Young people and older people do not alw...

Britain Today

Food

British people like good food, and more than half of them go to a restaurant every month. Fast food is also very popular— 30% of all adults have a hamburger every three months, but 46% have fish and chips!

Sports

British people don’t do a lot of sports. Only 17% of people go swimming every week, about 9% go cycling and 8% play golf—and only 6% of people play football (but 32% go to watch it).

Cinema and TV

Films are very popular in Britain, and about 60% of people between 15 and 24 go to the cinema every month. At home, men watch TV for about three hours every day — two quarters more than women.

Holidays

British people love going on holiday, and have 56 million holidays every year. Most of these holidays aren't in the UK—27% are in Spain, 10% are in the USA, and 9% are in France. Maybe this is because the weather in Britain isn't very good!

1.Which food could be more popular among British adults, a hamburger or fish and chips?

2. Those who are interested in movies are ____.

3. How long do British women spend watching TV every day?

4.British people's favorite country for a holiday is ____.

Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting（永恒的、永久的） happiness. Aristotle (亚里士多德), a Greek thinker, said, “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few suggestions to help you be happier.

The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future —for example, getting into college or getting a good job —that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends often live happier and healthier lives.

Another secret to living a happy life is to be active, and have hobbies where you forget your problems and time. Many people experience dancing, playing a sport, or swimming. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity. Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. Studies show that people feel good when they spend their time helping others. If you want to feel happier, do good things for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to buy food for an elderly person, or simply help out around the house by washing the dishes.

1. The best title of the passage is ________.

2. The second paragraph tells us that ________.

3. The passage gives us ________ pieces of advice on happiness.

4.Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

One morning, a blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said, “I am blind. Please help me.” There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took out a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote something on it. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Are you the one who changed my sign this morning? May I know what you wrote?” The man said, “I only wrote the truth, I said what you said but in a different way.” What he had written was, “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”

Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was a blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. It reminded you to be thankful for what you have. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling.

1.We can learn from the text that the man helped the blind boy by __________.

2. Why did the man come back that afternoon?

3.It can be inferred that the boy was ________ after he found out what the man had written.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

Some teachers are unforgettable. They lead by example and never lose their smile. They change lives. Eileen Madden is one of them. Her students must think she was born with an eraser and a piece of chalk in her hand.

“It’s a joy to get up early every morning to be the first one here,” say the 55-year-old Holy Ghost School third grade teacher. Madden arrives shortly after 6 am to prepare her classroom and work on the school breakfast program.

“My family all went to St. Teresa’s School,” she says. “I always said, ‘One day, I’m going to come back and get one of those big desks.’”

With a watchful eye always on the lookout for “one of those big desks”, Madden returned to St. Teresa after graduating from college and taught second grade at the Olneyville neighborhood elementary school until it was burnt in a fire in 1990 and had to be closed. Madden then went to Holy Ghost School where she started as a second-grade teacher and then moved up one grade level.

“I take care of setting up and serving breakfast,” she says. “In winter it is still dark when I arrive here.” Madden praises Holy Ghost School Principal Carol Soltys and the school’s workers for their continued support. “It’s a family,” she said.

Her class is small this year with 15 students, including some from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala, Nigeria and Ghana. Madden admits that she’s encouraged by her former students, now grown-ups, who want their own children to enjoy a similar experience in a safe, good environment. “They tell others, ‘I send my child to Eileen Madden’s School, ’” she adds.

1.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 suggest?

   A. Eileen Madden was very smart as a child.

   B. Eileen Madden is a very good teacher.

   C. Eileen Madden has done a lot for her students

   D. Eileen Madden always has an eraser in her hand.

2.We can learn from paragraph 2 that Eileen Madden __________.

   A. is in her late fifties now.

B. always teaches Grade 3

   C. often arrives at school very early.

     D. cooks breakfast for all her students by herself.

3.What does Eileen Madden most probably think of the workers of Holy Ghost School?

   A. Lazy but kind

     B. Careful but helpless

   C. Hard to get along with

     D. Kind and helpful.

4.The last paragraph suggests that ______________.

   A. Eileen Madden often gives lessons to small classes.

   B. Eileen Madden is remembered by all her former students.

   C. Eileen Madden thinks her former students think too highly of her.

   D. Eileen Madden’s former students are very happy to let her teach their children.

5.What is implied in the passage?

   A. Holy Ghost School is a very small school.

   B. St. Teresa’s School will be open again soon.

   C. Eileen Madden decided to be a teacher when she was young.

   D. Eileen Madden was very happy to leave St. Teresa’s School.

Some diaries from Jackie Chan’s blog

January 4, 2009

  Lately I’ve been busy in Beijing having meetings to discuss my new movie. I also attended John Wu’s ceremony（典礼）of his new movie, Red Cliff, which took two years to complete. I’m good friends with the director John Wu and the main actor Tony Leung.

January 5, 2009

Today I went to record a television program for Beijing TV called Volunteers Across China. This TV program is a large-scale reality show that is based on the idea that “good people reap good rewards” and it hopes to encourage people to be more aware and help the “good people” who are in difficult situations.

January 6, 2009

     I’m very pleased to announce that my Jackie Chan automobile website is set up and officially operating! I hope that through this automotive website, I can get in touch with more people who want to buy cars.

January 7, 2009

Today, I went to record a song called Zhongguo Nian. This song was written by Chang Shilei. I sing this song together with Tan Jing. Chang Shilei is a naturally talented musician. He also has an interesting habit. His piano is placed next to his bed. When he wakes up, he plays the piano until he’s tired, and then he lies down on his bed to sleep.

January 9, 2009

Today I met with the producer and director of Longwei Xiaozi ,and I also brought along my friend’s daughter for a screen test. Although my friend’s daughter grew up in China, her English is very good and it just happened by chance that this movie needs a young actress for a part, so I took her along to audition（试演）.

1.What might be the best title for this passage?

A. My new movie.           B. My busy life.

C. My good friend.           D. My favorite song.

2. The TV program Volunteers Across China tries to

A. find some rich people who are able to help the poor.

B. encourage people to look after the young.

C. ask people to help “good people” who are in trouble.

D. make China more and more famous all over the word.

3.The underlined word “announce” in the third paragraph means

   A. tell sb sth officially

  B. tell sb what you think

C. tell sb to do sth

D. say that sth must happen

4.With whom does the author sing the song Zhongguo Nian ?

   A. John Wu.      B. Tony Leung.       C. Chang Shilei.       D. Tan Jing.

5.What can we infer from the text?

   A. It took the author two years to finish the movie Red Cliff.

B. People who are in trouble can ask Beijing TV for help.

C. Chang Shilei is a famous actor who is good at playing the piano.

D. Longwei Xiaozi needs a young actress for a part who can speak English well.