Here’s a movie—a sharp, sugar-rush of fun that’s guaranteed to entertain the entire family.
With some terrific computer-generated effects, a great cast and a fun-packed storyline, Robots is the best animated film (动画片) since The Incredibles. Yep, it really is that good.
Set in a world populated by robots, Ewan McGregor plays Rodney Copperbottom, a young robot who leaves his small-town home to pursue his dream of becoming an inventor.
But after arriving in Robot City, his hopes of getting a job at Bigweld Industries are destroyed when he learns the firm has been taken over by the evil Ratchet (Greg Kinnear).
Egged on by his controlling mum, Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent), Ratchet plans to reduce half of Robot City’s citizens to scrap metal by refusing to sell the spare parts they need to survive.
Instead, he wants to make a fortune selling expensive upgrades that few can afford. As he says, “Why be you when you can be new?”
Aided by a few misfit robots known as the Rustles—including Robin Williams as the cowardly' (胆小的）Fender (“I’m made of a metal called Afraidium”)—Rodney must track down the firm’s founder, Bigweld (Mel Brooks), and convince him to save the city from Ratchet’s plans.
The first thing that’ll strike you about the movie is the thought that's gone into creating Robot City. It’s a wondrous world full of mechanical marvels including wind-up cars and walking streetlamps.
Also terrific are the special effects. This might be an animated movie but at times you’ll catch yourself thinking it’s really a live-action film.
Of course, there have been plenty of animated movies that looked the part but were let down by a weak storyline (see Shark Tale, for example).
But Robots grips (扣人心弦) right from the start thanks to a heart-warming and thoroughly engaging plot that never bores.
My only complaints are with Williams who, as usual，has a one-in-10 success rate with his jokes. Also a letdown is a romantic subplot between Rodney and a shapely robot called Cappy (Halle Berry) that doesn’t go anywhere.
\Complains aside, this is a mechanical marvel that’ll have you bolted firmly to your seat.
BEST QUOTE(引述): Fender: “Even though you had a discouraging day, just remember there’s another one coming tomorrow.”
BEST BIT: Check out those amazing images.
WORST BIT: Robin Williams, character does an unfunny Britney Spears dance routine.
IF YOU LIKED…Ice Age, The Incredibles, Toy Story... YOU’LL LIKE THIS.This piece of writing is a _______.
| A．commercial advertisement | B．film review |
| C．movie poster | D．literary essay |
The cast of Robots is made up of all the following actors or actresses EXCEPT _______.
| A．Ewan McGregor | B．Robin Williams |
| C．Britney Spears | D．Halle Berry |
What is Shark Tale an example of?
| A．A great cast. | B．A poor plot. |
| C．Special effects. | D．Clumsy animation. |
One important attraction of walking is its long-lasting appeal. Whereas jogging and aerobic dancing can pall quickly, walking provides a popular activity that seems to endure. Fitness foundations estimate that 35 million adult Americans walk for exercise every day, with at least 15 million walking two or three times a week. Among the most regular walkers are those 65 years and older—evidence that walking is an exercise that lasts.
In addition to its many physical benefits, walking, like other physical activities, has a comforting effect on the psyche. Walking can help you to think more clearly and feel more relaxed. It also can be a sociable activity. An early morning walk around the neighborhood provides an opportunity to chat with friends or simply admire the flowers. Or because it does not require a team or even a partner, walking is something you can do on your own time, by yourself, whenever the mood strikes.
Easily affordable, all you need to start walking is enthusiasm and a pair of comfortable and sturdy low-heeled shoes. Dr.ChristineL. Wells recommends an Oxford-style shoe with ties for better foot support; she does not recommend sneakers or other “cheapies”. If you plan to walk regularly, you might want to invest in a pair of so-called walking shoes. If so, expect to spend at least $35.
For walking during the hotter months, early morning or evening hours are best. Clothes should fit loosely and be lightweight and light-colored. Elderly walkers should consider wearing long sleeves, and all Arizonans need to be particularly concerned about skin cancer. Dr. Wells suggests wearing sunscreen as well as a side-brimmed hat to protect your eyes, ears, nose and back of the neck.
Walkers also should drink an adequate amount of water. Wells advises drinking an 8-ounce glass of water before you start out, and more when you return. “If you walk four miles or more a day in Arizona, I also recommend that you carry a water bottle,” she says. “ And water is just fine; you don’t need those fluid-replacement or electrolyte drinks.”The underlined word “pall” most probably means________.
| A．interest people | B．be easily learnt | C．become boring | D．become popular |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of walking?
| A．It improves one’s appetite. | B．It’s an inexpensive exercise |
| C．It helps to comfort the mind. | D．it can be an individual or social activity |
For regular walking, what you need most is _______.
| A．endurance | B．enthusiasm | C．strength | D．relaxation |
We may infer from the passage that _______.
| A．people in Arizona are easily exposed to strong sunlight. |
| B．walking is most suitable for those 65 years and older |
| C．water is better than any other drinks for walkers |
| D．jogging and dancing don’t have any positive effect on the mind. |
Which word best describes the author’s attitude toward walking?
| A．positive | B．playful | C．doubtful | D．cautious(谨慎) |
David Beckham was born in 1975, in London, at a place called Leytonstone. When he was a young boy , his greatest passion was football. He played it whenever he had the chance. Sometimes he would go and watch a game with his friends. When David Beckham was 12 years old, he won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills award （奖金）. This was an important step forward for this young boy, and it led him to go for a visit to a football training camp in Spain. As a boy he played for the schools of Essex and also for his county team.
In 1991, he became a trainee with Manchester United. This meant that he could practice football as much as he wanted to and play for the highly successful Manchester United Youth Cup team and Under-21 team. In April, 1995, he played his first football league game against Leeds United. During 1996, David became a regular member of the team and Manchester United won in both football seasons, with David scoring many goals.
His goals made him a household name. In the first game of the 1996—1997 season, he scored an surprising goal from beyond the halfway line; seeing the goalkeeper a little way out of his goal, Beckham sent the ball over the goalkeeper’s head and into the goal. It was a wonderful goal and Beckham became famous overnight. He continued to score astonishing goals, especially from free—kicks. The speed of one of his shots was timed at 157 kph. He also had the ability to make the ball go from left to right, or right to left, whenever he chose. Goalkeepers were never sure where the ball was going, and it regularly ended up in the goal.
David Beckham won his first prize for football skills
| A．in 1975 | B．in 1987 | C．in 1991 | D．in 1996 |
Which word can take the place of the underlined word “passion” in paragraph 1?
| A．skill | B．prize | C．success | D．interest |
The unusually surprising way that he scored goals
| A．made him popular in many British homes | B．helped him to gain many prizes for Essex |
| C．kept him playing for Leeds United | D．offered him the chance to join the national team |
Which of the following shows the right order of what happened to Beckham?
a. Beckham played his first football league game.
b. Beckham won the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills award.
c. Beckham played for Manchester United Youth Cup team.
d. Beckham went to Spain to join a football training camp.
e. Beckham played for the schools of Essex.
| A．e, b, a, d, c | B．e, d, a, c, b | C．b, d, e, c, a | D．b, e, d, a, c |
The passage is mainly talking about
| A．when Beckham became famous all over Britain |
| B．how Beckham became a successful football player |
| C．why Beckham could win in football league games |
| D．what abilities Beckham had to score so many goals |
Moods, say the experts, are feelings that tend to become fixed, influencing one’s outlook for hours, days or even weeks. That’s great if your mood is a pleasant one, but a problem if you are sad, anxious, angry or simply lonely.
Perhaps the best way to deal with such moods is to talk them out; sometimes, though, there is no one to listen. Modern pharmacology（药理学）offers a lot of tranquilizers（镇静剂）What many people don’t realize, however, is that scientists have discovered the effectiveness of several non-drug methods to set you loose from an unwanted mood. These can be just as useful as drugs, and have the added benefit of being nonpoisonous. So next time you feel out of sorts, don’t head for the drug-store but try the following methods.
Of all the mood-altering self-help techniques, aerobic exercise seems to be the most efficient cure for a bad mood. “If you could keep up the exercise, you’d be in high spirits, ” says Kathryn Lance, author of Running for Health and Beauty.
Researchers have explained biochemical and various other changes that make exercise compare favourably to drugs as a mood raiser. Physical exertion such as housework, however, does little. The key is aerobic exercise—running, cycling, walking, swimming or other repetitive and sustained activities that increase the heart rate, increase blood circulation and improve the body’s use of oxygen. Do some of the activities for at least 20 minutes a session three to five times a week.What is the main subject discussed in the passage?
| A．How to beat a bad mood. | B．How to talk bad moods out. |
| C．How to do physical exercises. | D．How to join in aerobic exercises. |
According to the passage, all of the statements are true EXCEPT that
| A．climbing is an efficient cure for a bad mood |
| B．moods can have a bad effect on people’s health |
| C．aerobic exercise can help people get rid of bad moods |
| D．pharmacology has provided people with many tranquilizers |
“Feel out of sorts” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by “ ”
| A．put things in order | B．are in high spirits |
| C．are in a bad mood | D．search for tranquilizers |
It can be inferred from the passage that
| A．some drugs are more effective than physical exercises |
| B．a person does not need aerobic exercise if he is in a good mood |
| C．the best way to overcome a bad mood is to talk to oneself |
| D．when in a bad mood, one may not work very efficiently |
Our sense of smell, which we normally take for granted, is nowadays being increasingly used for purposes which might surprise us if we realized them.
One area in which smells are created to achieve particular results is marketing. For some time producers have taken advantage of our sense of smell with regard to household goods.
When pleasant smells are passed through a store’s air conditioning system, people tend to spend more time in the store and buy more. For example, the smell of chocolate is used in sweet stores, while the smell of leather and perfume are used in clothes stores.
In a test, people looked at the same types of shoes in two rooms—one filled with purified air, the other with a smell of mixed flowers. Eighty-four percent of the people preferred the shoes in the room with the smell of flowers. In fact, many said they would have paid up to US $ 10 more for a pair.
Smells also have other uses. Research has shown that certain smells can help to calm anxious people and increase their feeling of safety. Smells such as that of flowers and pine forests might therefore be used to relax patients in doctors’ and dentists’ waiting rooms, and to make the environment more pleasant and less stressful to them.
Some companies are experimenting with different smells to produce different efferent effects on their workers according to the time of day.
For example, early in the morning they might put the smell of lemon in the air conditioning system to wake people up. In the middle of the morning, when the atmosphere tends to become more tense, the smell of wood could be used to calm people down. Before lunchtime the smell of melting butter would encourage people to go to lunch on time. After lunch, when people often begin to lose attention, the smell of mint would increase their watchfulness.
While some of these uses of smells may e helpful and effective, not everyone would agree with their use to control customers in stores. It has been suggested by consumers’ organizations that one way to avoid this new subconscious（无意识）pressure to buy is to go shopping when people are less likely to be influenced by smells.We can conclude from the text that
| A．smells are widely used in different shops | B．different smells can keep people feel happy |
| C．smells are effective if used in suitable cases | D．hospitals take advantages of the sense of smell |
What kind of smell is effective when the students are having a lesson according to the text? Butter. B. Leather C. Wood D. Mint
The 4th paragraph proves that
| A．pleasant smells attract people’s attention to stores |
| B．people prefer the shoes with the smell of different flowers |
| C．right smells increase people’s view of the value of a product |
| D．people want to pay more money because of good smells |
What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．patients | B．doctors | C．smells | D．waiting rooms |
Everywhere you will always find “the white—haired boy”, sometimes called “the fair-haired boy” He gets special treatment, as if he were above everybody else. You will find him in school, in college, at home, or where you work.
In school, he is the teacher’s pet, her darling who can do nothing wrong. Sometimes she lets him do little jobs for her. He comes to class in the morning, all shiny and clean, He is always raising his hand, ready with an answer to the teacher’s questions. And he knows all the answers. He “gets into your hair”, especially if you are at the bottom of the class and the teacher thinks you are stupid. How you hate the white-haired boy!
In college, he walks—more often strides—across the school grounds as if he owned them. Sometimes he wears a colorful football or basketball shirt or sweater, with a bright red, or green or yellow college letter proudly worn on the front of it—as a big B, for Bullfinch University. What broad shoulders, what muscles he has! He makes the girls happy by just smiling at them. He has the mark of success on him.
At home, “the fair-haired boy” is mother’s choice, her favorite. Sometimes, he is the oldest son—at times, the youngest. If you are in between, you are out of luck.
On the job, you might meet another of these “white-haired boys”; you cannot escape him. For some strange reason, he is the man who always moves ahead. He gets better and better jobs, with more and more money. But you stand still, wondering why, and trying to explain to your-self why you hate him so much.
Then, you discover that there are others who share your feelings, ready to “let their hair down” —to tell you their private thoughts. One of them asks: “What does he have that I haven’t got?” You ask yourself the same question.
Finally, there comes a day when you decide to stop hating him. Is it perhaps because he has been made boss and you find yourself working for him?From the passage we can know that “the white-haired boy” refers to
| A．a child who is mother’s favorite | B．a student who is hated by everybody |
| C．a pet who is hated by everybody | D．a person who is lucky all the time |
What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?
| A．He sets a shining example to you | B．He makes you a little angry. |
| C．He cuts your hair too short. | D．He does up your hair. |
In the author’s opinion, the reason why you finally stop hating the white-haired boy is that
| A．you have no choice but to face the facts | B．you decide to try your best to be better than him |
| C．you have been made boss by him | D．you are beginning to admire him |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Try to Be Attractive | B．Let Your Hair Down |
| C．The White-haired Boy | D．The Top Student |
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