Steven Spielberg was not a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than

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Steven Spielberg was not a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than read, the kid really preferred running around with an 8mm camera, shooting homemade movies, which he showed to friends for a small fee.
In his first year of high school, he dropped out. But when his parents persuaded him to return, he was mistakenly placed in a learningdisabled class, which lasted one month. Only when the family moved to another town did he land up in a more suitable high school, where he eventually graduated.
After being denied entrance into a traditional filmmaking school, Steven Spielherg enrolled in English at California State University at Long Beach. Then in 1965, he recalls, in one of those serendipitous moments, his life took a complete turn. Visiting Universal Studios, he met Chuck Silvers, an executive in the editorial department. Silvers liked the kid who made 8mm films and invited him back sometime to visit.
He appeared the next day. Spielberg, dressed in a dark suit, carrying his father"s briefcase with nothing inside but a sandwich and candy bars walked confidently up to the guard at the gate of Universal and gave him a casual wave. The guard waved back. He was in.
“For the entire summer，” Spielberg remembers, “I dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and writers, including Silvers, who knew the kid wasn"t a studio employee, but winked at him. I even found an office that wasn"t being used, and became a squatter (擅自占用他人房子的人). I bought some plastic tiles and put my name in the building directory: Steven Spielberg, Room 23C.”
It paid off for everyone. Ten years later, the 28yearold Spielberg directed Jaws, which took in $470 million, then the biggest grossing movie of all time. Dozens of films and awards have followed because Steven Spielberg knew what his teachers didn"t—talent is in the eyes of the filmmaker.
小题1:Why was Steven Spielberg laughed at by his classmates?

A．He was the youngest boy.

B．He was too short for his age.

C．He liked to fight with other boys.

D．He didn"t care much about his lessons.

小题2:Why did Steven"s friends pay him some money?

A．To see his movies.

B．To use his camera.

C．To look at his photos.

D．To include them in the movie.

小题3:What did Steven Spielberg intend to do after graduating from high school?

A．Study English at a college.

B．Become a newspaper editor.

C．Work for Universal Studios.

D．Go to a traditional filmmaking school.

小题4:What could have changed Steven Spielberg"s life?

A．Being dressed in a suit.

B．Meeting Chuck Silvers.

C．Missing a filmmaking school.

D．Working for Universal Studios.

小题5:What can we learn from the story?

A．Always follow our dream and we can make it.

B．We need someone to help us realize our dreams.

C．Anyone can become a film director if he wants to.

D．We should grasp the opportunity that comes our way.

答案

小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:D
小题4:B
小题5:A

解析

文章大意：美国著名电影导演史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格小时候不喜欢学习功课，但是对拍摄电影很感兴趣。1965年，一次到环球影视城的参观经历彻底改变了他的人生。
小题1:答案：D　细节理解题。根据第一段的内容可知，史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格在少年时代不是那种用功的好学生，所以遭到同学们的嘲笑。
小题2:答案：A　推理判断题。根据第一段的内容可知，史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格把拍摄的电影放给朋友看并收取少量的费用。
小题3:答案：D　细节理解题。根据第三段的内容可知，史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格中学毕业后本想进入电影学校。
小题4:答案：B　推理判断题。根据第三段的内容可知，1965年史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格参观环球影视城时，遇到了Chuck Silvers，这改变了他的人生。
小题5:答案：A　主旨大意题。史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格最终成名的故事说明了这样一个道理：如果一个人对某件事有强烈的兴趣，他就会不断地努力追求，最终梦想成真。

举一反三

Scientists in UK have grown a living human "brain". The team at Aston University created tiny bunch of cells which act like a mini nervous system.
They believe it could help find a cure for worse mental conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Professor Michael Coleman is leading the research program. He explained, "We are aiming to be able to study the human brain at the most basic level, using an actual living human cell system. Cells have to be alive and operating efficiently to enable us to really understand how the brain works. "The experiment involves changing cells from a cancer tumour (肿瘤）and making them behave like brain cells.
Although far from finished, researchers hope the false brain cells will give them a greater understanding of how real brains work. This, in turn, could significantly further research into conditions which affect the brain. Neil Hunt, chief leader of the research group, said, "It is still very early days, but in the future the research could lead to a useful tool for looking into dementia (痴呆)."
The technique could also provide a way to carry on animal test and is being supported by the Humane Research Trust (HRT). The scientists predict that over the next ten years a million people will develop dementia. Professor Coleman believes their findings could change this. He said，"We hope our research will provide scientists with a new and highly relational human experimental model to help them understand the brain better and develop new drugs to control the related disease. However, the biggest challenge at present is that we are greatly short of fund, which will slow our research."
小题1:UK scientists grow a living human "brain" in order to ______.

A．study the structure of human brain

B．make use of living human cell system

C．discover how human brain really works

D．separate cells from a cancer tumour

小题2: According to Neil Hunt, research into brain cells ______.

A．will get finished as early as possible

B．will make people discover dementia

C．will affect the brain growth in many ways

D．will help to treat some diseases in nerve system

小题3: From the last paragraph，we can know that ______

A．the technique provided by HRT is immature

B．animal tests are no longer allowed by law

C．a million people suffer from brain diseases

D．the research program lacks financial support

小题4: The text is intended to ______.

A．tell us about a breakthrough in medical research

B．introduce a research program in human"s brain

C．introduce the progress of drugs for dementia

D．tell us about health problem in nerve system

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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．
小题1: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

小题2: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．

小题3: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．

小题4: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

小题5: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．

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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．
小题1: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．

小题2: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．

小题3: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．

小题4: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．

小题5: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．

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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.”
小题1: 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

小题2: 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

小题3: 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

小题4: 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.

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BERLIN (Reuters)—Germany’s postal service has announced plans to explore improved service and help protect the environment by getting “fetch friends”—ordinary people traveling across cities—to deliver parcels on their way.
It is hoped that the move, which will be tested in the coming months, might lessen traffic in inner cities and reduce CO₂ emissions(排放). This should help DHL, a division of the German postal service, reach its target of improving the company’s carbon efficiency by 30 percent before 2020.
“As the world’s biggest logistics(物流) provider, we recognize a special responsibility to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible,” said Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL, in a statement referring to a variety of measures being considered.
The “fetch friends” find out online about parcels that need delivering to people who live or work along the way that they are planning to travel through the city. They then select the ones that they want to take.
Codes(编码) sent to their mobile phones tell the volunteers where to pick the packages up. Parcels can be taken part of the way or passed on to another volunteer but all volunteers need to have the right code on their mobile phone so the track and trace system can be updated.
Logistics companies will be responsible for looking after the operation to make sure that the privacy of post is respected.
It’s hoped that this could be done using mobile phones but DHL says it recognizes that some security issues remain to be worked out.
小题1: According to the passage, the “fetch friend” program ________.

A．has been tested for months

B．aims to reduce the cost of the service

C．employs environmentalists to help with deliveries

D．encourages ordinary people to help cut the carbon footprint

小题2: Which of the following statements is TRUE of DHL?

A．It belongs to the Germany’s postal service.

B．It has the most up-to-date tracking system in Germany.

C．It has succeeded in improving its carbon efficiency by 30%.

D．It has designed many measures to improve its service speed.

小题3:What may be a problem with the new service according to the article?

A．Volunteers’ not allowing to select parcels.

B．The wrong codes in the mobile phones.

C．The possibility that parcels could be opened on the way.

D．Parcels’ being taken to the destination by a single volunteer.

小题4:What might be the best Title for the best passage?

A．New Challenges for the Postal Service

B．A Greener Way to Deliver Parcels

C．Solutions for Global Warming

D．Statements from DHL

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