Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one's own.
Then, in the country one can really get away from the noise and hurry of busy working lives. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the country. If one likes gardens, one can spend one's free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has got the reward together with those who have shared the secret of nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional (偶尔的) walk in one of the parks and a fortnight's (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest of the country they are quite prepared to spend with those who are glad to get away from London every night.
1.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. People who love nature prefer to live outside the city.
B. People who work in London prefer to live in the country.
C. Some people enjoying city life prefer to work and live inside London.
D. Many nature lovers, though working in London, prefer to live outside the city.
2.One can use the same money for _______ to buy a little house with a garden in the country.
A. getting a small flat with a garden
B. having a small flat with a garden
C. renting a small flat without a garden
D. buying a small flat without a garden
3.When the flowers and vegetables in the garden come up, those who_______ have been rewarded.
A. live in the country
B. have a garden of their own
C. are busy digging and planting
D. have spent time working in the garden
4.People who think happiness lies in the town would feel that _______ if they had to live outside London.
A. their life was meaningless
B. their life was invaluable
C. they didn't need a happy life
D. they couldn’t sleep late in the morning
5.What does the writer think of the life in London?
A. He likes living in the city centre.
B. He prefers to live in the countryside.
C. It isn’t mentioned in the passage.
D. He enjoys working in the garden at weekends.
People fell in love with Elizabeth Taylor in 1944, when she acted in the movie National Velvet — the story of Velvet Brown, a young girl who won first place in a famous horse race. At first, the producers of the movie told Elizabeth Taylor that she was too short to play the part of Velvet. However, they waited for four months until three inches (英寸) added to her height. Elizabeth Taylor’s acting in National Velvet is still considered to be the best and National Velvet became Elizabeth Taylor’s first success.
Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932. Her parents, both Americans, had moved to London for business. When World War II started, the Taylors moved to California, where Elizabeth Taylor started acting in movies. After her success as a child star, Elizabeth Taylor had no trouble moving into adult roles and won the Academy Award twice for Best Actress for her performance in Butterfield 8 (1960) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? (1966).
Elizabeth Taylor is a legend (传奇人物) of our time. Like Velvet Brown in National Velvet, Elizabeth Taylor was very lucky, and she was hard-working, beautiful, famous and rich. When Elizabeth Taylor got older, she seldom acted in movies. Instead, she spent most of time on her business, and she often helped others. Several years ago, she raised more than $40 million for research and education. In March, 2011, Elizabeth Taylor died at the age of 79.
1.The producers didn’t let Taylor play the part of Velvet at first because ______.
A. she was not tall enough B. she didn’t show interest
C. she was not beautiful enough D. she did not play well enough
2.Where did Elizabeth Taylor start acting in movies?
A. In New York. B. In Los Angeles.
C. In California. D. In London
3.When did Elizabeth Taylor win her first Academy Award for Best Actress?
A. At the age of 12. B. At the age of 28.
C. At the age of 31. D. At the age of 34.
4.What do you know about Velvet Brown in National Velvet?
A. She was not rich. B. She was a famous actress.
C. She was not well-known. D. She won first place in a famous horse race.
5.The writer wrote this article to _______.
A. encourage us to help others
B. advise us to watch National Velvet
C. tell us how to be successful and famous
D. give us some information about a successful star
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Sports Club Sports Club provides you with many different sports to keep healthy. You’ll never get bored. Our programme is always working on new ways to keep you strong and happy. For more information, visit www. mysportsclub.com. |
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Model Time If you like models, then Model Time will be the right place for you. From model trains, planes and cars to boats and ships, we have them all! To get more information, please call 885-6321. |
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Kids Art Club Kids Art Club gives drawing classes to children aged 7 to 14. Classes are small with only 6 students each. Jim Todd teaches all classes. He has worked in the art field for over 23 years. For more information, please call 885-7621. |
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Keypals International Club KIC is a fun club started by kids, for kids aged 8 to 16. KIC tries to help kids understand different cultures through emails and other activities. KIC has members from 40 different countries. For more of it, visit www. worldkids.net. |
1.If a kid aged 14 wants to know different cultures of the world, he or she can ______.
A. call 885-6321 B. visit www. worldkids.net
C. call 885-7621 D. visit www. mysportsclub.com
2.Which club is organized by kids?
A. Sports Club. B. Model Time.
C. Kids Art Club. D. Keypals International Club.
3.If your 8-year-old sister is interested in drawing, she may join ________.
A. Model Time B. Sports Club
C. Kids Art Club D. Keypals International Club
4.At Kids Art Club, each drawing class has ________ children at most.
A. six B. seven C. eight D. fourteen
5.Which of the following is TRUE according to the advertisement?
A. Model Time is a good place for us to take a train, plane, boat, etc.
B. We can do different kinds of sports at Sports Club.
C. Keypals International Club is mainly for kids aged 7 to 18.
D. Jim Todd has worked in the art field for less than 23 years.
Red is the color of China. Among all the colors, red is most 16 seen. The color red is fresh and pure, and in China we call it China Red. Chinese people are attracted by the color red not only because it makes people excited, but also because it has 17 meaning in Chinese culture and history.
No country in the world has ever 18 a color in such a way as China. Here, red is a symbol. It gives color to the soul (灵魂) of the nation. In the past, red represented dignity (尊严) and mystery. Even now, Chinese people 19 the color much more than the rest of the world does. It can be said that China Red is an everlasting theme for China, and an important color for the Chinese people. China Red has 20 a very popular phrase, attracting the world’s attention.
Finding red-colored things in China is very 21 , as you can see the color everywhere. All traditional red things have played special roles in China. Things like the walls of ancient palaces, the 22 flag, Chinese knots, lanterns, traditional paper-cuts, and even tanghulu are all red.
Red is the color of 23 , health, harmony, happiness, peace, wealth and so on. Only real things and events can fully 24 red’s real beauty. The color can be alive and breathing only when it’s connected with people.
In China, red is more than just a color. It carries the ancient history and 25 of the Chinese nation. China Red is filled with mysterious charm beyond description and it is right here in China waiting for you to feel and discover!
1.A. easily B. quickly C. carefully D. closely
2.A. different B. rich C. simple D. correct
3.A. used B. shared C. drawn D. mentioned
4.A. need B. dislike C. hate D. love
5.A. spoken B. said C. become D. got
6.A. difficult B. easy C. simple D. free
7.A. national B. international C. local D. foreign
8.A. rainbow B. fear C. worry D. luck
9.A. believe B. show C. talk D. write
10.A. art B. business C. culture D. ability
— Could you take care of my dog while we are away?
—_______.
A. Never mind B. That’s all right
C. With pleasure D. It’s my pleasure
— What do you think of the report Mr. Green gave us last week?
— I think it’s _______, but someone thinks it’s much too _______.
A. enough wonderful; boring B. wonderful enough; bored
C. wonderful enough; boring D. enough wonderful; bored
