Say the words ‘reality TV’ and the show that comes into most people’s minds is Big Brother. Love it or hate it, there have been versions ( 版本) in more than seventy countries! The basic format is simple: put a group of strangers into a house, record everything they do and watch how they manage to live together.
Actually the idea wasn’t original. A similar show, The Real World, was broadcast in 1992 on MTV. But the format really became popular with the success of Big Brother, and it has been copied again and again, including celebrity versions. In similar shows, contestants ( 参赛选手) have been sent to the jungle or a desert island. In Wife Swap a mother goes to live with a family of strangers and tries to manage their homes; in Young, Dumb and Living off Mum a group of spoilt ( 宠坏的) teenagers with no life skills learn to live together and look after themselves.
So what makes these shows so attractive? Actually, living with strangers is stressful and also personality problems are common. Contestants often have to share tasks and housework and this also brings conflict. “It’s all about relationships,” says TV critic ( 批评家) Jo Barnett. “Some characters are pleasant, and some are unpleasant, but they are all real people.”
But is it healthy to be so interested in other people’s private lives? And what kind of people want to appear in front of TV cameras twenty-four hours a day? Not everyone was in favour of such shows, including the first ever winner of Big Brother, Bart Spring. “I’m not a fan of the programme or of people becoming famous for being stupid.” he says.
1.Big brother is a TV show which has versions in over 70 countries, isn’t it?
______________________
2.Which of the following words has the same meaning as “original” (Para. 2) ?
A.narrow B.creative C.powerful D.favourite
3.What life skills can the spoilt teenagers learn in Young, Dumb and Living off Mum?
______________________
4.How is the life of the contestants living with strangers?
______________________
5.What does TV critic Jo Barnett think of the characters in these shows?
______________________
6.Do you like to take part in this kind of activity? Add your reason(s) .
______________________
Five years ago my classmates and I finished secondary school and went our different ways. On the last day, we promised to meet again exactly five years later and see how everyone is doing. This week we k that promise. So what’s become of my class?
Matthew’s a musician. No surprises there – that’s what he’s always wanted to do. Back at school, he c focused on his music and his only dream was to become a concert pianist. He finished music college a year ago and right now he’s preparing for a series of concerts in the USA.
I remember Krishni as a h student who was always very busy with her subjects. She got good marks and set herself clear goals. She’s going to be a dentist in six months’ time—she’s just finishing her degree. I’m going to see her and ask her to check my t !
Dean has always liked football more than studying. Some teachers made comments such as ‘Kicking a ball round is not a career, young man.’ Well, guess what? He is r a local football club for children now. He’s also a great coach, the kids love him and he’s making quite a lot of money!
Rachel says she’s s thinking about what she wants to do in life. She travels a lot. She’s already been to India, Iran, South Africa, Iceland and about a million other places. She’s had several jobs. She’s the one who’s really having a wonderful life.
And what about me? I’m studying to be a r . I’ve just applied for a job with one of the national newspapers; until I hear from them, I’m now writing for The Campus Courie.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
When you imagine a new way of doing something and then find a way to do it, you are being creative. Generally, there are three steps to being creative. They are:
Step 1 Gaining knowledge and skills of how things are done
A solid knowledge and skills help you understand how to do something. Knowing when and how to apply this knowledge comes from studying how others have done things in the same situations. Think about learning to play the piano. In this step you learn how to read music and_______ the keys are on the piano. You also practise playing.
Step 2 Learning to_______ the way that people do those things
Practising how others do something will bring what you have learned and the practice of it together. Repeating other people’s skills will create a lot of _________ and increase understanding. So your next step in playing the piano would be seeing how other good musicians play, and repeating their songs and styles of playing.
Step 3 Exploring new and maybe better ways of doing them
Knowing the rules, but then using or breaking them in your_______ style is the basis of creativity. At this point in playing the piano, you might play songs in new ways; or even write songs and melodies (曲调). Being able to explore and improve on ideas requires time and effort to find out different ways of doing something.
Being creative is the useful ability to help solve problems effectively in many different situations. Being creative will often result in lots of ideas,_______ not all of them will be good ideas. That is why being creative is a process of trying - and trying again! Being able to come up with new ideas, and then_______ the better ideas, will make your life more successful. So start being creative today!
1.A.why B.where C.when D.who
2.A.copy B.avoid C.remind D.destroy
3.A.debates B.signals C.exhibitions D.experiences
4.A.fair B.mean C.rude D.own
5.A.since B.unless C.although D.because
6.A.breaking down B.picking out C.getting rid of D.putting off
Londoner Michael Wicks travelled to Sunbury in Middlesex last week to search for his 17-year-old daughter Lisa, who he had not seen for five years. Lisa moved to Sunbury with her mother after her parents divorced ( 离 婚) , and she was not in contact with her father, who lived in a different town.
After days of searching, Mr Wicks asked The Sunbury Free Press to print a photo he took in Sunbury’s main square and his telephone number, and asking his daughter to contact him.
When the newspaper came out a few days later, Lisa was amazed to see a picture of her dad – and when she looked more closely, she saw herself too in the background!
Lisa said she had been very shocked. “I was just a few metres from my dad and I had no idea!” she said. She showed the paper to a friend, who told her to phone the number immediately.
“At first, my dad thought it was a joke” she said, “but he soon realized it was really me. It’s great to be in contact again after all these years!” She said that they went out to dinner together that evening to celebrate.
Happy dad, Michael, smiling from ear to ear, told our journalist the next day that they planned to spend a lot more time together, and said that it surely wouldn’t be another five years before they saw each other!
1.Mr Wicks ________ with his daughter for five years since he and his wife got divorced.
A.had not been in contact B.had lived in Sunbury
C.had been in the same town D.had travelled to see his wife
2.What information did Mr Wicks offer to the newspaper the Sunbury Free Press?
A.His photo and a newspaper. B.His daughter’s telephone number.
C.His photo and his phone number. D.His daughter’s photo in a main square.
3.Lisa was shocked to see the picture of his father because she ________ in the same square.
A.showed it to a friend B.happened to be
C.also searched for her father D.got her father’s phone number
4.Both Mr Wicks and Lisa felt happy to see each other, so they ________ that evening.
A.told jokes at home B.decided to phone his wife
C.went out to celebrate D.invited a journalist to dinner
5.Who helped Mr Wicks find his daughter Lisa in this article?
A.His wife. B.His close friend.
C.A restaurant. D.The Sunbury Free Press.
6.What does the underlined part (in the last paragraph. ) “it surely ... each other” mean?
A.They wouldn’t meet again in the following five years.
B.They would see each other during the following five years.
C.They would live together for the following five years.
D.They wouldn’t contact any longer five years later.
be put off, the heavy rain, had to, the sports meeting, because of (连词成句)
_________________________________.
With the help of my Huawei phone, I took a lot of pictures last year. (改为被动语态)
A lot of pictures ________ by me last year with the help of my Huawei phone.
