had just moved to town a month or so before.
Suddenly, Paris fell to the ground. “Pairs’s eyes rolled back,” Taylor says. “She started shaking. I knew it was an emergency.”
It certainly was. Paris had suffered a sudden heart failure. Without immediate medical care, Paris would die. At first, no one moved. The girls were in shock. Then the softball coach shouted out, “Does anyone know CPR?”
CPR is a life-saving technique. To do CPR, you press on the sick person’s chest so that blood moves through the body and takes oxygen to organs. Without oxygen，the brain is damaged quickly.
Amazingly, Taylor had just taken a CPR course the day before. Still, she hesitated. She didn’t think she knew it well enough. But when no one else came forward, Taylor ran to Paris and began doing CPR. “It was scary. I knew it was the difference between life and death,” says Taylor.
Taylor’s swift action helped her teammates calm down. One girl called 911. Two more ran to get the school nurse, who brought a defibrillator, an electronic device (器械) that can shock the heart back into work. Luck stayed with them: Paris’s heartbeat returned.
“I know I was really lucky,” Paris says now. “Most people don’t survive this. My team saved my life.”
Experts say Paris is right: For a sudden heart failure, the single best chance for survival is having someone nearby step in and do CPR quickly.
Today, Paris is back on the softball team. Taylor will apply to college soon. She wants to be a nurse. “I feel more confident in my actions now,” Taylor says. “I know I can act under pressure in a scary situation.”
1.What happened to Paris on a March day?
A.She caught a bad cold.
B.She had a sudden heart problem.
C.She was knocked down by a ball.
D.She shivered terribly during practice.
2.Why does Paris say she was lucky?
A.She made a worthy friend.
B.She recovered from shock.
C.She received immediate CPR.
D.She came back on the softball team.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Taylor?
A.Enthusiastic and kind.
B.Courageous and calm.
C.Cooperative and generous.
D.Ambitious and professional.
Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days, a brush was made from camel’s hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.
The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged（蓬乱）. His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.
The cat’s lot was about to improve. That year, one of Benjamin’s cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin’s drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings（版画） by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen. In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit. He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin’s parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.
In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape(风景) painting. William Williams, a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home. The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little, having been a poor student. But he later said,＂Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night.＂While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.Benjamin’s visit to Philadelphia.
B.Williams’ influence on Benjamin.
C.The beginning of Benjamin’s life as an artist.
D.The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington.
2.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 suggest?
A.The cat would be closely watched.
B.The cat would get some medical care.
C.Benjamin would leave his home shortly.
D.Benjamin would have real brushes soon.
3.What did Pennington do to help Benjamin develop his talent?
A.He took him to see painting exhibitions.
B.He provided him with painting materials.
C.He sent him to a school in Philadelphia.
D.He taught him how to make engravings.
4.Williams’ two books helped Benjamin to _____________.
A.master the use of paints
B.appreciate landscape paintings
C.get to know other painters
D.make up his mind to be a painter
Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days, a brush was made from camel’s hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.
The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged（蓬乱）. His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.
The cat’s lot was about to improve. That year, one of Benjamin’s cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin’s drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings（版画） by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen. In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit. He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin’s parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.
In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape(风景) painting. William Williams, a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home. The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little, having been a poor student. But he later said,＂Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night.＂While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.Benjamin’s visit to Philadelphia.
B.Williams’ influence on Benjamin.
C.The beginning of Benjamin’s life as an artist.
D.The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington.
2.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 suggest?
A.The cat would be closely watched.
B.The cat would get some medical care.
C.Benjamin would leave his home shortly.
D.Benjamin would have real brushes soon.
3.What did Pennington do to help Benjamin develop his talent?
A.He took him to see painting exhibitions.
B.He provided him with painting materials.
C.He sent him to a school in Philadelphia.
D.He taught him how to make engravings.
4.Williams’ two books helped Benjamin to _____________.
A.master the use of paints
B.appreciate landscape paintings
C.get to know other painters
D.make up his mind to be a painter
