Though the Web is becoming increasingly popular, the TV never fails to attract people. Do you know which television network is the largest in America? It is not ABC, CBS, or Fox. Nor is it one of the cable net-works such as CNN, which carries only news and news stories. It is not ESPN, the all-sports cable net-work, or even MTV, which is famous for its music videos. Rather it is PBS, Public Broadcasting System, a non-profit public broadcasting TV service. PBS has 349 member television stations in the U. S. and some member stations by cable in Canada.
PBS only attracts a minority of all TV viewers, about 2 percent. The industry leader, NBC, however, attracts 11 percent of viewers. But the growth of public television in the past two decades has been dramatic. This is especially noteworthy(值得关注) when one considers that public television stations must often survive on very limited budgets, on viewers’ donations, and on private foundations and some governmental funding.
The level of quality of PBS programs, whether in national and international news, entertainment, or education, is excellent. Almost a whole generation of children throughout the world is familiar with Sesame Street and the characters of The Muppet Show. PBS is especially well known for the quality of its many educational TV programs. Over 95 percent of all public television stations have tele-courses. These courses are accepted and supported by more than 1, 800 colleges and universities throughout the US. Each year, over a quarter of a million students take courses this way.According to this article, PBS received part of its funding from___.
| A．the audience |
| B．public schools |
| C．advertising agencies |
| D．other television stations |
What is PBS most famous for?
| A．Cable services. |
| B．Generous donations. |
| C．Tele-courses. |
| D．Live news broadcasts. |
Which of the following is TRUE about public television stations?
| A．The majority of their viewers are minority people. |
| B．Ninety-five percent of their programs are tele-courses. |
| C．They are shrinking in number because they make no profits. |
| D．Their courses are accepted by many universities in America. |
Which of the following has the highest percentage of viewers?
| A．ABC | B．PBS |
| C．NBC | D．Fox |
There once was a master who went to India. In those times, we didn't have the communications or airplanes or many kinds of transportation that we do now. So the master went to India on foot. He had never been to India before; perhaps he came from Persia. And when he got there, he saw a lot of fruit. In India they have plenty of fruit to sell, but much of it is expensive because they can't grow much due to the water situation. So he saw one basket, a big basket of some very red, long fruit. And it was the cheapest in the shop, not expensive at all.
So he went up and asked, "How much per kilo?" And the shopkeeper said, "Two rupees（卢比）." Two rupees in India is nothing; it's like dirt. So he bought a whole kilogram of the fruit and started eating it. But after he ate some of it: Oh, my God! His eyes watered, his mouth watered and burned, his eyes were burning, his head was burning and his face became red. As he coughed and choked and gasped for breath, he jumped up and down, saying, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"But he still continued to eat the fruit! Some people who were looking at him shook their heads and said, "You're crazy, man. Those are chilies（辣椒）! You can't eat so many; they're not good for you! People use them as a condiment（作料）, but only a little bit to put into food for taste. You can't just eat them by the handful like that; they're not fruit!" So the stupid master said, "No, I can't stop! I paid money for them, and now I'll eat them. It's my money!"
And you think that master was stupid, right? Similarly, we sometimes do a lot of things like that. We invest money, time or effort in a relationship, business or job. And even though it's been a long time, bitter experience tells us it won't work, and we know there's no more hope that things will change in the future — this we definitely know by intuition（直觉） — we still continue just because we've invested money, time, effort and love into it. Just like the man who ate the chilies and suffered so much but couldn't stop because he didn't want to waste the money he'd paid.Why did the master buy a lot of chilies?
| A．He loved the taste of chilies very much. |
| B．He spent a lot of money on chilies. |
| C．The price of chilies is very low. |
| D．The quality of Indian chilies is very good. |
What can we infer about the master according to the passage?
| A．He is very wise in spending his money. |
| B．He came from Persia with someone else. |
| C．He walked to India for the first time. |
| D．He is a very rich and honest man. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To share us a funny story about a silly master. |
| B．To tell us when to give up in life. |
| C．To offer some information about India. |
| D．To remind us how to spend money wisely. |
A young and handsome executive was driving down a neighborhood street. He thought he saw something. Then he slowed down, watching out for children rushing out from between parked cars. As his car passed, no kids appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into his door! He slammed on the brakes （make his car stop）. The angry driver then jumped out of his car, caught the nearest child and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, “Who are you and what was that all about?”
The little boy was full of apology, “Please，Mister… Please, I’m sorry…I didn’t know what else I could do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop.”
With tears dripping down his face, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”
Now weeping, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me to get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Touched beyond words, the executive tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed （a light touch） at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. “Thank you and may God bless you.” The grateful child told the stranger.
Shaken up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, he has to throw a brick at us. Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!The executive slowed down because .
| A．he was afraid that some boys would suddenly rush out |
| B．he saw a boy rush out from between parked cars |
| C．he saw a boy throw a brick to his car |
| D．he saw a brick smash into his door |
The boy threw the brick to the car in order to .
| A．disturb the executive on purpose |
| B．stop someone to help him |
| C．ask the driver to drive him home |
| D．destroy the car of the stranger |
After knowing the reason why the boy threw the brick at his car the executive must feel .
| A．sympathized and excited |
| B．angry and guilty |
| C．ashamed and pitiful |
| D．regretful and sympathized |
After the boy’s brother fell off his wheelchair, .
| A．the boy threw bricks at several cars |
| B．the boy’s brother was hurt seriously |
| C．the boy tried to stop several cars |
| D．the boy’s brother wanted to stop a car |
Itzhak Perlman was born in Tel Aviv, in what was then Palestine, in 1945. Today he lives in New York City. But his music has made him a citizen of the world. He has played in almost every major city.
He has won many Grammy awards for his recordings. He has also won Emmy awards for his work on television.
Itzhak Perlman suffered from polio at the age of four. The disease damaged his legs. He uses a wheel-chair or walks with the aid of crutches on his arms.
But none of this stopped him from playing the violin. He began as a young child. He took his first lessons at the Music Academy of Tel Aviv. Very quickly, his teachers recognized that he had a special gift.
At the age of 13 he went to the United States to appear on television. His playing earned him the financial aid to attend the Juilliard School in New York.
In 1964 Itzhak Perlman won the Leventritt Competition in that city. His international fame had begun.
His music is full of power and strength. It can be sad or joyful，loud or soft. But critics say it is not the music alone that makes his playing so special. They say he is able to communicate the joy he feels in playing, and the emotions that great music can deliver.
Anyone who has attended a performance by Itzhak Perlman will tell you that it is exciting to watch him play. His face changes as the music from his violin changes.
He looks sad when the music seems sad. He smiles and closes his eyes when the music is light and happy. He often looks dark and threatening when the music seems dark and threatening.
In 1986，President Ronald Reagan honored Itzhak Perlman with a Medal of Liberty. In 2000,President Bill Clinton awarded him the National Medal of Arts. Several major universities have awarded him honors. He continues to receive honors for his music. According to the passage, we know Itzhak Perl-man __________.
| A．is 60 years old today |
| B．was born in New York City |
| C．was a rich citizen of the world |
| D．has some great achievements in music |
Despite the disease, none of this stopped Itzhak Perlman and he __________.
| A．took his first lessons at the Music Academy of New York |
| B．appeared on television for the first time in New York |
| C．got the financial aid to continue his study of music |
| D．won the Leventritt Competition in his nineties |
When the music seems dark, Itzhak Perlman often looks __________.
| A．dark |
| B．sad |
| C．happy |
| D．light |
We can infer from the passage Ronald Reagan must be president of __________
| A．Palestine |
| B．Germany |
| C．the USA |
| D．England |
Lee Ann Laraway has polio (小儿麻痹症）and is not able to move very much. Most things are out of reach for her. Jeannie, a Labrador retriever, acts as her arms and legs. Jeannie understands 72 or more different commands.
On a shopping trip, she can get cash for Lee Ann at the bank or a candy bar at the store. She can pay the cashier (收银员） and get change back. Jeannie brings things to Lee Ann.
Jeannie was trained at a place called Canine Companions for Independence, located on twelve acres of land in Santa Rosa (California). The land was donated by the late Peanuts cartoonist Charles Shultz. "We train four different types of dogs here, "said Ken Kirsh, a dog trainer there. “Hearing dogs, service dogs, skilled companion dogs, and facility dogs.
Trainers work with Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers for hours a day, but not every dog is good enough to be a working dog.
The work is serious business. Hearing dogs warn their owners of sounds like ringing telephones and doorbells. Other dogs work with disabled patients like eight-year-old Noah Habib who communicates with a special computer. He likes it when people come to ask him about his dog. His father says people are really interested in the dog and will come over and ask to pet her and play with her, and ask about what she does，and these are people that normally might not approach us and want to talk to Noah.
When Lee Ann Laraway comes home with Jean-nie and the goods，Jeannie helps her open the door. “You can train a dog to do a lot of things，” said Lee Ann. Jeannie can help Lee Ann do all the following EXCEPT __________
| A．go to the bank to get money |
| B．pay for what Jeannie buys in the shop |
| C．open the door |
| D．do some cooking at home |
People want to talk to Noah mainly because __________
| A．he is good at training dogs |
| B．he is not only honest but also lovely |
| C．they want to play with his dog |
| D．they want to ask him for help |
Supposing Jack went deaf in an accident，what kind of dogs may offer him the greatest help?
| A．Hearing dogs. |
| B．Service dogs. |
| C．Skilled companion dogs. |
| D．Facility dogs. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Dogs are helpful to people |
| B．Four kinds of dogs |
| C．Jeannie, a very clever dog |
| D．How to train working dogs |
In the seventh grade, Brittany Blythe dreamed of being a cheerleader. Her school's coaches were less than enthusiastic. "They said, ‘I don't know how you'll be able to do it,”，she recalls. “‘You won't be able to do it. ’”
But Brittany, now a junior at Strath Haven High School near Philadelphia, persisted. And when the junior team cheerleaders won a competition last year, she was right there, dancing and cheering with the rest of the team.
Not bad for someone whose legs were amputated(切断）below the knee when she was two years old.
Brittany, 18, was born without shin bones (胫骨)—"just blood and muscle tissue，" as she puts it. When she tried to walk, her legs twisted. After the operation, she adapted quickly. “From that day, I basically jumped up and wanted to do everything，”she says. Prosthetic legs (假肢）allowed her to move
around upright, but too slowly to keep up with her friends. Brittany's solution： take the legs off and walk on her knees—something she still does when safety and comfort permit.
She's rarely been discouraged. Other children teased her through the years, especially in junior high school, but she says the challenge only made her stronger. Now she's trying to convince her coaches to let her remove the prostheses and be a flyer, the cheerleader who's thrown in the air and caught by her teammates.
Brittany doesn't think her problems are any more difficult than the next person's. “My disability was the first thing I had to get through, and that's going to prepare me for the future，” she says. “It's all just a test ： If someone throws you a ball, what are you going to do?” What was the coaches' first attitude towards Brittany's dream?
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Enthusiastic. |
| C．Optimistic. |
| D．Doubtful. |
What was Brittany's reaction after the operation?
| A．She abandoned herself to self-pity. |
| B．She refused to use the prostheses. |
| C．She accepted the result and tried to get used to it. |
| D．She became a flyer. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that Brittany __________
| A．doesn't think she is better than others |
| B．is not well prepared for the future |
| C．takes a positive attitude towards life |
| D．likes the challenge of learning new things |
What's the best title for the text?
| A．A new leg, a new life |
| B．A new cheerleader, a new record |
| C．Passing the test |
| D．Seeking advantages |
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