It's still there, the Vietnamese school where my brother and I used to go. Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same.
Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends, my brother and I had to go to Vietnamese school. Nothing could stop my determined mother to have us learn the language of our culture. She held us by the collar and walked with us from our home to school, leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school.
Although the school mainly taught language, the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, "How are you, teacher?"
The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I hail tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman whose Vietnamese was quick, loud, but not beautiful. I did not want to be seen speaking Vietnamese with her and thought of as talking stupid.
When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled and encouraged me. My brother was even stricter than I about speaking English. He was especially cruel towards my mother, scolding her for her poor English. Bits of Vietnamese were often mixed in her conversation.
After two years of struggle, I finally divorced my culture. I was permitted to stop Vietnamese school. I thought of myself as American. At last, I thought I was one of you; I wasn't one of them.
Sadly, I am only an American.
1.What can be learned from the passage?
A. The author's brother liked learning Vietnamese.
B. The author's mother taught him English at home.
C. The author didn't like learning Vietnamese when he was young.
D. The author's mother put her sons in a language school in Vietnam.
2.The author often felt embarrassed because _______.
A. his Vietnamese was not beautiful enough
B. he could not fly kites like other kids at school
C. his grandma spoke Vietnamese loudly in public
D. his mother always treated him rudely in the market
3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author feels _______.
A. scared B. peaceful
C. satisfied D. regretful
4.What's the theme of the passage?
A. It is important to adapt to a new environment.
B. It is important to appreciate your own culture.
C. It is important to remember your childhood.
D. It is important to learn a foreign language.
New Movies In Theaters Opening This Week--April 20 | |
I Feel Pretty (2018) 110 min - Comedy A woman who feels rather insecure wakes from a fall believing she is the most beautiful and able woman on the planet. Her new confidence allows her to live fearlessly, but what happens when she realizes her appearance never changed? Directors: Abby Kohn | Marc Silverstein Stars: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, Busy Philipps | |
Traffik (2018) 96 min - Thriller A couple off for a romantic weekend in the mountains meet a biker gang. Alone in the mountains, Brea and John must defend themselves against the gang, who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. Director: Deon Taylor Stars: Paula Patton, Missi Pyle, Dawn Olivieri, William Fichtner | |
Genesis (2018) 114 min - Science Fiction 'Genesis' explores the nature of free will and what it means to be human, against the attempt of mankind to create A.I. to save them from dying out. Directors: Freddie Hutton-Mills | Bart Ruspoli Stars: Olivia Grant, Chiké Okonkwo, John Hannah, Warren Brown | |
Le Redoutable (2017) 107 min - Biography | Comedy | Drama | Romance During the making of one of his films, French film director Jean- Luc Godard falls in love with 17-year old actress Anne Wiazemsky and later marries her. Director: Michel Hazanavicius Stars: Louis Garrel, Stacy Martin, BéréniceBejo, MichaLescot |
1.Which film is the most suitable for a high school student interested in science fictions?
A. I Feel Pretty B. Traffik
C. Genesis D. Le Redoutable
2.If you are a big fan of film star Michelle Williams, you will choose to watch _______.
A. I Feel Pretty B. Traffik
C. Genesis D. Le Redoutable
3.Which of the following statement is true about the film Le Redoutable?
A. The story happens in Great Britain.
B. The film lasts more than two hours.
C. It intends to discuss the nature and value of free will.
D. It's a love story between a film director and an actress.
One Bite at a Time
Stephen was on campus to register when I first met him.
One summer day ______ I was heading for the administration building, I heard someone call my name. I ______ around and saw Philip, one of my colleagues standing with another young man. As Philip introduced me to the young man, named Stephen, he reminded him that he would be taking one of my ______, Introduction to Literature. With a somewhat ______ expression, Stephen asked if my class was going to be "hard". Would he be able to pass? I ______ he was concerned about failing before the ______ day of classes. We talked about what the class would ______ and I saw Stephen's eyes getting big with _______.
Then I remembered a bit of classical dialog:
Question: "How do you eat an elephant?"
Answer: "One bite at a time."
I told him to ______ his work that way. To do his assignment, all of them, and to get them in on time. I added that most ______ students I knew made a timetable of all the assignment so they could ______ their workload.
As time went on, I learned more of Stephen's story. He had ______ in middle school. It had taken him longer to finish than most young people. Family members, including his mother, kept reminding him that he was a ______. Now, in the face of their negative-saying he had been admitted into college. He told me that before coming to our campus no one had believed he had much _______.
Stephen didn't become an "A" student. He didn't make any honor rolls. Still, he managed to ______ most of his courses by being in class every day, turning in all of his assignment on time and breaking down his studying into ______ digestible parts. By passing course after course he began to gain a measure of self-respect. He was a great singer and he was ______ the school's cross-country team.
Every time I saw him on campus, he would brighten up and say, "One bite at a time." Whenever he introduced me to his friends, he would tell them that he was ______ when he was supposed to be failing. His ______, he said, was that he was ______ what I taught him before classes ever started: "Take it one bite at a time."
1.A. after B. when C. until D. once
2.A. turned B. sat C. moved D. went
3.A. jobs B. tests C. classes D. projects
4.A. innocent B. angry C. inspired D. pained
5.A. sensed B. imagined C. heard D. admitted
6.A. gathering B. parting C. closing D. opening
7.A. change B. adjust C. cover D. produce
8.A. interest B. anger C. fear D. excitement
9.A. avoid B. continue C. present D. approach
10.A. quiet B. optimistic C. energetic D. successful
11.A. plan B. increase C. reduce D. measure
12.A. fitted B. hesitated C. struggled D. progressed
13.A. cheat B. failure C. winner D. leader
14.A. experience B. information C. potential D. honor
15.A. pass B. begin C. take D. design
16.A. full-sized B. bite-sized C. pocket-sized D. medium-sized
17.A. for B. on C. at D. of
18.A. changing B. recovering C. concentrating D. succeeding
19.A. secret B. skill C. reply D. theory
20.A. spreading B. considering C. practicing D. expressing
—Come on,please give me some ideas about the project.
—Sorry.With so much work _______ my mind,I almost break down.
A. filled B. filling C. to fill D. being filled
He ________ the boy who kept making noises in the library and said, "Get out!"
A. stared at B. looked at
C. glanced at D. glared at
Although the police had searched everywhere, they couldn't find the two ________ boys.
A. missed B. missing
C. losing D. having missing