When the novelist Luis Alberto Urrea was 14 or 15, he took a trip deep into Mexico. He was born in Tijuana to a Mexican father and a white American mother before moving just across the border and eventually into the San Diego suburbs. But his father thought he was becoming “too American,” and took him on a 27-hour journey to Mazatian. Along the way, his father gave him a paperback copy of The Godfather and told him it would change his life. “I don't think he was trying to make a case for us being criminals,” Urrea says, “but he really felt this incredible connection to the family and the traditions and the honor for the old country, as people were making their way in the U.S.”
In his new novel The House of Broken Angels, Urrea has written his own opinion on the Godfather story with a Mexican-American Don Corleone figure at its center. The story takes place over two days, as Big Angel de la Cruz buries his mother and celebrates his final birthday party on earth; he knows he's dying, and he's gathered his extended family around him for a noisy and lively goodbye.
The idea was inspired by the final birthday party of Urrea's elder brother three years ago. “Everybody was jammed in his backyard, and there was a DJ and people dancing and consuming a serious amount of American junk food-they didn't want Mexican food, they wanted KFC and pizza. I thought, where are the tacos (a kind of Mexican tood), guy? And my brother sat in his little chair in the middle of it. People were coming to him and kneeling, and they would thank him and kiss his hand or touch his head and tell him all the ways he had changed their lives.”
Urrea's brother died of cancer within two weeks at 74, and the heartbreaking event haunted the author. He considered writing a memoir(回忆录)about it-“I was thinking about Truman Capote, when he did those tiny books about Christmas and Thanksgiving.” But his wife encouraged him to aim bigger. When he found himself seated next to the writer Jim Harrison at a dinner event, he shared the story, and Harrison said, “Sometimes God hands you a novel. You have to write it.” Urrea thought to himself “Marching orders from Jim Harrison-this is good stuff. A kid from Tijuana doesn't get that very often.”
The House of Broken Angels is a celebration of the Mexican-American family, but it also includes moments of frustration with this country's treatment of the immigrant group. Before he got too sick to work, Big Angel worked in an office and drank coffee from a cup that read BOSS. “Yeah, the employees all got the message,” Urrea writes. “The Mexican-American was calling himself their boss.” In a grocery store, a woman screams at two of his family members that they'll be kicked out of the country soon. “I had to bite down on the bitterness of my rage(愤怒),man!” Urrea says. “I was having some pretty serious response to Donald Trump's confusing and empty talk. But you know, it may have shocked a lot of the United States to hear this kind of empty talk and this bald-faced racialism of politics all of a sudden, but to us, this stuff isn't a surprise?”
“I really wanted to write a tribute(致敬)to my brother, to my family and to us, but it's also a love song to the country,”Urrea says. “I think people have this weird, horrible view...that immigrants are evil snakes. People don't understand that immigration is truly a statement of love for this country, whatever the country represents. People want to be here and work.” And with persistence, they become the boss.
1.Why did Urrea's father give him the book The Godfather?
A.He wanted Urrea to enjoy the 27-hour journey. B.He thought the book had changed his own life.
C.He tried to show Urrea a real case of criminals. D.He hoped Urrea would feel connected to Mexico.
2.The question “where are the tacos, guy?” in Paragraph 3 probably suggests______.
A.Mexican traditions have been left behind B.the people like American junk food best
C.it is difficult to buy the Mexican food D.the tacos are popular with everyone there
3.We can learn from Paragraph 5 that______.
A.Big Angel himself was the boss of his office B.Mexican immigrants were treated unfairly
C.Urrea's family were kicked out of the country D.Urrea heard Trump's talk ahead of time
4.The House of Broken Angels mainly focuses on the novelist's______.
A.love for the Mexican-American family B.life in the Mexican-American family
C.mixed feelings towards American people D.mature reflection on Mexican traditions
People think of cats as cute. But research published in a psychology journal calls them neurotic (神经质的) and unstable. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the Bronx Zoo in New York compared the personalities of domestic house cats with those of four different types of wildcats.
To better understand their personalities, the researchers rated a number of animals behaviors on what psychologists call the Big Five human personality traits (特征).
Domestic house cats have similar personality structures to African lions. “It’s what cats do pretty much on a daily basis, things like being anxious, being timid, being excitable, being aggressive toward humans, being aggressive toward each other, ”said Max Wachtel, a Denver psychologist who didn’t participate in the study. “All of those are characteristics you see in those cute little house cats, and you also see them in lions.”
If you ever thought your cat was anxious, insecure, tense, suspicious or aggressive toward you, you aren’t making it up, he said. If they were bigger, they probably would consider killing you.
But the news isn’t all bad: Just like lions, house cats are also playful, excitable and impulsively funny. They just aren’t very predictable. One moment cats will be enjoying bell scratches, and the next they will be biting you to make you stop.
“It is good to understand the personality characteristics of our pets,” Wachtel said “Different cats have different personalities, but as a species, there are a lot of commonalities.”
The researchers also studied personality traits of Scottish wildcats and some other animals “Across the five species we assessed, personality structure was strikingly similar and also seemed to be related to other studies’ findings, such as in tigers,” the researchers wrote in their study in the November 2014 issue of the Journal of Comparative Psychology. But house cats were most like lions, potentially because they live in semi-social surroundings and lions are the most social of cats.
“They’re cute and furry, but we need to remember when we have cats as pets, we are inviting little predators into our house,” Wachtel said. “Cats can be fantastic, sweet companions—until they turn on you.”
1.Cats can be described as _____.
A.funny and safe
B.playful and stable
C.fantastic and devoted
D.neurotic and unpredictable
2.How did the researchers conduct the research?
A.By making comparisons. B.By analyzing cause and effect.
C.By giving examples. D.By providing explanations.
3.Which of the following “turn on” shares the same meaning as the underlined phrase?
A.The book really turned me on to science.
B.Upon entering the room, he turned on the light.
C.The hungry suddenly turned on each other for food.
D.The trial turned on the medical evidence presented by the defense.
4.Which of the following can be used as a suitable title?
A.Cats are best pets.
B.Domestic cats and wildcats.
C.Your cat may want to kill you.
D.Different cats, different personalities.
Art—no matter whether you choose to create it yourself or simply observe and enjoy it—is a relaxing and inspiring activity for many people. However, the particular benefits of artistic expression go much further.
Studies suggest that art therapy (疗法) can be very valuable in treating issues such as depression and anxiety disorder. It is a great way to express your emotions without words, process complex feelings and find relief.
You don’t necessarily have to see a therapist in order to experience some of the benefits of artistic expression. There are many simple activities you can try from the comfort of your home such as art journaling, drawing, making collections, sculpting with clay, etc. It doesn’t matter what media you choose. The only thing that matters is that you feel comfortable using it. Human beings are naturally creative, and all you need to do to complete an art therapy activity successfully is to be with yourself and your emotions. Once you free your creativity, your inner artist will quickly wake up.
However, working with a licensed therapist also has its advantage because a professional can tailor each activity to your own needs. If the activities are done in a group, they are excellent for building healthy connections with other people, which may be very helpful if you are fighting depression.
Experts agree that art therapy has many benefits, from promoting your self-respect, and providing you a safe outlet to relieve your emotions, to giving you a sense of control over your life and helping you to get to know and understand yourself better. During the process of art creation, you will be taking yourself on a journey of self-discovery that will help you get rid of emotional roadblocks, and learn how to communicate with yourself and others.
1.What is art therapy used for?
A.Learning drawing skills.
B.Expressing art with words.
C.Preventing physical diseases.
D.Improving mental health.
2.To finish a successful art therapy, you’d better ________.
A.have a gift for art
B.have a strong will
C.be honest with yourself
D.hold back your emotions
3.Why are group activities needed when dealing with depression?
A.To set an example.
B.to promote communication.
C.To build up friendships.
D.To wake up the inner artist.
4.What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?
A.Explain the advantages of art therapy.
B.Give some details about art creation.
C.Provide some advice for readers.
D.Summarize the previous paragraphs.
Do you want a part-time job to earn some extra money? Check out the list and find one that suits your fancy.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
It seems almost everyone has a friend who is a technical genius. Such people earn money using their talent. If you are one of them, you could be responsible for technical support in your college or university and get your part-time job. You can enjoy the process of earning money while doing your favorite thing.
TUTOR
A lot of students hire a tutor to help them in high school or college. If you are good at some subjects, why not work as a peer tutor? You help your friends and earn money at the same time. If you know foreign languages, you can make more money. All you need to do is to make an appropriate advertisement of your services using college newspapers. One of the best things about being a tutor is that you can set your hours.
FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
If your college or university has a fitness center and if you are a sporty person, go and sign up to get this job. You will have an absolute free opportunity to engage yourself in sports. You need to be a good psychologist, because you are going to work with people and it'll be your job to persuade and motivate them to become sporty, healthy and strong. Being a fitness instructor is a perfect position for those who love to help other people and want to make more friends. OFFICE
WORKER
Nowadays many companies cooperate with college students giving them part-time jobs. Some of the major job duties of an office worker are answering calls and scheduling appointments. If you are interested in doing this job. contact the representatives of different companies to find out if they’re currently hiring anyone.
1.If you want to have a flexible schedule while earning some money, which of the following suits you most?
A.Technical support B.Tutor
C.Fitness instructor D.Office worker
2.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.As a part-time office worker. you are responsible for answering emails.
B.If you work as a fitness instructor, you should be sporty and sociable.
C.If you are good at foreign languages, you are able to earn more as a tutor.
D.The four kinds of part-time jobs are intended for college students.
3.How can one get a job as a part-time office worker?
A.By submitting the application
B.Through an online interview
C.By advertising on the newspaper
D.By contacting the representative of the company
假定你是李华，你的英国笔友David给你发邮件说月底想去广州长隆欢乐世界(Chimelong Paradise)，他迫不及待地想要了解游乐园的一些信息。请你根据以下要点写一封邮件回复他。
1. 中国最大的游乐园之一。
2. 垂直过山车(Dive Coaster)，游乐园最受欢迎的项目，让你享受自由飞翔的乐趣。
3. 海盗漂流(Pirate Raft)，像海盗一样在水上探险。
4. 四维影院(Cinema 4D)，采用最先进的技术，给你带来真实的视听景象。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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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。
Dad’s birthday usually falls in June, near Father’s Day. Last year, they were even on the same day. I thought this was unfair for my dad to only have one special day in June. My friends’ dads had Father’s Day parties in June or birthday parties in difference months. I thought of a way to fixing this problem. I would surprise Dad on autumn with Dad’s Day. I talk to my mom about cooking a breakfast for Dad. She showed to me how to cook eggs and make bread. I made special card for Dad. I was careful to keep my plan secretly. One day in October, I woke up early, cooked Dad’s breakfast and took it to his room with my card. She loved the surprise very much.
