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. 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.
2.Which of the following is NOT true according to 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.
3.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.
Do you know why different animals or pests（害虫）have their special colours? Colours in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts（蝗虫），but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colours together with the change of the colours of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown colour as crops have. Some other pests with different colours from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.
If you study the animal life, you’ll find the main use of colouring is protecting themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be seen by hunters. This is because they have the colours much like the tree.
Have you ever noticed an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid（液体）when it faces danger. While the liquid spread over, the enemies（敌人）cannot find it. And it immediately（立即）swims away. So it has lived up to now though it isn’t strong at all.
1. How can pests with different colours from plants keep out of danger?
A. They run away quickly.
B. Their colours are much like their enemies.
C. They hide themselves in the day and appear at night.
D. They have to move quietly.
2.The kind of fish can live up to now because .
A. it is very big and strong
B. the liquid it sends out can help it escape from its enemies
C. the liquid it sends out can kill its enemies
D. it swims faster than any other fish
3. Which is the best title for this passage?
A. The Change of Colours for Animals and Pests
B. Colours of Different Animals and Pests
C. The Main Use of Colours for Animals and Pests
D. Some Animals and Pests
News 1 |
| A big surprise! Mo Yan has become the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Prize in Literature(文学). When he heard the news, he said he was overjoyed and scared. But do you know Mo Yan is a pen name that means “Don’t Speak”? His real name is Guan Moye. |
News 2 |
| There is a new “star” in the sky! On October 25th, 2012, China successfully sent another satellite(卫星) into space in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. It was the 16th satellite of the Beidou system. It will start providing navigation(导航) services for China by the end of this year. In all, the system will have 35 satellites. |
News 3 |
| Have you heard that crazy new song “Gangnam Style”? It’s blowing up right now! Now it is the No. 1 song on iTunes in more than 30 countries. That song is everywhere. It’s online! It’s on TV! It’s on the radio! You can’t escape Gangnam Style! |
News 4 |
| Hurricane(飓风) Sandy, one of the biggest storms hit the USA on October 29th, 2012. The strong wind and heavy rain killed at least 113 people. The storm caused long hours power outages(停电). |
1.Mo Yan is the _______ Chinese national to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
A. first B. second
C. third D. fourth
2.Which of the following about the new “star” is TRUE?
A. It was sent up at the beginning of 2012.
B. It was the 17th satellite of the Beidou system.
C. It was sent up in southeast China’s Sichuan Province.
D. It will start providing navigation services.
3. The underlined phrase ‘blow up’ means ___________ in Chinese.
A. 爆炸 B. 发怒 C. 流行 D. 打气
4.At least 113 people died because of ___________.
A. the snowstorm
B. the hurricane on October 29th
C. the earthquake in the USA
D. the thunder and lightning
完形填空：（1’*10=10’）
One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese girl student, “ You speak very good English.” But the girl answered, “ No, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite at the answer. Thinking he had not made himself understood or the girl had not him clearly, he said, “ Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” the girl still kept saying, “ No.” In the end, the American boy could not understand and didn’t know to say.
What’s wrong with the girl’s answer? She didn’t a compliment ( 恭维)in the same way as the American people do. She should answer, “ Thank you” instead of “ No”. She really understood what the American boy had said, but she thought she should be modest. In the west, people will feel proud and when they are praised. So if someone says the you have cooked are very delicious, you should say, “ Thank you .”
In our country we think being modest is a virtue (美德) and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not being proud, so sometimes you should be confident instead of being modest.
you are modest and say, “No , I’m afraid I can’t do it well”, while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say “No”, you will certainly be looked down upon by . When asking for a job, if one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it ” instead of “ Let me have a try ”, he or she will expect to get it . So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence.
1.A.excited B. surprised C. relaxed D. frightened
2.A. heard B. watched C. listened to D. looked at
3.A. Though B. Although C. Or D. But
4.A. when B. which C. what D. how
5.A. receive B. accept C. refuse D. disagree
6.A. dutiful B. modest C. shameful D. confident
7.A. dishes B. cups C. glasses D. bowls
8.A. think B. say C. ask D. mean
9.A. Until B. Unless（除非） C. Whether D. If
10.A. another B. the other C. the others D. others
— I prefer western food. It’s delicious and good for us.
—_______ ? But western food is said to be high in sugar and fat.
A. Is that right B. How do you know that
C. Do you really think so D. Who told you that
He would not mind ________the windows. ________ you agree _______me?
A. to close; Do; to B. close; Are; with
C. close; Are; to D. closing; Do; with
