The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on Long Island in the summer of 1922.
Nick Carraway rents a small house in West Egg on Long Island, next door to the expensive house of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who often holds extravagant（奢侈的）parties. Nick’s cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom, a college classmate of Nick’s, live in East Egg across the bay.
Nick later learns that Gatsby knew and fell in love with Daisy in 1917 and is still deeply in love with her. He spends many nights staring at her house across the bay from his house, hoping to recover their lost relationship one day. Gatsby’s extravagant lifestyle and wild parties are an attempt to impress Daisy in the hope that she will one day appear again at Gatsby’s doorstep. With the help of Nick, Gatsby and Daisy get in touch again. But after a short time, Tom forces the group to drive into New York City, saying that he and Daisy have a history that Gatsby could never understand. In addition, he announces that Gatsby is a criminal whose fortune comes from illegal activities. Daisy realizes that her allegiance（忠心）is to Tom, and Tom sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, attempting to prove that Gatsby cannot hurt him.
When Nick and Tom drive home, they discover that Gatsby’s car has struck and killed Myrtle. Nick later learns from Gatsby that Daisy, not Gatsby himself, was driving the car at the time of the accident but Gatsby intends to take the blame anyway. Myrtle’s husband, George, arrives at Gatsby’s house and fatally（致命地）shoots both Gatsby and then himself.
Nick stages a small funeral for Gatsby with few coming to mourn the passing of his romantic dream. After that, Nick moves back to the Midwest, disillusioned（幻灭）with the Eastern lifestyle.
At first glance, the novel appears to be a simple love story, but further examination shows Fitzgerald’s masterful observation of American society during the 1920s and the corruption（堕落）of the American dream.
1. Gatsby often holds extravagant parties in order to ____________.
A. show off his wealth
B. enjoy life with his neighbors
C. attract Daisy’s attention
D. memorize his love with Daisy
2.The friend circle of Gatsby before and after his death tells ____________.
A. how powerful George is
B. what an honest cousin Nick is
C. what people care most in a world of money
D. how ugly the couple of George and Myrtle are
3.What do we know about Gatsby from the passage?
A. He loves Daisy so deeply that he chooses to sacrifice for her.
B. He falls in love with Daisy when she attends his wild parties.
C. He is a criminal who attempts to hurt Tom from time to time.
D. He is a mysterious millionaire who likes to stare at others’ houses.
4. The last paragraph of the passage is to show ____________.
A. the influence of The Great Gatsby on later novels
B. the wonderful writing skills of F. Scott Fitzgerald
C. the outstanding and unique theme of The Great Gatsby
D. the status of The Great Gatsby in American literature
When tea was first brought to England between 1652 and 1654, it was so expensive that only the rich could buy it. It was said that an old couple had some sent to them as a great treat. But they did not know how it ought to be used. Eventually they boiled the leaves, put some of them on a piece of bacon for dinner, ate the leaves, and threw the tea soup away. However, tea quickly proved popular enough to replace ale（麦芽酒）as the national drink of England after King Charles II and his Portuguese wife began to follow this foreign tea tradition.
Before the introduction of tea into Britain, the English had two main meals — breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread and beef. Dinner was a long, massive meal at the end of the day. It was no wonder that Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 — 1861) experienced a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon. So she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o’clock in her castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular that the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for “tea and a walking the fields”.
The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses. A common pattern of service soon came into practice. The first pot of tea was made in the kitchen and carried to the lady of the house who waited with her invited guests, surrounded by fine porcelain（瓷器）from China. The first pot was warmed by the hostess from a second pot (usually silver) that was kept heated over a small flame. Food and tea was then passed among the guests, the main purpose of the visiting being conversation.
1. The story of the old couple in Paragraph 1 is to show ____________.
A. how impolite the old couple were
B. how English people cooked tea
C. how difficult it was to introduce tea to England
D. how little English people knew about tea in those days
2.The underlined phrase “sinking feeling” in Paragraph 2 refers to a feeling of ____________.
A. hunger B. loneliness
C. thirst D. anger
3.According to the passage, the key factors of a typical afternoon tea include ____________.
a. cakes and bread
b. a massive meal
c. tea d. ale
e. fine porcelain
f. silver tea pot
g. a small flame
A. a, b, c, d, f B. a, c, e, f, g
C. a, b, e, f, g D. a, c, d, e, g
4.We can know from the passage that afternoon tea ____________.
A. leads to the wide planting and large production of tea in England
B. helps bring King Charles II and his wife together in their childhood
C. is not only an additional afternoon meal but helps bring people together
D. contributes to the increasingly high price of tea and porcelain in England
Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time in many ways.
Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a meaning to the event. It is not a to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that something is urgent and immediate attention.
The same meaning is telephone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he may think it is a of life or death. The time chosen for the call its importance.
In social life, time plays a very part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But this is not in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be .
The meaning of time from place to place in the world. , misunderstandings often arise between people from different cultures that time differently. For example, promptness (准时) is greatly in American life. If people are not prompt, they may be regarded as or not fully responsible. In the US, no one would think of keeping a business partner for an hour; it would be too rude. A person who is five minutes late is to make a short apology.
1.A. wastes B. communicates C. travels D. runs
2.A. special B. ridiculous C. precious D. rare
3.A. custom B. deal C. problem D. duty
4.A. whenever B. though C. while D. once
5.A. gives B. escapes C. pays D. requires
6.A. compared with B. covered with C. attached to D. devoted to
7.A. story B. matter C. game D. view
8.A. reduces B. ignores C. doubts D. stresses
9.A. different B. small C. significant D. equal
10.A. plan B. invitation C. gift D. wish
11.A. true B. useful C. clear D. grateful
12.A. on time B. at length C. in advance D. by chance
13.A. remembered B. forgotten C. canceled D. opposed
14.A. varies B. separates C. rushes D. keeps
15.A. Meanwhile B. Otherwise C. Thus D. Besides
16.A. make B. kill C. save D. treat
17.A. complained B. valued C. seized D. influenced
18.A. impolite B. desperate C. helpless D. unlucky
19.A. working B. approaching C. waiting D. thinking
20.A. forced B. expected C. refused D. blessed
To my great disappointment, my best friend left the city I could have a word with her.
A. before B. after
C. while D. until
The stadium is very splendid and attractive in appearance, may be imagined.
A. it B. what C. as D. that
I wondered why John kept it a secret. It was not until he three times that he told me the truth.
A. asked B. was asking
C. had asked D. had been asked
