中考英语题型专项复习任务型阅读20篇及答案 47页

Passage 1 ‎ The Art of the Elephants If your cat walked across something you were painting and left footprints behind, would you consider your cat an artist? What if your bird held a colored pencil in its beak（喙） and painted on a piece of paper? Most people may think of animal art as a joke, but some people have been taking it very seriously.‎ Elephants were used for hundreds of years in Thailand’s logging industry(伐木业). They moved wood from forests in areas where there were no roads. At the beginning of this century, when the forests of Thailand began to quickly disappear, the government put a stop to logging. All of a sudden, many elephants in Thailand no longer had a way to make a living.‎ Some elephants were treated badly. Others had to try to live on their own and couldn’t find enough food to eat. There were once tens of thousands of elephants in Thailand. Today, there are less than five thousand. When two Russian American artists, Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid, first heard about the troubled elephants in Thailand, they knew that something had to be done to forever change the way people treated Thai elephants. Then, they came up with an idea to help these elephants.‎ Komar and Melamid visited elephant camps in Thailand and began ‎ to show the elephant trainers how to teach the elephants to paint. At first, the trainers had to guide the elephants’ trunks. The elephants became more comfortable doing this with practice—and lots of sweet snacks—and finally started to paint on their own. The strange idea that Komar and Melamid had to save the elephants actually began to work. They even helped found several elephant art schools in Thailand and in other Asian countries. The elephants and their trainers go there to learn about painting and get supplies they need.‎ Today, people begin to buy elephant artworks from galleries(画廊) all around the world. Some are even willing to pay more than ＄2,000 for the works of the elephant artists! Some people compare the cheerful, brightly-colored artworks to the works of some great abstract(抽象地) painters. Some people are just happy to buy these special and original(原创地) artworks. Others think they are helping the troubled elephants in this way. The next time you see a piece of colorful abstract art, find out who the artist is. You just may be surprised at what you learn!‎ 1. What may most people think of animal art?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎2. What did elephants do in Thailand’s logging industry?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎3. How many elephants are there in Thailand today?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎4. What was Komar and Melamid’s idea to help the elephants in Thailand?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. Please list one reason why people buy elephant artworks.‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文，介绍的是大象艺术品。大象作画是两名俄罗斯籍的美国画家为帮助大象而想出的一个主意，即让训象师教大象作画，画作出售后，训象师和大象可以得到报酬和需要的东西。很多人喜欢大象的画作，也有人是为支持这些受苦的大象而购买这些画作的。‎ ‎1. Most people may think of animal art as a joke.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：大多数人对于动物艺术的看法是什么？根据第一段最后一句“Most people may think of animal art as a joke...”可知，大多数人觉得动物艺术是笑话。‎ ‎2. They moved mood from forests where there were no roads.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：大象在泰国的伐木业中从事什么工作？根据第二段第二句“They moved mood from forests where there were no roads”可知，人们用大象在没有公路的森林中运输木头。‎ ‎3. There are less than five thousand.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：现如今，在泰国有多少只大象？根据第三段第四句“Today，there are less than five thousand.”可知今天的大象数量不足5千只。‎ ‎4. They showed elephants trainers how to teach elephants to paint.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：Komar和 Melamid想出了什么办法来帮助泰国的大象？根据第四段首句“Komar and Melamid visited the elephant camps in Thailand and began to show elephants trainers how to teach elephants to paint.”可知,两人拜访了泰国的大象营地，并给训象师展示怎样教大象绘画。‎ ‎5. Some people compare the cheerful, brightly-colored artworks to the work of some great painters./ Some people are just happy to buy these special and original artworks./ Others think they are helping the troubled elephants in this way.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：请列举人们购买大象艺术作品的一个原因。根据最后一段中“Some people...Some people...Others...”‎ 可知,有些人把这些艺术比作最伟大画家的抽象艺术；有些人就是喜欢购买这种特别和原创的艺术作品；另一些人认为以此可以帮助受苦的大象。‎ Passage 2‎ Albino Power I was born an albino（白化病患者） in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1945. No one in my family had ever known what an albino was, what it meant to be an albino, what had to be done differently because I was an albino.‎ My parents and friends treated me just like they treated everybody else. They was just about the best thing they could have done. It gave me a leg up on trusting myself, so when troubles came along, I could deal with them.‎ Truly, my schoolbook photo always looked like a snowball with two pieces of coal for eyes. Like most albinos, I had terrible eyesight, but the fact that I could hardly see didn’t worry me all that much.‎ Kids laughed at me, calling me “Whitey”. People stared at me when I held reading material right at the tip of my nose so I could see it well enough to read. Even when I was eight or nine, movie theater workers started asking me to pay adult prices because I “looked older”.‎ ‎ The worst part for me was that because my eyesight was so bad that I couldn’t play sports very well. but I didn’t give up trying. I practiced playing basketball every day. And I studied harder.‎ Finally, I got better at school and loved it. By the time I got to college, I was double majoring（专业）, going to summer school and taking part in every kind of after-class activity I could find. I had learned to be proud of being an albino. I tried my best to make “albino” positive work. And I decided to make my living with my eyes—and in sports.‎ I couldn’t see well enough to play sports, but with a good and long-lasting education and the drive to do it, I could make a living involved in the area I loved. I’ve done it now for more than thirty years in print and in video, and now in cyberspace. People make jokes about how I’m the only “blind editor（编辑）” they know, but the jokes are friendly smiles now, and some of them are signs of respect. And I make jokes about being an albino. I have even developed an all-white routine, if you could call it that.‎ I was just a proud albino kid from the coal country of Pennsylvania. I now realize that being born an albino helped me to get over difficulties, become confident, and be proud of my personal achievements.‎ 1. How did the writer’s parents and friends treat him?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. Why couldn’t the writer play sports very well?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. What was the writer doing by the time he got to college?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. What does the writer think of the “blind editor” jokes now?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What does “Albino Power” mean to the writer?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇记叙文，作者天生患白化病，也正是这个白化病让作者战胜生活中的困难，获得自信。‎ ‎1. Just like they treated everybody else.【解析】题干意为：作者的父母和朋友是如何对待他的？根据第二段第一句“My parents and friends treated me just like they treated everybody else.”可知答案。‎ ‎2. Because his eyesight was very bad.【解析】题干意为：为什么作者不能很好的运动？根据第五段第一句“The worst part for me was that because my eyesight was so bad...”可知答案。‎ ‎3. He was double majoring, going to summer school and taking part in after-class activities.【解析】题干意为：等到作者上大学了，他做了什么？根据第六段第二句“By the time I got to college, I was double majoring(专业），going to summer school and taking part in every kind ...”可知答案。‎ ‎4. They are friendly smiles.【解析】题干意为：作者现在是怎样认为“盲人编辑”这个玩笑的？根据第七段倒数第三句“...but the jokes are friendly smiles...”可知答案。‎ ‎5. It is the power to help him to get over difficulties,become confident,and be proud of his personal achievement.【解析】题干意为：“白化病力量”对作者来说意味着什么？根据最后一段最后一句可知答案。‎ Passage 3 ‎ Can you imagine a world without a writing system for your language? It may be hard to picture it now, but a man named Sequoyah lived in such a world. Sequoyah was a member of a native American tribe, the Cherokee. Cherokee people speak their own language, but for hundreds ‎ of years they did not have a system of writing. Without a writing system, the Cherokee had no newspapers or books before 1809.‎ Sequoyah was probably born around the year 1770 and lived with his mother in a small village in the mountains of Tennessee. When he grew up, he became a blacksmith. When he was doing business with those “English-speaking people”, he noticed that they used paper with marks to record their thoughts and ideas. Sequoyah called these pieces of paper with marks “talking leaves”. He began to wonder why people who spoke Cherokee did not have a way to write down their words.‎ In 1809, Sequoyah decided to give the Cherokee their own “talking leaves”. At first he tried to make a different symbol for every word in the Cherokee language. But in that case, there would be so many symbols and too hard for people to remember, so he decided to make a picture for each syllable (音节). After much hard work, Sequoyah invented 85 symbols. In order to see whether it would work, he helped his six-year-old daughter Ayoka learn each symbol and found she could learn to read and write very quickly. Sequoyah’s invention was a success!‎ Before long, Sequoyah’s writing system had spread far and wide. Cherokee people living in all different parts of the country learned to read and write. In 1825, Sequoyah’s system was made the official written language for Cherokee people. To this day, Cherokee speakers still use Sequoyah’s writing system. In some parts of the United States, you can ‎ see street signs and billboards written in both English and Cherokee. Sequoyah will always be remembered for his important contribution to Cherokee people.‎ 1. Did the Cherokee have newspapers before 1809? ‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What did Sequoyah call the pieces of paper with marks? ‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. How many symbols did Sequoyah invent in the Cherokee language?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. When was Sequoyah’s system made the official written language?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. Why will Sequoyah always be remembered?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文，文中主要介绍了塞阔雅（Sequoyah）对切诺基语的发展所做出的巨大贡献。‎ ‎1. No.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：在1809年之前，Cherokee有报纸吗？根据第一段最后一句“Without a writing system, the Cherokee had no newspapers or books before 1809.”可知答案是否定的。‎ ‎2. Talking leaves.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：Sequoyah把带有符号的纸张称为什么？根据第二段倒数第二句“Sequoyah called these pieces of paper with marks ‘talking leaves’.”可知，他把这些带有符号的纸张称为“说话的树叶”。‎ ‎3. 85.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：在切诺基语中，Sequoyah发明了多少符号？根据第三段第四句中“After much hard work, Sequoyah invented 85 symbols.”‎ 可知，Sequoyah发明了85个符号。‎ ‎4. In 1825.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：Sequoyah的书写系统什么时候成为了官方的书面语？根据最后一段第三句“In 1825, Sequoyah’s system was made the official written language for Cherokee people.”可知，Sequoyah的书写系统在1825年成为了官方的书面语。‎ ‎5. Because of/For his important contribution to Cherokee people. / Because he created the writing system for Cherokee language. / Because he made the official written language for Cherokee people.【解析】题干意为：Sequoyah为什么会被人们永远纪念?阅读短文可知，Sequoyah为切诺基人的语言发展做出了巨大的贡献，据此表述即可，答案不唯一。‎ Passage 4‎ Garbage（垃圾） Island You can’t see it from the air. It’s almost impossible to see from a ship. But somewhere in the North Pacific is a huge island of garbage, just below the water surface.‎ What is the island made of?‎ The garbage island is not an island, but a collection of millions of plastic and other objects（物体）. The water movements of the Pacific Ocean bring the objects together and cause them to go around in a big circle.‎ Charles Moore found it in 1997 and named it “the Great Pacific Garbage Patch”.‎ Where does all the plastic come from?‎ Much of the garbage comes from everyday objects, such as shopping bags and water bottles. Some of these objects finally reach the ocean.‎ ‎ Garbage from the western coast of North America takes about six years to reach it. Objects from East Asia take about a year. Other garbage comes from ships passing through the area.‎ Is the Garbage Patch dangerous?‎ The larger pieces of garbage are a problem for wildlife. For example, sea turtles（海龟） and seabirds often think the plastic is their food. They eat the plastic and die.‎ In addition, the plastic stops sunlight from reaching deeper water. Without sunlight, very small sea animals die. Then, there is less food for larger fish to eat.‎ What can we do to help stop it?‎ Cleaning up the island isn’t easy. But we can make people realize the problem. One environmentalist（环保主义者）， David de Rothschild, is sailing around the world on a boat made of plastic bottles to teach people about the problem of garbage in the sea.‎ Another idea is that we can recycle the plastic garbage. Environmental engineer Cesar Harada is building a robot that collects pieces of plastic. Harada hopes to use his robot in the Pacific. Harada also has a website for reporting environmental problems. He says, “I hope everybody can become an environmental activist.”‎ 1. What is the garbage made of?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. How long does it take objects from East Asia to reach the island?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. Is the garbage island dangerous?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. Why is David de Rothschild sailing on a bottle boat?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. According to the writer, what can we do to help stop garbage island?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍目前北太平洋的垃圾污染问题以及环保主义者对社会的倡议。‎ ‎1. It is made of millions of plastic and other objects. 【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：垃圾是由什么组成的？根据第二段中“but a collection of millions of plastic and other objects（物体）.”可知垃圾是由数百万塑料及其他物品组成。‎ ‎2. About a year. 【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：物品从东亚到这个岛需要多久？根据第四段中“Objects form East Asia take about a year.”可知需要大约一年的时间。‎ ‎3. Yes, （it is）. 【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：岛上的垃圾危险吗？根据第五段中海龟和海鸟把垃圾当成食物，之后死亡的例子，可知岛上的垃圾是危险的。‎ ‎4. Because he wants to teach people about the problem of garbage in the sea. 【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：David de Rothschild 为何用瓶子船航行？根据第六段中“David de Rothschild, is sailing around the world on a boat made of plastic bottles to teach people about the problem of garbage in the sea.”故可知答案。‎ ‎5. We can make people realize the problem and recycle the plastic garbage. 【解析】细节理解题。题干意为: 根据作者，我们能做什么来帮助阻止垃圾岛的形成？根据文章第六段中“but we can make people realize the problem”和第七段中“Another idea is that we can recycle the plastic ‎ garbage.”可知有两个办法来阻止垃圾岛的形成，故可知答案。‎ Passage 5‎ People can’t see you when you’re speaking on the phone, but they can hear you. So, the way you speak is especially important. In fact, researchers have found that 80% of communication over the phone is through your tone（语气）of voice; and only 20% is from the words you use. Here are our top tips on how to speak over the phone.‎ ‎1. Facial Expressions Your facial expressions can influence your voice. For example, if you smile, your voice will sound warm and friendly, just the opposite, if you have an angry look on your face, it can make you sound unpleasant.‎ ‎2. Volume（音量）‎ If you speak too loudly, you could sound angry. And if you speak too softly, it’ll be difficult to hear you. So, speak loudly enough to be heard clearly, but not so loud that you’re shouting.‎ ‎3. Pace The pace of your voice is how quickly you speak. And this can show how you feel. For example, an angry person might speak faster than normal. Or a downhearted person might speak very slowly. Try speaking a little more slowly than normal. This will make you sound confident, and it’ll make it easier for the other person to understand you.‎ ‎4. Gestures（手势）‎ Gesturing can influence the tone of your voice. When you gesture, you bring more air into the lungs, which can make your voice sound warmer. Gestures are also useful to help you stress the right words or even find the words you need. The best thing about gesturing during a phone call is that no one can see what you’re doing, so you can gesture as wildly as you like!‎ ‎5. Movement If you’re feeling nervous, stand up and move around. It will reduce the nervousness in your body and help your voice to sound more confident.‎ ‎6. Pauses（停顿）‎ Using pauses every now and then can help you to slow down. This will make you sound more confident and in control. Also, if you pause after giving some new information, it’ll give the other person time to understand it. At the same time, listen to how the other person uses pauses. They could tell you something about the speaker’s feeling. For example, when a speaker is really angry, he might use pauses and say, “I... am... so... angry...”‎ 1. Can your facial expressions influence your voice?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. What is the pace of voice?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What is the best thing about gestures during phone call?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. What can people do to reduce their nervousness on the phone?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. What is the passage mainly about?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文，文中提供了六条就如何有效用电话沟通的小建议。‎ ‎1. Yes, it can.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：你的面部表情会影响你的声音吗？根据Facial Expressions中的第一句“Your facial expressions can influence your voice.”可知答案是肯定的。‎ ‎2. The pace of your/our voice is how quickly you/we speak.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：什么是声音的速度？根据Pace中第一句“The pace of your voice is how quickly you speak.”可知，声音的速度就是你说话有多快。‎ ‎3. No one can see what you’re doing.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：打电话时，关于手势的最好的一件事是什么？根据Gestures中的最后一句“The best thing about gesturing during a phone call is that no one can see what you’re doing...”可知，打电话时，关于手势的最好的一件事就是没有人能看到你正在做什么。‎ ‎4. Stand up and move around.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：打电话时，人们能做什么来减少焦虑？根据Movement中的第一句...stand up and move around.”可知站起来四处走走可以减少焦虑。‎ ‎5. Top tips on how to speak over the phone. 【解析】主旨大意题。题干意为：这篇文章主要是关于什么的？根据第一段最后一句 “Here are our top tips on how to speak over the phone.”可知文章主要介绍了六条如何有效用电话沟通的小建议。‎ Passage 6 ‎ Spiderman is one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time. He was created by Stan Lee in 1963 and was first introduced to the world in the pages of Marvel comic books.‎ Spiderman’s story is the story of Peter Parker, a child who lost his parents and lives with his aunt and uncle. Peter is a shy, quiet boy wearing glasses and has few friends. One day, on a high school class trip to a science lab, he gets bitten by a special spider. Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers: he is as strong and quick as a spider and also has a type of sixth sense. He no longer needs his glasses and he can use his super power to fly through the city streets! Remembering something his Uncle Ben has told him, that “with great power, there must also come great responsibility,”Peter decides to use his powers to fight against enemies who do cruel things to people. And so, Spiderman is born.‎ Life is not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero. He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers. Besides, his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time. He has to sell photos of Spiderman (himself!) to a newspaper and he keeps losing his other jobs because he’ s so busy saving people! Yet he has to fight different kinds of cruel enemies.‎ 1. Who created Spiderman?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. Where does Peter go on his high school class trip?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What happened to Peter after he was bitten by the spider?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. How is Spiderman born at last?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. What kind of life is Peter living?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文。文中主要介绍了蜘蛛人的诞生过程。‎ ‎1. Stan Lee.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：谁创造了蜘蛛人？根据第一段第二句“He created by Stan Lee in 1963”可知蜘蛛人是由斯坦?李创造的，故填Stan Lee。‎ ‎2. He goes to a high school class trip to a science lab.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：在上高中的时候，他在班级旅行的时候去了哪里？根据第二段第三句“One day，on a high school class trip to a science lab”可知在高中的班级旅行的时候去了一个科学实验室。故填He goes to a high school class trip to a science lab.‎ ‎3. He has amazing powers.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：在被蜘蛛咬了之后，彼得发生了什么事？根据第二段第四句“Soon Peter realizes he has amazing powers”可知在被蜘蛛咬了之后，彼得很快就发生他拥有惊人的力量。故填He has amazing powers.‎ ‎4. Spiderman is born when Peter decided to use his powers to fight against enemies who do cruel things to people at last.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：最后蜘蛛人是怎么诞生的呢？根据第二段倒数第二句“Peter decides to use his powers to fight against enemies who do cruel things to people.”可知他决定用他的超能力来和对人民残暴的敌人作斗争，这样蜘蛛人就诞生了。故填Spiderman is born when Peter decided to use his powers to fight enemies who do cruel things to people at last.‎ ‎5. He’s living a magical life with his amazing powers but life is not easy for him with difficult reasons.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：彼得过着什么样的生活？根据第三段前三句“Life is ‎ not easy for Peter even though he is a superhero. He is in love with Mary Jane but cannot tell her about his amazing powers. Besides, his best friend Harry hates Spiderman! Peter is also short of money and time. ”可知虽然自己有超能力，但是有时生活也并不容易。故填He’s living a magical life with his amazing powers but life is not easy for him with difficult reasons.‎ Passage 7 ‎ Today in our P. E. class, we all had to play basketball. There are only 7 girls in our P.E. class, so the class is mostly boys. And because we’re girls, they don't really like us. We hate basketball, and they hate us. So we asked them if we could sit on the chairs and not play. They agreed and so we talked and laughed happily on the chairs. ‎ Well, today, Just while all the girls were talking happily, the P. E. teacher came in. Angrily, he looked at all the boys running around with the basketball. Seeing that not a girl was playing, he looked at us. Shaking his head, he blew his whistle( 哨子). Everyone looked up. We were all surprised.‎ ‎“Why aren't you playing?” he asked us. ‎ ‎“Well，they said that we didn’t have to play，Mr. Backus!” We quickly blamed(归咎于) the boys, afraid to get into trouble. ‎ ‎“What? They didn't want to play!” the boys didn't want to get into trouble, either. Mr. Backus told us to get up and made all of us run around the playground for 5 minutes. Later, he made us sit down and listen to him. The boys complained, but he made them listen anyway.‎ ‎“Am I ever unfair to you?” he asked. We all shook our heads. It was ‎ true. Mr. Backus was the nicest P. E. teacher ever! He never shouted and complained. He was just nice. “Well, then I hope you are fair to me. I don t care whose fault(错误) it was. One person’s fault, the whole class’s fault. Understand?”‎ We nodded and waited. It was the only thing he ever asked us to do: to be fair. It was not much; it was not anything. So we listened on.‎ ‎“This time I catch you not doing anything, you run for 5 minutes. Next time. you run for 10 minutes. It’s your choice. You could play games or run. I don’t really care, but I think you care. Remember, one person's fault: the whole class's fault. Got it?” ‎ As we nodded again, he left. We could see him smile as he closed the door. Mr. Backus was just too nice. That was why we all liked him and he certainly loved us.‎ 1. Do the girls in the class like basketball?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What did the girls do in their P. E. class?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. How long did Mr. Backus ask the students to run?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. What did the students think of Mr. Backus?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. What did Mr. Backus want his students to learn from his lesson?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ ‎1. No, they don’t.‎ ‎2. They talked and laughed happily on the chairs. ‎ ‎3. For 5 minutes.‎ ‎4. He was nice / a good teacher.‎ ‎5. They should be responsible for what they do. ‎ Passage 8‎ Dealing with sleep-away Camp I have never been away from home, at least not for more than three days, much less two whole weeks. When I got the chance to go to Journalism Camp, I was afraid. Of the 19 other students there, I Knew no one. ‎ What if I had to go home during camp time because I wouldn't be able to get used to the new situation? What if my roommate and I don't get along? How do I even use a washing machine?‎ Well, after the first night, nearly all of my problems were solved. The students were amazing, and my roommate was perfect. She knew how to do crazy braids(辫子) with my long hair and she loved to listen to me talk loudly! I couldn't have asked for more.‎ The two weeks nearly flew by, and I learned to take responsibility for myself: washing clothes, cleaning and other things like that.‎ However, in the process I didn’t realize how tied I had become to the usual order of waking up early, running to get to the newsroom in time,‎ ‎ and coming back to a large room full of friends who shared similar feelings as I did. ‎ On the last day, I couldn’t get myself to turn in my room keys. It couldn't be over. I become emotionally tied really easily, so it was hard for me to pull away. I couldn't push away my tears. Leaving camp Just left me empty.‎ I wasn't having the “blues”, but I felt really sad about leaving. Returning home, I was in the state of disappointment for a few days. I kept to myself, sleeping through most of the day so I wouldn’t have time to look back. ‎ I needed to get used to life at home again. This was my challenge. I was lucky to have the two-week experience, but I had to learn to accept that not all things last forever.‎ I could still keep in touch with my new friends while continuing on with the rest of my summer. I know I will go through the same experience when I leave high school after senior year. High school life will never return after graduation, but I can still keep in touch with my friends and look forward to other experiences I will have. ‎ 1. How did the writer feel when she got the chance to go to Journalism Camp?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. After the first night, what did the writer think of the students and her ‎ roommate?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. How long did the camp last?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What was her challenge?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. What did the writer learn from the experience? __________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇记叙文，主要讲述了作者在度夏令营期间，学会了很多事情，也习惯了哪里的生活，却发现回家后，不能很快适应家里的生活。通过经历这些事情，作者明白过去的时光是不能返回的，她需要期待未来发生的事情。‎ ‎1. She was afraid.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：当作者有机会去新闻营时，她感到怎么样？由文中第一段“When I got the chance to go to Journalism Camp, I was afraid”可知他很害怕。故可知答案。‎ ‎2. The students were amazing and her roommate was perfect.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：在第一晚后，作者认为那里的学生和她的室友怎么样？由文中第三段“Well, after the first night … The students were amazing, and my roommate was perfect.”可知作者认为学生很好，室友很完美。故可知答案。‎ ‎3. Two weeks.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：这个夏令营持续了多长时间？根据文中第四段“The two weeks nearly flew by...”可知夏令营持续了两个星期。故可知答案。‎ ‎4. She needed to get used to life at home again.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：她的挑战是什么？根据文中第八段“I needed to get used to life at home again. This was my challenge.”可知坐着的挑战是又要适应家里的生活。故可知答案。‎ ‎5. She learned to take responsibility for herself and to accept that not all things last forever.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：作者从这次的经验中学到了什么？根据文中第四段“…and I learned to take responsibility for myself ….”以及第九段“… but I had to learn to accept that not all things last forever.”可知作者从这次经验学到，应该对自己负责以及不是所有的东西会永远存在。故可知答案。‎ Passage 9 ‎ ‎ DIY. which means Do It Yourself, is quite popular in UK. Lots of stores and supermarkets sell DIY things. TV programs show people how to DIY.‎ English people like DIY. There is a saying in UK—“An Englishman’s home is his castle(城堡)”. Huge numbers of people spend their holidays making their homes beautiful “castles”. If there is anything that needs fixing around their homes, such as painting the walls or putting in a new shower, they will do the jobs themselves. They share DIY experience with their friends. More and more people have discovered the joy of DIY. Sometimes people also DIY for saving money. With the economy (经济) becoming worse at present, many people cannot afford a big house. They are looking at how they can make their house better without spending a lot of money. It is not surprising that DIY is so popular. ‎ DIY can be difficult. There is a huge market for DIY furniture. People need to get together pieces of furniture with a few basic tools. However, people often find it not easy to build a piece of furniture because they can't understand the instructions. Sometimes the instructions are simple and clear, but the furniture itself is difficult to build. One thing is for sure, though most DIY projects are started with the best ideas, many of them may not get finished. DIY can also be dangerous. For ‎ example, anything electrical should be done by a professional worker. Unluckily, many people don't care about this warning and put themselves in danger. It is reported that in just one year over 230, 000 people were hurt while doing DIY in UK, including 41, 000 who fell off ladders. ‎ Therefore, DIY can bring us fun and help us save money, but it is not always as easy as it is thought to be if we bite off more than we can chew. Maybe factories should make products that are easier and safer for us to DIY. All in all, it is a very good and suitable thing for many people. 1. Is DIY quite popular in UK?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 2. How do many English people spend their holidays?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 3. What do people get together pieces of furniture with?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 4. How many people were hurt while doing DIY in UK in a year?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 5. Why do people in UK like DIY?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ ‎【主旨大意】本文是一篇应用文，主要介绍了英国一种流行的活动，DIY，从不同方面来解读这个项目，它可以很容易也可以很危险，同时也憧憬了未来DIY的发展。‎ ‎1. Yes, it is. 【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：DIY在英国很流行吗？由文中第一段“……is quite popular in UK.”DIY在英国确实很流行。故可知答案 ‎2. By making their homes beautiful “castles”.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：大多数英国人是怎样度过他们的假期的？由文中第二段“As Englishman’s home is his castle，huge number of ‎ people spend their holidays making their homes beautiful castles”。故可知答案。‎ ‎3. With a few basic tools.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：人们用什么将家具组合在一起？根据文中第三段“people need to get together piece of furniture with a few basic tools”可知需要一些基本的工具。故可知答案。‎ ‎4. Over 230,000 people.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：在英国一年中有多少人因为DIY而受伤？根据文中倒数第二段“It is reported that in just one year over 230,000 people were hurt while doing DIY in UK.”可知一年有超过23,000的人在英国因为DIY而受伤。故可知答案。‎ ‎5. Because DIY can bring people fun and help them save money.【解析】细节理解题。题干意为：为什么英国人喜欢DIY？根据文中最后一段“Therefore，DIY can bring us fun and help us save money.”可知英国人觉得DIY又好玩又能省钱。故可知答案。‎ Passage 10‎ ‎ A beautiful, expensively dressed young lady came to see the doctor and complained that her whole life was empty: it had no meaning.‎ ‎ The doctor called over an old lady who cleaned the office floors, and then said to the rich lady, “I’m going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is to listen.”‎ So the old lady put down her broom(笤帚) and began her story:“Good afternoon, madam. I’m a cleaner in this hospital. Now let me tell you something about my life experience. Well, my husband died of heart disease and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody…I had nothing left. I couldn’t sleep; I couldn’t eat; I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life because I didn’t want to live alone in the world. Then one evening a little cat followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for it. I decided to let the cat in. I got it some milk, and it licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed(蹭) against my leg, and for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I began to think: If helping a little cat could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy. So the next day I took some rice, vegetables and meat to my neighbor who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me feel so ‎ happy to see them happy. Today, I don’t know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I’ve found happiness, by giving it to others.”‎ When she heard that, the rich young lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money couldn’t buy.‎ 1. Did the young lady complain that her whole life was empty?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 2. What did the old lady do?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. Why did the old lady never smile at anyone?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎4. What made the old lady feel happy?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎5. Who do you want to learn from, the young lady or the old lady? Why?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________ 简答：‎ ‎1. Yes, she did.‎ ‎2. She was a cleaner in the hospital.‎ ‎3. Because her husband died of heart disease and three months later her only son was killed by a car. / She had nobody… / She had nothing left.‎ ‎4. Every day she tried to do something nice for someone.‎ ‎5. The old lady. Because she could make herself happy by doing something for people.‎ Passage 11 ‎ Television is one of the greatest technological inventions of the 20 century. A Scottish man called John Logie Baird invented it. Inventors ‎ in the USA and Europe were working on electronic television systems but Baird used a mechanical(机械的) system. In 1925, he was able to send the first black and white picture—of the head of a doll—from one end of his flat to the other. He then used a local office boy, not the doll, and this teenager was the first person ever to appear on TV.‎ In January 1926, Baird invited scientists to his flat and showed them his invention. He called it a “televisor”. Later that year, Baird started the world’s first TV station and gave it the name 2TV. In 1927, he sent images 730 kilometres from London to Glasgow using telephone cables(电缆). A year later, his company sent the first transatlantic(大西洋彼岸的) TV images from London to New York. Baird made the first television programmes for the BBC in 1929. These programmes had sound, not just pictures. ‎ However, Baird's system was very limited and basic( 基本的). A totally electronic American system was more popular and practical. The inventor of this electronic system was an American, Philo Farnsworth. In 1936, the BBC started using Farnsworth's system because the picture was better than Baird’s. ‎ More and more people had televisions after the Second World War. Colour TV began in the USA in the 1940s but only a small number of people had colour televisions in their houses. They were very expensive. In Britain and the USA, the first regular(有规律的) colour TV ‎ programmes only began in1967. ‎ Now in the 21 century, we have digital television. TV has changed a lot since the face of a boy appeared on TV in John Logie Bairds flat. ‎ 1. Is television a great technological invention of the 20century?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 2. How far were the images sent from London to Glasgow in 1927?‎ ‎ _________________________________________________________‎ 3. Who invented the totally electronic system?‎ ‎ ___________________________________________________________‎ 4. When did colour televisions go into their houses in America?‎ ‎ __________________________________________________________‎ ‎5. What is the passage mainly about?‎ ‎ ___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ ‎1. Yes. / Yes, it is.‎ ‎2. 730 kilometres.‎ ‎3. Philo Farnsworth.‎ ‎4. In the 1940s.‎ ‎5. The development of the television.‎ Passage 12 (2016-2017大兴期末) ‎ No summer beach vacation in the northeast U. S. A state of Massachusetts is complete without an order of fried clams at a seaside restaurant. People enjoy eating the shellfish, which are dipped(蘸) in a mixture made from flour, water and spices and then cooked in hot oil. ‎ One restaurant known for its seafood is Nancy’s on Matha’s Vineyard. ‎ Martha’s Vineyard is a small island off the coast of Massachusetts U. S. President Barack Obama and his family like to visit Martha’s Vineyard in the summer. The Obama family often eats at Nancy’s during their vacations. It seems that one Obama has even started working at Nancy’s this summer.‎ The Boston Herald newspaper first reported that Sasha Obama the president’s younger daughter has a job there. She is 15 years old. The story says that Sasha Obama is helping the restaurant get ready for its lunch service each day. She is also bringing customers their food orders at a take-out window. She works about four hours. Her last day is Saturday, when the rest of the Obama family arrives for vacation. One of the other workers at the restaurant said Sasha started working earlier the week. She has been using her full name, Natasha, while on the job. ‎ Many people followed the story on social media.“Sasha Obama” became a hot twitter topic. One person wrote on Twitter: “Keeping it ‎ real.” Another added hash-tag “Respect”. But a third person twittered that someone else who really needs the money should have the job. He said that Sasha Obama was only working because people would like the story. ‎ The president’s daughter does have a safe team looking out for her. But they have been waiting in a large car nearby while she works. ‎ 1. Is Matha’s Vineyard the name of a restaurant?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. Who first reported the story of Sasha?‎ ‎__________________________________________________________‎ 3. How long did Sasha work at the restaurant a day?‎ ‎ ___________________________________________________________‎ 4. According to a third person, why did Sasha work at a restaurant?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ ‎5. What do you think of Sasha?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ ‎1. No./No, it isn’t.‎ ‎2. The Boston Herald newspaper.‎ ‎3. For about four hours.‎ ‎4. Because people would like the story.‎ ‎5. Although Sasha is a daughter of the president’s, she behaved as an ordinary girl，and she is easygoing/ friendly/ hardworking/ modest.‎ Passage 13‎ Born to Travel Burton Holmes was a born traveller if ever there was one. He was born in Chicago in 1870. When he was 16, his grandmother took him to Europe. He took a camera with him, and took pictures. When he was 17, he went to Europe again with his grandmother. That year they also went to California and to Cuba. ‎ Burton was on the road all the time after that. Everywhere he went, he took at least one camera. Then Holmes began giving talks to the Chicago Camera Club. His talks were so popular that he decided to build a business on them.‎ Holmes’s first travel pictures were on glass slides(幻灯片). These were in black and white. Then he decided to have the slides painted so that his pictures would appear in colour. A few years later, in 1897, Holmes began showing moving pictures of his travel experiences. This was only a year after movies first were shown to a group of people in New York. Later, he set up a film company and his films became popular. There is even ‎ a star with his name on Hollywood Boulevard. In 1910 Holmes published a set of books about his travel experiences. These books also included the general travel information for others to follow. ‎ Burton Holmes had many adventures over the years. He took pictures at the first modern Olympics, in Athens, Greece, in 1896. In 1899 Holmes took the first moving pictures of a war. He was the first ‎ person to take moving pictures in China, and the first person to drive a car in Denmark. He photographed the opening of Yellowstone National Park, in 1916. When things happened, Burton Holmes was there. In travelling for 62 years Holmes kept time in his photographs, saving it for generations to come.‎ 1. When was Burton Holmes born?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. Did Burton take at least one camera with him everywhere he went?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. Why did Burton decide to have the slides painted?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. What did Burton Holmes do in 1910?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. What was the most valuable thing Burton did for future generations?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. In 1870. ‎ 2. Yes, he did. ‎ 3. So that his parents would appear in colour. ‎ 4. He published a set of books about his travel experiences. ‎ 5. He kept time in his photographs, saving it for generations to come. ‎ Passage 14‎ Max’s Good Habit Max reads more than anyone he knows. He loves to read during all ‎ of his free time. His friends laugh at him because he would rather read than play video games, but his parents and his teachers are proud of him. They say reading is important, and it will help him learn about the world around him. They also tell him it is a good habit to read on a regular basis.‎ One day Max was reading a magazine article about volcanoes. He told his friends all about volcanoes and what causes them to erupt(爆发). The very next week, his class was told to do a science project. It was to create a poster board with information about volcanoes and to build a volcano model. Guess who everyone wanted in their project group? Max's friends weren't laughing at him anymore. Max ended up being in a group with Liz, Anna and Josh. ‎ Max made copies of the magazine article about volcanoes so his project partners could read about them, too. They also went to the library to look for more information about volcanoes. ‎ The group met at Anna’s house that night to organize the information. They all asked Max what he thought was most important. Then they discussed and decided on the information they wanted to put on the poster board. ‎ The next night they met at Josh's house to build their volcano. They used cardboard and modeling clay(黏土). First they made a volcano shape with the cardboard, and then they covered the shape in brown clay. ‎ They also fixed red clay to the top of the volcano model to make it look like it was erupting.‎ The volcano looked great. Max. Liz, Anna and Josh were very proud of their hard work. When they turned in their project. their teacher was proud, too. Thanks to Max's good habit, they got an A+ on both parts of the project. 1. Why do Max's friends laugh at him?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 2. What was the science project?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 3. Where did the group get the information about volcanoes?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 4. What did the group use to make the volcano model?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________ 5. What do you learn from this story?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. Because he would rather read than play video games. ‎ 2. It was to create a poster board with information about volcanoes and to build a volcano model. ‎ 3. From the magazine article that Max read and the library. ‎ 4. They used cardboard and modeling clay. ‎ 5. I learn that reading is a good and important habit and it’s helpful for our study. ‎ Passage 15‎ Ready, Set, Jump!‎ ‎ For skydivers, the sky isn’t the limit. It's just the beginning. Thousands of people try skydiving each year. Some only jump once, while others go on to experience lifelong adventures, flying and turning over through the air. ‎ Skydiving is a method of leaving an airplane and returning to the earth with the help of gravity, then slowing down by using a parachute(降落伞). It may include more or less free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been used and the body gradually accelerates (加速）to the highest speed. ‎ There are three choices for the beginners. However, before you try skydiving, a ground course on safety is required. The first method is accelerated free-fall. You jump out of the plane while being held by two coaches, one on either side. They hold onto you until you open your parachute. The second method is called static line. After jumping out, you will experience free-fall for a second or two. Then the weight of your body will pull the line tight, opening the parachute.‎ Tandem(串联) is the most popular because it is the easiest. You and the coach are tied together, the coach behind, with you in front. You jump out of the plane together, and the coach takes care of opening the parachute For each of these three methods, the coaches give instructions in the ‎ air with hand signals(信号) or a radio. If you are eager to try something challenging and would love to feel the freedom of flying, skydiving might be an adventure for you. Who knows? With risk and excitement mixed together, skydiving might Just change your life.‎ 1. Do thousands of people try skydiving each year?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. How many choices are there for the beginners?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. Why is tandem the most popular? ‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. How do the coaches give instructions in the air? ‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. What is the passage mainly about?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. Yes./Yes, they do. ‎ 2. ‎3/Three./There are three choices. ‎ 3. Because it is the easiest. ‎ 4. With hand signals or a radio. ‎ 5. What skydiving is and how beginners skydive./The introduction of skydiving and the methods ‎ for beginners. ‎ Passage 16 ‎ People always have different feelings. Among them is shyness. It means feeling frightened when you are around other people. Some children were born shy. Some become very shy later because of life experience. In fact, everyone gets a little shy sometimes. It depends on how shy you are. If shyness doesn’t stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn’t a big problem. ‎ According to scientists, shyness generally begins during childhood. Most of time, shyness is caused by people’s worry about what other people think of them, so shy people often find it very difficult to meet new people. This fear has bad effects on their work life, social life and love life. The following suggestions may be helpful for shy people.‎ Find ways to relax when you go out. When you are old enough, consider drinking a glass of wine before heading out for the night. Talk with your friend or family members to help yourself calm down(平静). ‎ Look best when you go out. Wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable. ‎ Listen carefully when people speak. Shy people sometimes think that meeting new people means having to do a lot of talking. You can ask simple questions and then listen to the answers. People love to feel like other people are listening to them and sharing their point of view.‎ Build your confidence and change your attitude towards meeting new people instead of worrying about how they will think of you, and think about what are good points you hope to find in the new person you will meet. ‎ Try these suggestions if you do feel very shy. Hopefully you can enjoy your life better.‎ 1. What does shyness mean?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. Is being shy always a big problem according to the passage?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. When do scientists think shyness usually begins?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. Who can help shy people calm down?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. What is the passage mainly about?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. Shyness means feeling frightened when you are around other people. ‎ 2. No.‎ 3. During childhood. ‎ 4. Their friend and family members. ‎ 1. What shyness is and how to deal with it. ‎ Passage 17‎ A Different Kind of Spring Break For many American university students, the weeklong spring break holiday means an endless party on a sunny beach. In Panama City Beach, Florida more than half a million university students arrive during the month of March to play and party, making it the number one spring break place in the United States.‎ A week-long party is not for everyone, however, and a growing number of American university students have found a way to make spring break matter. For them, joining or leading a group of volunteers to help solve problems such as homelessness or environmental damage makes spring break a special learning experience that university students can feel good about. ‎ During one spring break week, students from James Madison University in Virginia took part in 15 “spring break” trips to nearby states, three others to more distant parts of the United States, and five international trips. One group of JMU students traveled to Bogalusa Louisiana, to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane (飓风 )Katrina. Another group traveled to Mississippi to organize creative activities for children living in a homeless shelter. One group of students did go to Florida, but not to lie on the sand. They did some work to help protect the ‎ native Florida plants.‎ Students who take part In spring break projects find them very rewarding(值得的). While most university students have to get their degrees before they can start helping people, student volunteers are able help people right now without degrees On the other hand, the buildings or rooms they live or stay are far from attractive. Students often sleep on the floor of a school or church. But they only pay around $250 for meals and transportation,which is much less than some of their friends spend traveling to more traditional spring break hot spots.‎ Spring break projects appear to be growing in popularity at universities across the United States. Some students take the opportunity to meet friends. Others want to exercise their beliefs to make the world a better place. Whatever their reasons, these students have discovered something that give them rich rewards along with a break from school work. ‎ 1. What’s the number one spring break place in the United States?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What is the way to make spring break matter for some students?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. How did the students help in Bogalusa, Louisiana?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. Where do the student volunteers often sleep?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. What makes the spring break projects more rewarding?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. Panama City Beach, Florida. ‎ 2. Joining or leading a group of volunteers to help solve problems. ‎ 3. By rebuilding homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. ‎ 4. On the floor of a school or church. ‎ 5. Student volunteers can help people right now without degrees, spend less money, meet new friends and exercise their beliefs. ‎ Passage 18‎ It’s about Time Do you know what time it is? If you do, you probably are looking at a clock or watch. Long ago, people didn't have clocks or watches like you do. When the sun rose, they got up and when the sun went down, they went to bed. They told time by the position of the sun in the sky. ‎ People discovered that they could use a stick and the sun to tell time. This was called a shadow clock. They put a stick in the ground, pointing straight up. The direction of the stick’s shadow and how long or short it was told them the time. ‎ A better kind of shadow clock was called a sundial(日晷). Sundial ‎ had a pointer and a base. The pointer cast a shadow on marks around the base. People could tell time by reading the marks. ‎ But shadow clocks were not good for telling time on cloudy days or at night. ‎ One kind of clock that didn't need the sun was a water clock. A water clock was container with a tiny hole in the bottom. Water would steadily drop out of the hole. Marks on the inside of the container showed the time. It took one hour for the water to go down one mark.‎ Another kind of clock that didn't need the sun was a candle clock. You would know the time by how much of the candle had melted (熔化). The candle had marks down its side to show the hours. ‎ ‎ Sometimes people used candle clocks as alarm clocks. They put a nail（钉子）in the candle at the time they wanted to wake up, hanging a shoe on the nail. When the candle melted down, the nail fell out and the show hit the floor with a BANG!‎ ‎ Now there are all kinds of timepieces, from tall grandfather clocks to watches we wear on our wrists(手腕). Most clocks run on electricity from batteries. ‎ There are many more types of clocks, too. Clocks hang in and on buildings. Clocks are everywhere!‎ 1. Did people have clocks or watches like you do long ago?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 1. What did sundial have?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. How long did it take for the water to go down one mark in water clock?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. How would you know the time when you use a candle clock?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. What does the writer want to tell us?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. No. /No, they don’t. ‎ 2. A pointer and a base. ‎ 3. One hour. ‎ 4. By how much of the cradle had melted. ‎ 5. The changes/types of the clock. ‎ Passage 19 ‎ Since the 2014 Oscars ceremony selfie (自拍) of Bradley Cooper stormed the Internet, it seems that every one shows great interest. And now people are sharing even their most private moments. TV star Kim Kardashian could be called “the queen of the moment”. She’s turned ‎ hundreds of her selfies into a book—at every possible moment, in all poses. ‎ If Kardashian is the queen, then you could cay Barack Obama is the king. But though Kardashian has nothing to lose by sharing too much, the same can’t be said of the US president. Politicians have to be careful with selfies. The photo he took at the funeral(葬礼) of Nelson Mandela divided public opinions. Some felt it made him look like one of us—glad to record a moment with his “mates”. Others felt the head of state behaved like a crazy teenager. ‎ Unfortunately for the US congressman(国会议员) Anthony Weiner, his habit of sending his private selfies to women killed his political career(事业). ‎ Being crazy about selfies can also harm your health. Todd Fassler from California ended up in hospital after he found a snake—he tried to take a selfie with it. The animal wasn't interested in the idea and bit him. ‎ Why do we take so many selfies? Dr. Terri Apter, from Cambridge University, told the Daily Telegraph: “We all like the idea of being in control of our image and getting attention, being part of the culture. There’s celebrity(名人) culture— unless you’re being noticed, you’re nobody. You have to get enough attention and show your life is amazing, even if it isn’t.”‎ The word selfie was Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year in 2013. But many believe it started much earlier in 1839 as Robert Cornelius, a chemist from Philadelphia, uncovered the lens(镜头), ran into the shot for a minute before running back to cover the lens again. These days, you don’t need to run for a photo anymore and soon, you don’t even have to spread your arms. Now you are even ale to take a selfie by drone（无人机）! Fix your camera onto it, and it will follow you every move. Does it sound exciting to you?‎ 1. What could Kim Kardashian be called?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 2. Do politicians have to be very careful with selfies?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 3. What happened when Todd Fassler tried to take a selfie with a snake?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 4. According to the passage, why do the celebrities take selfies?‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 5. Do you think the selfie is good? Why? ‎ ‎___________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. The queen of the selfie. ‎ 1. Yes. ‎ 2. The snake bit him. ‎ 3. Because they want to get enough attention and show their life is amazing./ Because they want to get noticed. ‎ 4. I don’t think so, because it’s not safe./ I think so, because it can record memorial moments. ‎ Passage 20 ‎ ‎ Moving-making factories are called studios. Like all other businesses, they have to follow the rules of good business. There is a person, called “the top man”, running the studio. He is usually someone with a powerful personality. His power of character is necessary so that the “boss” can deal with famous stars and rich investors(投资者). Some movie stars can only contract with one studio. They cannot work for another. Big studios like Columbia, Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are the most important film-making companies in Hollywood, and at the time, in the world. ‎ Studios have lots of workers and overhead costs. Overhead refers to the money for everyday operations. The studio has to make enough money to pay everyone. For example, studios have their own screenwriters, filming and sound equipment, offices, and marketing staff. A studio has a building full of pros which are items and objects that might be needed for a movie, such as old cars, everything from old-fashioned schoolbooks to streetlights. Like a librarian, the studio property(财产) manager has to be able to find any needed pros fast.‎ In the studio system, a movie is under the control of the studio manager, usually a producer. A screenwriter writes the story for the movies. A director is chosen to organize the parts. Art directors and camera experts work with the director to imagine the finished film. Studio clothes designers and set designers work with the director to plan the work for the soldiers and doctors. The huge buildings that hold sound stages change into the setting for the movie. Sometimes the stage is a street, sometimes a desert, sometimes a field of flowers. The director of filming plans how to “shoot”(拍摄) the movie with cameras and film. A plan for ordering the parts of the movie and a timetable for the actors completes the planning.‎ With makeup artists and hairdressers, cameras and sound experts, everything is ready for the big day. The actors and actresses memorize the lines, and all the parts of the great production come together. All is ready for the filming to begin. The post-production team waits to do their part of the job.‎ 1. What are studios?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 2. Why is the top man’s power of character necessary?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 3. How does the studio property manager help with the movie-making?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 1. Who plans how to “shoot” the movie?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 2. What is the main idea of the passage?‎ ‎_________________________________________________________‎ 简答：‎ 1. Moving-making factories. ‎ 2. So that he can deal with famous stars and rich investors. ‎ 3. By finding any needed pros fast. ‎ 4. The director of filming. ‎ 5. How a stdio runs to make a movie. / How a studio system runs. ‎