In 2004, three young men went to a dinner party in San Francisco. Afterward(过后),they wanted to share(分享) a video from the party with their friends. They wanted to send it over the Internet. But at the time, the process(过程) of sharing videos that way was difficult. Using e-mail did not work and the friends complained that there, was no website to help them. So they created their own. They called their website YouTube. It made sharing videos easy, so the website soon became very popular. People watched 2.500 million videos in the first six months!
Today, more than 70,000 new videos go up on YouTube each day. People watch more than 1,000 million videos a day. Many last no more than 10 minutes. These videos show all kinds of things, from sleeping cats to earthquakes. Most of the filmmakers are not professionals. They are just everyday people making videos, and they use the website in many interesting ways.
First many people use YouTube to entertain others. One example is Judson Laipply. He made a funny dance video and put it on YouTube in 2006. People watched the video more than 10 million times in the first two weeks. Now people stop Judson on the street to ask, "Are you the dance guy on Youtube?" Some people have invited him to dance at their parties. A few women even asked to marry him. Judson wants to make more dance videos, and people look forward to seeing them.
Other people use YouTube to advertise a business. David Taub does this. He is a guitar teacher and he sells videos of guitar lessons on his own website. He wanted to increase his business, so he put short videos with free lessons on YouTube. People enjoyed watching the lessons on YouTube, and afterward, many decided to go to David’s own website. Now David sells hundreds of guitar lesson videos each week.
People also use YouTube to help others. Ryan Fitzgerald is one example. Ryan is friendly young man who knows that some people are lonely and have no one to talk to. One day, he made a video of himself for YouTube. In the video, he gave his phone number and invited people to call him. In less than a week, he had more than 5,000 calls and messages from all over the world. These days, he is very busy talking on the phone. He helps people when he can, but mostly, he just listens, like a friend.
Finally, some filmmakers use YouTube in a more serious way. They want to inform people about important events happening in the world. For example, they show clips(片段)of videos from countries at war, or they show people in need of help after a storm. Sometimes TV news shows do not give enough information about these events. Thanks to YouTube filmmakers, people can go to their computers and learn more.
For many people, YouTube is more than just another website to visit. It is a way to communicate with others. More and more people are using it every day, and they will probably find even more ways to use it.From the first paragraph of the passage, we know three young men _______.
| A．shared a video right at a dinner party |
| B．sent a video by using the e-mail |
| C．set up a new website YouTube |
| D．became very popular in a few months |
Which of the following is NOT true about YouTube?
| A．YouTube makes sharing videos easy. |
| B．Over 70,000 filmmakers are not professionals. |
| C．Many videos on YouTube are short. |
| D．Most of the filmmakers are just everyday people. |
Judson Laipply became popular _______.
| A．only because he was a good dancer |
| B．after he put his funny dance video on YouTube |
| C．because he wanted to make more dance videos for the website |
| D．because people watched all kinds of videos 10 million times a week |
YouTube is used by David Taub ______.
| A．to sell his guitars |
| B．to start his new busincss |
| C．to advertise his business |
| D．to set up his own website |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Most of new videos made by professionals go up on YouTube every day. |
| B．People use the website YouTube to entertain others, help others, or inform others. |
| C．YouTube gives people a place to put videos so they can share or enjoy different shows. |
| D．For many people, YouTube is not only just a website to visit but also a way to communicate with others. |
What do you think of black cats? Are they unluckier than cats of other colors? Many people in Western countries think so. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), did a study on cat colours and people’s understandings of cat personalities.
The study found that people do judge(判断) cat personalities by color. Scientists did a survey(调查) on the Internet. There were 49 statements (描述) matching five cat colorings with 10 personalities. People think orange and bi-coloured (双色的) cats are friendly, tri-coloured (三色的) cats are not generous, and white cats are calm, lazy and shy. As for black cats, people think they don’t have special personalities.
But why do so many people dislike keeping black cats as pets? People think black cats have less special personalities, which might be because of their bad reputation (口碑). They think black cats may bring bad luck, especially at Halloween. Movies and television shows also make people believe that.
Although people have these ideas, UC Berkeley scientists give another reason: people don’t think black cats are pretty enough. After all, nothing can show black cats are unluckier than other cats. “You can’t judge a cat by its colour, because it’s the personality of the cat, not the colour, that will let you know if the cat is right for you,” Cathy Marden, a scientist said.Many people in Western countries may think black cats are ______.
| A．lovely animals | B．a sign of bad luck |
| C．a sign of good luck | D．unfriendly animals |
The main idea of paragraph 2 is that ______.
| A．people often complain(抱怨) about black cats on the Internet |
| B．people think cats of different colours have different personalities |
| C．black cats are less popular than other cats |
| D．the study is a great success |
According to the study, people think that______.
| A．black cats have special personalities | B．orange and bi-coloured cats are generous |
| C．cats with three colours are friendly | D．white cats are calm, lazy and shy |
. People don’t like black cats for the following reasons EXCEPT ______.
| A．black cats often appear in TV shows |
| B．black cats bring bad luck to people |
| C．black cats have bad reputations |
| D．they don’t think black cats are beautiful |
The passage mainly talks about ______.
| A．why black cats are popular in movies |
| B．why people are not willing to keep black cats as pets |
| C．different colour cats have different personalities |
| D．different people have different ideas on black cats |
More than anything else in the world, Lion liked being King of the jungle. He walked around, showing off his power and pride.
Each day Lion took a long lazy sleep under the shade of his favourite tree. He always dreamed of weaker animals bowing(鞠躬) before him.
One day Mouse ran through the jungle and tripped over Lion’s huge paws. Lion woke up with a start.“How dare you wake me up!”he shouted angrily. Lion grabbed(抓住) Mouse with one paw.“On the second thought, I’m in the mood for the snack, and you’ll make a delicious meal.”he said.
Mouse cried out,“King Lion, please spare（饶恕） me! If you let me live, I’ll always remember your kindness. And, some day, I might be able to help you.”
“How could such a powerless little mouse ever help me?”That thought made Lion laugh so much that he decided to let Mouse go. A week later, Lion was walking through the jungle on the way to his favourite tree when he stepped onto a hunter’s net. The net scooped him up. No matter how he twisted (扭动) and turned, he couldn’t escape.
When Mouse heard Lion’s frightened shouts, he raced to help. Mouse quickly chewed（咬）through the ropes to make a hole in the net. Soon, Lion moved out and was free. Lion looked down at the little mouse.“Thank you for saving my life,”said Lion, smiling his widest smile. “I was mistaken. You are not a powerless little mouse. You are a great friend!”What did Lion do each day?
| A．He stepped onto a hunter’s net. |
| B．He bowed before weaker animals. |
| C．He showed kindness to animals in the jungle. |
| D．He had a good sleep under his favourite tree. |
. How did Mouse wake up Lion?
| A．He made a hole in the net. |
| B．He shouted at Lion angrily. |
| C．He tripped over Lion’s paws. |
| D．He prepared a delicious meal for Lion. |
Why did Lion let Mouse go?
| A．Because he was trapped in the net. |
| B．Because he took Mouse as his good friend. |
| C．Because he believed Mouse could save him. |
| D．Because he doubted if Mouse could be of any help. |
What do you think of Mouse?
| A．Clever and honest. | B．Silly and lazy |
| C．Humorous and stubborn | D．Proud and selfish. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Pride makes you lose what you have. |
| B．Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. |
| C．Even the small can show great strength. |
| D．When the cat’s away, the mice will play. |
阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容，注意：每个空格只填1个单词
Hey! Mother's Day is coming. Have you planned something good for your mom? If not, try one of these tips.
What's Her Favorite?
Most teens don't know what their mom's favorite is. You do? Then, what are you waiting for? Buy her something she likes and wrap it carefully. The best time to give her that is while she is sleeping at night. Put it on the drawer next to her so that when she wakes up she'll be surprised to see it.
Treat a Queen
Your house is a palace with a king and queen (it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor). Our mother is the real queen in our life and in our family though her duties make her look like she is not. Give the lady a day off and you can do the housework.
Because of stress and the problems that she is facing right now, she doesn't look good any more. Perhaps you could take some of your savings to treat her in a salon or the department store. Then, choose nice clothes that would make her look beautiful!
Have Some of Your Time
Our mothers have special memories in mind. It is the time that they gave birth to their healthy baby. How about you? What's your best moment with her? Have you ever had a good time with your mother not talking about your problems and arguments? Have you ever told her how much you thank her for the life she gave to you, the time she cared for you? Maybe you can tell her how happy you are when she was there looking after you during your painful days in your life.
Tell the magic words
Life is short. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Those three words can make her heart jump for joy, you know? Just tell her “I love you!” and it would make her smile so sweetly. Just try! We don't want to miss a thing, right?
| Tips on |
|
| Buy a |
Buy her something that she Put it on a drawer next to her to give her a |
| Treat your mother as a queen |
Do the housework instead of her to make her Buy her nice clothes to make her |
| Have some of your time |
Remind her of your best moment with her. Don’t Tell her you were so happy when she |
| Tell the magic words |
Tell her “I love you!” to make her heart jump for Just have a |
British people are famous for drinking tea. But brother and sister, Sarah and Bobby Green, became young millionaires when they opened a chain of American-style coffee shops in the UK.
Having the idea: It started when Sarah took a weekend trip to New York to visit her brother Bobby. One evening, in a Thai restaurant, Sarah told Bobby how much she wished she could buy American-style coffee in London. Bobby suggested they started their own coffee shop. Sarah fell in love with the idea.
Doing the Research: Back in London, she spent a whole day on the London subway, getting off the train at different stations to taste the coffee. “It was terrible, and I knew there was a gap (空缺) in the market.” In 1995, they opened their first Coffee Republic shop in central London.
Making it work: The first year was very difficult. British people were not used to the names of American coffees, like latte and macchiato. But being successful was their dream and they were not going to give up. Today, there are over 100 Coffee Republic shops all over the country and the company has ￡30 million a year.
Advice for others: Sarah has now written a best-selling book about their experience, called Anyone Can Do It! She hopes it will help other young people to start their own businesses. She says, “If you think you have the energy, then get out and follow your dream.”What kind of company do they run?
| A．A fast-food restaurant. | B．A tea shop. |
| C．A coffee shop. | D．A big hotel. |
Where are their Coffee Republic shops?
| A．All over the UK. | B．All over the US. |
| C．In central London. | D．In New York. |
Which of the following information is mentioned(提到) in the passage?
| A．Sarah was not interested in Bobby’s idea. |
| B．British people never drank coffee before 1995. |
| C．Sarah’s best-selling book is about how to make coffee. |
| D．Sarah found a business chance while doing the research. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Sarah’s life. |
| B．Sarah’s weekend trip. |
| C．The American-style coffee. |
| D．The success of a family business. |
Where may this passage come from?
| A．In a film. |
| B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a sports magazine. |
| D．In a novel. |
Now the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
( MUSIC)
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat. When they are red-hot, they are very angry about something. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say such music is red-hot.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the 20th century. It probably comes from the fact that many babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that they are in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The blues music in the United States is the opposite of red-hot music. Blues is slow and sad. Someone who is blue is very sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in the stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green. Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because that is the color of the back of the paper money.
The color black is used often in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day.
(MUSIC)
I’m Warren Scheer. Listen again next week for another Words and Their Stories program in Special English on the Voice of America.We say you are in the pink when you are _______________.
| A．very sad | B．very happy |
| C．in good health | D．feeling well |
What does the word “ upset” mean ?
| A．happy | B．sad |
| C．satisfied | D．active |
We describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a __________ day.
| A．red | B．green |
| C．pink | D．black |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People in the USA use black to express heat. |
| B．If you are blue, you are very happy. |
| C．Green is a natural color for humans. |
| D．If you have a sick feeling in the stomach, you feel a little green. |
What is this passage probably written for?
| A．A radio program. | B．A news report. |
| C．A telephone call. | D．A TV play. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号