BEIJING—Family planning officers will handle the illegal birth case of film director Zhang Yimou by following legal procedures, a government spokesman said on Tuesday, December 10, 2013.
When asked to comment on Zhang’s case at a press conference, Yao Hongwen, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission(NHFPC), said “Every citizen is equal before the law and nobody is allowed to have privileges（特权）to give birth to more children than allowed.”
Yao’s comment came after media stories claimed that Zhang had remarried and fathered a total of seven children: one with his former wife, three with his present wife, Chen Ting, and another three from two lovers.
“The NHFPC’s attitude towards citizens’ birth violations（违法）is consistent and clear. Every Chinese citizen should obey and safeguard the seriousness of laws and regulations.” NHFPC spokesman Yao Hongwen said.
China’s family planning policy, introduced in the late 1970s to slow down the country’s growing population, limits most urban couples to one child and most rural couples to two. The policy was recently relaxed, allowing couples to have two children if one of them is an only child.
Those who break the policy face severe fines. The amount of the fine is generally several times the yearly annual income of the two spouses（配偶）. Some media calculations put the fine that Zhang may face at as much as 160 million yuan(over $26 million).
Zhang’s birth case has caused criticism online about famous people who have more children than the policy allows.
In an open letter on December 1, Zhang admitted that the couple has two sons and daughter and they are willing to accept investigation and punishment according to China’s laws and regulations. He apologized to the public.
However, the letter denied that Zhang had lovers and was father to as many as seven children from various mothers.
Zhang, one of the “fifth generation” of Chinese filmmakers, made his first directorial work in 1987 with “Red Sorghum” and has won a number of award worldwide. He was chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games.The purpose of the news report is to ______________
| A．inform us that Zhang’s illegal birth case will be dealt with by the government |
| B．claim that Zhang Yimou remarried and fathered a total of seven children |
| C．convince us that Zhang is a famous director and his case will be pardoned |
| D．confirm that Zhang’s illegal birth case has resulted in lots of criticism online |
According to Yao Hongwen, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Zhang will be fined as much as 160 million yuan for his violations. |
| B．Few people have the privileges to give birth to more children than allowed. |
| C．China’s family planning policy has never been relaxed since introduced. |
| D．Every Chinese citizen should obey and safeguard laws and regulations. |
Judging from the recent relaxed policy, a couple_______________
| A．can give birth to two children if one of them is an only child |
| B．will definitely be fined if they have two children nowadays |
| C．can have as many as three children if they live in a rural area |
| D．can only give birth to two children if they live in an urban area |
IT is safe to say that George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the Irish-born writer, is more famous for being George Bernard Shaw than he is for his writings today. Few of Shaw’s more than 60 plays, novels and essays are performed or read anymore. And yet Shaw genuinely helped make our modern world. Although you’d be lucky to get a chance to see one of his dramas today, in his time he turned the theater into a vehicle for the discussion of social issues, not only in Britain but on the stage of the world. In a way Shaw was someone who created the modern culture of Britain.
Where the theater had been dominated by entertainment, Shaw used it to teach people the importance of paying attention to the issues of their day. The plight (苦难) of the poor and the working class, the situation of women and the institutions of society, such as the education system ---- Shaw was among the most well-known figures making these topics central to public debate. His first play, Widowers’ Houses (1892), deals with the question of slum (贫民窟) housing. His Mrs Warren’s Profession (1893) brought a controversial topic to the stage.
Shaw was an important mover and shaker in new political movements too. He was an early member of the Fabian Society, which argued for the socialist cause in the UK. Shaw was also the founder (in 1895) of one of the now most famous colleges in the world, the London School of Economics.
If few of his works have really stood the test of time, many of his quotations have become part of the furniture of the English language. “Youth is wasted on the young,” he wrote. He also knew how to sum up a political philosophy(哲学) in a few memorable words. For instance: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” Shaw’s influence on the modern world comes mainly from ______.
| A．the changes he brought to the British culture |
| B．his philosophies on the role of government |
| C．his awareness of social problems of his day |
| D．the support for the London School of Economics |
Widowers’ Houses is a play that mainly focuses on ______.
| A．the failure of the UK education system |
| B．the housing problems of poor people |
| C．robbery incidents in slum areas |
| D．socialist movements in the UK |
By describing Shaw’s quotations as “part of the furniture of the English language”, the author means that Shaw’s words ______.
| A．have become the best part of English |
| B．have greatly developed the English language |
| C．have made the English language philosophical |
| D．have become an inseparable part of the English language |
Which of the following about George Bernard Shaw’s works is TRUE?
| A．They should be adapted for modern readers. |
| B．They are mostly about the lives of working class. |
| C．They deal with important social issues of their day. |
| D．Most of them are still performed on the stage of the world today. |
The adolescent girl from Tennessee was standing on the stage of a drama summer camp in New York．But the girl didn’t feel joyful．She was not the leggy，attractive Hollywood type．In fact，she described herself as stupid．
This girl was Reese Witherspoon，who had wanted to be a country singer and admired and respected Dolly Patton very much．
That day at the end of the camp her coaches told her to forget about singing．They suggested she think about another career．She took their words to heart．After all，why shouldn’t she believe the professionals?
But back at home in Nashville，her mother—a funny，happy，optimistic woman—wouldn’t let her feel depressed．Her father，a physician，encouraged her to achieve in schoo1．So she worked hard at everything and was accepted at Stanford University．
And at 1 9，she got a part in a low-budget movie called Freeway, which prepared for her role in the movie Pleasantville．But her big break came with Legally Blonde．
“If you can’t sing and you aren’t charming，play to your strengths．If you’re going to make it in this business，better focus on what you’re good at，”she told the interviewer later．
And then came the offer that took her back to her Nashville—playing the wife of a country star Johnny Cash，a singing role．
All of a sudden the old fears learned on that summer stage were back．She was so nervous on the stage．But she didn’t give up on the movie or herself．She spent 6 months taking singing lessons again．She learned to play the Autoharp．And the hard work built up her confidence．
Last March，Reese Witherspoon walked up on another stage，the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood，and accepted the Oscar as Best Actress for her heartbreaking，heartwarming singing role as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line．Why was Reese Witherspoon sad that day?
| A．The experts advised her to give up singing． |
| B．Dolly Parton told her to leave the stage． |
| C．The coaches described her as foolish． |
| D．The professionals considered her ignorant． |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Reese was an optimistic girl． |
| B．Her parents supported her a lot． |
| C．Her parents were disappointed with her． |
| D．Reese blamed herself all day long． |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Reese’s mother was a physician． |
| B．Freeway was Reese’s big break． |
| C．Reese won the Oscar for Walk the Line． |
| D．New York was Reese’s home town． |
How did Reese succeed in playing the singing role?
| A．She did her best to make herself leggy and attractive． |
| B．She tried hard to forget about that summer stage． |
| C．She practised Autoharp lessons for more than 6 months． |
| D．She regained her confidence through hard work． |
What can we learn from Reese’s experience?
| A．Two heads are better than one． |
| B．When in Rome，do as the Romans do． |
| C．Where there is a will，there is a way． |
| D．Hope for the best，and prepare for the worst． |
Phil Donahue，the former television talk show host，had something of a reputation for giving clergy（神职人员）a hard time，and he has said the reason he’s that way is that he has little respect for them．Most clergy will do anything for some media attention，he says．In his autobiography(自传)，however, he tells about an encounter with a minister who was different．It happened while Donahue was a young television reporter in Ohio，and one day he was sent to West Virginia in the bitter cold winter to cover a mine disaster．He went by himself in a battered little car, carrying a mini camera to film the story．
It was so cold when he got there，however, the camera wouldn’t work．So he put it inside his coat to warm it up enough to run．In the meantime，the families of the trapped miners were gathered around．The),were just simple mining people—women，old men，and children．Several of the trapped men were fathers．
Then the local minister arrived．He was tall and thin，and he didn’t speak well at a11．But he gathered all the families around in a circle，and the held one another in their arms while he prayed for them．
As this was going on，Donahue was still trying to get his camera to work，and he was extremely disappointed because he couldn’t film the scene．Finally，after the prayer was over，Donahue managed to get his camera operating．So he told the minister he had his camera working now and asked if the minister would please do the prayer again so he could film it for the evening news．
This simple West Virginia preacher, however，told Donahue，“Young man，we don’t pray for the news．I’m sorry，but we’ve already prayed，and I will not pose．”
To this day，Donahue remembers that minister with respect．You don’t forget that kind of character，no matter who you are or what you believe．We can learn from Paragraph 1 that Donahue _______________．
| A．used to show much respect for clergy |
| B．thinks most clergy tend to attract media attention |
| C．used to have a hard time dealing with clergy |
| D．always misunderstands clergy |
For what purpose did Donahue go to West Virginia one day?
| A．To report on an accident． |
| B．To rescue the miners． |
| C．To film the praying of a minister． |
| D．To witness a disaster． |
What do we know about Donahue’s camera?
| A．It was advanced and hard to operate． |
| B．The low temperature prevented it working properly． |
| C．It was all right before the prayer started． |
| D．It needed to be repaired． |
What did the minister refuse to do?
| A．To pray for the accident． |
| B．To make up the news． |
| C．To cooperate with the reporter． |
| D．To pray for the trapped miners on TV |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．The clergy are having a hard time． |
| B．Praying saved the trapped miners． |
| C．A minister who gains Donahue’s respect． |
| D．A mine disaster happened in Virginia． |
Shirley Temple, who died on February 10, 2014, was that rare example of a Hollywood child star who, when the cameras stopped rolling, carved out a new career.
For four years, she was Hollywood’s biggest box-office star representing the kind of sweet, innocent girl that everyone wanted as their daughter. However, years later, she reappeared as a successful politician.
Shirley Temple was born in Santa Monica, California on 23 April 1928. Encouraged by her mother, she learned to dance while she was just three.
In 1934, Stand Up and Cheer became her first film and the film was a great success. At the age of six she was earning $1,250 a week — more than $21,000 at today’s values.
Across the world, audiences flocked to see her in films such as Little Miss Marker, The Little Colonel and The Littlest Rebel.
In 1935 she was awarded a special Oscar (Academy Award) and her foot and hand prints were added to those of stars such as Jean Harlow and Mary Pickford outside Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Hollywood. The peak of her film career came in 1939 when The Little Princess became a box-office success.
Temple starred in a total of 43 feature films. But she found it difficult to maintain her film career in adulthood and retired from Hollywood in 1950.
She disappeared from the spotlight for nearly 20 years. She returned to the public eye in 1967, as a Republican candidate for Congress. When Nixon became president, he rewarded her with an appointment to the American delegation to the United Nations. Then, in 1974, President Ford appointed her the United States Ambassador(大使) to Ghana. George Bush Snr, appointed her Ambassador to Czechoslovakia.
Shirley Temple drew a line between her childhood stardom and her later political career. “Some people are stuck on this image of the little girl,” she once said. “She is not me. We shouldn’t live in the past; my life is now.” Nevertheless, for many across the world, the name Shirley Temple always called to mind a superstar child.Shirley Temple died at the age of _____.
| A．75 | B．80 | C．86 | D．90 |
What happened to Shirley Temple when she was 7 years old?
| A．She won a special Oscar. | B．She began to learn to dance. |
| C．She appeared in her first film. | D．She retired from Hollywood. |
Which of the following represents the peak of Shirley Temple’s film career?
| A．Stand Up and Cheer. | B．Little Miss Marker. |
| C．The Little Colonel. | D．The Little Princess. |
We can infer that _____.
| A．the films in which Shirley Temple starred in adulthood were not popular |
| B．Jean Harlow and Mary Pickford appeared in the same film with Temple |
| C．Shirley Temple succeeded in being elected as Congresswoman in 1967 |
| D．Shirley Temple was the youngest person to receive an Academy Award |
Human civilization has truly come a long way．From using animals for transport to the super fast automobiles that we have today．From using flint to making fire to using one touch lighters．But there are some things that we will never let go of．Some ancient traditions that have been brought down through the ages are still followed today．
Groundhog Day(土拔鼠节)，falls on the 2nd of February every year．It is observed in the United States and Canada．While this day may be a public holiday and a bank holiday，it is not a compulsory holiday declared by the government．But this is not so for all the states．State-wise holidays may vary．
Ever heard of Punxsutawney Phil? Groundhog Day is observed because of this groundhog．The day is indeed about a groundhog．Punxsutawney is the name of an apparently weather forecasting groundhog．He lives in his burrow(洞穴)on Gobler’s Knob，Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania，for a short period before the 2nd of February every year．On the 2nd of February，Phil comes out from his burrow and looks for his shadow．If he sees his shadow and goes back into the burrow，then America will have an extended winter of six weeks，But if he cannot see his shadow，and he remains outside．It means winter will soon end and spring will arrive very shortly .Phil has been‘predicting’the length of winter in this manner for almost a century and they have always been almost 100％ accurate．
Groundhog Day is celebrated in some parts of the USA and Canada．The largest celebration is held at Punxsutawney，Pennsylvania．People come in scores to visit Punxsutawney Phil．They wait eagerly, camping days in advance，to see the small groundhog appear from his burrow，check for his shadow and either go back in or stay out．People cheer when they hear it is time for winter to end and celebrate by eating sweets and singing and dancing．Today．the Groundhog Day is a widespread tradition and an exciting event．People celebrate Groundhog Day because ______________.
| A．some sweets are provided on Groundhog Day |
| B．more and more people love groundhogs |
| C．the groundhog predicts the beginning of spring |
| D．Punxsutawney Phil is worth respecting |
What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 1？
| A．Human civilization has a long history． |
| B．Some old traditions should be carried on． |
| C．Human civilization develops very fast． |
| D．Some old traditions have disappeared． |
We learn from the passage that Punxsutawney Phil ____________．
| A．forecasts the weather based on his shadow |
| B．witnesses the history of human development |
| C．organizes celebrations on Groundhog Day |
| D．gives performances on Groundhog Day |
We may infer from the passage that ________________．
| A．groundhogs will replace TV weathermen soon |
| B．groundhogs can forecast the weather accurately |
| C．Groundhog Day is becoming popular in the US and Canada |
| D．a longer shadow of a groundhog indicates a longer winter |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Winter will end if the groundhog goes back into the burrow. |
| B．Groundhog Day is a compulsory’holiday in the US and Canada． |
| C．A groundhog will remain outside if he sees his shadows on 2nd，Feb． |
| D．The celebration in Punxsutawney attracts large numbers of visitors． |
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