I was about 30 years old and was working as a firefighter in the South Bronx’s Engine Co. 82. It was a restful Sunday and between alarms I rushed to the office to read a copy of the New York Times. I read an article on the Book Review section which openly stated what I thought to be a calumny — that William Butler Yeats had gone beyond his Irishness and was forever to be known as a universal poet. As I read it, my blood began to boil.
There were few things I was more proud of than my Irish root, and ever since I first picked up a book of his poems from a shelf when I was in the military, Yeats had been my favorite Irish writer, followed by Sean O’Casey and James Joyce.
I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote out a letter of anger to the editor. Throughout Yeats’ poetry, his view of the world and the people in it was basically Irish. He had lived his life and written his poetry in a truly Irish way. It was annoying to think Irishness was something to be transcended (超越).
I don’t know why I felt it my duty to safeguard the reputation of the world’s greatest poet. I just knew that I had to write that letter.
After my letter got published, I received a letter from The New Yorker, asking for an interview. When my article Fireman Smith appeared in that magazine, the editor of a large publishing firm called me, asking if I was interested in writing a book about my life. I had little confidence to write a whole book, though the subject was worthy. I wrote Report From Engine Co. 82 in six months, and it sold really well. In the years that followed, I wrote three more best-sellers.
Being a writer had been far from my expectations. How had it happened? I often found myself thinking about it, and my thoughts always came back to that letter to the New York Times. For me, the writing was a natural consequence of the passion (热情) I felt and the subjects represented the great values burning within me as I wrote.
Over the years, my five children have come to me with one dilemma or another. My answer is always the same. Think about what you’re feeling and measure the heat of the fire in your heart, for that is your passion. Your education and your experience will guide you toward making a right decision, but your passion will enable you to make a difference in whatever you do. That’s what I learned the day I stood up for Ireland’s greatest poet.
1.Why did the author write to New York Times?
A.To present his love for literature.
B.To spread Irish culture to the world.
C.To show off his writing.
D.To defend the reputation of an Irish poet.
2.What does the underlined word “calumny” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A.A false statement. B.A great honor.
C.A total lie. D.A good reason.
3.Which statement is true according to the text?
A.The author thinks Yeats is more universal than Irish.
B.The author’s passion is the key to his success in writing.
C.Yeats’s poems inspires the author to be a writer.
D.The author believes education and experience count most.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Yeats, my Irish hero
B.My writing career
C.A letter that changed my life
D.Honesty is the best policy
Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in1564 and where he grew up. The property remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world for over 250 years.
Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.
Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
Enjoy the traditional English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map, nearest is Windsor Street (3 minutes’ Walk)
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition and the garden are accessible to wheelchair users.
The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to 5:00pm Sun: 9:30am to 5:00 pm 20 Oct to 19 Mar Mon to Sat: 9:30am to 4:00pm Sun: 10:00am to 4:00pm |
ADMISSIONS: Adult £4.90 Child £2.20 Family £ 12.00 (2 adults + up to 3 children) |
1.How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?
A.£12.00. B.£14.20.
C.£9.80. D.£16.40.
2.Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace?
A.Behind the exhibition hall. B.At Windsor Street.
C.Opposite the Visitors’ Centre. D.Near the Coffee House.
3.A wheelchair user may need help to enter .
A.the exhibition hall B.the garden
C.the Visitors’ Centre D.the House
春季是充满希望的季节，但也是各种传染病多发的季节。假定你是校学生会主席李华， 请代表学生会给你校英语报“青少年健康”栏目写一封主题为“健康生活.远离病毒”的 倡议书，内容包括：
1.简述倡议目的；
2.提出防范措施；
3.倡议共同行动。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已经给岀，不计入词数。
（相关词汇：传染病 infectious diseases； 口 罩：mask：病毒：virus）
Dear fellow students,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Student Union
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，诸你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中 共有10处语言错误.每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的増加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加—个漏字符号（∧) ）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\ ）划掉,.
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词°
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限--词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
At about 9 o'clock last night, I was busy prepare for my test when a loud noise came through next door. My neighbor watched the football game on TV and kept the sound so much high that I couldn't go on studying. I covered my ear with hands, buried my head in books, and tried even to recite English texts and it was no use. I became impatient and decided to explain my difficult even if he might turned a deaf ear. To his great surprise, after hearing what I said, my neighbor apologized and turned down the TV immediate. Everything was back normal and in 30 seconds, the problem is solved.
阅读下面短文.在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Last week, there was a "Celebrate Vietnam” show hosted at my residence. What 1.(amaze) me was the performance of Chinese Society Orchestra in the National University of Singapore (NUS) during the show.
To be honest, I did not expect the organizers who are almost all Vietnamese to invite arts groups from other cultures, 2. it was really great to enjoy the performances from different cultures at once. Living more than 3,000 kilometers away from home, it was really rare to have the opportunity 3. (listen) to traditional Chinese performances.
Luckily, NUS Chinese Society organizes some events with Chinese elements from time to time. Every time I attend their events, there are bouts (发作)of homesickness. I've also noticed that there are some people from non — Chinese background 4. (attend) the events. I feel proud that our Chinese culture attracts many people from different cultures. The performance was very 5. (impress). The audience gave 6. big round of applause at the end, and I could tell that they really enjoyed it.
After their performance, I spoke with some of the 7. (music). University students usually have a heavy academic workload, but they still spent much time practising their instruments. I asked them 8. they decided to do so, and they told me it was 9. （main） due to their personal interest. It reminded me of the importance of passion and interest and their role as strong motivators. If I have free time next term, I 10. （consider） joining them as well.
I'm standing in a class of wild 14-year-old girls as they throw paper and howl （大喊）with laughter. They won't ____ me. I was 23 and I didn't know what I was doing. I never wanted to ____ .I wanted to be a writer. But when I arrived in London, they were short of teachers.
My efforts at teaching were _____. When the bell finally rang, I rushed to the staff room, red with anger. The other teachers weren't ____ . "That's 4B, the worst class in school," one said.
I dreaded （害怕）our next _____ , but I couldn't give up. I needed the job. So. I ______ formal lessons. Instead, I brought _____ for class discussions. One of the liveliest talks was about the arguments they had with their parents. They paid attention and shared about their lives. I was _____ . So I had them write about themselves. Most wrote about families with little money and big problems. As time went on, their essays became a ____ between us. I admired their humor, toughness and insight, and I think they ____ my interest in their lives.
The musical My Fair Lady was playing in the West End, but they had never seen a ______stage performance. They lived just a few subway stops from the West End, but none had ever been. 1 asked if they'd like to see the musical. They thought I was _____ . No teacher had ever ______taking them out. A few weeks later，4B and I were sitting in a _______ . They loved the music, the costumes and the characters. It was the _____ of their year, and they talked about it for days.
Near the end of the semester, someone knocked on the door of the staff room. The two most rebellious （叛逆的）girls in 4B were there - with flowers. I was proud to know I had ___their lives. I enjoyed teaching and getting along with _____ .
When I returned to Australia several years later, I still wanted to be a _____ . For the first time in my life, I stopped _____ and started writing. My first story was titled. My Fair Ladies. Teaching wasn't the _____ of my writing career; it was the beginning.
1.A.listen to B.hear about C.catch up with D.take care of
2.A.communicate B.teach C.discuss D.work
3.A.successful B.persistent C.unforgettable D.hopeless
4.A.embarrassed B.happy C.surprised D.worried
5.A.appointment B.meeting C.task D.performance
6.A.abandoned B.designed C.took D.hated
7.A.papers B.rewards C.topics D.assistants
8.A.fascinated B.disappointed C.puzzled D.relaxed
9.A.deal B.bridge C.guide D.secret
10.A.praised B.understood C.ignored D.appreciated
11.A.good B.familiar C.famous D.live
12.A.lying B.guessing C.joking D.promising
13.A.admitted B.disliked C.minded D.suggested
14.A.school B.theater C.library D.classroom
15.A.highlight B.goal C.story D.achievement
16.A.found B.touched C.created D.saved
17.A.teachers B.parents C.teenagers D.players
18.A.teacher B.writer C.performer D.listener
19.A.dreaming B.teaching C.travelling D.learning
20.A.idea B.part C.end D.plan
