阅读短文，根据其内容回答问题。
Movie-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?
4. Who plans how to “shoot” the movie?
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
阅读下面短文，从短文后的五个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。每个选项只能用一次。
A robot teacher
Robots are smart because they have computer brains. They can help people work in dangerous places. 1.________. Brine, the robot mail carrier, brings mail to a large office building in Washington, D.C.. He is one of 250 robot mail carriers in the United States. But have you ever heard about a robot teacher?
Mr. Green is a fourth grade robot teacher. 2.________. One advantage is that he does not forget details. He knows each child’s name, their parents’ names and what each child knows and needs to know. 3.________. Mr. Green does not make mistakes. Each child goes and tells him his name, then dials an ID number. His computer brain puts the child’s voice and number together. He identifies the child with no mistakes. Then he starts the lesson.
4.________. If the children need more time to do their lessons they can move switches and change the timetable. In this way they can repeat Mr. Green’s lesson over and over again. When the children do a good job, he tells them something interesting about their hobbies. At the end of the lesson the children switch Mr. Green off.
The children like Mr. Green very much. 5._______. And when they make a mistake, they don’t feel upset. They have a lot of fun with a robot teacher.
A. They can also do difficult jobs B. He has some advantages as a teacher C. They feel happy and relaxed in his class D. He even knows each child’s pets and hobbies E. Another advantage is that Mr. Green is flexible (灵活的) |
As one of the most well-known of the fantasy languages invented for science fiction film, television and book, and developed by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, Elvish is made up with several thousand words and different sentence structures.
Constructed languages (人造语言) like Elvish are real languages, made up of thousands of words created by fantasy writers, linguists and fans, with real language rules. While a widespread vocabulary is advantageous to a constructed language, there is a key differentiator (区分者) we can see between just a lot of words and real language: Grammar.
Grammar is what makes constructed languages like Elvish learnable by everyday superfans. Superfans of The Lord of the Rings have built websites and created dictionaries, apps and translators, to teach Elvish. They have also created online clubs where fans can discuss and even create new words based on the already existing vocabulary, and continue to study the language.
So what does it take to be a master of Elvish?
In learning Elvish, there are a couple of grammatical rules similar to those of the English language. For example, in order to make a verb past tense in English, you have to add an -ed, making wash, washed. Similarly in Elvish, in order to change the word for wash, which is allu, to the past tense then you have to add an -ne to the word. So washed is then translated to allune in past tense.
Nouns in Elvish are different in the way that the noun changes depending on how it’s used in a sentence, just like in Latin or Russian. For example, the word head in Elvish is CAS. However, if you duck your head, then the word changes to CARA. When mentioning something in your head, then it changes to CASSE. Tolkien’s attention to detail in creating the fantasy world used in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, complete with multiple functioning (多功能的) invented languages, has attracted readers and movie viewers these years.
Elvish is only one of the many magical languages developed by J.R.R. Tolkien. Creating language for fantasy has proven to add to viewers and readers experiences. By transplanting their imagination to a new world, fans are able to learn the new language and speak Elvish with each other, much like their favorite characters.
1. Elvish is considered a real language because ______.
A. certain grammatical rules make the language learnable
B. it is made up with lots of words and sentence structures
C. characters in The Lord of the Rings use it to communicate
D. new words can be created based on already existing words
2.For the fans of The Lord of the Rings, ______.
A. Elvish is a language difficult to learn
B. there is no Elvish dictionary to refer to
C. Elvish adds to the novel’s attractiveness
D. they can even create new grammar for Elvish
3. Which of the following is TRUE about Elvish?
A. The translation of “washed” in Elvish is “allu”.
B. The form of a noun doesn’t change in Elvish.
C. Elvish and English share the same grammar.
D. Elvish is also used in the film The Hobbit.
4.The best title for this passage might be ______.
A. Elvish, a Magical Language
B. J.R.R. Tolkien, a Great Writer
C. The Hobbit, a Wonderful Film
D. Language, a Way to Communicate
Saying “thank you” is probably the first thing most of us learn to do in a foreign language. After all, we’re brought up to be kind and polite.
So, what exactly are you supposed to say when “thank you” is only the 20th most popular way to express gratitude (感激)? According to a recent report, 19 other ways of expressing gratitude finished ahead of “thank you” in a poll (投票) of 3,000 people.
Pollsters found almost half those asked preferred the more informal (非正式的) “cheers”, while others liked to use such expressions as “ta”, “great” and “nice one”.
So, just what is the right form of words to express your thanks?
Luckily, the answer is in the language itself. “Cheers” is considered an informal way to say thank you. For example, when going for a drink with friends, a smile and a “cheers” by way of thanks is not only acceptable to the situation, it is also culturally accurate.
“Ta” was the second-most popular expression of thanks, and is also commonly used in informal situations, along with phrases such as “nice one”, and “wonderful”.
Interestingly, one word that didn’t make it into the top 20 was “thanks”. But “thanks” can be useful, as it is able to bridge the divide between “thank you” and the downright relaxed “cheers”.
Certain words can double as an expression of thanks as well as delight. For example, words like “awesome”, “brilliant” and “you star” can tell both your pleasure at someone’s action, as well as serving to express your thanks. If you are on the receiving end of a “new” thank you, you can reply with a simple “no problem”, or “sure”.
Of course, a simple wave, nod or smile may be all right. For example, if a car driver slows down to let you cross the road, simply raising your hand is enough to show that you are thankful for the driver’s consideration.
Sometimes, formality is necessary, and “thank you” is still the best choice in such situations. But students should not worry about when exactly to use certain expressions.
Many people in western countries are worried that good manners are in decline (衰退). People are tired of seeing their acts of kindness and service pass without any feedback. So don’t think that your “thank you” was useless or too formal. The chances are, if you said “thank you”, you made someone’s day.
1.We can tell from the result of the poll that ______.
A. people are worrying about politeness nowadays
B. there are many kinds of expressions of gratitude
C. “thank you” is the most popular expression of gratitude
D. there are more formal expressions of gratitude than informal ones
2. What does the underlined word “accurate” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A. Clear and exact.
B. Simple but strange.
C. Short and informal.
D. Informal but popular.
3.Which of the following can express gratitude as well as pleasure?
A. Sure.B. No problem. C. Ta. D. You star.
4.In the last paragraph the writer encourages people to ______.
A. help others behave well
B. show their gratitude to others
C. continue their language learning
D. stop worrying about social activities
When Abraham Lincoln was young, he worked in a store. One day a woman came into the store and bought some things. They added up to two dollars and six and a quarter cents.
The bill was paid, and the woman was satisfied. But the young storekeeper, not feeling quite sure about his calculations (计算), added up the things again. To his surprise he found that it should have been but two dollars.
“I’ve made her pay six and a quarter cents more,” said young Abe, upset.
It was an unimportant thing, and many salespersons would forget it, but Abe was too careful for that.
“The money must be paid back,” he decided.
At night, he closed the store and walked to the home of his customer. He explained the matter, paid over the six and a quarter cents, and returned satisfied.
Here is another story of young Lincoln’s strict honesty. A woman entered the store and asked for half a pound of tea. The young man weighed it out. This was the last sale of the day.
The next morning, when beginning his duties, Abe discovered a four-ounce weight on the scales (磅秤). It flashed upon him at once that he had used this in the sale last night, and so, of course, given his customer short weight. Many people would not have been much worried by this discovery. But Abe weighed out the balance of the half pound, shut up the store, and carried it to the customer. I think that the name, so often given in late times to President Lincoln, of “Honest Old Abe”, was well deserved (应得的).
1.When young Abe found he made a wrong calculation, he ______.
A. tried to forget it
B. paid over the money
C. felt it was unimportant
D. gave back the short weight
2.What happened to Abe in the second story?
A. He played a joke with the customer.
B. He wasn’t paid two dollars and six cents.
C. He didn’t notice a four-ounce weight on the scales.
D. He explained the matter to the customer that night.
3.We can know from the passage that Abe was ______.
A. easy to get worried
B. confident but careless
C. honest and responsible
D. funny but well behaved
阅读下面的四篇短文，根据短文内容，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选择最佳选项。
The Reason I Won’t Be Coming Writer: Elliot PerlmanList Price: $24.95 Pages: 288Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover ISBN: 573223212 The nine smart, thoughtful stories in this collection tell hopes, fears, and desires. |
Bag the Elephant: How to Win and Keep Big Customers Writer: Steve Kaplan List Price: $19.95 Pages: 208Publisher: Bard Press ISBN: 1885167628 Bag the Elephant is more than a strategy book. Throughout the book you’ll find stories that show you how to put the strategy to work. |
A Long Way Gone: Memories of a Boy Solider Writer: Ishmael Beah List Price: $22.00 Pages: 240Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN: 0374105235 Ishmael Beah is one of many African children forced into local conflicts as boy soldiers. A Long Way Gone is his true life story. |
Christmas Letters Writer: Debbie MacomberList Price: $9.97 Pages: 272Publisher: Mira ISBN: 0778323498 It is a new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling writer Debbie Macomber. Katherine writes Christmas letters for other people. But for Dr. Wynn Jeffries, Christmas means lies and deception. They disagree about everything. But finally, they both discover that love means accepting each other’s differences. |
1. You can read nine smart, thoughtful stories from the book ______.
A. Bag the Elephant
B. A Long Way Gone
C. Christmas Letters
D. The Reason I Won’t Be Coming
2.How much will you pay for the book written by Steve Kaplan?
A. $24.95.B. $22.00.C. $19.95.D. $9.97.
3. Who is the writer of Christmas Letters?
A. Elliot Perlman.
B. Steve Kaplan.
C. Ishmael Beah.
D. Debbie Macomber.
4. A Long Way Gone tells ______.
A. a new romantic love story
B. memories of a boy solider
C. hopes, fears, and desires
D. some ways to win customers
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