Car washes are a common sight throughout Nigeria, but Madinat Aliyu's roadside business is very special: she is the only woman car-washer in the north of the country.
“This job has caused me a lot of problems,” said the 27-year-old, checking cars waiting to be cleaned in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara state.
Aliyu took up her work two years ago, hoping to use the 7,000 naira (£28) she earned every month to put her younger sisters and brothers through school following the death of their mother, the only one who made money to support the family. But her family begged her to stop doing this job, and she has received “judgment and warnings” from strangers too.
“My grandmother cried for many days. Some people thought it was a joke to bring more customers (顾客). Others said if she is doing it for money, let's just give her money to stop bringing us shame,” she said as she got water from a well by the roadside. “But I hate laziness or depending on somebody else.”
However, Aliyu has admirers. “Some customers only allow her to wash their cars,” said her colleague (同事) Shamsudeen Mohammed. “I was trained to wash cars by men, and I can honestly tell you women are better to work under,” he added.
Recently another woman came to Aliyu to ask for advice on starting her own car wash. “Unfortunately her family discouraged her. I told her, if you listen to them, you will find yourself begging or marrying a man who is older than your grandfather,” she said.
Though she is considered a pariah (贱民) by many, Aliyu has no plans to stop her work. “I see men doing something and I think I can do it too.”
1.Madinat Aliyu washes cars mainly to _____.
A. make a living
B. learn about cars
C. meet her future husband
D. know the life of the poor
2.From the fifth paragraph, we know Shamsudeen Mohammed _____.
A. thought Aliyu did a good job
B. trained Aliyu to wash cars
C. had more customers than Aliyu
D. liked to work with men
3.As a woman car-washer, Aliyu _____.
A. gets her family's support
B. dreams of going to school
C. is thought highly of by strangers
D. sets an example for the women in Nigeria
4.Which of the following can best describe Aliyu?
A. Shy but smart.
B. Independent and confident.
C. Honest but lazy.
D. Humorous and imaginative.
Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: June 15-Aug. 24 Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights (最精彩的部分) this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Alvin Ailey's “The Lark Ascending”, which opens the festival.
Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. jacobspillow.org.
Moab Music Festival
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug. 29-Sept. 9
This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three “Grotto Concerts”, where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances.
Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming
When: July 19-28
There's something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an “Indian village” and Old West museum to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys (牛仔) and cowgirls competing for major money in the world's largest outdoor stage.
Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. cfdrodeo.com.
The Glimmerglass Festival
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July 6-Aug. 24
Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year's performances include Wagner's “The Flying Dutchman” and Verdi's “King for a Day”, in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers (作曲家).
Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org.
1.If you want to enjoy a “Grotto Concert”, which date suits you best?
A. June 15. B. July 19.
C. August 24. D. September 4.
2.If you go to Cheyenne to watch a competition and enjoy a concert, how much will you pay at least?
A. $18. B. $22.
C. $36. D. $41.
3.If you are a big fan of Wagner, you're advised to go to _____.
A. Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
B. the Glimmerglass Festival
C. Cheyenne Frontier Days
D. Moab Music Festival
4.Which part of a website is the text probably chosen from?
A. Education. B. Art.
C. Business. D. Literature.
A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town. But it was raining hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village.
On his way home he saw a person lying on the snow. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking the baskets with him.
The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked, “Are these yours?” “Yes, sir.” the farmer answered timidly(胆怯地). “Have you killed the man?” “No, no, sir.” the farmer said in a hurry. “When did you see the dead man?” “About seven last evening.” “Did you see who killed the man?” “No, sir.” The officer brought out a knife and asked, “Have you seen it yet?” “No, sir.” The officer became angry and told the policemen to beat him up and sent him into prison.
That evening the officer went on trying. Pointing to the knife, he asked again, “Have you seen it yet?” “Yes, sir.” The officer was happy and asked, “When and where?” “I saw it here this afternoon, sir.”
1.The farmer decided to sell the vegetables to _______.
A. buy some food for his family
B. buy some medicine for his wife
C. go to see a doctor
D. go to the cinema
2.The farmer didn’t sell out his vegetables until the evening because _______.
A. they were too bad
B. they were very expensive
C. it rained hard that morning
D. people wouldn’t go out on such a bad day
3.As _______, the farmer decided to help the person to stand up.
A. he was ready to help others
B. the person was one of his friends
C. he thought the person would thank him
D. he thought the person had drunk too much
4.The farmer ran away quickly because _______.
A. the policemen were coming towards him
B. his wife was waiting for him at home
C. he was afraid to see a dead man
D. it was so late that he couldn’t stay there any longer
Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer, navigator (航海家), and mapmaker. He explored much of eastern Canada and became known as the “Father of New France”.
Born into a family of sailors, Champlain, while still a young man, began exploring North America. In 1603, he sailed up the Saguenay River and the St. Lawrence River. From 1604 to 1607 Champlain joined in the exploration and settlement of the first permanent (永久的) European settlement north of Florida. Then, in 1608, he established the French settlement that is now Quebec City. He also made the first accurate (精确的) map of the Canadian coast.
Champlain spent most of the rest of his life going between France and Canada. His goals were to map North America and find a quicker way to get to the Pacific Ocean.
In 1629 Quebec was controlled by the English and Champlain was taken to England as a prisoner. When Canada was returned to France in 1633 Champlain returned to Canada as governor of Quebec and remained in Quebec until his death on Christmas Day in 1635.
Champlain was the first European to explore and describe the Great Lakes, and published maps of his journeys and reports of what he learned from the natives and the French living among the natives. Champlain was memorialized as the “Father of New France”, and many places and streets in North America use his name. The most famous of these is Lake Champlain, which lies between northern New York and Vermont.
1.Which is the correct order of the events about Champlain?
a. established the settlement in Canada
b. travelled up the St. Lawrence River
c. returned to Canada as governor of Quebec
d. was taken to England
A. b-a-c-d B. b-a-d-c
C. a-d-b-c D. a-b-d-c
2.We can learn from the text that Champlain _____.
A. was important to Canadian history
B. was famous for the lake named for him
C. was the first person to explore North America
D. was the first family member to work on a ship
3.The underlined word “memorialized” in the last paragraph probably means “_____”.
A. described B. chosen
C. remembered D. trusted
4.What's the best title for the text?
A. Exploration of North America
B. Origin of Lake Champlain
C. Foundation of Quebec
D. Father of New France
Most people would have given up on an old, blind horse. But Berowra’s Justine Ruta is not most people.
The lights went out for 27-year-old Appaloosa Prince in March last year_ _cataracts(白内障)，an eye disease __ _ blindness. Experts advised euthanasia(安乐死) as the best choice. Instead, Ruta, 27, retrained the __ _she was given on her 13th birthday and the pair are _ __ together again.
Two years ago, one of the horse’s eyes developed a cataract and Ruta was told he might go _ __. When he did go _ _ blind, some people said the best thing to do would be to put him down. But one vet saw him and gave a(n) _ __opinion. He said the connection between the ___ _ was so strong that he would trust her to do anything with the horse.
So, for the next six months, Ruta would teach Prince to _ __her other senses to get around. She used wind chimes(风铃) to __ _him to his food. She played the radio before walks. She lifted his head to encourage him to _ _ his legs when walking up hills. The __ __ helped improved Prince’s weak legs and put a(n) _ _ on his owner’s face.
Ruta thought she could not face the idea of __ _ the horse who helped her through so much as a teenager, __ _ after losing her father when she was 15. When she first got the horse, she fell in love with him and _ _ every weekend with him.
Ruta, who is a vet at Wild Life Sydney Zoo, said she hoped her__ _would encourage others not to _ _ when things get difficult. “It takes _ _ and patience,” she said, “It was so challenging but it was __ _in the end.”
1.A. in case of B. according to C. because of D. in need of
2.A. introducing B. causing C. stopping D. avoiding
3.A. dog B.friend C. partner D. horse
4.A. swimming B. riding C. waiting D. holding
5.A. blind B. dead C. mad D. deaf
6.A. normally B. finally C. completely D. exactly
7.A. different B. important C. similar D. immediate
8.A. group B. pair C. team D. couple
9.A. forget B. play C. use D. close
10.A.lead B. send C. show D. carry
11.A.step B. shake C. bend D. lift
12.A.performances B. walks C. tasks D. lessons
13.A.expression B. mask C. shadow D. smile
14.A. selling B. punishing C. losing D. training
15.A.surely B. generally C. mainly D. especially
16.A.began B. appreciated C. finished D. spent
17.A. story B. idea C. wish D. memory
18.A. fall down B. try out C. turn back D. give up
19.A. money B. understanding C. love D. work
20.A.suitable B. worthwhile C. useful D. interesting
Jim sold his car_______ he could enjoy a healthier life style.
A. since B. unless C. so that D. even though
