When I was young I wanted to be a model，so when a national contest was staged，I convinced my parents to take me for an audition (试演)．I was selected and told I had potential. They said that for only $900 I could attend a weekend event which dozens of the most prestigious (有声望的) modeling agencies from around the world would attend. At 13，my hopes of fame and fortune clouded all judgment and I begged my parents to let me go. We have never been rich，but they saw my enthusiasm and agreed.
I imagined being signed by some famous model companies. For months，any boredom or disappointment I faced was pushed aside because I knew I would soon have the chance to be real model. I thought I would grace the covers of famous magazines!
Of course，I wasn't signed，but what hurt the most was being told that if I grew to 5′9″(about 1.75 metres) I could be a success. I prayed for a growth spurt (冲刺) because I could not imagine giving up my dream. I made an appointment with a local modeling agency and the agent demanded $500 for classes. $500 for a photo shoot，and $300 for other expenses. My parents only agreed after hours and hours of my begging.
The agency sent me out on a few auditions，but with every day I didn't receive a call，I grew more depressed. The_ final straw came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial modeling. There was an open call in New York City. We spent hours driving and another few hours waiting，only to be told that I was too short. I was devastated (极度不安的)．
Years later，I realized that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn't actually love modeling，just the idea of it. I wanted to be special and I was innocently determined to reach an impossible goal. The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future.
1.What's the author's parents' attitude toward her dream?
A．Encouraging. B．Worried.
C．Doubtful. D．Enthusiastic.
2.What was it that made the author end her attempt to become a model?
A．Her parents were strongly against it.
B．She realized that it was impossible for her.
C．Even a local modeling agency turned her down.
D．She realized that she didn't actually love the idea of modeling.
3.The underlined phrase “The final straw” probably means ________.
A．the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset，angry，etc...
B．the final result that she was admitted by the model company.
C．the final audition given by the agency.
D．the decision that she made at last not to be a model any more.
4.What did the author learn from her experience of struggling to be a model?
A．Where there's a will there's way.
B．Being a model is not that easy.
C．We should have our own judgment and should not just follow others.
D．We might set unpractical goals but the experience can help us grow.
Below is adapted from an English dictionary. Use the dictionary to answer the following questions.
figure / fīgə / noun, verb
● noun
1. a number representing a particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade / sales figures
2. a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary
3. (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc. numbers
4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history.
5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly
6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it
7. the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure
8. a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating
* be / become a figure of fun: be / become sb. that others laugh at
* cut a…figure: sb with a particular appearance: He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket.
* put a figure on sth: to say the exact price or number of sth.
* a fine figure of man / woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person
* figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect
* figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority)
● verb
1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning.
2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all.
3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth: We figured that attendance at 150,000.
* figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel?
* figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home so late.
* figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost?
* It / That figures!: That seems reasonable.
1.According to the information above, which of the following sentence is not right?
A. This year’s sales figures were quite excellent.
B. I couldn’t figure out what the teacher was talking about.
C. She was the leading figure in British politics in the 1980s.
D. He was about to speak but she put a figure on his lips to stop him.
2. — She was coming late again for the work.
— ______! That’s typical of her. You just can’t do anything to stop her doing that.
A. It figures her outB. She is a figure of fun
C. It cuts a poor figure D. It figures
3.The phrase “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” means “______”.
A. add the numbers B. have sports
C. try not to get fat D. watch games
4.Which sentence is used as figure of speech?
A. John is fond of animals and raises a rabbit as a pet.
B. In some countries, bamboo can be used to build houses.
C. We all regard Mr. Smith as an important figure in our company.
D. I didn’t really mean my partner was a snake.
India has many festivals, with some celebrations that last for weeks. However, none of them come even close to Holi, India’s most colorful and fun festival. Celebrated on the day following the full moon, this year’s festival happens to be on March 19th.
As with most Indian festivals, this one also has many different folk stories. Most of them center around the success of good over evil. The most popular one is about a king, who hates his son Prahlada for loving the creator of the Universe—Lord Vishnu. When every attempt to stop him fails, his sister, Holika believed to be immune(免疫的) to fire, joins in the effort by inviting the young boy to sit with her inside a huge fire. Helped by the power of Lord Vishnu, Prahlada escapes safely, while the evil Holika is burned to death. To remember this event, huge outdoor fires are lit in the night before Holi in order to clean the air of evil spirits and to celebrate the death of the evil.
So what’s so great about this day? While there are some fun parades(游行) and folk songs and dance performances, the most fun of all is walking to the streets and splashing(泼洒) people with water guns and dry colors and even covering them with entire buckets of colored water. On this day, everybody is fair game, no matter how old or how young.
At about midday, the splashing comes to an end and people living close to oceans or rivers usually take a bath in the water to clean themselves before going home to a delicious home-made big dinner and a well-deserved short sleep, following this full day of fun and activities.
1.Why does the king dislike his son Prahlada?
A. Because Prahlada doesn’t love him.
B. Because Prahlada is rude to Holika.
C. Because Prahlada loves Lord Vishnu.
D. Because Prahlada concentrates on his own success.
2.Prahlada gets out of danger __________.
A. with the help of Lord Vishnu
B. because of his good luck
C. by beating his aunt Holika
D. using his amazing talent
3.The underlined phrase “fair game” in Paragraph 3 refers to a person who __________.
A. fights against others fairly
B. enjoys splashing people
C. plays a trick on others
D. is the aim of splashing water
4.After the fun activities, people living close to oceans or rivers often take a bath because __________.
A. they have got dirty with dry colors and colored water
B. going home with colored water means bad luck
C. they believe clean water will bring good luck
D. taking a bath shows their true love for Lord Vishnu
The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(not lived by people). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.
1. According to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of _______.
A. clay B. rock
C. stones D. sand
2.The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.
A. brave B. cruel
C. strange D. kind
3.In the desert _______.
A. it rains in spring only
B. there is some rain, but far from enough
C. it rains for a short time every month
D. the rainfall is just enough for the plants
4.People live _______.
A. only inside the oases
B. only outside the oases
C. both inside and outside the oases
D. in places with regular rainfalls
5.From the passage we know that life _______.
A. is hard in deserts B. is happy in deserts
C. is impossible in deserts D. in deserts is much better now
Any introduction to Peking Opera would not be complete without telling of Mei Lanfang. During his stage life, he combined the traditions of the past with his own creations, shaping a style of his own and giving birth to “The Mei Lanfang School”. He was also the first artist to introduce Peking Opera to an overseas audience, making it popular to the world.
Mei Lanfang began his stage life at the age of 8. His teacher said he showed little hope because of his boring eyes. To improve this, he exercised them day after day. Thanks to his efforts, he managed to change his dull eyes into a pair of bright and expressive eyes and win national fame before the age of 20.
In over 50 years on the stage, Mei Lanfang played no less than 100 different characters in the performance. He also wrote many new plays, designing the dances himself. The many dances he created form part of the great treasure that he left to Peking Opera.
In 1930, Mei Lanfang started on a successful US tour. There his brilliant performances impressed the audience, making them realize that Peking Opera was a theatrical form of great value.
1.Mei Lanfang was the first artist to introduce Peking Opera to ________.
A. China B. audience
C. the world D. schools
2.How long did it take Mei Lanfang to exercise his eyes into bright and expressive?
A. About 8 years. B. About 10 years.
C. About 12 years. D. About 14 years.
3.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The history of Peking Opera.
B. Mei Lanfang’s early stage life.
C. The performance of Peking Opera by Mei Lanfang.
D. Mei Lanfang’s great contributions to Peking Opera.
“Kevin, we are getting a divorce,” said my mother. My heart plunged (急降). I was 9 years old and I thought that my life was going to ________. My brother and I were going to move with my mother to southern California. My dad was to ______ in New Jersey because of work. My family was splitting apart.
Now that my mom is a ________ parent, I do my own laundry, make dinner and do extra chores around the house. _______ it was hard at first, I now recognize the positive ________ that this responsibility had on me. My mother gave me these _______ and duties so that I would learn to become self-disciplined (自律的) and trustworthy.
I strive to show these ______ in my life, and have seen the benefits. When I was only 11 years old, my ______ told me that he was selecting me as soccer team captain because of my determination and ability to get my teammates to ________ themselves. We _________the championship, but I won the fair play award for keeping my team together.
I am always determined to be an individual and not participate in anything that I feel is ________. I am, for example, extremely _______ of my decision not to drink alcohol. Personally, I don’t feel the need to drink to have fun, and I stand by my decision even when others try to ________ me.
My mom and dad both found new _______ and happily remarried. I am ______ close to my father, even though he lives 4,800 km away. I thought my parents’ divorce was going to be the worst thing that _______ happened to me. Ironically (讽刺的是), it turned out to be the ______. I wasn’t willing to let it _______ my life without putting up a fight, and neither was my family.
At age 9, I fought with the confusion and ________ of divorce. Today, at age 16, I understand that _______ can bring opportunity and success, and that hard work, determination and self-discipline can turn your worst time into your best time.
1.A. fall apart B. stand out C. carry on D. come true
2.A. fight B. remainC. accompany D. practice
3.A. careless B. cruel C. nice D. single
4.A. Although B. Because C. If D. Since
5.A. attitude B. experienceC. effect D. situation
6.A. achievements B. abilities C. chores D. disadvantages
7.A. chores B. difficulties C. feelings D. qualities
8.A. father B. headmaster C. brotherD. coach
9.A. enjoy B. teach C. help D. push
10.A. won B. lost C. had D. achieved
11.A. wrong B. abnormal C. dynamic D. violent
12.A. afraid B. tiredC. proudD. fond
13.A. cheat B. persuade C. pleaseD. cheat
14.A. families B. jobs C. kids D. partners
15.A. still B. not C. rarely D. less
16.A. never B. evenC. ever D. almost
17.A. best B. worst C. busiestD. first
18.A. challenge B. protectC. beatD. ruin
19.A. pain B. memory C. importance D. celebration
20.A. obstacles B. families C. parents D. divorce
