When Rebecca Saxon was diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 27, she thought her life was over. But in her darkest hour, inspiration struck and she found a way of turning her disaster into advantage.
Following her cancer treatment, Rebecca launched a successful business 'Something Blue Bridal Shoes，which is about wedding shoes for brides.
Rebecca, from London, England, says: 'I started doing sketches of wedding shoes with blue soles when I was halfway through my cancer treatment. I had a hit a real low and was going through that whole "Will I live or die?" situation. But I decided that I was going to pick myself up and fight this cancer. The sketches were my release and the way I got through the many hours spent in a hospital room.
“ I had no idea what was going to happen to me. But I knew I had to be positive if I was going to overcome this treatment. I told myself this was not going to be the end for me. I decided to channel my negative feelings and start drawing.
“I had always loved fashion and when I was younger. Several of my friends were getting married at the time so weddings were very much in the air. So initially, I would be drawing designs for bridal gowns and other garments.
“But then I started sketching wedding footwear - designing shoes with distinctive, blue soles which were super comfy too. I thought it would be a lovely way of integrating the 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' tradition.
“Drawing really helped me deal with my treatment. Rebecca was given the all-clear in August 2011.
With the encouragement of her entrepreneur boyfriend, Mike Bandar, she then turned her dreams into her reality and set up 'Something Blue Bridal Shoes'. Each brand shoe from the collection has a blue sole, predicting the age-old tradition of what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck.
When did Rebecca feel when she knew her illness first?
| A．Indifferent | B．Disappointed | C．Hopeful | D．Curious |
Rebecca specially designed shoes for .
| A．patients in hospital | B．married couple |
| C．brides in the wedding | D．homeless people |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Rebecca designed shoes during her cancer treatment. |
| B．Rebecca’s boyfriend parted with her because of her cancer. |
| C．Rebecca wanted to be a bride wearing the shoes she designed herself. |
| D．Rebecca’s friends wear Blue Bridal Shoes during the wedding. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase“ was given the all-clear”？
| A．gave up the treatment |
| B．was announced incurable |
| C．broke away from dangerous period |
| D．was operated on again |
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 |
Are your children liked by their teachers? All parents want their children to impress(给...的印象) their teachers and succeed in school. You can get your children to impress their teachers by following these easy steps.
Make sure they’re prepared. Teachers are impressed by children coming to school prepared to learn. Make sure they have everything they need—pencils textbooks, erasers and so on.
Require them to be active in class. Teach them to ask teachers questions when they don’t understand something. Some children think teachers are bothered by questions, but most teachers are impressed when children take the initiative(采取主动) in asking questions. They should take part in class discussions, giving their opinions politely.
Keep your children healthy. If your children are tired and hungry, they won’t be ready to learn. Children need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Feed your children a solid breakfast and prepare a healthy lunch. Provide them with fruit and other healthy foods—apples or bananas are better for them than cookies.
Make sure that your children do their homework. If they really don’t understand it, discuss it with them patiently. Don’t help them do their homework. Teachers can always tell who it is that does the work.
Teach your children good manners and habits. Children need to arrive at the school punctually, and be polite to their teachers and classmates. Parents need to teach these skills at home. Nothing is sweeter than children who say “please” and “thank you”, and these are children their teachers are certain to love. The first paragraph serves as ________.
| A．an explanation | B．an introduction | C．a background | D．a guidance |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Hungry and tired children can’t focus on their study. |
| B．Children should go to school on time and learn to behave well. |
| C．Teachers aren’t able to decide if parents do homework for their children. |
| D．Teachers are impressed when children take an active part in class. |
The passage mainly tells us that being parents, you should ________.
| A．help your children to impress their teachers at school |
| B．ask your children to get ready for classes before going to school |
| C．teach your children to be polite to both their teachers and classmates |
| D．remind your children to observe all the rules when at school |
Read the following posters carefully and answer the questions below.
| Basketball Match Rockets VS Lakers DATE: July 19, 7 o’clock; Billy Basketball Club For detailed information, see Paul Burton before Friday lunch time. |
| Layla’s Disco No-shop light music show 15 Pembroke Road; Weekdays: 7 pm-11 pm; Sunday closed Over 18s only |
| Fashion Show At the Daxing Square Date: May the 1st to the 8th From 7:30 to 11:00 pm Booking agent: Peter Smith— 010-8266 1555 |
| KARMA Health Food Restaurant 6 Castle Street Hot and cold vegetable food(素食) Lunch(11:00—14:00) Self-service; Dinner(17:00—21:00) Table-service For bookings, ring 0865-5677665 |
________ can give you more information about the basketball match.
| A．John Smith. | B．Tommy Brown. | C．Paul Burton. | D．Tonny Wang. |
Who can’t be allowed to go to the Layla’s Disco?
| A．A 30-year-old worker. | B．A 50-year-old doctor. |
| C．A 22-year-old manager. | D．A 15-year-old student. |
You must phone ________ if you want to get a ticket for the fashion show.
| A．the booking agent | B．the teacher |
| C．the manager | D．a postman |
Which of the following food can you have at KARMA?
| A．Chicken. | B．Tomato. | C．Fish. | D．Beef. |
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