I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the who
le family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自闭的).
Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.
Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.
That’s right. He only has to hear it once.
Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But 
his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自动唱机) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.
As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.
If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.
Who says there’s nothing good on TV? From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on .
| A．interviewing celebrities |
| B．interviewing the disabled |
| C．the latest news round the world |
| D．stating the positive influence of TV |
How does Derek help the elderly?
| A．By buying them a jukebox machine. |
| B．By building senior centers for them. |
| C．By singing the old songs they ask for. |
| D．By playing the piano to raise money for them. |
In the opinion of the author, Derek can .
| A．attract the whole family to watch TV together |
| B．cause family members to help the disabled |
| C．help kids understand the ability of their brains |
| D．encourage kids to accept challenges in life |
The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to .
| A．prove that there is something good on TV |
| B．introduce a disabled but gifted musician |
| C．call on people to show more love to the disabled |
| D．express personal admiration for Derek Paravicini |
When you turn on the radio, you hear an advertisement. When you watch television, you hear and see an advertisement. If you turn the pages of a newspaper or magazine, again you find an advertisement. If you walk down the street, you see one advertising board after another. All day, every day, people who want to sell you something compete to catch your attention. As a result, advertisements are almost everywhere.
In the West, advertisements are the fuel that makes mass media work. Many TV stations, newspapers, magazines, radio stations are privately owned. The government does not give them money. So where does the money come from? From advertisements. Without advertisements, there would not be these private businesses.
Have you ever asked yourself what advertising is? Through the years, people have given different answers to the question. For some time it was felt that advertising was a means of keeping your name before the public? and some people thought that advertising was “truth well told.” Now more and more people describe it in this way: Advertising is the paid, non-personal, and usually persuasive(有说服力的) description of goods, services and ideas by identified sponsors(明确的出资者) through various media.
First, advertising is usually paid for. Various sponsors pay for the advertisements we see, read, and hear over the various media. Second, advertising is non-personal. It is not face to face communication. Although you may feel that a message in a certain advertisement is aimed directly at you, in reality, it is directed at large groups of people. Third, advertising is usually persuasive. Directly or indirectly it tells people to do something. All advertisements try to make people believe that the product, idea, or service advertised can do good to them. Fourth, the sponsor of the advertisement must be identified. From the advertisement, we can see if the sponsor is a company, or an organization, or an individual. Fifth, advertising reaches us through traditional and nontraditional mass media. Included in the traditional media are newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and films. Nontraditional media include the mail, matchbox covers, and billboards.The existence(存在) of the privately owned mass media depends financially(经济上地) on _________.
| A．the government | B．their owners?families | C．advertisements | D．the audience |
according to the passage, who are most probably paying for the advertisements?
| A．Companies. | B．Organizations. | C．Individuals. | D．All of the above. |
Which of the following is considered nontraditional mass media?
| A．Newspapers. | B．The mail. | C．Magazines. | D．Films. |
according to the passage, which of the following statements about the features of advertisements is NOT true?
| A．Advertising must be honest and amusing. |
| B．Advertising is meant for large groups of people. |
| C．Advertising tells people to do something directly or indirectly. |
| D．The sponsors are always mentioned in the advertisements. |
He could have been president of Israel or played violin at Carnegie Hall, but he was too busy thinking. His thinking on God, love and the meaning of life graces our greeting cards and day-timers.
Fifty years after his death, his shock（乱蓬蓬的一堆）of white hair and hanging moustache still symbolize genius. Einstein remains the foremost scientist of the modern time. Looking back 2,400 years, only Newton ,Galileo and Aristotle were his equals.
Around the world , universities and academies（研究院）are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s “miracle year” when he published five scientific papers in 1905 that basically changed our grasp of space, time ,light and matter. Only he could top himself about a decade later with his theory of relativity.
Born in the age of horse-drawn carriages, his ideas launched a technological revolution that has made more changes in a century than in the previous two thousand years. Computers, satellites, telecommunications, lasers, televisions and nuclear power all owe their invention to ways in which Einstein exposed a stranger and more complicated reality underneath the world.
He escaped Hitler’s Germany and devoted the rest of his life to human rights and peace with an authority unmatched by any scientist today, or even most politicians and religious leaders. He spoke out against fascism（法西斯主义）and racial prejudice. His FBI (美国联邦调查局)file ran 1,400 pages.
His letters expose a disorderly personal life ─ married twice and indifferent toward his children while absorbed in physics. Yet he charmed lovers and admirers with poetry and sailboat outings. Friends and neighbors fiercely protected his privacy. The first paragraph implies that Einstein __________.
| A．had the gift for politics and music |
| B．had run for president before he worked at his research |
| C．was an excellent violinist |
| D．was more a political leader of a musician than a thinker |
When you think of Einstein, what typical appearance was formed in your mind?
| A．Funny and humorous, with an air of a musician. |
| B．Wearing very wide trousers and a moustache, with an image of an actor. |
| C．Rough untidy mass of white hair and hanging moustache, with an image of thinking . |
| D．Black long hair and moustache, with his eyes deep set. |
Why was 1905 called Einstein’s “miracle year”?
| A．Because he topped himself with the theory of relativity. |
| B．Because he made important discoveries of space, time, light and matter. |
| C．Because he published five papers on his theory of relativity. |
| D．Because he wrote five important articles to help people understand space, time , light and matter better. |
Which of the following is not true about Einstein according to the passage?
| A．When he was absorbed in his research ,he didn’t care for his family. |
| B．He tried to amuse his family and friends in his spare time. |
| C．He was so busy with the physical research that he showed no interest in politics. |
| D．His theory led to much improvement in many technological fields. |
The very wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child, a son, who understandably was the apple of his eye. His wife died when the child was in his early teens. So Fitzgerald devoted himself to fathering the kid. Unfortunately the son died in his late teens.
Meanwhile, Fitzgerald’s wealth greatly increased. He spent a lot on art works of the masters. Later Fitzgerald himself because seriously ill. Before his death, he had carefully prepared his will as to how his wealth would be settled—to sell his entire collection at an auction (拍卖).
Because of the large quantity and high quality of his collection, a huge crowd of possible buyers gathered for the auction. Many of them were museum directors and private collectors eager to bid (出价).Before the auction, the art works were shown, among which was a painting of Fitzgerald’s son by an unknown artist. Because of its poor quality, it received little attention.
When it was time for the auction, the auctioneer gaveled (敲槌) the crowd to attention. First the lawyer read from Fitzgerald’s will that the first art work to be auctioned was the painting of his son.
The poor-quality painting didn’t receive and bidders...except one—the old servant who had served the son and loved him, and who for emotional reasons offered the only bid.
As soon as the servant bought the painting for less than one English pound, the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will. The crowd became quiet, and the lawyer read from the will:“Whoever buys the painting of my son gets all my collection.”Then the auction was over.The English Baron Fitzgerald was ______.
| A．a museum director | B．a master of art | C．an art collector | D．an art dealer |
Why did the old servant bid for the painting of Fitzgerald’s son?
| A．He was devoted to the family. | B．He saw that no one bid for it. |
| C．He knew the content of the will. | D．He found it cheap for him to buy. |
Fitzgerald’s will showed ______.
A his desire to fool the bidders B. his invaluable love for his son
C. his sadness at the death of his son D. his regret of having no children to take over his wealth
When I was in the third grade, I was picked to be the princess in the school play. For
Weeks my mother had helped me practice my lines .But once on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Then my teacher told me she had written a narrator's（解说者的）part for the play ,and asked me to change roles. Though I didn't tell my mother what had happened that day, she sensed my unhappiness and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the yard.
It was a lovely spring day. We could see dandelions (蒲公英）popping through the grass in bunches as if a painter had touched our landscape with bits of gold. I watched my mother carelessly bend down by one of the bunches." I think I am going to dig up all these weeds, "she said. "From now on, we'll have only roses in this garden."
"But I like dandelions," I protested. "All flowers are beautiful-even dandelions!"
My mother looked at me seriously. "Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn't it? "she asked thoughtfully. I nodded. "And that is true of people, too, "she added.
When I realized that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the truth.
“But you will be a beautiful narrator, ”she said, reminding me of how much I loved to read stories aloud to her.
Over the next few weeks, with her continuous encouragement, I learned to take pride in the role. The big day finally came. A few minutes before the play, my teacher came over to me. “Your mother asked me to give this to you,” she said, handing me a dandelion. After the play, I took home the flower, laughing that I was perhaps the only person who would keep such a weed.
1.The girl did not play the role of the princess mainly because _______.
A. she felt nervous on the stage.
B. she lost her interest in that role.
C. she preferred the role of the narrator
D. she had difficulty memorizing her words
2.Why did the mother suggest a walk in the garden?
A. To remove the dandelions
B. To enjoy the garden scene
C. to have a talk with her daughter.
D. to help her daughter with the play.
3.What is the main idea of the story?
A. Everybody can find his or her own way to success.
B. Everybody has his or her own value in the world.
C. Everybody should learn to play different roles
D. Everybody has some unforgettable memory.
For many the only way to enjoy Ireland’s fantastic and breathtaking scenery is to take to the open road on a motoring holiday. It’s true to say that motoring can still be a pleasure on roads so empty of the traffic you are used to. You can choose your own route or let us suggest one or two. You can pre-book all your accommodation or just go as you please. You can choose your accommodation from good quality hotels in coast or country, village or city, guesthouses, town and country homes or farmhouses throughout the island. Naturally we will supply you with a good quality map to help you around.
Our Value Motoring holiday includes a wide selection of hotels and guesthouses. All hotels are fully licensed and certain guesthouses (as indicated) are also licensed. Bed and full Irish breakfast for 2 or 6 nights is indicated in your holiday price. Hotel and guesthouse gratings are shown by a figure in brackets (括号) after the name of each of the places. Facilities available are also shown after the grading. You may choose to travel on a Go As You Please or a pre-booked basis. On a Go As You Please holiday only the first night is booked for you in advance. For the rest of your holiday you book ahead as you travel (hotel reception will help) using the information lists we provide. A slight note of caution (警告) — in July and August it is advisable to book 2 or 3 days ahead. If you prefer to plan your holiday in advance then we will pre-book all accommodation for you. Just complete the booking form carefully using hotel codes indicated. If your first or second choice is not available we will book an alternative in the same place.
1 Why did the writer say a motoring holiday is the only way for many to enjoy the beauty of Ireland? Because____________.
A. travelers can go sightseeing at many places
B. its price is low and travelers feel comfortable
C. travelers can drive and choose the route freely
D. travelers have many good quality hotels to choose from
2. How many ways of accommodation does a motoring holiday supply?
A. Two B. Four C. Six D. Eight
3. If the travelers choose to travel on a Go As You Please holiday, the travel agency will _____.
A. do nothing to help them B. only pre-book the first night for them
C. pre-book all the accommodation for them. D. charge them less for the service
4. Supposing the travellers’ accommodation choices aren’t available in the tourism season, the travel agency will___________.
A. give up serving them B. choose one for them in another place
C. book an alternative in the same place D. only book the first night for them
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