Bruce Jun Fan Lee was born in the hour of the Dragon, between 6 and 8 a.m., in the “Year of the Dragon” on November 27, 1940 at the Jackson Street Hospital in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Today, a plaque (牌匾) in the hospital’s entry remembers the place of his birth. Bruce’s birth, in the hour and the year of Dragon, is a powerful symbol in Chinese astrology (星相学). It would be a strong indication of the powerful life that was to be lived by Bruce Lee and the explosive influence his life would have on countless others.
At the age of three months, Lee Hoi Chuen, his wife Grace and baby Bruce returned to Hong Kong where Bruce would be raised until the age of 18. Probably because of the long ocean voyage and the change in climates, Bruce was not a strong child in his very early years, a condition that would change when he took up the study of kung fu at the age of 13.
At the age of 13, Bruce was introduced to Master Yip Man, a teacher of the Wing Chun style of kung fu. For five years Bruce studied diligently and became very proficient. Regarding Yip Man as a master teacher and wise man, Bruce respected him greatly and frequently visited with him in later years. When he first took up kung fu, he used his new skills to fight his “enemies”, but it did not take long for Bruce to learn that the real value of martial arts training is that the skills of physical combat (搏斗) build up confidence to the point that one does not feel the constant need to defend one’s honor through fighting.
In high school, Bruce, now no longer a weak child, was beginning to improve his body through hard training. One of his accomplishments was winning an interschool Boxing Championship against an English student. Given the graceful movements, which would later be spectacularly displayed in his films, it is no surprise that Bruce was also an excellent dancer, and in 1958 he won the Hong Kong Cha Cha Championship.
At the age of 18, Bruce was looking for new prospect in his life, as were his parents who were discouraged that Bruce had not made much progress academically. His family decided that it was time for him to return to the land of his birth and find his future there. In April of 1959, with $100 in his pocket, Bruce boarded a steamship and began his voyage to San Francisco.
1.The plaque at the entrance of the Jackson Street Hospital is considered as ________.
A. an obvious sign of Bruce’s powerful life
B. a strong influence of Bruce’s life on others
C. a reminder of Bruce Lee’s birthplace
D. a powerful symbol in Chinese astrology
2.Bruce didn’t have a strong body until ________.
A. he practiced boxing in high school
B. he took up kung fu with Master Yip Man
C. he won a dancing championship
D. he returned to the land of his birth
3.Learning kung fu diligently from Master Yip Man, Bruce soon realized that ________.
A. one can’t master kung fu skills without much practice
B. only through physical combat can one defend his honor
C. one can never defeat himself unless trained by a master
D. excellent kung fu skills can strengthen one’s confidence considerably
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. Bruce didn’t have outstanding academic achievements in school
B. Master Yip Man offered to teach Bruce Chinese kung fu for free
C. Bruce’s parents sent him back to San Francisco for better education
D. Bruce made a big fortune by participating in boxing competitions
New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple will get to ring in the Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year in the U.S., in style with a fireworks display on the Hudson River set to music written by Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun.
The display is part of the second annual “Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China” festival held in New York on February 5-10, 2016. The China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), the U.S.-China Cultural Institute and the Cultural Associate of the Committee of 100 announced this year’s events on November 18 at a press conference at the Lincoln Center.
The “Fantastic Art China” festival will feature a larger and more diverse series of artistic and cultural events across New York’s top cultural venues (地点) and landmarks, including the Lincoln Center, Empire State Building and Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
This year’s theme focuses on exploring the complicated relationship between sound and image, said Professor Yu Ding from CAFA, who is also president of Fantastic Art China and in charge of the festival’s design. Lunar New Year, which celebrates the “Year of the Monkey” in 2016, is an opportunity to bring China’s modern art to mainstream America, and the festival serves as an innovative approach to establishing cultural exchange between China and New York City, Yu said.
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun’s music is a new edition that will be featured at several venues, including a major art exhibition at the Javits Center, events at the Lincoln Center and the fireworks display on the Hudson, which will take place on the evening of February 6. Five barges (游艇) on the river will launch the fireworks designed by CAFA that will tell a story about celebration and conservation.
“We Chinese are fond of nature, so the best way to celebrate the Lunar New Year is to salute with the sounds of nature, such as sounds of water, stone and bamboo,” said Tan Dun at the press conference, “And it will be fun to use the music of water during the firework display.”
In addition to the fireworks, a special lighting show at the Empire State Building will illuminate New York City during the holiday.
Chinese New Year is being recognized as a public school holiday for the first time in New York. Children from the National Dance Institute, which represents 75 schools, will perform traditional Chinese dances at the Lincoln Center and the Javits Center. And, in celebration of the “Year of the Monkey” events will feature a conservation message about the endangered golden monkey in China.
1.The theme of this year’s celebration is centered on ________.
A. diversity of Chinese traditional festivals
B. relationship between sound and image of nature
C. endangered species and environment protection
D. cultural exchange between China and America
2.The coming “Year of the Monkey” is to be celebrated in New York by ________.
A. sailing on the Hudson River along with a new-year speech
B. holding a special concert at the Empire State Building
C. setting off fireworks and holding a special lighting show
D. taking a week off and organizing Chinese dance contests
3.What does the underlined word “illuminate” (in Para. 7) most probably mean?
A. Lighten. B. Surround. C. Decorate. D. Broaden.
4.This passage is written mainly in order to ________.
A. compare some traditional festivals in China and America
B. attract visitors to America for the coming new-year celebration
C. strengthen the cultural co-operation between China and America
D. report celebration activities for the “Year of the Monkey” in New York
Dyslexia is a problem that restricts the ability to recognize words and connect sounds with letters when people read. People with this learning disorder may also have problems when they write. Dyslexia is not related to eyesight or intelligence. The problem involves areas of the brain that process language. Brain scientists are studying whether they can predict which young children may struggle with reading to provide them with early help. John Gabrieli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is leading the study of five-year-olds in about twenty schools in the Boston area.
They studied in the schools with kindergartens. And for all the children joining in the study, they give them a brief set of paper-and-pencil tests to look at which children appear to be at some risk for struggling to read. So far, fifty of them have been examined in a scanner, a special machine, to show brain activity. Written tests are not always able to identify dyslexia or other problems, while brain scans may offer a more scientific way to identify problems. And with reading problems, early identification is important. When it comes to helping children overcome reading difficulties, the younger the child, the more effective they are.
Reading problems are not usually identified until a child is in the third or fourth grade. The later children are recognized as poor readers, the less treatment can help. And, as Professor Gabrieli points out, poor reading can make education a struggle. Reading is everything. Even math and science have textbooks.
While the children are given tasks related to reading, the brain scans measure the extent to which certain parts of the brain become active while the children do the work. The scientists say they are pleased with early results from the study, but have a long way to go.
1.Dyslexia affects the part of brain concerning ________.
A. eyesight B. intelligence C. language D. emotion
2.Dyslexia problems are more likely to be identified through ________.
A. speech contests B. reading efficiency
C. listening comprehension D. brain scans
3.According to the passage, which of the followings has the best time to overcome reading difficulties?
A. Tom, a boy in the kindergarten.
B. Kate, a high school leaver.
C. Jane, a primary school student.
D. Steve, a man in his thirties.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. An effective way to identity Dyslexia at an early stage.
B. A learning disorder involving one’s intelligence.
C. Dyslexia — a problem affecting one’s reading and writing.
D. A possible solution to the problems related to Dyslexia.
Years ago, the American writer Kurt Vonnegut often said there was one story that would always make a million dollars: Cinderella.
In Hollywood and in today’s economy, it is more like $70 million and that is just a start. “Cinderella” made that amount in ticket sales when it opened last weekend. But the merchandising deals linked to the movie are also hugely valuable.
So the artistic success of the film is open to debate. What is clear, however, is the movie’s business success. It is a hit in the theaters but it is also a hit in retail (零售). And Disney widened its usual market for “Cinderella” products.
There are products connected to the Disney film targeted not only at little girls, but women, too. For example, the famous shoe designer Jimmy Choo partnered with Disney to create a version of Cinderella’s “glass slippers” or shoes. You can buy them for about $5,000. At that price, you would not want to lose one at the ball, even if that is the way you get your prince. Several other shoemakers also accepted Disney deals to design versions of the famous footwear.
The makeup company MAC quickly sold all its products with official links to “Cinderella.” But lucky buyers were soon selling the products on the online marketplace eBay for many times the original price.
HSN is a popular television and online retailer (零售商) of jewelry, clothing and objects for the home. The marketer is now an exclusive seller of “Cinderella” products.
So, is there anything left for the children, those people we think of as the traditional audience for the age-old fairy tale? Yes, you can find toys and other children’s products at the American retailer JC Penney. Of course, you can also visit a Disney store.
Disney also produced an animated version of “Cinderella.” It came out in 1950 and is considered a classic. Which do you think the Disney company does better: live action (实景真人) or animated films? Post your thoughts in the comments section.
1.Products connected to the film “Cinderella” are generally aimed at ________.
A. toy retailers B. shoe designers
C. female consumers D. make-up producers
2.The film “Cinderella” is also a hit in retail because ________.
A. it has always been warmly welcomed by successful businessmen
B. huge profits were made in the sales of various “Cinderella” products
C. box-office profit is much larger than the derivatives (衍生产品) of the film
D. Disney produced both a live action and an animated version of the film
3.What could be the best title for this passage?
A. “Cinderella” Is a Big Hit in the Theaters.
B. Two Different Versions of “Cinderella”.
C. Debates on the Artistic Success of “Cinderella”.
D. “Cinderella” Is More than Just a Movie for Kids.
请根据你对以下图片的理解，以“人与自然”为题，写一篇100词左右的英语短文。
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Dear Sir,
I have just read on the newspaper that an English language secretary is wanting in your company. Therefore, I’m writing to introduce me and apply for the position.
I am a 22-years-old female university student, that studies in the English Department of Yunnan University. I do very much well in English listening, speaking, and translation. I can speak and read little French as a second foreign language. Last summer, I also work as a tourist guide and the boss I worked for were very satisfied with my work. You will know more about me whether I come for an interview.
Best wishes.
Yours faithfully,
Li Ming
