The popular US drama series “House of Cards”, which has already started its second season, features Chinese elements in its storyline. Traditional heroes are no longer sought after anymore. Today, it’s unconventional leading figure -like Francis J. Underwood from “House of Cards” who are winning audiences’ hearts.
The political drama, which airs on the Internet service Netflix, has won the applauses of viewers around the world since its debut(首次亮相) on February 1, 2013. And it has caught the attention of real politicians, including US President Barack Obama.
Kevin Spacey plays Francis J. Underwood, a cold-blooded Democrat who moves his way up the political ladder by any means necessary. He often uses his under-exposure in media to carry out misdeeds that will later benefit him.
The revenge(报仇) theme plays a heavy role throughout the storyline, Underwood, who had high hopes for an appointment as Secretary of State in the first season, was betrayed by the US President and his former colleagues. He and his wife then conducted a plan of revenge and swore to unseat those who turned their backs against him. Through their plan, Underwood’s own hunger for power grew and empowered him to get rid of whoever stood in his Way.
The release of the trailer(预告片) of the second season excited millions of viewers around the world, including US President Barack Obama, who has been a loyal fan since the series debuted. Obama expressed his admiration for Underwood. “This guy’s getting a lot of stuff done,” he said. Although the President is anxious to watch the story unfold, he’d like to do it at his own pace. After the release of the second season on February 14, 2014, Obama sent words on his Twitter account, “Tomorrow: @HouseOfCards. No spoilers , please.”
The second season has promised to be darker, with more unexpected turnouts, and is to include more Chinese elements. “Perhaps the team, including myself, has realized that in the next decade, Asia will be an extensively important region, and China will play an active role in its transition and change,” says Spacey.The second season is different in that _____.
| A．it is a political drama |
| B．more Chinese elements are involved |
| C．it has caught the attention of US President Barack Obama |
| D．Kevin Spacey, a cold-blooded Democrat, plays Francis’J. Underwood |
The 3rd and 4th paragraph mainly deal with ______.
| A．the plot of the drama series |
| B．the background of the drama series |
| C．the characters of the drama series |
| D．the popularity of the drama series |
The author may agree that ______.
| A．the second season is expected to be darker with more deaths |
| B．audiences lose their heart to traditional heroes in the drama |
| C．the drama is the reflection of politics of America in real life |
| D．the drama has won the recognition of viewers since its first season |
The message sent by Obama on his Twitter account proves that he_______.
| A．doesn’t wish to be told what to do as a drama fan |
| B．adores the drama so much that he wants to watch it in advance |
| C．doesn’t want to be disturbed while watching the drama |
| D．hopes nobody will inform him of the plot of the drama in advance |
When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music”, it doesn’t mean that he is planning to go to hear a singer or attend a concert. It is something far less unhappy than you are called in by your leader to explain why you did this and that or why you did not do this or that.
At some time or another, every one of us has to “face the music”, especially (尤其) as children. We can all remember fathers angry words “I want to talk to you”. And only because we did not listen to him. What a bad thing it was!
In the middle or at the end of every term, we students have to “face the music”. The result of the exam will decide whether we will face the music or not. If...that means parents cold faces and contempt (轻视) of the teachers and classmates.
“To face the music” is well known to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. It really means that you have to do something, no matter (无论) how terrible the whole thing might be, because you know you have no choice.“To face the music"means “to____ ”.
| A．do something that we don’t like to | B．go to the theatre |
| C．go to the music show | D．do something that we want to |
In the third paragraph, “If...”really means “If____ ”.
| A．we don’t do a good job | B．we get an“A” in the exam |
| C．the exam is easy | D．the exam is difficult |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．“To face the music” is well known in the United States. |
| B．“To face the music” has a history of more than 100 years. |
| C．The young Americans know what “to face the music” means. |
| D．Only the old in the United States know the meaning of“to face the music”. |
In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won’t carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a feeding place for birds in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be that their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely, but pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.The passage mainly talks about____ .
| A．how to keep disease from pets | B．pets in Canada |
| C．how to take good care of pets | D．life of the old in Canada |
They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because ____.
| A．the pets are sick |
| B．the pets are wild |
| C．they want to stop them from getting sick |
| D．they want them to sleep on the way home |
In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ____.
| A．they don’t love their parents any more |
| B．they can only find jobs far from their parents |
| C．their parents houses are too small |
| D．they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．People buy animal food only at the animal food stores. |
| B．Pets eat better than people. |
| C．Almost every family has a birdcage in his house. |
| D．Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat |
From the passage we know that Canadians_____
| A．love animals | B．don’t like animals |
| C．often kill animals | D．often keep their pets outside their house |
Ellen Parker was worried about her health. She could not walk very quickly and it was difficult for her to climb stairs. She was soon out of breath.
“I suppose I had better go to the doctor.” she thought.
She went to the doctor and told him her problem.
“I’m not at all surprised.” he said, “I know what your problem is.”
He examined her and then gave her some advice.
“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs Parker,” he said, “You will have a heart attack (心脏病发作). It could kill you.”
Ellen was very worried as she left the doctor’s. She knew that she had to take his advice but that it would not be easy and it would take time.
The next day she went shopping. The first shop she went into was a butcher shop (肉铺).
“I’d like ten pounds of steak (牛排), please.” she said.
“Certainly, madam.” the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large piece of steak. He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and placed it on the scale (称).
“That’s just ten pounds.” he said.
“That’s big enough.” Mrs Parker said.
The butcher worked out the price.
“At S｜4.99 a pound that will be S｜49.90, please. Would you like me to cut it up into smaller pieces for you?”
“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat.” Mrs Parker said.
“If you don’t want to buy it,” the butcher replied angrily, “Why did you ask me to get it for you?”
“My doctor told me that I am too heavy and have to lose ten pounds. I wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like.”Why did Ellen Parker visit the doctor?
| A．She had a heart attack. | B．She had a problem with her health. |
| C．She was unhappy about her weight. | D．She could not sleep well. |
Why did Ellen Parker ask for ten pounds of steak?
| A．She wanted to buy some for dinner. |
| B．She wanted to lose weight. |
| C．Her doctor had told her to eat steak. |
| D．She wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like. |
What was Ellen Parker’s real problem?
| A．She ate too much steak. | B．She weighed too much. |
| C．She was often out of breath. | D．She could not walk very quickly. |
Have you ever been to London? Here is some hotel information for you.
| Kingsway Hall Hotel We offer quality service (优质服务) in Kingsway Hall Hotel. This location puts guests in easy reach of many places, such as the British Museum and Piccadilly Circus. Our hotel also has modern Western food, and offers a perfect dining environment. The lounge bar is a comfortable place to enjoy a drink while watching the tourists. There are hundreds of dining choices within walking distance. Non-smoking rooms are ready for guests. Hilton Docklands Riverside Located on the bank of the Thames, our hotel is about two miles east of Tower Bridge and 36 miles from London Heathrow Airport. Our hotel has a beauty salon, a flower shop and a swimming pool. The hotel also offers laundry (洗衣店) services, babysitting, shining shoes, and local area transportation. Windermere Hotel Located in the center of London, our hotel puts guests within easy reach of London’s well-known buildings. Buckingham Palace and the Royal Parks are just a short walk away. Within 1.5 miles you can visit Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. The theatres, Harrods shopping centre, and the designer shops of Sloane Square and Knightsbridge are all only a short walk away or a taxi ride away. |
What does Kingsway Hall Hotel provide for its guests?
| A．Chinese food. | B．A lounge bar. |
| C．Smoking rooms. | D．A swimming pool. |
What is special about Hilton Docklands Riverside?
| A．It offers different kinds of service. | B．It offers a reasonable price. |
| C．It has convenient transport. | D．It has delicious food. |
This passage is most likely to be found in ______.
| A．a travel guide | B．a story book |
| C．a technical report | D．a geography magazine |
According to some researchers, you should not praise children for everything that they do. It does not help them build self-confidence.
Most parents and teachers agree that praise can help increase children’s self-confidence —the more, the better. However, according to some researchers, only proper praise is good for children. If adults praise everything children do, it makes children look for praise all the time, not trying to do their best. "Teachers should not say things like ’good job’ or ’nice work’ whenever a child does anything. They should encourage them to continue to improve," some researchers advise.
Another idea is that children with high self-confidence are happier, and do better at school. About this, Marshall Duke, a researcher in children, says, "High self-confidence brought in by too much praise does not make children happier, get more, or become able to do more. Finding a child’s advantages (强项) and developing them can help build confidence more than too much praise can." Praise also loses its effect (影响) if it is given equally to all students.
"It’s important to tell children the truth about what they’ve done. Honest feedback (反馈) is far better than empty praise," Duke adds. "People have got into the habit of not telling children when they’re wrong. That makes it hard for them to deal with difficulties when they grow up. That’s just how the world is."According to some researchers, if parents praise their children too much, their children will ______.
| A．always look for praise |
| B．increase self-confidence |
| C．become strong |
| D．do better in their studies |
In order to help children build self-confidence, some researchers advise parents to ______.
| A．make them live more happily |
| B．let them do more difficult work |
| C．help them do better in school |
| D．encourage them to improve |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．Praise makes children become successful. |
| B．Children don’t know what they’re really good at. |
| C．The same praise for all children has no meaning. |
| D．Duke thinks praise is more important than finding children’s strengths. |
What is the last paragraph about?
| A．It’s important to have the habit of praising children. |
| B．Children should know their mistakes as soon as possible. |
| C．We should praise children honestly and tell them their mistakes. |
| D．What children with high self-confidence are like. |
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