The writing of Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain. His young readership is limited to those who choose to study literature at university.
Shakespeare’s work, together with most other classics, is seen as remote, and written in a 400-year-old version of English that is about as inviting as toothache．
Still，in British schools，it is compulsory to study the bard（诗人），and when something is made compulsory，usually the result is boredom，resentment（憎恨）or both．
This was my experience of the classics at school．But when I reached my late teenage years，I had a change of heart．Like every other young person since the dawn of time，the world confused me．I wanted answers，So I turned to books to find them．
I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught it in Britain and China．I have never regretted it．There is something in literature that people want，even if they don’t read books．You see this in the popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works，the recent film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice being a case in point．These popular adaptations may help increase people’s interest in the classics．
Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare’s actual play．If that is the case，then I welcome the trend．But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing．Shakespeare is a poet．His greatness is in his language．Reading someone else’s rewriting of his work is like peeling a banana，throwing away the fruit，and eating the skin．Take on the original．It really is worth the effort．
56．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The language used in classics is no longer in use today．
B．British students usually find compulsory reading dull．
C．Only those studying literature read Shakespeare’s works．
D．For British people，Shakespeare’s works are no longer classics．
57．According to the passage，the writer .
A．has liked literary classics since an early age
B．was forced to read the classics for a PhD
C．turned to literature to seek answers in his teens
D．thinks only people who read books like literature
58．The popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works may help people .
A．1earn more about tradition
B．get a PhD in literature
C．seek their answers about the world
D．become more interested in the classics
59．The underlined phrase “a case in point” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
A．a great hit B．a good example
C．a movie adaptation D．a popular phenomenon
60．What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
A．The fruit of a banana is more useful than its skin．
B．The rewriting trend does more harm than good．
C．Readers should try to read the original works．
D．Readers need to learn the language in the classics．
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast．Diagnosed with diabetes（糖尿病）, Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin（胰岛素） three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death．And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance．
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he’d better find a way to fight back．He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics(糖尿病患者) and their loved ones ---- a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources．
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six．Father and son visit the online children’s forums（论坛） together most evenings．“Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over,” says Swencki, one of the site’s volunteers. “They know what he’s going through, so he doesn't feel alone.”
Kody is anything but alone. Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases．And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages．
These days, Thomas’s main focus is his charity, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people ---- 225 to date ---- who can’t afford a diabetic’s huge expenses．Fight-it org has raised about $23,000 ---- in products and in cash．In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean．
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables．“Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure,” says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar’s original members. “But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now.”Diabeticrockstar.com was created for ____．
| A．diabetics to communicate |
| B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves |
| D．rock stars to share resources |
According to the text, Kody ____．
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties． |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year． |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics． |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website． |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ____．
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．manages to find a cure for diabetes |
The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand---a system of rapid handwriting, and now it's threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2011, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive (草写字母）.The rest? Block letters.
And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.
At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades.
There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?
It was at University of Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity (真实性）can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.
The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive (认知的）opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better-a lifelong benefit.
It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.
There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological (神经系统的)wiring, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.What is the author concerned about after 2011 SAT exams?
| A．Keyboarding. | B．Shorthand |
| C．Handwriting. | D．Block letters. |
A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to _________.
| A．prove how valuable handwriting is |
| B．explain what a famous poet he is |
| C．show how unique his poem is |
| D．stress how fascinating the documents are |
The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that_________.
| A．the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting |
| B．the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed xKb 1.Com |
| C．it doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills |
| D．the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one |
According to the author, when is a perfect time to learn handwriting?
| A．Kindergarten. | B．Primary school. | C．High school. | D．College. |
What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?
| A．Devotion. | B．Encouragement. | C．critical. | D．Objective. |
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas;
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers？
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy？
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph one mean?
| A．Before you select your job, you should assess your skills and match them with your position. |
| B．There are more important things than assessing skills and match them with the position when you select jobs. |
| C．Nothing is important than assessing skills and match them with the position when you select job. |
| D．You should ignore your skills when you select job. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Isolating usually drive people mad. |
| B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily. |
| C．Extreme people tend to work with others. |
| D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs. |
The underlined word “stability” in the passage most probably means?
| A．no movement. | B．no anger. | C．gentleness. | D．enthusiasm. |
In a job search, what quality is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．Outgoing. | B．Motivated. | C．Cooperative. | D．Passionate. |
What could be the best title for this passage?
| A．Lifestyles and Job Pay | B．Jobs and Environment |
| C．Job Skills and Abilities | D．Personalities and Jobs |
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's tummy.
The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen. But complications arise during delivery. Finally, Michael's little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital.
The little girl gets worse. The doctor tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby — now they plan a funeral.
Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. But kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. However, Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not. “If he doesn't see his sister now, he may never see her alive.” She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. The head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! " The mother, the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray”
Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate becomes calm and steady.
"You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away "
The ragged, strained breathing becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.
Keep on singing, Michael. Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse as well as Karen.
Funeral plans are scrapped. The next, day — the very next day — the little girl is well enough to go home!
NEVER GIVE UP THE ONE WE LOVE!How did Michal’s feel when he knew that he was going to have a sister?
| A．indifferent. | B．worried. | C．expectant. | D．disappointed. |
The doctor recommended the family ___________.
| A．get ready for the worst result. |
| B．wait for the hope in the near future. |
| C．prepare much more money for the infant. |
| D．prepare for another chance in other hospitals. |
Which word can best replace the underlined word in Paragraph 4?
| A．pointed. | B．yelled. | C．whispered. | D．ignored. |
What happened when Michael sang to his little sister?
| A．The little baby responded to his song and woke up immediately. |
| B．The baby heard the song and burst into tears. |
| C．The baby’s physical signs disappeared eventually. |
| D．The baby recovered from the dangerous state of coma gradually. |
What could be the best title of the article?
| A．An unexpected gift. | B．A miracle of love. |
| C．A iron-mother. | D．A medical success. |
She’s not afraid of anything. Snakes? No problem. Walking alone in the dark? Easy. We’re not talking about a superhero here -- SM is a 44-year-old mother. And she’s fearless because she happens to be missing part of her brain: the amygdala(扁桃腺).
Shaped like a pair of almonds sitting in the middle of your brain, the amygdala helps control fear and anxiety. A rare condition called Urbach-Wiethe disease left SM without her amygdala, and seems to have completely erased her sense of fear.
To try to understand how the amygdala works, a team of researchers made their efforts to scare SM. They showed her horror movies and took her to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium Haunted House in Kentucky. She pushed out one of the monsters(巨物) and laughed. SM said she didn’t like snakes, but at a pet store full of poisonous creatures, she kept asking to touch them. When asked to rate her feelings, SM reported feeling surprised or disgusted, but never fearful.
“She tends to approach everything she should be avoiding,” says Justin Feinstein of the University of Iowa. This means the amygdala could control deeper urges to approach or avoid danger. Other scientists have a different opinion, though. “I don’t believe you can make a general statement about what the amygdala does by a single case study,” Elizabeth Phelps said. In 2002, Phelps published a study on a similar patient with amygdala damage who still showed fear.
It may sound like fun to be totally fearless, but we get scared for a good reason. “The nature of fear is survival and the amygdala helps us stay alive by avoiding situations, people, or objects that put our life in danger,” Feinstein said. SM was once followed in a park after dark by a man with a knife, and she simply walked away. “It is quite remarkable that she is still alive,” said Feinstein. SM dares to walk alone in the dark mainly because ____________.
| A．she is a superhero |
| B．she has experienced such conditions a lot |
| C．she is a mental patient |
| D．she has no sense of fear |
Researchers tried their best to frighten SM in order to find ___________.
| A．The function of a particular organ |
| B．SM’s reaction of fear and anxiety |
| C．The process of removing amygdale |
| D．A special way to get along with monsters |
What do we know from the research on SM?
| A．It was easy for her to avoid danger. |
| B．SM never felt fearful but disgusted. |
| C．SM was frightened by nothing except monsters. |
| D．SM got along well with the snakes. |
What is Elizabeth Phelps’ attitude toward the function of the amygdala based on the research on SM?
| A．Indifferent | B．Supportive | C．Disapproving | D．Interested |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．People can remove their amygdala to be fearless. |
| B．SM will be admired because of her bravery. |
| C．No one can survive if their amygdala is removed. |
| D．The sense of fear is crucial to humans. |
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