Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's stars, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world's attention. Paparazzi(狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids(小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal, celebrities—famous people—worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time，” Villarreal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B．C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his soldout readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain(抱怨) about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about filmstars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren't all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.
1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today ________.
A.are often misunderstood by the public
B.can no longer have their privacy protected
C.spend too much on their public appearance
D.care little about how they have come into fame
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
B.The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
C.Wellknown actors are usually targets of tabloids.
D.Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A.Availability of modern media.
B.Inadequate social recognition.
C.Lack of favorable chances.
D.Huge population of fans.
4.What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?
A.Sincere. B.Sceptical.
C.Disapproving. D.Sympathetic.
When emergency workers arrive at an old firehouse in New York City, the way they greet each other is not what you might expect. These first responders say," Ni Hao! " "Ni Hao" means "hello" in Mandarin Chinese.
First responders are the first emergency workers to arrive at a fire, traffic accident or other emergency. Some first responders are fire fighters, while others can be Emergency Medical Technicians.
In Brooklyn, New York, over 20 first responders are studying Mandarin Chinese for about two hours a week. The class is the first of its kind. It is offered by the New York City Fire Department Foundation.
The U. S. Census Bureau recently reported that some New York neighborhoods are made up mostly of immigrants. Some people have predicted that the Chinese community is likely to become New York's largest immigrant group. They think the city will have the largest Chinese community outside of Asia.
The Census Bureau also found that almost 200 languages are spoken in the city. So, knowing different languages is important, especially if you are a first responder.
Lieutenant(中尉,少尉) Steve Lee is president of the Fire Department's Phoenix Society. He says that first responders must be able to communicate quickly and effectively when an emergency happens. He explains that first responders enter neighborhoods and communities to assist regardless of where they are from. Many times first responders do not speak the same language as the people they are called to help. He adds that it is vital, or very important, that first responders are able to communicate with the people calling for help.
Without help from homeowners and others, Lee adds, discovering exactly where a fire is burning can be a real problem. First responders need to ask questions such as "What building? What address? What apartment?" And the most important question," Is there anybody left in the building and where?"
1.Who are first responders according to Paragraph 2?
A.People first learning the disaster. B.Persons leading the emergency rescue.
C.Rescuers first reaching the disaster D.People first find the disaster.
2.Why are the first responders in New York studying the Chinese language?
A.To show respect to the Chinese immigrants.
B.To learn about Chinese cultures much better.
C.To meet the rapid growth of Chinese population.
D.To find a better job in Chinese community.
3.What do first responders concern most?
A.The place where the fire occurs. B.The people trapped in the fire.
C.The language to communicate. D.The distance covered to the fire.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Mandarin Being a Must for Emergency Workers
B.New York's Emergency Crews Learning Mandarin
C.Language Problem Disturbing First Responders' Work
D.Importance of Languages Used in Emergency Rescue
Everyone fancies a bargain; if it is free, everyone loves it even more! Those who do not believe in a free lunch can now eat their words because it is possible to get things for free in Singapore without any conditions attached. Let me introduce you to some tips on where and how to gain some free presents, all without even touching your wallet.
Food
Go search for food festivals and fairs. These food sellers usually put out a lot of small samples for all to try. Famous ones include the Singapore Food Festival held annually in the month of July at various locations including the Takashimaya Square and Plaza Singapura.
Haircuts
There are well-known hair salons every month that require hair models for apprentices(学徒) to exercise their skills or for their hair stylists(发型师) to experiment with new styles. Unbelievable as it might sound, most people come out of this experience satisfied and addicted to more of such deals. Free Internet
Most hotels offer free wifi. There are also many cafes in Singapore that offer free wireless surfing. However, order a coffee to avoid unfriendly stares from the staff. Popular spots include the McDonald’s, Starbucks and
Cafe Galilee outlets throughout our island. Free City Tour If you are a traveler in Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board has arranged for you to enjoy a free two-hour city tour that offers you a choice to enjoy a Sentosa Island tour or a small-boat experience.
Living and traveling in Singapore is expensive, but sometimes all it takes is a closer look at all the little sheltered comers of this island to appreciate the occasional treasures that are given to those who seek.
1.Which of the following best explains the underlined part “all without even touching your wallet”？
A.Free of charge. B.Free of worry.
C.Free of pain. D.Free of tax.
2.From which way does free “Haircuts” benefit hair salons?
A.Advertising their products.
B.Attracting more customers.
C.Developing their staff’s skills.
D.Building their reputation.
3.In which part of a magazine can we read this text?
A.Health. B.Economy.
C.Education. D.Travel.
Britain’s first zero-carbon homes are being built—and they look like something from a science-fiction movie.
There are 25 eco-friendly homes currently being built in Southmoor, near Abingdon, Oxon. Buyers are able to have the final say on floor layouts，kitchens and bathrooms. One three-bedroom home is on the market for￡801 ,000,with a custom build available to suit your own specification. These eco-friendly houses are powered entirely by electricity from solar panels around the houses. They also have advanced ventilation (通风) systems, making sure that temperatures inside the building don’t go beyond 25℃ for more than 10% of hours annually, as well as mini heat pumps to generate (产生) the heating and hot water on-site. Part of the cooling design includes avoiding east-or west-facing windows, and window shading.
And they’re in high demand. Ian Pritchett, of Ssassy Property, thinks the Government should do more to promote the construction of this type of housing. “Unfortunately, the Government relaxed the proposed 2016 zero-carbon targets after being lobbied(游说)by house builders,” Ian explained. “At present, the main house-building corporations control the land and only build at the rate they are sure will sell, keeping the UK’s housing shortage so that the normal rules of ‘supply and demand’ don’t apply. When there is a shortage of housing, buyers have to purchase what is available rather than what they might want.”
In any sensible society, we would expect the planning system to actively encourage zero-carbon houses，and he tough on anyone failing to deliver the necessary standard. Instead, we have a planning system that focuses on other aspects such as numbers of bedrooms, garden sizes, and parking places. These are important aspects, but they pale into insignificance compared to the catastrophic consequences of climate change.
1.What can a purchaser do before buying the type of housing?
A.Negotiate its price. B.Choose where to build it.
C.Decide how the inside of it looks. D.Design its ventilation.
2.How do people react to the zero-carbon homes?
A.Welcome. B.Uncaring.
C.Skeptical. D.Demanding.
3.What do house-building companies intend to do?
A.Balance the “supply and demand” of houses.
B.Purchase more land to stop climate change.
C.Build more houses powered by the sun.
D.Make it more difficult to buy houses.
4.What’s the author’s attitude to the Government’s planning system?
A.Satisfied. B.Disapproving.
C.Worried. D.Ambiguous.
In the shadow of Kenya’s Mount Kilimanjaro, nine Rothschild giraffes, the rarest giraffes on the planet, are free to wander at the English-style manor (庄园). Every day shortly before 9am, they come up to the house and stick their heads through the windows and doors in search of morning treats. The manor’s owners, Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley, share their dining table with them. And now the couple are sharing the fantastic experience with the public by opening the manor gates to guests at the giraffe hotel, the only hotel of its kind in the world. Now, guests can feed the giraffes at breakfast but can also get up close to them from their second-floor bedrooms.
Mr and Mrs Carr-Hartley，both 38, spent their childhood living close to the house in Nairobi and have always been enthusiastic about the animals. Tanya said, “Mikey and I grew up near this manor house when we were children. We are both third generation Kenyans and have always wanted to work in conservation. Mikey’s family have been related to the protection of animals for many generations. His granddad helped the removal of giraffes as far back as the 1930s because the Rothschild giraffes lost much of their natural living space. When the house came up for sale, we jumped at the chance to buy it as we had always dreamed of owning it. Now, we were absolutely overjoyed to do something for the giraffe protection. Having the giraffes so close is very special and something which people can now experience by staying in one of the ten rooms at the hotel.”
A conservation project to save them was started at the manor in 1974 by the previous owners. “The previous owners ran a very successful breeding (繁殖) programme, where many giraffes were set free into the wild and we hope to continue,” said Tanya.
1.Why are the Carr-Hartley family unusual?
A.They’re living on the rarest giraffes. B.They share their home with giraffes.
C.They’re good at making giraffes’ food. D.They train giraffes to manage the hotel.
2.What can we know about Mikey’s family?
A.It has had a long connection with giraffes. B.It used to raise giraffes around the manor.
C.It built a new manor for the wild giraffes. D.It removed giraffes to Mount Kilimanjaro.
3.Which can best describe the manor’s previous owners’ conservation project?
A.Visitor-friendly. B.Energy-saving. C.Costly. D.Fruitful.
4.What is the suitable title for the text?
A.Giraffes’ breakfast by guests B.Reasons for giraffe protection
C.The world’s only giraffe hotel D.History of the giraffe manor
Some scientists believe that one of the most intelligent beings on Earth is in fact the octopus (章鱼).
Octopuses usually live at the bottom of river mouths and seas-areas which are not attractive to researchers. They are not social animals so it can be hard to study their interaction with others. And the octopus’ intelligence is not easy for humans to understand. When we observe some animals such as rats or dogs, we can often understand their behavior. Octopuses，however can seem like aliens (外星人). Scientists need to have a lot of imagination to understand what an octopus is thinking!
In the 1950s, the US Air Force sponsored scientists to study the way octopuses use their brains. They hoped that they could use this knowledge to help them build better computers. However, their brains were so complex that the scientists felt it of no significance to continue with it. Octopuses have a very complex nervous system and recent research suggests that they have some of their intelligence inside each arm, which means that each arm can “think” for itself. It also appears that they have a good memory, perhaps similar to a cat’s.
Perhaps the most striking thing about octopuses is their ability to change their color and body pattern. They do this to camouflage themselves to avoid their enemies and also to communicate with others. They can completely change their appearance in less than a second. It can change its skin to look like rocks, sand or planktron (浮游生物).
Some scientists have even suggested that these different patterns and colors are in fact a very hard language-and that each design is a different verb，adjective or noun. But nobody has been able to work out what they might be saying. There’s a long way to go to get to know the octopus completely.
1.What can we infer about the octopus’ intelligence from Paragraph 2?
A.It does not attract scientists. B.Little has been known about it.
C.It is equal to the cat’s or dog’s. D.Much has been done about it.
2.What can we say about scientists’ study on the octopus in the 1950s?
A.They had to give it up eventually. B.They used computers to help.
C.They found its arms could think. D.They judged it lived like a cat.
3.What does the underlined word “camouflage” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Relax. B.Strengthen. C.Hide. D.Express.
4.What does the author think of the octopuses?
A.They are the smartest animals. B.They’re easy to be seen in the sea.
C.It is useful to copy their language. D.It is difficult to understand them.
