Dear Editor,
I am writing to ask what has happened to our youth. They are not as polite, hard-working or clever as my generation. I will give you two examples.
Last Friday, I got on the underground at 9.15a.m. It was very busy so there were no free seats. There were some teenagers sitting on the seats nearest me. I didn’t know why they were not at school. They were talking loudly and laughing. It was difficult to read my newspaper with all the noise. A heavily pregnant(怀孕的) woman and her daughter got on at the next stop, with lots of shopping bags. I expected the teenagers to let them sit down. They saw the woman but did nothing. I had to ask them to give her a seat. They reluctantly(勉强地)did so but give me a rude look. I got off at the next stop and was glad that the teenagers didn’t follow me.
Last Saturday, I had dinner with my friend’s family. I was expecting to meet his children, who I hadn’t seen for ten years. During dinner, we started talking about world politics. It soon became clear that they didn’t know much. They couldn’t tell me the name of the King of Spain or the President of Italy. All they knew about was the Internet and which singers were the most beautiful. In my day, students knew the kings, queens and presidents of every country in Europe.
I worry about the future of Germany. How could these young people become responsible workers and parents? They sit around Macdonald’s after instead of going to the library like I did at their age. Maybe they have too much money. Perhaps another reader can give us an idea about what to do with this“lost generation”.
Franz Vogts
HamburgMr. Vogts writes this letter to the editor to _________.
| A．show how rude the teenagers are |
| B．complain the way some people act |
| C．express his worry about Germany’s future |
| D．show how lazy young people nowadays are |
When Franz Vogts met the teenagers on the underground, he_________.
| A．expected that they would make less noise |
| B．knew there was no hope for him to get a seat |
| C．felt he would meet with some trouble from them |
| D．thought they should have been studying instead of staying there |
Franz Vogts was not pleased at the dinner because_________.
| A．he was not politely treated |
| B．the children cared more about singers than him |
| C．the children did not know much about world politics |
| D．he had different opinions about the world from his friend |
By saying “lost generation”, Mr. Vogts refers to__________.
| A．the fact that he is angry with young people today. |
| B．the people at his age |
| C．his worry about these young people |
| D．today’s young people |
There are new findings that not enough sleep may cause people to gain weight. Researchers say a lack of sleep can produce hormonal(激素的) changes that increase feelings of hunger.
In one study, researchers in the United States examined information on more than 1000 people. The people had taken part in a long-term study of sleep disorders.
Some people slept less than five hours a night. They had 15 percent higher blood levels of a hormone called ghrelin than people who slept eight hours. And they had 15 percent less of the hormone leptin. Experts say ghrelin helps make people feel hungry; leptin makes you feel full.
The scientists say these hormonal changes may be a cause of obesity in Western societies. They note the combination that sleep limitation is common and food is widely available.
The results were not affected by how much people exercised. People who are awake longer have more time to burn energy. But the researchers say loss of sleep may increase hunger especially for high-calorie foods, so people gain weight. It seems that, for survival, the body may be designed to store more fat during times with less sleep.
Researchers from Stanford University in California and the University of Wisconsin did the study. They found that the best amount of sleep for weight control is 7.7 hours a night.
The Public Library of Science published the findings in its journal Medicine . Internet users can read the full study, free of charge, at plos. org.Not enough sleep can cause obesity by ______.
| A．burning more of your energy |
| B．making you want to eat more food |
| C．keeping you from doing exercise |
| D．helping you feel great without food |
Which would be a point supported by the reported findings?
The more you sleep, the farther away you are from obesity.
Those who don’t sleep at all are the most likely to put on weight.
Sleeping contributes more to obesity than eating.
It’s not wise to use sleep hours for exercise.When you sleep 7.7 hours a night, you will ______ .
have your ghrelin level rise and leptin level drop
have your leptin level rise and ghrelin level drop
have your ghretin and leptin levels properly balanced
have your hunger increase and your weight decrease The writer wrote this passage to _______ .
| A．make a news report |
| B．offer a piece of medical advice |
| C．make an advertisement |
| D．keep a record of the old findings |
You can read the findings________.
| A．Only on the Internet |
| B．only in Medicine |
| C．Both on the Internet and in Medicine |
| D．Neither on the Internet nor in Medicine |
Tomorrow evening I will be interviewed on stage by a museum official. I will be an interpreter, talking from experience as a disability rights lawyer and activist.
In “special” schools and camps for children with physical and mental disabilities, I grew up knowing we were a category of person that the world did not want. Most of us had a story of some doctor advising our parents to put up away or to let us die. We owed our survival to parents who had irrationally(不理性地) bonded with us. We knew we were lucky and hoped our luck would hold. To increase the chance of surviving, we tended to be charming. We developed thick skins.
By the time I roll onto the stage the next night, I’ve thought a lot about there and here, then and now. When the first question comes, I tell them about my fascination with the wheelchair, and somehow it sounds funny, and laughter fills the room. We talk from the horror of Nazis killing (Nazis once killed the disabled patients as useless) to a funny confession that I, too, tend to stare at disabled people on the street.
What has come over me? In this room, people with disabilities in thrilling variety make me feel at home. Here people, disabled and not, are gathered by choice.
I haven’t forgotten that 2 million people remain in US disability institutions, that some disabled children still cannot attend mainstream schools, that too many of us live in poverty. But I can’t hold onto anger and sorrow for I feel a shared sense of possibility, a drive for a world that will embrace both the fit and the unfit and hold them so dear that the division dies.What’s the author according to the passage?
| A．A disabled lawyer. |
B．A reporter. |
| C．An actor |
D．An interviewer |
The underlined phrase “thick skins” in the second paragraph probably means__.
| A．with more clothes |
| B．making skin dirty |
| C．caring nothing of ignorance |
| D．growing more slowly than others |
The second paragraph is mainly focused on ________.
| A．the growth of the disabled people |
| B．the hatred of the disabled people |
| C．the love of the disabled people |
| D．the appreciation of the disabled people |
It can be sensed but not clearly stated that the author________.
| A．likes to be interviewed in a museum |
| B．can tell funny stories |
| C．has charming personality |
| D．is humorous and optimistic |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the future?
| A．Desperate |
B．Hopeful |
C．Negative |
D．Objective |
The film “Avatar” has received great popularity around the world. It turned out to be a great success. The film got ＄1 billion in ticket sales in a very short time. The story in the film happens on an alien planet called Pandora where many strange species live. Among the planet’s inhabitants(居民,栖息动物)，the one that has the most similarities with humans is the Na’vi, and it is the struggle between the Ma’vi and human invaders(入侵者) that forms the story of the film.
As to the factors(因素) leading to the film’s success, many think that the entertaining feast(盛宴) for the eyes and the wonderful story shouldn’t be forgotten, but the new language invented especially for the film which provides audiences with a new experience also plays an important part.
In order to increase the truthfulness of an alien race（外星人）, the film’s director James Cameron asked an expert in languages from the University of Southern California to invent a language for the Na’vi. Professor Paul Frommer combined the languages spoken among Indians, Africans and mid-Asians and worked with James Caneron for four years to create the Na’vi language based on the original 30 words that the director had already come up with.
According to Professor Frommer, the most important characteristic of the Na’vi language is that it could be pronounced. “This is an alien language but obviously it has to be spoken by human actors and actresses,” Professor Frommer told the BBC, “it has to sound natural and it should make human beings comfortable when using it.”
The language has a vocabulary of around 1000 words but Professor Formmer hopes to enlarge the vocabulary in possible follow-ups to the film and in video games. The professor hopes that one day his creation will be as successful as the Klingon alien language from the “Star Trek”films. “There’s a translation of Hamlet into Klingon and it has received great popularity among the audiences,” says Professor Frommer，“if anything like this happens to the Na’vi language, I’d be very happy.”What do we know about“Avatar” from this passage?
| A．The story in it is a moving love story. |
| B．It brings the producer ＄1 billion in total. |
| C．The story in it happens on an alien planet. |
| D．It talks about humans and aliens’ friendship. |
The director of “Avatar” James Cameron had a language invented for the Na’vi to ________.
| A．make the film a whole mystery |
| B．make the Na’vi more believable |
| C．make the Na’vi different from humans |
| D．make the film have specific characteristics |
Who first created the basic words of the Na’vi language?
| A．Paul Frommer. |
B．An Indian. |
C．James Cameron |
D．Hamlet. |
The important feature of the Na’vi language is that _______.
| A．it can be spoken by humans |
| B．it has just 30 original words |
| C．it has a vocabulary of 1000 words. |
| D．it is like the Klingon alien language |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．James Cameron will produce follow-ups to “Avatar” |
| B．the Na’vi language is another kind of the Klingon language |
| C．the director believes the Na’vi language will be popular |
| D．Paul Frommer hopes to add new words to the Na’vi language |
New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. This year, there’re plenty of local activities for all ages and interests, so the smiles will come easily.
BLUE CONCERT
Blues band the Coyotes is playing at the Dance Barn，at 8 Barn View in Sudden Valley, The show will start at 9 p. m. and benefit the charity Bikers Fighting Cancer. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 224-2308 for more information.
NEW YEAR’S LAUGHS
Ring in the New Year and laugh out the old one at the Upfront Theatre Comic improvisers will hit on all the highlights of the year with The Last Laugh of 2008. The 9 p. m. show will cost $15 and is open to all ages. The 11 P. m. show is to 21 and older and costs $18, which includes a champagne (香槟酒) toast. Call 733-8855 for more information.
MAZE
For a fun activity earlier in the evening，walk the labyrinth (迷宫) at the Leopold Crystal Bellroom. Wander through the maze, based on the French Chartres Cathedral, for free from 4 to 9 P. m. Call 752-0048 for more information.
COUNTRY DANCING
At the Bellingham Eagles Hall, live local music will help get the dance started at 8 p. m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids 12 and younger. For more information, call 676-1554.In what way do these activities have in common?
| A．They’re all held in the same day. |
| B．They’re all held by the same organization. |
| C．They’re all organized for children. |
| D．They’re all about the dancing and music. |
Which of the following activities may be free for Tom aged 16?
| A．COUNTRY DANCING. |
| B．NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS. |
| C．MAZE. |
| D．BLUE CONCERT. |
If you want to know something about the Coyotes at 8 Barn view, you'd better call _______.
| A．676-1554 |
B．733-8855 |
C．752-0048 |
D．224-2308 |
Which of the followings will be the highlights of NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS?
| A．Wander through the maze. |
B．The champagne toast. |
| C．Its live music. |
D．The Last Laugh of 2008. |
It can be inferred from the text that ___________.
| A．$10 is enough to book a ticket to Blue Concert |
| B．you can read the text on a telephone book |
| C．all these activities are international ones |
| D．New Year’s Laughs will hold shows three times |
Talk about a real-life hero! Ten-year-old Larry Champagne from St. Louis，Missouri, hit the brake (刹车) on a runaway school bus. He saved himself and 20 other kids on board from disaster.
It all happened in one terrible accident. On the way to school, the bus driver, Ernestine Blackman, suddenly fell ill. Seeing the car was running away, the other kids started to scream, but Larry ran to the front and stopped the bus.
“At first I thought, ‘We’re going to die,’” says Larry, “but after I pressed the brake, I felt safe.”
Larry’s speedy reaction made news all over the country. He appeared on TV shows as a hero. The bus company gave Larry a big gift. His school hung a medal of honor around his neck.
“My grandmother always tells me to do what’s right,” says Larry. He thanked his brother, Jerrick, 9, who “helped me get the bus driver up” during the emergency（紧急情况）. How did he know how to stop the bus? Larry is something of a mechanic（机械师）. He helps his grandfather work on his old truck. “He gets his hands dirty,” says his grandfather. One thing is for certain: Larry knows where to find the brakes.What did Larry do to save the runaway bus?
| A．He parked it for the sleeping bus driver. |
| B．He helped all the kids climb out through the windows. |
| C．He dialed 911. |
| D．he pressed the brake. |
When did Larry finally feel safe?
| A．When the kids finally stopped screaming. |
| B．When the police officers arrived. |
| C．Once he pressed the brake, and the bus stopped. |
| D．When the bus driver started driving again. |
Larry got the following as praise for his hero action Except _______.
| A．appearing on TV shows |
| B．a scholarship from his school |
| C．a big gift from the bus company |
| D．a medal of honor |
Larry thanked his brother Jerrick for __________.
| A．helping him get the bus driver up |
| B．helping him work on his old truck |
| C．teaching him how to find the brake |
| D．teaching him how to stop the bus |
The underlined sentence“Larry is something of a mechanic” tells us that ____.
| A．Larry’s job is a mechanic |
| B．Larry knows something about machines |
| C．Larry is a robot |
| D．Larry knows nothing about machines |
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