Golden sunlight danced in the treetops, and children’s laughter filled the park. The smell of popcorn played on the breeze, and life seemed good. It was one of the happiest Saturday mornings I had spent with my little daughter, Gigi.
That was, until two strangers threw her into their car and sped away. It seemed like a bad dream. I could barely whisper when the police questioned me. For hours we waited, but there wasn’t any news.
“Go home, Ma’am,” the police officer said. “We’ll monitor your telephone. Trust me, we’ll find her.” After what had just happened, it was hard for me to trust anything.
My friend Gloria came over that afternoon. “I heard about Gigi on the radio. Everyone is looking for the car. The interstates are all blocked.” She took my hand and said, “Look here. I want you to have this picture and pray with me.”
It was a picture of a little girl sound asleep in her bed. Standing by the bed was a tall, blond angel. His hand was touching the girl’s shoulder as he smiled down at her.
“I’m too exhausted for any hocus-pocus right now, Gloria! I want my daughter home!” I screamed, and then began sobbing. Gloria placed the photo on our desk and knelt down beside me. “Just pray with me,” she said, holding my hand.
I had no strength left, so we prayed and waited what seemed an eternity. But the phone never rang.
Suddenly, the front door swung open. There stood Gigi. “Gigi! Thank God!” I cried, throwing my arms around her, “Where did those men take you? How did you get home? Did the police find you?”
“No Mommy!” said Gigi. “I was really scared because those men said they were taking me far away. We were going really fast. But then a tall man walked out in front of the car, and they ran off the road and hit a tree.” Then the tall man ran up and opened the car door and pulled me out. He was really nice, and said I would be okay now. He must have brought me home because then I woke up here in front of our house.”
“But who... how did he know... where to bring you?” My voice broke and trailed to a whisper.
“I don’t know, Mommy,” Gigi said.
Just then Gigi noticed Gloria’s picture on the desk. “That’s him!” She gave a loud cry, pointing at the picture. “That’s him! Except he didn’t have wings, and he was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt. But that’s him exactly. I’d remember him anywhere!”
Later that night, the police found the injured kidnappers. When questioned, the driver remembered making a sharp turn to avoid hitting a tall blond man.
Twenty years have gone by. Nobody claims to have rescued Gigi and there have been no logical explanations for Gigi’s miraculous escape.
There have always been things that people can’t explain. But, from that day forward, I believe that all experiences, positive and negative, are given to us for our strengthening and learning.
Gigi keeps Gloria’s picture on her desk, and she remembers her angelic friend. And, like my daughter, I have a faith that has carried me through many trials since that day many years ago.The writer describes a happy scene at the beginning of the passage to ___.
| A．introduce a topic |
| B．attract readers’ attention |
| C．show the beauty of nature |
| D．make a sharp contrast |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the pray together with Gloria?
| A．Curious | B．Grateful |
| C．Doubtful | D．Causal |
The main reason why the kidnappers could be arrested was that _____.
| A．the police followed and caught them |
| B．Gloria’s best friend helped the police to find them |
| C．an angel spotted them and took them to the police station |
| D．they had an accident when a tall man tried to stop their car |
What can be best title for the passage?
| A．picture of an angle | B．power of God |
| C．Gigi’s escape | D．Mommy’s anxiety. |
A speech is a wonderful opportunity to inform, persuade or entertain. The best speeches often take on a combination of all three of these components（组成部分）. However, before you can go about the writing of a great speech, it is important to set goals. Goals keep you，your speech and your audience focused.
What a goal is
In the context of a speech, a goal is the purpose of the speech, and what it hopes to accomplish. For example, the goal of a eulogy(颂歌) might be to celebrate the life of a loved one. The goal of a speech at a political gathering would be to inform the crowd about the political position of a candidate and persuade them to vote and campaign for the candidate in question（正被讨论的）.
Why a goal is important
Without a goal, a speech is without direction. The goal informs the structure and content of the speech. For example, if a speech's goal is to convince people that smoking is bad for them, the speech will be structured with persuasive arguments to back up the goal. A speech with a goal of informing the audience will keep the information fair and factual.
A goal is incredibly important to the speech's ability to connect with an audience. If the speaker is unaware of the goal of the speech, the audience will likely be unaware as well. This severely reduces the effectiveness of the message.
Aside from informing the audience of the content and structure, a speech's goal drives the speaker to greater heights. If a speaker is asked to speak on a specific subject, but never establishes the goal, they won't know where to start in the research, organizing and writing of the speech.
______________
If you have been charged with(被委以) delivering a speech, establishing a goal can seem difficult at first. There are several things to take into consideration. First, think about who you will be speaking to. The demographic(人口统计) of your audience will likely determine whether you will be able to persuade them, or whether they will be able to sit through（一直坐到……结束）. Second, think about the topic itself. If the topic is something controversial（有争议的）, it may worth your while to consider an informative approach to present both sides of the issue. Finally, consider your resources. A speech with an informative or persuasive goal usually requires a great deal of research, and sometimes takes more time to write.According to the passage, what three components does the best speech combine?
| A．Informing, delivering and entertaining. |
| B．Informing, persuading and entertaining. |
| C．Informing, writing and delivering. |
| D．Informing, writing and persuading. |
The goal of a speech at a political gathering might be ________.
| A．to persuade the audience to vote for a candidate |
| B．to celebrate the life of a person you admire |
| C．to entertain the audience with humor and magic |
| D．to persuade the audience to buy new products |
All the following indicate the importance of a speech goal EXCEPT that ________.
| A．a speech will lose its direction without a goal |
| B．a speech goal can help keep the audience aware of the speech |
| C．a speech goal can help the speaker know about the research, organizing and writing |
| D．a speech goal makes it possible for the speaker to achieve whatever he wants in life |
Which of the following can be filled into the blank as the subtitle for the last paragraph?
| A．How to achieve a speech goal | B．How to deliver a difficult speech |
| C．What to consider to establish a goal | D．What to consider to deliver a speech |
For the past two years, 8－year－old Harli Jordean from Stoke Newington, London, has been selling marbles(弹珠)．His successful marble company, Marble King, sells all things marble-related—from affordable tubs of the glass playthings to significantly expensive items like Duke of York solitaire（独粒宝石）tables—sourced, purchased and processed by the mini－CEO himself.
“I like having my own company. I like being the boss,” Harli told The Mirror.
With profits now in the thousands, “the world's youngest CEO” has had to get his mother and older brothers to help him meet the growing demand.
Harli launched Marble King after swapping（交换）marbles at school led to schoolchildren depleting(削减) his marble collection. Yes, he literally（确切地）“lost his marbles.” Harli and his mother, Tina, turned to the Internet to find replacements.
Harli saw an empty space online: the marbles he wanted were hard to find. Within months, Harli had his own marble－selling website and orders started pouring in.
Tina says her son's obsession(迷恋) with marbles started when he was just 6.
“His obsession became so big we started calling him the Marble King, so when he wanted to set up a website it was the natural name for it，” she told The Sun.
“I never thought it would become so popular—we are struggling to cope with the number of orders at times.”
The 8－year－old boy has his sights set on expanding his business and launching his own brand of marbles.
“Sometimes his ideas are so grand we have to scale them back a bit. But his dream is still to own Britain's biggest marble shop and open stores around the world.” Tina told The Daily Mail.
“At the minute he is annoying me by asking about creating his won Marble King marbles, so that could well be the next step for him.”Why did Harli's marble company become popular as soon as he launched it?
| A．Because it was run by “the world's youngest CEO”． |
| B．Because it filled the gaps of marble business. |
| C．Because Harli was fascinated with marble collection. |
| D．Because his mother and brothers helped him a lot. |
How many mass media are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined expression “scale back”？
| A．make smaller | B．carry out | C．turn down | D．frighten away |
What message do the last two paragraphs carry?
| A．Conflicts often occur between Harli Jordean and his family. |
| B．Harli's mother and brothers are worried about Marble King's future. |
| C．Marble King marbles will be more popular with marble fans around the world. |
| D．The “Marble King” has great ambitions for his Marble King Company. |
Everyone agrees that all the creatures want happiness and are afraid of pain and grief. The question, however, is “What is real happiness?” The desire for happiness has no meaning without understanding the real nature of happiness.
Generally, ordinary beings consider sensual（感觉的） pleasures as happiness, and their actions are directed toward gaining these. According to them, searching for happiness means searching for pleasures of the senses. The question, “What is happiness?”, does not arise（出现） in their hearts, because in their hearts they think of a life full of sensual joys as a happy life.
Some thinkers say, “Happiness does not lie in the objects of enjoyment; happiness or unhappiness lies in the imagination.” To prove their belief they give examples like the following one. A man has a two-storey house. When he thinks of those who have a house with three storeys or more, he feels unhappy. When he thinks of those who have just a cottage, he feels happy. Such happiness does not lie in possessions（占有物）, but in the imagination. They advise people to take inspiration from those who have few possessions but are quite happy. If you only consider people wealthier than yourself, you will always be unhappy.
If you want to be happy, they say, look at the poor. But it is unreasonable to hold that happiness lies in the imagination. And it is inappropriate to think that someone is happy if he only imagines himself better than the poor and the unhappy. This attitude also satisfies the sense of pride of possession. This can never be called happiness. Unless we find out where happiness lies, we cannot really become happy.
Some ask people to do this or that, and say, “This way your desires will be satisfied. That way you will get what you want and become happy.” People holding these views regard happiness as satisfaction of desires and unhappiness as denial(否定) of such satisfaction.What kind of life can make common people feel happy?
| A．Life without pain and grief. |
| B．Life full of sensual pleasures. |
| C．Life with desire for possessions. |
| D．Life full of imagination. |
The underlined word “cottage” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to ________.
| A．a house in one’s imagination | B．a modern building |
| C．a desired object | D．a small house |
The author may agree that ________.
| A．by comparing themselves with the poor, people will feel happy |
| B．people won’t feel happy without a desire for happiness |
| C．possessing wealth may lead to a sense of pride |
| D．people have to experience pain and grief before finding happiness |
The best title for this passage would be “________”.
| A．What Is Happiness? | B．How to Get Happiness |
| C．Happiness and Desire | D．Happiness and Imagination |
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes— they are failing because the “ academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art— there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge — certainly not a good preparation for the real world.Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because________.
| A．the school committee pays no attention to them |
| B．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| C．the students are not interested in both of them |
| D．the state standardized test is more important. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test |
| B．students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons |
| C．The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts |
| D．Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’s school system. |
We can learn that music and art can ________.
| A．make students round-shaped people in future |
| B．provide students with analytical thinking |
| C．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| D．prevent students graduating from high school |
The best title of the passage can be ________.
| A．Who Killed Music and Drama? |
| B．Can Curriculum Go Without Music? |
| C．Why is Music So Important? |
| D．How To Prepare For the Real World? |
The Golden Compass is the first movie based on the Philip Pullman’s bestselling novel, His Dark Materials. It is a work of imagination that tells us about a young girl who travels to the far north to save her best friend. Along the way she meets strange creatures, like witches and so on. Finally , she saves not only her world, but also ours as well.
Lyra is a young girl among scholars in Oxford’s Jordan College. She spends most of her time with her friend Roger, a kitchen boy. Together, they share a life with no worries. However, when Lyra hears a conversation about a very tiny particle(颗粒), she is thrown into a dangerous adventure. This particle is said to unite different worlds, and is feared by many people who want to destroy it. At the same time , children began to disappear without a trace, including Lyra’s good friend, Roger. As Lyra starts this horrible struggle, and begins to search for Roger, she meets strange creatures both big and small, and bad people who are not what they seem to be. Gobblers(饕餮者) that kidnap(绑架)children appear in the most unexpected places. And a magical compass made of gold will answer any question if one is skilled enough to read it. In unbelievable danger, Lyra doesn’t know that she is doomed to win, or to lose, this battle…
With the movie The Lord of the Rings making New Line cinema over a billion dollars, it’s easy to see why they got the rights to Pullman’s His Dark Materials quickly. The books, sold more than nine million copies in the world, have a different idea from the Harry Potter series. Pullman’s imagination may look suitable for children, but it works far better for adults.In the film The Golden Compass, Lyra______.
| A．is a student in Oxford’s Jordan College |
| B．is a kitchen boy |
| C．hears a conversation of Roger’s |
| D．meets many strange creatures |
The film is named The Golden Compass probably because______.
| A．the compass is useful enough to help Lyra |
| B．only skilled people can read the compass |
| C．the compass which is made of gold can answer any question |
| D．the compass throughout the whole story is a clue |
From the passage we can conclude that______.
| A．New Line Cinema won Pullman’s trust through its achievement |
| B．The Lord of the Rings is also based on one of Pullman’s novels |
| C．His Dark Materials is similar to the Harry Potter series |
| D．New Line Cinema made over a billion dollars through the Harry Potter series |
Which group of people will like the film The Golden Compass the best according to the passage?
| A．Children | B．Junior students | C．Adults | D．Only old people |
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