Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today's star, 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 Villareal, 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," Villareal 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 sold-out 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 film-stars 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.
|
| 2． |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
|
| 3． |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
|
| 4． |
What is the author's attitude toward modern celebrity?
|
The choice to adopt and hold gratefulness is the one that is different from those who suffer misfortune and those who enjoy a full life.
My mother died when I was 24. It was a very difficult time in my life - everything seemed to fall apart. I lost my job, and then my utilities were turned off. I had to take cold showers for six months. A neighbor who knew about my situation came to my house and made me an offer. I took care of her children as a job, and I no longer went hungry. I was surprised that someone would trust me－a young woman－with her children. And it was with the very confidence that before long I began taking care of other people's children, too. I have since moved 300 miles from Boise, Idaho. For more than 23 years I have made every effort to reach out to all the kind-hearted people who helped me when I was down and out. Without their trust, I don't know what I would have done. I am very involved in my community and volunteer at the local food bank, and I help out whenever I can. I'd like to owe what I am to whoever has offered me generosity.
If you are grateful for what you already have, the world will work together to give you more to be grateful for. Otherwise, the world will give you more to complain about.
Moreover, the true master learns to be grateful, in advance, for the things that are desired, because, being grateful in advance for some attainment or accomplishment does two very important things: one－it tricks your subconscious(潜意识)into believing that the goal is certain and two…it convinces other people, with whom you must interact to achieve your desires, that you know what you are about, that you are a winner, not a whiner(哀诉者).
65. The underlined "utilities" refers to such things as ______ in the passage.
A. gas and electricity supplies B. water and gas supplies
C. shower equipment and water supply D. heating and TV signals
66. The writer was grateful mainly for ______.
A. his neighbor's donation B. his community
C. having got the job D. others' trust
67. The writer's personal story in the second paragraph tells us that ______.
A. to be grateful will get you nowhere but away from home
B. we need to be grateful to be helpful and useful
C. a grateful person is most likely to be successful
D. the fragrance (芳香) stays in the hand that gives the rose
68. The best title for the passage would be ________.
A. A Thank-You Note to Trusting Neighbor B. You Are a Winner, Not a Whiner
C. Gratefulness Brings a Great Fullness to Life D. Be Grateful to Life in Advance
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分,满分40分）
阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The fog was so thick that I couldn't see the man next to me. We were led down a road to the base of a hill. An officer, unknown to us, explained that the command wanted us to spread out on the road and fix bayonets(刺刀).When the signal was given, we were to creep up the hill and take the enemy by surprise with a bayonet attack.
I didn't think too much of the idea and about a dozen fellows agreed with me, but we lost in the vote. Some others didn't have bayonets and declared that the orders didn't apply to them, but their idea, too, was denied.
Up the hill we went, feeling our way along the ground with our feet. Step by step we advanced. It seemed like an ugly dream, but I knew it was all too real. I looked to my right and to my left to find any sign of my fellows. Much to my surprise, I could make out unclear forms on each side of me. I could hear whispers all along the line and louder orders to shut up!
While we were standing around arguing, the fog suddenly disappeared, just like somebody waved a magic wand(杖).We were caught out in the open with no cover in sight. The Chinese had been caught by surprise. Both sides just stared at each other, not knowing what was going on. A single shot rang out and somebody blew a whistle and shouted "Retreat"(撤退).We rushed out at full speed down the hill.
I don't speak or understand Chinese, but from behind us I could understand joyful laughter!
61.The action that the author and his fellows were supposed to take was______ .
A. To creep up the hill B. To vote on how to advance
C. To fix their bayonets D. To attack their enemy
62.The dozen fellows thought the action was _______ .
A. basically practical B. great fun C. not a good one D. an ugly dream
63.They go up the hill __________ .
A. slowly B. quietly C. hurriedly D. easily
64.We can conclude from the passage that the author ________.
A. felt sorry for not completing the action B. was serving in the Chinese army
C. was not serious when telling the story D. intended to owe their failure to the heavy fog
A report, published in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal(致命)accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The author also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p. m.,and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car,the driver was even more likely to die in a late night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with "really stupid behavior" than with just a lack of driving experience. "The basic thing, "he says, "is that adults who are responsible for issuing(发放) licenses fail to recognize how skilled a task driving is. "
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to reduce the harm is to have so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a slower process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving at night with a limited number of passengers before graduating to get a full driving license.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have number limitation on passengers. California is the strictest, with a new driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20 for the first six months.
76.Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?
A. Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p. m.
B. A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.
C. Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.
D. A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.
77.According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to_______.
A. their frequent driving at night B. their lack of driving experience
C. their improper way of driving D. their driving with passengers
78.Which of the following statements is true according to Paragraph 3 ?
A. Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.
B. Driving is a skill too difficult for teenagers to learn.
C. Teenagers should be limited in taking driving lessons.
D. People issuing license are partly responsible for the accidents.
79.A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers'driving accidents is that_______
A. driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule.
B. they should be forbidden to take on passengers
C. they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p. m.
D. the licensing systems should be improved
80.The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system_______.
A. is under discussion B. is about to be set up
C. has been put into effect D. has been perfected
The Parthenon is an ancient Greek temple built in Athens about 438 B. C. Many people think that the Parthenon is one of the world' s most beautiful buildings. It has a grace and balance that have pleased the eyes of man for centuries.
Architects who have studied the Parthenon know that the Parthenon is a giant optical illusion. An optical illusion is a trick our eyes play on us. All the seemingly straight lines of the Parthenon are actually curves(rounded bends). These curves did not happen by accident. The ancient Greeks,who were fine engineers as well as excellent artists, knew that straight lines can sometimes appear to be curved ! So they designed their columns (stone poles) to look straight.
Try drawing two long parallel(平行)lines on paper. Do they seem to look closer together in the middle than at the ends? A tall column is likely to look narrow halfway up, too. The columns of the Parthenon look as if they stand perfectly straight. Actually, they are slightly bigger in size in the middle and go inward a little at the top. If lines were drawn up along opposite sides of the columns, these lines would meet about one mile above the building.
A platform of three steps forms the base on which the Parthenon rests.These steps have strong horizontal(水平)lines that balance the vertical(竖直)lines of the columns.But the steps are not really level and flat!They curve up in the middle because if they were absolutely straight,,they would appear to curve down.The line of the top step,if continued at both ends,would form a circle with a radius of 3. 5 miles.
When is a curved line not a curved line? When our eyes tell us it is straight!
73.The passage mainly tells us_______.
A. what two parallel lines look like on paper
B. why a curved line can appear to be straight
C. where the secret of the Parthenon Temple lies
D. when the columns of the Parthenon look curved
74.Which of the following is close in shape with the steps of the platform?
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
75.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The Parthenon is a famous historic building.
B. The Greeks knew a lot about optical illusions.
C. The ancient Greeks were people of intelligence.
D. Curved lines can meet somewhere above a building.
Two elderly women in my community died "full of years,"which means both died from the normal wearing out of the body after a long and full life. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid visits to the two families.
The son of one of the deceased(已故的) women said to me,"If only I had sent my mother to Florida and got her out of this cold ,she would be alive today. "The son of the other deceased woman said, "If only I hadn't insisted on my mother's going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. "
When things don't turn out as we would like them to, it is very likely for us to think that if we had done things differently, the story would have had a happier ending. Any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty.
There seem to be two elements in our readiness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense and that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to try to find the patterns and connections.
The second element is the notion(观念)that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen. Psychologists trace this feeling back to our childhood. A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. The world works for him. When he cries, someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow the notion that our wishes cause things to happen.
69.What is said about the two deceased elderly women?
A. They lived long and died after a natural life.
B. They died due to lack of care by family members.
C. They died of the tiredness after the long plane ride.
D. They weren't quite used to the change in weather.
70.People feel guilty for the deaths of their beloved ones because_______.
A. they believe that they were responsible
B. they do not know the natural course of events
C. they couldn't find a better way to express their grief
D. they didn't know things often turn out in the opposite direction
71.The underlined sentence "the world makes sense" probably means that_______.
A. we have to be sensible so as to understand the world
B. everything in the world is pre-determined
C. there's an explanation for everything in the world
D. the world can be interpreted in different ways
72.People have been made to believe since babyhood that_______.
A. every story should have a happy ending
B. their wishes are the cause of everything that happens
C. life and death is an unsolved mystery
D. everybody should obey their wills without question
粤公网安备 44130202000953号