When the one-year anniversary of my mother’s passing came around, I found myself in the kitchen preparing some of her favorite dishes.
As I poured myself into cooking, some of the deep sadness I was experiencing at this one-year mark moved through me. I loved my mom's turkey soup. I remembered the time she made some especially for me. It was summer then and I had a terrible head cold. She arrived unexpectedly one afternoon at my work place with a huge jar of her turkey noodle soup. At the thought, I began to feel a little more relieved in the pain of losing her.
It was then that I realized I was reconnecting with my mother through food. I laughed a bit at myself when I reflected on all the dishes I had cooked that week. Without knowing it, I had created a beautiful ceremony to honor my mother and to comfort myself at this vulnerable(脆弱的) time. I suddenly felt my mother at hand and was filled with her presence. I was so uplifted and excited that I began talking to her, imagining she was there.
“What else should we make?” I asked of us both, wanting to keep the ceremony from ending.
“Irish Potato Pancakes,” was the reply.
I hesitated. The thought of these brought up another loss. The last time I made potato pancakes was two and a half years ago. I had taken off my engagement (订婚) ring and never found it again. Since then, I resisted using that recipe even though I really liked those pancakes as if it were partly to blame.
My mom should know better than to suggest these, I thought. She knew how upset I was about losing my ring. But despite these hesitations, I found myself caught up in the joy and celebration of the moment, and I reached for the cookbook without another thought of the ring. My mom did love Irish things. I opened the cookbook and turned to the pancake recipe. At once, something at the bottom of the page caught my eye... It was shining! Amazingly, there, pressed into the pages of this book, was my diamond ring!
That day, I made potato pancakes in the shape of hearts.At the one-year anniversary, the writer ______.
| A．cooked some dishes in memory of her mother |
| B．felt more painful at the thought of the turkey noodle soup |
| C．was so excited as to see her mother home |
| D．didn’t give a thought of the lost ring |
The writer hesitated to cook potato pancakes probably because ______.
| A．she felt too sad to make them |
| B．she didn’t like such pancakes |
| C．her mother was to blame for the loss of her ring |
| D．they reminded her of the loss of her ring |
It can be inferred from the passage that her mother ______.
| A．was connected with the writer through food |
| B．taught the writer how to cook pancakes |
| C．actually still lived with the writer |
| D．found the ring for her daughter |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Heart-shaped Pancakes | B．Lost and Found Ring |
| C．Favorite Dishes | D．Sad One-year Anniversary |
Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare’s play “The Comedy of Errors”, Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play “Macbeth”, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（强度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare’s knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of “critic”, “mountaineer” and “eyeball”. Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including “pomp and circumstance（装腔作势）” from “Othello”, “full circle（绕圈子地）” from “King Lear”, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a wellknown writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off. From the passage, we can see that ________.
| A．Shakespeare was hardworking when he was a student |
| B．many of Shakespeare’s works were influenced by earlier writings |
| C．the experience of living in London had no effect on Shakespeare’s works |
| D．Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works |
Why could Shakespeare’s works survive his time?
| A．Because there were so few people writing plays in his time. |
| B．Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do. |
| C．Because his works were rich in imagination and language. |
| D．Because he was a rich and influential person of his time. |
Shakespeare’s greatest influence should be on .
| A．paintings |
| B．television |
| C．the English language |
| D．music and dance |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works |
| B．the main features and styles of Shakespeare’s plays |
| C．Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture. |
| D．how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture. |
I was reading these interesting stories behind a group of great logos in the world. Personally Nike is my favorite one – it’s so simple. And I liked the stories behind them, which made me forget all other things. McDonald’s, Apple, Mercedes Benz and Adidas own great logos as well, and they are among my favorites.
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $ 35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow apple”, a rainbow-colored silhouette(轮廓)of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow-colored apple was replaced by the one-colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three-pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie and DMG in 1926.
Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo was used for the first time in 1967.What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?
| A．They are attractive. |
| B．They are practical. |
| C．They are boring. |
| D．They are out of date. |
What does Nike’s logo stand for?
| A．The statue of the Greek goddess. |
| B．The wing of the Greek goddess. |
| C．The goddess of victory. |
| D．The source of inspiration for soldiers. |
We can learn that Apple’s present logo is ______.
| A．Newton’s sitting under an apple tree |
| B．the rainbow-colored bitten apple |
| C．the religious story of Adam and Eve |
| D．a bitten apple with only one color |
______ stands for the rule of the land, the sea and the air.
| A．The Mercedes logo |
| B．The Adidas logo |
| C．Nike’s logo |
| D．Apple’s logo |
Which of the following time orders describes the births of the great logos?
| A．McDonald’s – Apple – Nike – Mercedes Benz. |
| B．Nike– Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Apple. |
| C．Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Nike – Apple. |
| D．Nike– McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz. |
Despite the fact that it has never been seen almost everyone is familiar with the legendary unicorn(独角兽). Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times. The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn--- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope. Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign. Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn.
According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely careful as it was very fierce and dangerous. A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this amazing animal without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn dashed angrily. Hopefully, the creature could then be caught when its horn was stuck in the tree.
When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the power to offer protection against person. It was believed that nobody could be harmed-by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn. Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king. In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold. What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino was confused with this legendary creature. A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino.Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?
| A．It was not historically recorded. |
| B．Its horn was first used in France. |
| C．It was similar to the Indian Ass and the Oryx. |
| D．It could be the symbol of a university. |
To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT ____.
| A．attracting the unicorn to attack |
| B．making use of the tree as a defense |
| C．hiding quickly behind the unicorn |
| D．having the unicorn horn stuck in the tree |
The last paragraph is mainly about ____.
| A．the functions of the unicorn horn |
| B．the users of the unicorn horn |
| C．the price of the unicorn horn |
| D．the comparison between the unicorn horn and the rhino horn |
In the last paragraph, the word “unicorn ” is in quotation marks (引号)because _____.
| A．the cup is designed only for a royal family |
| B．the unicorn does not exist in reality |
| C．the unicorn is the rarest animal in the world |
| D．the medicinal value of the horn is appreciated |
There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew around a house where someone was dying then his soul would be at peace. And there are legends which say that Satan (撒旦) can turn himself into any bird except for a dove. But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a modern symbol of peace when he used it on a poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.
The rainbow is another ancient and universal symbol, often representing the connection between human beings and their gods. In Greek mythology(神话) it was associated with Iris, the goddess who brought messages from the gods on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese tradition, the rainbow is often taken as a common symbol for marriage.
Nowadays the rainbow is used by many popular movements for peace and the environment, representing the possibility of a better world in the future and promising sunshine after the rain.
The olive tree has always been a valuable source of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athens gave the olive tree to the people of Athens who showed their thanks by naming the city after her. But no one knows for sure when or why it began to symbolize peace. There is probably a connection with ancient Greece. The winners of the Olympic Games were given crowns (冠) of olive branches. The symbolism may come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long time to produce fruit, so olives could only be grown successfully in long periods of peace. Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of many modern flags symbolizing peace and unity. One well-know example is the United Nations symbol. Which of the following is the most important in making the dove a modern symbol of peace?
| A．Greek mythology |
| B．The European tradition |
| C．Ancient legends |
| D．Pablo Picasso |
How many examples does the writer give to show the rainbow as a universal symbol of peace?
| A．Six. |
| B．Three. |
| C．Four. |
| D．Five. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The olive branch was regarded as a symbol of peace because it was given as gift by the goddess Athens. |
| B．The name of the capital of Greece comes from the name of the goddess Athens. |
| C．Olive trees do not produce fruits when there are wars in the world. |
| D．The winners in the Olympic Games were given crowns of olive branches because they symbolized peace. |
The United Nations takes the olive branch as its symbol because________.
| A．it represents hope in the future |
| B．it has economic value for the world |
| C．it often gives prizes to countries |
| D．its duty is to keep peace and union |
From the passage we can conclude that ______.
| A．all the symbols mentioned above are based on traditional beliefs |
| B．all modern ideas come from Greek mythology |
| C．all the symbols mentioned above are used on flags |
| D．the UN has officially accepted the three symbols as symbols of peace |
Dear Ralf,
I have received your letter from school and am glad to know that you are becoming responsible enough to decide on your career.
You are now in the final year of college and are about to start more independent life in society. You know that a generation divides us, and the conditions of social life were different in my days. However, all I can say as advice is that you must select a career wisely. The first consideration is your interest. You can only succeed and feel happy when you do something you enjoy. Your job must be both gainful and satisfying. Then, you must read up on the latest books on the field you are aiming at. Also, you should get familiar with the men and women in the profession of that field. When mind and heart function together, success is inevitable(必然的).
No career is more or less important than any other career. It takes different people to operate the machine of life. I think your interest may lie in the field of making TV programs. Your great communication skills, your active participation in school plays and the prizes you have won in speech competitions all point in that direction. So a career in Mass Communication and TV film production proves suitable for you. If you succeed and make it in that field, fame and treasure will both follow.
Think a thousand times before making any final decision regarding your career. Anyhow, I want you to be a man of success.
I know that you are mature enough to think for yourself.
With all the best wishes!
Your loving father We can infer that Ralf wrote a letter to ask for advice on how to ________.
| A．prepare for a competition. |
| B．communicate with others |
| C．choose a career |
| D．get good marks |
What can we know about Ralf?
| A．He has graduated from college. |
| B．He gets on badly with his father. |
| C．He has taken part in school plays. |
| D．He won prizes in the field of making films. |
Ralf’s father thinks that ________.
| A．fame is more important than treasure |
| B．every career is of the same importance |
| C．Ralf is too young to make a decision himself |
| D．there is no real understanding between parents and children |
The father suggests that his son should ____________.
| A．consider his interest first when choosing a career. |
| B．make friends with successful people. |
| C．be never proud when making progress |
| D．be active in school activities. |
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